Identified for its cross-cultural mix of Mexican road meals and American quick meals, Texas’ Rio Grande Valley often is the final place you consider as a vegan meals vacation spot. Situated on the southernmost tip of Texas on the northern financial institution of the Rio Grande River, which separates the US and Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley is the birthplace of meat-centric Tex-Mex delicacies. However over the previous couple of years, a neighborhood well being revolution has sparked a burgeoning vegan meals scene. So whether or not you’re a 956 native, a seasonal snowbird, or a SpaceX transplant, listed below are the seven greatest vegan spots you need to strive within the Rio Grande Valley (or what locals name the RGV).
What’s Tex-Mex?
Tex-Mex is a regional American delicacies with a controversial historical past over whether or not it may be known as “Mexican.” Whereas menu choices like scorching fajita plates and melty cheese-stuffed enchiladas have change into commonplace all around the US, the birthplace of those homey, comforting dishes resides not in Mexico however the Rio Grande Valley, amongst different border areas in Arizona, New Mexico, and even California.
Maria Cruz Delicacies
In accordance with Robb Walsh, a meals educational specializing in Texan delicacies, Tex-Mex originated as early because the late 1700s when Spanish-speaking Native People had been left behind after Spanish missionaries deserted the area now generally known as Texas. These people had been known as Tejanos, and Tex-Mex tradition developed from their culinary traditions. The meals can be impressed by immigrants from Northern Mexico.
Starting within the Nineteen Fifties, Tex-Mex meals—which had been already labeled as meals for the working folks—grew to become more and more commercialized and cheapened. Quick-food chains swept it up, infusing nearly each merchandise with extremely processed yellow cheeses, bitter cream, and factory-made exhausting taco shells. This model of Tex-Mex continues to be rampant throughout the nation, but it surely doesn’t characterize everything of Tex-Mex delicacies. To residents of the Rio Grande Valley and the bordering areas of America’s Southwestern states, it’s an genuine delicacies that reminds them of house. Objects like puffy tacos, chili con carne, and mixture plates have their place and must be celebrated.
Vegan Mexican meals
The eating places on this listing don’t all lean Tex-Mex; some are totally Mexican, or a mix of the 2. Except the occasional use of lard and cheese, Mexican food is vegan-friendly with regards to the staples. Rice and beans will fulfill greater than a tragic salad or limp French fries on any given day. Flour and corn tortillas, fajita greens, guacamole, salsas, fruit paletas, and jamaica (hibiscus) are additionally honest recreation.
7 vegan eating places to strive within the Rio Grande Valley
Dive into these scrumptious vegan eats the subsequent time you’re within the Rio Grande Valley. To make sure you don’t unintentionally eat any animal merchandise, affirm together with your server or cashier that the objects you’re ordering aren’t made with lard, dairy, or different animal merchandise, and also you’re set.
Maria Cruz Delicacies
1 Maria Cruz Delicacies
Named after chef and proprietor Ingrid Monserrat’s grandmother, Maria Cruz Delicacies brings a vegan style of Tabasco, Mexico to the center of Downtown McAllen. Brunch is served seven days per week, the place you’ll discover favorites like chilaquiles, tortas, burritos, molletes (a sort of open-faced sandwich of beans and cheese), and a Northern Mexican specialty known as a taco pirata, a vegan butter-brushed flour tortilla taco filled with refried beans, vegan bistec (steak), non-dairy cheese, grilled onions, and avocado, then griddled to a crisp. Dinner service presents colourful salads, sopes, and vegan beef-filled enchiladas suizas and entomatadas (pink sauce-smothered corn tortillas). We suggest washing all of it down with Maria Cruz’s housemade agua frescas or a Sake Tequila Paloma.
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Candy Craft Vegan Bakery
2 Candy Craft Vegan Bakery
Conchas, roscas, empanadas, oh my! Candy Craft Vegan Bakery’s Amanda Nolan takes us on a time warp again to childhood, baking up vegan variations of all our favorite Mexican sweet bread like cream-filled Pingüinos, pan de muertos, and strawberry jam-filled Gansitos. As well, you’ll discover an assortment of distinctive doughnuts, espresso truffles, fritters, and seasonal choices at this Brownsville bakery comparable to pumpkin spice empanadas for fall and rainbow-colored conchas for Satisfaction.
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The Boocha Bar
3 The Boocha Bar and Taproom
A haven for well being and wellness followers within the Mid-Valley, The Boocha Bar and Taproom is a yoga studio, kombucha bar, and plant-based kitchen in Downtown Weslaco. Get your sweat on, then rehydrate with a house-brewed kombucha and chow down on a slice of vegan road taco pizza. Different objects embrace gluten-free zucchini boats and bell peppers full of all of the traditional pizza fixin’s and regionally crafted vegan ice cream from Hoja Nueva Plant-Based Creamery. Hold an eye fixed out for chef Noe Acevedo’s seasonal specialties like his “Meatloaf” Sandwich—a handhold piled excessive with mashed potatoes, sautéed bell peppers, and meaty mushrooms on a house-made bun.
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IQ’s Juice Bar
4 IQ’s Juice Bar
You’ll discover extra than simply juices at IQ’s Juice Bar in Brownsville. It’s a vegan paradise for intestine well being fanatics, gluten-free eaters, and soft-serve connoisseurs. Menu objects embrace superfood bowls, smoothies, and occasional and tea drinks made with housemade almond milk. For heartier choices, proprietor Ingrid Quijano recommends IQ’s candy or savory waffles, that are made-to-order and topped with solely the freshest components. Don’t miss out on IQ’s vegan fro-yo’s which are available quite a lot of flavors together with matcha, golden milk, black charcoal, and “Blue Majik,” made with blue spirulina.
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Pasta La Madre
5 Pasta La Madre
A newcomer within the Rio Grande Valley’s vegan meals scene, Harlingen’s Pasta La Madre serves up traditional pasta dishes and soups spun the South Texas means. You’ll discover sopa de conchitas (Mexican shell pasta soup), mushroom and vegan rooster pozole, zuppa Toscana with Mexican chorizo, and extra. Take house a bathtub of housemade almond parmesan or a jar of considered one of many sauces, together with Alfredo, Cajun Cream, and Cilantro Cream.
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Pitbosses Barbecue
6 Pitbosses Barbeque
In case you’re jonesing for smoky meats or Mexican barbacoa, look no additional than Pitbosses Barbeque. This pick-up-only spot in Brownsville grills up some soul-satisfying vegan meats. We’re huge followers of Pitbosses’ Seitan Steaks Parrillada—a heaping platter of smoked seitan steaks and sausages served with Mexican pink rice, refried pintos, pico de gallo, and agua frescas. Different objects embrace tofu ribs, vegan pollo asado (grilled rooster), and Northern Mexican-style vegan barbacoa by-the-pound, made with shredded eggplant.
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Veggie Del Sol
7 Veggie Del Sol
A pioneer within the Rio Grande Valley’s vegan meals scene, Veggie Del Sol’s choices vary from traditional Mexican to American favorites comparable to vegan tacos, crispy flautas, Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, and buffalo cauliflower wings. Portion sizes listed below are large! We love Veggie Del Sol’s loaded nachos, that are solely $5 on Wednesdays, and we suggest chasing them down with a vegan clamato-free michelada.
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For extra vegan meals in Texas, learn:
Eddie Garza is VegNews’ Meals Editor, the creator of ¡Salud! Vegan Mexican Cookbook and The 30-Day Vegan Meal Plan for Freshmen, host of World Bites with Eddie Garza, and a number one determine within the motion to reform meals methods in Latinx communities.
