No one in Michigan considers Flint a place to go for pasties, but King Arthur’s wants to change your mind. I, like many others, had doubts about the pasty, but it’s time to quell those doubts.
Before visiting, I checked out their website and got a little excited seeing that the bakery actually started in 1968. Any place that’s been serving pasties for that long has to be a decent spot. But for all the times I’ve been through Flint and Grand Blanc, I never ran into King Arthur’s and that’s a bummer.
Arthur has a couple shops, one south of Flint in Grand Blanc and the other just west of Flint. To help in visiting, both shops are fairly close to I-75 and I-475.
And this place deserves a visit as King Arthur pulled his sword out of the pasty stone and wants to duel with the rest of the pasty shops in Michigan. Sure, it’s not the best pasty, but it deserves some respect.
The outside of it – namely the handle – has a cheap look to it. I’ve called it the horseshoe crab before and that’s not a good thing. Still, that’s probably the worst part about the pasty.
The crust can be better, but it didn’t drag the overall taste down. There was a bit of salt, which kept the taste redeemable, although there was no flake and the handle was somewhat brittle and flimsy. Any time you make a pasty with that kind of handle, it always has a cardboard taste and feel to it and that’s what you get here.
But again, the crust didn’t take down the overall flavor because the insides were close to great. There was a heavy amount of sodium, which had me tasting salt on my lips upon finishing. There wasn’t much rutabaga, but the meat and potato ratio was spot on.
On my visit, the cashier was extremely welcoming and deserves a mention because he drew a laugh or two from The Pasty Guy. I went with the King-sized pasty, which is 16 oz. (not THAT big) with the regular size a little smaller. King Arthur makes a good pasty and that’s all you need in the Lower Peninsula.
Taste: 4 (out of 5)
Crust: 3 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 3.5 (out of 5)
The Shop: 3 (out of 3)
Would I come back for Pasties?: 2 (out of 2)
Total Pasty Ranking: 15.5 (of 20 points)
(Reviewed Summer 2017)
I live in Virginia originally from Bay City and have a hunting cabin near Kalkaska. And I am a fanatic for Pasties. I have to have one as soon as I can once back inside Michigan. This KA Grand Blanc Store is always my first stop. and alway the “King Pasty” and a Vernors Pop. It is just Pure Michigan! I give them a 4 our of 5 overall
Awesome!