Where to Find the Best Pies in Boston Right Now
You deserve a slice—or five.
The cookie dough brownie pie from Elm Street Sweets. / Photo by Brian Samuels Photography
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s important to know that it’s still possible for us to celebrate this year—even if the pandemic will make for a much shorter guest list. All merry-making begins, though, with one essential component: pie. (And there’s no better comfort food to calm those election-season anxieties!) Whatever your taste may be, Boston is home to a full roster of delectable options, from bourbon pecan to Southern mud pie, as well as classic slices of pumpkin and apple. So when it’s a flaky, buttery crust you crave, turn to this guide to the best pies you’ll find in Boston.
Bova’s Bakery
This North End bakery is a 24-hour operation, so you can always find a sugar fix here. Though the generations-old business is best known for Italian pastries like cannoli, tiramisu, and lobster tails, the pies are also superb. In particular, the pecan pie stands out with its caramel flavor and glazed top, while cherry and mile-high apple pie are similarly excellent standards available anytime. But keep an eye out for seasonal specialties such as the pumpkin pie, which has a cinnamon and nutmeg flavored filling mixed with ricotta cheese, all embedded in a crunchy, flaky shell.
134 Salem Street, Boston, 617-523-5601, bovabakeryboston.net.
Photo by Deluxe Town Diner via Yelp
Deluxe Town Diner
Retaining much of the original, classic-diner design that first lured neighborhood folks decades ago, this Watertown fixture has been serving up homemade pies for ages. Customers still come for the quintessential double-crust apple pie and the cherry crumb pie, topped with walnuts (and sometimes oatmeal). But don’t forget to ask the friendly staff about their seasonal special—spoiler: It’s currently a fudge pie.
627 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown, 617-926-8400, deluxetowndiner.com.
Drive-By Pies
Once upon a time, Drive-By Pies founder Fran Kolenik delivered her customers desserts by car straight from her home kitchen. Now she has a brick-and-mortar bakery in Brookline, offering a sumptuous array of toothsome treats—from her fluffy pumpkin cream pie to a pear and salted caramel pie with subtle, buttery undertones. Another highlight is the chocolate cream pie, which arrives with a velvety helping of pudding set within a flaky crust, plus ample heaps of whipped cream on top.
248A Cypress Street, Brookline, 617-879-6210, drive-bypies.com.
The pie sampler from Elm Street Sweets. / Courtesy photo
Elm Street Sweets
Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar, a regional comfort-food restaurant housed inside an iconic diner car in Davis Square, has sprung a new branch: Elm Street Sweets, a bakery that crafts cakes, cookies, and signature pies. The pastry team’s key lime pie, in particular, is sublime—with tart, tangy flavor, an airy tier of cream, and a crisp graham cracker crust. Notable mentions also go to the banana bourbon cream pie and the peanut butter fudge pie, which boasts a light layer of peanut butter mousse topped with milk chocolate ganache. Whatever you order, you’ll pick up your pie from Rosebud or sibling restaurant Posto Bedford.
Elm Street Sweets, elmstreetsweets.com; Rosebud, 381 Summer Street, Somerville, 617-629-9500, rosebudkitchen.com; Posto Bedford, 158 Great Road, Bedford, 781-271-9100, postoboston.com.
Flour Bakery + Cafe
James Beard award-winning pastry chef Joanne Chang is the powerhouse behind the popular Flour empire throughout the Boston area—and unsurprisingly, each location is a quality stop for well-crafted sweets. Just don’t be misled by the understated café settings, because the pies are heavenly showstoppers. Take the lemon meringue pie: Citrus lemon curd piled high with a foamy meringue that has been torched to yield an even brownness. Then there’s the chocolate cream pie made of a dark, potent pudding and garnished with milk chocolate curls. And finally, we’re big fans of the coconut cream pie, composed of a delicate, ethereal custard covered in toasted coconut shreds.
1595 Washington Street, Boston, 617-267-4300, flourbakery.com; additional locations.
Greenhills Bakery
This Dorchester bakery is where locals head for a tried-and-true lineup of pastries rooted in Irish tradition and family recipes—including myriad pie varieties. The rhubarb pie is an unexpected highlight: It’s made simpler, without the usual strawberries, and features a lightly sweetened crust. Then there’s the blueberry pie, which combines small Maine wild berries with a splash of lemon juice and a bit of cinnamon, as well as the iconic apple pie, which uses fresh, brightly flavored fruit from an orchard in Attleboro, Mass. One thing they all have in common? They’re clearly made with care.
780 Adams Street, Dorchester, 617-825-8187, greenhillsirishbakery.com.
Lyndell’s Bakery
Somerville’s Ball Square is home to Lyndell’s Bakery, a neighborhood favorite that has been serving European-style treats since 1887. Lyndell’s offers a delicious range of pie offerings, including blueberry, lemon, and pecan. But allow us to bring your attention to their creamy ricotta pie: Its rustic filling, sweetened and flavored with vanilla essence and lemon zest, marries the taste of a cannoli to the consistency of a cheesecake. If you’re a fan of flan, meanwhile, check out the praiseworthy custard pie topped with toasted coconut. All the pastries are baked from scratch daily and reflect an old-fashioned charm that’s sure to satisfy every sweet tooth.
720 Broadway, Somerville, 617-625-1793, lyndells.com.
Photo by Petsi Pies via Yelp
Petsi Pies
If you’ve spent any time in Somerville, you’ve probably heard of Petsi Pies, a bakery and coffee shop that specializes in truly beautiful handmade pies and pastries. The selection runs the gamut: The chocolate bourbon pecan pie—with its rich, dense, luxurious chocolate filling and sprinkling of toasted nuts—is sure to be a favorite. The sweet potato pie, meanwhile, rounds out its smooth texture with warming accents of ginger and brown sugar. And don’t miss out on the apple, pear, and cranberry pie, with its walnut crumb topping, or the Mississippi mud, made with imported Belgian chocolate.
285 Beacon Street, Somerville, 617-661-7437, petsipies.com.
