Smoked Meat Bar Now Sells Vegan Ribs

Meat-centric Minnesota pub Bourbon Butcher serendipitously teamed up with Herbivorous Butcher to create a sought-after vegan menu.


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Meat-centric eatery Bourbon Butcher recently partnered with plant-based company—and Minnesota neighbor—The Herbivorous Butcher to launch its first fully vegan menu items. After recurring customer demand for meatless options, the restaurant now serves vegan Korean-style ribs on a bed of coconut cilantro rice with sauteed green beans, and a veggie burger with vegan cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion served on a vegan bun sourced from another local company, Colossal Cafe. Bourbon Butcher’s owner Tony Donatell has been following Herbivorous Butcher on social media since it opened in 2015 and decided the company’s plant-based meats would be a perfect addition to his menu. “A light bulb went off,” Donatell tells VegNews, “a restaurant called ‘Bourbon Butcher’ known for being ‘meat-centric’ had to have meatless meats on its menu!” The Korean-style ribs sold out after only two nights on the menu and Donatell sent one of his chefs to Herbivorous Butcher’s shop in Minneapolis—about 30 miles away—to get more. Head chef Daniel Bennett says the plant-based meats cook similarly to their animal counterparts. “I find they can go in place of meat on many or all of our menu items to please anyone seeking a vegan menu option,” Bennett says. The restaurant is currently exploring more plant-based menu additions—particularly Herbivorous Butcher’s steaks and sausages—and Bennett plans to add new vegan specials during the next menu update.