You Voted: Your Top 5 Places to Buy a Holiday Pie on O‘ahu

The results span the island from town to the North Shore, including a truck and an iconic stop in ‘Aiea.

November 14, 2023

Thomas Obungen,

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Here are my takeaways from running this reader poll: Pie people are passionate. Pie people don’t lie. And pie people are my people. As with any reader poll, the results are purely based on opinions and just for funsies.

Despite leaving Lee’s Bakery out of the mix—only because they’re not selling pies this Thanksgiving—23 of you still wrote them in, including one entry that said, “Lee’s Bakery in Chinatown. Period.” Otherwise, the distribution was close yet even across the board.

Here are your Top 5 places to buy a holiday pie on O‘ahu:

No. 5: Anna Miller’s

If you leave Anna Miller’s without having a slice of pie or taking a whole one home, did you even go? The doughnut-shaped breakfast diner in ‘Aiea is about as iconic as you can get when it comes to pies. Although famous for its fresh strawberry pies in the summer, the shop sells about 20 varieties of pie year-round. With 6.6% of the votes, the last Anna Miller’s on Earth finds a home in fifth place.

98-115 Kaonohi St., annamillersrestaurant.com, @annamillershawaii

No. 4: Epi-Ya Boulangerie & Patisserie

I was bit shocked when I saw the notice that Epi-Ya was foregoing pie orders this Thanksgiving. Although holiday pies are still available, they’ll only be offered on first-come, first-served basis, and I expect the line to run out the door. Having just tried Epi-Ya’s Fuji apple pie, I now understand the appeal of the shop’s buttery crusts and subtly sweet fillings. In addition to apple, Epi-Ya has custard, pumpkin and mixed (pumpkin-custard) pies that are straight out of an anime. That puts it right in fourth place with 7.5% of the total vote.

1296 South Beretania St. #105, @epiyabakery

No. 3: Sweet Revenge

I’m a stan for Kathy Masunaga’s buttery chicken pot pies, but the sweet miniature pies that come out of Pinky, her pink Chevy Step-Van (yes, I know she has a commercial kitchen), are just as irresistible. This year, Masunaga has a slew of flavors and fillings, including pumpkin, pumpkin crunch, sweet potato and apple cranberry crumb. With 11.3% of the vote, Sweet Revenge takes third place.

979 Robello Lane, sweetrevengehonolulu.com, @sweetrevengehnl

No. 2: Ted’s Bakery

For more than 20 years, Ted’s cream pies were ubiquitous cold-case staples at many stores around O‘ahu. That ended in May 2022 when the business shut down wholesale operations, citing a supply chain issue for a key ingredient. Now, the only place you can pick up a pie is at Ted’s Bakery and Café in Sunset Beach. At No. 2 with 12.1% of the vote, I know a bunch of you are willing to drive out there to get your fix. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without these pies.

59-024 Kamehameha Hwy, tedsbakery.com, @tedsbakeryhi

No. 1: Hawaiian Pie Co.

If we went by Instagram comments alone, Hawaiian Pie Co. would have still won. Is it the extra flaky crust? Maybe it’s that magical Hawaiian topping layered on top. It could also be that the shop appears at numerous food events and has a convenient storefront in Kapālama. It’s probably because Hawaiian Pie Co. does it all and does it well, earning the top spot with 18.6% of the vote.

508 Waiakamilo Rd., hawaiianpieco.com, @hawaiianpieco