Slice of Pie

Slice of Pie opened in 1978 as a small commercial outlet for the founding family's pie recipes — recipes that had been developed and refined across multiple generations of home baking before being scaled up to a commercial operation. The original menu was deliberately limited to fresh-baked pies in roughly a dozen flavors plus coffee and a few non-pie items; this focus has remained essentially constant for over four decades. The founding decision to commit to fresh-daily baking — every pie made in-house each morning rather than purchased pre-made or frozen — is the operational basis for the shop's reputation.

The cash-only policy dates from the shop's founding and remains in place. The reasons are partly traditional (the shop was established before credit cards were universal in small-town Missouri commerce) and partly practical (avoiding processing fees on small transactions keeps prices low). Visitors who arrive without cash can typically find an ATM within a few blocks of the shop. The cash-only policy is mentioned on the shop's storefront signage and on travel guide recommendations, but still occasionally surprises first-time visitors.

Generational continuity in the family operation is part of what has preserved the shop's character. The founding generation passed primary operational responsibility to younger family members in the 2000s; the current operators continue to bake fresh daily, maintain the original recipes, and uphold the customer-service approach that has built the shop's reputation. Long-term staff members — several have been at Slice of Pie for 15+ years — add additional continuity to the operation.

The coconut cream pie is the single most-celebrated item on the Slice of Pie menu and is widely cited as one of the best coconut cream pies in the central United States. The recipe combines a tender butter crust, a rich custard filling with substantial toasted coconut flakes folded in, a generous coconut-cream meringue topping, and additional toasted coconut sprinkled on top. The texture balance — crisp crust, smooth custard, soft meringue, crunchy coconut — is what separates the Slice of Pie version from typical coconut cream pies elsewhere.

Beyond coconut cream, the chocolate cream pie and the banana cream pie are the other two perennial customer favorites — both follow the same crust-custard-meringue formula with substituted flavorings, and both have substantial regular-customer followings. The fruit pies vary seasonally: apple, cherry, blueberry, peach, and rhubarb are standard rotating offerings depending on the time of year. Pecan pie (year-round but particularly popular in fall and winter) and Key lime pie (summer) round out the regular offerings.

Seasonal specials and unusual flavors appear regularly. Pumpkin pie is standard through October and November; pecan and chess pies feature heavily through the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons; strawberry pies appear in late spring when local strawberries are in season. Occasional special-event pies — including chocolate pecan, French silk, and various custard variations — appear without notice and typically sell out within a day or two. Asking what's available on the day of your visit is the standard approach; the staff is happy to describe each pie and recommend based on customer preferences.

Slice sizes at Slice of Pie are genuinely large — larger than typical restaurant pie slices and substantially larger than what fast-food or chain restaurants would call a slice. Each pie is cut into 8 slices rather than the typical 10 or 12, and the pies themselves are full 10-inch deep-dish pies rather than the smaller 9-inch pies common at chain restaurants. The practical effect is that a single Slice of Pie slice is genuinely a full dessert serving for most customers — sharing is reasonable for diners with smaller appetites.

Pricing is modest. Individual slices typically run $5 to $7 depending on the pie type (cream pies on the higher end, simple fruit pies on the lower end). Whole pies are typically $25 to $35 and require a few hours advance notice for guaranteed availability — the shop typically bakes a standard number of each pie daily but custom orders or particularly popular flavors can sell out by early afternoon. Calling ahead (573-364-6203) for a whole pie order is the standard approach for visitors who want to take a pie home.

Beyond pies, the menu includes coffee (regular drip and decaf), iced tea, and a small selection of soft drinks. No alcohol is served. The shop does not have a full lunch or dinner menu; Slice of Pie is genuinely a pie-and-coffee operation and visitors who want a more substantial meal will need to combine the pie stop with lunch or dinner elsewhere in downtown Rolla. The combination of a Slice of Pie dessert with a meal at A&W Drive-In or another nearby Rolla restaurant is the standard pattern for visitors making a fuller food stop.

Slice of Pie is at 601 Kingshighway in downtown Rolla, with metered street parking and a small parking lot adjacent to the building. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10am to 10pm; closed Sunday. The shop generally posts current hours on its storefront signage and on social media; holidays can affect hours so calling ahead for major holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas) is reasonable.

Best visiting times depend on what you want. For maximum pie variety, early in the day (10am to 1pm) is best because the freshly-baked morning pies are at peak inventory. For shorter wait times, mid-afternoon (2pm to 5pm) is typically the quietest period; lunch and dinner times (11am-1pm and 5pm-8pm) can produce 15-20 minute waits for seating during peak tourism months. Late evening (8pm-10pm) is generally calm and offers a relaxed setting but may have reduced pie selection if popular flavors have sold out.

For Route 66 travelers, Slice of Pie pairs naturally with other Rolla stops to produce a full half-day or evening itinerary. The classic plan: Stonehenge Replica visit at 10am, Missouri Mining Museum at 11am, Phelps County Courthouse and downtown walking tour at noon, Slice of Pie lunch and pie at 1pm, Totem Pole Trading Post or Mule Trading Post souvenir stop at 2:30pm, and continuing west on Route 66 toward Lebanon and Springfield by 3pm. Visitors making Rolla an overnight stop can also do Slice of Pie as a dessert stop after dinner at A&W Drive-In or another Rolla restaurant.