Norma's Cafe, Dallas, TX

Whether you dine at the Lone Star-festooned suburban location (right) or the cozy original in Oak Cliff, Norma's produces consistent quality in its food and, specifically, in its pies. If you like tall, beautiful meringue, this is your place.

The Pie Folks, Germantown, TN

They use a common cliche to describe the secret ingredient in the award-winning Slap Yo Mama chocolate pie at this otherwise plain looking shopping center establishment in an eastern suburb of Memphis, but in this case, we think it must be accurate. 'Cause man, this pie is outstanding. Take a test taste when you walk in, and you'll be sold, too. 

Ed & Kay's Restaurant, Benton, AR Go after 11 a.m. for the day's fresh pies. John admits to getting there at a day late and an hour short over the holidays and having to order dessert leftovers. So, what's his grade? Well, read the review.

A small bite: the perfect slice of pumpkin Some restaurants have only one flavor of pie on the menu. We typically don't write a review in such a case because they're not pie-focused. Then there's Cristina's in Ketchum, Idaho, which serves, along with an eclectic menu of great cuisine, a fantastic slice of pumpkin, and we just have to tell you about it. Spiced right, floury crust, and just in time for the holidays!

You may have read guest reviews on here by John's sister Emily. Now, his sister Margaret, who's a terrific cook, by the way, and her husband, Tom Humphries, are getting into the act. While visiting the Colorado Rockies, Margaret and Tom found a homey little place that bakes and serves about half a dozen pie flavors daily (picture by Tom).

A Texan from Lockhart takes his family recipes to the big city. As far as the chicken goes, that was a good idea. But when it comes to the pies, we struggled to find a flavor we liked. And the flavor of the month during our visit in November 2010 was a combination or two popular tastes, and you ought to read what we have to say about it.

The pies at this fun little place on the south end of town look great, and the menu lists some really interesting flavors. How do the pies taste? Um, did we mention that they look great and the menu lists some really interesting flavors?

Crane's Pie Pantry, Fennville, MI

Travel around Michigan in the summer and a sudden yearning for fruit pie will come up, because fresh fruit is what it's all about. Crane's, with its original small-town restaurant and a "city location" in Holland, brings those flavors to the table in heaping helpings. John's sister and brother-in-law, Emily and Jim Younger, provide a guest review of Crane's Pie Pantry.

What better combination than barbecue and pie? No, we don't mean putting the sauce on the pie, we mean chowing down on some smoked turkey, pulled pork or beef brisket and then topping it off with some Oreo Cookie pie or a big slice of coconut cream. Now, that's living! The combination comes across especially delectable to a place in Colorado Springs called Firehouse BBQ. For after the game or on your way to the mountains, hop on a bar stool at this former fire station and hose down your hunger.

Albert's Manor House Restaurant, Dumas, TX The cherry pie at Albert's is a ding dong daddy. The breakfast is pretty good, too, and they go together extremely well. Whether you're a local going to Friday night football or a traveler to Colorado, Albert's is a good place to stop.

Tamarack Grill, Fowler, CO  

We call southeastern Colorado the Pieless Quadrant. The Tamarack Grill is a rare outpost in that plains area. It only had two flavors on our visit, but clearly John liked his banana cream (see photo). You can clean up, too, at this roadside hangout.

We call it freeway food. Hearty food for fuel that gets you on down the road. And the banana cream is a cool, smooth refresher. And our waitress was singing, so that was fun. And the pie list is extensive, so the choice is difficult. And do you need any more reasons?

Jay Jay Cafe, Arlington, TX

Cherry, baby!

Have you ever seen such a nice photo of a slice of cherry pie? Friend of a friend Dave Hensley said he'd be honored for us to use his photo, from the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, Texas. We haven't posted a review of the Bluebonnet, but we've dined there often, and we can tell you: go! The Bluebonnet serves some of the best pie in Texas. 

 

It's just a fact of blogging that pie places in our hometowns stand a better chance of getting reviewed than pie places in far-flung states and cities. Sure, we try the pie when we travel, but the hometown joints have the inside track. We admit it! Thus, you have a mini-review of this new restaurant in Jennifer's hometown in the mountains of North Carolina.

Green Turtle Inn, Islamorada, FL

Finding a good slice of key lime pie in the Florida Keys may be harder than you suspect. Apparently, one doesn't just drive up and down the highway finding delicious desserts at every other mile marker. Our friend Bill Hanna (see picture below of him dining with us at the Iowa Cafe in Mesa, AZ), along with his wife, Laura, and son, Luke, made the effort, found some first-rate pie and provided us a guest review. Check it out here.

A small bite: How not to do it

Our move back to Texas from New Jersey has allowed us to revisit some of the places serving great pie that we missed while we were away 4 1/2 years. Sometimes this brings disappointments. Take a recent visit to an Interstate 45 standby in Fairfield. The buffet at Sam’s Original had long been a regular stop for us between Houston and Dallas. Frankly, we don’t recall how the pie was served previously, but now it sits on shelves, by the slice, in the open air. This doesn’t work. John’s pumpkin was sweaty and Jennifer’s lemon meringue was inedible; the meringue resembled chewing gum in texture. It’s a crime to do this to good pie.

Du-par's, Las Vegas, NV

This place is old school, and its pies are old-timed good, too. Don't miss the doughtnuts, either. 

Southwest Diner, Boulder City, NV

Things were looking pretty good until the pie arrived. Multiple issues presented themselves.

House of Pies, Los Angeles

Strawberries as big as your fist in the cream pie. Fill up at the HOP before you head to the Getty or a movie studio for a tour.

Mama's Daughters, Dallas, TX

We had mixed results here: one  good visit, one bad visit. But they sure put butts on stools at this truck stop in North Dallas. 

You're driving along out in the middle of nowhere and you come up on this sign just when you were thinking, A slice of pie would sure top off the afternoon, wouldn't it? The answer at the Bryce Canyon Pines is, Yes it really would. The soup's pretty darned good, too.

It's always great when our fellow customers tell us we're in the right place, and that was happening at this delightful pie factory in one of the most scenic little cities in one of the prettiest states in America. And then we spotted one of our favorites -- blackbottom pie -- on the menu, and we should have ordered it. But we didn't. Find out why.

Pie 'n Burger, Pasadena, Calif.

Thunderbird Restaurant, Mount Carmel Jct., Utah

Pie Lady Coffeehouse, Lenexa, KS              Maybe you can't get Tippins Pie Pantry's wares anymore -- well, actually, you can, and we tell you where to find them -- but in the meantime, you can still find a slice of fresh-made pie on the Kansas side of the K.C. area. They're at this cute small-town establishment with Formica table tops, a massage therapist's office right next door and a train tooting in the background. Ah, America -- ain't it grand?  Clementine's Steak House, Carpinteria, CA Old school music on the sound system, old school pies on the counter. Plus hearty steaks, seafood and soups almost within sight of the Pacific Ocean, and a pie baker named Irene. The review...

Circle Grill, Dallas Waitresses who may ask you about the novel you're reading then advise you on which pie is the best in the house, and name labels on the counter indicating where the old-timers sit. You'll want to circle back to this East Dallas favorite.

Strawn's Eat Shop, Shreveport, LA

It's obvious, before you even enter the place, what flavor of pie to order at Strawn's Eat Shop, across from Centenary College in Shreveport, La. Are the signs enough of a hint? Strawn's is famous now, but for us, it's just a great little place where we ate pie while we were first dating.

Mrs. Mack's Bakery

The family that runs this cozy Massachusetts bakery in Worcester has been in the business of making pies for 80 years. A sampling of their pumpkin and apple offerings quickly tells you why.

The Great New Hampshire Pie Festival

A fabulous cherry cheese pie with large fruit floating in a rich syrup. A butterscotch meringue. Blueberry-raspberry crumble and Swedish apple pie. The Great New Hampshire Pie Festival in Milton was a delight to judge. Read and see more.