My fiancee and I went to the Pioneer Pies on the Expressway awhile back. I used to go there a lot as a child. Well, I didn't have a pleasant experience. The service was horrible and the fdood was lousy. I'd give the restaurant an F. It was that bad. The interior of the restaurant hadn't changed since I was 5 years old. I'm 24 now, so that tells you something. I figured that since pie is their speciality, their pie would be good. I was wrong. Although I'd give their pie a C, it wasn't near as good as I expected, especially since that's their specialty.

I will not go back to this restaurant.

I used to go there myself, however, in my opinion, they are priced too high for what you get. Plus, even though their pies are good, they are over priced as well.

I might've just gone at a bad time, so take what I said with a grain of salt. It was only based on one experience. Keith, what are their best types of pies?

Here is their list of pie flavors:


Apple
Sugar Free Apple
Banana Cream
Sugar Free Coconut Cream
Blueberry
Butterscotch Cream
Cherry
Sugar Free Cherry
Cherry Crumb
Cherry Cheesecake
Chocolate Cream
Sugar Free Chocolate Cream
Coconut Cream
Dutch Apple French Silk
German Chocolate Cream
Lemon Meringue
Millionaire Cream
Mince (seasonal)
Peach
Peanut Butter Cream
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cream
Pecan
Pumpkin (seasonal)
Rhubarb
Fresh Strawberry (seasonal)
Strawberry Cheesecake (seasonal)

The only one I've had is the apple. I hear the pecan pies are excellent too, but I don't care for pecans. They make me gag

By the way, they do have a pretty detailed website although it hasn't been upated in awhile:

www.pioneerpies.com

I noticed that they sell their pies in some grocery stores around town. This list is obviously out of date because Snyder's and 63rd Steet IGA is no longer around, but some of the others might still be good.

World Famous Pioneer Pies are available at the following outlets
Beachlers IGA - 36th & S. Western
Beachlers IGA - El Reno
Brannons - 4309 S.E. 29th, Del City, OK
Buchanans - 4th & Eastern, Moore, OK
Buchanans- 119th & S. Western
Buchanans- 89th & S. Penn
Mercy Hospital- Memorial Rd.
Snyders- 23rd & Meridian
Snyders- 410 W. Main
Snyders- 23rd and Council
IGA (Mayfair Market)- 50th and N May
63rd Street IGA- NW 63rd and N May
Ray's IGA- Bryant and Memorial Rd., Edmond
Crescent Market- NW 63rd and Western
Kamps- Classen Blvd. just north of NW 23rd
Jims - Danforth & Bryant, Edmond, OK (I'm not so sure this store is here anymore)

Cocoanut or Banana for me.

The website must REALLY be outdated. Most of those places no longer exist. Buchanan's on SW 89 and Pennsylvania closed well over a year ago, in fact two years ago or more. The Drug Emporium that took the location also has since closed.

That's kind of what I figured. I might check Mayfair Market though and see if they have any Pioneer Pies on the shelf.

Well let's see. Which stores are now closed? Actually it is easier to mention the ones that are still open.


World Famous Pioneer Pies are available at the following outlets
Beachlers IGA - 36th & S. Western (GONE)
Beachlers IGA - El Reno ?????
Brannons - 4309 S.E. 29th, Del City, OK
Buchanans - 4th & Eastern, Moore, OK (GONE)
Buchanans- 119th & S. Western (GONE)
Buchanans- 89th & S. Penn (GONE)
Mercy Hospital- Memorial Rd.
Snyders- 23rd & Meridian (GONE)
Snyders- 410 W. Main (GONE)
Snyders- 23rd and Council (GONE)
IGA (Mayfair Market)- 50th and N May ?????
63rd Street IGA- NW 63rd and N May ?????
Ray's IGA- Bryant and Memorial Rd., Edmond ?????
Crescent Market- NW 63rd and Western ?????
Kamps- Classen Blvd. just north of NW 23rd ?????
Jims - Danforth & Bryant, Edmond, OK (I'm not so sure this store is here anymore)

It looks like Pioneer Pies needs to update their website

The only one's I'm for sure about on the list that are still open are Mayfair Market, Crescent Market in Nichols Hills, Mercy Hospital, and Kamps. Just looking at the online SWBYP's it looks like Brannon's is still open as well.

Patrick, I too have memories of Pioneer Pies as a kid, going with the family after church on Sunday. I went there a couple years ago, and had the same experience you recently had. It's not the restaurant we remember. But this makes me think back on other places my family went to 25 to 30 years ago. Remember Chi-Chis on Northwest Expressway? Or the Paseo Casa Bonita? I also remember a restaurant that was similar to what Boomerang is now... phones on the table, great burgers... I want to say it was called "Across the Street"... I also remember once getting to go to Christophers - wow, that was a great place... any memories from the rest of you?

Back when we were kids, Pioneer Pies had different owners. So that could explain the differences. From what I've been told, the current owner inherited the chain from family members that passed on. He's in some business or law-type career, so the restaurant business isn't his first priority. Anyhow, I also remember going there after church on Sundays. I guess that was pretty common back in the day. I remember the place used to be pretty packed Sunday afternoons.

It's a shame that the overall quality of food at Pioneer Pies isn't near what it used to be, because I have some wonderful childhood memories in that restaurant.

Hmmmmm. I remember good ole Chi-Chi's. I believe it was located where TGI Friday's is currently located. I notice they still sell their salsa at the grocery store, so I'm guessing they still have restaurants in other states??

Hmmmm. Was there a Casa Bonita in the Paseo area? I didn't realize that. We always went to the one on 39th and Portland...there's a Taste of China Restaurant there now.
Just for old times sake, when my fiancee and I went to Tulsa this past weekend, we stopped in at Casa Bonita for lunch. For those of you that may not know, it is a Tulsa chain, but they used to have locations in Oklahoma City. Anyways, it brought back a lot of memories as well. The atmosphere is still about the same. You go through a buffet type line to get your food and drink. Your server then brings you out chips and sopaipillas. When you need something from your server you just raise the flag at your table. They still have pretty good food. It's just as good as I remember it as a child.

Yes. Pioneer Pies is one I also visited on occasion. The pies were among the best, but the food was only so-so.

I remember going to Jimmy Dean's which was where Pioneer Pies on I-240 is now. The menu has a lot of items. It spoiled me. I loved the variety they had and would love it if more place had as many or more.

Casa Bonita was a regular stop for the family. Along with Zeider Zee (sp), later known as Der Dutchman, Jamil's, Bill Bonedio's (Papa Dio's) first place called This Is It, Cattleman's (my dad and I would go there together), and I think there were others.

When I was a teenager, we would eat out five days a week.

I wish some of these places would re-open. Of course, Jamil's and Cattleman's are still around.

It is really funny how some of the fondest memories are food. No wonder this country is overweight.

I remember taking my dad to Chi-Chi's on NW Exp for his birthday and them making him wear a sombrero and singing to him. I also remember going with him to a mexican food restaurant where you raised a flag at your table when you needed service, for some reason I thought it was called something else, maybe Pancho's?? (Jim here at work just told me it WAS Casa Bonita!) ANYway, my all time favorite for chips and salsa is On The Border, love their garlic laden salsa. A close second is the habanero salsa at Ted's

Mmmmmmm. Ted's! I guess we already have a good group of Mexican restaurants in Bricktown, but how nice of an addition a Ted's would be! And, it's native to our city!