I was disappointed with the quality of the pasty I ordered. Pastry was soft and under done. Filling was greasy. Please note, this is carry out and they have picnic tables outside. Friendly people work there. They have pop in the cooler for sale and sell pasties both hot or cold to take home. Easy on and off highway. read more

NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! I looked forward to a Lehto's pasty - hadn't had one in 4 years or more. We bought them frozen and baked them today, took several to share with friends. Where is the meat? Where is the seasoning? Where is the RUTABAGA? Why is it ALL potatoes? Our friends didn't say anything until we did: "Where is the flavor? Where is the meat in the beef pasties and chicken pasties? Why is there NO FLAVOR? NO spices, no rutabaga, nothing: the entire pasty is crust and potatoes. What kind of pasty is this?!" The only reason it's kinda sorta edible is the crust isn't hideous, we added seasoning before each and every bite, and we used every kind of sauce we had brought with us (in case our friends liked sauces with pasties) in order to add flavor. It won't make people sick to their stomach, and because there is NO meat at all, you're less likely to get food poisoning - that's the only good point I guess. Even trying to add flavor with everything we had, no one ate more than 1/3rd of one and into the trash they went. These pasties just were not good enough to eat. Lehto's? (I won't call it "Lehtos' Pasties!") NOPE, NOPE, NOPE!!!!! Something terrible has happened at Lehtos: they don't know how to make a pasty anymore. Save your money, save your time, save your calories. Make your own or find someplace that actually knows what a pasty is: Lehtos sure isn't that place. read more

I was told this is the best place for pasties. Wrong. Worse food ever. Burnt and there was no beef in the pasties. Waste of $13.00. would not recommend nor go back. read more

For those who don't know, a pasty (pasties=plural) is a Cornish meat hand pie that became prevalent in the Upper Peninsula in the 1800s when copper miners would pack them for meals. The correct pronunciation is "pass-tee," not "paste-y" (that's something else). There are pasty places all around in the UP but we stopped at Lehto's on our way back downstate. The menu is simple: Beef pasties, served hot, cold, or frozen. That's it. You can get a side of gravy, a t-shirt, magnet, pop, and smoked fish to go as well. There is a great debate on what is best to accompany the pasty - gravy or ketchup. Apparently gravy is more common closer to the bridge, but the further North and West you get in the Upper Peninsula, the more likely you'll see them served with ketchup only. Luckily Nate and I had a bottle of ketchup in our cooler from camping over the weekend, so we tried our pasty with both. There are a few picnic tables outside Lehto's, so we chowed down and both agreed that we preferred the gravy. The pasty is a flaky pastry crust surrounding beef, potato, and rutabaga. There are lots of other versions and filling combinations, but this is what I believe is most traditional. I loved that the vegetables were cut into thin slices rather than chunks, as it made for a nicer eating experience without chunks falling out. You can eat them as a hand pie and dunk them in your preferred sauce. The filling was a little bland but they offered plenty of salt and pepper packets, and the gravy and ketchup helped. Definitely a must stop to get at least one pasty whenever you're in the UP! read more

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Classic beef pasties with gravy. They had a TON of filling which I enjoyed. The gravy was good and salty. Staff was very friendly and food was ready quickly. Plenty of parking and convenient location. Only knocked off one star because I wish they had offered different varieties. read more

We had time for a bite to eat before we got in the ferry for our weekend on the island, and stopped here for a quick dinner. Boy am I glad we did! They have fantastic beef pasties here! They are fantastic. Get a side of gravy to put on or dip in. They are nice and peppery, and meaty. Looking forward to stopping here again next time I am in the area. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Beef pasty, fantastic! - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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Um.... can I just called them "hot pockets"? lol. So many Pastie joints in UP!!! Stopped by for quick lunch. Looks like they only have beef pasties now - $7 and gravy is $2. I did get 2 pasties, but to be honest, one is good enough. I paid, got my stuff, went to the car, grabbed my water and went to the picnic area to eat. Was bit disappointed that they no longer carried chicken. The pastie was piping hot and filled with beef and potatoes. By itself, it was bland to my taste. I highly recommend you get the gravy (gravy didn't taste like homemade). Overall, first experience, it was decent. Wish the beef/potato had more flavor, but gravy helped. Simple, quick and easy, was in and out of the store in few minutes, they take credit card, which was nice. read more

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Maybe it didn't help that I got my pasty near the end of the store's hours, but I got mostly potatoes and a little beef in a pastie that was really dry and really hard to finish. Unfortunately beef was the only option they had left, so I couldn't try anything else for my first pasty experience. The crust was okay, but didn't help with the dryness of the whole pasty. Eating it felt like I was pretty much eating a baked potato in a crust. I really hate throwing food away, but after eating a little over half the pasty, I had to throw it out just because it was so dry. The store owner seemed nice but tired, but got a little annoyed when I asked for her to explain some of the menu items. I'm glad I tried a pasty, but I would not spend $7.50 on a pasty again if I knew it was going to taste like this and get the same type of service. Parking at the store was a little weird as it's located at the bottom of a steep hill I had to park at, but since I went at an off hour it was not too much of a problem. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Beef pasty - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

I'm a pasty freak... like most who love and live the Yooper life. They have an excellent big fat pasty. A bit of outdoor tables, right near the lake, ample parking, fresh or frozen. I wish they shipped! Cute little gift shop too. read more

Really tasty pastie stop. All the classics. Down to a science. It was perfectly warm and gravy was spot on for dipping. Friendly quick service. I would recommend this place for anyone looking for a true classic yooper pasty. Worth a stop. Also great road side beaches near by. read more

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There are cute picnic tables right outside the establishment. So if you are from out of town and wanna munch on site, that's your best bet. Paper plates, plasticware and napkins are available free of charge inside if you want to set up outside to eat. Friendly staff. You can watch the pasties being made. Would come back again to eat the beef and chicken ones. The veggie one has eggplant in it! read more

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When in the eastern UP, you eat a pasty. There are some strong selling points for Lehto's: it's right across from the ferry docks, a quick in/out operation, and, oh, the food. Though I feel the pasty was mostly potato and veggie instead of beef, it had a nice flavor and made a filling meal for just $7. Moreover, the handmade crust stands out for being flaky, buttery, and particularly flavorful. I would order the crust alone for $7. I had to try broccoli salad after seeing it in many places and I wasn't disappointed. It's like the salad version of hot dish, but somehow all the disparate flavors came together. Lehto's knows how to cook! A great post-bridge or island treat. read more

Lehto's Pasties - one hot beef - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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Just the best pasties in the UP! Flavorful, and substantial. Made with love! The thinly sliced potatoes and rutabegas and beef meld so very well. No gravy required!! read more

Wow! Not your traditional looking pastie, but the fillings will blow you away! Multiple layers of beef meat and thinly sliced potatoes and rutabaga, it was as authentic tasting as it can be. The pricing was really good for what you get per pasty. I paid the same for another part down the road and the filling was not nearly as satisfying. I highly recommend this place, especially when you are at the ferry station to Mackinac Island. It was just across the street from the entrance. We really wished we had a chance to return to buy more. I always like a good value for money when I find one!!! Other reviewers complained about the bland filling, but honestly pasties are made with really mild flavors. I have travelled the world and sampled many similar food from other cuisines to form this opinion. I am also married to my husband who was born and raised in the UP so I had my fair share of pasties from different places. He agreed with me whole heartedly, but they eat pasties with ketchup and some places eat them with gravy! So it really did not matter according to him. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Wow beef pastie - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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Of all the pasties I've had in the UP this stands alone!! My Aunt Grace would be jealous!!

Not all pasties are created the same. These are really solid. It's pretty much a grab and go location, which makes it good if you want to just take some home or on the road. The pasties were flavorful and substantial. read more

ALL POTATO. No rutabaga, onion or carrot. Barely any meat. I give 2 stars because the crust and potatoes were good and it was hot and fresh. My Finnish family would call this a potato pie...Not a pasty. Also, they have outside seating and no trash bin. I get that 1 out of 20 tourists would dump their trash, but? U charge 7.50 a potato pie. The business should be able to afford trash pick up or burn it. We saw their burn bin up in the yard so I walked up and disposed of our trash in there. We had 4 more hours to drive to Toivola area where they make pasty's that depend on locals not tourists. We stopped because they were open until 8 on our way UP, which is appreciated. Maybe an off day? But, let's say I'd never buy a cooler full to take downstate to share with anyone except potatotarians . read more

These are by far the best pasties in Michigan!! The owners are always welcoming and very pleasant. They are located just past the Bridge.

I only come to Michigan once a year and I stop at this place at least twice because it's that good, best pasties EVER!

I stopped here on Tuesday (10/4/22) on US-2 on my way to the Mighty Mac for lunch. My beef pasty was excellent. The potatoes in it were shredded like hash browns. I preferred that over cubed actually. It's all outdoor seating on picnic tables or to go. I recommend this if someone wants a quick bite to eat when traveling in and out of the UP. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Building Exterior - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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A nice quick stop for pasties! We were traveling to Mackinac City and drove up to St. Ignace specifically to take on a pastie challenge. It was a rainy day and we walked on in to Lehto's and received friendly counter service. We ordered two beef pasties which were ready right away. They were wrapped up in wax paper and placed in a paper bag and we got a side of gravy with several packets of ketchup. Pastie-wise it was definitely a meat filled wonder with shaved slices of parsnip and potatoes (?). There was a limited variety of other vegetables. The gravy also was nice and thick. I appreciated the quick service though due to limited seating choices, and also limited silverware and plates to use it did make for a somewhat messier meal that required improvisation. We found a park bench at a scenic lookout to go eat at. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Beef pasties - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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When we are craving pasties and make the drive up north, Lehtos is our go-to. They have the best/most authentic pasties around. The fold is correct and executed perfectly so you can pick up the whole pastie. The filling was fresh and hot for us to eat right away. You can choose to have it be hot or frozen to make later at home. The only issue we had was that they were out of the other flavors that my wife wanted. They only had beef available. They also charge extra for gravy and don't offer ketchup, which seemed strange. Overall, fantastic food with friendly staff. Definitely our favorite pasties that we have found. read more

Great decision to stop on the way back from Wells State Park. Two at the picnic table and three frozen to enjoy at home and share with a friend. read more

We love Lehto's! The menu is ultra simple. Pasties. If you've never had them then you're not living your best life. Don't bother with gravy. That's silly. Ketchup. Get them to go, of course. Go sit on the water and watch the afternoon sun melt into a sunset - ideally the dunes on US 2. Lehto's doesn't just sell pasties. They sell an experience that's been around for decades. It's timeless. read more

Trip continues. First time in UP. First Pastie. My Pastie virginity was properly ended. This place was everything everyone said about this Pure Michigan, "Shangri-la", and Pasties. 10 minutes after eating it my mouth was still quivering orgasmically from my first time amazing pastie eating experience. Any other words will make me sound like a prissy food critic. Folks live life, love life, eat Pasties at a roadside shack!! Full Throttle Everyday!!! read more

Lehto's Pasties - Really??? Is this heaven??? No...It's better...Pasties overlooking God's Creation!!! - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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I have lived in Michigan my WHOLE LIFE and this is my first time ever having a pastie! HOLY COW YOU GUYS! I can't believe I've been missing out on this. If you're in the U.P. make sure that you add this to your list of stops. (This is the original location) read more

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Fresh & homemade pasties every time. Delish!! we were just in the U.P. & brought 12 back to put in the freezer for future dinners. Highly recommended!!!! read more

I order the beef pasties online to be delivered. My first order was a half dozen last month. They were 5/5 stars fantastic. And, after two weeks of difficult-to-endure cravings for more, I just placed a second order for a dozen. They are the best! Lehto's can consider me a regular customer from now on. I recommend Lehto's to anyone who is old enough to eat real food all the way up to age-graduated folks who can still swallow. read more

Delicious classic pasties that hit the spot, even in the middle of June! Lehto's is an easy trip from the bridge and is well worth the trip.

They tasted ok. But, we bought 2 and neither had any rutabaga, carrot, or onion. Just a small amount of meat and a ton of thinly sliced potatoes. The crust was flaky and nice. The overall taste was good but I definitely didn't get the one they were advertising. I'll have to try another location next time. Also, with no trash cans, only broken picnic tables for eating, nor even a outside sink with soap for handwashing, I won't be back. read more

There's no competition - Lehto's is the truth! So, full disclosure, I haven't eaten many pasties (pronounced 'pass-tees') by my partner has and we both agree that Lehto's is something special. First off, these boys are HUGE! Like, easy two meals or split with two people huge. One person can eat a whole one for sure but that person will likely be very hungry or have a terrible belly ache. Second, Lehto's serves one traditional style pasty the same way it has since 1947. I'm all in on that. I can't speak to the downtown St. Ignace location, but the OG local out on Highway 2 is worth the stop and only sells one kind of pasty along with a sparse cooler with some smoked fish dip, crackers, and sodas and that's pretty much it. Third, you're gonna have to take it tot go, just up the road heading east there's a lovely little roadside park overlooking the northern ridge of Lake Michigan. There is something special and fragrant about Lehto's Pasties. Stuffed with ground sirloin, billowy potatoes, onion, carrots, and rutabaga and wrapped in a crispy but tender pie crust, they have a modest but zesty flavor (sage and/or thyme maybe?) that fills the nose and coats the tongue in the best way while you chomp away at your handheld pot pie/stew grenade. Opt for a side of gravy - which is generous to say the least and dunk away! You'll be glad you did. Like the song goes, "Oh, Lehto! One more times gonna get it, one more time and then I'll quit it! Lehto!" Anyway, enjoy. read more

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Great flavor and very moist. Everyone makes and likes their pasties in different ways. Lehto's Pasties have a thin crust, not too flaky... it's all about the filling with these pasties. The gravy was also very flavorful and had a black pepper flavor. Make sure you stop by and get some pasties! read more

Lehto's Pasties - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

I'm not giving them two stars for their food, but because they need to seriously work on their communication and information to potential customers. I was in the area and they had been highly recommended by a friend so I wanted to track them down and hopefully sample their wares. The Yelp map was wrong due to the address being slightly off, so I stopped into the local Chamber of Commerce to inquire their location. The lady there had very little information including phone # or location since Lehtos isn't a member. But she did point me in the right direction and after driving several miles, I spotted them, only to find that in spite of the open signs displayed they were, in fact, closed for the season. Grrr. I could've saved myself gas and time if I'd known, people. And lest you ask, I did try numerous times from town and on the road to call their number on Yelp only to get a busy signal so for all I knew they were open but left the phone off the hook or were busy answering calls. Nothing about being closed. I even tried to call them today, the day of this writing, to see if there was any changed and the phone just rang and rang. Their website http://www.lehtosfamouspasties.com/ just gives the address and a couple of pictures, nothing on hours or dates open and closed, etc. So yes, I'm a little peeved at them. I drove the 5 or so miles back into St. Ignace and had a perfectly good Pasty at Bessie's Pasties before finally heading up to Sault Ste. Marie. read more

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First time through this area...doing the around Lake Michigan trip. Wife was driving this leg of the journey and she spotted this little building just off the road. She swerved across the road and parked. I waited in the car... Actually I decided to drive, knowing she would want to chow down on her purchase. She has never had a "Cornish" pasty and my exposure has been limited to a frozen version found in a local grocery. She came out, ended up buying four of the beef/veg pasties. The cost is $6 each, but this is a meal...or two. She started to nibble as I drove, and she was enjoying... the only downside was that she wished she bought more for other family members. I tried a bit, and enjoyed as well, but needed a dash of pepper the buttery crust was not soggy, and the filling tasted fresh. I ended up having mine for dinner later that day. We ended up stopping the next morning at another pasty shop, so she could buy some for her family. I only wish this brand was available within an hour or two of my home. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Loved the thin cut potatoes - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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Best tasting pastry in this area. Right size. There are two outlets one is on hwy2 one is near downtown at ignace.

Very disappointing pasties. Have been eating pasties from all over the UP for years and have made our own on a number of occasions so I'm very familiar with pasties. They didn't taste bad but there was a minuscule amount of meat inside. It was more of a potato pastie with a bit of flavoring added. If you zoom in on the picture of my cut-up pastie, you'll see what I mean. With my family, we had 3 pasties and they were all like that so I don't think it was a one time aberration. The crust was not bad but not the flaky, melt in your mouth crust I'm accustomed to in pies or pasties. $7.50 a pop plus $2. For a small cup of gravy (yes, I'm a "troll" as I live below the bridge...Yoopers generally prefer ketchup it is said). Nice lady at the counter but I won't be a return customer. read more

Lehto's Pasties - Pastie - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

These pasties are so good. Must stop for sure. Soft crust and a lot of filling. Absolutely 10/10. When we travel to the UP we get at least a dozen to take back home with us for a few months! read more

Always a stop for us in the UP. Nice picnic tables outside to enjoy a hot beef with gravy. Friendly service. Will always be back.

Further west on Hwy 2 than the map showed, but easy to find if you know that. These held up even against pasties we've had while visiting family in the UK. Two thumbs up read more

Lehto's Pasties - American Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

Worth any drive. Absolutely amazing. 3rd kind we've tried in the UP this week and it is hands down the best. The pasties crust just melts in your mouth. The inside is so moist and deliciously seasoned. Gravy is awesome too. We got two beef pasties with gravy and 3 cold ones to bring home! read more