On the Road: Houston’s House of Pies

We’ve all done it: driven all day only to get into a city too late to have a bite seemingly anywhere but chain eateries like Waffle House or IHOP. In Houston, however, there is a happy alternative in the House of Pies. Serving piping hot (or chilled) pies in more than 30 varieties, 24 hours a day, it’s a scrumptious surrogate for the more ubiquitous houses of all-night-nosh. The food itself is standard diner fare: everything from hamburgers to French dip sandwiches to grilled cheese, as well as the requisite all-day breakfast. But as you might expect, the real stars of this place are the pies. Sinful strawberry rhubarb, luscious lemon meringue, blissful bayou goo—you may find yourself there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner just to taste-test every flavor.  The pies are handmade and always fresh, with buttery crusts and melt-in-your-mouth filling. Of course they sell whole pies to-go, so you can always pack a treat or three to take home with you if the prospect of pie separation is too much to take. With two locations, both close to the heart of the city, it’s not hard to stop by and check it out.