You’re going to hear a lot about pies starting right about...now. There's a lot of new-school bakeries that are great, but for this guide, we want to honor those who came before the new school, those vintage businesses that have been stuffing Angelenos' pie holes since your grandad was a kid and the Valley was more citrus than asphalt.
Without further ado, here are L.A.'s 14 best old-school pie destinations.
Philippe The Original
Established In: 1908, a classic luncheonette credited with the invention of the French dip and long popular with cops, working Angelenos, nostalgic Angelenos, and Dodger fans, who come before the game to worship at its great shines of Dodger bobbleheads and memorabilia.
Pies You May Find: Cherry, lemon meringue, chocolate cream, blueberry, and pumpkin.
The Pick: Apple pie, crusty, golden, classic as the rest of the place, and bursting with fall-spiced stone fruit.
1001 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro A, B, D, and J (910/950) Lines - "Union Station" or Bus Lines 28, 33, 40, 70, 76, 78, 96, or 106 - “Cesar E Chavez/Alameda.”
Pie ‘n Burger
Established In: 1963, an iconic coffee shop in the old soda fountain mold, neon, wood laminate counters, swivel chairs, and all.
Pies You May Find: A meringue section that’s six items long, including banana, peanut butter, lemon, and coconut, as well as a hearty list of fresh fruit pies and dedicated classics like rhubarb, Dutch apple, baked peach, pecan, custard, boysenberry, and a seasonal mincemeat pie.
The Pick: Butterscotch meringue pie, buttery, custardy, and sweet.
913 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91106. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 177 - “California/Lake” or Bus Lines 267 and 662 - "Del Mar/Lake."
The Apple Pan
Established In: 1947, and still packed daily at its u-shaped counter where simple burgers and handmade pie slices fly at Westside families and familiars six days a week, 258 days a year.
Pies You May Find: Apple pie a la mode, strawberry cream, banana cream, pecan, coconut cream.
The Pick: Boysenberry cream pie.
10801 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064. Closest transit lines and stop: Metro E Line - "Westwood/Rancho Park Station" or Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Lines 7, 8, R7, R12 and Culver CityBus Line 3 - "Pico/Westwood."
Cindy’s
Established In: 1948, offering a wide menu of breakfast and lunch classics, along with daily baked fresh fruit pies in a sixties-hued diner ripped straight from central casting.
Pies You May Find: Key lime, Derby pie, tart cherry almond crumble, peanut butter and jelly hand pies, banana cream, strawberry rhubarb, peach cobbler, chocolate cream, banana cream, pecan.
The Pick: Southern lemon pie.
1500 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 180 - "Colorado/Loleta."
Cassell’s Hamburgers
Established In: 1948, and since moved and reopened in the Hotel Normandie under new owners, who still make the burgers using founder Al Cassell’s old grinder, patty press, and double broiler.
Pies You May Find: Coconut cream, strawberry-blackberry cobbler a la mode, pumpkin, banana butterscotch, Ding Dong pie, chocolate peanut butter, dulce de leche banana cream.
The Pick: Banana cream, especially when it has the Oreo crust.
3600 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA, 90020. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro D Line, Bus Lines 20 or 720 - "Wilshire/Normandie Station" or Bus Lines 18 and 206 - "6th/Normandie."
House Of Pies
Established In: 1969, you still go here for the pie with a drip coffee or the authentic L.A./Tarantino stark diner vibes. Or both. Or you don’t go.
Pies You May Find: Changing seasonal specialties of fresh fruit and cream pies, including peach, pecan, key lime, blueberry, cherry, Dutch apple, Bavarian chocolate cream, chocolate banana cream, coconut, pumpkin, and butterscotch cream.
The Pick: Strawberry cream pie, for the best of both worlds.
1869 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 180 - "Vermont/Franklin."
27th Street Bakery
Established In: 1956, run by the third generation of founder Harry Patterson’s family and still housed in the same landmark corner brick building.
Pies You May Find: Pecan, pumpkin, and peach cobbler.
The Pick: Sweet potato pie, its signature pie since opening.
2700 S. Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90011. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 53 and 55 - "Central/Adams."
Polly’s
Established In: 1968, first opening in Fullerton before expanding and functioning as a DL option to Coco’s and Marie Callender's with its extensive menu of pie slices and whole pies, including pies to finish at home and Splenda-sweetened pies.
Pies You May Find: Chocolate silk, lemon meringue, egg custard, rhubarb, apricot, blueberry, cherry, coconut cream.
The Pick: The renowned apple pie, and Banberry pie, which melds the charms of bananas to the power of strawberries.
13 locations in L.A., O.C., and Riverside.
DuPar’s
Established In: 1938, and still baking its pies daily in its red leather-boothed, 24-hour Farmers Market diner, once found in multiple locations across the Southland.
Pies You May Find: Seasonal mincemeat, chocolate meringue, seasonal sweet potato, pumpkin, pecan, blueberry, boysenberry, raspberry, coconut custard, chocolate cream, Oreo cheesecake.
The Pick: Southern pecan, green apple, two of its enshrined classics.
6333 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90036 at the Fairfax Farmers Market. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 16, 217, and 218 - "3rd/Fairfax."
King’s Hawaiian Bakery
Established In: 1988, eleven years after the brand behind your favorite squishy bread came to the mainland with its Torrance factory.
Pies You May Find: Banana macadamia, pumpkin chiffon cream cheese pie, pecan, key lime, custard.
The Pick: Chocolate haupia pie adds a layer of coconut milk pudding with a layer of chocolate cream beneath a herringbone pattern of dobash and a chocolate mousse crown.
2808 Sepulveda Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505. Closest transit lines and stop: Torrance Transit Line 7 - "Sepulveda/Hickory" or Torrance Transit Line 10 - "Crenshaw/Sepulveda."
Millie’s Restaurant & Bakery
Established In: 1980, with a country cute diner filled wall-to-wall with folksy Americana bric-a-brac and loyal fans.
Pies You May Find: Banana cream, chocolate cream, cherry, peach, strawberry-rhubarb, mixed berry.
The Pick: Apple pie with its latticed crust.
16840 Vanowen St. Van Nuys, CA 91406. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 165, 235, and 236 - "Vanowen/Balboa."
Doan’s Bakery
Established In: 1983, by the same family running it today using recently departed owner Karen Doan’s recipes, including a small selection of cobblers and pies
Pies You May Find: Chocolate chip cookie, apple, blueberry cobbler, peach cobbler, raspberry cobbler, seasonal sweet potato, seasonal pumpkin.
The Pick: Chocolate pecan pie, deep dish apple pie.
22526 Ventura Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 91364. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 161 - "Ventura/Sale" or Bus Line 162 - "Fallbrook/Ventura."
The Gourmet Cobbler Factory
Established In: 2002, specializing in handmade fresh fruit cobblers from Southern-raised owner Clifton Powell
Pies You May Find: Apple, cherry, blueberry, blackberry, lemon meringue, mixed berry.
The Pick: Peach cobbler, which hardly stays on the shelves before selling out.
33 N. Catalina Ave. Pasadena, California 91106. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 180 and 686 - "Colorado/Catalina" or Bus Line 662 - "Colorado/Lake."
This guide was originally published in 2024.
