“Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.” ~Christopher Columbus
Okay. Perhaps it’s unfair of me to compare my voyage to the one in 1492 that Columbus took when he sailed the ocean blue. After all, I didn’t have to travel quite as far to find the best pie in San Antonio. I live here after all. And while I did also end up visiting more than a dozen places in search of the best pie, none of them were so far or so costly as to force me to persuade a Queen to support my quest. Although, I wouldn’t have said no to some extra cash. Mo’ money, mo’ pie!
Seriously though, Columbus and exploration aside, why go on a quest to find the best pie in my hometown? Why not!
Why not, indeed. This was not my first food quest, but it was the first time I decided to find the best pie. My initial goal was to find the best lemon meringue pie (because it’s my favorite) and the best fruit pie, or at least the best fruit pie crust. I had guessed that it may be difficult to judge the same pies at each place on the list so thought the pie crust choice was the best move. Well, I was right about not all places having the same pie flavor variety, or even the same version of the same pie flavor, but what I wasn’t prepared for were the many surprises along the way.
Round One
- The Bread Box
- Williams’ Confectionery Crafts
- Bird Bakery
- Bill Miller
The plan was to start the quest with four places: two new to me and two not so new to me. We began at The Bread Box, which had popped up on several online lists when I looked up “best pie in San Antonio” so I figured I may as well give it a shot. I’m glad I did! In addition to a great lunch, we (my trustworthy best friend, Cindy, was once again on this quest with me) tried three pies: an apple, a lemon meringue and a banana split pie. The latter was a surprise that was highly recommended by the server.
Next up was a drive to the second new-to-me place, Williams’ Confectionery Crafts (which also popped up on many online lists). Oh, wow! I posted on social media that very day that it was my new favorite place in San Antonio. It still is! We tried their cherry pie and their sweet potato pie, and a small taste of lemon chess pie (which was oh-my-goodness good!) As this was the first day, I didn’t try as many pies as I probably would have if we would have gone later in the month; I was still hoping for fruit pies and lemon meringue, although I was talked into trying the sweet potato pie. Thank goodness for peer pressure! Andrea Williams, the daughter of the mother-daughter team, told me that all I need to do is call them and they’ll make me a lemon meringue pie (that alone is an amazing thing about this “feels like family” place!) Why I haven’t called them yet is really beyond me. (Note to self…call for the lemon meringue pie!)
We finished out the day at Bird Bakery and Bill Miller. I had never seen many pie choices at Bird Bakery but again, they popped up online so I (reluctantly) included them. Bill Miller needs no explanation; their commissary downtown makes the pies locally to be delivered and they are always good. Better than good, actually. We had lemon meringue and apple pies at Bill Miller, and a cherry peach pie and a blueberry peach cobbler-style pie at Bird Bakery.
It was a great first day, and first round, and I even got many comments and compliments about my intentionally themed “I’m just here for the pie” t-shirt.
Round Two
- Mary Ann’s Pig Stand
- Radicke’s Bluebonnet Grill
- Central Market
- Madhatter’s Tea House and Cafe
Round two started with one of my all-time favorite places: Mary Ann’s Pig Stand. If you’re ever in San Antonio, you should definitely make a point to visit. And if you live here and haven’t been or haven’t been in a while, what are you waiting for? Mary Ann herself will probably greet you and you can bet that everyone will be friendly, the food will be good, and the pies will be even better; that day I got a slice of lemon meringue and a slice of apple.
That same day, Cindy went to Radicke’s Bluebonnet Grill for lunch and ordered two varieties for us to sample: coconut cream and chocolate cream.
Next up, I went to Central Market and got us apple, cherry and coconut cream (so as to have something to compare Radicke’s to). We finished the week at Madhatter’s Tea House and Cafe, where, several years ago, I had an amazing slice of blueberry pie. We found out that night, that the lady who used to make the fruit pies, retired a few years ago. So with Janie gone, we tried what they had: pecan and apple crumb.
Of this round’s list, Radicke’s was also a place that popped up in my online searches. I had never heard of it, and won’t lie and say I wasn’t disappointed when Cindy texted me and told me they “only” had the cream pies. Of course, that “only” ended up being another surprise in the quest! Get out of your pie comfort zone, Elda!
Round Three
- HEB
- Luby’s
- Jim’s
Well, I didn’t really think that HEB would have the best pie in town, but out of respect to the best grocery store in the universe (and wanting some pie on a Saturday afternoon), I got us a slice of lemon meringue and cherry. They were good.
This round also included one of all my all-time favorite places: Luby’s. Oh, Luby’s! Let’s just say that I knew the pies would be great, and I wasn’t wrong. Apple and cherry pies are a great way to end your big lunch at Luby’s, aka, the best cafeteria you’ve eaten at since high school (and yes, I’m talking about my high school cafeteria. Shout out to Harlandale High School!)
And then there’s Jim’s. I grew up going to Jim’s, and places like Jim’s, because my dad liked to get a good cup of coffee and smoke a cigarette while eating a good omelet, maybe a slice of pie for dessert, and talking with the friendly regulars we’d always see there. I was taken back in time to childhood (minus the cigarettes) and really, really good pies. We had the apple, pecan and lemon meringue pies at Jim’s. We also had really good conversation about pies with Tommy and Eddie at the Jim’s on San Pedro and Hildebrand. Thanks for the great experience, guys!
Round Four
- The Barn Door
- De Wese’s Tip Top Cafe
- Earl Abel’s
- Nadler’s Bakery & Deli
Round Four. The month flew by but we saved the most for last! I tried 17 different pies in the last week. Whew, again! We started at The Barn Door. How had I never been to The Barn Door before! A co-worker had recommended it to me years ago for an old-fashioned place to go for steak, and so when I saw them pop up online for pies, it seemed like perfect timing. Wow, what a great place! We tried four pies at The Barn Door: apple, cherry, lemon meringue and pecan. A few at the table said the lemon meringue was too tart, too much lemon flavor. But of course, I thought no such thing. Do yourself a favor and get down to The Barn Door for a meal. Call ahead if you go on your birthday and they’ll put your name on the sign on their roof! (They deserve an award for that alone!)
The very next day, we went to De Wese’s Tip Top Cafe. World-famous around these parts, but honestly, I don’t think I had ever been, and if I had, I don’t remember, so let’s just say I was way overdue for a visit. We tried six (yes, six) pies at Tip Top: pecan, custard, apple, blueberry, peach and an impressive looking lemon meringue masterpiece! Surprise of the night: Tip Top’s peach pie. Wow!
I keep saying this but second to last is another one of my all-time favorite places, another San Antonio legend: Earl Abel’s. I don’t care where they move to next, I’ll follow them, find parking and order pie. Seriously. Go to their new location near Pearl, order at the register, grab your lucky number, sit at a booth and wait for the some of the best pie you’ll ever have. Even if people look at you sitting there all by yourself with three slices of pie: lemon meringue, apple and cherry. You’re welcome.
Lastly, was Nadler’s Bakery & Deli. I didn’t grow up eating cakes and goodies from Nadler’s but many people in San Antonio have. They popped up on most lists and so I went and got their apple and cherry pies.
Extra credits: I ended up going back to Central Market to try their lemon meringue pie, and also went back to Pig Stand and (accidentally) got a slice of coconut cream and a sweet potato slice, too.
Honorable Mention: My friend delivered this slice of her homemade chocolate pumpkin cheesecake! We didn’t include pumpkin pies or cheesecakes in this quest but let me just say that this was damn good. I would have never thought to add chocolate atop a pumpkin cheesecake but I will now!
“You write your life story by the choices you make.” ~Helen Mirren
I don’t know about my life story, but I do need to choose as I write this blog post. I mean, that was the point, right? Right.
Let me start by saying that this was harder than I thought it would be. I tried 44 different pies from 15 different places (and one individual), and even though many of them were the same flavor categories, it was hard to choose among many of them. But here goes, and I’ll comment where I can and where it’s relevant.
Best fruit pie: the cherry pie from Luby’s was the very best fruit pie and then I’d say the apple pie from either the Pig Stand or Earl Abel’s (also, the apple pie from Jim’s is oh, so good!) both stack up very nicely.
Best lemon meringue pie: I keep going back and forth between Earl Abel’s and Pig Stand and I don’t know if I can choose! I really want to pick a winner but I also want to just eat them both. I think I’ll just continue to go to both places and eat them both. And soon, too! (And maybe stay tuned for a part II of this lemon meringue quest…)
Best surprises: the peach pie from Tip Top, the coconut cream pie from Radicke’s Bluebonnet Grill and the perfect meringue from The Bread Box (it was the best tasting meringue of all the lemon meringue pies I tasted). Why were the first two surprises? Because I’ve never been much of a peach pie or coconut cream pie kind of girl, but these were well made and the flavor was truly amazing. If you like cream pies, I highly recommend Radicke’s (the chocolate was also very good) and Tip Top has the best peach pie I’ve ever had. The peaches were perfectly cooked, and the crust was perfect, too. It was probably also the overall best crust.
Biggest disappointments: the service and quality of the pies at both Nadler’s and Bird Bakery. There was a sign in the bathroom at Bird Bakery that read something like “do not use the towel hanging on the rack, it’s only for decoration…” and well, that kind of sums up my experience there. Also, the lemon meringue pie from Central Market was pretty awful. I’m pretty sure I must have gotten a bad batch or an old pie or something, but either way, it was the worst pie of all 44 that I tasted. It makes me sad to type that but it’s the truth. Another disappointment is that while I know it’s difficult to make, many lemon meringue pies we tasted had that egg-y taste that you don’t want when eating a good lemon meringue.
Other takeaways: there is no bad pie at Bill Miller, and you know what, their lemon meringue pie isn’t too far behind the best. There are also no bad pies at Jim’s; they’re damn good! I am happy that the commissaries of both restaurants are cranking out really good pies and delivering them to a happy public. I’d like to go back to Tip Top and The Barn Door to have more pie. I have a feeling that the new baker at Tip Top can make a better lemon meringue pie than I had last week, and I’d like to give him that chance. I also really like the lemon meringue pie at The Barn Door and can’t wait to have it again. (Maybe for my birthday with my name on the roof!) God bless the people like Janie (retired baker from Madhatter’s), Victor (the baker at The Barn Door, who learned from the woman who made their pies for 30 years starting in 1953!), the sweet staff at The Bread Box, all my favorite people at Pig Stand and Earl Abel’s who continue to make life a little bit sweeter. Love y’all!
Good news: there are a lot of great bakeries and restaurants in this city, and while not all flavors (I really detest pecan pie…I know, I’m a Texan…) or styles or recipes are to my liking, they are to someone. Somewhere, someone thinks that each of the places I went to serve the best pie in San Antonio.
But who do I think is serving the best pie? That would have to be Williams’ Confectionery Crafts! Honestly, I didn’t expect that a sweet potato pie would win best pie for me. But let me just tell you, that it was. And not just because I met the woman who made the pie, and that she and her daughter (and other family members) welcomed us inside as if we were part of the Williams family ourselves, but because it was the best tasting pie. Period. The first bite I tasted gave me goosebumps. It seriously gave me goosebumps! In fact, I just got goosebumps typing that and remembering how good it was! And that mini sweet potato pie tasted just as good, if not better, the next day, when I ate the rest of it. It was honestly one of the best desserts of any kind that I have ever tasted. In my life. In my great life that I’m blessed to live where people like Mrs. Joyce Williams is making the best pie in San Antonio.
Elda Eats XO
#winloseorpie #bestpieinsa #eldaeats
Blogger’s note: I’ll update soon with the names, addresses of all the places I tasted and look forward to the comments and opinions of any readers. I also look forward to having more pie at all the great places in my beautiful city.
