Vegan Fried Chicken From Minneapolis’ Favorite Meatless Butchers Opens This Weekend

Just in time for summer, the vegan butcher duo behind Herbivorous Butcher is opening a new fast-casual restaurant, Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken on Friday, May 21. As more restaurants begin to offer dairy-free and faux-meat menu items that are shipped to them from larger distributors, Herbie Butcher’s vegan fried chicken is made fresh on site.

Seitan and high protein wheat flour are the base for the comforting, home-fried, extra-crunchy vegan chicken. At the bottom of each bucket, guests will find tater tots, a distinctly Minnesotan bonus. The menu is sparse yet easy to navigate: small, medium, large or extra-large buckets include pieces of chicken with a tater tot base, biscuits with maple butter, and choice of sides including additional tots and biscuits, or coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. Meanwhile, a weekday lunch box special and chicken biscuit sandwich is ideal for a midday indulgence.

After opening weekend, shakes and malts can be customized to be fully decked with whipped cream, Newman O’s of either the chocolate, mint, or peanut butter variety, stealthily pork-free bacon bits, frozen strawberries, and more starting May 25.

Herbie Butcher’s is a compact operation with a couple of indoor tables to patiently wait for takeout orders. The interior’s cozy view while doing so couldn’t be better. Local artist Jennifer Davis’s vibrant and cheerful mural of happy animals frolicking and eating corn on the cob is something out of a cartoon fever dream in the best possible way.

On top of vegan eats being better for the planet, all of the packagings should be thoughtfully disposed of. The buckets and lunch boxes are recyclable and straws and sauce containers are compostable. There is also a convenient carryout window to pick up pre-orders. Local delivery through GrubHub and Toast starts June 1.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony this Friday at 11 a.m. is scheduled to welcome both five-time WNBA Champion and Minnesota Lynx Coach Rebekkah Brunson and the Minnesota State Senator for South Minneapolis, Scott Dibble. On Saturday from 11 to 4 p.m. Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken will also host a block party featuring DJ Jake Rudh of Transmission on The Current.

Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken will open at 735 East 48th Street in Minneapolis on Friday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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