Heads up! Texas De Brazil specializes in Churrasco, Brazilian-style grilled meat, roughly known as barbecue.
Apparently, it’s real meat and not vegan or animal-friendly.
But here’s what the restaurant can do for vegans and vegetarians; Salad.
Texas De Brazil offers traditional Brazilian dishes, particularly Churrasco. It’s usually beef being grilled or roasted with the support of skewers resting or stuck into the ground above the hot coal or wood. But pork, chicken, lamb, and sausages can also be cooked similarly.
Let’s find out more about Texas De Brazil, Churrasco, and what vegans can have at the restaurant!
Texas de Brazil, America’s Best Churrascaria
Salim Izzedin, Salim Asrawi, and Leila Izzedin started Texas De Brazil with the dream of bringing the famous Churrasco culture from Porto Alegre, Brazil, to the United States.
There was no other place in the U.S. that fits best with Texas De Brazil’s style but Texas, the cattle state.
So, in October 1998, Texas De Brazil opened its doors to customers who wanted to try the traditional Brazilian-style barbecue in Addison, Texas.
The Churrascaria, a Portuguese word that translates to Steakhouse, combines southern Brazil cuisine with Texan-style meats, served in rodizio style or espeto corrido.
Rodizio is an all-you-can-eat style of serving, which is popular in Brazil, especially in the southern regions, where servers would dress as Gauchos, bringing customers Churrasco.
At Texas De Brazil, the customers can turn a piece of paper given to them at the table in red and green colors.
If they would turn it on the green side up, it means they need more meat. If it’s red, it means they no longer want more meat.
Texas De Brazil serves seasoned and slow-roasted beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and Brazilian sausages.
The meats are then cooked in an open wood charcoal fire by their “gauchos.” Then they would bring them to the customer’s table and slice the meat straight to your plate.
Their servers aren’t dressed in the traditional Gaucho outfit, which is white with a red sash. Instead, the servers are dressed in a blue top and black bottom, simply a traditional Texan way of dressing chefs and servers.
Texas De Brazil doesn’t serve the chicken heart, which is traditional in most churrascarias.
The restaurant also serves desserts and salads.
Texas De Brazil has more than 50 locations in the U.S. and other countries like UAE, Panama, South Korea, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.
Texas De Brazil Vegan Options
Texas De Brazil is a meat-forward restaurant. Being a steakhouse, we can say that it’s not the best spot for vegans.
But luckily, there are many items on the restaurant’s Salad Menu that vegans and vegetarians can have.
It also offers gluten-free items and can adjust if you have food allergies. According to the churrascaria, you may have to speak with a manager before your visit if you have food or diet restrictions.
Texas De Brazil offers a wide selection of salads and toppings suitable for vegans.
Here’s the list of what you can have. Everything here you can modify according to your needs and preferences, especially if you have food allergies.
- Salads
- Cabbage Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- Potato Salad
- Tabbouleh
- Onion Ceviche
- Couscous Salad
- Spring Mix
- Toppings and Sides
- Sliced Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Sun-dried Cherry Tomatoes
- Hearts of Palm
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts
- Cornichons
- Peppadew Peppers
- Homemade Crostini
- Kalamata Olives
- Capers
- Malagueta Peppers
- Brazilian Hot Peppers
- Black Olives
- Romaine Lettuce
- Roasted Red & Yellow Peppers
- Roasted Jalapeños
- Roasted Garlic
- Giardiniera
- Green Beans
- Farofa
- Ciabatta Bread
Texas De Brazil offers no known vegan cheese, which is understood, especially since it’s a churrascaria. However, you can always have a salad without cheese, right?
Also, Texas De Brazil has an in-house dressing for your salad, but make sure that it doesn’t involve any animal-derived ingredients. Talk to a manager if need be.
Moreover, the churrascaria also has other items on the menu that you can possibly have provided that you check with them first. This is only to ensure you’re not eating meat or dishes involving animal by-products.
What Is a Churrasco?
Churrasco is widely known in Brazil as a go-to dish for many Brazilians, especially in São Paulo, the Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catalina, and Paraná.
Spanish and Portuguese share the same term for a barbecue or grilled meat, churrasco.
Churrasco originated in southern Brazil, similar to Uruguay and Argentina’s Asado.
It is cooked in a churrasqueira, a barbecue grill specially built for this style of Brazilian barbecue. The churrasqueira has skewers or spits where meat is roasted in an open flame grill, mostly wood charcoal.
However, Brazilian-style churrasco, especially in some states like the Rio Grande do Sul, is often roasted on skewers and not with a grill.
In Argentina and Uruguay, churrasco is often grilled or roasted on a grill.
Churrasco is often cut beef, which is traditional in Brazil and other countries. However, other meats are roasted in the same style.
Since churrasco’s popularity, many countries have also adapted to this style, only that they differ in techniques.
However, these countries have the same roasting or grilling style, including Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Chile, Portugal, and Spain, particularly in the Galicia region.
In the U.S., Churrasco is an official trademark of Hickory Industries, which manufactures rotisserie grills.
Vegan Churrasco-Style Barbecue
Many vegans have called for plant-based meats; luckily, it didn’t fall on deaf ears.
There have been many food manufacturers who have produced vegan meats, also called fake meat.
These are vegans’ go-to meat, especially when cravings for umami taste arise.
Among the most widely used vegan meat for vegan churrasco are seitan and tofu, as their texture will likely mimic real meat when roasted or grilled.
Also, many vegan meat brands are great for barbecue, which you can buy at any local grocer or supermarket.
You only need a little seasoning, fresh herbs, and spices for your churrasco vegan barbecue. Of course, the griller is important.
But if you have access to a wood charcoal fire, which is an open flame style, your vegan barbecue will be much better!
Best Vegan Meat Brands for Grilling or Roasting
Not all vegan meats are great for grilling or roasting. Some of them are only for regular cooking, which doesn’t require a grill.
So if you’re already craving churrasco and you’re vegan, there’s always a way to mimic that traditional Brazilian barbecue.
It’s as delicious as the real one and even healthier. Check out these vegan meat brands that you can use for your churrasco.
- Beyond Meat Brat Original Plant-Based Sausage
- If you want one with crisp and a little closer to a hotdog’s taste, Beyond Meat’s sausage is a great option. It’s also gluten-free.
- Hungry Planet Plant-Based Beef Patties
- Vegan burgers are already prevalent in the U.S. and other parts of the world, and Hungry Planet doesn’t disappoint. This hearty flavor of Hungry Planet’s vegan patty is great for the grill. You can even season or add a vegan sauce of your choice before grilling or roasting it.
- Impossible Ground Meat
- Impossible’s ground beef is indeed impossible as it cooks just like real ground beef. If you’re a kebab lover, this would be your best option. You can make delicious kebabs out of it. You’ll be fooled by its texture, which mimics the beef well.
- Daring Plant Chicken
- Whether you love it grilled, as a salad ingredient, or eating it right on your plate, Daring Plant Chicken is the best bet. You can even season it with your favorite vegan sauces or anything that would add more taste to it.
- Gardein Chipotle Black Bean Burger
- Burgers are more delicious when their patties are grilled. That is why many brands like Gardein produce patties that are not only delicious but also healthier even after grilling. You’ll love its meaty flavor, but you can still taste the veggies in it.
Vegan Barbecue Is Still Healthier than Real Meat
Vegan barbecue remains a healthier option for a good reason, even though it’s usually high in sodium content due to seasonings and flavorings.
However, regarding nutrients, one can trust that vegan meat is way healthier than its’ non-vegan counterpart.
Vegan meat is the clear winner for calories, fat, carbs, and cholesterol.
You only have to balance it with more fruits and vegetables since there’s more sodium content in vegan meat.
According to the Dietary Guidelines, you should limit your sodium intake up to 2,300 mg a day. Beyond that would be a serious health issue in the future.
The Bottom Line
Texas De Brazil isn’t a vegan restaurant as it specializes in the traditional Brazilian barbecue, churrasco.
But it does have a wide selection on its Salad Menu.
So at Texas De Brazil, salad is your main course.
You can also make your vegan meat, which can be easier if you try Sauce Stache’s style. I’ve written about this food vlogger guy here.