Some pasties are good. One Marquette bakery made us stop arguing about which one was best.
We crisscrossed Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, biting into flaky crusts, savory fillings, and plenty of hearty pasties along the way.
Every bakery had its own take on this beloved Cornish mining-town staple, and narrowing down a favorite was anything but easy.
Then we reached Lawry’s Pasty Shop in Marquette.
One bite of that golden crust and generously filled center, and suddenly our taste test had a serious contender.
Lawry’s has been making pasties since the 1940s, building its reputation around a family recipe that keeps the classic U.P. flavors front and center.
So, what made this Marquette bakery stand out from the pack? We dug in, compared every bite, and found plenty to love.
A Marquette Pasty Tradition Dating Back to 1946
Walking into a place with nearly 80 years of history feels different from visiting a newer restaurant. Lawry’s Pasty Shop started its journey in 1946 when Madelyne and Jim Lawry opened a small café near the Blueberry Mine.
Their dream was simple but powerful: bring authentic Cornish pasties to the hardworking miners and families of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The family eventually moved the original business to Ishpeming, but the Marquette location became another important chapter in the Lawry story. Both spots continue serving customers who want a taste of real U.P. tradition.
The decades of experience show in every aspect of their operation, from the recipes they use to the friendly service you receive at the counter.
Family-owned businesses like this are becoming harder to find these days. When you bite into a Lawry’s pasty, you’re not just eating lunch.
You’re tasting a piece of Michigan history that has been carefully preserved and passed down through generations of dedicated bakers who truly care about their craft.
The Classic Lawry’s Pasty
Some recipes are perfect just the way they are, and Lawry’s traditional beef pasty proves this point beautifully. Their centerpiece menu item combines tender beef chunks with potatoes, onions, and rutabaga, all wrapped inside a flaky homemade crust.
This combination might sound simple, but getting every element just right takes serious skill and experience.
The Upper Peninsula style of pasty preparation differs from other regions, and Lawry’s stays true to those local traditions. Each pasty provides a complete meal in one portable package.
Miners originally loved pasties because they could eat them underground during their shifts, and that practical origin story explains why every ingredient matters so much.
During our taste test across the U.P., we tried dozens of pasties from different bakeries and shops. What made Lawry’s version stand out was the balance between all the ingredients.
Nothing overpowered anything else. The beef was tender, the vegetables were cooked perfectly, and every bite delivered that comforting, hearty flavor that makes pasties such a beloved regional specialty.
What Makes the Filling Stand Out
Plenty of places sell pasties, but not everyone prepares their ingredients with the same attention to detail. At Lawry’s, the meat gets cut fresh in the shop every single day.
This might seem like a small thing, but it makes a huge difference in the final taste and texture of your pasty.
The shop uses ingredients, ratios, and methods that have been passed down through the family for generations. They haven’t changed the recipe to save money or speed up production.
When you order the traditional beef pasty, you’re getting the same exact combination that customers enjoyed back in 1946.
We noticed the vegetables maintained their individual flavors instead of turning into mush. The potatoes provided substance, the onions added sweetness, and the rutabaga brought that slightly peppery note that authentic U.P. pasties are known for.
Many modern bakeries skip the rutabaga or use pre-cut frozen ingredients, but Lawry’s commitment to doing things the old-fashioned way really shows. That dedication to quality ingredients and proper preparation techniques earned them serious points in our taste test rankings.
That Homemade Crust Deserves Its Own Attention
A great pasty needs more than just good filling. The crust acts as both container and complement to everything inside, and Lawry’s absolutely nails this crucial component.
Their homemade pastry is tender without being crumbly, sturdy enough to hold all the filling without falling apart, and flavorful enough to enhance rather than just contain the beef and vegetables.
Making pastry crust from scratch takes more time and effort than using pre-made dough. Lawry’s could easily switch to frozen crusts and save themselves hours of work every day.
Instead, they continue mixing, rolling, and crimping every single crust by hand using their traditional recipe.
The texture hits that perfect middle ground between pie crust and bread. When you take a bite, the pastry provides contrast against the soft, savory filling inside.
We noticed the crust stayed crispy on the outside even after sitting for a few minutes. Some pasties we tried at other shops turned soggy quickly, but Lawry’s crust maintained its structure.
That attention to the pastry shell really separates good pasties from great ones.
More Than Just the Original Beef Pasty
While the traditional beef pasty rightfully gets most of the attention, Lawry’s offers other options that deserve recognition too. Their Garden Medley pasty gives vegetarians a chance to experience this U.P. tradition.
It combines potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and cheddar cheese inside the same delicious homemade crust.
We tried the vegetarian version during our second visit, and honestly, it impressed us just as much as the beef. The vegetables stayed crisp-tender, and the cheddar added a creamy richness that worked surprisingly well with the other ingredients.
Not every meat-focused restaurant can pull off a quality vegetarian option, but Lawry’s clearly puts the same care into all their menu items.
The shop also serves other Upper Peninsula specialties beyond pasties. Their cudighi sandwiches have built their own loyal following among locals and tourists alike.
Cudighi is a spiced Italian sausage that’s popular throughout the U.P., and Lawry’s version gets plenty of praise. Having these additional options means you could visit multiple times during a Marquette trip and try something different each day.
A Family Recipe That Has Stayed in the Family
So many restaurants and bakeries change hands over the years, and new owners often tinker with classic recipes. Lawry’s Pasty Shop tells a different story.
The business started with Madelyne and Jim Lawry, then passed to their son Roger, and the family continues running the operation today.
This multi-generational approach means the recipes and techniques have been preserved exactly as intended. Each generation learned directly from the previous one, working side by side in the kitchen before taking over responsibilities.
That hands-on knowledge transfer keeps the pasties tasting the same way they did decades ago.
During our visit, we spoke with staff members who explained how seriously the family takes maintaining their original methods. They’re not interested in modernizing just for the sake of change.
The goal remains honoring the traditions that Madelyne and Jim established back in 1946. This commitment to authenticity really resonated with us during our taste test.
When a family puts their name on a business and continues personally running it for nearly 80 years, you know they genuinely care about quality and reputation.
A Taste of Upper Peninsula Food Culture
Food tells stories about the people and places that created it. Pasties aren’t just random meat pies.
They represent an important piece of Upper Peninsula history that connects directly to the region’s mining heritage. Cornish miners brought pasty recipes from England to Michigan in the 1800s, and these portable meals became a staple throughout U.P. mining communities.
The design made perfect sense for underground workers. Miners could hold the crimped crust edge with their dirty hands and eat the filling without contaminating their food.
The thick pastry kept everything warm for hours. One pasty provided enough calories and nutrients to fuel a long, physically demanding shift deep in the mines.
Today, pasties serve as a cultural symbol that reminds residents and visitors of the U.P.’s fascinating past. Eating at Lawry’s gives you a direct connection to those mining-era traditions.
The recipes haven’t changed much since Cornish families first shared them with their Michigan neighbors. When you order a pasty at Lawry’s, you’re participating in a food tradition that has shaped Upper Peninsula identity for more than 150 years.
Why Lawry’s Works for a Pasty Taste Test
When you’re comparing pasties from multiple shops across an entire region, you need a solid baseline for evaluation. Lawry’s provided exactly that during our U.P. taste test adventure.
Their recipe emphasizes the classic combination that defines traditional pasties: beef, potato, onion, rutabaga, and quality pastry.
We didn’t start our journey at Lawry’s, but after trying pasties from several other places, we realized we needed to visit Marquette. Local recommendations kept pointing us toward this particular shop.
Once we finally tasted their traditional pasty, we understood why people spoke so highly of it.
The long-running family recipe gave us a clear standard for judging other pasties. We could compare how different shops handled the same basic ingredients.
Some places added extra seasonings, others changed the vegetable ratios, and a few experimented with alternative fillings. Having Lawry’s authentic, traditional version as our reference point helped us appreciate both the classic approach and creative variations.
Their pasty represents what the dish is supposed to taste like, making it the perfect benchmark for any serious U.P. pasty taste test.
Plan Your Visit to Lawry’s Pasty Shop
Ready to try the pasty that won our Upper Peninsula taste test? Lawry’s Pasty Shop is located at 2164 US-41 in Marquette, MI 49855.
You can reach them by phone at (906) 226-5040 if you have questions about their menu or want to place a takeout order ahead of your visit.
Current hours show the shop open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. These hours can change seasonally or for holidays, so calling ahead or checking their website before traveling is always smart.
The location offers convenient parking, and the staff handles both dine-in and takeout orders efficiently.
The shop accepts standard payment methods including cash and credit cards. Besides fresh pasties, remember you can purchase frozen ones to take home.
This gives you a way to bring authentic U.P. pasties back to friends and family who couldn’t make the trip. Whether you’re a Michigan resident exploring your own state or a tourist discovering Upper Peninsula food culture for the first time, Lawry’s delivers an experience worth planning your visit around.
