Caitie Pies makes handpies fun and they have regular pie too, great spot for lunch in downtown Abilene

Caitie Pies is a new discovery of mine for lunch in downtown Abilene. 

I had a craving for soup one day and they are one of the few places that has a rotating selection of homemade soups. Today, while at lunch with a friend, I had a handpie for the first time. It was a green chili cheeseburger handpie ($8) and it was yummy. Along with it, I also go some corn chowder ($5) but I was too stuffed to finish it.

 My friend got the same kind of handpie but also ordered a slice of coconut cream pie ($5.) Both of us ordered a soda. They only have canned sodas but do have iced tea as an option along with water.

The handpies had a golden crust that was tender. I found the filling to be delicious and flavored well but not a lot of heat from the green chili. It was served with a spicy dipping sauce. Next time I hope they will not be sold out of the chicken pot pie handpie.

The corn chowder was yummy as well and easily could have been a meal on its own. There seemed to be either bacon or ham in it. The spice level was mild.

I am not fond of coconut but the coconut cream pie looked appetizing and my friend ate every bite so it must have been good! There are other baked goodies, sweet handpies, sandwiches, and salads on the menu. A little something for everyone, really. You can taste that they put a lot of love into their food. The bakes there are so tasty! 

Since they open at 10am there are breakfast options as well.

Some things to keep in mind, the elevator in the building is out of order and because of the age of the building, I would guess that means it may never be repaired due to both the lack of parts and repair experts to fix it.  You are required to go up a set of stairs to get to the restaurant. Also, I am not so sure that there are a lot of gluten free options, call ahead and ask. 

They are only open for lunch but if you follow their social media, there are special dinner events on occasion. 

Service is quick and friendly. Make plans to go as soon as possible!

P.S. Sorry that everything we ate was yellow/gold. :-)

Caitie Pies

244 Pine St (2nd floor)

Abilene, TX 79601

Located on the second floor at Under One Roof/Poppies and Pearls store.

Tue-Sat 10 AM to 2 PM

(325) 999-8677

https://www.caitiepies.com/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaitiePies.Abilene/

FB

Updated--The Shed Market--Outstanding BBQ in Abilene

Update: The Shed has now built their own stand alone restaurant with expanded seating and more parking. They also added bar drinks in addition to beer. 

Prices have increased since this review was originally written.

 

For those of you who remember, there used to be a restaurant outside of Wingate, Texas, called The Shed. People drove from miles around for steaks and BBQ from them. They shut down a few years ago but were still missed by many.

The next generation has brought The Shed back and moved it to Abilene! This incarnation is primarily a lunch spot and meat market. They are open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am until 6pm or until they run out. They are located on Buffalo Gap Road just south of Antilley Road in a shopping center.

We arrived at 11:55am and there was already a line almost to the door which grew to out the door as we waited to place our order at the counter. Service was friendly and efficient. They make your plate right in front of you.

I had the best chopped brisket sandwich that I can remember for lunch from them the other day and a great value at $8! The serving was quite generous. The meat was not too fat and not too lean, smoked to perfection with a hint of saltiness. No sauce is put on the sandwich and it didn't need it.

Brisket sandwich and mac & cheese side

Chopped brisket sandwich

My husband got the moist sliced brisket plate (versus the lean brisket) for $9.99 which comes with two sides. We both got the green chili macaroni and cheese as a side and he also got pinto beans with his plate. My mac and cheese was an up-charge since the sandwich comes with chips. The sides were tasty but the real star was the brisket. The only slight quibble I had was that the bun for the sandwich could have been a little softer but it had been grilled. I didn't really eat much of the bread anyway.

Sliced moist brisket with sides. Sauce added at the table.

The had pickles, peppers (fresh and pickled) and onions, with the sauce and sliced bread on the tables. Seating was family style and included indoor and outdoor options. We were sitting by a friendly couple from Hamlin that had ordered ribs and we swapped some samples of our lunches. The ribs got an A+ as well from my husband and our neighbors. I liked the sauce which was sweet and tangy. It complimented the meat quite well.

The Shed is going to be our go-to place for BBQ in Abilene.

Go there as fast as you can!

The Shed Market

7925 Buffalo Gap Rd

Abilene, TX 79606

(325)692-7433

Tuesday-Saturday 11am-around 2-3 when the meat runs out

https://www.facebook.com/The-Shed-Market-1942962612617979/

Update: Milk and Honey Bakery, Venue, and Bistro

Entry way

They are not longer a bistro. Milk & Honey is a bakery and caterer. Check hours on their Facebook page.

 

Milk & Honey is a specialty bakery inside what was once a private home so it is easy to drive right past them and not realize they are in business. They do not have a vast array of baked goods to just drop by and pick up but they did have french macaroons in various flavors ($2 each), two types of cake balls, slices of red velvet cake and apple tarts for individual sale in their cases. Two ready-made cakes were also available for purchase.

Bakery case

A friend and I visited them for the mid-day meal recently. They serve light lunches and a brunch on Saturday. The dining area is very small, about 20 seats. The service is run with only two people as far as I could tell, so it is not a quick place to grab a bite. They have a limited menu and the prices are on the high side...as is to be expected for a "ladies who lunch" type of establishment.

Spinach and cheese quiche

I had a spinach and cheese quiche and some bacon cheddar croquettes as an appetizer. The spinach in the quiche tasted a bit gritty as though it had been put the egg mixture raw instead of sauteed. The cheese in the quiche was high quality but the portion at $5.75 was small and not served with any type of side unless you get the meal option that included a drink and side but increased the price even more. It had a rubbery consistency rather than being creamy.

Bacon cheddar croquettes

The bacon in the croquettes was thick cut and could have been a bit more cooked but the cheese in them was excellent. I am not sure if it was the spinach or the bacon but it is sad to say that the meal did not sit well on my stomach afterward.

Smoked bacon chicken sandwich

My companion enjoyed her smoked bacon chicken sandwich ($7.50) and mentioned that it had a nice flavor and was not dry. On the brunch menu, they serve gourmet toast (such as avocado salmon), crepes, quiche, oatmeal, or French toast made with brioche bread. Drink options were water, various teas, lemonades, and coffee.

The best part of my meal was the slice of red velvet cake I ordered for dessert. It was delicious! I dove into it so fast that there is no picture to tell the tale. It had an apple spice flavor more than a cocoa note in the cake itself which was different. Perhaps they use applesauce to keep the cake moist? The cream cheese/buttercream icing was perfect. At $3.50 for a slice it was well worth the price.

Stick to the desserts at Milk and Honey. The wedding cakes they had on their website looked beautiful.

325-701-7316 / 325-513-2683

480 E. Ambler Ave Abilene, TX 

MilkAndHoneyBVB@gmail.com

http://www.milkandhoneybvb.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milkAndHoneyBK/

Lunch menu

Lunch menu

Brunch menu

Brunch menu

CLOSED Sweets du Jour--Bakery and Breakfast/Lunch Spot

My friend and I decided to try out a newish local bakery because I had heard some buzz about their cinnamon rolls and the sandwiches served on house-made focaccia bread. They have been around for about 3 years but for some odd reason I've never tried them out probably because they close at 3pm. The situation changed yesterday when I had the afternoon off and a burning craving for some fresh focaccia. Yum!

The lunch menu gives you five sandwich choices, one of which is a build-your-own.  The meatball sandwich is only available on Friday. The chicken-berry salad is the one sandwich that comes on a different type of bread--a croissant to be exact. There are 3-4 daily rotating soup choices as well. There is also quiche if any is left over from breakfast, a generous slice is $5.00. The small sandwich is $5.50 and that is indeed what you get...just the sandwich. You can add a cup of soup for an extra $3.50 or a bag of chips for .75 cents. A large sandwich, which is basically two small sandwiches, is $8.50. They also have breakfast sandwiches on croissant in the morning for $3.75, along with various pastries. 

There are about 10 tables in the place. It is decorated in a black & white theme with a touch of red. Very quaint. The picture below is of one of the cases with some sweets. I was greeted promptly but they warn on their website that it may take up to 15 minutes to get your sandwich so this isn't a place to eat if you are in a rush.  They told the truth as it took about 12 minutes to get our food and there were only 4 other people in the place, two of which ordered after we did. They do have an online ordering system if you want to take advantage of it for a meal or for ordering a bakery item.

I requested the salami, provolone and olive-relish sandwich with a cup of the chicken gnocchi soup (they 3 soup choices from leftovers earlier in the week).  My friend had the mozzarella, basil and roasted tomato sandwich and chips. Drink options were coffee, iced tea or water. No sodas. Bummer.

The bread was delicious and the toppings were very good quality if not overly generous. My soup was well worth the price. Very flavorful. My friend enjoyed her sandwich as well. All in all, not a place to go if you have a big appetite but enjoyable for a light lunch. Just remember it isn't $5 foot long subs here but a gourmet bakery.

I bought some peanut butter toffee cookies (.76 cents each) for dessert and they were delicious, just a tad too salty.  I plan to return and try some quiche, a spinach artichoke dip sandwich or order a cake/pie.

Sweets du Jour
726 S Leggett Dr. (SW corner of Leggett and S.7th)
Abilene, TX  79605
(325)793-0382

Hours
10:30 a – 3:00 p Tuesday-Friday
9:00 a – 2:00 p Saturday
Closed Sunday & Monday

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sweetsdujour