Our Guide To Vegan Options At Qdoba

As a vegan, it can be hard to eat out at Mexican restaurants, as so many just have taco meat made from beef, along with chicken entrees. Plus- everything comes with cheese! It is hard to avoid meat or animal ingredients. 

Qdoba is a Mexican restaurant growing in popularity. This is a chain of fast, casual restaurants encompassing Mexican-style cuisine. 

If you’re unsure if this place is right for you, then read on to find out what you can eat as a vegan.

What’s Good To Eat As A Vegan At Qdoba?

You will be happy to hear that there are a few good vegan options available at Qdoba.

Breakfast Options

First up is breakfast. This is only served at certain locations, so be sure to check with your local Qdoba before visiting and expecting them to be there! Breakfast at most Qdoba restaurants is served up until 10:30. 

For breakfast, you can order the Potato Breakfast Bowl as long as you remove the cheese and egg components. However, you can add salsa or guacamole to mix it up a little. 

Alternatively, you can order the Potato Breakfast Burrito. Again, you will have to remove the egg or cheese, but you can add in other toppings and salsas. 

You can also wash it all down with a fresh Orange Juice, which is also vegan-friendly. 

Signature Options

Some Qdoba restaurants will serve Impossible meat. Please check with your server before ordering to see if this is available for you. If there is Impossible meat, then you can order the Impossible Taco Salad.

The Impossible Taco Salad is available in a crunchy tortilla shell, but you will have to order without cheese. This is served with Impossible meat, pinto beans, pico de gallo, romaine lettuce, roasted tomato salsa, and crispy tortilla strips. 

We also love the Fajita Vegan Bowl, which is served with sauteed fajita-flavored vegetables, pico de gallo, chile corn salsa, guacamole, salsa verde, brown rice, and black beans. 

Another option is the Impossible Fajita Bowl or Burrito. This is served with Impossible meat, cilantro lime rice, black beans, grilled fajita veggies, salsa verde, and chile corn salsa in either a bowl or in a flour or wheat tortilla. 

Create Your Own Dish

Qdoba also offers the option to create your own dish, where you can pick your main and add protein, rice, beans (optional), salsas, sauces, and toppings. Here, we will go over the options to make your own meal, starting with the mains. 

The mains are the burrito (made out of a flour or whole wheat tortilla), the bowl, the nachos (without cheese), 1 or 3 tacos (choose the crispy or soft corn taco or flour tortillas), or the salad.

The salad can be served in a bowl or in a crunchy tortilla shell. You would have to choose the Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette as the dressing or add salsa and guacamole to make it more inviting. 

Proteins

For adding protein to your dish, you can either choose from Impossible meat (if still available in your location) or vegetables. 

Extras

You can also add rice or beans to your dish. The vegan options are Cilantro Lime Rice, Seasoned Brown Rice, Pinto Beans, Black Beans, or Half & Half (of each type of bean). 

Toppings

There is also a range of salsas and sauces to add to your meal. These are:

• Fiery Habanero
• Salsa Verde
• Chile Corn Salsa
• Pico De Gallo
• Roasted Tomato Salsa
• Citrus Lime Vinaigrette
• Pickled Jalapeno
• Pickled Red Onion
• Grilled Fajita Peppers
• Tortilla Strips
• Cilantro
• Guacamole
• Shredded Lettuce

You can combine these items to make a more fulfilling meal.

Sides & Extras

You can also order the guacamole and chips or the salsa and chips. 

Kids Options

There are also some children’s options available for little vegans at Qdoba. The kid’s menu allows you to pick a Side and a drink to go with them.

The sides are the chips or beans and the applesauce. Drink options are milk or juice, so pick the juice and let your server know that there can be no cheese or dairy ingredients added to the meal. 

For the main, your kids can choose from the Kids Nachos or the Kids Taco Meal. With the nachos, order without cheese/queso, and choose the Impossible meat or veggies as the main protein. These are also served with various salsas, and you can add your own toppings.

With the Taco Meal, you can choose from crispy or soft corn taco shells or flour tortillas. You just have to choose the Impossible meat or veggies as the protein and add your chosen toppings and salsa/sauces. 

A Note On Cross Contamination At Qdoba

Qdoba is not a vegan restaurant. Only 100% vegan restaurants can guarantee that there is no cross contamination risk with their food.

So, it should be noted that at Qdoba, there is a risk of cross contamination between the vegan food you order and the non vegan menu items. 

This is because the food can be cooked on shared surfaces such as grills or fryers, and the same cooking utensils and equipment may be used between meals. Whether this is an issue for you depends on your level of comfort as a vegan. 

If cross contamination is a concern, then do not dine at Qdoba. But, if you do not mind this as you are still not contributing to the exploitation of animals or eating animals, then you are fine to order away! 

Final Thoughts

Qdoba does have some options for vegans. While these are limited, you can still create your own vegan-friendly dish by combining your choice of tortillas, tacos, proteins, toppings, salsas, and sauces. 

This is far more than many other restaurants can offer. You can also enjoy some sides such as tortilla chips, as long as you are not opposed to the risk of cross contamination. 

Frequently Asked Questions