Yooper Tradition

The Pasty

The handheld meat pie that fueled the mines, fed the families, and became the unofficial food of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. If you visit the U.P. and don't eat a pasty, did you even go?

The Basics

What Is a Pasty?

A pasty (pronounced PASS-tee, rhymes with "nasty" — never "PAY-stee") is a savory hand pie made from a flaky pastry crust folded over a filling of diced beef, potatoes, onions, and rutabaga (or turnip), seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and baked until golden. It's substantial, portable, and deeply satisfying — the kind of food that was designed to get a person through a twelve-hour shift underground.

A proper pasty weighs about a pound. The crust is thick enough to hold together in a lunch pail but tender enough to eat. The filling is raw when it goes in, cooking inside the sealed pastry for about an hour until everything melds into a dense, savory pocket. No gravy inside — the juices from the meat and vegetables create their own.

Every pasty shop has its own recipe. Some use ground beef, some insist on diced. Some add carrots, some consider that a violation. Some make the crust with lard, some with butter, some with shortening. These differences are not minor. They are the subject of fierce, generations-long debate.

Since the 1840s

How the Pasty Got Here

1840s

The Cornish Arrive

When copper and iron were discovered in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Cornish miners from southwestern England came by the thousands. They brought the pasty with them — a food that had been sustaining Cornish tin miners for centuries. The crimped crust served as a handle: miners with arsenic-dusted hands could grip the thick edge, eat the filling, and throw the crust away. It stayed warm for hours at the bottom of a mine shaft, and some miners heated them on their shovels over candle flames.

1880s–1920s

The Melting Pot

Finnish, Italian, Polish, Croatian, and Swedish immigrants flooded into the U.P.'s mining towns. Each group adopted the pasty and made it their own. The Finns added rutabaga (which they called "swede") and sometimes carrots. The Italians snuck in garlic. The basic formula — meat, potatoes, onions, and root vegetables in a pastry shell — proved universal. By the early 1900s, the pasty had transcended its Cornish origins and become the shared food of the Upper Peninsula.

1940s–1960s

The Shops Open

As the mines declined, the pasty didn't. Commercial pasty shops began appearing across the U.P. — family operations that sold them by the dozen, frozen or fresh. What had been miners' food became tourist food, road-trip food, and comfort food. The Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957, connecting the U.P. to lower Michigan by car for the first time, and suddenly every tourist heading north encountered the pasty. The shops along US-2 and M-28 became landmarks.

Today

Cultural Icon

Michigan designated May 24 as official Michigan Pasty Day in 2022. The Calumet Pasty Festival draws thousands each summer. Pasty shops ship nationwide — frozen, vacuum-sealed, ready to bake. In the U.P., the pasty isn't nostalgia. It's lunch. It's what you pick up on Friday for dinner, what your grandmother made by the dozen at Christmas, and what you crave every time you leave. It is, without exaggeration, the food that defines what it means to be a Yooper.

Proceed With Caution

The Great Pasty Debates

These arguments have divided families, ended friendships, and filled comment sections for decades. There are no right answers. There are only strong opinions.

Ketchup vs. Gravy vs. Nothing

For a real Yooper, this isn't even a debate — it's ketchup. End of story. A stripe across the top before every bite, no discussion needed. Gravy (beef or brown) is the traditional Cornish way and has its loyalists downstate and in tourist towns. A small minority insists a properly made pasty needs nothing at all. Some people use butter. But up here? It's ketchup. Always has been, always will be.

Rutabaga vs. Carrots vs. Both

Rutabaga (also called swede or yellow turnip) is the traditional root vegetable in a pasty, adding an earthy sweetness that potato alone can't deliver. But some shops use carrots instead, or in addition. Purists view carrots as an infiltration. Others say both vegetables have earned their place. A pasty without either — just meat, potato, and onion — also has defenders, particularly among the Cornish traditionalists.

Diced vs. Ground Beef

The old-school Cornish method uses hand-diced (cubed) beef — you can see and taste distinct pieces of meat. Many modern shops use ground beef for consistency and faster production. The texture difference is significant: diced beef gives you a chunkier, more rustic pasty with visible grain, while ground beef creates a smoother, more uniform filling. Some shops use a blend of both. This debate runs deep.

Lard vs. Butter Crust

Traditional pasty crust is made with lard — it produces a flaky, sturdy shell that holds up to the heavy filling. Butter crusts are richer and more tender. Some shops use shortening as a middle ground. The crust is arguably the most important part of the pasty — it's what holds everything together, both literally and spiritually. Bad crust ruins an otherwise great pasty.

The Guide

Where to Get Pasties

From Menominee to the Keweenaw, these are the pasty shops worth knowing about — organized by distance from the beach house.

Right in Town · Menominee & Marinette
Colonel K's
Menominee, MI · 6 min

A Menominee institution. Colonel K's has been making pasties by hand for years, and they're the go-to for locals who want a pasty without driving an hour north. Beyond the traditional beef, they run a rotating "Pasty of the Day" that gets creative — chicken jalapeno popper, General Tso's chicken, sauerkraut, stuffed pepper, cheeseburger, beefy tortellini, chicken spaetzle, and Polish sausage with potato, to name a few. They also serve two soups of the day (clam chowder, white chicken chili, shepherd's pie stew, split pea with ham — the lineup changes daily) and frozen custard. Available fresh or frozen by the dozen.

Fresh Daily Frozen Available Pasty of the Day
Jack's Fresh Market
Menominee, MI · 9 min

Don't overlook the bakery counter at Jack's — the biggest grocery store in town. They've been making their own recipe pasties for over 20 years — nearly a pound each, with a generous meat-to-vegetable ratio and plenty of rutabaga. Available hot and ready at the counter or frozen to take home. They also run specials like beef & mushroom and a cheeseburger pasty on Saturdays. While you're there, check out the smoked fish, soups of the day, the salad bar, and a great deli counter.

Hot & Ready Frozen Available Great Deli
Short Drive · 30–60 minutes
Dobber's Pasties
Escanaba, MI · ~60 min

This is the pasty I grew up on. Menominee didn't have a pasty shop until Dobber's opened a location in town and Colonel K's launched in the 1990s — so Dobber's in Escanaba was where we went. They make a traditional beef pasty with a buttery, flaky crust that has earned a loyal following. They also offer chicken and veggie versions. Open seasonally — check hours before making the drive. Pair it with the scenic M-35 Hidden Coast route north from Menominee for a great half-day trip.

Iron Country · ~90 minutes · The pasty heartland
Jean Kay's Pasties
Iron Mountain, MI · ~85 min

Right off US-2 in Iron Mountain, Jean Kay's has been a landmark for nearly seven decades, started by Jean Kay Harsch using her grandmother's recipes. What sets them apart: they use flank steak instead of ground beef — the traditional way pasties used to be made. New owners Brad Wender and Brianna Willman took over in April 2025 and kept the recipe unchanged. The shop turns out about 200 fresh pasties daily, never frozen. Beyond the classic beef (with or without rutabaga), they offer bratwurst, breakfast, chicken broccoli, vegetarian, and fruit-filled dessert pasties. One of the most recognized pasty brands in the U.P.

The Pasty Oven
Quinnesec, MI · ~85 min

Founded in 1997 by Gene Carollo using his mother's recipe, The Pasty Oven sits just east of Iron Mountain on US-2. Known for an authentic Cornish-style crust with a proper handle and a no-frills approach to the filling. Their pasties are sold in grocery stores, delis, and major retailers across the upper Midwest — so you may already know them. Also does a popular Friday fish fry.

pastys.com
The Keweenaw & Beyond · 3–5 hours · Road trip worthy
Roy's Pasties & Bakery
Houghton, MI · ~4 hours

Widely considered one of the finest pasty makers in the Upper Peninsula. Roy's has been operating in Houghton — the gateway to the Keweenaw — since 2001, and quickly earned a reputation that rivals shops decades older. Their pasties use a traditional recipe with hand-crimped crust and diced beef filling. The Thanksgiving pasty is my personal favorite. They ship frozen nationwide, so if you can't make the drive, you can still bring them home. A true U.P. pilgrimage destination.

royspasties.com
Since 2001 Ships Nationwide Keweenaw Legend
Lehto's Pasties
St. Ignace, MI · ~3 hours

Located at the foot of the Mackinac Bridge, Lehto's is often the first (or last) pasty shop tourists encounter when crossing into the U.P. Mr. Lehto opened the shop in 1947 after his honorable discharge from WWII, and the recipe hasn't changed since. Now run by his niece Laurie and her husband Bill Walker, they operate two locations in St. Ignace — the original on US-2 and a downtown store on State Street. Beef, chicken, and veggie pasties. They ship to ten states, with free shipping on orders of 16 or more.

lehtospasties.com
Mackinac Bridge Since 1947 2 Locations
Lawry's Pasty Shop
Marquette, MI · ~3.5 hours

Founded by Madelyne Lawry near the Blueberry Mine in Ishpeming in 1946, Lawry's is one of the oldest continuously operating pasty shops in the U.P. Now operating out of Marquette on US-41, the family recipe hasn't changed in nearly 80 years — traditional beef and rutabaga with a lard-based crust. Featured on Food Network's "Delicious Destinations" and named one of Food & Wine's Best Mail Order Food Gifts. They ship nationwide flash-frozen with dry ice.

lawryspasties.com
Since 1946 Lard Crust Ships Nationwide
Muldoon's Pasties & Gifts
Munising, MI · ~4 hours

Near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Muldoon's has been serving pasties since 1989. Won the U.P. People's Choice Award and landed on TripAdvisor's top 25 Quick Bites in America. Their recipe is a crowd-pleaser — good-sized pasty with a well-seasoned filling and a crust that holds together for eating on the go. Beef, chicken, vegetable, fruit, and seasonal specialties — all freshly baked daily. They also make homemade Grand Island fudge. If you're making the trip to Pictured Rocks (and you should), Muldoon's is the fuel stop.

muldoonspasties.com
Pictured Rocks Since 1989
Pasty Central
Calumet, MI · ~4.5 hours

In the heart of Copper Country, where the pasty story began. Calumet hosts the annual Pasty Festival each summer and Pasty Central is at the center of it all. They offer two styles — a traditional Cornish pasty and a U.P. Style with carrots. Every purchase helps support care for the elderly in the remote Upper Peninsula. They ship across North America, and their website at pasty.com is the best of the classical web — complete with a Pasty Cam, a Lift Bridge Cam, community photo galleries, and a directory of 100+ U.P. businesses. If you want to taste a pasty where it all started, this is the place.

pasty.com
Copper Country Ships Nationwide Best of the Classical Web
The Pasty Republic
Denver, CO · The local spot for displaced Yoopers

Proof that the pasty has gone national. The Pasty Republic operates two locations in Denver — Tennyson Street and Cherry Creek — serving both traditional and creative fillings like The Philosopher (spinach, mint, dill, almonds, feta) and the maple sausage Country Road. They also do vegan options and take-and-bake. When Denver's Yoopers can't get to the U.P., this is where they get their fix.

thepastyrepublic.com
Denver 2 Locations Take & Bake

Most pasty shops sell both fresh and frozen. Frozen pasties travel well and reheat beautifully — bake at 350°F for 45–60 minutes from frozen. Ask about shipping if you want to stock up before heading home.

For the most thorough and entertaining reviews of every pasty shop in the U.P., check out The Pasty Guy — he's driven every mile, eaten every pasty, and ranked them all so you don't have to guess. Sometimes we disagree on the rankings, but his collection of work is unparalleled.

Mark Your Calendar

Calumet Pasty Festival

Every summer, the town of Calumet — birthplace of the U.P. pasty tradition — hosts the Pasty Festival. Vendors from across the peninsula compete, live music fills the historic downtown streets, and thousands of pasties are consumed in a single weekend. Michigan officially designated May 24 as Michigan Pasty Day in 2022. If you love the U.P. and you love food, put Calumet on your list.

← Back to Food & Bev Guide