I conveniently forgot to take a picture of the actual shop…

Pasties are few and far between in Canada. A simple Google search shows bakeries here and there, but you won’t find many outside of large cities like Montreal. Lou is one of the only spots in and around Montreal that has pasties (British chain Brit & Chips also does). That’s partly because it’s not a French food… partly. It’s not Italian, either, even though Lou is located in Little Italy.

Maybe the most interesting thing is that Lou only just opened in the spring of 2018. It’s a bakery that has a lot of bakery things like pizza, pies and salads also on the list. They don’t sell many pasties being in Montreal, but that could change if word gets out on the streets, which is Rue Beaubien on the east end of Little Italy.

Lou’s pasties are straight from the other side of the pond. The recipe comes from a relative of the owner that previously made them in England. That’s a good enough reason to check them out.

Like most bakeries that make pasties, the crust is spot on because they simply know how to make breaded things. It’s full of lard and butter, giving it everything needed to taste delicious with the desired amount of flakiness. But while the pasty is rather long and skinny, the crust doesn’t overpower and that’s what makes these easy to eat.

The insides also checked most boxes from a well-seasoned steak to thinly sliced veggies that gave it a nice touch (a lot of others come diced). But the pasty was not perfect. The pepper was a bit extreme at times and overpowered a few bites. A lot of the meat was focused at one end near the handle, which meant most bites were either just meat or just veggies. There was also a different smell to it than most pasties and I’m not sure what it was, though that’s not a bad thing.

Either way, if I’m ever back in Montreal, I’m going to Lou. It’s an extremely welcoming place with a seemingly door always open policy, at least when it’s warm out. Being a bakery, the pasties aren’t their top seller, but they’re usually ready an hour before noon and the price is reasonable for the area. And if you don’t speak French, no worries! They speak excellent English.

Taste: 4 (out of 5)
Crust: 4 (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)… when I’m in Montreal

Total Pasty Ranking: 16.5 (of 20 points)

(Reviewed Summer 2018)