Julian Pie Company

21976 Highway 79, Santa Ysabel, CA - (760) 765-2400

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Posted By Michael Stern on 10/25/2005 9:23:00 PM

Apple pie is the specialty of the Julian Pie Company, a sweet oasis at the base of Volcan Mountain, where the climate is perfect for growing tasty apples. (In fact, it is a handful of oases, with another branch on Main Street in Julian and a pie and coffee stop at 30270 Highway 78 in Santa Ysabel.) Merely walking in to the big modern building is an olfactory joy – the air is thick with the aroma of cooked apples, cinnamon, and hot crust. You can watch the pies being made behind the counter; you can buy whole pies to take home; or you can get a single slice and a cup of coffee and find a seat at the counter and indulge.

Varieties of apple pie in the Julian repertoire include Dutch apple with a crumb top, boysenberry apple crumb, natural strawberry apple, and apple rhubarb. Also on the regular menu are peach, peach melba, blackberry, and pecan. Basic apple pie with a pastry top is the classic, and we can’t think of a better pie anywhere. Its crust is flaky, and the insides powerfully fruity/sweet. When you choose to dine here, you have the option of getting it a la mode, which is nice … but unnecessary.

While not a full-service restaurant by any means, this bakery does have a few other excellent food items worth knowing about. One unusual snack is is pie crust – two-bite-size, heart-shaped pieces of crust that are baked in a veil of cinnamon sugar to become irresistibly delicious cookies that fall into flakes as you bite. The other handsome things in the glass display cases are donuts. They are plump cider donuts enrobed in either cinnamon sugar, chocolate, or supersweet (and super-good!) maple frosting.

Other Julian Pie Company locations:
2225 Main Street
Julian, CA 92036
760-765-2449

30270 Highway 78
Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
760-765-3495

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"The door handle says it all. The smell of apple pie inside this place is dizzying!"
Michael Stern

"Apple pies in the open kitchen, ready for their top crust"
Michael Stern

"A small section of the shelves at the Julian Pie Company"
Michael Stern

"If you like apple pie, put Julian on your must-eat list."
Michael Stern