Sizzling Success! Berkeley’s The Butcher’s Son Vegan Deli & Bakery Wins Top PETA Award for Best Vegan Steak

For Immediate Release:
June 17, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Well done! Ahead of Father’s Day (June 21), PETA is spotlighting the best vegan steaks from restaurants across the U.S. with its inaugural A Cut Above vegan steak awards—and Berkeley’s own The Butcher’s Son has made the list. The fully vegan delicatessen’s Steak Bahn Mi features a heaping helping of tender meat-free morsels paired with house-made sriracha mayo, sweet pickled cabbage, fresh cucumber, and jalapeños on a freshly baked hoagie roll.

Inspired by the vegan diner their father owned in the 90s, brother-and-sister duo Peter Fikaris and Christina Stobing first opened The Butcher’s Son in 2016—and the University Avenue eatery has since become a local favorite.

“The Butcher’s Son is serving up a mouthwatering steak sandwich that’s kind to cows and bursting with delicious flavor,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “Every vegan steak on PETA’s list is a prime pick, perfect for treating dad, or any special father figure, to a celebratory feast that leaves animals in peace.”

Cows have friends and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. In the meat industry, they’re crammed into filthy sheds and feedlots, endure routine mutilations including tail docking, castration, and dehorning often with no painkillers, and are slaughtered at just a fraction of their natural lifespan. Every person who goes vegan saves the lives of nearly 200 animals each year and reduces their own risk of developing heart disease and cancer. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

The Butcher’s Son will receive a framed award certificate from PETA along with bragging rights. Other “A Cut Above” winners include Steak Marsala at Spirit Elephant in Winnetka, Illinois; Steak Frites at Vegan Food House in Dallas, Texas; and Seared Steak + Fingerling Potatoes at Oleum in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Butcher’s Son is located at 1954 University Ave. in Berkeley, and is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a cow is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.