Mama Jo Homestyle Pies is a third-generation family bakery in Amherst, Ohio, making fresh pies from scratch since 1993. Bakers begin at 5 a.m. each day, using an unchanged family recipe and a flaky, lard-based crust to bake every pie in-house for same-day sale. The bakery has grown from its Vermilion beginnings into a 14,000-square-foot Amherst operation and has earned The Morning Journal’s Readers’ Choice award for Best Pie and Best Dessert four consecutive years.
Kauffman's Country BakerySince brothers Steve and Richard Kauffman opened its doors in 1992, Kauffman’s Country Bakery has grown from one mixer and an oven into a 20-to-25-person bakery making homemade goods in Ohio’s Amish Country. Amish women make the baked goods, with family recipes still shaping specialties such as German Stollen Bread, which the bakery now produces year-round. Its Millersburg shop also combines a café with Amish bulk foods and country souvenirs, making it a regular stop for locals and visitors alike.MILLERSBURG, OH
Gardner Pie CompanyFamily owned and operated since 1945, Gardner Pie Company makes gourmet fruit pies in Akron with a homemade look, flaky small-batch crust and real fruit instead of fillers. Its range spans more than 60 flavors, including its signature natural-juice pies and a year-round pumpkin pie based on a family recipe. The company is also SQF Level II certified and operates a local outlet for wholesale overruns and pies that miss commercial appearance standards.AKRON, OH
Pies Galore & MoreOpened by Donna Alexander in 2012 as a tribute to her mother, Jean Groff, Pies Galore & More is a Mount Joy bakery making more than 65 varieties of handmade pies and other baked goods from scratch. Alexander built it as a nostalgic community gathering place, while also supplying restaurants, stores, caterers and special events with made-to-order treats. Local fruit and other ingredients are used when available, adding a distinctly Lancaster County touch to its old-fashioned baking.MANHEIM, PA
The Original Pie ShoppeOpened in Laughlintown in 1947 by Navy cook Melvin Columbus and his mother, Mildred, The Original Pie Shoppe remains a full-line bakery and deli in its original bakery. Its homemade cinnamon rolls still follow Melvin’s battleship-era recipe, alongside the pies and other baked goods that have defined the shop for 79 years. The family business also takes its offerings to fairs and festivals throughout the year.LAUGHLINTOWN, PA