From plantbasednews.org
Here's proof that great sandwiches do not require meat
Vegan sandwiches in LA are giving traditional meat-filled delis serious competition, and one Highland Park spot now has the ranking to prove it.
Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher Shop was recently named the best sandwich shop in California and the fifth best in the United States by Only In Your State. The ranking is notable for one simple reason: Maciel’s makes everything without animal products.
Eunice Reyes, known for her YouTube channel Rated V for Vegan, recently visited the Los Angeles deli to try several of its sandwiches and learn how the shop makes its plant-based meats. Reyes has built her platform around vegan food and travel, showing viewers that plant-based eating can fit into different cultures, cities, and food traditions. Her mission is not just to review restaurants, but to show how vegan food can be exciting, accessible, and rooted in real culinary experiences.
In the video, Reyes frames Maciel’s as more than a vegan novelty. The shop is not trying to serve a small niche or make food that only appeals to long-time vegans. Instead, it takes the structure of a classic deli and reworks it with seitan, tofu, jackfruit, beans, beets, and spices. The result is a menu built around sandwiches that look familiar, taste rich, and still align with the owners’ ethics.
“Most people believe the perfect sandwich requires meat,” Reyes says at the start of the video. Maciel’s, however, makes the opposite case.
A plant-based butcher built around flavour and ethics
Maciel, the chef and co-owner of Maciel’s, opened the shop with her husband in 2022. She says the idea came from three priorities: animal welfare, the planet, and healthy eating.
The deli concept started while the couple lived in New York, where traditional delis are part of everyday food culture. Maciel was already making plant-based meats at home because she wanted food that still resembled meat, but matched her vegan values and nutritional goals.
“I wanted to eat something that still resembles meat, but I wanted to be vegan and also nutritious,” Maciel says.
That balance matters throughout the video. Maciel explains that the shop makes its meats in-house using ingredients such as seitan, tofu, jackfruit, beans, beets, and spices. The team also considers protein, fibre, and flavour. For Maciel, a plant-based deli should not ask people to choose between ethics and pleasure.
She says the shop was designed to be inclusive, not just for vegans. “This is not just a restaurant for vegans,” Maciel says. “Everybody’s welcome to come and to try.”
That approach runs through Reyes’ reaction to the food. She points out that many people still view plant-based meats as overly processed, but argues that the word itself is often misunderstood. Pasta, she notes, is processed too. The real question is what ingredients go into the food.
At Maciel’s, the central protein is often seitan. Reyes explains that seitan is made with vital wheat gluten, the isolated protein from wheat. Most of the starch has been washed away, leaving a high-protein base with very few carbs. At the deli, the seitan is mixed with legumes and spices, seasoned, and cooked in-house to create different textures and flavours.
The scale is also impressive. Reyes says Maciel’s uses about 750 pounds of wheat gluten and 1,200 pounds of tofu each month. That gives viewers a sense of just how much demand there is for vegan sandwiches in LA when the food is made with care.
The Californian and the smoky lead the menu
Reyes begins her tasting with two of Maciel’s most popular sandwiches: the Californian and the smoky.
The Californian is one of the deli’s top sellers and Maciel’s own favourite. Reyes describes it as simple and fresh, but stresses that its appeal comes from the way the ingredients work together. The sandwich includes plant-based turkey, mayo, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and avocado.
“This is so good,” Reyes says after trying it.
She notes that Maciel’s uses avocado in several menu items, which gives the sandwiches a creamy texture without making them feel heavy. The sprouts add freshness, while the turkey-style protein gives the sandwich a deli-style centre. On paper, Reyes says, it may look like a basic sandwich with sprouts, but the combination is what makes it stand out.
Next comes the smoky, another top contender. Reyes opens the sandwich to show the plant protein inside and reacts to the grilled onions, avocado, cheese, and toasted bread. The smoky has a richer profile than the Californian, with caramelized onions playing a major role.
“Oh, wow. These grilled onions make this sandwich,” Reyes says.
She also praises the bread, which is grilled until crisp. That detail matters because a good deli sandwich depends on structure as much as filling. The bread needs to hold everything together, offer contrast, and add flavour of its own. Reyes says she understands why the smoky has become one of the shop’s most popular options.
Breakfast burritos, chorizo, and a nod to Maciel’s roots
Maciel’s is not only known for deli sandwiches. Reyes also tries one of its breakfast burritos, which she orders extra grilled.
The burrito stands out because of its chorizo-style flavour. Reyes explains that one of the first proteins Maciel developed was chorizo, influenced by her Mexican background. Even though the deli menu does not lean heavily into Mexican flavours overall, the chorizo gives this breakfast option a personal connection to Maciel’s culinary roots.
Reyes says she usually likes crispy potatoes inside her burritos, and this one does not include them. Still, she wanted to try it because of the chorizo flavour. She describes the flavour as delicious and highlights how the grilled exterior improves the texture.
The burrito also shows how Maciel’s applies the same approach beyond sandwiches. The shop is not simply swapping meat for a single vegan protein. It is building a full deli and breakfast menu around plant-based ingredients that can carry different styles, textures, and cuisines.
Deli nostalgia: Pastrami, French dip, and chicken parmesan
One of the most striking items Reyes tries is the pastrami French dip. She dips the sandwich into the gravy and reacts immediately.
“Oh my gosh, that gravy tastes like Thanksgiving,” Reyes says. “This is delicious.”
The pastrami flavour also impresses her. Reyes explains that when Maciel and her husband Joe were developing the proteins, they asked non-vegan friends to taste them. Some came from Kansas City, a place closely associated with meat-heavy food culture. Reyes jokes that if those friends approved, the protein must be good.
The pastrami French dip captures one of the main themes of the video: plant-based food can keep the comfort, ritual, and nostalgia of meat-based meals without relying on animals. It gives people the dip, gravy, bread, and rich seasoning they expect from a deli sandwich, but in a vegan format.
Reyes then tries the chicken parmesan sandwich, which includes breaded plant-based chicken, marinara, cheese, and pesto. She says she has had it before and already knows it is good, but she tries it again to show another protein on the menu.
This section leads into one of Reyes’ clearest explanations of why vegan meat exists. She pushes back on the common criticism that vegans should not eat food that resembles meat.
“Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you didn’t like the taste of meat,” Reyes says.
She adds that she ate meat for many years because she liked the taste. For many people, the decision to go vegan is not about rejecting familiar flavours. It is about rejecting the harm tied to animal agriculture. Plant-based meats can act as a bridge, a comfort food, or simply a way to enjoy familiar textures with different ingredients.
Reyes says animal meat itself is often a blank canvas that depends on seasoning. Plant-based proteins can work the same way. With the right spices, marinades, and cooking methods, ingredients such as seitan and tofu can carry the same flavours people grew up enjoying.
The Tuscan is Reyes’ favourite
Reyes saves the Tuscan for last and makes it clear that this is the sandwich she recommends most often.
“When I tell people to come to Maciel’s, I always tell them, ‘Get the Tuscan,’” Reyes says.
She describes it as her favourite and notes that Joe, Maciel’s husband, also loves it. While she does not break down every ingredient in the same detail as the other sandwiches, her reaction makes the point. The Tuscan is the kind of menu item that builds loyalty. It is the one she tells people to order first and the one she clearly plans to finish.
Maciel’s also sells vegan cheeses, including Rebel Cheese, along with its own deli meats. Reyes says West Coast customers may soon be able to order the shop’s products directly, which would allow people outside Los Angeles to try the meats at home.
For a deli built around vegan sandwiches in LA, that expansion suggests something bigger than local hype. The demand is not only coming from vegans looking for safe menu options. It is also coming from people who want a better sandwich.
A plant-forward meal can be climate action
Toward the end of the video, Reyes connects the meal back to climate action. She praises restaurants like Maciel’s for helping make plant-based eating feel approachable, especially for people who do not identify as vegan.
She says many people know the meat industry contributes to carbon emissions, but do not always know where to start. A restaurant like Maciel’s gives them an easy entry point. They can order one plant-based meal a week, or one a day, and still eat something flavourful and familiar.
“It’s all about just delicious, flavourful food,” Reyes says.
That idea is also at the heart of Maciel’s story. Maciel and Reyes both make clear that they liked the taste of meat before going vegan. Their shift was not driven by a lack of interest in deli sandwiches, chorizo, turkey, pastrami, or chicken parmesan. It came from a desire to stop contributing to animal suffering and environmental harm while still eating food they enjoyed.
Maciel’s answers that challenge with sandwiches that are meant to be healthy, delicious, and ethical. Its ranking shows that plant-based food no longer needs to be treated as a compromise. When made well, it can compete with the most celebrated sandwich shops in the country.
For Reyes, Maciel’s is proof that vegan sandwiches in LA can do more than imitate meat. They can beat it on flavour, creativity, and purpose.
https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/award-winning-vegan-sandwiches-in-la/
