6 Michigan Spots Where Chicken Pot Pie Falls Flat & 6 That Truly Hit The Spot
Chicken pot pie is comfort food gold, but not every Michigan spot nails that perfect flaky crust and hearty filling.
Some places serve up disappointing versions that leave you wondering what went wrong, while others deliver warm, savory bites that feel like a cozy hug on a plate.
If you’re craving that ideal mix of flaky and flavorful, it’s time to discover where this classic comfort dish truly shines and where it sadly misses the mark.
1. Marie Callender’s Frozen Disappointment
Grocery store convenience comes with a price at Marie Callender’s. What promises homestyle goodness delivers a soggy-bottomed letdown with mysteriously uniform chicken cubes swimming in bland gravy.
The crust, while admirably flaky in spots, dissolves into mush elsewhere.
Even with locations across Michigan, these freezer-section staples can’t compete with freshly made alternatives.
2. Boston Market’s Fast Food Flop
Remember when Boston Market seemed revolutionary? Their pot pie hasn’t evolved since the 90s.
The gluey filling clings desperately to your spoon, refusing to let go – much like the memories of better meals elsewhere.
Mushy vegetables and sparse chicken pieces hide beneath a mass-produced crust. Michigan locations try their best, but this chain’s pot pie recipe remains stuck in fast-food mediocrity.
3. Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s Identity Crisis
Known for sandwiches, Potbelly’s venture into pot pie territory feels like watching your uncle try breakdancing – awkward and best forgotten.
Their attempt features a strange bread-bowl approach that leaves you questioning culinary boundaries. The filling lacks depth, with chicken pieces few and far between.
Michigan locations serve this odd creation with the enthusiasm of someone forced to babysit their neighbor’s goldfish.
4. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen’s Microwave Mystery
“Scratch kitchen” feels like false advertising when biting into Cheddar’s disappointingly uniform pot pie.
The suspiciously perfect crust raises eyebrows – did this emerge from a commercial kitchen or a frozen food factory?
Michigan diners deserve better than the bland, under-seasoned filling that lacks the homemade quality promised by the restaurant’s name.
The vegetables maintain an unnatural crispness suggesting they barely met the chicken before serving.
5. Metro Diner’s Portion Distortion
Bigger isn’t always better at Metro Diner, where quantity trumps quality in their mammoth pot pie.
The enormous portion arrives with fanfare but delivers a filling so diluted it resembles chicken-flavored swimming pool water.
The crust, while impressively large, lacks the buttery flakiness that makes pot pies special. Michigan locations of this chain seem more concerned with Instagram-worthy size than creating a memorable flavor experience.
6. U.P. Pasties’ Confused Cousin
Plymouth’s U.P. Pasties attempts to bridge Michigan’s Upper Peninsula tradition with pot pie expectations, resulting in an identity crisis on your plate.
Neither authentic pasty nor proper pot pie, this hybrid creation leaves both traditions feeling insulted. The thick, dense crust overwhelms the scant filling.
While the concept sounds promising – marrying two comfort food traditions – the execution falls flatter than the Lower Peninsula on a relief map.
7. Great Lakes Pot Pies’ Homemade Heaven
Grandma would approve of these Detroit delights! Great Lakes Pot Pies crafts each savory masterpiece by hand, using locally-sourced ingredients that showcase Michigan’s agricultural bounty.
The buttery, flaky crust shatters perfectly with each forkful. Inside, tender chicken mingles with farm-fresh vegetables in a velvety sauce that’s seasoned just right – not too salty, not too bland.
Their seasonal varieties featuring Michigan cherries or autumn squash make each visit a new adventure.
8. Pie Collective by Achatz’s Artisanal Wonder
Detroit’s culinary scene shines at Pie Collective, where the Achatz family transforms humble pot pies into edible art.
Their signature lattice-top crust weaves together like a beautiful fabric, browning to perfection in their vintage ovens.
Each bite delivers a symphony of textures – from the shatteringly crisp top to the tender chicken and perfectly cooked vegetables.
The family’s secret gravy recipe, guarded for generations, elevates this comfort food to gourmet status.
9. Union Assembly’s Modern Twist
Overlooking Comerica Park, Union Assembly reimagines the humble pot pie with chef-driven creativity. Their deconstructed version arrives with a puff pastry island floating atop a sea of luxurious filling enhanced with Michigan morel mushrooms and herbs.
The chicken, sourced from local farms, maintains perfect tenderness.
Sports fans and foodies alike crowd this Detroit hotspot before Tigers games, making reservations essential if you want to experience their upscale comfort food masterpiece.
10. Redcoat Tavern’s British-Inspired Classic
Royal Oak’s legendary Redcoat Tavern may be famous for burgers, but their chicken pot pie deserves equal billing.
This British-inspired tavern serves a traditional version in a deep ceramic crock, sealed with a dome of golden pastry that puffs dramatically when pierced. Inside lurks a rich filling with hints of thyme and sherry.
The gravy achieves that elusive perfect consistency – coating the ingredients without becoming gloppy or thin. Pair with a pint from their extensive beer selection for maximum enjoyment.
11. Prism’s Rainbow of Flavors
Detroit’s trendy Prism restaurant brings global influences to their chicken pot pie, creating a flavor profile that dances across your palate.
Coconut milk and lemongrass infuse the creamy sauce, while traditional vegetables mingle with unexpected additions like water chestnuts and edamame.
The crust incorporates clarified butter using a technique borrowed from Indian cuisine.
Despite these creative touches, the dish maintains its soul-warming comfort food status – just with a passport full of international stamps.
12. The Avenue Family Restaurant’s Time-Honored Treasure
Step back in time at Royal Oak’s Avenue Family Restaurant, where the chicken pot pie recipe hasn’t changed since 1973.
The no-nonsense presentation – a simple ceramic bowl with golden-brown crust – belies the complexity of flavors developed over hours of slow simmering.
Regulars swear by the perfectly balanced sauce, neither too thick nor too thin.
The generous chunks of white and dark meat chicken please purists, while the ratio of vegetables to meat satisfies even the pickiest eaters.