There aren’t a ton of pasty options on Michigan’s east coast in the Lower Peninsula. Once you get north of Detroit, it’s Jimmy’s Frozen Custard and that’s about it. The thumb is mostly scarce of pasties, but that just means the business potential hasn’t been tapped.
Jimmy’s is located in Port Huron and a quick bite if you’re heading to or from the Blue Water Bridge. Of course, like most places in the L.P., its best seller probably isn’t pasties, hence why frozen custard is in the name. I’m always down for frozen treats, but once the temperature starts falling, I’d rather stick with piping hot pasties.
Maybe the weirdest thing about Jimmy’s is their promotional picture which features a pasty with the top cut out of it. It kind of looks like a head with its scalp ripped off, showing the brain inside. If they’re interested, I have experience taking pictures of pasties.
The first thing I noticed was that the pasty was blazing hot (perfect for colder temperatures). I’m not sure if they are made everyday based off the one person working when I visited. There’s a chance they have a frozen batch and those are heated up and placed in the heater for a day’s worth of sales. That may have led to a somewhat disappointing crust on my visit.
It was good for an L.P. crust, mainly because it was crimped and you could tell they’ve worked to perfect it. However, mine was a bit doughy and that either had to do with it sitting in a heater all day or because it was made with shortening. I’m leaning toward the latter.
The crust didn’t have a ton of flavor and I could’ve used a touch more salt and pepper for the insides (I was given salt/pepper packets too). They usually serve gravy, so that likely would’ve added everything missing from my pasty. But hey, I gotta follow my own rules. The pasty and nothing else!
The insides were diced and the ratio was fine, though the carrots were more noticeable than the rutabaga (if there was rutabaga). The meat was ground chuck and it was good, but nothing stood out.
Jimmy probably learned how to make pasties in the Upper Peninsula because these were noticeably close to a lot I’ve had up north. The overall flavor may not be there, but they have the looks down and they fulfilled my pasty urge. And sometimes, looks are enough to get me to come back, especially if you have the correct ratio.
Taste: 3 (out of 5)
Crust: 2.5 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 4 (out of 5)
The Shop: 3 (out of 3)
Would I come back for Pasties?: 2 (out of 2)
Total Pasty Rating: 14.5 (of 20 points)
Reviewed Fall 2020