Review - Urban Pie - Birmingham

Last weekend I went to visit my very good friend Rhiannon and on Saturday we went shopping. It was the Bullring's 10th Birthday and to celebrate there was a series of fashion shows in the shopping centre. We watched the beautiful models on the catwalk - featuring a favourite blogger of mine, Sam - post to follow on that soon.

In between shuffling around shops that were packed like sardines - tip: NEVER go to Primark on a Saturday - we stopped at Urban Pie for some food. We had read a few reviews prior to our visit that this was a hot spot, and the continuous queue inside backed up these claims. But did the food meet our expectations?

The menu displayed each item clearly and concisely and I was very impressed by the cost - very affordable, especially if you're a student. The exterior was certainly attractive and inviting with a patio seating area filled with happy customers. There were a few pies I fancied the look of and when we got inside a lot of them had sold out - good sign, surely?

Rhi queued up to order while I saved us some seats. The service was fast and commendable, despite a lot of items on the menu being unavailable. No peas for me :(

The seating area makes good use of the space and I liked the long benches - it creates a very relaxed and communal atmosphere which is always a plus point for me in cafes and restaurants. There is definitely a time and a place for separate tables and laid out cutlery but Urban Pie is perfect if you're out with a friend or on your lunch break. 

I loved the canteen style about the place and the plates on which the food was served. It felt homely and like I was eating a school dinner at the same time - and I mean that in a good way. Ah, nostalgia.

I settled for a simple steak pie with carrots and gravy. I decided not to add any potatoes as I expected the pastry would be filling enough for me. 

 

The carrots were done perfectly - I was worried they would be overcooked and mushy but they still had a lot of crunch which is how I like them. The pie itself was definitely full of flavour and I finished all of it, but the pastry was unfortunately quite soggy on the inside. I think this was due to the fact that there was too much sauce and not enough steak in my pie - disappointing when Urban Pie's promise is that their pies are deep filled.

The little steak I did get inside my pie was very good though and it was of the finest quality, but I do feel that Urban Pie make a false claim with their slogan - in this particular case, anyway.

Rhi chose the steak and stilton pie with gravy, sweetcorn and wedges. The flavour in her pie was incredible. It is not a combination i would go for myself, but it was delicious. Again, there could have been more steak inside.

All in all, Urban Pie is a good place to stop by if you want an affordable and quick, cooked meal, especially if fried fast food is not your thing. The soggy pastry and lack of steak in my filling was disappointing as I had high hopes for this place, but I would visit again, perhaps opt for one of the vegetable pies instead - and not add any extra gravy.

Have you been to Urban Pie? I think a revisit is in order despite the two cons in my first experience - the flavour was excellent and the atmosphere in the place was relaxed and homely, so I can't dismiss this place completely. You can visit their website here where locations, menu and more information are listed.