Secret’s Out! J. Selby’s Wins National PETA Award for Vegan Spin on Big Mac

For Immediate Release:
May 15, 2023

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

In honor of National Hamburger Month, PETA has named its picks for the best vegan burgers in the U.S., and the Twin Cities’ own J. Selby’s has won a top spot with its juicy Dirty Secret burger: a meat-free double decker to outdo McDonald’s Big Mac or a Jucy Lucy.

Located at 169 N. Victoria St., the eatery is widely loved for its modern upgrades of fast-food classics, such as In-N-Out–style Animal Fries covered in vegan cheese and caramelized onions and a Taco Bell–inspired Crunchwrap loaded with vegan meat, chipotle sour “cream,” crunchy veggies, and a tostada inside a grilled tortilla. The award-winning Dirty Secret, as the big original jingle goes, features two delectable non-beef patties, special vegan sauce, lettuce, “cheeze,” pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun—with an option to add tasty seitan “bacun” or swap in a gluten-free bun.

“Too good to keep secret, this towering, saucy burger is the perfect animal-friendly answer to those comfort food cravings,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “All the winning vegan burgers on PETA’s national top 10 list prove that serving plant-based foods is a smart business decision.”

J. Selby’s will receive a framed certificate from PETA in honor of its culinary achievement. The other top burgers receiving the group’s recognition are the Ménage à Trois at Slutty Vegan (Atlanta), the Mushroom Swizz Burger at Modern Love Omaha (Omaha, Nebraska), the Love Life Burger at Love Life Cafe (Miami), the Beet Burger at Three Carrots (Indianapolis), the Flatiron at Meta Burger (Boulder, Denver, and Edgewater, Colorado), the Garlic Mushroom Burger at Mark of the Beastro (Salt Lake City), the WAP-er at Houstatlantavegan (Houston), the Deluxe Vurger at Vurger Guyz (Los Angeles), and the Cowboy Burger at Bean Vegan Cuisine (Charlotte, North Carolina).

Every person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals each year daily suffering and terrifying deaths and reduces their risk of developing heart disease and cancer. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.