Woodruff’s Cafe & Pie Shop

Jane and Michael Stern have consistently listed Virginia as one of America’s great states for pie. For proof, you need look no further than Woodruff’s Cafe & Pie Shop. This friendly little restaurant (they only have three tables) is found on a back road in rural Virginia, just north of Lynchburg. It is housed in a two-story white building, with an attractive white awning out front.

The menu consists of sandwiches, hot dogs, and homemade sides, plus whatever is on the specials board that day. We tried the potato soup, which came with a side of cornbread. The soup could have been hotter, but we appreciated how creamy it was and that it was loaded with big hunks of potatos and carrots. The crumbly cornbread was not at all sweet and reminded me of my grandmother’s version.

But no matter what you eat, you must finish your meal with pie. The exemplary coconut pie has a firm custard filling, with lots of toasted coconut and an impossibly airy meringue. The pecan pie, which we were told is the biggest seller, was still warm from the oven. It had a brittle top, which gave way to the super-sweet and syrupy filling. As good as those were, the dessert that really grabbed our attention was the huge fried apple pie. The crust is thick and doughy; the fruit so fresh, it tastes like the apples were just picked that morning. Top that off with a healthy dose of cinnamon and you have the best fried pie I have ever had the pleasure to eat!

Even if you are not a dessert lover, this place is worth visiting for the history and atmosphere alone. Owner Angela Scott took great care of us and once we were finished eating, led us through a quick tour of the family photos. Angela’s mother, Mary Fannie Woodruff, who is well into her 90’s, sits at the back table providing the “entertainment,” as she calls it, when she isn’t baking those fabulous fried pies.