Joe's Pasty Shop

I was in town and heard about this place, so I thought I would try it out. The restaurant and service were outstanding. They do offer other food items besides the pasty, but the pasty seems to be what this place is known for and that's what I tried. It's definitely a hearty meal since it's just bread, potato, and chunks of beef. I opted to try it with the gravy which was probably a mistake because it made it extremely salty. They seem to use some generic powdered gravy mix (think McCormick) and they even sell it at the counter. If I had to do it over again, I would have skipped the gravy. If you are in town and want to try out something like the miners used to eat, it's definitely worth a stop in though.

Best Pasties I’ve had! The gravy is perfect. The breakfast pasties are amazing. Great coleslaw and cookie too. The owner Jonas is great! Couldn’t be a nicer guy! I’ll be recommending this place for sure. Looking forward to bringing my family in to try!

I had to try a pasty because I never had one before and I learned that they were the staple of a miners diet while in the mines. The pasty was filling. The crust was very good and the gravy was superb. Try out a pasty in Butte.

I was welcomed the moment I walked in and the staff was right on top of their service the whole entire time. Great people. I was craving a burger so I got the double cheese with fries. They were both hot and delicious. I couldn’t finish it as the portions were awesome and especially for the price. This will be one of my regular burger places and I can’t wait to try the other stuff on the Menu. I also got two of their breakfast pasty’s to go. Can’t wait to try them

It was my first time here and I loved it. The pasty was very good, and it made two meals for me. The service was exceptional. He was very friendly and went out of his way to accommodate us. We will be back next time we are in Butte.

I've had a lot of pastys and this was the best one hands down!! The gravy i could drink its so good! My husband has the burger and really enjoyed it. !The owner is very kind and friendly! We will be back.

My first pastie with gravy……I’m hooked! Great folks working here , willing to share stories , very kind. Mmmmmmm. Lest forget, I’ve never had such tasty coleslaw Ever….not even kidding!

This is an absolute MUST whenever traveling through Butte, Montana! The best homemade pasties we have ever tasted! We order extra to take home and freeze. They are so delicious!!!

Okay, I'm going to keep it real. This is old people's food. I feel sooo bad for saying but it is. The establishment is wonderful, the service was so kind and sweet but I'm sorry but these need lots of seasoning. This is what my mom loves to eat. Unfortunately, bland foods. We are traveling thru America so we've seen some awesome food but also a lot of mediocre foods. This is one of them. I could see it being comfort food but this just wasn't for our family of 5. Unfortunately we all agreed it was extremely bland. But the people are Super Nice !!

The pasties were good! The service was too. The ambiance is lacking...but it's a pasty shop so I don't expect great ambience. I am interested in the food only, and Joe's met my expectations. I'll be back!

Cheeseburger was so good and I got an egg on it and they even asked me how runny I wanted my egg. Fries were fantastic and perfectly crispy. Service was amazing, kindest people. Very small town vibe/ambiance. The very sweet waitress even gave me a free cookie to go. 10/10 experience.

Nice little restaurant we saw while on the trolley tour of Butte. We went back after the tour for lunch. The Pasties are huge & delicious! We took home a dozen of the small ones. Excellent service!

Place is small but has a few tables to sit at. Talked with the owner and he was friendly and attentive. We tried the pasties. Crust is very different than the types of crusts of Michigan pasties. Pasties were heavy on potatoes like those around Mackinaw city (tourists). I also felt that the pasties were a little light on onions. There were no other vegetables inside. That surprised me. I also felt that the pasties were a little bland. We ordered the pasties with gravy. The gravy was good. Place was clean and well lighted with views of the outside world. But we ate there anyway. pasties weren't bad but I probably would not return.

Very credible pasty. Get the gravy - the crust is crusty-in a good way- and the gravy is a good partner. The filling has a generous ratio of meat to potato. I'm from Michigan and pasties are a staple there in the Upper Peninsula. Joe's quality stands right among those I'm familiar with back home. Get some slaw on the side and enjoy. Give Joe a visit - keep this place in business. This country doesn't need more chains. Mark D

Great miner's pasties, classic, delicious. Great friendly service. Basic eat in area, but perfect to-go food.

On the way back to Minnesota from Seattle I stopped in Butte and always love looking around the town and the wonderful classic buildings and a bit of a ghost town feel with the mines pretty much shut down. Butte also has a unique ethnic and cultural mix and the Finnish miners were part of this and pasties while from Cornwall they were adopted by these miners especially in Michigan's UP. And that is where I have eaten pasties many times over the years I have also had in Butte too when passing thru Went to Joe's and new young owner and got two and also the new ones he mentioned that had jalapeños and a combo I had never seen before Got a bag of those and tried them all when home Have to say that I was a bit disappointed in that while ok there was no wow about any of them The lack of seasoning and lack of onions and rutabaga made for a rather bland pasty The jalapeño ones too were most lacking in flavor and while a bit of a kick from the peppers there was nothing to me that was something I would want to buy them again The new young owner seems eager and I hope he can fine tune the recipe to come up with a pasty that makes one want to return again and again To me the mother lode of pasties happens to be a shop of the same name in Ironwood Michigan Pasties here are fantastic and would be nice if this Joe's Pasty could replicate the ones from Ironwood My ex father in law who was Italian and from Ironwood-Bessemer always had to get a bag of frozen ones when visiting Joe's in Ironwood This restaurant in Butte has nice easy parking and a great location and neat and clean inside I wish him well but the present pasty does need work Jim at Maplelag in Minnesota

Came here because of Man Vs. Food. Ordered the beef pasty with gravy. My wife had the same but without gravy. Trust me go with the gravy option, if not it's just as good. Place is clean. Price is fair and the food is tasty. If I had to explain how it tasted...reminds me of a Filipino empanada without the raisins and gravy.

Great pastys...they were great this time, just like the time I had them about ten years ago. Nice plate of pasty with gravy. It was hot and tasty. It's a pasty...not a steak. They are quite good for what they are. It hit the spot for certain. This is an iconic spot in Butte, and well worth the stop. Great service, great people, and be sure to talk to the guy making them if you show up in the morning. They are still using some of the original equipment back there in the kitchen that you can see. Fun stop for sure!

I had a very disappointing experience at Joe's Pasty Shop earlier today - unfortunately not a very Montana-like experience at all. My girlfriend and I walked in, and as we began approaching the counter, I heard a female employee say to her co-worker "Hey, you've got two homies just walked in..." My girlfriend is Black and I am of South Asian descent. I guess that made this individual feel we should be referred to as "homies." I considered walking out, but this is America - we have a right to eat wherever we want. The co-worker who took our order and made our food was extremely courteous and informative - basically, he was what I've come to expect from Montanans - he was a kind-hearted, fair individual that gave us the basic dignity and respect that any human deserves. We didn't interact with the female employee during the rest of our visit. I do wonder why she would make such an unnecessary comment about us, though - we had never crossed her path before today. And why the word "homies"? I thought about asking her these questions, but once I noticed that she was not engaging us directly with more racist comments, I decided not to say anything. After all, even though this is my 4th visit to this wonderful state (and my 2nd visit to Butte) in the past 5 years, we were visitors to Joe's. Who knows how that exchange might have turned out, and I wasn't willing to risk my and my girlfriend's safety. It seems that the lady working at Joe's today possibly didn't intend for us to hear her comment. But we did. And it was unkind, to say the least. I give Joe's 1 star, because this kind of treatment - racism - is completely unacceptable. It cuts at the fabric of what our society should be. I specifically sought out Joe's Pasty Shop, as I had read that they were the place to go for the Butte staple. It's too bad that my experience was soured :/ I am more than happy to have a longer conversation with the owner, if he or she would like. Either way, I hope the matter will be addressed, so that customers in the future don't have similarly unpleasant experiences. I should also note that it would be unfair for my experience at Joe's to taint my overall opinion of Butte or my love for Montana. In fact, I simply won't allow it! Any history buff will find Butte to be a remarkable place, and I still do as well. It took me 32 years to make my way to Big Sky Country, and I will continue to enjoy it for years to come :)

Surprised by the number of eateries featuring Pasties in Butte, we selected Joe's based upon Yelp reviews. This Irish favorite came west with the miners and was referred to as a "letter from home" by homesick Irish immigrants. These meat pies are stuffed with favorably seasoned beef, onions and potatoes. Joe's executes a perfect rendition of this time tested classic. The menu includes serving options for gravy or chili toppings. Since we were getting ours for the drive home, I stuck with the unadorned version. Delicious! My son, enjoying the passenger's benefit of two free hands, opted for chili with his. He liked his pasty. But, he was unimpressed by the canned chili that accompanied it. We will forego the chili in the future. But, there will definitely be future visits!

Been coming to Joe's for years and years and finally thought I should give it a review. Best Montana and of course Butte Pastys!! Staff is super friendly and helpful as I wanted frozen Pastys to go.

Updating my previous review. It honestly looked like the business was closed forever, not just early for the day. Sorry we missed them. Hopefully the business will sell and we'll get a chance to try this place on our next drive to Bozeman.

Great Butte Pasty's! They take credit card as well vs. cash only like a few other pasty shops in Butte. Good meat to potato portion and crust...huge portions too.

I love these special treats. Born & raised in Butte & visiting throughout the years, this is a place you do not want to pass up. My parents picked these up on a regular basis and our family always looked forward to sinking our teeth into the luscious crust, meat & potatoes. We used a canned gravy but I have eaten these cold also with no gravy and they are a treat to the pallet. Debbie M O'Donnell

A favorite childhood memory of Butte is Joe's Pasty.....It never disappoints Butte is known as the pasty capital of the world. My sweety and I had lunch at Joe's. There are several restaurants that specializes in making pasty. But Joe's does them best The hard Rock miners used to call them letters from home. They are delicious served hot or cold. Joe's only makes so many per day and when they're gone....They are gone, So hurry! Our server was the perfect waitress. She was attentive to detail but did not hover.

I'm giving 2 stars here because I love the idea and was looking forward to dining here because the menu looked to be tasty and different. However I did not dine here because as we pulled up to go in (a little after noon local time) an employee was standing at the back door that was propped open smoking and darting his head in and out of the door (not front door kitchen door) at that point being a non smoker and not okay with people smoking around the food I consume I was turned off and opted for another local establishment in town. Typically I would have offered a one star review here but I like the authentic local factor of the establishments menu specialty and would like to sometime try.

First time in Butte so I wanted some local grub. I ordered the chili pasty and the pasty with gravy but that was way too much for one person because the pasty is pretty big! The crust is flaky and the meat is tender with the potato that have such mild flavor, I definitely will order them again the next time I am in town. I have to say that it tasted better with some sauce on it because it is a bit on the dry side without any sauce.

Worst pasty I've ever had! Crust was heavy and took away from the flavor of the filling. Filling was steak, hamburger, onions and potato and it was bland. Steak was cut too thick and hard to chew. I had to have them microwave mine because it was barely warm. On the plus side was the Brown gravy which was really good. All in all, not memorable and TOO heavy.

I want to fly back to Montana just to grab a pasty here. Nothing fancy, but the best pasties I have EVER had...an Irish treat!! I canny find a place in Atlanta that serves them proper.

Stop in twice for lunch. Both times food and service were great. Waitress was prompt and friendly food was served hot !! A pleasure.

Nothing bad here! Traditional beef, potato, and onion with light as air pastry. OMG delicious

Potato Pasty ?. Ordered two pasties to go. My wife's was good....mine had hardly any meat, as we discovered 80 miles later. If you want loyal customers, consistency is critical (especially for take out). We won't be. This rating would easily been a 3 1/2 to 4 if my pasty had been prepared with any attention to quality.

This a great place to get REAL Butte food. The "pasty" has origins in mining culture about as deeply rooted as the mines themselves. The people who work here are family and friends and everyone that darkens their door becomes one of Joe's family too! This isn't a "chain" and not fast food...everything is made fresh and orders may take a minute to arrive because they actually cook your food as you order it. If you want to hear history from and about the local people stop in here and enjoy a meal while you are treated to stories of Butte's past.

Good Pastys, I like my food really really hot and the Pastys were just warm . Other than that they were yummy and the service was good.

Delicious simple and flavorful pasties. Friendly service and great prices...I thoroughly recommend

Hit another Man vs Food spot. The previous Yelper wasn't quite correct, Joe's is definitely open, what they probably saw was the sign. The owners are retiring soon and the business is for sale. But for now still open and as good as ever!!! I just hope new owners can come in and keep this recipe and business going.

Joe's Pasty Shop is a true Montanan delight. This is the real deal. For around seven dollars you get an enormous handmade beef pasty with gravy and a cup of refillable coffee. It's all served on a real plates and real cups. Real coffee cream is served with coffee. You can grab a shot of liquor. You can gamble on an old keno machine. The whole experience is awesome, gritty, and authentic. Don't pass this up while it's here.

we We purchased two pasties from a local outlet, in fact so fresh they were still warm. We had one for dinner last night, and have never had a pasty with whole chunks of tough steak, a crust that was so hard, and without the gravy, it would have been tasteless.

Some of the best pasties in Montana. Makes for a hearty "miner -like" meal. No wonder they were so popular. Love the chili cheese pasty.

Great little hole in the wall place, the pasty was tasty!

Fantastic! The pasty chef is a wonderfully sweet lady who is the best pasty chef this side of Cornwall.

I took Adam Richman's suggestion and had the pasty with chili, onions, and cheese. A stand alone pasty is a little dry, so this helped. It's not a greatly filling meal, but it'll stop your hunger. Small little diner like setting. If you're stopping through, well worth a stop.

Pasty is simple home grown comfort food. I recommend gravy on the side with a beer. We did not like the coleslaw, it did taste a little strange, and my childs tuna melt was cold. The reaon for the 4 stars is the pasty.

I was passing thru Butte and being a fan of Man v. Food, I decided to stop by Joe's pasty shop. The pasty had a bit too much pepper for most people but I enjoyed having a bit of gravy on mine. The staff is very friendly and used to man v. food fans stopping by. I got the blueberry flavored ice tea but there was way too much blueberry syrup.

Who has the best pasty is a very controversial topic among those in Butte. As an out-of-towner who lived there for, I don't think there's any competition with the unbeatable pasty with brown gravy mix. They strike the perfect balance of ground up beef and savory steak bites -- within a pastry that tastes more doughy and less pie-crusty than many others. I'm getting hungry just thinking of the place!

A variation of the Cornish pasty is served at many good restaurants in Butte, and there's a healthy debate as to which is best. I don't know that, but Joe's is my favorite. The quality has remained consistent over the years, and we always try to work it in when we're in town.

Bought 10dozen mini pasties for a baby shower...they were absolutely perfect...great flavor and crust. Everyone loved them.....these are great for any party,shower, graduation etc.....and reasonably priced

The wife and I were visiting Butte, an old hometown if mine for a year and a half (1951-52). We had to sample Joe's Pasty Shop's choice products. I went in the late morning and told the kind lady behind the counter that this Yooper wanted to purchase 2 steaming hot beef pasties to go. She asked if I wanted gravy with them. I told her no thank you. She asked what was a Yooper? I countered with,a person from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I told her my Father had been a miner and had moved here to work in the mines. Pasties are a way of life for us Yoopers. She asked me if I wanted ketchup in the white paper sack that was heavy with the hotties. I said yes and left the shop with my 2 crusty treasures. I put them in the backseat and told the wife we would consume them over near Bozeman later in the day as we traveled East on I-90. Well,that didn't happen, The aroma of the pasties took over and by time we 20 or 25 miles out of town up over Pipestone Pass we stopped at rest area wildly tore open the sack and started to eat the huge beauties as we resumed our journey. The wife says my pasties have a lighter crust but I personally didn't mind Joe's. Mounds of potato and flank steak with a bit onion make Joe's the PERFECT PASTY. No rutabaga to be found. Joe must not be Scandinavian but pure Cousin Jack.the glorious filling had a definite peppery taste and and the crust was somewhat dark golden and flakey. To good to be true. I don't go through Butte often but you can be sure that I will always stop for Joes pasties. I think I would venture a taste of the most expensive pasty Joe's offers in the future. (the chili pasty) but it would be difficult, having eaten a beef pasty or two. The venue Joe keeps is larger than most shops that We have visited on our WILD WEST TOUR this Summer, in search of the elusive Cornish Pasty. Cornwall, England here we come

Looking forward to trying pasty got there closed owners retired tried another pasty place closed too ended up at Fred's mesquite which was very good

Pasty's are a Montana tradition in mining country having been brought here by the Welsh and Cornish miners. They are a thick pastry shell filled with meat and potatoes. Although they are plain, simple food they are tasty and make for an inexpensive lunch. I'm not sure I'll go back for another one, but it is definitely part of the local heritage and worth experiencing. Our server suggested getting ours with gravy, since they can be a bit dry; that was a good suggestion.

Do you remember the dog food they used to market called Gravy Train? It was basically that in a hard shell. I really have to give props to the service though. The girls working there were very friendly and attentive, but I could have had the same culinary experience with a stale tortilla and a can of Alpo.

My husband and I drove all the way from Oregon to eat at this place. Ok, so we were coming anyway, but had to try a pasty from Joe's. We both ordered the pasty with chili and cheese. It was burnt on the bottom and very dry. The meat inside was good, but it lacked flavor. We were disappointed.

I ate here years ago when I was passing through town. I am pretty sure this is the place. If it is, then it was AMAZING! It was so tasty, that I remember pasties to this day. I want to stop in Butte again someday so that I may taste this pastry-beefy goodness once more!!

How can I say it? You have got to go have a pasty at Joe's. There's no two ways about this. They have been there forever and there is a reason. They still make pasties the same old way. They aren't available anywhere else! Some people say you can get them on the UP in Michigan but I've never been. You can have your pasty with gravy if you like, or with ketchup. But you've got to have one. It is big, crusty and full of beef and potatoes. Supposedly miners ate them by hand, but you'll want a fork. They have cute little appetizer pasties you can get to go, for the unlucky folks at the end of your road trip who can't eat a pasty with you when you're in Butte. Their luck will improve once you arrive with the goods!

Pass on the pastie .. had an original pasty nothing special its ground beef no seasoning adam richman lied...service was great though

Last weekend at Joe's was my first time having a pasty, so I suppose I don't have much basis for comparison! Our group hit the Shop for breakfast, and three of us had plain pasties while I got one doused in gravy. It was a tasty, hearty meal--I can see how it kept the miners full! My friends thought their pasties were a bit dry (I didn't have that criticism given the gravy application) but we were all glad to have checked out this important part of Butte cuisine.

Was good, got the plain pasty with gravy. Was tasty but very filling (talk about starch with bread and potatoes... whew!) Will definitely fill you up but not a place I would eat more than special occasions, I could feel it sitting in my stomach all day......lol