diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerActions.ts
index bc3892421e3..eaa88c20648 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerActions.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 import { localize } from '../../../../nls.js';
-import { IEditorPane } from '../../../common/editor.js';
+import { DEFAULT_EDITOR_ASSOCIATION, EditorResourceAccessor, IEditorPane } from '../../../common/editor.js';
 import { KeyCode, KeyMod } from '../../../../base/common/keyCodes.js';
 import { ILocalizedString } from '../../../../platform/action/common/action.js';
 import { ContextKeyExpr } from '../../../../platform/contextkey/common/contextkey.js';
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@ import { INotificationService, Severity } from '../../../../platform/notificatio
 import { IPositronDataExplorerEditor } from './positronDataExplorerEditor.js';
 import { IPositronDataExplorerService, PositronDataExplorerLayout } from '../../../services/positronDataExplorer/browser/interfaces/positronDataExplorerService.js';
 import { PositronDataExplorerEditorInput } from './positronDataExplorerEditorInput.js';
-import { POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_ACTIVE_EDITOR, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_COLUMN_SORTING, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_LAYOUT } from './positronDataExplorerContextKeys.js';
+import { POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_ACTIVE_EDITOR, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_COLUMN_SORTING, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_LAYOUT } from './positronDataExplorerContextKeys.js';
 import { Codicon } from '../../../../base/common/codicons.js';
+import { PositronDataExplorerUri } from '../../../services/positronDataExplorer/common/positronDataExplorerUri.js';
+import { URI } from '../../../../base/common/uri.js';
+import { EditorOpenSource } from '../../../../platform/editor/common/editor.js';
 
 /**
  * Positron data explorer action category.
@@ -47,7 +50,8 @@ export const enum PositronDataExplorerCommandId {
 	ExpandSummaryAction = 'workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.expandSummary',
 	SummaryOnLeftAction = 'workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.summaryOnLeft',
 	SummaryOnRightAction = 'workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.summaryOnRight',
-	ClearColumnSortingAction = 'workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.clearColumnSorting'
+	ClearColumnSortingAction = 'workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.clearColumnSorting',
+	OpenAsPlaintext = 'workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.openAsPlaintext'
 }
 
 /**
@@ -679,6 +683,61 @@ class PositronDataExplorerClearColumnSortingAction extends Action2 {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * PositronDataExplorerOpenAsPlaintextAction action.
+ */
+class PositronDataExplorerOpenAsPlaintextAction extends Action2 {
+	/**
+	 * Constructor.
+	 */
+	constructor() {
+		super({
+			id: PositronDataExplorerCommandId.OpenAsPlaintext,
+			title: {
+				value: localize('positronDataExplorer.openAsPlaintext', 'Open as Plain Text File'),
+				original: 'Open as Plain Text File'
+			},
+			displayTitleOnActionBar: true,
+			category,
+			f1: true,
+			precondition: ContextKeyExpr.and(
+				POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_ACTIVE_EDITOR,
+				POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT
+			),
+			icon: Codicon.fileText,
+			menu: [
+				{
+					id: MenuId.EditorActionsLeft,
+					when: ContextKeyExpr.and(
+						POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_ACTIVE_EDITOR,
+						POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT
+					)
+				},
+				{
+					id: MenuId.EditorTitle,
+					group: 'navigation',
+					when: ContextKeyExpr.and(
+						POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_ACTIVE_EDITOR,
+						POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT
+					)
+				}
+			]
+		});
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Runs the action.
+	 * @param accessor The services accessor.
+	 */
+	async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor): Promise<void> {
+		// Access the services we need.
+		// const textEditorService = accessor.get(ITextEditorService);
+		const editorService = accessor.get(IEditorService);
+		const dataExplorerUri = URI.parse(PositronDataExplorerUri.parse(EditorResourceAccessor.getOriginalUri(editorService.activeEditor)!)!);
+		await editorService.openEditor({ resource: URI.parse(dataExplorerUri.fsPath), options: { override: DEFAULT_EDITOR_ASSOCIATION.id, source: EditorOpenSource.USER } });
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Registers Positron data explorer actions.
  */
@@ -690,4 +749,5 @@ export function registerPositronDataExplorerActions() {
 	registerAction2(PositronDataExplorerSummaryOnLeftAction);
 	registerAction2(PositronDataExplorerSummaryOnRightAction);
 	registerAction2(PositronDataExplorerClearColumnSortingAction);
+	registerAction2(PositronDataExplorerOpenAsPlaintextAction);
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerContextKeys.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerContextKeys.ts
index f48648fa95c..f358a402343 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerContextKeys.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerContextKeys.ts
@@ -26,3 +26,7 @@ export const POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_COLUMN_SORTING = new RawContextKey<boolea
 	'positronDataExplorerIsColumnSorting',
 	false
 );
+export const POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT = new RawContextKey<boolean>(
+	'positronDataExplorerIsPlaintext',
+	false
+);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerEditor.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerEditor.tsx
index 0694299ac13..4da426c968d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/positronDataExplorerEditor/browser/positronDataExplorerEditor.tsx
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ import { PositronDataExplorerUri } from '../../../services/positronDataExplorer/
 import { IPositronDataExplorerService, PositronDataExplorerLayout } from '../../../services/positronDataExplorer/browser/interfaces/positronDataExplorerService.js';
 import { PositronDataExplorerEditorInput } from './positronDataExplorerEditorInput.js';
 import { PositronDataExplorerClosed, PositronDataExplorerClosedStatus } from '../../../browser/positronDataExplorer/components/dataExplorerClosed/positronDataExplorerClosed.js';
-import { POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_COLUMN_SORTING, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_LAYOUT } from './positronDataExplorerContextKeys.js';
+import { POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_COLUMN_SORTING, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT, POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_LAYOUT } from './positronDataExplorerContextKeys.js';
+import { URI } from '../../../../base/common/uri.js';
 
 /**
  * IPositronDataExplorerEditorOptions interface.
@@ -96,6 +97,11 @@ export class PositronDataExplorerEditor extends EditorPane implements IPositronD
 	 */
 	private readonly _isColumnSortingContextKey: IContextKey<boolean>;
 
+	/**
+	 * Gets the is plaintext editable context key.
+	 */
+	private readonly _isPlaintextContextKey: IContextKey<boolean>;
+
 	/**
 	 * The onSizeChanged event emitter.
 	 */
@@ -251,6 +257,9 @@ export class PositronDataExplorerEditor extends EditorPane implements IPositronD
 		this._isColumnSortingContextKey = POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_COLUMN_SORTING.bindTo(
 			this._group.scopedContextKeyService
 		);
+		this._isPlaintextContextKey = POSITRON_DATA_EXPLORER_IS_PLAINTEXT.bindTo(
+			this._group.scopedContextKeyService
+		);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -353,6 +362,14 @@ export class PositronDataExplorerEditor extends EditorPane implements IPositronD
 					positronDataExplorerInstance.tableDataDataGridInstance.isColumnSorting
 				);
 
+				const uri = URI.parse(this._identifier);
+				if (uri.scheme === 'duckdb') {
+					this._isPlaintextContextKey.set(PLAINTEXT_EXTS.some(ext => uri.path.endsWith(ext)));
+				} else {
+					this._isPlaintextContextKey.reset();
+				}
+
+
 				// Render the PositronDataExplorer.
 				this._positronReactRenderer.render(
 					<PositronDataExplorer
@@ -493,3 +510,8 @@ export class PositronDataExplorerEditor extends EditorPane implements IPositronD
 
 	//#endregion Private Methods
 }
+
+const PLAINTEXT_EXTS = [
+	".csv",
+	".tsv"
+]
diff --git a/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/data-explorer-headless.test.ts b/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/data-explorer-headless.test.ts
index ed045356487..3e7e76fd57b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/data-explorer-headless.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/data-explorer-headless.test.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,20 @@ test.describe('Headless Data Explorer - Large Data Frame', {
 	test('Verifies headless data explorer functionality with large gzipped tsv file', async function ({ app, logger }) {
 		await testBody(app, logger, 'flights.tsv.gz');
 	});
+
+	test('Verifies headless data explorer can open csv file as plaintext', async function ({ app, logger }) {
+		const fileName = 'flights.csv';
+		const searchString = ',year,month,day,dep_time,sched_dep_time,dep_delay,arr_time,sched_arr_time,arr_delay,carrier,flight,tailnum,origin,dest,air_time,distance,hour,minute,time_hour';
+
+		await openAsPlaintext(app, fileName, searchString);
+	});
+
+	test('Verifies headless data explorer can open tsv file as plaintext', async function ({ app, logger }) {
+		const fileName = 'flights.tsv';
+		const searchString = /\s+year\s+month\s+day\s+dep_time\s+sched_dep_time\s+dep_delay\s+arr_time\s+sched_arr_time\s+arr_delay\s+carrier\s+flight\s+tailnum\s+origin\s+dest\s+air_time\s+distance\s+hour\s+minute\s+time_hour/;
+
+		await openAsPlaintext(app, fileName, searchString);
+	});
 });
 
 async function testBody(app: Application, logger: Logger, fileName: string) {
@@ -62,5 +76,23 @@ async function testBody(app: Application, logger: Logger, fileName: string) {
 		const lastRow = tableData.at(-1);
 		const lastHour = lastRow!['time_hour'];
 		expect(lastHour).toBe(LAST_CELL_CONTENTS);
+
+		// If file is plaintext (csv, tsv), check for the plaintext button in the actiobar
+		// Otherwise, ensure the button is not present
+		const shouldHavePlaintext = fileName.endsWith('.csv') || fileName.endsWith('.tsv');
+		const plaintextEl = app.code.driver.page.getByLabel('Open as Plain Text File');
+		expect(await plaintextEl.isVisible()).toBe(shouldHavePlaintext);
 	}).toPass();
 }
+
+async function openAsPlaintext(app: Application, fileName: string, searchString: string | RegExp) {
+	await app.workbench.quickaccess.openDataFile(join(app.workspacePathOrFolder, 'data-files', 'flights', fileName));
+	await app.workbench.quickaccess.runCommand('workbench.action.positronDataExplorer.openAsPlaintext');
+	await app.workbench.editor.waitForEditorContents(fileName, (contents) => {
+		if (searchString instanceof RegExp) {
+			return contents.search(searchString) !== -1;
+		} else {
+			return contents.includes(searchString);
+		}
+	});
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/helpers/100x100.ts b/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/helpers/100x100.ts
index 5777224f7f4..cad79afe63b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/helpers/100x100.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/tests/data-explorer/helpers/100x100.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ export const testDataExplorer = async (
 
 	// Return to Stacked layout
 	await app.workbench.layouts.enterLayout('stacked');
+
+	// Check that "open as plaintext" button is not available
+	const plaintextEl = app.code.driver.page.getByLabel('Open as Plain Text File');
+	expect(await plaintextEl.isVisible()).toBe(false);
 };
 
 export const parquetFilePath = (app: Application) => {