The name is definitely eye-catching. And the location, in a former Taco Bell on Union Boulevard in Allentown, guarantees high visibility. It might even encourage you to pull off the road and wander in to check out this relatively new business that opened about a year ago. And then ask the question—what exactly is a vegan butcher? After all, the most likely candidates for butchery in a vegan establishment would be meat substitutes such as tofu, seitan or jackfruit, but those ingredients require culinary, not butchery, skills.
Once you stop in, the juxtaposition of the words “vegan” and “butcher” will become apparent, along with the owner's love of '80s and '90s pop culture memorabilia, the result of personal collections and some extensive time spent on Pinterest. (More on that in a minute.)
“I wanted people to say, as they were driving by, ‘What the heck is this?''' says Ayoub Abboud, 36, who runs the place with his nephew James Shleiwet, 23.
The Vegan Butcher caters to both vegans and meat eaters, because not everyone who walks through the door is vegan, and not everyone you eat a meal with will order tofu alongside you, if you are.
“I saw the way people really looked at menus closely, and I wanted dishes that everyone could enjoy—even if everyone wasn't on the same diet. About 75 percent of the menu is plant-based,” says Abboud. In other words, all eaters are welcome here.
At The Vegan Butcher, you'll find a menu of fast-casual food that doesn't skimp on prep or quality of ingredients. In terms of the cuisine, which sounds too fancy of a word considering that period-correct music provides the soundtrack (think Run-DMC, Beastie Boys), it's a creative mix-up of Mexican, Asian, French, Italian and straight-up American comfort foods. (Think burgers, lots of arugula and truffle oil, rice-based bowl dishes and street corn, for example.)
First, let's get the nitty gritty out of the way about those proteins, shall we? At The Vegan Butcher, there's tofu, of course, and vegan eggs are, mercifully, not the typical cheat of flax seeds in water. (That works in baking, but not sandwich making!) They use Just Egg, a liquid, pourable "egg" made from a protein derived from mung beans that enables a good scramble. You can select from straight-up beef or the wildly popular Impossible Burger (a gluten-free, plant-based burger with more protein than beef and no cholesterol). You can also select the Beyond Burger, which is both gluten-free and soy-free. The burgers are topped with vegan cheese (Daiya) or that plant-based egg. Without getting too technical, you'd be hard pressed to tell that the burgers, in particular, are plant based. “We have fooled a lot of meat eaters,” says Abboud.
Any time of day, you can order breakfast tacos with regular eggs or a vegan egg, but the best reason to order these tacos, other than the delicious crème fraîche and corn-heavy pico de gallo? The tortillas. They are corn, and they are homemade. As in made fresh to order, in a tortilla press. (Hopefully, The Vegan Butcher never becomes so busy as to resort to cheaper, faster and less delicious measures, because, ladies and gentlemen, you haven't lived until you've had homemade tortillas. There's just no comparison.) If you're dining with meat eaters who don't want beef or beef substitutes, check out the street tacos—you can opt for pork belly with ginger, cilantro, radish and crème fraîche.
Abboud serves his version of the Vietnamese favorite Banh Mi with some twists. He says what he pickles is in reverse—he does red onions and jalapeños instead of cucumbers and carrots, which provides a more pungent pucker to the palate. You can opt for tofu or beef barbacoa, a slow-cooked method. Sandwiches like this one are served on a sturdy French baguette. Other customer favorites include the CHiPs Burger, loaded with caramelized onions and drizzled with a chipotle aioli and cleverly named for the TV show starting Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox, of course.
One of the hallmarks of a good sandwich-and-burger joint is its fries. Happily, The Vegan Butcher provides an extensive menu that pays homage to the humble potato. Lemon Fries are worth trying—tossed in parsley and freshly squeezed lemon juice, they feel distinctly Mediterranean.
Abboud says, “We're not a Mediterranean restaurant; I just wanted to mimic the salt and vinegar taste with the acidity of the lemon.” (Maybe so, but his family is originally from Jordan—and it's delicious regardless!) You can also get your potatoes tossed with truffle oil, parsley and Parmesan cheese (they use Follow Your Heart Parmesan), or totally loaded with beef or tofu barbacoa, chipotle aioli and ask for an egg—plant or chicken-based! Because everyone loves an order of loaded fries, right?
Abboud is no stranger to the restaurant business, having worked in kitchens since he was a teenager, and worked in New York and upstate, in Buffalo, running a food truck business.
He's also no stranger to the Lehigh Valley food world—his sister Shahnaz Hanna runs Union and Finch in Allentown. The Vegan Butcher wants you to hang out for a bit, despite the speed with which they serve your food. Tables are outfitted with games such as Go Fish, Jenga and Rock ‘Em Sock 'Em Robots. The interior takes its cues from his childhood and love of nostalgia; it's hard to miss the cassette-tape wall when you walk in, right by the bathroom.
The Vegan Butcher also offers a Pineapple Rice Bowl with rice, pineapple and carrots sautéed in coconut oil and topped with black sesame seeds, walnuts and a seaweed salad, and other tasty bits, too. Look for more soups and salads as the weather breaks, and hang out on their patio, or pull up a chair and play some retro table games.
The Vegan Butcher Company
768 Union Blvd., Allentown | 610.351.1265 | facebook.com
Hours: Every day: 7 a.m.–8 p.m.
Parking: Lot on the premises
Reservations: Not necessary
What to Order: Well, the Breakfast Tacos are awesome, and so is the Banh Mi. Anything with the Impossible or Beyond Burger may fool the carnivores you dine with—or fool you. People love the loaded fries, and when the weather breaks, the Open Face Avo is going to taste even better—avocado spread, grilled tomato, basil, boiled egg and drizzled with balsamic glaze and served on a French baguette. Look for more soups and salads as the weather gets warmer.
