Plenty of Texas towns claim a food title, but Kyle has the paperwork to back it up. In 2021 the Texas Legislature officially named this fast-growing Hays County town the Pie Capital of Texas, and the little bakery on West Center Street is a big reason why.
Texas Pie Company has been turning out from-scratch pies in downtown Kyle for decades. If you are driving I-35 between Austin and San Antonio, it is one of the best reasons to take the exit.
How Kyle became the Pie Capital of Texas
The pie title grew out of the city’s search for its own identity. When Kyle asked visitors what brought them to town, a lot of them pointed straight at Texas Pie Company. In 2016, Texas Pie Company took the grand prize in H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best competition, and its pie dough later landed on H-E-B shelves around the state.
The Legislature followed with a concurrent resolution recognizing Kyle as the Pie Capital of Texas, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June 2021. The city has leaned into it with a playful “certi-pied” program for local businesses that offer some kind of pie-themed treat, from banks to gyms.
Inside Texas Pie Company
You will know the building when you see it. A giant slice of pie sits on the roof, and inside, the walls are covered with generations of family photos and colorful art. Chef and owner Julie Albertson has been baking since long before she opened her first bakery in 1986, and the shop says its pies come from her grandmother’s recipes, handed down through her Texas family.
Pies come in 10-inch deep-dish and individual sizes. According to the bakery’s menu, the lineup includes:
- Classic favorites: Southern pecan, lemon chess, buttermilk, chocolate fudge, fudge pecan, coconut macaroon, peanut butter mousse and an Almond Joy pie.
- Fruit pies: Peach, Dutch apple, blueberry, cherry, strawberry peach and strawberry rhubarb, with crumb, lattice or closed tops on large pies.
- Cream pies: Coconut, chocolate and key lime.
- Seasonal: Pumpkin and pumpkin praline, plus a pumpkin cheesecake from October through December.
At last check, whole 10-inch pies were listed at $30 and individual pies at $6.50. Cheesecakes are pre-order only, so give the bakery about 24 hours’ notice.
Not just dessert: lunch on Center Street
Texas Pie Company is also a full-service lunch spot. The menu lists made-to-order sandwiches on wheat, sourdough or rye, salads, daily specials and the casseroles and quiches the shop is known for, like quiche Lorraine, ham and cheddar, and a beef stroganoff casserole. Lunch items are served from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and whole quiches can be ordered ahead.
If you are coming for the pie alone, plan on taking a whole one home. It travels better than you might think, and nobody at the house will complain.
Ordering for Thanksgiving and the holidays
This is the bakery’s busiest stretch of the year, and the line before Thanksgiving is something of a local tradition. If you want a specific pie for a holiday table, call ahead or order online through the bakery’s website as early as you can, and ask about pickup times. Pecan, pumpkin and apple have historically been among the most popular choices, so those can go fast.
Make a stop in downtown Kyle
Texas Pie Company sits just off Kyle’s downtown square. Steps away, Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park has a fountain, shade trees and benches that are made for eating a slice of pie outside. Kyle was founded in 1880 as a railroad town, and the restored Kyle Railroad Depot and Heritage Center nearby tells that story on limited weekend hours. A few blocks down Center Street stands the childhood home of author Katherine Anne Porter, a National Literary Landmark.
Kyle is about 20 miles south of downtown Austin and roughly an hour north of San Antonio. If you are building a Texas pie road trip, add the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls to your list, too.
Good to Know
- Where: Texas Pie Company, 202 W. Center St., Kyle, TX 78640 (Hays County).
- Hours: Monday to Friday 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m. to about 2 p.m. (the website lists both 2 and 2:30 p.m.).
- Lunch: Served 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Phone: (512) 268-5885.
- Pies: 10-inch deep-dish and individual sizes; cheesecakes need about 24 hours’ notice.
- Drive time: About 30 minutes south of Austin; about an hour north of San Antonio.
Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the Texas Pie Company website before you head out.
A town does not get to call itself the Pie Capital of Texas by accident. Stop in, grab a slice of buttermilk or Southern pecan, and you will understand why Kyle wears that title so proudly.
Featured photo: Larry D. Moore via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
