Beloved Pie Cart Snags Restaurant Space in St. Johns

St. Johns piemobile Paiku will open in its own restaurant space April 3, with a wider selection of breakfast hashes, cocktails, and plenty of meat pies. Owners Marica and Justin Thompson opened the truck in May 2014, serving sweet and savory pies of all kinds. In the new restaurant, that pie filling selection grows, from hard-boiled eggs and salami to venison.

Game is a big part of Paiku’s new menu; the Thompsons use wild boar in chili and hash and venison in sandwiches and shepherd’s pie. Marica Thompson said she chose to use wilder meats on a whim: She picked up some goat as a challenge, and the pie sold out faster than anything else. The two now seek out game for its flavor and sustainability.

For those unsettled by the prospect of eating Bambi, Paiku also delivers a number of vegetarian and vegan pies and breakfasts, including a vegan tempeh hash with miso aioli and a “galette” (more like a buckwheat crepe) with spinach, feta, and chutney-style marmalade.

Paiku will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Explore the menu below:

Courtesy of Steven Shomler

• Paiku [Official]
• Paiku [Facebook]