Antonio’s Pizza, Pasta and Pasties doesn’t get a ton of recognition in the Upper Peninsula, at least in my travels. I drive by it multiple times per year, but this review was my first visit. It’s more than likely because it never pops up as one of the better places in the area and pasty is the third food in its name. If it were simply Antonio’s Pasties, I probably would’ve stopped a little sooner in my life.

Antonio’s is right on US-2 on the north end of Iron Mountain. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll probably pass it on first visit (it’s a small fast-food joint on a corner). I guess it’s more known for pizza and pasta, but it’s in the Upper Peninsula, so it wouldn’t be surprising if pasties were a top seller.

The pasty options are as simple as it gets: rutabaga or no rutabaga. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want rutabaga. While Antonio’s doesn’t have gluten-free pasties, it has cauliflower crust pizza for those who don’t eat wheat. They also offer pasty nuggets (?!), but I only noticed that after my visit.

As for the pasty, it’s a bit different than most in the U.P. Oddly, the closest comparison is Mr. Foisie’s in Cadillac, which is in the Lower Peninsula. 

The difference compared to most in the U.P. is that the handle is on top of the pasty. As long as you can hold the pasty without it falling apart, I don’t care where the handle is. However, if it’s lacking flavor, that’s a different issue. This crust lacked that full flavor and probably wasn’t as crisp as I preferred. Still, it was better than most I’ve had.

The pasty insides were full of meat and probably the best thing about it. The ratio of diced veggies to ground meat was perfect. The seasoning was also spot on with pepper a great touch to round out the flavors.

If you’ve never had Antonio’s, I’d put it on the list. It’s not a greasy, meat-filled pie, but it’s about a pound and has just about everything you want from a pasty.

Taste: 4 (out of 5)
Crust: 4 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 4.5 (out of 5)
The Shop: 2.5 (out of 3)
Would I come back for Pasties?: 2 (out of 2) 

Total Pasty Rating: 17 (of 20 points)

Reviewed Summer 2020