We’ve been in southwestern Pennsylvania long enough now to have a flurry of places we’ve eaten at, loved, and fully intended to write about. Truth is, we enjoyed our anonymity. It’s freeing to slip into a place, get your food, form an opinion, and walk out without anyone knowing The Blue Ribbon Team was ever in the building.
But now that we’re cracking open our regional reviews in our new home, it only feels right to start with an absolute standout. A business that hits every note of what it means to be a “Blue Ribbon Team” place: consistency, community, craft, and pride.
Every town has that baker.
The donut genius.
The cake master.
The novelty savant.
The person whose work is so good that people line up every single day like it’s a ritual.
For the town of Laughlintown — halfway between Pittsburgh and Johnstown — that “one” isn’t a person.
It’s a building, a brand, and a legacy:
The Pie Shoppe.
Correction: THE Pie Shoppe.
I love pie.
I’ve eaten pie around the country and in a handful of places around the world. Old-school diners, industrial bakeries, roadside stands, once-in-a-lifetime restaurants — you name it, I’ve cut into it.
And I’m going to say this plainly:
This may be the best pie I’ve ever had.
Locals tell me the donuts are even better.
I couldn’t tell you.
In a dozen visits over six months, I’ve never made it past the pie case long enough to find out.
A Community Staple Since 1947
The Pie Shoppe started as a tiny veteran-founded bakery with one oven and a simple promise:
bake honestly, bake well, and bake for the community.
Decades later, that promise still holds.
The line moves fast, but the vibe is pure small-town Americana. Waiting there feels like standing in the middle of a rolling town meeting — everyone greeting everyone, catching up, swapping news, passing babies, cracking jokes. New faces get folded into the rhythm without a second thought.
It’s the kind of place where the bakery isn’t just a business — it’s part of the local identity.
The Crusts
This is where many bakeries fail.
But not here.
- Crisp every time
- Golden, not pale
- Flavorful enough to eat on its own
- Sturdy without being tough
- Never soggy
It’s the crust you imagine when you think about the perfect pie, and almost no one delivers. They do.
The Fruit
Always premium.
Always properly cooked.
Always balanced.
Always tasting like someone handpicked what went in that day.
Sweet pies, tart pies, mixed pies — the fruit has depth, not just sugar.
The Cream-Case Pies
This is where I expected weakness.
Most bakeries that excel in fruit pies fall apart on the cream side.
Not here.
Chocolate cream, peanut butter, key lime, lemon meringue, coconut — they’re all honest, full-flavor, real-ingredient pies that hit the exact texture and taste you want. No shortcuts. No gelatinous weirdness. No “store-bought vibe.”
Just real pies, made by people who know what they’re doing.
Weak Spots?
Haven’t found one.
And believe me — I’m going to keep trying.
Final Verdict- BLUE RIBBON
The Pie Shoppe is everything a community bakery should be: warm, consistent, proud of its craft, and absolutely unbothered by trends. When a place has been doing one thing right for this long, it shows.
If you’re anywhere near Laughlintown, just go.
Do yourself the favor.
And if you happen to visit when they have bumbleberry pie in season?
Well…
You probably won’t like it.
So please — leave those for me.
Blue Ribbon Rating: BLUE RIBBON
(They earned it. Full stop.)
