If you’re looking for the most beautiful pies in all of San Francisco, look to this Chinatown shop where SF native and two-time James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee Melissa Chou sells her masterpieces out of a window at Mister Jiu’s. Her edible works of art include an Apple and Almond Tart, Sweet Cheese Tart, Burnt Honey Pie, and a Parisian Egg Tart, all of which cost a pretty penny but are well worth the higher price tag. For Thanksgiving, there’s also a Black Sesame Apple Tart and Chocolate Hazelnut Paris-Brest.
How to order: Pre-order online for pick up between 12 pm and 2 pm. on Friday or Saturday, or go to Mister Jiu’s on Sundays from 10 am until sold out.
Okay, technically this pie made by chef Angela Pinkerton, a James Beard Award-winning pastry chef, is baked in a commercial kitchen in the East Bay, but you can pick it up in the City and that’s more than good enough for us. Pinkerton grew up baking pies with her grandmother using apples harvested from her grandparents’ Ohio orchard, so needless to say, her Caramel Apple Pie is always an excellent choice. But, so is the Key Lime Pie, Roasted Pumpkin Pie, Passion Fruit Meringue Pie (with or without gluten), her jam-packed Chicken Pot Pie, and even the vegan Pear Pie. Most are available in a nine-inch traditional size and a smaller (meant for two people, but you know what to do) five-inch “sweetie pie” size.
How to order: Pre-order online for pick-up at Dolores Deluxe on Saturdays between 10 am and 6 pm.
This new cafe and bakery in Hayes Valley from the folks behind Four Barrel Coffee, The Mill, and Tartine serves Jewish and Levantine-inspired pastries, including delicious borekas and babkas, and a selection of sweet and savory individual and full-sized tarts. Flavors include pine nut and bay leaf, preserved lemon and rosemary, Turkish coffee cream, pistachio cream puff, and a seasonal galette.
How to order: Right now the only way to order is by walking in. Call 415-994-6594 with questions.
This family-owned bakery specializes in a contemporary, European-American style of baking, which as far as we can tell means you can get a really good cream-based scone, a glorious mille-feuille, and also a classic chewy chocolate chip cookie. But we’re here to talk about pies. Fillmore Bakeshop is known for its fruit pies—apple, blackberry, wild blueberry, apricot, cherry—made with an all-butter pie crust and fresh fruit thickened with its own juices. Whole pies are available, but this is also the perfect spot to enjoy a slice and a cup of coffee.
How to order: Walk in during business hours (you can call ahead to see what’s available). If you want to place an order, call 415-923-0711 by 1 pm the previous day.
If you don’t live near this neighborhood gem, it’s worth an excursion to oh-so-charming and often-overlooked Glen Park to get pastries and pies off the rolling racks at this no-frills bakery. Year-round, you’ll find some of the best tarts in the city, available in flavors like banana cream, chocolate, lemon, strawberry, apple, and raspberry. During the weekends, you can usually find a pie version of at least one of those flavors (always apple), and during the holiday season, you can get 9” single-crust pies rolled out in graham cracker crumbs (prevents soggy bottoms) in apple, pumpkin, pecan (even if you don’t like pecan, you’ll like this pecan—not too sweet and not too many pecan chunks), and sweet potato, and double-crust pies in marionberry and vegetarian mincemeat.
How to order: Stop by during store hours or call 415-469-0730 for pre-orders and to check availability.
During most times of the year, you won’t find a lot of pie options at this women-owned bakery that uses allergen-friendly products (vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and soy free), but during the holidays, it’s the spot for beautiful and delicious pies. Choose from Apple Cardamom Crumble Pie topped with house-made caramel, Pecan Pie topped with whole pecans around the crust, and Pumpkin Pie topped with candied pumpkin seeds.
How to order: Order holiday pies online through the end of the year. You can also pick them up in-store during the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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