Quick Take:
Location: 511 U.S. Hwy 17-92 W Unit 520, Haines City
What Mike Ordered: Fish & Chips
What Katie Ordered: Steak & Ale Chippies
Extra Order: Handheld Pies — Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Pie + Steak & Mushroom Pie
Gluten Free Options: No
Vegetarian Options: Yes (Pies)
Final Score: 4.5/5
Price: ~$10-20 per person
For our twenty ninth stop on our Polk Food Quest, we visited The Proper Pie Company in Haines City.
The Proper Pie made it on our list (and inside the top 5) of The Best Places To Eat In Haines City a couple weeks ago and we've been excited to get there since.
We finally had a chance to stop by, and it did not disappoint.
Spoiler: These are the best fish and chips you're going to find in Polk County.
The Proper Pie Company has been around for a bit and is located in Haines City, but also sells takeaway pies and other treats (like pastries, bangers and more) at local markets as well.
Their pies are definitely worth a grab-and-go but you are missing out if you don't stop in and try their fish and chips.
By the way: if you're new here, the concept of my Polk Food Quest is simple: every week I try a local spot, order the most common thing people get, try a few extras, and rank it on taste, value, vibes, and overall.
This week: Fish and Chips!
Which means Katie ordered some speciality chips, I ordered fish & chips, and we had a couple pies on the side.
How Does This Work?
I order the standard item for that category (for The Proper Pie that was their fish & chips and a few extras), plus a few extras so I can get a full feel for the menu.
Then I rank the experience on four things:
Taste | Value | Vibes | 
Overall
Taste focuses on the standard item.
The rest reflects the entire experience.
Taste: 5/5
This one is the easiest thing to score on the entire review.
Their fish and chips were the best you're going to find in Polk County, and everything we tried was incredible.
From the fish and chips, loaded chips and pies to the pastries we had to try, there wasn't anything on the menu I wouldn't confidently recommend.
Here's a quick breakdown for my quick scanners, though:
- Fish And Chips (5/5): Easy 5/5. Amazing. Perfectly crunchy golden batter that stays crisp even after a splash of malt vinegar, wrapped around fish so tender it practically falls apart. I'm not sure how many places sell fish and chips in Polk, but this is the one I'll measure every other plate against.
- Handheld Pies (5/5): These made us want to go back and try more pies. They were both incredible, and I was excited to dig in even after eating that massive piece of fish (I was full, but they were just so good).
- Chips (Fries) (5/5): The chips are incredible as well. I assume this might go without saying based on how I'm raving about the fish AND chips, but I needed to give them their own short ranking here just in case.
Side Note: The pastries we tried after were incredible as well. I'm noting that separately here because we don't have them included in the picture, but we did try quite a few.
We were told that a lot of The Proper Pie's sales comes from takeaway pies (cold pies to eat at home, for example); but the fish and chips were the star of the menu for us; so we know most of Polk County is missing out!
Vibes: 3.5/5
I think part of the reason a lot of Polk County is missing out on the best fish and chips you're going to find in the whole county because of the location.
Haines City is exploding, but a lot of Polk County isn't driving over there to go searching for food (for example, our list of the best food in Haines City consisted of three spots that were next store to each other on the main road...).
Which is what makes this so much of a hidden gem.
AND why a lot of people might not even know it exists.
But let's take a step back for a second and remember Vibes are ranked on:
- The Physical Location
- Hospitality/Service
- The Interior/Space
The interior space is very nice, and super clean.
But you're also not going in to sit down at a fancy upscale restaurant, or even somewhere like The Joinery, so I wouldn't be able to give it a 5/5 in that category.
Then the physical location is in a strip mall, tucked away in a back corner. You're definitely not in a spot that warrants a 5/5 (like a nice downtown or Lakeside Village, or spot you can walk around and hang after, for example). This is what drops it down a point — BUT ... it's definitely still worth driving out of your way for.
That said, the hospitality/service WAS definitely a 5/5 for us, but that isn't enough to boost up the other categories so much.
Value: 5/5
This was another easy one to score.
The Vibes going down a point and a half mainly due to the physical location does not take away from the Value of The Proper Pie at all.
This is a spot Katie and I will be driving out of the way for.
The Taste was an easy 5/5 for me, and every item stood out as something we'd want to go back for.
Tack that on with the fact that I'm still dreaming of those fish and chips and this part was a no brainer.
BUT ... one of the most important parts for me is the fact that you are not leaving hungry. The serving size is incredible.
When you order the fish and chips you can expect a massive hunk of fish that'll leave you feeling satisfied [and wanting to come back].
The value of The Proper Pie comes in with another easy perfect score.
Overall: 4.5/5
The Proper Pie Company gets a 4.5/5 overall, with the only thing dropping it down half a point being the Vibes, which mainly stems from the physical location on the map (out in a Haines City strip mall).
So if you're close to Haines City this is probably bumped up closer to a 5/5 for you, just know you're not headed into a downtown or nice shopping area to hang out at after.
Would I bring my visiting family there?
Absolutely, and it's very likely.
I'm always looking for spots that are a bit more unique and in a different category of food, but with menu items you can trust every time.
And The Proper Pie fits that perfectly.
I will definitely be bringing my family to try the fish and chips and grab a few pies as well.
Here’s how I’d sum up The Proper Pie Company:
The fish and chips are the reason to go.
Big, flaky piece of fish, perfectly crunchy batter, and easily the best fish and chips you're going to find in Polk County.
Grab a couple handheld pies while you're there. They're worth it on their own, and you can take a few home for later.
Save room for the pastries if you can.
It's tucked away in a Haines City strip mall, so don't go expecting a downtown spot to hang out in after.
But between the food, the friendly service, and the portion sizes, it's 100% worth the drive.
Before You Go....
Hey!
I want to know what you think of The Proper Pie Company in Haines City.
Leave a comment below.
The more you share, the better, but anything is appreciated.
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We tried the proper pie for the take away pies a few weeks ago and they were not at all what we expected. having grown up in New England we had a British bakery/market in the neighborhood…these were not at all like the hot crust pies we had growing up. I found them to be dry and flavorless
I will go back and try the fish!
Sorry to hear that! We only tried hot food in-person and everything was amazing. I suppose I’d need to compare to the takeaway pies to really know — but I’m really curious to hear what you think of the fish and chips.
I have been side eyeing this place for years even before they were in HC (they used to be in Davenport close to Posner). But this review just gave me the push I needed. And it’s very close to me so bonus points for that. Thanks for the recommendation!
Love that! Would love to hear what you think of it after you stop by 🙂