Sandy’s owner Peterson Harter with a slice of blueberry pie from Pop’s Creole.
Published Jun. 30, 2026at6:00am
In the Bay Area, every season is pie season. Summer days come with the promise of juicy blueberry or strawberry rhubarb pies made with fruit sourced from local farms. Sweet potato, pumpkin, and pecan-studded masterpieces announce the arrival of fall. For some fanatics, pies are the only acceptable dessert to slice into on birthdays, no matter the time of year, and are non-negotiable during the winter holidays.
What the San Francisco pie scene lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. Here, 10 chefs, owners, and pastry chefs share their picks for the best places to find a slice or a whole pie — sweet or savory.
Peterson Harter, owner, Sandy’s
Gumbo, blueberry pie, mushroom brioche, and barbecue shrimp pot pie at Pop’s Creole. | Source: Chris Behroozian for The Standard
Favorite spot: Pop’s Creole, see Instagram for pop-up details (opens in new tab)
“Just like a good sandwich, a good pie should be messy,” Harter says between bites of crumbly, gooey blueberry pie from Pop’s Creole, a Bay Area pop-up known for New Orleans-style fare. Like towner and chef Gabe LaMothe, Harter is from Louisiana and has higher-than-usual expectations for food representing his hometown. But after one bite of LaMothe’s signature pie, made with salty-sweet buttermilk custard and blueberries wrapped in a laminated shell, Harter knew it was the real deal. “He is doing it the right way,” Harter says. “Buttermilk custard — I mean, that’s speaking my language.”
Alexis Rorabaugh, chef and owner, Rose Pizzeria
Pies in the pastry case at Tartine Bakery. | Source: Gado/Getty Images
Favorite spot: Tartine Bakery, 600 Guerrero St., Mission
Like many in San Francisco, Rorabaugh has a long-standing love for Tartine’s luscious banana cream pie. She and her mother have been visiting the famed corner bakery in the Mission since 2007. Over the years, their order has become a tradition: an asparagus tartine, an espresso, and the main attraction — a slice of that pie. The flaky pastry shell is coated in dark chocolate and caramel, filled with a shockingly delightful mountain of sliced bananas and topped with a cloud of sweet cream and chocolate shavings. “Whenever I drive by the OG bakery, I almost always stop and buy one just to bring to my mom to share.”
Monique Feybesse, chef and owner, Tarts de Feybesse
Maison Nico in Jackson Square. | Source: Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard
Favorite spot: Maison Nico, 710 Montgomery St., Jackson Square
Feybesse is decidedly team pie. The celebrated pastry chef shells out high praise for the “killer” savory tortes and Parisian flans at Maison Nico — hard-to-find pastries in the Bay Area. She explains that unlike Spanish or Filipino flan, the Parisian version at this patisserie is more akin to pie since the luscious vanilla custard gets baked into a flaky puff pastry or croissant dough. “You can see all the layers,” she says. “They’re so, so delicious.”
Yesenia Castañon, pastry director, JouJou and Lazy Bear
Favorite spot: Tutuli at Tahona Mercado, 1168 Leavenworth St., Nob Hill
On the weekend, Castañon treks to Tahona Mercado for coyotas, which she describes as empanada-like Mexican pastries traditionally filled with jams or caramel. Her favorites are the guava jam-filled versions from Tutuli, a Bay Area-owned bakery whose round coyotas are easily identified by the charming cactus scrawled on the front. “They’re handheld, unfussy, and perfect when you want something sweet on the go.”
Jason Halverson, chef, Hi Neighbor Restaurant Group
Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
Favorite spot: Dingles Public House, 333 Fulton St., Hayes Valley
It took just one bite of Dingle’s beef and Guinness pie to get Halverson hooked. “I remember immediately understanding why people are obsessed with them,” he says. The rich and deeply savory single-serve pie is served over a bed of mashed potatoes with bone marrow on the side, making it a comfort that inspires Halverson to slow down and savor every bite. “To be fair, the entire Dingle’s menu does this to me, but the pie is special.” If you want the full Halverson experience, get an order of the fish and chips and let your spoon wander over to the curry sauce, scoop up some pie, and finish with a splash of vinegar. “The pie is fantastic all on its own, but sometimes my spoon has a mind of its own, and these little ‘accidents’ somehow work ridiculously well together.”
Jake Godby, owner, Humphry Slocombe
Favorite spot: Three Babes Bakeshop, 2797 16th St., Mission
“A good pie seems sadly rare, at least in these parts,” Godby says. But when you find them, you’re handsomely rewarded. In addition to Black Jet Bakery’s sour cherry or coconut cream pie, he cites Three Babes Bakeshop’s classic, all-American apple pie, made with organic Northern California fruit and sweet cream butter, and finished with hand-fluted edges. “It’s the ideal version of a Midwest Mom pie,” he says. “That and a scoop of vanilla and a cup of black coffee are all I need.”
Justin Lanska, chef and owner, Gold Star Tacos
Favorite spot: Peasant Pies, 1039 Irving St., Inner Sunset
If you need a pie recommendation of any kind, Lanska is your guy. Hanging out near UC Davis, where he went to school? Visit Ikedas. Have a hankering for banana cream at 1 a.m.? Head to your nearest Nation’s Giant Hamburgers. (His love runs so deep that he once made a pilgrimage to England so he could work in pubs and develop a deeper understanding of British pies.) Other than popular pop-up Oven Lovin, Lanska has fond memories of Peasant Pies in the Inner Sunset. Savory handheld pies are harder to find in the city, he says, so he recommends any of them, including the beef and potato or the clam and spicy tomato.
Gabe LaMothe, chef and owner, Pop’s Creole
Pie at Black Jet Baking Co. | Source: Sara Deseran/The Standard
Favorite spot: Black Jet Baking Co., 833 Cortland Ave., Bernal Heights
“Not knocking cake, but to me, I feel like there’s so much more you can do with pie,” LaMothe says. Years in Louisiana gave him a special appreciation for savory renditions stuffed with boudin sausage and regional specialties like crawfish pot pie. In San Francisco, when his craving hits — especially around the holidays — he heads to Black Jet for chicken pot pie, loaded with fresh herbs. “Their crust is next level too — no soggy bottoms ever!”
Marisa Williams, pastry chef and owner, Sol Bakery
Favorite spot: Grand Opening, 2311 Magnolia St., Oakland
Years ago, Williams worked under Melissa Chou at Mister Jiu’s and is still a fan of everything she makes. Williams calls the burnt honey pie at Chou’s Grand Opening “addictive” — a bewitching combination of wild honey-infused custard topped with bee pollen-dusted sabayon, all housed in a delicate, crisp pastry shell. “It’s hard not to keep eating the entire pie,” Williams admits. “It’s a good one to bring home to your family.”
Ryan Shelton, chef and owner, Merchant Roots and Bar Orso
Favorite spot: Gus’s Community Market, 1530 Haight St., Upper Haight
When the craving hits — and it’s too late to get a slice of the salted honey maple pie from his go-to, Black Jet Baking Co. — Shelton snags a slice of marionberry from Gus’s Community Market. On top of being a satisfying option that will scratch the itch, it’s one of the most convenient dessert options. “You can just Instacart one slice. It’s always in every one of my carts when I check out!”
Nathan Kruse, owner, Hi-NRG
Favorite spot: Mercury Cafe, 201 Octavia St., Lower Haight
Kruse makes his way to Mercury Cafe on the busy, eastern-most edge of the Lower Haight when he wants a slice of pie and a low-key vibe. At the counter, he orders a seasonal berry pie, which he eats partially for the sweet yet tart filling but mostly for the buttery layer of caramelized sugar and fruit that sits between the filling and crust. To finish things off, he goes with a classic pairing: a cup of medium-roast drip.