The Ultimate Pie Shop Road Trip In Nebraska Is As Charming As It Is Sweet
We’ll happily go to great lengths to find the perfect dessert in Nebraska, and that includes hopping in a car and driving for several hours to try some of the best pies in the state. If you’re game, this little road trip will lead you to six restaurants serving unforgettable, mouthwatering pie. If you approach it like a mission to collect pies and get home with said pies as quickly as possible, it’ll take you just over seven hours of drive time. But we recommend taking it a little slower so you can enjoy the scenery along the way.
Our journey begins in Newmans Grove and ends in Columbus, making a neat almost-circle. However, you can modify the map to fit your preferred start and end points or to only visit one or two of the shops.
Let's begin our pie odyssey in Newman Grove, where City Cafe draws in hungry patrons from all across Nebraska for its famous pies. You'll obviously want to eat a slice or two there, but trust us - pick up a whole pie or two to take home because you'll be craving it as soon as you've polished off the last bite.
Next, we'll head to South Sioux City, right on the South Dakota border. It's inside a truck stop, but don't let that put you off. This homey diner serves everything you want to find in a small-town eatery: homestyle food, friendly service, and pie with meringue so high it touches the sky. There are plenty of other varieties, of course, but it's SO satisfying to dig into that mound of fluffy meringue!
We're going to deviate just a tiny bit from the definition of "pie" used at the other restaurants on this list. Carter & Rye is a delightful takeout-only pie shop serving hand pies in a huge variety of flavors, both savory and sweet. There's a hand pie here for every occasion and every taste. And the bakery's tagline - "You're the hot one" - is reflective of the owners' commitment to empowering and improving their community.
No list of Nebraska pie shops would be complete without the classic Lincoln destination, Stauffer's. It's a down-home, casual kind of place that happens to have a plethora of pies in every variety. If you really want to impress your family at the next holiday gathering, bring one of these babies and watch everyone fight for the last piece.
This sweet cafe in Grand Island has been a local favorite for years. It's time the secret got out, though: the pies here are beyond mouthwatering and worthy of a visit on their own. This slice of peanut butter chocolate pie looks unbelievable, but resist the urge to lick your screen - it'll only result in disappointment. Don't ask how we know.
For our final stop, we'll visit the adorable Picket Fence Cafe in Columbus. Come in for a meal and stay for the pie...or just do what we do and come in for a few pies to take home. Fun fact: fruit pies used to be breakfast for hungry ranch hands and farmers - so you don't have to feel bad about eating a few slices of apple pie for breakfast! You're welcome.
Will you be embarking on this outrageously tasty road trip anytime soon? A trip visiting ALL of Nebraska’s great pie shops would take forever, so tell us in the comments about your favorite place to get pie in Nebraska! While you’re at it, head on over to our Nominations page to suggest more irresistible pie shops or other small businesses that you’d like to see featured in a future article.
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As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
