Discover Why This Texas Town Is Officially the Pie Capital

Somewhere between Austin and San Antonio, right off Interstate 35, sits a town of about 65,000 people with an oversized claim and the pie to back it up.

Kyle, Texas, is the officially designated Pie Capital of Texas, complete with a U.S. trademark, a state resolution signed by the governor, and a giant slice of cherry pie perched atop a green building on West Center Street.

Most drivers zip past Kyle without a second thought, just another exit on the way to somewhere else.

But those who take the off-ramp discover something unexpected: a community that has built an entire identity around flaky crusts, perfect fillings, and the simple joy of a well-made pie.

How Kyle Became the Pie Capital

The story starts with Julie Albertson. In 1986, she opened her first bakery using recipes passed down from her grandmother on a farm in East Texas.

She moved the Texas Pie Company to Kyle in 2000, back when the town was a quiet bedroom community of barely 5,000 people. For years, she baked quietly, sometimes seeing only three or four customers a day.

Then things changed. In 2016, Albertson won H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best competition, landing her pie dough in over 300 grocery stores statewide.

City officials noticed that when they surveyed visitors about why they came to Kyle, two answers kept coming up: they knew someone named Kyle and wanted photos, or they came for the pie. The city leaned into the obvious.

Kyle applied for a U.S. trademark on “Pie Capital of Texas” and received it in 2019. On June 8, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott signed a state resolution making the designation official through 2031.

The giant cherry pie sign outside the Texas Pie Company, installed in 2013, became an Instagram landmark. Thousands of photos have been posted online.

But Kyle didn’t stop at one bakery. The city embraced pie in all its forms: pizza pie, chicken pot pie, empanadas, and Frito pie.

Even the city’s subsidized Uber program charges $3.14 per ride, a nod to the mathematical constant pi.

The Pie Festival and What to Try

Every Labor Day weekend, Kyle hosts the Pie in the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival at Lake Kyle Park.

More than a dozen colorful balloons rise over the water while visitors below stuff themselves with every variety of pie imaginable.

There’s a pie-eating contest, a pie-baking competition, tethered balloon rides, live music, fireworks, and a 3.14-mile fun run. The first festival in 2017 drew around 12,000 visitors, and crowds have grown since.

If you can’t make the festival, the Texas Pie Company is open year-round at 202 West Center Street.

The bestseller is the Southern Pecan, but locals also swear by the Buttermilk (Albertson’s personal favorite), Lemon Chess, Dutch Apple, and Almond Joy. Cream pie lovers should try the Coconut or Key Lime.

Seasonal offerings include Pumpkin and Praline when the weather cools.

The bakery also serves lunch, including chicken pot pie and daily specials like meatloaf, so you can work your way through both savory and sweet in one sitting.

Fair warning: popular flavors sell out. If you have your heart set on something specific, arrive early.

Beyond Pie: What Else Kyle Offers

Kyle has transformed from a sleepy railroad stop into one of the fastest-growing cities in America.

Founded in 1880 along the International and Great Northern Railroad, the town had barely 5,000 residents in 2000. Today it’s pushing 65,000 and still growing at nearly 5% annually.

Despite the growth, Kyle maintains traces of small-town charm. The Kyle Railroad Depot & Heritage Center preserves the town’s railroad history.

Lake Kyle Park offers 118 acres of trails, fishing docks, and waterfront views. The historic downtown along Center Street features local restaurants and shops within walking distance of each other.

The location is hard to beat. Kyle sits about 20 minutes south of Austin and 45 minutes north of San Antonio.

San Marcos, with its outlet malls and Texas State University, is just down the road. You can make Kyle a destination or a strategic stop while traveling on I-35.

For dining beyond pie, locals recommend Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant for enchiladas and breakfast tacos, Ilario’s for Italian, Milt’s for Texas barbecue, and Big Rob’s Burgers for oversized patties and fried Oreos.

The Sweet Stop You’re Driving Past

Kyle earned its pie reputation the old-fashioned way: one customer at a time, one slice at a time, over nearly 40 years.

The city just had the good sense to recognize what was already happening and build a community around it.

The designation is official through 2031, but the pie culture runs deeper than any trademark.

It’s baked into local business, city programs, and community pride. Whether you stop for a slice of pecan, catch the balloon festival, or just snap a photo with the giant cherry pie sign, Kyle delivers something you won’t find at the next exit.

Take the off-ramp. Find West Center Street. Order whatever’s fresh. Understand why Kyle earned its title.