Mountain High Pies on the Great Western Highway in Wentworth Falls is known for its large variety of pies.
It’s hugely popular with tourists to the Blue Mountains and locals. During lunch hour on a Saturday, the shop is packed with eat-in customers and a constant stream ordering takeaway. There are at least 6-8 staff members behind the counter all busy preparing food. Even so, service is attentive and quick.
There most famous pie is the Big Breakfast Pie ($8.00) with sausage, bacon, homemade baked beans, poached egg, mashed potato and hollandaise sauce. Its fame stems from being a triple award winner at the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition, winning the best brekky pie category, then the best gourmet pie category, and finally the most innovative pie category. Fresh from the oven, a soft poached egg is placed on top and is covered with hollandaise sauce. The pie weighs 515g.
D and I found the pie much too salty as is often the case with bacon and sausage. With the addition of tomato sauce, the pie reminded one of a pizza with hollandaise substituting for the cheese. I’d have preferred a runnier poached egg, as this one somewhere between gooey and hard-boiled. So, while we had high hopes, the pie disappointed. Luckily, D had the foresight to order a different pie as our second –
This is the Chickpea & Curried Vegetables with Eggplant & Coconut Milk Sauce ($.690) and cumin seeds on top.
Ever the meat-lover, D’s always sceptical when I go for a vegetarian option. This time, though, we both much preferred this pie to the meat option. The carrots and zucchini had a pleasantly good bite that was followed by an enjoyable heat from the sauce. The eggplant wasn’t detectable, but the other vegetables and the starchy chickpeas made up for it. The crispy top of the mashed potato was a highlight for someone who’s not keen on mashed potato.
This is the Apple Pie ($3.90)
We enjoyed this apple pie, finding the apple filling is deliciously fresh and firm (somewhere between mushy and crunchy) with a restrained use of cinnamon.
And finally, the Lemon Tart ($3.60).
This lemon tart had a good tanginess, which I love, with a slight dairy taste. I’d have preferred a zestier lemon flavour and a more curd-like filling.
Mountain High Pies is undergoing renovation currently, with an extension to the original frontage built out back operating as the heart of the store.
There’s also a much larger carpark located behind the store to accommodate their stream of customers.
Mountain High Pies is located at 293 Great Western Highway, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782.