It’s pie time you visited!
Recently opened MacGregors Pie and Ale Howff has all the pies you never knew you needed! Situated across from Babbity Bowsters on Blackfriars Street in the Merchant City, MacGregors has given new life to the old Strathduie bar.
Food
Pies range from regular fillings like steak and ale to all day breakfast, Thai veggie curry and even a “Duckfast” – I’m sure you can work out what’s inside!
We had an All Day Breakfast pie stuffed with bacon, sausage, mushroom, tattie scone and black pudding. Peas & beans are available for an extra 75p, we opted for the beans, well it would be rude not to!
Crisp pastry and filled to the brim with breakfast goodies. These pies are not to be confused with your typical pub Scotch pie as they have a thicker, flakier pastry and much more food encased within.
Next up was the vegetable Thai curry pie.
As soon as we cut into the pie the unmistakable fragrant aroma of Thai spices escaped.
More crispy and firm pastry filled with chick peas, veg and green curry goodness with a mild kick. These are some of the best pies in Glasgow so we’re looking forward to trying the full range.
At the moment (April 2016) if you buy your pie in their first hour of opening or at their last hour of the day, your pie is a mere £1! The usual price is £5 on its own, £6 with a schooner or £7.50 with a pint.
Check their Facebook page for updates.
Drink
The beer here is worthy of a detour from your usual haunt. There are five cask beers on rotation as well as a large selection of Scottish bottled beers, making this one of the best places for beer in the Merchant City. Loch Ness – Loch Ness (4.4%), Inveralmond – Lia Fail (4.7%), Jaw Brew – Drift (4.6%), Kelburn – Carte Blanche (5%) were all on tap when we visited.
There are also deals for Students Monday – Thursday when a deep-filled pie and schooner (2/3rds of a pint) will set you back a mere fiver. Live sport is also shown inside.
Split bar/lounge. Everything at ground level so should be ok for disabled access, but as it’s a former old mans’ pub there’s no disabled toilet . Toilets small but clean. Service friendly and helpful. Handy for High Street train station and Trongate buses. Open for lunch and cafe style stamp cards available – buy 5 pies get 1 free.
TL:DR
+ pies are full of flavour
+ great selection of Scottish craft beer
+ real ale available
– costs extra for beans
Disclaimer: MacGregor’s kindly invited us in to try the pies and we loved them.
Can be found with gin or a pint in hand.
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