Pies may be filled with meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables, but when most people think of pie, they probably envision a pastry shell filled with cooked fruit or custard, sometimes with more pastry on top in either a latticework pattern or a solid sheet. That’s the kind of pie most pie shops and pie-making bakeries sell. That’s the kind of pie we love so much that it’s even become a symbol of our nation — as in the expression “As American as apple pie.”
Early English settlers brought the idea of pie across the Atlantic, and apple pie became particularly popular because the apple trees planted by the Pilgrims flourished in the New World and because the fruit was easy to store for the winter.
Pumpkin pie became popular in America in the early 1800s (the English original was made with spiced squash). Pecan pie as we know it today was probably first developed in Texas — a major pecan-growing state — in the 1920s, going on to become a holiday essential nationwide.
Other pies that were originally regional but later found broad audiences include Florida’s Key lime pie, Maine’s blueberry pie, the molasses-based shoofly pie of the Pennsylvania Dutch (said to have been named after the fact that flies were attracted to its sticky surface as it cooled), the sweet potato pie of the South, and Boston cream pie (which is actually a kind of early mashup between pie and cake).
Click here for the best pie shop in every state.
Traditional pies — apple, pecan, blueberry, and the rest — remain popular, but there’s room for creativity in the pie world, too. One example is the copyrighted Crack Pie (the name refers to its supposed addictive nature), made with a toasted oat crust and a buttery, gooey brown-sugar filling. Invented by New York pastry chef Christina Tosi.
Whether you prefer tradition or innovation — or a little of each — America’s best pie shops have got a slice (or a whole pie) for you.
In order to determine the best pie shop in every state, 24/7 Wall St. obtained for each state the five pie shops, bakeries, or pastry shops rated highest on restaurant review website Yelp! We reviewed each state’s set of shops and chose the best candidate based on its pie menu and accolades. In the handful of cases where Yelp! did not return a viable candidate, we consulted reviews and other ratings and used our editorial discretion to make our choice. We excluded shops operating predominantly as restaurants or wholesale businesses, as well as units of large chains.
1. Alabama: JaWanda’s Sweet Potato Pie
> City: Birmingham
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Original Sweet Potato Delight
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2. Alaska: A Pie Stop
> City: Anchorage
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Rhubarb
3. Arizona: Pie Snob
> City: Phoenix
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Apple crumb
4. Arkansas: Rymolene’s Pies
> City: Fayetteville
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Sweet egg custard
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5. California: Miz Lynn’s Pies
> City: San Francisco
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Lemon chess
6. Colorado: The Long I Pie Shop
> City: Denver
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Grandma’s Pie (spiced cranberry apple)
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7. Connecticut: Cutie Pies
> City: Thomaston
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Triple berry
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8. Delaware: Sweet Somethings
> City: Wilmington
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Coconut cream
9. Florida: Pink Pie
> City: Hollywood
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Oreo Nutella (mini pie)
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10. Georgia: Pienanny
> City: Atlanta
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Banana cream
11. Hawaii: HI Pie
> City: Kaneohe
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Strawberry guava
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12. Idaho: Boise Pie Co
> City: Boise
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Peanut butter
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13. Illinois: The Happy Apple Pie Shop
> City: Oak Park
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Apple crumb
14. Indiana: Jazzy Doris’ Pies
> City: Indianapolis
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Kentucky bourbon pecan
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15. Iowa: Kathy’s Pies
> City: Cedar Rapids
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Crust raisin
16. Kansas: The Upper Crust Pie Bakery
> City: Overland Park
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Pumpkin
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17. Kentucky: Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Company
> City: Louisville
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Traditional dish sweet potato
18. Louisiana: Fry and Pie
> City: New Orleans
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: El Borracho (key lime margarita mousse)
19. Maine: Two Fat Cats Bakery
> City: Portland
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Blueberry
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20. Maryland: The Pie Man of DC
> City: Hyattsville
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Caramel apple bean
21. Massachusetts: Petsi Pies
> City: Somerville
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Cherry crumb
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22. Michigan: Love’s Custard Pie
> City: Detroit
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Chess
23. Minnesota: Pie & Mighty
> City: Minneapolis
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Hoosier Mama sweet cream
24. Mississippi: Tom’s Fried Pies
> City: Jackson
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Peach
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25. Missouri: Peggy Jeans Pies
> City: Columbia
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: White chocolate strawberry
26. Montana: Bernice’s Bakery
> City: Missoula
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: White Russian cream
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27. Nebraska: Stauffer’s Café and Pie Shoppe
> City: Lincoln
> Yelp review: 3.5
> Sample specialty: Peanut butter banana
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28. Nevada: Mix Bakeshop
> City: Reno
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Jumbleberry
29. New Hampshire: Triolo’s Bakery
> City: Bedford
> Yelp review: 3.5
> Sample specialty: Pumpkin
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30. New Jersey: Pure Love Pies
> City: Bloomfield
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Butternut squash
31. New Mexico: Pie-O-Neer Pies
> City: Pie Town
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: New Mexico apple with green chile and pine nuts
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32. New York: Petee’s Pie Company
> City: New York
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Nesselrode
33. North Carolina: Slice Pie Company
> City: Raleigh
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Banana cream
34. North Dakota: Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Café
> City: Fargo
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Key lime
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35. Ohio: Partial to Pie Bakery
> City: Dayton
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Blackberry
36. Oklahoma: Pie Junkie
> City: Oklahoma City
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Drunken turtle
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37. Oregon: The Pie Spot
> City: Portland
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Chocolate hazelnut
38. Pennsylvania: The Pie Place
> City: Pittsburgh
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Lemon meringue
39. Rhode Island: Wayland Bakery
> City: Providence
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Boston cream
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40. South Carolina: Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop
> City: Greenville
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Chewy chocolate chip
41. South Dakota: Pistachio Pie
> City: Rapid City
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Pistachio
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42. Tennessee: O Taste and See Pies and Quiche
> City: Memphis
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Key lime
43. Texas: Bonafide Betties Pie Company
> City: Rockwall
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Hott Mess (buttermilk with coconut pecan praline topping)
44. Utah: Croshaw’s Gourmet Pies
> City: St. George
> Yelp review: 4.0
> Sample specialty: Lemon cream cheese
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45. Vermont: Poorhouse Pies Pie Shed
> City: Underhill
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Maple cranberry nut
46. Virginia: Proper Pie Co.
> City: Richmond
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Mincemeat
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47. Washington: atpie
> City: Seattle
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Cherry raspberry (mini pie)
48. West Virginia: Oliver’s Pies
> City: Wheeling
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Dutch apple
> City: Wheeling
> Yelp review: 5.0
> Sample specialty: Dutch apple
49. Wisconsin: Mr Dye’s Pies
> City: Milwaukee
> Yelp review: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Brandy old fashioned
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50. Wyoming: The Pie Lady
> City: Cheyenne
> Yelp review: 3.5
> Sample specialty: English toffee cream
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