Pie Junkie — Local services in Oklahoma City

A Thanksgiving with the Pie Junkies

Pies find a home on nearly every surface of the tiny two-table restaurant. As Pie Junkie prepared to open its doors Wednesday morning for the greatest mad dash for pumpkin, pecan and apple the northwest Oklahoma City business has ever seen, so ended one hectic, but delicious week of prep for the people responsible for making many families’ Thanksgiving dessert. “It’s a ton of work and we are exhausted at the end,” general manager Emily Hummel said earlier this week as she made her way to her laptop to mark off another completed order. “But knowing that we helped make some families’ Thanksgiving a little easier and a little sweeter really makes it worthwhile.” Despite its small size, Pie Junkie, located in the Plaza District, isn’t too difficult to find. Just look for the glass storefront with large black and white letters offering a simple, straightforward command. “Eat. More. Pie.” The origins of pie are ancient and unsettled. First made by Romans, who may have picked it up from Greeks in the 14th century, pie came to America with English settlers. The early colonists cooked their pies in long narrow pans and called the crust “coffins.” This all according to the American Pie Council. As pie evolved, it became known as “the most traditional American dessert,” becoming a feature at nearly every holiday, from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July, according to the council. It’s estimated that more than 50 million pies will be eaten this Thanksgiving. At Pie Junkie, “pie week” is daunting, but pretty straightforward. When they began accepting Thanksgiving pre-orders in early November, the shop was flooded with requests and had to stop after three days. They ended up capping the number of orders at around 1,200 pies. The recipes required 2,446 eggs and 338 pounds of butter to make the more than 11 different kinds of pie. To get through it all, Pie Junkie employees break down the pie-making process into parts. Friday and Saturday is ingredient prep day. Sunday is for crust making. Monday, the pies are filled. Tuesday, they’re popped into the oven. Wednesday, they box ’em up and ship ’em out. Shop co-owners Darcy Schein and Leslie Coale-Mossman say the roots of the business started humbly, baking a few pies and other goods in the basement of a church and then selling them in a few local restaurants. This week, the two watched over the store’s precision-like operation. While Schein made sure there were no last-minute order disasters, Coale-Mossman had her palms “knead-deep” in pie pastry, making crusts. She wrapped the thin layer of pastry into a tin pie plate, then, with a series of pinches, almost effortlessly shaped the crust into an elegant pattern. “The crust is like a fingerprint,’’ Coale-Mossman said. “I could probably tell you which employee made your pie just by looking at the crust.” Hummel, the store general manager, thinks that besides turkey, pie is the staple feature of Thanksgiving. “We just take such pride in providing people this part of their holiday,” she said. “When people say their pie was amazing or that it reminded them of their grandmother’s pie, or when a grandmother says she loves a pie. “It’s just an incredible feeling like we did a...

For my husband's birthday, I decided to do all things Pie Junkie. He absolutely loves key lime pie, so I needed an awesome one. I decided to also get him a breakfast in bed meal, as well as a poppyseed chicken casserole for family dinner. So my review is on all 3 items, for which I paid over $80. The breakfast in bed- I got the hashbrown breakfast with pecan French toast. He must have loved it because I only got one tiny bite! It was great! The key lime pie- Excellent. Perfect mix of tart and sweet, but definitely get the whipped topping to balance out that tart flavor! I am not a key lime pie fan, but even I liked this. The poppyseed chicken casserole- this is where we lose stars. This one had great flavor, but hardly any discernable chicken to speak of. It was not a casserole. When I pulled it out of the oven to test the temperature, I noticed it lacked firmness and was very liquidy. My kids said, "Mom, why is this just sauce?". It was like a dish of gravy. Yes, the flavor was delicious...but it left us looking for something of substance to pair it with. Maybe I got a bad batch that was shorted chicken? I would say this would be excellent as a gravy over biscuits, or a savory sauce over actual roasted chicken breast, or even poured over a baked potato. But a stand-alone casserole entrée, it is not. I feel I paid $30 for a bowl of gravy, and that was really disappointing.

Overall, I would recommend their pies. They definitely know what they are doing with those pies, and...

I first stumbled across this place about 5 years ago after looking for pie on national pie day. Pie Junkie has been a favorite of mine since then. I love that there are daily by the slice options - I usually buy a few different kinds and that way I can try a new flavor or have a favorite. I have yet to be disappointed by the pie that I have tried! My go to favorites are the bird dog buttermilk and the drunken turtle. Another favorite that is seasonal is the strawberry diner - I tried this on a whim one time and it was sensational! Once that's on the menu again I will definitely swing by to get a slice. The quiche is also good - I've tried a few different kinds and found that they are the right consistency for a quiche and have some good filling options. I still haven't tried their take and bake pot pies, so that's the next new thing I'll give a try. Only downside is parking - that is just how it is for the Plaza District though. I usually have to park a little further down the street and walk to the shop, but I've also gotten lucky with a spot...