Other cultures certainly have pies, both savory and sweet, but pie is arguably the most American of all desserts. Nobody says “As American as a chocolate chip cookie” or “As easy as angel food cake,” and we don’t illustrate our points with cake charts.
According to the American Pie Council – yet further evidence of the dessert’s importance in the U.S.; there is almost certainly no Conseil Français de la Tarte – the average American eats at least six slices of pie a year, with four of them eaten during the holiday season. (Apple pie is our favorite, but pumpkin, cherry, and lemon meringue are also particularly well-loved.)
Home bakers still make a lot of pies, even if many of them now use pre-baked crusts, but pies are also a staple on diner menus and are sold everywhere from supermarkets to farm stands – and also, of course, at independent bakeries and pie shops. (These are the best pie shops in America.)
To determine the best pie shops in every state, 24/7 Tempo consulted reviews and rankings on a wide range of websites, including Yelp, Taste of Home, Thrillist, Food Network, Spoon University, and The Daily Meal, as well as numerous local and regional sites. While precedence was given to shops specializing in pies (often with “pie” in their name), in some cases we included bakeries with a more general focus (sometimes with cafés attached) if they were highly rated for their pies.
Some of the pie purveyors on this list make savory as well as sweet pies, but we have showcased the latter. (For pies and more, consider this list of America’s best bakeries and their specialties.)
Most of the pie specialties mentioned here are traditional, filled with fruits, berries, nuts, custards, and/or chocolate, and sometimes a dash of booze – like the “drunken turtle pie” at the Pie Junkie in Oklahoma City, a riff on turtle candies made with chocolate, salted bourbon caramel, and pecans.
Some pie-makers venture outside of the box – or crust. The Purple Pie Place in Custer, South Dakota, spices up its pie menu with a raspberry rhubarb jalapeño offering, while Miss American Pie in Brooklyn crisscrosses the top of its apple pie with a lattice of bacon.
Many of the pies mentioned here are seasonal, and you may have to place an advance order in some cases to make sure of getting what you want. But the wait and extra effort will be well worth it to relish these satisfying indulgences.
Alabama: JaWanda’s Sweet Potato Pies
> Location: Birmingham
> Sample specialty: Pineapple crème
Alaska: A Pie Stop
> Location: Anchorage
> Sample specialty: Apple streusel
Arizona: Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole
> Location: Phoenix
> Sample specialty: Mango chile lime
Arkansas: Rymolene’s Pies
> Location: Fayetteville
> Sample specialty: Dandelion rhubarb
California: Julian Pie Company
> Location: Julian & Santa Ysabel
> Sample specialty: Caramel Dutch apple
Colorado: Granny Scott’s Pie Shop
> Location: Lakewood
> Sample specialty: Rocky road
Connecticut: Michele’s Pies
> Location: Norwalk
> Sample specialty: Pineapple mango with macadamia coconut crumb
Delaware: Sweet Somethings
> Location: Wilmington
> Sample specialty: White chocolate banana cream
Florida: The Pie Factory
> Location: Largo
> Sample specialty: Authentic Key West Key lime
Georgia: Crave Pie Studio
> Location: Duluth & Alpharetta
> Sample specialty: Chocolate bourbon pecan
Hawaii: Hawaiian Pie Company
> Location: Honolulu
> Sample specialty: Passion orange guava pear
Idaho: Birdie’s Pie Shop
> Location: Post Falls & Hayden
> Sample specialty: Salted caramel candy bar
Illinois: Myrtle’s Café and Pies
> Location: Princeton
> Sample specialty: White chocolate cranberry nut crumble
Indiana: My Sugar Pie
> Location: Zionsville
> Sample specialty: Dutch black raspberry
Iowa: Try Pie Bakery
> Location: Waterloo
> Sample specialty: Pumpkin praline
Kansas: The Upper Crust Pie Bakery
> Location: Overland Park
> Sample specialty: Blueberry buttermilk chess
Kentucky: Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Company
> Location: Louisville
> Sample specialty: Caramel crunch sweet potato
Louisiana: Elsie’s Plate & Pie
> Location: Baton Rouge
> Sample specialty: Almond Joy
Maine: Puzzle Mountain Bakery
> Location: Newry
> Sample specialty: Wild Maine blueberry
Maryland: The Ugly Pie
> Location: Salisbury
> Sample specialty: Tart red cherry
Massachusetts: Ever So Humble Pie Company
> Location: East Walpole
> Sample specialty: New England apple
Michigan: Sister Pie
> Location: Detroit
> Sample specialty: Honey lemon meringue
Minnesota: Heather’s Pies
> Location: Minneapolis
> Sample specialty: Triple berry
Mississippi: Sugaree’s Bakery
> Location: New Albany
> Sample specialty: Chocolate meringue
Missouri: A Slice of Pie
> Location: Rolla
> Sample specialty: Tollhouse
Montana: The Coffee Pot Bakery Café
> Location: Bozeman
> Sample specialty: Chocolate mousse
Nebraska: Stauffer’s café & Pie Shoppe
> Location: Lincoln
> Sample specialty: Peanut butter banana
Nevada: Pies Unlimited
> Location: North Las Vegas
> Sample specialty: Grasshopper
New Hampshire: Woodstock Pie & Coffee Co.
> Location: North Woodstock
> Sample specialty: Fruits of the forest
New Jersey: Penza’s Pies at the Red Barn Café
> Location: Hammonton
> Sample specialty: Pineapple ricotta
New Mexico: Burro Street Bakery
> Location: Cloudcraft
> Sample specialty: Caramel apple walnut
New York: Miss American Pie
> Location: Brooklyn
> Sample specialty: Bacon lattice apple
North Carolina: Carolina Pie Company
> Location: Mooresville
> Sample specialty: Frozen margarita
North Dakota: Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Café
> Location: Fargo
> Sample specialty: Sour cream raisin
Ohio: Just Pies
> Location: Westerville
> Sample specialty: Peach Riot (with cherries and blueberries)
Oklahoma: Pie Junkie
> Location: Oklahoma City
> Sample specialty: Drunken turtle
Oregon: The Pie Spot
> Location: Portland
> Sample specialty: Marionberry
Pennsylvania: The Pie Place
> Location: Pittsburgh
> Sample specialty: Freestone peach
Rhode Island: DeLuise Bakery
> Location: Providence & Cranston
> Sample specialty: Pumpkin
South Carolina: Sugar Bakeshop
> Location: Charleston
> Sample specialty: Coconut cream
South Dakota: Purple Pie Place
> Location: Custer
> Sample specialty: Raspberry rhubarb jalapeño
Tennessee: Papa C Pies Bakery
> Location: Brentwood
> Sample specialty: Ghirardelli chocolate
Texas: Royers Pie Haven
> Location: Round Top
> Sample specialty: Shannon’s blueberry lemon
Utah: Veyo Pies
> Location: Veyo
> Sample specialty: Caramel apple
Vermont: Poorhouse Pies
> Location: Underhill
> Sample specialty: Maple pecan
Virginia: Mom’s Apple Pie Company
> Location: Leesburg, Round Hill & Occoquan
> Sample specialty: Butter pecan apple crumb
Washington: A la Mode Pies
> Location: Seattle
> Sample specialty: Cookies and cream
West Virginia: Spring Hill Pastry Shop
> Location: South Charleston
> Sample specialty: Raisin
Wisconsin: SmallPie by Honeypie
> Location: Milwaukee
> Sample specialty: Pistachio cream
Wyoming: The Pie Tin
> Location: Wheatland
> Sample specialty: Cherry almond