While Cafe Rio is not the most vegan-friendly Mexican fast-casual style chain in the United Sates, you absolutely can make it work… with beans being the star! As of May 2026, Cafe Rio reported having 300 locations in the United States–mostly in the western half, along with some spots in the DC area.

It’s a create-your-own type of restaurant; similar to Chipotle.

Build your own corn taco or salad with beans, toppings and salsas but please read through the guide for what you cannot order or what has cross-contamination. This restaurant doesn’t seem to have as many toppings as other chains in this category and their rice contains dairy.

Let’s see what vegan meal you can create!

Vegan Options at Cafe Rio

*As with any restaurant that is not 100% vegan or does not offer a designated vegan cooking space, cross-contamination can occur and fryers/grills may be shared with animal products. You can choose what your level of comfort is with these potential issues. Cafe Rio’s corn chips, strips and tostada shell share a fryer with their coconut shrimp.

Vegan Appetizers

Find a full list of salsas below.

Chips* & Salsa
Chips* & Guacamole. Order with NO cheese on top of the guacamole.

Build Your Own Bowl, Tostada, or Tacos!

Fajita Veggies appear to be on Cafe Rio menus now; however, it is not listed on the allergen guide. Until we hear back with definitive info, you will need to ask the location you are visiting.

Each option for the tortillas, beans, toppings & sauces are detailed below.

Bowl. Choose your beans, toppings, salsa and/or guacamole (no rice).
Salad. Choose small or regular size salad. Choose a corn tortilla (or none), lettuce, beans, toppings, salsa and/or guacamole (no rice and no dressing). The salsas, guacamole and/or lime wedge will be your dressing.
Tostada. Choose crunchy corn* or soft corn. lettuce, beans, guac, salsa & toppings.
Taco. Choose an ala carte taco, one taco entree or a two taco entree. Choose corn tortillas, your beans, salsa & topping.

Tortillas

6-inch Corn Tortilla
Tortilla Chips*
Tortilla Strips*
Tostada Shell*

Beans

–> We had a VeggL user let us know that their location said they use lard and butter in their beans. This should NOT be the case, according to Cafe Rio’s nutrition guide. Until we learn more, we suggest you verify this at your location before ordering.

Black Beans, single serving or double
Pinto Beans, single serving or double
Half & Half Beans

Toppings

Fresh Corn Salsa is appearing on Cafe Rio menus; however, it is not on the allergen guide currently. Until we hear back from them, you will need to ask if it is vegan.

And also, a psa: Their dressings contain dairy–no surprise there. What did surprise me was that their green Chile sauce, mango salsa, red Chile sauce, habanero and tomatillo sauces all have dairy according to their current allergen guide (7.4.26).

Pico De Gallo (mild)
Salsa Fresca (medium)
Chopped or Shredded Lettuce
Cilantro
Tortilla Strips*
Lime Wedge

Sides

Chips & Guacamole
Chips & Salsa. Choose either pico de gallo (mild) or salsa fresca (medium).

Cafe Rio Vegan FAQ

Are Cafe Rio Tortillas Vegan?

Cafe Rio has five different varieties of tortilla. The 6 inch corn tortilla is vegan. The flour and wheat tortillas, both in the 12 inch and 6 inch versions, contain dairy and are not vegan.

Are Café Rio Beans Vegan?

Both the Black Beans and Pinto Beans at Café Rio are vegan.

Is Café Rio Rice Vegan?

No, Café Rio’s Cilantro Lime Rice contains dairy per their allergen page and is not vegan-friendly per their veggie nutrition information.

Is the Café Rio Horchata Vegan?

The Horchata at Café Rio contains dairy and is not vegan.

Vegan Options at Cafe Rio (Updated 2026)