Butcher and the Vegan

61 Barton Street E

Hamilton, ON 

After visiting Butcher and the Vegan on our first Hamilton Food Tour, we couldn’t stop thinking about and planning our next visit. Shout out to their Beet Fries and their Mushroom Crostinis! We were impressed and ready for more. Lindsay was all about celebrating Friendship Day with her besties, so three of us (Small Fries + Brittany) ended up celebrating the day foodie-style at Butcher and the Vegan.

Logo

Butcher and the Vegan has two different forms of their logo. The ‘B&V’ seen outside and the written out version. They mesh well – black on white, bold fonts.

B&V is making an impact on their neighbourhood. It only makes sense that their logo would be impactful as well.

Food & Reviews

For the table we chose:

Lindsay’s go-to, Beet Salad. She is crazy about Beet Salad and orders it at almost every restaurant. Seriously, tweet her for the best Beet Salads in Hamilton. She will eat all of them. And she’ll post about them. You won’t be disappointed. Anyways, we digress.

This beet salad was definitely up there in the ‘best of’ list. But really, we would have ordered it just for the food porn. Look at how colourful this freakin’ plate is!

Steak Frites with Asparagus. Lindsay ordered this main. The steak was slightly overdone for her taste, but it was still amazing nonetheless. She didn’t complain, but we’re 100% positive they would have given her a new one if she had. But the flavours were mouth-watering. Just writing this makes her want to get it again. Like .. right now…

Anywho, her only complaint was that there was too much (yes, we said too much) food on the plate. It was hard to cut the steak because it was piled on the fries.

Fig, Duck and Arugula Flatbread Pizza. Brittany had this butcher’s pizza. I mean – look at it. That’s what we really love about B&V – the food not only tastes amazing, it looks amazing. It had this delicious sweet taste to it. It was also really good cold the next day.

Wild Mushroom Risotto – Our fabulous waiter suggested we order the risotto, which was his personal fave that week. We went with the non-vegan version – you can get it made either way – which was made with cream and some sort of cheese. We were so happy we went with this suggestion.

Risotto is often hit and miss, and often will be crazy strong with wine or cheese. This one had a perfect balance. It was rich and creamy. With the earthy flavour of the wild mushrooms and the sweet crunch of the carrot (?) topping, this was a perfect dish.

Watermelon Sorbet – While we were there we also heard that one of the kitchen staff had been working hard on perfecting his Sorbet recipe. Of course, this meant we had to get dessert. (Right….that’s the reason..;)…)

Yum. This sorbet was like eating a frozen watermelon. Only way classier. Heather ordered it, but being friendship day, shared with Lindsay and Brittany as well.

Atmosphere

When you think of where to find higher-end, local culinary gems – Barton and John isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind.  (Though a renaissance is beginning!)

In our minds, Butcher and the Vegan is not the norm for when you think of Barton street. It’s a cute little space decorated in bright colours. With mismatched chairs, mahogany wood and blackboard signs, it’s lowkey and comfortable. B&V is a diamond in the rough.

Brand

Butcher and the Vegan has a strong focus on bringing all ingredients in from a 100 mile radius. This means you may pay a bit more for your meal, but we promise – it’s worth it. You’re eating fresh, you’re eating local, and you can feel good about it.

B&V’s aim is to make a space that is meatatarian, vegetarian and vegan friendly. If you bring a group to this resto, you’re going to be able to order a proper meal for everyone.

Oh, and they try to make you really feel at home. Which is why you can find action-figures and other toys on every table. Check out Brittany and cold Spidey!

Social Media Campaign

Facebook – Butcher and the Vegan

Twitter – BandtheV

Instagram – butcherandthevegan

No complaints on the social media front. Whoever manages the B&V social media accounts, they’re doing a great job. They have enough posts to be engaging, without overwhelming their online community. Plus there’s tons of menu info and some great food porn!

Suggestions

We don’t have many suggestions for Butcher and the Vegan, to be honest! If they keep doing what they’re doing – ROCKIN’ IT – we foresee that word of mouth will get them far!

Have you been to Butcher and the Vegan? Review it with us in the comments below!