12 Illinois Pie Shops That Bake Slices So Good, Even Grandma Would Ask For The Recipe

Across the state, tucked into old storefronts and sun-soaked corners, bakers roll dough before dawn and slide tin after tin into ovens that smell like butter and patience. These aren’t fancy dessert bars with foam and tweezers.

These are the real places – the ones where lattice tops sag just right, where meringue towers wobble, and where a single forkful makes you wonder if you’ve been pronouncing “pie” wrong your whole life.

I’ve chased down slices in river towns and college avenues, and I can tell you this: when a pie shop survives decades in Illinois, it’s because the crust doesn’t lie.

1. Hoosier Mama Pie Company

Walk into the butter-scented little shop on Chicago Ave, and it feels like the bell on the door rang in another era. Silky cream pies, classic latticed fruits, and slices boxed like gifts line the cases with the kind of care that makes you slow down.

Open Tuesday through Sunday, this West Town bakery has earned its reputation one fork at a time. The crust alone could win awards, but paired with seasonal fruit or velvety chocolate, it becomes something you’ll crave on random Tuesdays.

Located at 1618 W Chicago Ave, hoosiermamapie.com has all the details you need to plan your pilgrimage.

2. Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits

Sunlit tables, the clink of forks, and a chalkboard of seasonal pies that sell out on blue-sky weekends. Coffee in one hand, a wedge of key lime or chocolate chess in the other – this is how Logan Square does mornings right.

I’ve watched this place pack out by noon on Saturdays, and for good reason. The biscuits get attention, but the pies deserve equal billing. Each slice feels generous, both in size and spirit.

Open Wednesday through Sunday at 2051 N California Ave. Check their site for the latest flavors and hours.

3. First Slice Pie Café

Part neighborhood café, part mission. Order French silk or key lime and know you’re helping them feed Chicagoans in need. It’s rare to find a slice that tastes this good and does this much good at the same time.

Two locations make it easy: Andersonville at 5357 N Ashland Ave runs Monday through Saturday, ten to eight; Manor at 4664 N Manor Ave keeps daytime hours with Sunday brunch. Both spots hum with regulars who return as much for the cause as the crust.

Visit firstslice.org to learn more about their work and current menu.

4. Spinning J Bakery & Soda Fountain

A retro counter where berry crumbles and cream pies share space with house sodas. The kind of place you plan to just peek into and somehow leave crumb-dusted and smiling, wondering how thirty minutes vanished.

Humboldt Park needed a spot like this – a throwback that doesn’t feel forced. The pies rotate with the seasons, but the vibe stays constant: friendly, unhurried, and unapologetically sweet. Pair your slice with a fizzy house soda and you’ve got yourself an afternoon.

Find them at 1000 N California Ave; check spinningj.com for current daytime hours.

5. Spilt Milk Pastry

Sunlight on enamel pie tins, flaky crusts with confident, simple fillings. Apple, chocolate cream, and seasonal stunners you’ll remember by fork marks, not flowery descriptions. This Oak Park gem keeps things honest and delicious.

I’ve ordered whole pies here for dinners I wanted to impress at, and every time, the crust steals the show. It’s buttery without being greasy, crisp without shattering, and somehow both rustic and refined.

Order by the slice or the whole. Check their website for pickup details and what’s baking this week.

6. Kirschbaum’s Bakery

Since 1953, this small-town stalwart has stacked its cases with holiday pumpkin, apple, and pecan like it’s everyone’s grandma’s kitchen, only bigger. The longevity alone tells you something: people keep coming back, generation after generation.

Western Springs feels like the kind of suburb where a bakery like this belongs – rooted, reliable, and packed on Thanksgiving morning. The pies are straightforward, made the way they’ve always been made, and that’s exactly the point.

Pick up in-store at 825 Burlington Ave. Check their site for seasonal specials and hours.

7. Trefzger’s Bakery

Central Illinois’ oldest bakery, established in 1861, turns out handsome ten-inch fruit pies – apple to wild berry – alongside cream pies and seasonal pecan.

The renovated warehouse shop hums from morning on, filled with the kind of energy that only comes from doing something right for over a century.

Peoria Heights locals treat this place like a landmark, and rightly so. The pies are generous, the fillings are real, and the crust has that slight chew that tells you it was rolled by hand.

Visit them at 4416 N Prospect Rd and see history in every slice.

8. Incredibly Delicious

A French-style bakery inside the historic Weber House turns out elegant tarts and classic pies for lunch dates and Saturday strolls. Proof that a slice can be both rustic and refined, this spot bridges tradition and technique beautifully.

Springfield doesn’t always get credit for its food, but places like this remind you to pay attention. The pastry is delicate, the fillings are balanced, and the setting makes you want to linger over coffee and a second fork.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 to 3, at 925 S 7th St. Check their site for daily specials.

9. My Just Desserts

A Mississippi River day ends best with Mrs. Ledbetter’s pie or warm seasonal fruit by the slice. Handwritten menus, cozy tables, and a line that moves quickly because everyone knows their order – this is Alton’s sweet spot, literally.

I stopped in after a riverfront walk and left wishing I’d ordered two slices instead of one. The fruit pies are especially good here, baked with the kind of confidence that only comes from years of practice and a loyal crowd.

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 to 3, at 31 E Broadway in downtown Alton.

10. Underbrink’s Bakery

A since-1929 neighborhood favorite where fruit pies wear perfect crimped edges and the staff greets regulars by name. Whole pies and daily slices roll out early, so if you want the best selection, don’t sleep in.

Quincy might not be on every food map, but locals know Underbrink’s is a treasure. The pies are unpretentious, generously filled, and baked with a consistency that only decades of practice can deliver. It’s the kind of place that feels like home even on your first visit.

Stop by 1627 College Ave and grab a slice before they’re gone.

11. Yoder’s Kitchen

Come for comfort-food dinners, stay for the bakery pies. Coconut crème, peanut butter, Dutch apple – made the old-fashioned way and served by the generous slice. Whole pies to go, too, if you’re smart enough to plan ahead.

Arthur sits in the heart of Illinois Amish country, and Yoder’s Kitchen reflects that heritage in every bite. The pies are simple, honest, and filling in the best possible way. No shortcuts, no fancy twists, just the kind of dessert that makes you nod approvingly.

Check current buffet hours at 1195 E Columbia or visit yoderskitchen.net for details.

12. Eckert’s Farm Bakery

Orchard fruit meets flaky crust here: caramel-apple walnut, blueberry, strawberry-rhubarb. Pies that taste like the fields just beyond the door, because they practically are. This is farm-fresh baking at its finest, where the ingredients travel feet, not miles.

Belleville’s Eckert’s location offers more than just pies – it’s a full farm experience. But if you’re short on time, head straight to the bakery counter. The pies are baked daily, and the fruit flavors change with the harvest, so every visit feels a little different.

Bakery open daily 9 to 7 at the Belleville farm. Visit Eckert’s site for seasonal updates.