Yummy Meat Pies

Address: 856 Bank St, Ottawa
Hours: 11am – 11pm (M – Thu), 2pm – 12am (F), 11am – 12am (Sat), 11am – 10pm (Sun)
Website: https://www.yummy-pies.com/

When Yummy Meat Pies opened up in the Glebe earlier this year, I mistakenly thought that they specialized in the hearty, British-style pies that are meat-heavy and wrapped in pastry. I was impressively wrong.

The pies at YMP are of the Lebanese variety – served on flatbread, and with much lighter toppings and brighter flavours than the likes of the Cornish pasties or hand pies that I had been thinking of.

I stopped by Yummy while running some errands in the Glebe, wanting something easy and inexpensive, but not willing to succumb to the red-haired clown across the street. The pies are all incredibly affordable, with the prices ranging from $2.75 to $3.99. Knowing that I’d need a couple to be satiated, I ordered a meat and cheese ($3.75) and a zaatar ($2.75).

After getting heated through in the oven, you can top the pies how you wish with a handful of different veggies and sauces. I kept things simple with red onion and cucumber on both, garlic sauce on the meat and cheese, and tahini on the zaatar.

The bread itself was great – lightly crisp and flaky, but didn’t crumble away like a cracker. The meat was a spread or pate, and had a nice earthy seasoning.

The zaatar had an herby freshness, while the tahini gave some savoury depth.

Chef Sammy is making some tasty bites at Yummy Meat Pies that helps to diversify the food scene in the Glebe nicely, and they’re a great alternative to the less healthy option with the golden arches.