Royers Pie Haven
Not My Mom’s Apple Pie – Granny Smith Apples, Brown Sugar Whipping Cream Filling, Pecan Brown Sugar Streudel Topping
Texas Trash Pie – Pecans, Coconut, Chocolate Chips, Graham Crackers, Pretzels, Caramel
Ann’s Pecan Pie with Amy’s Vanilla Ice Cream
Not originally on my agenda but heavily praised by the young woman at Emporium Pies in Dallas I knew I’d have to make time for Round Top import Royer’s Pie Haven whilst in Austin. Only four months old and located just off the University of Texas campus but so cozy in décor that it could have blended in right next to my breakfast out in Lexington at Snow’s it was just after 10am when I entered the otherwise empty store and greeted by a college age clerk plus the smells of butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and coffee everything about the place said “sit down, stay awhile”…and eat a whole lot of pie. Still baked in Round Top from all natural ingredients by Tara “the pie queen” but delivered fresh each morning in no less than a dozen varieties and a number of sizes it was with admitted indecision that choices were pondered and eventually settling on my two ‘standards’ the young lady quipped “oh, you have to try the Texas trash”…so, make it three…”warm with ice cream?”…so, twist my arm. Admittedly prone to such indulgence and happy to plop down on a broken in couch it was with the molten sugared pecans that I began and with Amy’s rich ice cream cascading down the buttery crust I couldn’t help but smile – not as novel as Emporium but low in filling, high in pecan, and perfect. Moving next to Apple, streusel topped and surprisingly smooth though not overly sweet it was after a few bites that I decided to save the rest for later and moving on to the single serving “trash” I immediately found myself in agreement with the clerk – a lake of liquid caramel beneath a pantry of flavors salty, sweet, and simply delicious; only the pecans screaming Texas and not a crumb left for the trash.
