Chile Pies

CLOSED permanently on 6 Sep 2015. See other location at 601 Baker St.

I can’t rate the food because we didn’t get to eat. We drove into the city and they were closed! The sign said open at 12:00 but they weren’t. We called too, no answer. We were so disappointed:(
It was Tuesday at 12:30. Such a bummer!

Had the cherry apricot shake and chicken tamale hand pie. The hand pie is a combination of a tamale and empanada. Their sour cream was great. The shake was better than i had expected. There were still some pie crust «chunks» which were flakey and not soggy at all. Overall the shake was creamy, delicious, and hearty.

Had wanted to try this place for a while as I consider myself quite the pie enthusiast but unfortunately found myself disappointed.
Tried their signature green chile pie and it really fell short. It lacked any real taste/​flavor character aside from the novelty of having a little kick from the chiles. The texture was also disappointing because the apples were crispy still and not tender like most would expect from a fruit pie. Nothing special from the crust either. And for nearly $ 6 a slice it just left a bad taste in my mouth figuratively and literally.
Really wanted to like this place but alas I will be marking it off of my list… stick to Three Babes Bakeshop or Mission Pies for a tasty SF pie treat.

Loved this place! Great ice cream and shakes. You can turn any pie into a shake! Very unique experience and also a great one.

Three stars for the blue bottle coffee and cherry, peach and blueberry pies here! They now also serve burritos, which is just weird.

New Mexican Bakery in Castro, same as the one up by nopa. This review is only for the savory items. Sweets are reviewed at the other location.
Green Chile pork hand pie — ²⁄₅ — Tasteless, dry ground pork. Not enough green chile. Should be shredded pork instead. Pastry crust was average.
Red chile Carne asada pot pie — ¹⁄₅ — Uncooked potatoes made this inedible. Steak and crust were average.
Overall, savory items were so disappointing, especially considering that 1) I love New Mexican food and 2) Green chili kitchen is so good. At both locations I’ll be getting pies and sweets only. For the hand pies and pot pies, «I think not.»

So, I love this place. I do. I’ve been coming here for years to get the pie shakes and the stews because everything is pretty phenomenal. But the last time I was here a few weeks ago was pretty much the worst.
I came in on ⁵⁄₁₂ and the two guys working behind the counter were so high, they couldn’t do anything.
I ordered an apple pie shake and a pork green chile stew. When the guy tried to ring me up, the credit machine’s receipt paper ran out. He didn’t even try looking for more paper before telling me that they were out of receipt paper. My friend ordered the other stew and a pie shake. The guy ended up not charging him (yet) until they could get the machine working again (with no paper).
When the orders came out, the pie shakes ended up being slices of pie. Actual conversation that ensued:
Me: Oh, we ordered pie shakes.
Guy: [stares for 2 seconds] Okay you don’t have to get so scary!
He went back to attempt making the shakes.
Our stews came out and they were lukewarm. I was served a vegetarian stew even though I had ordered the pork stew, but at this point I was done with my experience.
Pie shakes finally came out and I went to look for the fat shake straws, which was not stocked in the back.
Me: Hey, you’re out of thick straws.
Guy: Yeah, we are.
We ate our very chunky shakes with spoons, half-​heartedly ate our warm stews, and then got the hell out of there.

Love the green chile apple pie! Three twins ice cream for a la mode takes it over the top – so good!
The pies and stews get five stars. Service is also always kind and the décor is great.
Two stars off because it’s ten dollars for a slice (though generous) of pie and a scoop of ice cream which means this is an occasional treat.

Very good pies. I tried the Green Chile Apple and the Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Green Chile Apple: Great filling. Could taste the green chiles, without them overpowering the taste of apple. The crust was not great. It was tough, chewy and very hard to cut with a fork.
Chocolate Peanut Butter: Lots of good peanut butter flavor. Good chocolate crust.
Very friendly staff.
Looking forward to trying some of their other pies during my next trip to San Francisco.

This place is such a great after dinner spot. Perfect if you want to have some casual dessert and beers with friends after everyone has eaten dinner separately.
My favorite thing about this place is the people behind the counter. They have REALLY GOOD suggestions for which pies pair with which ice creams (Three Twins ice cream). I have listened to them against my own inclinations and guess what, THEY ARE ALWAYS RIGHT! Also, they are always so friendly even when the line is out the door.
My favorite thing here is the lemon cream pie (it might have a different name) with strawberry ice cream. I would never have picked it out myself but the girl behind the counter strongly recommended it and now every time I go back, I always get this combo. I also like their nut pies (eg pecan pie, etc).
Minus 1 star because their apple pie is surprisingly underwhelming.

I was honestly pretty disappointed by my $ 8 red chili carne asada pot pie. When heated, it has an awesome flaky crust but…
Unfortunately, there’s a bad ratio of meat to potato, and that $ 8 price tag for something not too far off from a Marie Calendar’s mini-​oven pot pie just made me a tad bitter. Service was fine, just a bit disengaged in that «I’m waiting to clock out» kind of way.
Maybe the desserts are worth it, but I’m not too eager to come back.

Kinda overhyped. I was excited to try the Mexican Chocolate Pie. Long story short: It tasted kinda burnt and bitter. Not worth the $ 8.

When the
Chile Pies guy
Behind the counter
Says the
Pear & Berry Pie is
The Red Headed Stepchild
That may be
Overlooked but really is
The Most Special
LISTEN UP
When the
Pumpkin addict
In front of the counter
Is craving
Pumpkin Pie with
Spice & pastry leaves
That may be
Ordinary but really is
The Fall Favorite
DON’T ARGUE

Time: 2:07pm/74° sunny
Purpose: In area with client meeting driving along Church street, sudden urge of sweet tooth hits me. Both Safeway and Whole Foods is up the street. What do I want? With no car from behind I slow down glance to my left ahhh pie. Busted a U turn pull up 3 spaces available, in luck now.
Ambiance: Sidewalk sits 3 person each on left and right, high chairs. Inside low counter wall seating with 10 adjustable stools and 4 high chairs. Mostly wooden fixtures with a modern flare for that rustic look. Wall has 2 rolls of brown paper spools with weekly/​daily specials written on it. Early American/​Mexican folk arts and decos place around here and there. Small counter with display cases for assorted various kinds of pies. Ice cream freezer hidden out of view, see it when you go to restroom or self serve water dispenser. Back of counter sits equipments and gadgets use for desserts and drinks. 4 cup holder set up for pour over coffees. Wall mounted mini fridge holds sodas/​juices, butter, dairy creamer.
Staff: One girl about late 20’s dirty blonde hair with ponytail, friendly hipster type. She’s kind of quiet to what you ask her, answers you according to what you ask her. She didn’t want to be bother with and hoping you take it to go instead of eating in. She’s like that to everyone as I observe it on going. Now when local business workers or owners comes in she be talking more than she have to, just to show that it’s who you know these days.
Cleanliness: Grade A, no compliants everything tidy and pretty clean/​simple. The outside high table may need to be wipe as I was there after people leave the plate and utensils were untouched.
Eats/​Drinks: Slice of Mexican Chocolate Pecan $ 5.50 and blue bottle coffee $ 2.50. Although I was eyeing the Country Peach I felt that I had to try the MCP pie as Cherylynn N mention in tips get the MCPP «fuck yea»! When a girl says that you gotta go with it. Guess what Cherylynn? You’re right again this slice had nothing but wholesome goodness in it. Pie crust is handmade indentations are the of fingers pinch together none of that production line bullshit, were each pleat is measure the same in width. Balance with pecans on every slab fork out even the chocolate sweetness was there. It may look unappealing for some to purchase but this is the case of don’t judge it’s book by it’s cover here. This slice is totally worth what you’re paying for considering the labor, love and ingredients involved.
Products/​Services: Pies savory/​sweet, hand/​pot pies, Mexican stew, kale salads, tamales, green chile, burrito, quesadillas, enchiladas, salsa/​guac & chips, nachos, tacos, signature Frito pie, pies slices/​whole, cakes slices/​whole, shakes, ice cream, cold/​hot drinks, sodas/​juices. Pickle chiles, carrots, peppers, honey, jelly/​jams. Coffee by Blue Bottle. Tea by Five Mountains. Mexican coke (bottle). Sprecher root beer, aqua fresca. GF, vegan, vegetarian options available. Buy straight from case or pre-​order one day notice. Breakfast, lunch, and brunch.
Punch Lines: Small shop, seating capacity 20, shaded sidewalk, nice decos, locally source/​organic ingredients, moderately price, blue bottle coffee, pour overs, mason jar for water, wooden distress look, signature Green Chile Apple pie feature on TV, muni street car, Castro district, Upper market street parking, Safeway, Whole Foods, Deboce Square, Mission Delores Park.
Tradeoffs: Come here if you want pie without preservatives and handmade. Be willing to fork over $ 30+ for it. It’s totally worth it my friend. This is not the kind found at grocery store encase in plastic cover top/​bottom with a sticker top.
Final Thoughts: Haven’t had any good pies as of late, I just had to take the recommendation from Cherylynn. This was the best decision that I had made on that day besides picking up couple of new accounts along the way. To end a work day with a sweet reward, is truly something that everyone must try at least once. Hey Cherylynn, next slice is on me!

Things keep getting more expensive in SF, and this place is showing it. Just look at my pic of a quinoa kale salad from last Nov til now… Salads are now $ 11 and you get less kale and no biscuit. :(Flavor is still alright though.
(For perspective, kinda scary/​impressive that food startups nowadays are able to deliver to my door a possibly similar meal for much less than the $ 12.40 I paid in total for my updated salad!)

The lunch special is perfectly portioned and balanced with flavor, texture, and color.
The beet kale salad is sweet, crunchy, tangy and beautiful!
The green chili chicken stew is hearty with chunks of tender chicken, peppers, and beans.
The biscuit!!! It’s tiny but it’s got a spicy kick and it’s dense and filling.

Nice small pastry/​Mexican food place in the Castro. The place is pretty small, which a couple of tables and stools inside. There is no outdoor seating. The décor is very old fashioned with a large sign to the next to the stools and seats indicating some of the various items they have.
My friend and I here just had lunch, so we decided to try one of their pie shakes. We decided to get a pie shake ($ 8) with vanilla ice cream mixed with a slice of caramel apple pie. The shake was fantastic. The shake was very thick, and the slice of the pie went great with the ice cream. Luckily they give you a spoon for some pieces that can’t fit through the straw! The portion is very large so unless you’re very hungry, it’s best to share it with someone.
The service is here is very good. They are very helpful and helped us pick which pie to go with our shake. One gripe I had here is that I wished they had more ice cream flavors to choose from as they have a lot of different types of pies. The combinations would be very enticing. Overall, I enjoyed my stay here and I’ll definitely come back to try a different pie shake!

Stars: 4.5
Came here for dessert after brunch and omg I’m so glad we did because it was AMAZING!
I was literally blown away by the slice of chocolate pretzel pie. My friend got it but I couldn’t just eat one bite… The pretzel pieces have that amazing crunch to it. The crust to the pie is always my favorite. It was chocolate and so perfect. The whipped cream was fluffy and not too heavy. Writing this review is making me crave it so badly!!!
We also got pie milkshakes! I believe it got the seasonal special. It had coconut in it and cookie chunks and it was delicious. My other two friends for the chocolate peanut butter. They were pretty good but extremely sweet.
TIP: Two people should definitely share one pie milkshake!
I am so coming back.

I’m a huge fan of Chile Pies and took my out-​of-​town friend here in our day long food tour of SF. I normally go to the Nopa location but this one worked better in our Mission-​centralized schedule, and I was disappointed to learn they only serve vanilla and chocolate Three Twins ice cream flavors here. I was sad my friend wouldn’t be able to try cardamom or lemon, and the vanilla ended up being a bit overwhelmingly sweet. Though the texture — heavy, creamy, dense, just the way I like my ice cream!
* Apple chile pie — 3.5 stars
pic:
There was too much green pepper, and it was cut up into some huge chunks. This seemed unnecessary when its texture doesn’t really go with the rest of the pie and the spiciness actually comes mostly from the sauce/​topping drizzled on top. Disappointed. not as great as I remember, especially when this is always sold out at the end of the night!