You Need To Eat This: Pub Chip Shop
People of Pittsburgh: I have found a new way to eat a pierogi.
Behold, the pierogi pasty.
I recently set out to try Pub Chip Shop, a new place on the South Side offering English-style pasties and meat pies.
It. Was. Amazing.
I myself am not really a pie kind of person, but I am definitely a crust person, so I was still very confident that I would find some delicious treats.
… And that I did. Once I saw the pierogi pasty in the display case, I knew it was the one for me. It's a flaky, buttery pie-crust calzone filled with your traditional pierogi fixins, potato, onions, cheese.
It's almost like the best Hot Pocket you will ever eat, if Hot Pockets actually came out and tasted like they look in the commercials (Pub Chip Shop, I mean this as a high compliment).
And warning: don't eat here while trying to impress someone. The crust on the pies is so delicious, but you'll end up with a butter goatee and a lap full of crumbs.
However, it was worth the mess.
In addition to the pierogi pasty, they also have a steak & ale pie, chicken mushroom, chicken curry, steak and oyster and several other meat/seafood pies and pasties. I sampled the steak & ale as well, which was OK, but didn't make my belly sing the way the pierogi pasty did.
Now, if you're thinking, "eh, I'm not sure if this is for me," I have to say wait a second. I almost lost my mind over their Boxty tots (aka "tater tots"). I write "tater tots" with quotations though, because they were fantastically unlike any tater tot I've ever eaten.
They look almost like a tiny, glistening biscuit. You can tell these babies are made with love. They're so chunky and crispy on the outside, but creamy and gooey on the inside. The inside is almost more like a seasoned potato pancake.
And if you dunk 'em in the Welsh Cheddar sauce, as I did, I believe a heavenly light shines down on you while a choir of cherubs serenades in the background. In short: get up and go get some now.
Special mention for the fries too – they are very thick cut (but not a steak fry) and also extremely crispy on the outside, with a nice mushy inside.
If you go, they have tons of options and a giant list of different sauces for dipping. As I said, the Welsh cheddar sauce is wonderful, it's kind of thick like an alfredo sauce, although it was tough for me to not go with habit and order ranch dressing.
Other items that I plan to go back for are:
- Fried Mars Bar (I still can't believe I didn't order one at the time)
- Lake Erie Perch Taco
- Sausage Roll
- Welsh Cheddar Mac and Cheese
If you want to try out the Pub Chip Shop, it's located at 1830 East Carson Street on the South Side, right next to Pieper's Pub. And bonus – they're open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
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If you love food too, be sure to follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahtheKovash
