Tacos and Margaritas, anyone? It’s not a bad idea at all when you set foot in one of the 69 locations of Monterrey Mexican Restaurant in the U.S. As vegans, we also have those Mexican dish cravings. Let’s see if this restaurant can satisfy us with the taste of Mexico.
Monterrey Mexican Restaurant is famous for its tacos, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and most of all, its must-taste and unique margaritas. The latter, of course, is essentially vegan that we don’t have to worry about. Well, we all wish their tacos or burritos were vegan-friendly too, right?
Regardless of what’s on the menu, we do love Mexican cuisine. It’s been a staple to food culture all around the world. So if you’re in search of delicious Mexican dishes that are vegan-friendly, you’re in the right place. Let’s check out what Monterrey Mexican Restaurant has to offer.
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Monterrey Mexican Restaurant, Your Authentic Taste Of Mexico
With almost 80 locations in the states of Georgia, Iowa, South Carolina, Maryland, North Carolina, Minnesota, among others, Monterrey Mexican Restaurant is hard to beat when it comes to authentic Mexican cuisine. Raul Leon in the ’70s opened its first location in Doraville, Georgia, and continued to open more in the Southeast, delivering the authentic flavor of Mexico.
It’s famous and known for its classic Mexican dishes, including tacos, sizzling fajitas, enchiladas, and burritos. Of course, the city of Monterrey in Mexico is a pioneer in the finest and the best margaritas, and this is what the restaurant prides itself on. It also offers a great plethora of super premium tequilas.
Monterrey Mexican Restaurant is family-owned and operated, and is committed to delivering a family-friendly service. Its warm and welcoming architecture that’s influenced by Spanish culture in a traditional Mexican setting is set for friends and family gatherings.
Most of its locations in 10 states offer a patio, a full-service bar, and a dining room. The restaurant also offers online orders and delivery as well as catering to big crowds. Its chefs also come from Monterrey, Mexico to ensure that they deliver the original, traditional, and authentic flavor of the well-known Mexican cuisine.
Monterrey Mexican Restaurant Vegan Options
Monterrey Mexican Restaurant offers lunch, dinner, starters, sides, and specials for clients and the like. Although it’s not a full-blown vegan Mexican spot, some of their dishes are vegan-friendly, and some can be modified at customers’ request.
Trust us. It always pays to ask the crew about how these dishes are prepared to ensure that you’re eating the vegan way. The dishes might also include cheese or sour cream, which is not an option unless it’s vegan-friendly.
It’s also worth noting that the dishes and prices vary by location. But overall, the dishes listed below are mostly available in most locations.
On to the possibly vegan dishes. Just ask the crew and see what they can do for you as a vegan.
Clue: Vegetarian fajitas. Wink!
Lunch
- Speedy Gonzales. This includes a taco, enchilada, and rice or beans. Both taco and enchilada are traditionally served with either meat or veggies or a combination of both. Ask the crew if you can scratch off the meat.
- Lunch #1. It includes a chile Relleno, a taco, beans, and guacamole salad. A chile Relleno is usually stuffed with meat, and coated with eggs. And of course, this can be made vegan-friendly.
- Lunch #2. Includes burrito, and rice and beans. For the burrito, it can also be made with beef or other meat in it. There are ways to make it vegan-friendly. Ask the staff.
- Lunch #3. This offers enchilada, and rice and beans.
- Lunch #4. It has two enchiladas, and an option of rice or beans.
- Lunch #5. This has burrito, taco, and rice.
- Lunch #9. It offers the famous burrito, enchilada, and a choice of rice or beans.
- Lunch #10. It’s exciting to know that this includes potato burrito, potato enchilada, and cheese quesadilla. Watch out for the cheese used in the quesadilla to ensure that it’s vegan-friendly. Otherwise, go ahead and skip the cheese.
- Chile Poblano. At $5.50, you can have one chile poblano with rice, beans, pico de gallo, and two flour tortillas. This is one of our favorite dishes on this menu that can be made vegan, especially the chile poblano.
- Taco Salad. It includes a meat-filled crispy flour tortilla with lettuce, beans, guacamole, tomato, and cheese sauce. It’s always possible to skip the meat and just get the crispy flour tortilla alone. Also, be mindful of the cheese sauce. Skip it if you need to.
We skipped some of its dishes as they’re usually or must be made with meat and impossible to scratch out, especially since Monterrey Mexican Restaurant is not a full-blown vegan spot.
Dinner Choices
- One famous taco, two enchiladas, and a choice of either rice or beans.
- One taco, one enchilada, and one delicious chalupa. You should also check the latter if it has meat in it although veggies are also famous for its filling.
- One enchilada, one chile Relleno, and one taco.
- One taco, one nacho cheese tostada, one enchilada. You may also need to ask about nacho cheese to ensure that it’s safe for vegans.
- Two enchiladas, and rice and beans.
- One chile Relleno, one enchilada, and rice and beans.
- One tamal, one enchilada, and rice and beans.
- One enchilada, one quesadilla, and one chalupa.
- One burrito, one chile Relleno, and rice and beans.
- One burrito, one delicious taco, and rice and beans.
- Three delicious enchiladas, and rice or beans.
- One chile Relleno, one famous and tasty taco, and one burrito.
- One tamal, one burrito, and one quesadilla.
- One enchilada, one burrito, and rice and beans.
- One delicious chile Relleno, one enchilada, and one burrito.
- One quesadilla, one enchilada, and one burrito.
- Two delicious burritos, and a choice of rice or beans.
- One cheese quesadilla, one burrito, and rice and beans.
- One chalupa, one burrito, and one enchilada.
- Vegetarian Fajitas. Okay, this is what we’re living for. At $7.50, you can have vegan-friendly fajitas made with zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. No questions asked!
Monterrey Mexican Restaurant Favorites
- Chiles Poblanos. This includes two delicious chiles poblanos served with rice, beans, and two tasty flour tortillas.
- El Combo Special Combination. It has one tasty chalupa, one beef taco, one chile Relleno, one burrito, and one enchilada served with rice and beans. Yes, you can skip the beef taco, and maybe request for a vegetarian taco if possible. Otherwise, you can totally skip it.
- Grilled Tacos. This has three delicious soft corn tacos served with rice and beans, and a choice of steak, pork, or chicken, which is not an option for us. Skip it.
- Sopes. Also called Picadita, sopes are fried corn-based dough topped with beans, avocado, lettuce, sour cream, and fresh cheese. These are also served with rice and beans. Ask about the last two if they’re vegan-friendly. Skip if you need to.
- Huaraches. These are pizza-like made of cornmeal dough. Monterrey Mexican Restaurant serves them with onions, green salsa, cilantro, lettuce, sour cream, and fresh cheese with a side of rice and a choice of either lengua or veggie. They also offer it with meat, which is not for us vegans.
Starters
You may also need to ask about these starters and side dishes to see if they’re prepared without the involvement of animal-sourced cheese and cream. If they don’t, go carte blanche and enjoy your meal with delicious sides and appetizers!
- Guacamole Dip. This is one of our favorite choice of dips that’s vegan-friendly and very healthy. We’ve covered its essential nutrients on this page that you may want to check out too.
- Cheese Dip
- Bean Dip
- Spinach Dip
- Guacamole Salad
- Tossed Salad
- Chile con Queso
- Pico de Gallo
- Bowl of Chili
- Cheese Fries
Sides
- Rice
- Rice and Cheese Sauce
- Beans
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Tamal
- Flour or Corn Tortillas
- Chile Rellenos
- Chile Poblano
- Chalupas
Accidentally, Traditionally Or Can Be Modified Vegan Options
Luckily, there are many vegan-friendly dishes that you can order at Monterrey Mexican Restaurant. Others spots will even have it modified for you. We may have missed other dishes, but the list below is among the most popular Mexican food that’s consumed worldwide.
- Tamales
- Nopales
- Chips with Salsa, or a Guacamole Dip
- Tacos
- Fajitas
- Black Bean Soup
- Molletes
- Churros
- Mexican Chocolate Cake
- Burritos
- Nachos
- Enchiladas
- Tortillas
- Tofu Rancheros
- Chalupas
- Pico de Gallo
- Chimichangas
- Taquitos
- Tostadas
- Salsa Negra
- Tomatillo Sauce
- Mexican Crema
- Grilled Portabella
- Mexican Bean Burgers
- Quesadillas
- Vegan Mexican Menudo
- Vegan Mexican Stew
The Bottom Line
Monterrey Mexican Restaurant may not be a full-fledged vegan spot, but it offers a few accidentally vegan dishes, and others can even get modified. Its famous margaritas and other cocktails are also great to pair with your favorite vegan-friendly fajitas and maybe with a guac dip.
The options are unlimited. You just have to check what’s best for you and ask the crew to make or prepare the dish in a vegan way. Healthy eating is always a must!