Throughout Vancouver there’s a yearning for more food options: healthier, more innovative, more sustainable. Since 2009, Bandidas Taqueria has been meeting this demand, providing a vegetarian menu with Mexican zest. If you’re looking for gluten-free alternatives, a vegetarian menu or just delicious, spicy fare, this is the place to go. Inclusiveness is part of the restaurant’s mission.
Owner Aiyana Kane hails from California, where there’s a rich tradition of Mexican cuisine; and with Bandidas, she and business partner Jackie Avery are bringing it north to a city not known for its Latin food options. Add a vegetarian focus, with vegan options for every dish, and you’ve got a winning combination. Situated on Commercial Drive at the corner of 12th Avenue, the restaurant has been a quick success, and it gains customers with each passing month.
Aiyana says that her core customer base is vegetarian and vegans, but as time has gone by Bandidas has been embraced by local residents of all stripes. The varied menu and down-home atmosphere are quite welcoming — and having heaping portions of nachos on the menu doesn’t hurt, either.
Mexican Breakfast
Two free-range eggs, 2 corn tortillas, pinto beans, fresh salsa, purple cabbage salad, and guacamole.
Breakfast Burrito
Scrambled free-range eggs, fresh salsa, pinto beans, sour cream and cheese in awhole wheat tortilla. Or, bake it in enchilada sauce and cheese for $2.50 extra Add guacamole for $1.5
Morgan Taylor
Another breakfast burrito with roasted potatoes, scrambled free-range eggs, roasted salsa, cheese, sour & sour cream.
Add guacamole for $1.5
Baked with sauce and cheese for $2.50
THE BREAKFAST
Free range eggs, pinto beans, roasted yams and potatoes, purple cabbage, and fresh salsa, served with cornbread with honey butter.
Add guacamole $1.50
Add Veggie bacon or sausage $2.50
Lemmy
A poblano baked with pinto beans, cheese & ranchera sauce, topped with two free-range eggs, served with tortillas &hash browns.
ALAN’S BREAKFAST
Romaine, purple cabbage, cilantro, cheese, pinto beans, balsamic vinaigrette, guacamole, and fresh salsa, topped with two fried free-range eggs. Served with two fresh, hand-made corn tortillas.
Add a side of roasted yams and potatoes $2.50
HUEVAS RANCHEROS
Free range eggs on hand-made corn tortillas with our ranchera sauce, sour cream, pinto beans, roasted yams and potatoes, & purple cabbage.
Doe’s
Two poached free range eggs, fresh spinach, roasted red pepper drizzle, goat cheese & hash.
EGG MUFFINS
Two corn bread muffin tops, topped with guacamole, cheese, and a fried egg. Finished with your choice of warm tomato or tangy tomatillo sauce. Served with a side of purple cabbage.
Add roasted yams and potatoes $2.50
Add veggie bacon or sausage $2.50
Becky’s OMELETTE
Roasted red pepper sauce, spinach, caramelized onions &cheese, served with hash, beans & purple cabbage.
MRS. COHEN
Bandidas’ spicy tortilla soup, finished with avocado, toasted tortillas chips, feta cheese, cilantro & two poached eggs.
SOUR DOUGH FRENCH TOAST
Three slices of multigrain baguette done up French toast style served over apple compote with yoghurt and real maple syrup.
Add veggie bacon or sausage… $2.50
HICK’S BENNY
Housemade guacamole & fresh salsa.
LESTER’S BENNY
Oven roasted yams & onions with feta cheese.
Sherman’s Benny
Creamy goat cheese & caramelized onions
Breakfast Tacos
Our hand made soft corn tortillas with black beans, caramelized onions, scrambled eggs, ranchera sauce, cheese and sour cream. Served with purple cabbage.
Baked Goat Cheese
with roasted red pepper sauce & walnut crumble with tortilla chips
Edna Dip
beans, ranchero sauce, & mozzarella baked in the oven. Served with sour and chips.
Stuffed Mushroom
butternut squash, cheese, and garlic
Chips & Salsa
Chips & Guacamole
Chips, Salsa & Guacamole
Amos Dips
beans and cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream & tortilla chips.
TORTILLA SOUP
A new take on this traditional Mexican soup. Made of roasted tomatoes in a rich vegetable stock, blended smooth and topped with avocado, tortilla chips, cilantro, feta cheese, and lime. It is delicious and hearty.
Add handmade corn tortillas for 50 cents.
HOUSE SALAD
A big bowl of romaine lettuce, purple cabbage, cilantro, avocado, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, and fresh salsa dressed with house balsamic vinaigrette.
Add roasted yams, organic chipotle tofu, or spicy walnuts for $1.50
MARJORIE’S SALAD
Romaine lettuce, cilantro, avocado, cheese, warm pinto beans, and fresh tomato salsa over a bed of tortilla chips, dressed with Bandidas lime vinaigrette.
Spinach Salad
Goat cheese, apple salsa, ground walnuts, red pepper sauce, and house dressing.
Served with roasted salsa & sour cream.
Add a small guacamole for $3.25, or a large for $6.50
Veganize $2 add extra cheese $2
Pascale Mark
Cheese, onions, sweet peppers, corn, and jalapenos, on yellow corn tortilla chips.
Pete and Bits
Feta, goat & mozzarella cheese with cilantro and pinto beans on yellow corn tortilla chips
Hampton
Cheese, smoky-sweet chipotle tofu (organic), pinto beans, onions, sweet peppers, corn, and jalapenos on yellow corn tortilla chips.
All the burritos including Breakfast Burrito are $9.50
Tacos are
2 = $6.00
3 = $7.00
4 = $10.00
5 = $12.00
6 = $14.00
Bobcat
Roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, pinto beans, cheese, sour cream, & roasted salsa
Connie’s
Walnuts ground, apple salsa , cheese & roasted red pepper sauce. The burrito also has purple cabbage & pinto beans.
Wolf & Goat
Fresh guacamole, purple cabbage, pinto beans, fresh red salsa, cheese & sour cream
Leona Gayle
Smoky-sweet chipotle tofu (organic), pinto beans, cheese, roasted red salsa, romaine lettuce & sour cream.
Stella
butternut squash, spinach, rice, pinto, roasted salsa, sour & cheese.
Ronny Russell
Roasted yams and onions, fresh guacamole, black beans, green salsa, purple cabbage & toasted pumpkin seeds.
Add cheese for $1 and sour cream for .50
All the enchiladas are $12.00
Three filled corn tortillas with the following fillings, topped with cheese & baked in the oven with your choice of sauce.
You get to choose two things with this meal:
1. Pick a sauce: enchilada, salsa verde, or mole (+$1.25)
2. Choose a side: beans & rice, or a beautiful side salad
Rocky's
Three handmade corn tortillas stuffed with melted cheese and black beans.
Dani's
Three handmade corn tortillas stuffed with melted cheese and roasted butternut squash.
Dave's
Three handmade corn tortillas stuffed with melted cheese & sweet chipotle tofu (organic).
Misty’s Poblano
Baked with our chipotle tofu, pinto beans, enchilada sauce and mozzarella. Served with two hand-made tortillas and your choice of a beautiful side salad or, beans and rice.
Fajitas
Smoked tempeh, sautéed strips of poblano chiles, onions, & red peppers. Served with rice, beans , & cheese, roasted salsa, sour cream, red cabbage, and handmade corn tortillas.
Quesadilla Meal
Two corn tortillas quesadillas filled with mozzarella and pinto beans. Served with roasted salsa and sour cream and your choice of rice and beans or a beautiful side salad.
Add guacamole for $1.50
Lesley’s Lil’ Quesadilla
a corn tortilla quesadilla, served with beans and rice
Baby Bean & Cheese Burrito
just bean and cheese in a whole wheat flour tortilla
Ryder’s Bowl
quarter of an avocado, roasted yams, rice & beans
Nachitos
a small plate of plain cheese nachos, served with salsa and sour cream
Chocolate quinoa cake
gluten-free
Cinnamon Flan
gluten-free
Crisp
vegan and gluten-free; ask us what kind we have today
Chocolate truffles
Vegan and gluten free
Lemon Blueberry Tarts
gluten-free
Drinks
We're fully licensed and well stocked! Margaritas, Tequilas, Sangria, Whiskey, Gin, and our Beers are all pretty local.
We also have Hibiscus tea and lemonde, sparkling lemonade, organic tea and coffee, juices, sodas.
If you want coffee or tea to go, bring your cup, we don't have take out cups.
Think your friends might be familiar with this business? Ask your friends on Facebook to see what they think.
Bandidas serves West Coast-inspired vegetarian Mexican food. Even if you’re a meat lover, you should still give this Commercial Drive spot a chance – the creative flavour combinations are unexpectedly delicious, and the prices are cheap. Try the Ronnie Russell taco with roasted yams, pumpkin seeds, purple cabbage, guacamole, black beans and salsa.
View this Smart ListThis vegetarian Mexican joint is a big hit with burrito experts. Even devout meat-lovers should give this Commercial Drive eatery a try. Bandidas’s creative flavour combinations are incredibly tasty, and the prices are great for the portion sizes. Try the Ronnie Russell burrito: roasted yams, pumpkin seeds, purple cabbage, guacamole, black beans, salsa and cheese. Que rico!
View this Smart ListBandidas is a popular vegetarian Mexican joint on Commercial Drive. They serve some of the best brunch in town – think eggs Benny with cornbread, guacamole, roasted yam and potato hash and pinto beans. Kids will love everything from the menu to the art on the walls to the toy area.
View this Smart List