CORNELIUS, N.C. — If there's one thing North Carolina is known for, it's barbecue. While Lexington holds the title of barbecue capitol, there's one brand that's giving vegans an alternative taste of the N.C. delicacy.
What You Need To Know
Barvecue is made and distributed out of Cornelius. There is an original, naked and carnitas style option
Davidson Ice House is just one of the many local restaurants who offer Barvecue as an alternative meat option
Barvecue can be found in the frozen section at retail locations like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter and Sprouts
Barvecue. No, not barbecue with a "b," but Barvecue with a "v."
"This is the vegan barbecue, or Barvecue. You can see it looks just like chicken or pork, it’s really interchangeable," said Jen Brule, owner of Davidson Ice House.
Davidson Ice House has only been open for 4 and a half years, but Barvecue has been on the menu for most of its history.
"We’ve served it for at least two years. I love that it’s locally made and it’s clean," Brule said.
"I started it because I’ve always been a chef and opening restaurants for other people and decided I wanted to open my own," Brule said.
She wears many hats at her restaurant. She's not only the owner, but the chef as well. Plus, she's a mom to four daughters, each of which have various dietary preferences, which explains the many options she has on her menu.
"It’s what I like to call flexitarian cooking, so we do vegan, vegetarian, but we also do meat and potatoes. We have great burgers and great french fries. It’s a great way for people to eat less meat, but they still eat meat," Brule said.
When Brule heard about a locally made vegan barbecue option, she couldn't resist whipping up a specialty.
"This is our Vegan Viking," Brule said.
The Vegan Viking is powered by plant protein, which is made less than a 10-minute drive down the road in Cornelius.
"We’re expecting to be in 2,000 stores by the end of this year. We also provide Barvecue to restaurants and event venues," said Kelsey Joseph, Director of Business Development at Barvecue.
Not only do they source restaurants, but can be found in many colleges and universities across the nation.
"We’re at UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, Elon. Elon is actually where we launched," Joseph said.
While Barvecue is only 3 years old and still growing, they have one goal in mind.
"Little team, but hoping to have a big impact," Joseph said.
Developers and promoters are hoping for a big impact and even bigger appetite for Barvecue.