Pop Pie Co.
270 East 17th St. #17
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
I decided that I needed to get out of the rut I was in. On a normal day off I wake up early, do some work on this blog, eat some lunch, watch some TV, take too long of a nap, and then get back to writing more restaurant reviews until Katie gets home. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?
Well, this particular day off I decided I was going to switch things up a bit. After Katie left for work, I made a beeline for Newport Bach and walked the entirety of the boardwalk between the Balboa Pier, all the way well past the Newport Beach Pier, a total of over six miles. It felt great getting out, getting some much-needed exercise, and some vitamin D from the sun, which was playing hide and seek with the clouds overhead. I made a decision that I deserved a good lunch after all this walking, so I elected to cross another spot off of my restaurant wishlist, and head to Pop Pie Co. in nearby Costa Mesa.
Pop Pie Co. comes to us from the University Heights area of San Diego, where they opened for business over four years ago. Last year around this time Pop Pie Co. made their debut in OC, taking over for another pie-centric restaurant, Pie-Not. The men behind this venture are Steven Torres, who focuses on the business side of things, and his co-owner, Gus Suebsarakham, a Thai native who in his role as the executive chef creates globally-inspired savory and sweet pies. This pair also runs Stella Jean's, an ice cream spot right next door to here, but ice cream will have to wait for another time, as I'm deeply fixated on their pies right now.
This menu at Pop Pie is definitely reminiscent of this location former tenant, but instead of the Australian influence I got with that place, here the pies draw from plenty of other corners of the world, instead of just the land down under. They offer six savory five-inch pies, two quiche selections, a trio of sides, and two items that are labeled on the menu as lighter offerings. The assortment of sweet pies totals seven, with the one I'm geeked up about trying soon being the Caramel Apple Piescream, which is an apple crumble with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream served in a cup. They say it serves one to two, but I'm willing to bet on myself to finish it all and still ask for more.
Ordering is done at the counter in this very small storefront. Definitely more of a takeout spot, especially during these times. I was on my way home after no more than three minutes after ordering with my lunch in hand, and after a quick stop at Sidecar Doughnuts next door for a couple of doughnuts for the road. Let's see if this little reward for my long walk of six miles was worth the tears I shed doing it.
Here's a quick shot of everything that I had at Pop Pie Co. this afternoon. No, I did not eat all of this in one sitting. I ate half of each thing for lunch and then had the second half for dinner later on in the evening. Such portion control by yours truly.
So which one was my favorite? Without a doubt, it was the Green Hog and Cheese ($8.50). This Mexican inspired pie came with a very tender shredded braised pork mixed with tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, and some jack cheese. A really solid flavor profile which was not overwhelmingly spicy, but kept me interested from the first bite till the last. The cheese was not as pronounced as I thought it was going to be but added just a touch of moisture to the filling of the pie. The crust was very flaky and butter was very present in it. I'll definitely get this one again.
The next pie I was not as excited about. When I was ordering, I was torn between the chicken and this Steak and Ale ($9.00) which as you can see is what I went with. It was filled with plenty of beef, carrots, mushrooms, butter beans, and a smidge of dark ale gravy. My problem with this pie was that it was a tad on the dry side. The filling was pretty solid with a good amount of tender beef and veggies, but this would have benefitted from some extra gravy added. I'll be trying the chicken next time for sure.
The last of the trio of food that I consumed was this Sausage Roll ($5.50). Listed as one of Pop Pie's light snacks, this sausage roll came with ground pork, bacon, celery, onion, and a kiss of garlic all wrapped in a sesame seeded pastry shell. The flaky layers of this were a great vehicle for the insides of the mellow sausage wrapped inside. A nice side item to go along with any of the savory pies here, or if you are a lighter eater, this would go great with their mashed potatoes and gravy.
Pop Pie Co. is a good choice if you are in the area and looking for something quick, and want to stray from the usual fast food options. I thought their price point was more than fair based on the sizes of the pies and how generous they are with the meats in both of the pies I had. It's also a little unfair to the rest of OC that this one street in Costa Mesa has added yet another place to grab some excellent food. Let's spread them out a little bit, okay.
Out of five crocodiles, (because the sister city of Costa Mesa is Wyndham in Western Australia, which is home to a 60-foot long crocodile statue), five being best to zero being worst, Pop Pie Co. gets 3 crocodiles.
For more information about Pop Pie Co., head to their website here: https://www.poppieco.com/
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