LA’s First Vegan Butcher Shop Opening With Impressive Menu

LA’s very first vegan butcher shop opened in Highland Park on July 8th as they mesh Mexican influences with classic deli vibes.

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Bañales Luna opened the shop with her husband, Joe Egender, and business partner Dustin Lancaster. Luna grew up in a densely forested state in the northwest region of Mexico. She told Eater that her mom sought out plant-based cooking workshops while her father preached about the importance of conservation. She says that both of her parents were “ahead of their time,” which influenced her education, career, and now her vegan butcher shop!

Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli brings together her Mexican influences with a classic deli feeling and represents Luna’s lifelong dedication to health, nutrition, and environmental conservation. The store will be available for dine-in and takeout, and they hope that it will be seen as a “neighborhood butcher-deli.”

“You come and get your weekly meats, but also grab some sandwiches and aguas frescas, and hang out a little bit or take it home. We see moms and dads buying slices of turkey for their kids to make school lunches,” said Egender.

The shop sells sandwich-making supplies as well as premade charcuterie kits for picnics or get-togethers. Their cold cuts are made from ingredients like chickpeas, vegetables, seitan, tofu, spices, and brines.

“The plant-based meat world has a little bit of a reputation of being highly processed,” said Egender. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Their turkey, bacon, pastrami, salami, chicharrones, and chorizo are all legume-based and high in protein, vitamins, and fiber, says Luna.

“We focus on four things when making the meats: the taste — that is the most important thing, of course, the look, the texture, and the health,” she says.

Maciel’s spreadable cheeses include cashew-based camembert, nacho, and jalapeno cheddar.

If you’re stopping in the morning, be sure to check out their breakfast sandwich made with vegan eggs, with a choice of bacon or chorizo, beans, vegan cheese, avocado, onions, and salsa on a brioche bun.

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The shop also sells ready-to-eat sandwiches using their plant-based meat and cheeses, with bread from a local bakery. Some of the sandwiches include the Reuben, which comes with pastrami, sauerkraut, vegan cheese, and vegan Russian dressing on rye bread.

Luna told the Eater that her favorite sandwich is the Flores, which is made with Mexican ribs, pickled onions, arugula, and vegan mayonnaise on ciabatta.

“The ribs are a plant-based version of Mexican adobo ribs,” she says. “We use jackfruit as the base, along with a traditional adobo sauce that we make with dried Mexican chiles, tomatoes, spices, and a little maple syrup to give it a smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor.”

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The plant-based food market is booming, and research suggests it could make up 7.7 percent of the global protein market by 2030. With a value of $29.4 billion in 2020, experts suggest that the plant-based foods market could have a value of over $162 billion by the end of the decade.

“It seems like right now there’s a lot of meat eaters who are more open to not having meat every single meal,” says Egender.

Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check out their Instagram for more information!

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