The Cornish Pasty Co.

A little bit ago, we decided to revisit the Cornish Pasty Co. a restaurant I am quite familiar with and one that Jocie and Lauren have tried once before. This place is tucked away on the corner of Hardy and University in Tempe serving a unique cuisine to us Arizonians. Pasty, pronounced Pas-tee, is quite difficult to describe without giving the wrong impression. It’s like a calzone, but with a flakey chicken pot pie crust, but with large amounts of filling options. There are the signature pasties that are cheaper in price and more traditional in filling. There are premium pasties that are slightly more expensive. Then there is the entire vegetarian menu taking recipes from both the signature and premium options.

When walking in for the first time, you’ll be surprised at how tiny this place is. The bar area provides a large portion of the seating along with somewhere around ten tables, only of which three that are large enough for more than two people. This is definitely not the place to take a large party. The restaurant is in the shape of a hallway and all the action happens behind the bar. All of it. The cooking, prepping, washing, all the workers do their job in a very tight space, but it certainly makes conversation and entertainment plentiful when sitting at the bar (where we sat due to the lack of tables large enough to seat three).

I decided on the Tikka Masala, a spicy pasty filled with veggie chicken (the most realistic fake chicken I’ve ever had), bell peppers, and potatoes seasoned with Indian spices. The traditional Indian dish wrapped in the flaky crust makes a surprisingly delicious combination. Jocie tried the Veggie Sheppard’s pie (reminiscent of a traditional chicken pot pie) stuffed with veggie ground meat, mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, carrots, grilled onions, and peas. It is definitely one the of the safer choices on the menu, but delivers a comforting home-style cooking flavor. Lauren went with the Rosemary Chicken which consisted of roasted red potatoes, brie cheese, chicken, roasted red bell pepper, and rosemary spices. This combination of ingredients tends to be for those who enjoy a blend of stronger or more sophisticated flavors.

The food was heavy, filing, and scrumptious. These pasties don’t look large, but from $6-10 can potentially provide a couple meals depending on if you go home with leftovers. We personally could not finish more than half.

Although we couldn’t find room for dessert, they had a menu consisting of two different dessert pasties (a peanut butter and jelly and an apple cinnamon), a banafee pie (a traditional English pie of banana, caramel, and whipped cream), as well as a strawberry meringue.

I will have to say, watch out for the service. This place has a tendency to be packed and it is pretty easy to be forgotten there. Luckily, it is a small space so someone is bound to notice or ask if you need something. In this instance, we were left waiting to pay for quite a while even though it was slow because the server was chatting with the oven cook.

Dining at the Cornish Pasty Co. is truly an interesting experience that you won’t find in any other restaurant. The place is small and very intimate, providing a great hanging out atmosphere for small groups that are in no hurry. The food is large, excellent, and filing. And even though we did not drink, Irish Car Bombs are always $3, there is a selection of beers on tap, many beers in the bottle, along with a few different types of whiskey for cocktails or shots.

Cornish Pasty Co
960 W University Dr
Tempe, AZ, 85281
(480) 894-6261