Virtually every cuisine around the world has a tradition of enclosing sweet and/or savory ingredients in dough of some kind — Spain and Latin America with their empanadas, China with its dumplings and baos, Turkey with its börek, France with its tourtes and tartes, and so on. And of course, America with its good old-fashioned double-crust or meringue- or custard-topped pies, made with fruit, chocolate, nuts, or whatever else seems appropriate.
The earliest pies in more or less the sense that we know them today were made in England way back in the 1100s, but these were primarily savory, filled with meat, poultry, or wild game (remember those nursery-rhyme blackbirds “baked in a pie?”). The first fruit pies probably date from the 16th century, and English tradition gives credit to Queen Elizabeth I for making (or, more likely, having somebody else make) the first cherry pie — at least according to the American Pie Council’s brief history of pies.
English settlers brought their pie-making skills to our shores, and because apple trees grew well in the original colonies and the fruit was easy to preserve year-round, it was probably they who developed our nation’s most emblematic dessert — “as American as apple pie.”
Over the years, bakers in other parts of the country began making pies from whatever ingredients were common in their regions — peaches in Georgia, Key limes in Florida, blueberries in Maine. The Midwest developed dairy-based cream pies, and in other places, sugary confections like chess pie, shoofly pie, and pecan pie, as well as pies topped with meringue, were created.
Click here to see the best pie shop in every state
Today, pie shops, bakeries, diners, and cafés all over America make delicious pies — sometimes classic, sometimes innovative. In assembling this list, 24/7 Tempo has focused on purveyors who specialize in pies, even though they often produce other sweet treats as well and may also, in some cases, serve full meals. (Even if they’re not on this list, you’ll almost certainly find plenty of good pies at the best diners in every state.)
Some of these places may offer savory as well as sweet pies. Some hew closely to tradition, while others get creative. Whatever the particulars, all the establishments included here make extraordinary pies, and many rank among the 40 best pie shops in America.
In order to determine the best pie shop in every state, 24/7 Tempo compiled a list of pie shops, bakeries, and pastry shops that are rated highest on Yelp. From that selection, we chose the highest-ranked examples at which pies are the specialty or main focus or which are particularly well-known for their pies even though they may also sell other kinds of food. To narrow down the choices, we also consulted reviews and roundups from a wide range of authoritative websites, including those of Zagat, Food & Wine, Eater, Thrillist, and The Daily Meal, making the final choice editorially based on a combination of sources.
1. Alabama: JaWanda’s Sweet Potato Pie
> City: Birmingham
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Pecan sweet potato
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2. Alaska: A Pie Stop
> City: Anchorage
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Peanut butter cream
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3. Arizona: Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole
> City: Phoenix
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Green chili apple
4. Arkansas: Rymolene’s Pies
> City: Fayetteville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Cranberry Key lime
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5. California: I Like Pie
> City: Claremont
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Chocolate chip chess
6. Colorado: 3.14 Sweet & Savory Pi Bar
> City: Colorado Springs
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Amaretto cherry almond
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7. Connecticut: Cutie Pies
> City: Thomaston
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Apple Cranberry
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8. Delaware: Sweet Somethings
> City: Wilmington
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Banana cream
9. Florida: P Is for Pie Bakery
> City: Orlando
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Caramel pecan hand pie
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10. Georgia: The Little Crown by Pie Society
> City: Savannah
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Steak and ale
11. Hawaii: Hawaiian Pie Company
> City: Honolulu
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Passion orange guava pear
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12. Idaho: Pie Hut
> City: Sand Point
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Crème brûlée
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13. Illinois: Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits (Logan Square)
> City: Chicago
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Blueberry pistachio
14. Indiana: Pots and Pans Pies
> City: Indianapolis
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Biscuits and gravy pot pie
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15. Iowa: Kathy’s Pies and Bakery
> City: Cedar Rapids
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Dutch apple
16. Kansas: The Upper Crust Pie Bakery
> City: Overland Park
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Raspberry peach
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17. Kentucky: Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen
> City: Louisville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Double crust apple
18. Louisiana: Not Just Pie
> City: Monroe
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Banana caramel
19. Maine: Puzzle Mountain Bakery
> City: Newry
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Blueberry
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20. Maryland: Dangerously Delicious Pies
> City: Baltimore
> Yelp rating: 3.5
> Sample specialty: Baltimore bomb
21. Massachusetts: Petsi Pies
> City: Somerville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Mississippi mud
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22. Michigan: Sister Pie
> City: Detroit
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Salted maple
23. Minnesota: Heather’s Pies
> City: Minneapolis
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Apple cranberry pecan oatmeal crisp crumble
24. Mississippi: Tom’s Fried Pies
> City: Richland
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Pineapple
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25. Missouri: Pie Oh My
> City: Maplewood
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Bailey’s chocolate cream
26. Montana: Rock N Roll Bakery
> City: East Glacier Park Village
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Huckleberry
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27. Nebraska: Natural Pie King/Kitchen Council
> City: Omaha
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Extra deep chocolate bourbon pecan
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28. Nevada: Mix Bakeshop
> City: Reno
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Mixed berry
29. New Hampshire: Just Like Mom’s Pastries
> City: Weare
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Chocolate M&M
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30. New Jersey: The Pie Store
> City: Montclair
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Double crust cran-apple
31. New Mexico: Burro Street Bakery
> City: Cloudcroft
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Walnut “fruits of the forest”
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32. New York: Petee’s Pie Company
> City: New York City
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Black bottom almond chess
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33. North Carolina: Fayetteville Pie Company
> City: Fayetteville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Candy cane crush
34. North Dakota: Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Café
> City: Fargo
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Key lime
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35. Ohio: Just Pies
> City: Westerville
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Buckeye
36. Oklahoma: Pie Junkie
> City: Oklahoma City
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Drunken turtle
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37. Oregon: Pie vs. Pie
> City: Gresham
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Coconut cream
38. Pennsylvania: The Pie Place
> City: Pittsburgh
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: California raisin
39. Rhode Island: Wayland Bakery
> City: Providence
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Boston cream
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40. South Carolina: Sugar Bakeshop
> City: Charleston
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Buttermilk
41. South Dakota: Pistachio Pie
> City: Rapid City
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Pistachio
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42. Tennessee: Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop
> City: Murfreesboro
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Peanut butter cream
43. Texas: Emporium Pies (Emporium Arts District)
> City: Dallas
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Granny smith apple
44. Utah: Rocky Mountain Pies
> City: Salt Lake City
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Sea salt caramel French silk
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45. Vermont: Poorhouse Pies
> City: Underhill
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Lemon cream
46. Virginia: Proper Pie Co.
> City: Richmond
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Blueberry almond
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47. Washington: A la Mode Pies
> City: Seattle
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Bourbon butterscotch
48. West Virginia: Oliver’s Pies
> City: Wheeling
> Yelp rating: 4
> Sample specialty: Old-fashioned egg custard
49. Wisconsin: Elsie Mae’s Canning & Pies
> City: Kenosha
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Sample specialty: Ginger lime
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50. Wyoming: The Bread Doctor
> City: Torrington
> Yelp rating: 5
> Sample specialty: Chicken pot pie
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