I may have said in the past, “If you’ve had one bakery pasty, you’ve had them all,” but that’s not entirely true, at least after having Julian Brothers. It’s yet another pasty shop in Clawson, Michigan, found just east of downtown on Rochester Road in a strip mall.

Julian Brothers has a little bit of everything with the usual breads and pastries, but also soups, pizza and a deli. This isn’t your normal bakery that only sells bread. Needless to say, they don’t stay open because of their pasties. However, these pasties were a bit of a surprise in that they weren’t as disappointing as most bakeries.

The crust was oddly not the best part, which is usually the case for bakery pasties. It lacked a bit of salt and a bit of flavor and I only got the true taste of it after eating the handle, though some of that likely had to do with using margarine. It was kind of the same situation with the insides in terms of flavor. The ratio was good, but it needed a little more salt to amplify the flavors. The beef was fine, though a bit chunky and chewy.

On the positive, Julian Brothers know what they’re doing. This looks like a pasty and while the flavors could’ve been better, it also tastes like a pasty.

For the crowd that doesn’t want to overload their stomachs, these pasties also come in at half a pound and that’s partly why they’re only five bucks. They only come frozen with rutabaga and non-rutabaga beef options. To heat them, I was advised to thaw and then throw it in the oven for about 20 minutes, between 375 and 400 degrees.

Taste: 3 (out of 5)
Crust: 3 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 4 (out of 5)
The Shop: 2.5 (out of 3) Frozen only
Would I come back for Pasties?: 1 (out of 2)

Total Pasty Ranking: 13.5 (of 20 points)

Reviewed Winter 2019