10 Pasties In Michigan That Make Burgers Seem Unnecessary

Michigan is home to pasties that steal the spotlight from even the juiciest burgers.

Packed with savory fillings and wrapped in flaky, golden crusts, these handheld delights deliver comfort and flavor in every bite.

Locals rave about the hearty combinations and satisfying taste that make traditional sandwiches feel unnecessary.

Each pasty offers a taste of Michigan tradition, showing how simple ingredients and careful preparation can create something truly unforgettable.

1. Cousin Jenny’s Cornish Pasties (Traverse City)

Family recipes dating back generations make Cousin Jenny’s a pasty paradise in Traverse City. The flaky crust shatters perfectly with each bite, revealing a steaming interior that warms you from the inside out.

Locals swear by the traditional beef pasty, but their breakfast version stuffed with eggs and sausage deserves equal acclaim. The shop’s cheerful blue exterior matches the warm welcome waiting inside.

2. The Pasty Oven (Quinnesec)

Tucked away in tiny Quinnesec, The Pasty Oven serves hand-crimped delights that locals line up for on cold Upper Peninsula mornings.

Their secret? A perfectly balanced ratio of rutabaga to potato that adds just enough sweetness.

Each pasty weighs nearly a pound, making one a complete meal for even the hungriest visitor. The modest storefront belies the culinary treasure inside – these are pasties worth driving hours to taste.

3. Joe’s Pasty Shop (Ironwood)

Since 1946, Joe’s has been the pasty benchmark in Ironwood, where miners’ descendants still debate the merits of gravy versus ketchup as the proper topping.

The crust achieves the impossible – sturdy enough to hold a hefty filling yet tender enough to melt in your mouth. Joe’s uses coarsely ground beef that creates pockets of savory goodness throughout each bite.

Fourth-generation customers still use the same phone number their grandparents called to place orders decades ago.

4. Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant (Houghton)

Finnish influence shines through at Suomi, where pasties share menu space with pulla bread and cardamom coffee cake.

Their pasties feature a distinctive golden hue from egg wash that signals the perfect crust waiting within. What sets Suomi’s pasties apart is the hint of allspice that warms each bite.

Students from nearby Michigan Tech have been known to stock dorm freezers with these handheld meals to power through long study sessions and brutal winter nights.

5. Pasty Haus (Frankenmuth)

German-inspired twists make Pasty Haus’s offerings uniquely delicious in Michigan’s Little Bavaria.

Unlike traditional UP versions, these pasties incorporate sauerkraut and German mustard seeds for a tangy, complex flavor profile.

The half-timber building housing this gem looks plucked from a fairytale, complete with flower boxes and gingerbread trim.

Weekend visitors might catch the owner’s grandmother still crimping dough at 87, refusing to share her secret for the perfect crust texture.

6. Mackinaw Pastie & Cookie Co. (Mackinaw City)

Summer tourists and locals alike queue up at this Mackinaw City institution where pasties come with a view of the Straits. Their signature move? A layer of shredded cheddar that melts into the filling, creating pockets of gooey goodness.

The family-run shop offers creative seasonal varieties, including a cherry-studded venison version during hunting season.

Their clever packaging makes these pasties perfect for ferry rides to Mackinac Island or road trips across the Mighty Mac bridge.

7. Irontown Pasties (Negaunee)

Mining heritage runs deep at Irontown, where pasties are still wrapped in wax paper just like miners carried them underground a century ago.

The recipe remains unchanged – chunks of beef, potato, rutabaga, and onion encased in a crust sturdy enough to survive a shift in the iron mines.

Old-timers recommend the traditional “yooper style” – split open and topped with butter.

Photos of local mining history line the walls, reminding visitors why these portable meals became essential to Michigan’s culture.

8. Mr. Foisie’s Pasties (Cadillac)

Vegetarians rejoice at Mr. Foisie’s, where meatless options share equal billing with traditional varieties.

Their mushroom and leek pasty converts even dedicated carnivores with its rich umami flavors and perfect seasoning blend.

The shop’s quirky interior features vintage mining equipment alongside modern local art.

A third-generation family business, Mr. Foisie’s still uses the same rolling pins and crimping techniques that great-grandpa brought from Cornwall, creating distinctively scalloped edges on each pasty.

9. Upper Crust Deli (Manistique)

Lakeside picnics reach new heights with Upper Crust’s portable pasties in Manistique. Their innovation? A slightly smaller “half-pasty” perfect for lighter appetites or sampling multiple flavors.

The deli’s signature rutabaga-carrot mix adds a subtle sweetness that balances their peppery gravy.

Located just blocks from Lake Michigan, they’ll pack your pasty with ice packs for beach days, creating the ultimate Michigan picnic experience when paired with local cherry soda.

10. Barb’s Pasties & Pizza (Clawson)

Metro Detroit’s pasty champion, Barb’s bridges the gap between UP tradition and downstate tastes.

Unlike northern counterparts, these pasties feature a buttery, almost pie-like crust that shatters delicately around a finely-ground filling.

The tiny storefront serves pasties alongside Detroit-style pizza, creating fierce lunchtime debates.

Barb’s brilliant innovation is their “pasty flight” – four mini versions with different fillings, letting curious eaters sample traditional beef alongside creative options like buffalo chicken and Greek-inspired spinach.