Best Pies in Utah / Best Key Lime Pies in Utah

Best Pies in Utah
(below that, AT BOTTOM OF PAGE, is 
Best Key Lime Pies in Utah)

- revised 14 Jan 21

Check out our Best Peach Cobbler in Utah, Best Desserts in Utah, Best Ice Cream in Utah, and OTHER FOOD REVIEWS at TasterTestersClub.BlogSpot.com 


The best ever were at the Coffee Cup Cafe in Ruskin, Florida, from 1917-1997 (with regular Tampa Tribune newspaper write-ups and people coming from all over the state to eat there). Nothing else we've had comes close except those listed below:

THE FIRST LIST below are Pies that are regularly available. The SECOND LIST are those that are only served on occasion at some restaurants:

BEST PIES IN UTAH - NEW FIRST LIST

in order:

A-

Ginger peach: Shabu's, Park City Main St. 

Mixed berry with raspberry sauce (must eat this pie same day as made!) : Shabu's

Banana Cream: Left Fork Grill, Midvale 

Chocolate Pecan Pie: The Harvest, Alpine 

Coconut cream: Croshaws', St. George

Sour cream apple: Croshaws

German chocolate cream: Croshaws

Chocolate cream: Croshaws

Seasonal (June): Fresh Strawberry: Croshaws

Seasonal (June): Fresh Strawberry: Maddox (Layton and Brigham City)

Seasonal (August-September): Fresh Peach: Maddox 

B+

Very Berry - Croshaws

Apple - Croshaws

Blueberry, layered - Croshaws 

Blueberry, layered (also) - Left Fork Grill

Coconut Cream - Lion House Pantry, SLC

Cream Cheese pie - Marie Calendars, SLC  (best of Marie's)

Sour Cream Apple - Marie Calendars, SLC

B/B+

Lemon cream cheese - Marie Calendars

Double cream blueberry - Marie Calendars

Custard pie - Marie Calendars

Buttermilk pie with only raspberry sauce (without whipped cream) - Magleby's

Banana cream - Village Inn (pudding like texture a drawback)

Note: Missing from above list is June's Pies in Heber, which we have tested all of, but will try again for this test. As with most places, they range from very good to fair.

  
SECOND LIST - the pie shops
Historical note: The peanut butter pie and key lime pie at Soul and Bones, Ogden, were both best in the state for those flavors; but it's now out of business. Some of Rhonda's Pies in American Fork were also amazing. 

Chocolate Cream Pies
Fillings rated at room temperature and when (cold)
2017 test
BEST ONE NO LONGER MADE: Penny Ann's Cafe A (cold A)

1. Croshaws, A-

1a. Croshaws German Chocolate A-
2. Village Inn Pecan Silk Supreme (cold B/B+)
3. Trader Joe's Belgian Chocolate Pudding (not exactly a pie, but it could pass for pie filling) B/B+ (cold B+)
4. Village Inn Chocolate Caramel Delight B (cold B)
5. Village Inn Caramel B- (cold C-/C)
6. Marie Calender German Chocolate C+/B- (cold C)
7. Marie Calender Satin (mousse-like) C+ (cold C)
8. Village Inn French Silk C- (cold D+)
9. Marie Calender chocolate cream (pudding-like) D/D+ (cold: D/D+)

Laid out in a different format, pie places are presented again below:

Apple Pies
(still compiling)
Sprouts bakery B
Walmart deli C+

Croshaw's Pies, St. George)
PIES
a. Coconut Cream pie. A- 
b. Coconut merange B+
c. Banana Cream pie. B
d. German Chocolate cream pie. A
e. Strawberry pie - seasonal. A- JUNE IS UTAH'S STRAWBERRY MONTH
f. Sour  cream apple. A-
g. lemon merange (fake strong lemon) first test (Feb 2013) C-, second test (2014) D
h. peach B
i. chocolate cream, first test (Feb 2013) C, second test (2014) B++
j. cherry B/B+
k. pecan (needs molasses and bourbon) C
l. very berry B+

Country Bakery of Lehi

2017-2018
REGULAR PIES
a. banana cream b
b. coconut cream B
c. chocolate cream C
d. apple C+/B-
POCKET PIES (southern fried pies)
a. lemon C+/B-
b. strawberry C
c. strawberry cream B-
d. raspberry C
e. cherry B+
f. blueberry B+

Left Fork Grill, Midvale
2017 May - September
PIES:
chocolate pie (like pudding) B
Blackberry pie B
raspberry cream B-/B
coconut cream B-
PIES, CONT. 2017, June:
banana cream A-
blueberry lemon cream pie B+
chocolate cream pie B
pecan B+ (top 2 with Sugarhouse BBQ)
blueberry fruit pie C+
peach B
whipped cream alone, on pies B+
all pie crusts A

MADDOX (Brigham City) AND C.B. MADDOX, LAYTON

a. strawberry pie (fresh berries, sweetened, with crust only) B+
b. banana cream pie B+
c. coconut cream pie C+
d. raspberry cream pie C+/B-
e. chocolate cream pie B-/B

f. fresh peach B, A (two tests)

Marie Calendars

Cream cheese pie B+

sour cream apple B+

custard pie B/B+

lemon cream cheese B/B+

double cream blueberry B/B+

double cream lemon B

chocolate cream B

chocolate satin cream B

rubarb B

Kalua cream C-

Village Inn, multiple locations
a. lemon merangue C
b. pecan B-/B
c. banana cream (pudding like texture - a drawback) B/B+
d. coconut cream (pudding-like) C++/B- 
e. chocolate peanut butter (too sweet) C-
f. peach B-
g. chocolate cream (too sweet) B
h. caramel chocolate pecan (somewhat like German chocolate) B/B+
i. cherry B-/B
j. cream cheese apple - gone now at Village Inn (it used to be avail. only Nov-Dec) A- for this one pie.
k. apple C+/B-

Shabu's, Park City
a. Ginger-peach pie A-Windy Ridge Bakery, Park City.A
a. mixed berry with raspberry sauce (must eat this pie same day as made!) -  A

Sweetie Pies by Penny
2018
via Provo's farmer's market:
apple pie (too spicy) C+
peach (IF FRESH) B+
berry B
chocolate mousse C+
pecan B+

Lion House Pantry
(all crusts: A-)
a. coconut B+
b. banana (pudding-like: bad) B
c. peach C+
d. cheesecake B/B+
e. blueberry (filling) cheesecake B

The Hub, Heber
a. banana cream pie (like pudding) C+
b. coconut cream pie B
c. apple pie C

NO LONGER MADE: pies at Penny Anne's Cafe, SLC, Draper (though the cafes are still going)
2018:
a. chocolate cream mousse pie A
b. key lime pie C+
c. chocolate peanut butter pie B-
d. buttermilk C+/B-
e. banana cream C-
(if not whipped cream on the last 3, they rate a D; but the crust for all the above rate B+)
f. chocolate pie A
g. coconut cream B+/A- (crust A-) (another time graded it C--; get with no whipped cream, which is a D, but pie crusts rate a B+)
h. lemon raspberry C+
i. all other pies: C

OLD FIRST LIST - HISTORICAL LIST OF PIES NO LONGER MADE!
The 12 solid A's: (NOTE THAT Wild Mustang and Rhonda's Pies are out of business. The same pies that were at Wild Mustang are still at Croshaws in St. George, best overall pie place in the state. Also good are pies at Wildfire Smokehaus, Midway.
1. strawberry cream - Rhonda's pies, American Fork NOW OUT OF BUSINESS
(opened April 2013 off Main St.) A
2. ginger-peach - Shabu's, Park City (Main Street) A-
3. banana cream - Country Bakery of Lehi A-. 

(Formerly, slightly better, was Rhonda's pies, American Fork A- NOW OUT OF BUSINESS)
4. mixed berry with raspberry sauce (most eat this pie same day as made!) - Windy Ridge Bakery, Park City. A
5. chocolate cream pie, Penny Anne's Cafe, SLC 
6. coconut cream - Croshaw's, A- 
7. sour cream apple - Croshaw's A-
8. sour cream blueberry - Rhonda's. A-  NOW OUT OF BUSINESS
9. German chocolate pie - Croshaw's (NOT their chocolate cream pie): A-
(note: the rest of Wild Mustang's pies are Bs and C's - good and fair).
10. NO LONGER MADE: cream cheese apple - apparently retired now at Village Inn (it used to be avail. only Nov-Dec) (the rest of Village Inn's pies are horrible): A- for this one pie.
11. NO LONGER MADE: pecan - Pat's BBQ, Salt Lake City: A-
12. chocolate pecan - Harvest Restaurant - Thanksgiving Point: A-
13. NO LONGER MADE: chocolate mousse pie - Penny Anne's Cafes, all three, in Salt Lake Valley A-
14. NO LONGER MADE: coconut pie - Penny Anne's Cafe, SL Valley, A-
a. sour cream lemon - Rhonda's Pies, American Fork - B+ OUT OF BUSINESS
b. very berry - B+ Rhonda's Pies, A.F.OUT OF BUSINESS
c. very berry - B+ Croshaw's, St. George 
d.  apple - B+ Croshaw's 
e. apple - B/B+ Rhonda's, A.F.OUT OF BUSINESS
f. double cream lemon - Marie Calendar: B- (it replaces their good, former sour cream lemon; but this one is not NEARLY as good. Note that all the rest of their pies rated mediocre at best) 
g. lemon tart (really a pie) - B+ Red Butte Cafe, SLC (CHECK OUT THEIR FANTASTIC CAKES AT OUR SITE, "BEST DESSERTS IN UTAH."
h. coconut cream - Lion House Pantry B+
h. coconut cream - B+ Rhonda's Pies, AF OUT OF BUSINESS
i. blueberry, layered B+/A- Wild Mustang OUT OF BUSINESS
NO LONGER AVAILABLE: j. raspberry chocolate with cake B+ Village Inn
k. sour cream lemon B+/A- Rhonda's Pies OUT OF BUSINESS (compared to D+/C- at Crenshaws) and D/D+ at Village Inn, too sweet and artificial)
l. mixed berry B/B+ Wild Mustang OUT OF BUSINESS (compared to B at Rhonda's Pies OUT OF BUSINESS and B- at Village Inn)
m.  berry top, cream and cake layers B/B+ Village Inn
n. blueberry, layered pie, Village Inn? B+/A-
o. buttermilk pie, Magleby's, various locations: pie alone: C+
with only whipped cream C+/B-
with only raspberry sauce B/B+
with whipped cream and raspberry sauce B/B+

CURRENT LIST:

Best Key Lime pies in Utah
rev. 30 Jan 2019; notes revised 10 Aug 21
The best 11 of over 20 tested. A category of its own. If you love this flavor, it's at the top of the dessert list, and it is the favorite dessert in the history of the world for some of us. Even in south Florida (the editor's old stomping grounds), where it was invented, restaurants make it all different ways and in varying degrees of quality (and not all there are good). The best in Utah are below. Note that 8 of these 11 were tested side by side against each other. Only #7 and 8 were tested against a few on the list, in a separate test.

#1 Red Lobster.They keep changing their source for this pie. It was #1 in 2019. In 2016 it tied for 5th, but they changed it and in 2019 the host said they make their own now

#2. Costa Vida Provo location only. Their cook makes it differently than other Costa Vida locations.). B+++

3. Whole Foods Market "Pie in the Sky" brand in their deli section B++

4. Costa Vida (downtown Salt Lake City makes it for their other Salt Lake City area locations, also has best crust) B++
5. Cheesecake factory, Midvale B++
(tie) 2016 version of Red Lobster (before 2016 they used to buy it from Cheesecake Factory and in 2016 likely still did). B++
6. Wildfire Smokehaus, Midway (new), not tested with others: B+ rates about here but could be higher.
7. Windy Ridge Cafe (and Windy Ridge Bakery), Park City. B+
8. 350 Main Restaurant, Park City. B+ (strong cheesecake flavor) B+
9. Trader Joe's, sold in box at their store, great flavor but too dense of texture B/B+
10. Market Street Grill, South Jordan and SLC. B
11. Joe's Crabshack, Sandy (thick, heavy filling) B
12. Whole Foods Market, whole pie B-/B
13. Slate, Provo (tart with C grade graham crust) B-/B (NOT TESTED SIDE BY SIDE AS ALL OTHERS ON THIS LIST WERE)
14. Cafe Rio (stronger condensed milk flavor than the others, 2nd best crust) C+/B-
15. NOT TESTED WITH OTHERS ON THIS LIST: Vanilla Bean C+/B-
16. Costco (bakery section, whole pies) C+/B-
17. Penny Anne's Cafe, SLC C+
18. The Roof, SLC C
19. Skippers C-
20. Rumbi Island Grill C-
21. Mighty Baker D+

Plus several key lime tarts tested (smaller pies).

For the graham crust typically used for key lime pie, the following 4 were the winners:
1. Windy Ridge Cafe, Park City
2. Costa Vida, SLC
3. Cosa Vida, Provo
4. Red Lobster/Cheesecake Factory (same baker)