Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere
Mission Pie
Review by: ayersian
*** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED ***
Mission Pie is named not only for the famous San Francisco street where it’s located, but also for its overarching philosophy: to provide at-risk youth with a meaningful, community-based work experience in baking pies. Its promise of sustainability ranges from locally farmed ingredients and reclaimed building materials to offering tap water in lieu of costly bottled water and a 25-cent bring-your-own-cup discount on coffee and tea drinks. It’s all part of the Bay Area’s—and the state of California’s—long-standing commitment to the environment, but pie-lovers come here for their impeccable baked goods.
The fun of visiting our foodie pal Erin often involves trying new foods. She’d never had sweet potato pie before, and we’d never even heard of Lemon Shaker Pie. The sweet potato was smooth, creamy yet substantial, and redolent of cinnamon. The Lemon Shaker was baked with whole lemon rinds but was not at all tart as one might expect: sweet lemony pulp sheathed in flaky crust with coarse sugar sprinkled on top. This pie was so delicious that we immediately bought a whole one to take home. And let’s not forget the banana cream! This is definitely the best example of this classic west of the Mississippi, with soft banana slices, custardy thick filling, and light cream topping. These pies are not tall and showy, but Mission Pie produces some beautiful pies with lots of love and a wise vision for the future.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | No |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Mission Pie Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Mission Pie?
2 Responses to “Mission Pie”
bluerroses
June 22nd, 2022
Sadly, Mission Pie closed a couple of years ago.
Joe Seiwert
September 20th, 2011
Mission Pie takes its name from Mission Street, a lively, gritty, and sensual neighborhood that teems with day and night activity and ethnic pleasures of the gustatory kind. It is easily accessible by bus lines from Van Ness Boulevard adjacent to downtown (47 and 49). It’s also down the street from two other equally remarkable Roadfood places, Taqueria San Jose and Dianda’s Italian Pastries.
Is there a greater concentration of Roadfood recommendations anywhere else in the world? Mission Street is, of course, named for Mission Dolores, the San Francisco Mission of Spanish colonial origin, which is a pilgrimage of another kind to this section of the city. The bakers at Mission Pie have made it their mission to produce savory and sweet pies of incomparable creation.
San Francisco is the home of the local food movement, and Mission Pie is a devotee with no ingredients produced further than 100 miles from the bakery. Ingredients and offerings are seasonal, resulting in a fresh and winsome pastry. I did not know I liked peach pie. In fact, I was sure I did not. I was wrong, and I do. It is that good.
The pastry is the star. It is flaky and flavorful, and provides a salty contrast to the sweet fillings. To the savory fillings, it is the spice that intensifies the flavor of the potato and green chile tart, or the spinach and goat cheese quiche.
A visit to this section would be worthwhile for the pie alone; with the proximity of other Roadfood destinations, one might well plan a life here, or at least a morning, afternoon, or evening.