Chile Pies and Ice Cream

(two locations) 601 Baker St., San Francisco (NoPa)   , 314 Church St., San Francisco (Castro)  

Pie is the quintessential old-fashioned dessert, and the interior of this sweets-centric café is fetchingly retro too, with artfully mismatched tables and chairs, an antique hutch, and walls lined with rooster-themed tchotchkes. But at this New Mexico-inspired bakeshop, traditional treats like a country peach pie with blueberries meet their modern match in combos you might never have dreamed would be hiding between two layers of pastry. In the signature green apple chile pie, roasted chiles peek out between super-thin slices of apple, giving the dish a subtle heat (a drizzle of honey flecked with red chile pepper doesn’t hurt either). The pie shakes—as the name suggests, a slice of any pie, crust and all, blended with milk and choice of ice cream—are an oddly addictive treat, and many locals swear by beer floats made with Bison chocolate stout and bittersweet chocolate ice cream. On the short menu of savory options, the Frito chile pie, ground beef and pinto beans served on top of Fritos still in the bag and garnished with dollops of crema, tastes like childhood—if you grew up in the Southwest, that is.

menu musts

Green chile chicken potpie
Frito chile pie
Green chile apple pie
Pie shakes
Beer floats
view full menu here

sweet seats

Single diners flip open their laptops and take advantage of the free wi-fi while perched on one of four stools at a counter overlooking Baker Street, while more sociable sorts take a seat around a corner picnic table that seats six on antique benches.

chew on this

Owner Trevor Logan, also of Green Chile Kitchen, a block away, grew up largely in Oklahoma but learned to love New Mexican cuisine while in college in Santa Fe. He is about to open Chile Pies Sweet & Savory (set for Friday, Aug. 19), in the Castro, where the BBE deal will also be good. (Call 415-614-9411 to verify opening date.)

hours

Chile Pies and Ice Cream
daily 12 noon–10 PM

Chile Pies Sweet & Savory
daily 11 AM–11 PM

price range for menu items

$7 (veggie Frito pie) to $8 (New Mexican stews)
Desserts $2.50 (single scoop of ice cream) to $8 (pie shake)


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