I lived in the Royal Oak area nearly two years before noticing the Main Donut Shop had pasties, or that it even existed. South of the downtown area and across from Ye Olde Saloon, it’s not a place that stands out in a small, standalone building.

The shop has the staples of any local donut shop in the area: limited menu, small building, and run by a European with a specific dialect. At Main Donut Shop, the owners are Serbian, and with that come the first Serbian Pasty the Pasty Guy has ever had (the recipe comes from the wife’s mother).

Before getting to the pasty, the shop is as pleasant of an experience as you’d expect from a Serbian couple. The pasties are only three bucks and the husband even said my pasty could be refunded if I didn’t like it. They are made fresh every morning so when I came in for lunch, I had to get mine heated in the microwave with a preference of “mild or super hot.”

While the owners are nice, that doesn’t mean I can completely overlook the quality of the pasty. Even with it being a donut shop, the crust was bland and dry and too much to overcome to make it a good pasty. To finish the second half, I was forced to throw some ketchup on, which I try not to do to keep the integrity of the pasty rating.

The inside was plenty good (and looks pleasing) and had maybe the most carrots I’ve ever seen in a pasty. But as a whole, the insides weren’t good enough to remove the dryness of the crust. Either way, check this place out to have a chat about Serbia or to try the donuts, which are next on my list.

Taste: 2.5 (out of 5)
Crust: 1 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 3 (out of 5)
The Shop: 3 (out of 3)
Would I come back for Pasties?: 0 (out of 2)

Total Pasty Ranking: 9.5 (of 20 points)

(Reviewed Summer 2017)