Emilia reviews a ‘good, old-fashioned’ pie shop

Press PLAY below to hear Emilia’s full review

In honour of footy finals I wanted to go somewhere that really said weekend footy. Where better than a good, old-fashioned pie shop? You know when there’s snot block in the display counter the pies will be reliable and nostalgic. 

Along Buckley Street in Essendon, just around the corner from Windy Hill, sits Tony’s Pies. It’s been there for 50 years and with the ethos, “Don’t change what ain’t broke”. 

They started there as a three-person bakery and have since opened their second location in Kingsville, in the west. Russel for one knows how tough the pie business is, so this is no small feat!

So, let’s start with the humble steak pie. Tony’s version was just as it should be; simple, no fuss, good balance of gravy and mince, no frills. Their pastry was buttery without losing structural integrity. If frills is more your style they have plenty of variations of their steak pie; steak & mushroom, steak & onion, steak, cheese & bacon. 

The pepper steak and what they call ‘steak & potato’ (which is really a shepherd’s pie) were my absolute stars of the day. I’m a little bit pepper obsessed and they go heavy on the pepper in their pepper steak — I for one LOVED but if you’re pepper averse I would 100% choose the steak & potato. They nailed the mash on top, it was like a Paris mash with that perfect crunch from the cheese on top. 

My first high school job was in a bakery and my favourite pie of all time was the creamy chicken and vegetable. I was keen to try their version. Chunky bits of roast chicken and just the right amount of creamy, I was taken back to my high school days immediately. Perfectly nostalgic!

They’ve got adventurous choices too: lasagne roll, breakfast pie, Mexican pie, pizza pie. 

They also have an array of quiches, pasties, sausage rolls, fruit pies, desserts and party pies.

The single pies are $7 a pop, family size are $17.

Tony’s Pies
309 Buckley Street
Essendon