The Vegetarian's Guide To Ordering At LongHorn Steakhouse

Practically every vegetarian knows that any self-ascribed steakhouse isn't a place that will cater to their dietary preferences. If you do get roped into dining at a LongHorn Steakhouse, though, it's good to be prepared ahead of time. Meat is obviously the focal point on the chain's menu, but LongHorn Steakhouse has salads, salads, and more salads for its vegetarian diners.

Since steak is in the name, it's of no surprise that the meat cuts make up the bulk of LongHorn Steakhouse's offerings. It does have a few options for diners that aren't keen on steak, but this range doesn't really extend to people on a plant-based diet. While the chain does have a decent selection of chicken and seafood dishes, it offers four entree salads that a vegetarian customer could eat. Even with these choices, the salads would still need modifications considering that poultry, fish, or steak automatically comes with all of them.

Although the entree salads aren't directly catered to vegetarians, some make for delicious options. The strawberry salad is one of the best menu items at LongHorn Steakhouse that isn't steak, and it can be ordered without grilled chicken. It features fresh strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges on a bed of mixed greens along with candied pecans, feta, and a raspberry vinaigrette. The other three salads are pretty similar: Once the meat is removed, you're left with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow cheddar, and croutons. The restaurant also offers a Caesar salad, though it's only available during lunch.

For more range, we'd recommend looking at the appetizers and sides. You may have to order several things to make a meal out of it, but there are multiple options to mix and match from. There are a few vegetarian-friendly appetizers at the chain but, unfortunately, some of them are items that you should avoid ordering at LongHorn Steakhouse. Its Texas Tonion is fried onion petals that some diners have said to be a little too overcooked. However, its creamy, rich white cheddar stuffed mushrooms are something we wouldn't mind gorging on.

As for sides, LongHorn Steakhouse has the classic dishes that you would expect at any chain steakhouse, like seasoned French fries, sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli, as well as flavorful options like fire-grilled corn on the cob and crispy Brussels sprouts. The restaurant also serves a mean steakhouse mac and cheese that's made with four different kinds of cheeses and topped off with Parmesan breadcrumbs. While it is a popular LongHorn Steakhouse menu item, the quality of the bacon in the dish made us rate it poorly.

Since it can be ordered without pork, the mac and cheese is definitely a great option for vegetarian diners. Out of the chain's three soups, its loaded baked potato is the only vegetarian-friendly one — once the bacon is removed, of course. However, the oversized potato chunks and salty broth make it something worth skipping.