Grass Fed Vegan Butcher: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Grass Fed is Rochester’s first vegan butcher shop and deli, and the name is completely intentional irony. Everything here is 100% plant-based: the corned beef, the pastrami, the ham, the bacon, the brisket, the gyro meat. Founders Rob Nipe and Nora Rubel opened the shop in 2019 with a clear purpose: make the vegan lifestyle more accessible without making you give up the comfort foods you grew up with. The result is a neighborhood spot on Monroe Avenue that pulls in vegans and skeptics alike.

What’s vegan and vegetarian at Grass Fed

The short answer: everything. Grass Fed operates as a dedicated vegan establishment, so there are no animal products anywhere on the menu or in the shop. Every sandwich, every retail meat, every side dish is completely plant-based. You don’t need to ask about the butter or the cheese or the broth. It’s all vegan, all the time. HappyCow lists it as “Fully Vegan” and gives it a perfect 5.0 out of 5 stars. The Google rating sits at 4.8 across more than 150 reviews, with the vast majority being five stars.

Signature dishes to order

The sandwich menu reads like a deli greatest hits list, except every ingredient is plant-based. The Back in the U.S.S. Reuben ($10.99) stacks corned beef, sauerkraut, Daiya Swiss, and Russian dressing on toasted bread. The Wake Me Up, Before You Monte Cristo ($13.99) goes full comfort-food theater with ham and Daiya Swiss dipped in French toast batter and served with raspberry jam. The In Da Turkey Club ($13.99) is the most ordered cold sandwich and gives you turkey, bacon, and all the fixings in one stack.

Beyond sandwiches, the retail butcher case is where Grass Fed really earns its name. Rob makes small-batch seitan meats by hand, and the selection rotates weekly. You’ll often find sliced bacon ($17.99/lb), roast beef ($33.99/lb), shawarma ($26.99/lb), deli slices in half a dozen varieties, and specialty items like ribs, brisket, and beer brats. The cookies are worth getting too.

How to order

Walk in during open hours. You’ll order at the counter. Sandwiches take a few minutes to make and you can eat at one of the indoor tables or outside when weather allows. The retail meats are in the case and sold by the pound, so it helps to know what you’re looking for in advance since the selection changes. Check their Instagram at @grass_fed_rochester before you go if you want to see what’s in the case that week. Delivery is available through third-party services if you can’t make the trip.

Hours are a little unconventional: open Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday from 11am to 3pm. Tuesday and Wednesday are closed. If you’re planning a visit, double-check those hours before heading over.

What to watch out for

If you’re avoiding gluten, Grass Fed is probably not the right spot. The shop’s specialty is seitan, which is made from vital wheat gluten. Most of the house-made meats contain gluten, and the kitchen works with wheat regularly. Some sides and other items may be gluten-free, but this is not a gluten-free environment. People with celiac disease should approach with caution and call ahead to ask about specific items.

The Saturday hours are short (11am to 3pm), so don’t show up at 2:45 expecting a full order. The weekly retail selection also means your favorite product might not be available every visit. That’s part of the small-batch, handcrafted model, and regulars treat it as a feature rather than a problem.

Is Grass Fed worth it?

Yes, and it’s not close. Grass Fed is the kind of place that turns skeptics into regulars. Rob spent years perfecting his seitan recipes, and the results hold up. Reviewers who haven’t eaten meat in over a decade describe biting into the ham and thinking, “that’s what ham tasted like.” That’s not a small thing to pull off. The shop is welcoming, the staff knows the products, and the pricing is reasonable for handcrafted food. For anyone vegetarian or vegan in Rochester, or just curious about what plant-based eating actually tastes like when someone does it right, Grass Fed is a must-visit stop on Monroe Avenue.