On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is a chain of Tex-Mex style restaurants with a casual dining experience. They serve street food inspired by taquerias, street carts, and local markets of Mexico. Some of their bold, flavorful, and generous menu options include steak fajitas, mini street tacos, chips and salsa, table side guacamole, and a wide selection of margaritas. All this in addition to a variety of other Tex-Mex favorites. If you are vegan and going out to eat, you may be wondering if On the Border is a good option. Well, you’ll be pleased to know it is a great option with lots of vegan food items to choose from.
On The Border has an amazing selection of delicious vegan options. There are dishes that are already vegan, and some that need a few minor modifications. Some of these options include chips and salsa (if you are not concerned with cross contamination), guacamole, Portobello fajita salad, vegetable burrito, vegetable chimichanga, cilantro lime rice, and much more.
If you are vegan and plan to visit On the Border, keep reading to find out tips and tricks for ordering vegan, which items on their menu to avoid and which to order instead, as well as how to modify some menu items to make them vegan-friendly.
Contents
- Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at On the Border
- Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at On the Border
- Vegan Foods to Order at On the Border
- Appetizers
- Salads
- Dressings
- Main Dishes
- 1. Portobello & Vegetable Fajitas (ask for corn tortillas, no cheese, no sour cream, and no beans)
- 2. Bolder Border Bowls (ask for no beans, no queso fresco, and no lime crema; get Portobello mushroom instead of meat)
- 3. Vegetable Burrito (ask for corn tortillas, no cheese, and no sour cream)
- 4. Vegetable Chimichanga (ask for corn tortillas, no cheese, and no sour cream)
- 5. Build-Your-Own Portobello or Vegetable Tacos (ask for corn tortillas, request salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole; ask for no cheese and no sour cream; get Portobello mushroom or sautéed vegetables instead of meat)
- Sides
- Drinks
- Find an On the Border Near You
- Similar Restaurants to On the Border
- Related Questions
Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at On the Border
Many restaurants these days are more than happy to accommodate vegan lifestyles. On the Border is one of them. Asking your server for help is a great place to start if you don’t visit On the Border very often and are not familiar with their menu. You can also use these tips and tricks for ordering vegan next time you visit On the Border.
- Avoid all the fried foods if you are concerned with cross-contamination. All the fried foods at On the Border are cooked in the same oil as the meat products. That includes chips and fries.
- Avoid all the desserts. There are no vegan desserts available at On the Border at this time.
- Ask for no cheese and no sour cream. Most of the dishes come with these items.
- Ask for extra salsa or pico de gallo on the side. This will give your meal some extra flavor, and you won’t miss the things you removed.
- Substitute the meat with a Portobello mushroom or sautéed vegetables in any dish. You may be able to get away with doing this to almost any dish at On the Border. Ask your server kindly if that can be arranged of course.
Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at On the Border
Even though On the Border offers many vegan options in their restaurant, here is a list of menu items to avoid, as they cannot be easily modified to make them vegan-friendly.
- Stacked and grande fajita nachos
- Border sampler
- Firecracker stuffed jalapeños
- Black and Refried Beans
- Flour Tortillas
- Grilled shrimp skewers
- Empanadas
- House salad
- Grande taco salad
- Queso
- Tehas queso fries
- All the fajitas, except for the Portobello and vegetable fajitas
- All the tortas
- Loaded queso burger
- Classic cheeseburger
- Quesadillas
- Carne asada
- Mexican grilled chicken
- Monterey ranch chicken
- Border smart chicken
- Grilled queso chicken
- All the chimichangas, except for the vegetable chimichanga
- Ranchiladas
- The Big Bordurrito
- Classic burrito
- Chicken tortilla soup
- Chicken flautas
- Ranch dressing
- Spicy avocado ranch dressing
- All the desserts – Border brownie sundae, caramel swirl cheesecake, sopapillas, tres leches cake
Vegan Foods to Order at On the Border
On the Border makes it easy to order vegan because they have so many options. And if you don’t see what you like, they are more than willing to modify another dish to satisfy your cravings. Here is a list of menu items that you can try next time you visit On the Border.
Appetizers
1. Chips and Salsa (if you are not concerned with cross contamination)
Ingredients: Salsa
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Water
- Tomato paste
- Jalapeno peppers
- Sugar
- Salt
- Dehydrated garlic
- Spices
- Natural flavor
Ingredients: Chips
- Corn vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, corn, cottonseed, safflower, and/or soybean oil)
- Sea salt
- Calcium hydroxide
- Hydrated lime
Salads
1. Fajita Salad (ask for no meat, no queso fresco; ask for Portobello mushroom instead of meat)
Ingredients:
- Mesquite-grilled chicken or steak (ask for portobello mushroom instead)
- Onions
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Pico de gallo
- Roasted corn
- Fresh avocado
- Queso fresco (ask to remove this)
Dressings
1. Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- Ingredient list not available but is listed as vegan on website of On the Border.
2. Smoked Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- Ground chipotle chile
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried oregano
- Red wine vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Black pepper
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
3. House-Made Salsa
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Water
- Tomato paste
- Jalapeno peppers
- Sugar
- Salt
- Dehydrated garlic
- Spices
- Natural flavor
Main Dishes
1. Portobello & Vegetable Fajitas (ask for corn tortillas, no cheese, no sour cream, and no beans)
Ingredients:
- Portobello mushrooms
- Peppers
- Onions
- Flour tortillas (ask for corn tortillas)
- Pico de gallo
- Cheese (ask to remove this)
- Mexican rice
- Choice of beans (ask to remove this)
2. Bolder Border Bowls (ask for no beans, no queso fresco, and no lime crema; get Portobello mushroom instead of meat)
Ingredients:
- Cilantro lime rice
- Black beans (ask to remove this)
- Pickled red onions
- Toasted corn
- Queso fresco (ask to remove this)
- Shredded lettuce
- Pico de gallo
- Lime crema (ask to remove this)
- Slice avocado
- Mesquite-grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or Portobello (ask for Portobello)
3. Vegetable Burrito (ask for corn tortillas, no cheese, and no sour cream)
Ingredients:
- Sautéed vegetables
- Jack cheese (ask to remove this)
- Roasted red chile-tomatillo salsa
4. Vegetable Chimichanga (ask for corn tortillas, no cheese, and no sour cream)
Ingredients:
- Sautéed vegetables
- Jack cheese (ask to remove this)
- Roasted red chile-tomatillo salsa
5. Build-Your-Own Portobello or Vegetable Tacos (ask for corn tortillas, request salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole; ask for no cheese and no sour cream; get Portobello mushroom or sautéed vegetables instead of meat)
Ingredients:
- Corn tortillas – soft or hard
- Lettuce
- Sauteed vegetables
- Portobello mushroom
- Salsa/pico de gallo/guacamole
- Side of cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice
Sides
1. Avocado Slices (3)
Ingredients:
- Fresh avocado
2. Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients:
- Rice
- Cilantro
- Lime
3. Mexican Rice
Ingredients:
- Rice
- Water
- Tomato sauce
- Corn
4. Guacamole
Ingredients:
- Avocados
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Salt
5. Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
- Tomato
- Onion
- Peppers
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Salt
6. Sautéed Vegetables
Ingredients:
- Onion
- Bell peppers
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil
Drinks
1. Minute Maid Lemonade
Ingredients:
- Pure filtered water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Lemon juice from concentrate
- Less than 0.5% of: natural flavors, citric acid (provides tartness)
- Modified corn starch
- Glycerol ester of rosin
- Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate and calcium disodium EDTA (to protect taste)
- Yellow 5
2. Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients:
- Pure filtered water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Lemon juice from concentrate
- Less than 1% of: strawberry juice from concentrate
- Natural flavors
- Citric acid (provides tartness)
- Sucralose
- Vegetable and fruit juice (for color)
- Modified cornstarch
- Glycerol ester of rosin
- Potassium citrate (regulates tartness)
3. Coke
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Natural flavors
- Caffeine
4. Diet Coke
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric and citric acid
- Aspartame (contains phenylalanine)
- Flavor
- Sodium benzoate
- Caffeine
- Acesulfame-potassium
5. Coke Zero
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Color (caramel E150d)
- Acid (phosphoric acid)
- Sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K)
- Natural flavorings
- Acidity regulator (sodium citrates)
6. Sprite
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- Sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame)
- Acidity regulator (sodium citrate)
- Natural lemon and lime flavorings
7. Dr Pepper
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Caffeine
8. Fanta Orange
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Orange fruit from concentrate (4%)
- Citric acid
- Sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame)
- Preservative (potassium sorbate)
- Malic acid
- Natural orange flavoring with other natural flavorings
- Vegetable concentrates (carrot, pumpkin)
- Antioxidant (ascorbic acid)
- Stabilizer (guar gum)
Find an On the Border Near You
There are 150 locations of On the Border restaurants. Click here to find a location near you.
On the Border offers fact sheets with allergen information, nutrition information, as well as gluten-friendly and vegetarian menus. These are very helpful if you have dietary restrictions and want to find the right meal quickly.
Similar Restaurants to On the Border
If you do not have an On the Border in your area or are looking for similar restaurants that also offer vegan options, check out the following restaurants.
Related Questions
Are the chips at On the Border gluten-free?
Yes, the chips at On the Border are gluten-free. However, if you are concerned about cross contamination, you should be aware that On the Border shares cooking and preparation areas with possible gluten-containing food products; therefore, they cannot guarantee any menu items are completely gluten-free.
Do avocado fries at On the Border contain dairy?
Yes, avocado fries at On the Border contain dairy, as well as eggs and gluten. They are not vegan-friendly or gluten-free.
Are the black beans at On the Border vegan?
No, black beans at On the Border are actually not vegan because they are made with milk. The refried beans are also made with milk so are not vegan either.