17 Best Pasty Shops in Michigan With Delectable Pasties
New York has pizza. Philadelphia has cheesesteak. Even Detroit and surrounding areas have coney dogs. Around here, it’s all about the best pasty shops in Michigan.
If you’re looking for a true taste of Upper Peninsula cuisine, the pasty (pronounced like PAST-EE) is a delicacy you absolutely must try. A traditional pasty consists of beef, potatoes, and rutabagas — all mixed together and wrapped in a flaky, golden crust.
You can almost think of pasties as handheld potpies. Their roots go back to earlier days when the Upper Peninsula was a mining hot spot.
Cornish miners took pasties in their lunch pails for hot lunches and filling meals. Locals will tell you that nothing goes with a pasty quite like ketchup, but in many places, you can also get gravy with your pasty.
You can search for “best pasties near me”… or you can browse this list to find a Michigan pasty shop near you!
Best Pasty Shops in the Western Upper Peninsula
The Hut Inn
58540 Wolverine St #41, Calumet, MI 49913
For many residents and visitors of Copper Country, this is one of the absolute best pasty shops in Michigan. The place traces its roots back to 1952 and is open seven days a week. It’s now owned by Pasty Central – Kearsarge, and The Hut Inn kitchen is the headquarters for the company’s online sales of pasties.
The business ships more than 50,000 pasties a year. Also, the Hut Inn offers a sit-down dining experience with a full menu, as well as a drive-up window where you can get a fresh pasty as you travel.
Jen’s Kitchen [formerly Connie’s Kitchen]
56901 6th St #9, Calumet, MI 49913
This bakery is open five days a week, and it’s worth the trip. You can warm up with a tasty cup of soup of the day and pair it with a traditional pasty. Jen’s Kitchen also offers delicious baked goods including donuts, cookies, and more!
Toni’s Country Kitchen
79 3rd St, Laurium, MI 49913
In the heart of Copper Country, Toni’s Country Kitchen gets a lot of hype, and for good reason. In a traditional diner setting, you’ll find large pasties with extra flaky crust and a good ratio of vegetables to meat.
If you’ve never had a pasty before but are dying to try one, Toni’s is a place where you can get a true taste of the Upper Peninsula. It’s open six days a week.
Kaleva Cafe
234 Quincy St, Hancock, MI 49930
Start near the top of the hat in Hancock, and stop at Kaleva Cafe. There you can get a pasty with a mix of meat, carrots, rutabagas, and potatoes. It’s served with coleslaw, and you can finish your trip there with a homemade cookie, tart, cinnamon roll, or slice of pie for dessert.
Kaleva Cafe is open year-round, so you can always stop in for a delicious meal. It’s one of the best pasty shops in Michigan!
Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant
54 Huron St, Houghton, MI 49931
If you’re around Hancock, head over to Houghton and this tasty Finnish-style pasty bakery and restaurant. Not only can you find all the trappings for a delicious Finnish breakfast, but you can also grab a tasty pasty for lunch.
The large traditional pasties are a great deal if you’re looking for a quick, filling meal on your travels. You can buy mini pasties as well. Suomi is open most days, and we recommend that you get there early.
Syl’s Cafe
713 River St, Ontonagon, MI 49953
Open all day, every day, Syl’s offers traditional Cornish pasties. You can get them with and without coleslaw, and mini pasties are on the menu too.
Pasty Corner
825 W Adams St, Iron River, MI 49935
This stop in Iron River is open every day except Sunday. It’s worth visiting if you’re on the far end of US-2. Pasty Corner offers some specialty pasties and mini pasties (known as nuggets), but the original is big and packed with flavor.
Honorable Mention: We’ve heard rumors that Mohawk Superette has some pretty tasty pasties, but we haven’t had the honor of tasting them ourselves… we’ll have to rectify that soon!
Best Central Upper Peninsula Pasty Shops
The Pasty Oven
W7279 Highway, US-2, Quinnesec, MI 49876
Located near Iron Mountain, The Pasty Oven is shipping pasties just once a week. But the wait is worth it. You can order traditional pasties or one of several specialty flavors — pepperoni pizza, spinach and cheese, chicken and cheese, and breakfast pasties.
Or, you could stop by the restaurant, which is one of the best pasty shops in Michigan. It serves award-winning pasties every day. The menu is limited, but it also serves a large fish fry on Fridays all year.
Gram’s Pasties
2418 Ludington St, Escanaba, MI 49829
You’ll find scrumptious pasties daily at this Escanaba eatery, which has been awarded the “Reader’s Choice” for best pasty from the Escanaba Daily Press several times over. The awards have been given for good reason because Gram’s offers pasty options that you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
You can order traditional pasties like beef and chicken, but daily specials are also offered. On Tuesdays, you can order a taco pasty with meat, nacho cheese, and salsa. On Wednesdays, you can order a ham and cheese pasty with ham, potatoes, and cheese.
Jean Kay’s Pasties & Subs
1635 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette, MI 49855
This Marquette staple says it offers pasties “just like Grandma used to make.” Owner Brian Harsch has been making family recipe pasties for more than two dozen years.
Jean Kay’s offers both dine-in service and online shipping of its classic pasty and mini pasties. You can nosh on steak, veggie, or streak and rutabaga pasties. You can also buy frozen mini pasties to take home.
Muldoons Pasties & Gifts
1246 M-28, Munising, MI 49862
This seasonal eatery, open only from spring to Halloween, is well known for its award-winning pasties. In 2001, Muldoons was awarded the Upper Peninsula People’s Choice Award for best pasty at a tourism conference, and it has been cranking out the delicious staples since 1989.
As one of the best pasty shops in Michigan, Muldoons serves original beef pasties. But, you can also buy a chicken or veggie pasty. The restaurant even makes dessert pasties in several tasty flavors.
Best Pasty Shops in the Eastern Upper Peninsula
Cut River Inn
W5961 US-2, Naubinway, MI 49762
Located along Lake Michigan in Mackinac County, this eatery offers all the standard fare — sandwiches, fish dinners, and burgers. But it’s also purported to have a heck of a pasty.
Its pasty recipe includes carrots, onions, ground beef, rutabaga, and potatoes. Cut River Inn is open every day, and it’s worth stopping if you’re headed north.
Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub
24019 Upper Falls Drive, Paradise, MI 49768
Tahquamenon Falls on the eastern side of the Upper Peninsula is worth checking out any time of year. It’s also a place where you can find some great food.
At the Brewery & Pub, which is open seven days a week during the winter season, you can pair a delicious pasty with a refreshing microbrew. The pub’s Blueberry Ale is reported to pair well with a pasty, which you can get with sides of gravy and coleslaw.
Lehto’s Pasties
1983 US-2, St Ignace, MI 49781
Pasty shops can be found all over the Upper Peninsula, but you don’t have to travel too far over the Mackinac Bridge to find this seasonal spot. It started in 1947 and is still family-owned and operated.
Lehto’s Pasties promises to be one of the best pasty shops in Michigan. You can take your pick of beef, chicken, or veggie pasties.
Lower Peninsula Pasty Shops in Michigan
The Upper Peninsula is home to dozens of pasty shops, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find them south of Mackinac Bridge. Here are some spots worth checking out in the Michigan Mitten.
Hunt’s Mackinaw Pasties & Cookie Co.
117 W Jamet St, Mackinaw City, MI 49701
Since 1983, the Hunt family has been dedicated to making pasties in Mackinaw City. Hunt’s Mackinaw Pasties & Cookie Co. continues to use the original “Yooper” beef recipe. However, a variety of pasties have been added to the menu — chicken, vegetable, and cheese pasties.
Old Dog Tavern
402 E Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
You make not think a great pasty can be found all the way down in Kalamazoo, but Old Dog Tavern is one of the best pasty shops in Michigan. Interestingly, this eatery is known for making great mac and cheese and Bloody Marys too.
Calumet native Jerome Spagnotti is a pasty maker at Old Dog and knows all about how to make the perfect pasty. Old Dog features hand-diced veggies, a coarser grind on the meat, and special seasoning to set it apart. It makes a venison version for those who are craving something different as well.
Shier’s Deli & Catering
2218 N Saginaw Rd, Midland, MI 48640
The owners of Shier’s discovered many former Colorado residents in Michigan who all loved pasties, which has become one of their most popular items. You can get a pasty with fresh ingredients, from the beef to the veggies.
Shier’s also makes fresh cudighi, a sausage that’s popular in the Upper Peninsula.
Barb’s Pasties & Pizza
610 S Main St, Clawson, MI 48017
As the name implies, you can get some great pizza here, but you can also get some delicious pasties right in Metro Detroit. Barb’s offers beef, chicken, and vegetable pasties. It has been making pasties with fresh ingredients for 45 years, so if you get one here, you know that you’re getting a good meal.
More of the Best Pasty Shops in Michigan
So where can you find the best pasty shops in Michigan? In the Upper Peninsula, you don’t have to go very far. Above are some of the best spots to find this delicacy, but certainly not all of them. In fact, there are tons more places to get pasties in Michigan, such as Lawry’s Pasty Shop.
While many of the best pasty shops in Michigan are in popular tourist spots, you can also find some in small towns and out-of-the-way bakeries.
Where is your favorite place to enjoy a Michigan pasty?
