Bessie’s Homemade Pasties
1106 N State St, Saint Ignace, MI, 49781
Bessie’s Homemade Pasties Menu
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Address :
1106 N State St
Saint Ignace, MI, 49781 - Phone (906) 643-8487
- Website https://www.bessiesoriginalhomemadepasties.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Nick P.
We had dinner at about 7:00 pm. When we walked in there was one other table of 2 on the other side of the small dining room. Service: 4/5 Service was fast and attentive. This could have been because the restaurant was empty but wait staff was very quick and very personable. The facility was very clean and well kept. Food was served on heavy plastic plates and drinks were in a foam cup, unless you ordered a can of soda. The only metal service pieces were the forks and gravy boat. Menu: 4/5 They had a surprisingly wide variety of food. When you see a huge sign out front that says Bessie's Homemade Pasties you really don't expect anything other than pasties. The menu offered a mixture of sandwiches as well as smoked fish and beef jerky. The prices were a little higher than I would expect; an average pasty running $6.00. Food: 3/5 The pastie I had was dry and nothing special. I've had some homemade pasties from back home and those were on par with these pasties. For being a specialty these lacked wow. Summary: All in all it was a good trip, but not great. The service was excellent but the whole experience was a little less than I hoped for. All in all a positive experience and I would eat here again.
(3)Sarah M.
Skip it! Food was dry, one in our party has a food allergy but they really could have cared less! Not worth your money or time.
(1)Amelia R.
Pasties here are terrific. Got the Yooper Man pastie in addition to two original pasties. Friendly, fast service. We stop every time we travel to the UP.
(5)Mitch A.
Little joint. Tasty pasties (bought them several times in the past) but always a little dry. This time we went and there was only 1 waitperson working the diningroom AND counter. She ignored me at the counter (she was at the counter, and not at tables) for more than 5 minutes, not even eye contact to ask me to please wait, While I waited to place an order to go. Finally another group came in and she said "you people might as well sit down because I have all these other people who've ordered that will get served before I can help you at all." Sorry we ruined your day by trying to bring you some business. The other group sat down like scolded school children. Didn't like the attitude so we decided to return to the LP and found great service and delicious moist pasties at Mackinaw Pasties and Cookies in mac city. Thought this was the best we could do in the past, so we always went back. The 2 stars compares the overall experience with what we now know is superior. Unfortunately, won't go back again.
(2)D L.
I honestly must say I wasn't impressed. The pasty didn't sit well with me or my wife. I've definitely had better.
(2)Darin E.
Just over the bridge for us Trolls, this is the home of the best pastie we found on our recent UP trip, hands down. They keep fresh baked goodness in an awesome 1960's Frigidaire Flair glass front commercial oven that has probably been there since they opened. They had their 50th anniversary in 2008, and will likely last another 50 if they choose. They have smoked whitefish but I wish they had cheese curds too.
(4)Barnaby F.
Service is casual/indifferent. Food is good- beef and chicken pasties are what's to eat. They make 'em good.
(3)SnapdragonI g.
Good pastys. Generally I think pastys are an earlier evolution of the more delicious pot pie or hot pocket. At Bessie's the gravy is good, this helps. The pastys are made with a nice dough mix and the fillings are tasty. Try them here. Get the slaw. The pizzas looked good coming out of the oven too. They also have vernors ginger ale. Get a ginger ale float. The owners and wait staff are nice. I want to try their sandwiches next time.
(4)Dave M.
Great family restaurant. Very friendly staff. Food was delicious. Get the pastie plate with gravy.
(5)Bret J.
Bessie's is awesome! Found them on the info channel in my hotel room. Good move guys! This place is so good. It is a small place just north of downtown St Ignace. Just a few tables, but nonetheless the best little place in the north for pasties. If you have to wait a few minutes for a table, please do, you won't regret it. The food is delicious. The gravy really adds a lot to the pasty. I really enjoyed it. They have pasties available frozen too, so take your cooler and take some home with you. I really enjoyed the journals they had on the table while waiting for my food. People had come from everywhere to Bessies to enjoy the food. I saw an entry from Honolulu! Most were written by kids and it was fun to read. Good touch.
(4)Carol C.
Great little lunch stop. Very friendly. Bring your cooler to take home pasties!
(5)Casey K.
A great local favorite done right! Their pasties have buttery, flaky crust with plenty of fillings in three versions: beef, chicken, vegetable. They also have large milkshakes, pizza, smoked fish and jerky, but make sure you get a pastie, especially if you havent had one! Indoor and outdoor seating is available and they're located right in downtown St Ignace, a short drive off route 75 and just north of the Mackinac Bridge.
(4)Bob M.
The U.P. does not like me. The weather, without fail, acts up when I visit. The last time I came to visit, it opened a proverbial can of whoopass on me as soon as I crossed the bridge. So I took refuge at Bessie's. As usual, I was glad for the visit. While the wind howled and the rain poured outside, I ate a nice, hot, pasty. I try to visit Bessie's whenever I visit the Upper Peninsula. All you have to do is turn left once you get off of the Mackinac Bridge. Locate the barn-looking structure. You've found Bessie's! The pasties are great. The pie is too. Get a Vernor's float. Stir it up. Voilà ! You now have a Boston Cooler. Bessie's is a cool little place with really good food. Check it out.
(3)Brent H.
Great crust & filling, but carrots not ruttab.
(4)Jim And C.
This cannot be the same recipe Bessie used 50 years ago. We were passing through the area and were drawn in by the big "Bessie's Original Homemade Pasties" sign and the bright red building. We ordered one beef and one chicken pasty. The chicken pasty had two, yes, two pieces of chicken smaller than a teaspoon each. It was more the "essence of chicken", chocked full of potatoes and shavings of carrot for color. The crust was surely Bessie's original recipe - light, flaky, and tasty. It appears their business today is based on tourists, not building repeat business. I enjoyed the vintage oven, still in use, and taking myself back in time when Bessie's original pastie was a good value. Jim & Colette roamingtogether.com facebook.com/followrt
(2)Carl D. S.
One our honeymoon, my wife and I made sure to get as many pasties as possible along the way. Outside of the UP, it's really hard to find any, especially down in Chicago. It was a treat to find any and all places that made them fresh, with Bessie's standing out. Each ordering a beef pastie with gravy, we immediately noticed something different about theirs, and we think its the spices. They do a great mixture of pepper that's just enough to not being over whelming. The flaky crust was perfect and the beef was fresh. It's an adorable little shop, with guest books to sign on every table. The staff could not have been friendlier either. It's always great to see the kitchen doors open and batches of pasties going in and out of the oven. We're excited to know that Bessie's can mail out orders, so we'll be doing that real soon.
(5)Lindsey C.
Amazing! I grew up eating my grandmother's pasties and these were as good as, if not better than hers! Homemade goodness! This is the place to get an amazing pasties!
(5)Mark H.
Pasties were dry, mostly potato and crust. Not worth the price of $6.00 per pastie by any stretch of the imagination.
(2)Peg G.
If you love pasties--if what you actually want is a PASTY--you'll love this place. The yelpers who are disappointed because their pasty isn't a pot pie......um, I don't know what to tell you guys. These are pasties. They're to be eaten with gravy, which is on the outside, not the inside. They contain root vegetables only, including rutabagas. Beef is the traditional choice, but chicken's allowed too. They're an old-fashioned workingman's lunch, not a mind-blowingly flavorful gourmet experience. The place is friendly and clean, and you'll be full for a long time. I don't know where to tell you to find a pot pie, but not here.
(5)Julius B.
Delicious! Perfect crust. I could eat 3! They offer "The Yooperman" a double size! They also had an apple pie pastie! So good! Service was excellent, attentive, and friendly. I'll come back whenever I'm in St. Ignace!
(5)Tim B.
Love this place! Home cooking with fresh ingredients. The Beef Pastie was to die for. Simple food served with love. I stumbled across this place while riding my motorcycle from Ohio. I'll be back again some day just for the pasties!
(4)Marie D.
if you are "Up North" and craving a Pastie this is definitely worth a stop. Nothing fancy but excellent Pasties!
(4)Lorie M.
Great place. Friendly staff. Food was so tasty!! Loved it!! This is our first time to be in the U.P. And we love these "pasties"!! We plan to stop again as we leave just before crossing the bridge!!
(5)Sue H.
Stopped here because our usual pastie place ran out of pasties & boy, are we ever glad they ran out! I like to consider myself a "pasty connoisseur" (I grew up eating pasties because my Dad was from the U.P. so we visited Houghton a few times each year to visit my grandma & relatives) & Bessie's pasties are the epitome of what a pasty should taste like. We usually get pasties from Weldon's in Sterling Heights or Barb's Pizza & Pasties (I know, totally odd combination) in Clawson because we live down state & Bessie's are very similar to both. The crust is nice & flaky, not dry at all & it's loaded w/ meat. It's a perfect balance of potatoes, carrots, rutabega & meat. And for $6, it'll certainly fill you up as a meal for lunch or dinner.
(5)Gregg R.
Bought beef pasties to go. Not all that great. Very little spice and the meat was tough and chewy. Not going back again. Pasty place in Mackinaw City by the Holiday Inn is much better.
(2)Joe S.
Our first experience with Pasties. It was delicious! I can't say it was a five star experience but not far off. I think they might have been busy making them in the back for the day (we ate here in the morning) so service was a bit slow in the restaurant and we waited a while to even be greeted. Still the food was excellent.
(4)Joanna F.
Stopped by here for pasties, really good pastie and had homemade cookies too. Reasonable prices and friendly local service.
(4)Jamie D.
Very tasty pasties!! The vegetarian was our favorite (although my husband is a confessed carnivore).
(4)James N.
Best pasties I have had. I can not give 5 stars to such a basic food but this is a winner. The place is basic but the serivce was great and friendly. Get into a conversation with Beasie's granddaughter or great-granddaughter. I will retun next time I am in the area.
(4)Anne M.
First time eating a pastie. (Pronounced "paah-stee" not like "pastry." Things I liked: 1. Fun guest books to sign on every table 2. Funny waitress 3. Easy going atmosphere Suggestions: 1. Definitely order a side of gravy 2. I ordered the beef, which was good, but I kind of wish I had ordered the chicken (tried it and it was so good!)
(4)MaryLou D.
Heads up: They are only open from April thru October 31st. 10am-8pm. I must've just made it in under the wire the day I came, October 29th. Thank goodness after I had driven all the way out to Lehto's Pasties 5 miles west of town only to find they were closed for the season, which THEIR website didn't specify. I liked Bessie's, which came highly recommended by the lady at the Chamber of Commerce. I'd had two or three beef Pasties on my trip by now so I decided to try a chicken one. The flavor was good, though I agree with the reviewer who said it was skimpy on the meat. But it had good flavor. I love that Vernor's is available in restaurants in Michigan as I don't usually drink pop in restaurants. This came in a plastic bottle so I could take what I didn't finish with me and I used it as an extra water bottle the rest of my trip. There is outdoor seating for warm summer days and evenings. If you get desperate for some they ship, but I've made them and they're not THAT hard to make at home.
(4)Eric M.
So this place has a huge pink neon sign that blinks "Pasties" regularly. If you weren't in-the-know, you might think the place is advertising something a bit more risque. But, since you've already made it to St. Ignace, you're probably in-the-know. Since Bessie's is prominent, it probably gets a lot of first-timers like me, and I'll admit that these reconfigured pot pies are quintessential comfort food. The gravy made a suitable accompaniment, all washed down with a Vernor's float--how Michigan can you get? But I still can't say it stood out as remarkable, which for a place that brands itself as a Yooper institution, it probably should. The environment is homey and service is friendly, but it should be...so is pretty much every roadside eatery in these parts. Does it jump out? I've had better pot pies, and I still feel like there should be something--a spice maybe--that distinguishes this from its better known counterpart. But, at least at Bessie's there really isn't. A pasty is a pot pie by another shape. Maybe I need to prove myself wrong the next time I'm in Michigan's nether regions by visiting some pasty purveyor that doesn't seem to be resting on its laurels.
(3)Kyle R.
The best Pastie!! This place is very good and it is a great family friendly place. The outdoor eating option is great when traveling with a dog. You can also get Pasties to go.
(5)Richard F.
If you come to Michigan you have to eat a pasty. And if you're in St. Ignace you have to eat at Bessie's. I've never had one so since we were staying right across the street it was an easy walk and have my first experience. Try it, you'll like it. I did and I did.
(3)Kenny L.
My first pasty and I thought it was a hot pocket. Not bad, but I had higher expectations. Smoked fish was a bit salty and all they had was whitefish.
(2)Earl C.
My friend and I went to St. Ignace since I've never been to the Upper Peninsula. We decided to cross the bridge from Mackinaw City and explored a little. We stumbled across this treasure... I never knew was Pasties were until I had it that day. I ordered the Chicken Pasties and my friend had the Vegetable Pasties. Both were delicious! The creamy chicken gravy added a robust flavor to the Pasties. I've never had it before so it was a treat!! The customer service was really good. The lady kept us entertained with her gracious smile and friendly attitude. It's a great place to go for a quick and filling pasties. Although, I these pasties does remind me of the Spanish/Filipino dish called "empanada" minus the gravy. I think the gravy is an American thing. :) Nonetheless, they're both delicious! Keep up the good work Bessie! Hope to be back soon.
(4)Luis C.
We decided to stop here after reading some of the reviews in yelp. We were looking for regional cuisine and wanted to try smoked whitefish and pasties. The weather was perfect, so we sat in the front patio. The staff was very courteous and kindly explained their specialties because we didn't have a clue. It was our first time eating pasties and smoked whitefish. We tried the chicken and the beef pasties with gravy and coleslaw and sampled the smoked whitefish they had in-house. The pasties were delicious! We went for seconds... The smoked whitefish was good, though I'm not a fan and have no other experiences to compare it to. The kids liked everything and told us that we have to stop there next time we visit the area. I'm glad we made this part of our trip.
(4)Megan K.
Our waitress was WONDERFUL. Very cheerful and fun. Our food was really fast! We both ordered beef pasties with cole slaw. Perfect!! I ordered beef jerky to go...My fiance claimed he didn't like beef jerky. I made him try a piece and even he fell in love. A sandwich bag of glazed jerky was $10. Tiny little restaurant, but I highly recommend going. Food and service is the best here! They even have journals at every table so you can write about your experience and read about everyone else's!
(5)Janis A.
Stopped here for a quick dinner. We had the pasty plate, which included gravy and coleslaw. The pasty was fair, lots of potatoes, carrots and beef. Not the best pasty I've had, but not the worst either.
(3)Marie S.
As usual, the pasties were great--we always order the oversized beef ones, in the combo which comes with gravy and slaw. The flavor was fantastic but the potatoes were slightly undercooked. For whatever reason their credit card machine was down. We also ordered two kids meals--both pb&j. Slightly disappointed bc if I'm spending $5.50 on a pb&j, I would expect it to have more than a very thin smear of each on them. My kids who LOVE pb&j sandwiches barely ate them.
(4)Eric M.
So this place has a huge pink neon sign that blinks "Pasties" regularly. If you weren't in-the-know, you might think the place is advertising something a bit more risque. But, since you've already made it to St. Ignace, you're probably in-the-know. Since Bessie's is prominent, it probably gets a lot of first-timers like me, and I'll admit that these reconfigured pot pies are quintessential comfort food. The gravy made a suitable accompaniment, all washed down with a Vernor's float--how Michigan can you get? But I still can't say it stood out as remarkable, which for a place that brands itself as a Yooper institution, it probably should. The environment is homey and service is friendly, but it should be...so is pretty much every roadside eatery in these parts. Does it jump out? I've had better pot pies, and I still feel like there should be something--a spice maybe--that distinguishes this from its better known counterpart. But, at least at Bessie's there really isn't. A pasty is a pot pie by another shape. Maybe I need to prove myself wrong the next time I'm in Michigan's nether regions by visiting some pasty purveyor that doesn't seem to be resting on its laurels.
(3)Kyle R.
The best Pastie!! This place is very good and it is a great family friendly place. The outdoor eating option is great when traveling with a dog. You can also get Pasties to go.
(5)Richard F.
If you come to Michigan you have to eat a pasty. And if you're in St. Ignace you have to eat at Bessie's. I've never had one so since we were staying right across the street it was an easy walk and have my first experience. Try it, you'll like it. I did and I did.
(3)Kenny L.
My first pasty and I thought it was a hot pocket. Not bad, but I had higher expectations. Smoked fish was a bit salty and all they had was whitefish.
(2)Lindsey C.
Amazing! I grew up eating my grandmother's pasties and these were as good as, if not better than hers! Homemade goodness! This is the place to get an amazing pasties!
(5)Mark H.
Pasties were dry, mostly potato and crust. Not worth the price of $6.00 per pastie by any stretch of the imagination.
(2)Amelia R.
Pasties here are terrific. Got the Yooper Man pastie in addition to two original pasties. Friendly, fast service. We stop every time we travel to the UP.
(5)Casey K.
A great local favorite done right! Their pasties have buttery, flaky crust with plenty of fillings in three versions: beef, chicken, vegetable. They also have large milkshakes, pizza, smoked fish and jerky, but make sure you get a pastie, especially if you havent had one! Indoor and outdoor seating is available and they're located right in downtown St Ignace, a short drive off route 75 and just north of the Mackinac Bridge.
(4)Brent H.
Great crust & filling, but carrots not ruttab.
(4)Jim And C.
This cannot be the same recipe Bessie used 50 years ago. We were passing through the area and were drawn in by the big "Bessie's Original Homemade Pasties" sign and the bright red building. We ordered one beef and one chicken pasty. The chicken pasty had two, yes, two pieces of chicken smaller than a teaspoon each. It was more the "essence of chicken", chocked full of potatoes and shavings of carrot for color. The crust was surely Bessie's original recipe - light, flaky, and tasty. It appears their business today is based on tourists, not building repeat business. I enjoyed the vintage oven, still in use, and taking myself back in time when Bessie's original pastie was a good value. Jim & Colette roamingtogether.com facebook.com/followrt
(2)Carl D. S.
One our honeymoon, my wife and I made sure to get as many pasties as possible along the way. Outside of the UP, it's really hard to find any, especially down in Chicago. It was a treat to find any and all places that made them fresh, with Bessie's standing out. Each ordering a beef pastie with gravy, we immediately noticed something different about theirs, and we think its the spices. They do a great mixture of pepper that's just enough to not being over whelming. The flaky crust was perfect and the beef was fresh. It's an adorable little shop, with guest books to sign on every table. The staff could not have been friendlier either. It's always great to see the kitchen doors open and batches of pasties going in and out of the oven. We're excited to know that Bessie's can mail out orders, so we'll be doing that real soon.
(5)Mitch A.
Little joint. Tasty pasties (bought them several times in the past) but always a little dry. This time we went and there was only 1 waitperson working the diningroom AND counter. She ignored me at the counter (she was at the counter, and not at tables) for more than 5 minutes, not even eye contact to ask me to please wait, While I waited to place an order to go. Finally another group came in and she said "you people might as well sit down because I have all these other people who've ordered that will get served before I can help you at all." Sorry we ruined your day by trying to bring you some business. The other group sat down like scolded school children. Didn't like the attitude so we decided to return to the LP and found great service and delicious moist pasties at Mackinaw Pasties and Cookies in mac city. Thought this was the best we could do in the past, so we always went back. The 2 stars compares the overall experience with what we now know is superior. Unfortunately, won't go back again.
(2)D L.
I honestly must say I wasn't impressed. The pasty didn't sit well with me or my wife. I've definitely had better.
(2)Darin E.
Just over the bridge for us Trolls, this is the home of the best pastie we found on our recent UP trip, hands down. They keep fresh baked goodness in an awesome 1960's Frigidaire Flair glass front commercial oven that has probably been there since they opened. They had their 50th anniversary in 2008, and will likely last another 50 if they choose. They have smoked whitefish but I wish they had cheese curds too.
(4)Barnaby F.
Service is casual/indifferent. Food is good- beef and chicken pasties are what's to eat. They make 'em good.
(3)SnapdragonI g.
Good pastys. Generally I think pastys are an earlier evolution of the more delicious pot pie or hot pocket. At Bessie's the gravy is good, this helps. The pastys are made with a nice dough mix and the fillings are tasty. Try them here. Get the slaw. The pizzas looked good coming out of the oven too. They also have vernors ginger ale. Get a ginger ale float. The owners and wait staff are nice. I want to try their sandwiches next time.
(4)Dave M.
Great family restaurant. Very friendly staff. Food was delicious. Get the pastie plate with gravy.
(5)Bret J.
Bessie's is awesome! Found them on the info channel in my hotel room. Good move guys! This place is so good. It is a small place just north of downtown St Ignace. Just a few tables, but nonetheless the best little place in the north for pasties. If you have to wait a few minutes for a table, please do, you won't regret it. The food is delicious. The gravy really adds a lot to the pasty. I really enjoyed it. They have pasties available frozen too, so take your cooler and take some home with you. I really enjoyed the journals they had on the table while waiting for my food. People had come from everywhere to Bessies to enjoy the food. I saw an entry from Honolulu! Most were written by kids and it was fun to read. Good touch.
(4)Carol C.
Great little lunch stop. Very friendly. Bring your cooler to take home pasties!
(5)Marie S.
As usual, the pasties were great--we always order the oversized beef ones, in the combo which comes with gravy and slaw. The flavor was fantastic but the potatoes were slightly undercooked. For whatever reason their credit card machine was down. We also ordered two kids meals--both pb&j. Slightly disappointed bc if I'm spending $5.50 on a pb&j, I would expect it to have more than a very thin smear of each on them. My kids who LOVE pb&j sandwiches barely ate them.
(4)Sue H.
Stopped here because our usual pastie place ran out of pasties & boy, are we ever glad they ran out! I like to consider myself a "pasty connoisseur" (I grew up eating pasties because my Dad was from the U.P. so we visited Houghton a few times each year to visit my grandma & relatives) & Bessie's pasties are the epitome of what a pasty should taste like. We usually get pasties from Weldon's in Sterling Heights or Barb's Pizza & Pasties (I know, totally odd combination) in Clawson because we live down state & Bessie's are very similar to both. The crust is nice & flaky, not dry at all & it's loaded w/ meat. It's a perfect balance of potatoes, carrots, rutabega & meat. And for $6, it'll certainly fill you up as a meal for lunch or dinner.
(5)Gregg R.
Bought beef pasties to go. Not all that great. Very little spice and the meat was tough and chewy. Not going back again. Pasty place in Mackinaw City by the Holiday Inn is much better.
(2)Joe S.
Our first experience with Pasties. It was delicious! I can't say it was a five star experience but not far off. I think they might have been busy making them in the back for the day (we ate here in the morning) so service was a bit slow in the restaurant and we waited a while to even be greeted. Still the food was excellent.
(4)Joanna F.
Stopped by here for pasties, really good pastie and had homemade cookies too. Reasonable prices and friendly local service.
(4)Ann W.
We ate at the location on State St. Service was friendly and fast but the pasty was extremely disappointing compared to several others we've had recently in the UP. Smaller size, blah pastry,mostly potato filling. I would not recommend it.
(2)Julius B.
Delicious! Perfect crust. I could eat 3! They offer "The Yooperman" a double size! They also had an apple pie pastie! So good! Service was excellent, attentive, and friendly. I'll come back whenever I'm in St. Ignace!
(5)Tim B.
Love this place! Home cooking with fresh ingredients. The Beef Pastie was to die for. Simple food served with love. I stumbled across this place while riding my motorcycle from Ohio. I'll be back again some day just for the pasties!
(4)Marie D.
if you are "Up North" and craving a Pastie this is definitely worth a stop. Nothing fancy but excellent Pasties!
(4)Lorie M.
Great place. Friendly staff. Food was so tasty!! Loved it!! This is our first time to be in the U.P. And we love these "pasties"!! We plan to stop again as we leave just before crossing the bridge!!
(5)Peg G.
If you love pasties--if what you actually want is a PASTY--you'll love this place. The yelpers who are disappointed because their pasty isn't a pot pie......um, I don't know what to tell you guys. These are pasties. They're to be eaten with gravy, which is on the outside, not the inside. They contain root vegetables only, including rutabagas. Beef is the traditional choice, but chicken's allowed too. They're an old-fashioned workingman's lunch, not a mind-blowingly flavorful gourmet experience. The place is friendly and clean, and you'll be full for a long time. I don't know where to tell you to find a pot pie, but not here.
(5)Jamie D.
Very tasty pasties!! The vegetarian was our favorite (although my husband is a confessed carnivore).
(4)James N.
Best pasties I have had. I can not give 5 stars to such a basic food but this is a winner. The place is basic but the serivce was great and friendly. Get into a conversation with Beasie's granddaughter or great-granddaughter. I will retun next time I am in the area.
(4)Anne M.
First time eating a pastie. (Pronounced "paah-stee" not like "pastry." Things I liked: 1. Fun guest books to sign on every table 2. Funny waitress 3. Easy going atmosphere Suggestions: 1. Definitely order a side of gravy 2. I ordered the beef, which was good, but I kind of wish I had ordered the chicken (tried it and it was so good!)
(4)MaryLou D.
Heads up: They are only open from April thru October 31st. 10am-8pm. I must've just made it in under the wire the day I came, October 29th. Thank goodness after I had driven all the way out to Lehto's Pasties 5 miles west of town only to find they were closed for the season, which THEIR website didn't specify. I liked Bessie's, which came highly recommended by the lady at the Chamber of Commerce. I'd had two or three beef Pasties on my trip by now so I decided to try a chicken one. The flavor was good, though I agree with the reviewer who said it was skimpy on the meat. But it had good flavor. I love that Vernor's is available in restaurants in Michigan as I don't usually drink pop in restaurants. This came in a plastic bottle so I could take what I didn't finish with me and I used it as an extra water bottle the rest of my trip. There is outdoor seating for warm summer days and evenings. If you get desperate for some they ship, but I've made them and they're not THAT hard to make at home.
(4)Nick P.
We had dinner at about 7:00 pm. When we walked in there was one other table of 2 on the other side of the small dining room. Service: 4/5 Service was fast and attentive. This could have been because the restaurant was empty but wait staff was very quick and very personable. The facility was very clean and well kept. Food was served on heavy plastic plates and drinks were in a foam cup, unless you ordered a can of soda. The only metal service pieces were the forks and gravy boat. Menu: 4/5 They had a surprisingly wide variety of food. When you see a huge sign out front that says Bessie's Homemade Pasties you really don't expect anything other than pasties. The menu offered a mixture of sandwiches as well as smoked fish and beef jerky. The prices were a little higher than I would expect; an average pasty running $6.00. Food: 3/5 The pastie I had was dry and nothing special. I've had some homemade pasties from back home and those were on par with these pasties. For being a specialty these lacked wow. Summary: All in all it was a good trip, but not great. The service was excellent but the whole experience was a little less than I hoped for. All in all a positive experience and I would eat here again.
(3)Sarah M.
Skip it! Food was dry, one in our party has a food allergy but they really could have cared less! Not worth your money or time.
(1)Earl C.
My friend and I went to St. Ignace since I've never been to the Upper Peninsula. We decided to cross the bridge from Mackinaw City and explored a little. We stumbled across this treasure... I never knew was Pasties were until I had it that day. I ordered the Chicken Pasties and my friend had the Vegetable Pasties. Both were delicious! The creamy chicken gravy added a robust flavor to the Pasties. I've never had it before so it was a treat!! The customer service was really good. The lady kept us entertained with her gracious smile and friendly attitude. It's a great place to go for a quick and filling pasties. Although, I these pasties does remind me of the Spanish/Filipino dish called "empanada" minus the gravy. I think the gravy is an American thing. :) Nonetheless, they're both delicious! Keep up the good work Bessie! Hope to be back soon.
(4)Luis C.
We decided to stop here after reading some of the reviews in yelp. We were looking for regional cuisine and wanted to try smoked whitefish and pasties. The weather was perfect, so we sat in the front patio. The staff was very courteous and kindly explained their specialties because we didn't have a clue. It was our first time eating pasties and smoked whitefish. We tried the chicken and the beef pasties with gravy and coleslaw and sampled the smoked whitefish they had in-house. The pasties were delicious! We went for seconds... The smoked whitefish was good, though I'm not a fan and have no other experiences to compare it to. The kids liked everything and told us that we have to stop there next time we visit the area. I'm glad we made this part of our trip.
(4)Megan K.
Our waitress was WONDERFUL. Very cheerful and fun. Our food was really fast! We both ordered beef pasties with cole slaw. Perfect!! I ordered beef jerky to go...My fiance claimed he didn't like beef jerky. I made him try a piece and even he fell in love. A sandwich bag of glazed jerky was $10. Tiny little restaurant, but I highly recommend going. Food and service is the best here! They even have journals at every table so you can write about your experience and read about everyone else's!
(5)Janis A.
Stopped here for a quick dinner. We had the pasty plate, which included gravy and coleslaw. The pasty was fair, lots of potatoes, carrots and beef. Not the best pasty I've had, but not the worst either.
(3)Bob M.
The U.P. does not like me. The weather, without fail, acts up when I visit. The last time I came to visit, it opened a proverbial can of whoopass on me as soon as I crossed the bridge. So I took refuge at Bessie's. As usual, I was glad for the visit. While the wind howled and the rain poured outside, I ate a nice, hot, pasty. I try to visit Bessie's whenever I visit the Upper Peninsula. All you have to do is turn left once you get off of the Mackinac Bridge. Locate the barn-looking structure. You've found Bessie's! The pasties are great. The pie is too. Get a Vernor's float. Stir it up. Voilà ! You now have a Boston Cooler. Bessie's is a cool little place with really good food. Check it out.
(3)Ann W.
We ate at the location on State St. Service was friendly and fast but the pasty was extremely disappointing compared to several others we've had recently in the UP. Smaller size, blah pastry,mostly potato filling. I would not recommend it.
(2)