Pie Town - New Mexico

We heard from some friends, Mic and Carol, that we should stop in Pie Town, New Mexico and have a look around and enjoy a piece of pie. We were staying at Lyman Lake State Park and it was only about 88 miles through some rural country so we decided to go take a look.

Here is a map that shows our journey to Pie Town. Being somewhat wandering spirits we decided to continue the trek and head towards Datil and then back to Reserve and then return to our home. It ended up being about 255 miles through some fascinating country. You can see interesting places when you wander but we digress, so back to Pie Town.

How did Pie Town in rural New Mexico get it's name and it is in rural New Mexico long ways from no where? According to wickipedia - Its name comes from an early bakery that specialized in dried-apple pies; it was established by Clyde Norman in the early 1920s. Pie Town has been noted for its colorful place name.

There is another joke about how Pie Town got it's name - It is named Pie Town because it is "exactly 3.14159 miles from the middle of nowhere - Pi."

We stopped in Pie Town at the Gathering Place. There are only about 3 eateries in Pie Town it is a very small place. One of the owners said there are only about 150 people that live in the zip code. This place has only been open about 4 years but seems to be doing a bustling business.

Because the winter can be pretty hard here, it is at almost 7,000 feet, we were told that the 3 businesses rotate with being open during winter so there is always one place at least to try the famous pies. Another place is called Pi-O-Neer but we did not stop there, certainly next time.

There are two entry doors to the establishment. One takes you into the cafe side and the other into the pie making room. Here is the room where they craft the wonderful pies.

This lady was busily making pies and I asked if it was OK to take her picture. She quickly replied no saying “I am under the witness protection program”. She then started laughing and said taking the picture was fine, people take lots of pictures.

As you can see in this image they make smaller, maybe 6 inch pies. The owner said that is about the right size for two people. They will make you a full 9 inch pie on a special order, just call ahead. She then went on to say in 2018 they made 17,700 pies which is a whole lot of pies considering they only sell them here and they are not open the entire year.

Here are some pies ready for baking. These are apple caramel.

Here is a board that lists the pie varieties they make. Not all of these will be available every day, they rotate the varieties. They said they have about 36 different types that they make.

Here is the pie we had. They split it for you so there is no arguing about who gets how much. Of course you need to order a dollop of ice cream with the pie. This is a Pumpkin Pecan Custard variety which was wonderful.

Here is the menu board from which you can order lunch. Pies are the main attraction here so the other food options are a little limited.  

This gives you a little wider view of the eating area. There are three large tables with 6-8 chairs each that are communal in nature. Anyone sits anywhere. There is also outside seating available. The kitchen is to the left in this image.

Deanna ordered the Texas chili. It was very well prepared with just a small amount of beans and a mixture of ground meat and sausage. The seasoning was appropriate for the chili but not overly done. The corn bread was a great addition.

This sign is over the window to the kitchen. The ending part you may not be able to read because of the glare from the reflection through the window states “… and the love is free”. Good sign.

This sign indicates it is perfectly fine to carry a weapon in here. You see this type of activity called open carry a lot in Arizona and here in New Mexico. The owner had a pistol strapped on his hip.

He said it was really safe around here and they never lock their house and always leave the keys in their car. He went on to say it is a long response time way out here to get a Sheriff if needed hence the possible need for a firearm.

The doors leading into the kitchen, the pie making center, and out of the café all have these wide moldings. People write their comments, names, initials, or witty sayings on any of the door jams. Adds a little flavor to the establishment

As we left The Gatherin Place we noticed this sign and area to the right as you face the front of the building. They have a small dog park where it would seem you can keep your dog and enjoy your pie at the same time. This seems to be a great concept for dog owners.

We hope you enjoyed this brief view of the Gatherin Place at Pie Town. If you are traversing Hwy 60 in this area of western New Mexico be sure and stop in for a great piece of pie, it is well worth the drive. Now we need to wander.

Let us know if you have any questions or comments. All the best – George & Deanna.