Perfect Slice: Best Seattle-Area Pie Shops

Flaky, buttery crust filled with ripe baked fruit, luscious cream or savory meats and veggies: There’s nothing quite as nice as pie, at just about any time of day or any time of year. A slice for all seasons, pie never goes out of style, but it’s an especially important part of the winter holidays for many families. If you’re looking for that quintessential dessert for your holiday table or next family gathering, we’ve done the homework (and it was delicious!) to bring you plenty of tasty options. It was easy as, well, pie.

Baked from the Hart

Owner Bill Hart has been baking pies for more than 50 years, truly making them with love from the heart. He bakes in his cozy Mount Baker shop, which serves a limited selection of favorites, as well as his own unique pie flavors. Individual pies fit perfectly inside the palm of your hand, so it’s easy to try more than one! Hart’s Sweet Bean Supreme specialty is made with sweetened navy beans — but the kids will never know if you don’t tell them they’re in there. He also makes chess pie (four options to choose from!) with a rich Southern-style custard. If you grew up in the Midwest or the South, his buttermilk pie will conjure childhood memories, and his sweet potato pie has just the right amount of cinnamon and spice. The apple pie was so good, I ate it all with no regrets. There’s seating inside and outside the shop, but to-go orders are fine, too.

Holiday pick: At Thanksgiving, Hart offers all of his full-size pies in every flavor. Call in your order before they’re all gone.

Location: 2801 S. Hanford St., Seattle

Simply Soulful Cafe

A loving dedication to Mary Elizabeth Hammond graces the entrance to Simply Soulful Cafe. “Mama” Mary’s homestyle Southern recipes are reproduced daily by her daughter and granddaughter in the Simply Soulful kitchen. The cafe located at 23rd Avenue and Jackson Street, serves Deep South entrée favorites, such as pork chops, catfish and cornbread, and generous helpings of peach cobbler. The restaurant also caters special events and holiday meals, and pies can be ordered as individual tarts. Pre-order whole pies, such as the homey apple crumble or nutty pecan for pickup or delivery. Your family will love the local Southern flavor with options from dinner to dessert.

Holiday pick: The sweet potato pie, which tastes like autumn sunshine, is an easy choice to serve family from near and far during the holiday season.

Location: 2321 S. Jackson St., Seattle

Pie Wine Bar

Pie Wine Bar’s grand reopening in 2024 introduced Chef Brad, the shop’s new pastry chef. Brad hails from New England, where his grandfather owned and ran a bakery, and gave Brad his first pie lessons. Pie Wine Bar’s rotating menu includes savory pies, such as steak and ale, and vegetable curry with flaky phyllo-like crust. Try the triple berry crumble for a bite of jammy goodness. The restaurant seating is family-friendly, and the bar offers flights and tastings from Wilridge Winery, Washington’s only certified organic and biodynamic winery and distillery. Wine club members are also treated to special wine and pie pairing events.

Holiday pick: To elevate his traditional desserts for the holidays, Chef Brad is incorporating brandies into traditional pies such as harvest pumpkin and pecan. Find pre-ordering instructions online.

Location: 19255 Woodinville-Snohomish Rd., No. 2, Woodinville

Pie Bird Bakeshop

Pie Bird Bakeshop was founded in 2018 by Seattle-born and -raised resident Hannah Jacobsen, whose origin story begins with the wild-picked-blackberry pies she baked with her grandfather every summer while growing up. For her, pie is truly a family activity. She hails from a long line of entrepreneurs and learned to bake professionally at Petee’s Pie Company in New York City before opening her business here.

By the time I reached her booth at the Ballard Farmers Market one Sunday, many of her pies had already sold out. I recommend not waiting to try her creations. If you get there with time to spare, I highly recommend Jacobsen’s raspberry tart — it was amazing! Pie Bird offers fruit, custard, cream and savory pies at local farmers markets. the University District Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; at the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; and at the Bellevue Farmers Market on Thursdays, 3–7 p.m. Can’t wait for the next farmers market opportunity? Join the Pie Club, which delivers pies to your doorstep monthly.

Holiday pick: Start a new holiday tradition when you serve the chocolate tahini pie for dessert.

Location: Available at the University District, Ballard and Bellevue farmers markets.

Dahlia Bakery

Dahlia is the home of Seattle restaurant guru Tom Douglas’ “world famous triple coconut cream pie.” It’s been on the menu at the Dahlia Lounge since 1989 and is included in “The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook.” It’s the decadent marrying of a buttery crust, coconut pastry cream, piles of whipped cream, shaved white chocolate curls, and a toasted coconut topping that makes this dessert so divine. The pie comes in a 9- or 6-inch round, or as smaller tarts called “coco bites” for individual servings.

Holiday pick: Order the triple coconut cream pie online in advance for an option that will give your holiday season a tropical flair.

Location: 2001 Fourth Ave., Seattle

Pie Dive Bar

Mosey along historic First Street in downtown Snohomish, and you’ll come to Pie Dive Bar. Sure, it’s a bar, but savory and sweet pies are the big draw. Along with its comfortable lodge-like aesthetic (complete with mounted ducks poised overhead), the establishment offers plenty of seating for families. As Pie Dive’s baker reminds customers, it never skimps on ingredients. Its Humble Crumble is mouthwatering (it was an award winner on Food Network’s “Bake You Rich”) and is probably the best bite of pie I’ve ever tasted. The pie is a luscious combination of Granny Smith apples, marionberries, raspberries, strawberries and streusel, and each sweet slice is served with a side of rich vanilla ice cream. Bring the kids for the cookies and cream pie and a mocktail, as the menu suggests. Or if you’re feeling hungry, try the Thanksgiving savory pie, served all year long. (Yes, it includes the stuffing and the cranberry sauce!) Whole pies can be conveniently ordered online.

Holiday pick: The most popular holiday pies are autumn pumpkin and the chocolate cream with candy cane crumbles.

Location: 921 First St., Snohomish

Dr. Terry’s Pies

Dr. Terry has been baking and selling pies locally for nearly 25 years. When he’s not in the kitchen, you can find him singing in a barbershop quartet, or donning his jolly red suit and working as one of St. Nick’s helpers, posing for Santa photos and sending messages to the North Pole on behalf of eager children. For the past 14 years, Dr. Terry has given demonstrations on how to make the perfect pie crust at the Washington State Fair in its culinary kitchen. His made-to-order pies include unique flavors such as pear browned butter crunch, Lemon Luscious, tayberry, and Rainier and bing cherry layered pies. Call or text Dr. Terry at 253-439-9646 to order your two-pie minimum order in advance for pickup in Puyallup. Pies can also be shipped anywhere in the U.S. via UPS.

Holiday pick: You can preorder some of the freezer-friendly pies for the holidays, selecting from: Decadent Brown Butter Pecan, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, or his Grandma’s Apple Pie with Dr. Terry’s Frosting & Sprinkles (see recipe below).

Location: Puyallup