Pie Ranch

We were taking a road trip up to half-​moon bay and after seeing the half dozen signs advertising the pie ranch on the side of the road we decided to stop. Pulling onto the dirt road behind the pie ranch barn and market, we were suddenly greeted by a pack of barking dogs. I realized it looked deserted. It was 11:20am. There were no signs advertising what time it opened on the road until I walked up onto the porch. I realized they did not open until noon. Too bad, would’ve loved to try some pies. They should not have signs advertising the pie ranch until it actually opens. Also, the woman inside the store could’ve been more friendly as she did not greet us nicely as customers or even encourage us to come back. We were willing and ready to buy some pies, but maybe next time.

The beautiful drive to get there almost makes the trip worth it regardless if you get anything! Warning now though, get there early as they only make a certain number of pies each day and they go quickly. Produce, pies, and cookies are all fresh, beautiful and everything I love about summer.

There so rude and lazy i have the respect for the workers but not the people at the shop the signs be up forwver that they have no pie you guys should change yall name im over this place

We grabbed a mini lemon buttermilk pie from Pie Ranch, and I’m so glad we did — it was AMAZING and so fresh. I wished we could have tried the other two options (peach and the strawberry rhubarb) but they were all out — next time we will have to go early to grab the other mini pies as well!

Darn, I’ve been wanting to come here for awhile and was really excited when I finally had a chance to stop by. The place is really cute and I like that they’re a working farm and provide educational programs to the community. Unfortunately when I came it was slim pickings on the mini pies (I think I had two choices) and the taste was a little lack luster. I got the mini buttermilk lemon pie for $ 8 and it was pretty blah. Not enough filling and really really dry and over cooked. Total bummer. I’m going to give it one more try the next time I’m on the coast, but frankly the pie was so unexceptional I’m a little gun shy to drop another $ 8.

They offer 10% off for cyclists! I purchased a shortbread cookie and a head of bok choy. Both were delicious!

I have had this place bookmarked on Unilocal for about a week, and I decided that yesterday was my birthday so what better day to make a little drive & get some pie! We had breakfast at Nicks in Pacifica (Rockaway beach) and drove down the coast, it was a beautiful day! For starters be sure to look for the signs that say «fresh pie» and pay attention to the one that says half a mile because it comes up quick. There is a turning lane to get in the gravel lot so that is nice & the barn is visible from the street! It’s about 10 miles outside of the town, down highway one and so worth the drive! I got the lemon buttermilk pie, and a strawberry tart, and fresh strawberries & a blueberry tea! The gal in the barn was very friendly! And they had great selection of everything they offered. I literally just came for the pie, and I was very happy with it. Will I drive back again from Hayward? Absolutely! Next time I would love to explore their property! Lastly, get there early for pie because they only have a limited amount of supply daily!

We have been wanting to check this place out for quite some time and finally did today. What an adorable cute little nook off Highway 1! Friendly people, local items, and an all around great place to put a little cash back into the local economy. Local produce, preserves, pickles, eggs, even wheat… And PIE!!! We had the Meyer lemon tart and it was fantastic. Also, I had the best strawberries I’ve had in years… Picked just this morning and just out back. We added this to our rotation and we will be back!

A disappointment is the word I would use… 2 days in a row we drove all the way to pie ranch, first day was closed due to an event, but no signage indicating that it wasn’t open. The next day we went again, all pies sold out! The girl behind the counter wasn’t very friendly and offered us beets instead… I’m sorry we came for pie, not beets. Maybe the name should be beet ranch. Anywho, probably won’t come back, it was a long drive for nothing:(I do like that they sell duck eggs, as they are delicious! And they had some cool salt blends. But still… Pie

They should change the name to No Pie Ranch! Drove all the way here from San Mateo to see a «closed for private event» sign. Why couldn’t they change their answering machine to inform people they were closed for the day. Terrible customer service.

I’m so disappointed!!!
The first time I drove down to pie ranch, I tried to call to confirm that they were open and no one answered. We decided to drive down anyway and, even though there were signs on the road advertising fresh pie, the ranch was closed for a private event.
Today our group decided to give it another try. We called and they said they were open. So, we trekked all the way down there. Again, our hopes were elevated by the signs advertising fresh pie along the road. When we drove up, we were horrified to find a sign saying that they were sold out of fresh pie. Undaunted, we went in hoping that there would frozen pies for sale. There were not. The cashier must have been having a rough day because she was quite irritated at our disappointment and offered only produce as a consolation (beets are not pie!).
If you decide to go, be very specific when you call and don’t expect good customer service.
And bring cash… apparently sometimes it’s cash only.

My two star review here is due to the employees of Pie Ranch.
I took my husband on a getaway weekend to Pigeon Point, and I called ahead of time to find out when I could stop by to purchase a pie, and what kind they sell. The employee on the other end gave me an unsolicited three minute monologue that detailed the entire history and purpose of the farm before answering my question. I just figured she was lonely, so I let her talk.
Then, when we came by in person (on 3−12−16, at around 2 PM) after looking around the shop for a bit, I asked the person behind the counter very politely if she could direct me to Harley Farms. She began to go into a monologue (perhaps same person from the phone), and I politely interjected, «I have the address already,» so that she knew what information she needed to give me.
She totally lost her shit, and yelled, «TIME OUT! I’M TALKING!» giving the child hand signal for «time out» you use during tag. It was very bizarre. I stared at her in awe while she tried to impress me with all the irrelevant information she knew about the geography of the area, wondering if she maybe wasn’t exposed to other children when she was growing up. Then I simply told her, «I’m done talking to you. You’re very rude,» and I walked out. She just said, «Okay.»
Whether or not their pie is good, whether or not they’re fulfilling their mission statement as an educational non-​profit, I’m not going back as long as their employees are that pretentious and rude. I’ve interned at a non-​profit environmental education farm, and we were always kind to visitors and we left our egos out of it. I suggest Pie Ranch considers social skills when they hire their employees.
I only give them a 2^nd star because they had a «Black Lives Matter» sign, and because they had some interesting offerings such as pickled fennel.

I’ve been going to pie Ranch for years. Any time we drive down the coast, we try to leave time for a stop on the way home. Awesome fruits, veggies and baked goods! And if you do a little research, you will find that the ranch provides incredible education opportunities for nearby students. How can you go wrong?

Pie Ranch is an essential. Not just as a stop on your trips from here to there, but essential for our world. Pie Ranch is one of those rare institutions that gives so much more than it takes and keeps giving, changing the world, one delicious pie at a time.

Pie Ranch is a very cool spot. We had the opportunity to visit as part of a company food field trip where we toured the farm, roamed their shop, and cooked food in the outdoor kitchen. The buttermilk lemon custard pie is top notch! We bought a frozen pie to go and consumed it very quickly.

We did a U-​Turn when we saw the sign «Pie Ranch». The name is a «tourist trap». Sadly, there were no mini pies left. «Come early, it sells out quick,» said the cashier. We missed out by an hour! $ 23 full pie is pricey and $ 8 mini pie
Fresh eggs and organic vegetables and fruits. Local Flour and Honey and an assortment of dried peppers, salts and pickled veggies. All local grown and made.
All OVERPRICED!
Zucchini bread is delicious. Flourless brownie very rich.
I would go back for its unusual organic charm.

Heading to Ana Nuevo to see Elephant Seals we were compelled to pull over and see what this Pie Ranch was all about. My 9 year old son and I loved the place. It’s in a barn with fantasy lights and magical rustic ambiance. It’s simple with outdoor seating if you want to grab some pie to munch. Of course, they have much more than pie as its like a roadside fresh, produce stand with a nice assortment of additional baked goods. But given it was the «pie» that got us to pull over, that’s what we went for.
They had a nice selection of standard and individual sized pies. We had Peach and Strawberry Rhubarb. I also grabbed a cop of their coffee.
The pie was great, flaky and fresh. The individual sized pies were plenty big for us both. The coffee was quite good. They happened to be out of cream and sugar but as I go black with desserts it wasn’t a tragedy for me.
All in all it was a sweet surprise and a special moment of father son bonding over pie.

This was a strange visit. I saw several signs on Highway 1 advertising PIES on my way north on business. I made a mental note to stop to buy a pie for the family on my way home. The place is easy to find because the PIE signs lead you right in. I arrived 20 minutes before the pie stand opened. I decided to wait because with so many PIE signs advertising the product it had to be good.
Right at noon a young lady swung the barn door open and promptly exited as I entered. Another young woman was cutting giant sunflower stalks. There was a bat inside the barn circling the perimeter, nonstop. It was truly surreal.
I asked the woman cutting the flower stalks if I could buy a PIE. She stated to me, ‘this is more than PIE stand you know”.
I told her the PIE signs on the road suggest otherwise. She invited me to look around but I only wanted a pie or two. Then she said, «I told you she would be back in a minute». (she never did tell me that)
She said this as the bat continued flying around us at eye level.
I asked her if the bat is some sort of pet and she said it came in 6 days ago and all it does is fly around.
Finally the first woman returned and I asked her if I could buy a pie. There were three pies on display. I asked for a peach pie and she pulled one up from underneath the counter. The pies come from a bakery on Santa Cruz.
Almost a bait and switch. I bought the peach pie ($ 23.00) and a mini lemon version for $ 8.00.
When I saw the numerous highway signs for pies it immediately conjured images of a couple of grandmas baking pies since the wee hours of the morning. Home made pies from a farm grandma sold in a barn. Couldn’t be further from the truth.
Their mission statement says they are a demonstration farm dedicated to social justice. I don’t know what that means.
Four stars in aggregate. Two of those stars are for the bat.

A little pie shop! A must stop on your way traveling through. Full and mini size pies. Strawberry rhubarb, lemon buttermilk, and peach pie. A few other baked goods like salted chocolate cookies.
You can even play their piano if you are musically inclined.
Fun little stop!

Great spot! Any establishment that is concerned with food justice, offers education on the topic, and uses eco-​friendly practices, is a five-​star and then some to me!
Pie Ranch is a15−20 minutes away from the Pescadero town area, off of the 1, and it’s a great place to stop by. They were running out of pies by the time we got there, but luckily they still had some lemon buttermilk pies left (even though they weren’t on display). We didn’t eat it right then and there, but the next day I tried it (after it was resting in the refrigerator), and it was delicious! I’m not a big fan of lemon, but something about the way the lemon was coupled with the milk filling was perfect!
You can never go wrong with using organic ingredients, so I was very much pleased with this experience. We didn’t get to walk around the grounds much, but I believe they give tours — so definitely take advantage of that!
A great stopping place. Do it and support local farms!