Reynold's Pasty Shop — Milwaukee

Reynold's is another of those old places I marvel at. They've been in business for 69 years [edit: their new website says they opened in 1956] selling little other than a single type of pasty.



Reynold's is located on the north side of Milwaukee just off the three-way intersection of Fond Du Lac, N 35th and Burleigh. I think this is the original location and the current owners have been running it for the last 30 years.




The interior is extremely basic with a tall counter dominating the small room. In the back room you can see rack after rack of pasties in various stages of preparation. Hot pasties (one type only) are $2.99 or you can get them frozen or par-baked for 30 cents less. It's take out only.




I don't have much experience with pasties but thought these were pretty good though almost aggressively bland. The sweetness of the onions and carrots came through nicely. Crust was thin and delicate, midway between flaky and flexible, perfect for holding the moist filling. Only as I was getting the photographs ready did I notice Reynold's also offers apple turnovers, presumably made with the same crust. I'll have to try one next visit.

Reynold's Pasty Shop
3525 W Burleigh St
Milwaukee WI
414-444-4490
Tue-Sat 6:30am-7:30pm

Hmmm. I do see carrot. I do not see rutabaga. Apparently I'm going to have to mapquest it--or send Cathy2 on a scouting mission.

As a U.P. native, where even the Mexican restaurants are run by Anglos, I also have to admit that the sight of African-American pasty sellers is even odder than the sight of the African-American deli workers at Jake's. On the other hand, the Finns much improved the Cornish pasty, and there's no doubt that the staff at Jake's are producing the best corned beef in the midwest, so this could be all for the best. The crust certainly looks wonderful.

Rene G wrote:almost aggressively bland.

The hallmark of authenticity. Possibly the most misunderstood of the turnovers, particularly when contrasted to its Latin, Caribbean, and Central and South Asian cousins . . .

Hi,

Before leaving for Milwaukee Saturday morning, I scanned all the Milwaukee posts to identify a few places new to me. Sitting in front of the now shuttered European homemade Sausage shop, I called Reynold's Pasty shop to verify it was open and still in business. Not only was it open, they didn't close until 6:30 pm. CrazyC wouldn't have to maneuver Milwaukee like Steve McQueen in Bullit. Louisa Chu simply needed to offer instructions on where to go.

We ordered one pasty to try in the store, before commiting to purchase pasties for home. Louisa commented Reynold's crust was much thinner than any bought at Woodman's for cooking at home. We did feel there was a need for salt, otherwise it was a pretty good representation of a pasty. We did buy a gravy cup, which we quickly decided was not very good.



We inquired with the counter girls on which pasty would be fresher experience at home: frozen or partially baked. They affirmed all Reynold's pastys either fresh, partially baked or frozen were made on the premises. They suggested the half baked would have the freshest taste at home. We each bought two pasties each for home.

The instructions for baking the pasties were a bit puzzling. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, add ten minutes for frozen. I assumed this was for the never baked pasty. A partially baked pasty, I estimated may need 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, an instant read thermometer poked into a vent read 165 degrees, which I declared cooked.

These pasties are quite large. I served two pasties for three people, but cutting off a third of each for myself. The label indicates there are carrots, though not rutabagas. I don't recall seeing a carrot nor is there one on the box's picture.




It was wonderful to observe Reynold's Pasty Shop had not changed or closed since last reported. They now have a basic website at www.ReynoldsPasties.com.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:The label indicates there are carrots, though not rutabagas. I don't recall seeing a carrot nor is there one on the box's picture.

My pasty had carrot, but not much.



I see from the box and their new website that Reynold's opened in 1956, so it's not as old as I was led to believe. I edited my original post to reflect this new information. In any case it's good to hear they're still around.

looks great, i have to put this place on my list