GET A SLICE OF THIS. Homemade is best – and Stockholm Pie & General Store has made a business out of it. (Photos via Facebook)

Saturday, March 29 was a fairly typical spring day in northwestern Wisconsin: cloudy, rainy, and still a bit chilly despite the lack of snow. I decided it was time to revisit a place I’d ventured to once, years ago: Stockholm Pie and General Store.

Located in the tiny village of Stockholm (“tiny” is warranted considering its population is under 100), my best friend and I chatted for the whole one-hour drive from Eau Claire to Stockholm, strategically arriving around lunch time. Stockholm Pie and General Store technically stretches across three storefronts in one building (all interconnected), and inside the pie shop’s doors, a plaque is proudly displayed beside the pie case. It reads, “USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice 2024, Best Pie Shop, #1.”

Of course, I already knew about the plaque-worthy title thanks to a Google search prior to arriving. Rankings are chosen by a panel of industry experts and editors before public voting takes place over a four-week period to determine the final rankings. Of the 2024 poll’s top 10, Stockholm Pie and General Store is one of just two Midwest shops who made the cut – the other is Chicago’s Hoosier Mama Pie Company – beating out metropolitan city bakeries for the coveted top spot.

Photo by McKenna Scherer.

I get why. During my visit, I enjoyed lunch – the BLTS Wrap (the house-made shmear represented by the “s”) and a cup of beef chili – plus an Uncrustable-looking mini pie called a “pie cookie.” Light, flaky pastry fell away to a delightfully sweet, seasonal strawberry rhubarb filling. I decided against taking a fork to one of the full-size pies, and instead took home a six-inch blueberry and peach pie. 

They might as well just leave these things out on a cottage window sill like in the fairy tales. You can taste the homemade-ness of it; I think they call that secret ingredient “love,” or something.

The double-crust pies made from scratch in the Stockholm Pie and General Store kitchen are thanks to a family recipe passed down through the generations. As the story goes, the award-winning pie shop started because of a grandmother’s homemade recipe, many years ago.

“Her brother and brother-in-law had a tiny space open in their 100+ year old building in the village. After finding out that the sweet grandma also made some of the best pie anyone had ever tasted, they decided to open up (a) little weekend pie shop,” Stockholm Pie and General Store’s site says.

Fruit used in each pie is hand-peeled, with no canned ingredients used (hence the seasonal varieties). The older gentleman who rang up my friend and I's rainy day orders (more than once, since we went back for pie after eating lunch) was one of the co-owners. The other co-owner, I later discovered, was the fellow who wiped down the table we’d eaten lunch at.

Photo by McKenna Scherer.

If pie isn’t your thing (odd, but OK), more sweet concoctions are available: Pie shakes, ice cream sundaes, floats, and more can be purchased at the same place. In the General Store next door, a case of a truffles, giant peanut butter cups, and a variety of chocolate-covered goodies await, plus a nice selection of classic candies. (The lunch menu also features ample options: the Salmon Smorga on Rye, Nordic Salad, chicken pot pie, quiches, and more.)

Next-next door (it’s three interconnected shops, remember?) is a cheese and wine area, also home to  kitchen gadgets, canned jellies and jams, glass bottle sodas, and a reading nook, rounding out the Stockholm Pie and General Store’s offerings.

My friend and I also walked up the street to the Art Orchard Gallery, a small local arts shop and gallery, whose owner pointed us across the street to Little Larke Bakery. We each bought a loaf of fresh sourdough, which the owner – who had pins from Wintership Tattoo and The Joynt – sliced and re-bagged before sending us on our way.

If I haven't already convinced you, let me spell it out: A rainy day spent with a close friend and sweet homemade pie is certainly a day well spent. Who knew some of the best pie in the country would be in a tiny town an hour's drive from Eau Claire?

Learn more about (and order pie from) Stockholm Pie and General Store at stockholmpie.com or visit in person at N2030 Spring St., Stockholm • Keep up with the business on Facebook