Some road trip stops are quick and forgettable. This one has a line out front on a weekday, a takeout window that stays busy, and a pie case that people plan entire drives around.
On the North Shore of Lake Superior, near Two Harbors, a roadside bakery has been rolling out homestyle pies since 1956. The menu runs deep with cream pies, fruit pies, and crumbles, but one dessert keeps coming up in conversation: the five-layer chocolate pie.
Food-focused day-trippers from across Minnesota treat this place as a must-stop, and some even swing back on the return trip for a whole pie to go. Keep reading to learn where it is, what to order, how to beat the wait, and why so many families make it a tradition.
A Roadside Pie Shop on Highway 61
Along the scenic lake route north of Duluth, a sign reading World Famous Pies has been stopping traffic for generations.
The shop behind it is Betty’s Pies, found at 2019, 1633 MN-61, Two Harbors, MN 55616, in the United States. It sits right on the North Shore of Lake Superior, the stretch of shoreline that Minnesotans treat as a summer ritual.
Betty’s is a pie shop first, but it also works as a full American eatery. The kitchen serves classic breakfast and lunch fare, and plenty of travelers stop for a slice and end up staying for a meal.
Location matters here. The shop is easy to reach on a North Shore drive and pairs nicely with nearby stops like Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse.
Many people pull in on the way up the shore and then return on the drive home. Some loop through on a Lake Superior Circle Tour, while others swing by after camping in the Boundary Waters.
The building is not hidden or hard to spot. With thousands of people praising it online and a steady crowd most days, this little roadside stop has become one of the most recognizable food destinations on the entire shore.
So what keeps it so busy after all these decades? The answer starts with its long history.
Rolling Dough Since 1956
Few bakeries can say they have been at it since the Eisenhower years.
Betty’s Pies opened in 1956, and it has stayed a veteran of the North Shore ever since. The focus from the start has been homestyle pies, the kind many families connect with grandma’s kitchen table.
That comparison is not just a cute line. Homemade apple pie here reminds some guests of the one their grandmother used to bake, which says a lot about the old-school approach.
Longevity has turned the shop into a tradition. Couples who first stopped in on a honeymoon years ago now return with their kids, and those kids pick their own favorite flavors.
One couple from Chicago even served Betty’s pies as dessert at their Two Harbors wedding. They ordered five varieties, and guests reportedly tried one of each.
Nearly seven decades of baking can make a place feel frozen in time. Betty’s has kept its classic feel while adding modern touches, which comes up later in this story.
History alone does not fill a parking lot, though. The pies still need to earn the trip every single day, and the star of the show is waiting in the next section.
The Five-Layer Chocolate Legend
Chocolate fans, this is your headline act.
The five-layer chocolate pie ranks among the most talked-about slices at Betty’s, with dozens of mentions from people who made a point of ordering it. It shows up next to fan favorites like banana cream and key lime as a pie people name specifically.
Families who share a table often split up the menu. In one case, a mom tried coconut turtle cream while her daughters went for berry and the five chocolate, and every slice was a hit.
That pattern is common here. The chocolate pie works as the safe bet for a chocolate lover while the rest of the group experiments.
It also belongs to the cream pie family, which is the category people discuss most at Betty’s. Cream pies earn more conversation than any other style on the menu.
So why does it live up to the buzz? Layered desserts take patience to build, and a bakery with nearly 70 years of practice clearly has that patience to spare.
One tip: popular flavors can sell out. If the five-layer chocolate is the reason for the drive, an earlier arrival improves the odds of grabbing a slice.
Cream Pies That Steal the Spotlight
Cream pies are the quiet champions of this menu.
Beyond the chocolate favorite, the lineup includes banana cream, toffee cream, coconut cream, coconut turtle cream, French silk, cherry cream, and Reese’s peanut butter cream.
Banana cream has a loyal following. One husband orders it nearly every visit, and the bananas somehow stay fresh without turning brown, while the filling never feels too heavy.
Toffee cream also earns plenty of praise. Its pale crust is compared to shortbread, and the filling is light and creamy with what appear to be toffee candy bits throughout.
Here is a fun twist. Some people who come for a classic fruit pie end up liking the cream slice even more.
Key lime rounds out the group for anyone who wants something tangy. At least one young diner could not choose between coconut cream and key lime, and a kind server brought both.
With this many options, decision paralysis is a real risk. The good news is that slices are affordable enough to order two.
Fruit, Crumbles and the Great Lakes Crunch
Not everyone comes for cream, and the fruit side of the case puts up a strong fight.
Bumbleberry and strawberry rhubarb rank among the most mentioned pies at Betty’s. Raspberry rhubarb, blackberry peach, caramel apple, cherry, and pecan also appear on the menu.
Then there is the Great Lakes Crunch. Its crunchy topping wins fans who praise the balance of sweet and tangy, and some call it the undisputed champion of their personal pie tournament.
Local ingredients play a role too. Rhubarb and raspberries are among the regional flavors featured in certain pies.
A fair heads-up: a few fruit pies lean on cinnamon. Those who love that spice will be happy, and those who do not may want to ask before ordering.
The menu covers a wide range of styles. Choices include cream, double crust, and crumble, sold by the slice or as a whole pie.
Cheesecake is also available and surprises people who did not expect it. Fruit, crumble, or cream, the case has something for almost every sweet tooth.
Pie Shakes and Hearty Diner Plates
Plenty of guests show up for dessert and leave having eaten a full meal first.
Betty’s serves breakfast and lunch, with diner classics like burgers, thick onion rings, fresh fries, hot beef sandwiches, pulled pork, chicken pesto sandwiches, and fish and chips.
Portions run large. One traveler planned to grab only a slice, ordered a chicken dinner, and had to take the pie to go.
Soup and sandwich combos are another smart move. The egg salad sandwich with the special soup even comes with a side of pie.
Now for the menu’s cleverest idea, the pie shake. A slice of pie gets blended right into a shake, and a quarter slice can come on a plate or in a shake.
On busy days, many folks in line at the takeout window are ordering pie shakes. It is a dessert that doubles as a road trip drink.
Not every dish wins universal praise, and the pies remain the main draw. Still, the kitchen gives a hungry group plenty of reasons to sit down and stay a while.
A Retro Diner With Lake Views
Time travel is not on the menu, but the decor gets close.
The dining room has a fun, old diner style that feels like a trip back to the 1960s. Vintage collectors and nostalgia fans tend to appreciate that throwback look.
It is cozy and family friendly. Kids pick their own slices, grandparents relax in a familiar setting, and couples return for anniversaries.
Outside, there is outdoor seating, plus plenty of benches near the entrance. Those benches come in handy during the wait for a table.
The setting along the lakeshore is part of the charm. Some guests mention a view of Lake Superior, which adds to the appeal of a sunny afternoon stop.
Staff warmth also comes up again and again. Servers check on tables often, and one greeter loves chatting with travelers about where they are from.
Friendly crews and a classic look make the shop more than a pastry counter. It feels like a small-town gathering spot that happens to serve thousands of strangers each season.
Beating the Line at the Takeout Window
Popularity comes with a price, and here it is paid in minutes.
Wait time is the most discussed topic about Betty’s. Table waits of 30 to 40 minutes are common in busy stretches, and parking can be tight even on weekdays.
The best workaround is the outdoor takeout window. It lets people grab pie or a shake without going inside.
Even that line can take time on peak days. Expect around 10 minutes to order and another 15 to 20 to receive slices when the crowd swells.
Timing helps a lot. A Monday visit outside the main tourist rush can mean a calm, quiet dining room.
Inside, screens now show real-time pie availability. That small upgrade saves heartbreak when a favorite flavor is gone.
Takeout orders come with forks and napkins in the bag. That makes it easy to eat on a nearby trail, at a scenic pullout, or in the car while the shoreline rolls by.
Hours, Prices and Pies to Go
Good planning turns a pie stop into a smooth one.
Betty’s Pies opens daily at 9 am. It closes at 6 pm Sunday through Friday and stays open until 7 pm on Saturday.
Prices stay reasonable for a famous bakery. Slices run roughly $5.25 to $6, and whole pies cost about $22 to $25.
Whole pies travel well. One pie survived a two and a half hour summer road trip and arrived in perfect condition.
The shop also ships pies, which helps anyone who wants a taste of the North Shore far from Two Harbors.
Gluten-free shoppers have a few options as well. That makes the stop more welcoming for mixed groups with different needs.
Catering is available too. Couples planning events on the shore have ordered multiple varieties, with personal delivery and simple ordering making the process easy.
A quick reminder before hitting the road: popular flavors can sell out later in the day.
Worth the Detour Up the Shore
After all the hype, does it hold up? For most people, yes, and by a wide margin.
Betty’s Pies holds a 4.5-star average from nearly 6,000 Google ratings, a remarkable number for a roadside bakery.
Not every slice wins every heart. A few fruit pies get mixed feedback, and some find certain diner plates just okay.
The cream pies, though, are where this bakery shines brightest. The five-layer chocolate, banana cream, and toffee cream give chocolate and cream fans a strong reason to make the drive.
For Minnesota food-focused day-trippers, the payoff is clear. A long menu of homestyle pies, fair prices, and nearly 70 years of tradition add up to a stop worth building a day around.
Pair it with Gooseberry Falls or Split Rock Lighthouse for a full North Shore outing. Arrive early or on a weekday, use the takeout window when the line grows, and grab a whole pie for the trip home.
Order that chocolate slice, find a spot by the lake, and the hype will make perfect sense.
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