One of my fondest childhood memories when coming to Australia was their meat pies. I remember that crispy buttery crust and delicious gravy with meat in the middle. My dad used to make it a thing for us in the morning to always have one to get our day started. Coming to Australia, having delicious food and then enjoying the bush was just the perfect combo. These are the emotions that flow through me as I eat or even think about meat pies. Just thought you should know as you read through this review.
We came to Hobart with my family; our first time to Australia together in over 15 years. It was glorious. Naturally, we wanted to relive our nostalgia of those baked goods that we have such an attachment too. We had to find a place to grab a quick bite to eat and luckily Banjo's was just around the corner from us. We had just walked through the Salamanca market on a Saturday morning and walked over. They were busy as expected! Banjo's reminds me a lot of Panera bread here in the U.S. right down to their logo but don't be mistaken, their menu is very different.
Banjo's is a bakery of sorts. Yah, it's a bakery. Pies, breads, sweets whatever you're looking for in those departments they probably have it. We were there for a quick eat so we got ourselves a couple of meat pies and dashed. Oh, I should be honest, I did get a fresh fruit tart as well and it was a deliciously refreshing way to finish my lunch on a hot day! The pies, oh man, the pies. Still at this moment almost 2 weeks after eating them I can still relive the memory over and over. The crust was perfection. Perfectly crispy but not dry. The pastry was strong to hold in the gravy but not too thick to overwhelm the balance of flavors. The gravy. Oh, the gravy was delicious. We got the regular beef and the pepper steak. Both are my favorites and I always make it a point to get both where they are both offered. Remember, these are small handheld pies. Apparently the Aussies eat them with tomato sauce but I stick to the au naturel.
Quick and easy that is what we were looking for and that is what we got. The pies were fantastic and everything met our expectations. Despite the long lines, they were quick. Card and cash accepted. read more