For me, food falls into two categories: “edible” and “good,” so as soon as Northeast Pie Company set up their food truck outside DeMeritt Hall, I volunteered to review their meat pies. 

I was not feeling like eating a breakfast pie at 3 p.m., and dessert pies, although sounding good, did not seem like a brave enough choice for the first review. It had to be a meat pie. I had a choice of three: chicken pot pie, pulled pork and Big Mac. By the time I got there, they were out of chicken pot pies, and, not being a pork fan, I went with Big Mac – a pie with ground beef, onions, pickles and cheese. Seeing “Live Free, Eat Pie, Drink Coffee” on the side of the truck, I added an iced coffee to my order. 

First things first, the coffee is definitely worth it. It is “local New Hampshire coffee,” as the menu advertises, and it is decently priced for its size and taste. Iced, hot, cold brew or a latte (they have flavors!) can be a good morning pick-me-up on your way to class. 

As for the main event – the meat pie – it was two (if not three) times smaller than I expected. Do not let it fool you, however; writing this hours later, I am still not sure if I will ever be hungry again. Surrounded by a thin layer of puff pastry-type dough, the filling is basically just beef with a hint of the rest of the ingredients. The pie did taste relatively greasy toward the middle, but I would not say this made it particularly bad. 

The pies might not be mind-blowing in terms of taste, but they are certainly filling. The meat pies are great substitute for a missed meal and, having experienced the dough-to-filling ratio, the vegetarian, breakfast or dessert pies could be enough for a couple of hours’ worth of class time. 

Northeast Pie Company pies are not your between-class snack; they are more of a pre-evening lab meal in a paper pocket. A warning: you cannot really eat it as you walk; two bites in, and the weight of the meat causes what remains of the dough to fall apart. 

I would not call them particularly delicious, but the pies do taste good and are a convenient bite for those emergency hunger situations. As the company claims, their menu is “100% scratch made,” and I am ready to believe that. They also have gluten free and no-meat options, as well as a variety of snacks like parfaits and sides such as roasted vegetables. 

Overall, it is a great place for coffee and a decent place for food, and I have yet to see what their apple pies are all about.