The San Diego Chicken Pie Shop- a revisit...pretty much the same.

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog.  Cathy is writing today, because Kirk and ed (from Yuma) aren't.

Hello again.  Everyone seems to be feeling under the weather lately.  The 'rain' (we measure in 1/100ths of an inch out here) and 'cold' (there was frost on my car windows this morning, but is 71 now) seems to have wrecked havoc with everyone.

The other day, The Mister was starting to come down with (what now is) a massive head cold and cough and He wanted some comfort food.   I did not want to cook.

So we went down El Cajon Boulevard. In front of one of the colorfully decorated utility boxes, was the old standby,  

The San Diego Chicken Pie Shop.

It has been in various locations since 1938, with this location unchanged since 1986 or so...

I did blog about this place  in 2006, and we do eat here fairly regularly (Tuesdays and Saturdays if I can manage it, because the Pie of the Day is coconut cream...) and I figured I could take my camera and do an update.  So here goes...

 

The cole slaw is the same, as always.  Finely chopped cabbage and carrot in a light sauce that needs salt and pepper.

 

The dinner rolls are the same, as always.  Fresh baked in store,  hearty white bread.  Soft crust.  Fluffy insides. Served with real butter.

  The Mister's meal came with a cup of soup.  He chose the pea soup.  Fresh made, with carrots, kind of lumpy.  Very thick and chicken broth based.

 

The Mister got the chicken liver dinner (it includes the soup, rolls and dessert as well as the vegetable and whipped potato).

This meal takes the longest to prepare when you order it.  The livers are lightly breaded in a flour and spice mix and then pan fried.  Lots of  juicy livers. Wonderful, fresh, tasty.  As always.

 A slice of fresh made pie comes with each of our meals.  I got the coconut cream and The Mister got rhubarb.  His had two crusts, mine had whipped cream.  The crusts are different than the chicken pie crust.  Flakier. 

The interior is the same, the food is consistently the same (they sell between 2000 and 3000 pies a day- you can buy cooked or frozen to go. 

 

There is one difference.  Back in 1984, the Pie dinner was $3.10.  Now it is $6.50.    The liver dinner is now $7.00. Otherwise, nothing has changed.

Apparently time has moved on.  Two years later, our orders, including dessert choices were the same as in my original post.  Comfort food. 

 

San Diego Chicken Pie Shop  2633 El Cajon Boulevard 92104 (619)295-0156 Open 7 days 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 

In case there was any doubt, I got the pie dinner.  Same as always- chicken, turkey and gravy inside the freshly made pie crust.

Comments

[Michelle]

mmmmm....this post comes right at the time when I crave for a chicken pot pie! Something about it that calls for comfort food like spaghetti and meat balls =) Thanks Cathy!

[Carol]

For a second there, I thought there would be no picture of a pot pie. :-) Yum, love chicken pot pies. The liver looks pretty good too.

[Carol]

I forgot to say I hope your Mister feels better soon. And hopefully you won't catch the cold.

[sha]

Hi Cathy, since you come here so often for their coconut cream pie, I assume it's good? =) I am a big fan of the coconut cream pie and any liver items, $7 for both, i am in!

[nhbill]

Is this pie show related to the pie shop in OC? I'm starving.

[the office goat]

Do they have fried gizzards and hearts, too, or just livers? I always liked those chewier bits.

[stephen]

Hi Cathy. Thanks for the post. It's pretty near home, and the perfect place for comfort food.
I always get the pie dinner, and if I'm there on the right day, coconut cream pie. Even at $6.50 its a lot of food. Much better than McD where you'd pay the same.

[cathy]

Hi-and welcome- Michelle. The pot pie here is unique in that there are no fillers, just meat and gravy. Spaghetti and meatballs sounds like dinner tonight.

Hi Carol. I was looking at the other post and the photos looked so similar I almost did not put it in at all. I hope all of my Misters (Kirk included) get better. I don't have time for this you know.

You can see the slice of pie is not very large (that is a normal size fork), sha, but the fresh made flaky crust...and I suppose the filling is the canned Comstock one (which I can eat an entire can of, despite the fact that I don't crave sweets) but it is just a perfect amount of sweet to end the meal. By no means is this a fancy place nor does it claim to be. It is just consistently made comfort food.

I don't think it is a chain, bill, but if the place in OC makes the crusts and breads in house and daily, then that should help you satisfy a craving. It may have been started by someone who worked in the San Diego one and moved...

No, just livers, TOG. Did you call yourself a "pancake slut" in that comment about the Tierrasanta Hawaiian place?

Hi Stephen-It is a lot of food, even with the 'exhorbitant' price :) If it is not coconut cream pie day, I get the pumpkin one...so nice to have when it isn't a holiday. I like the two crusted ones also...heck they are all good.

[TheOneEyedMan]

I ate there today on your recommendation. I had the pot pie with corn and whipped potatoes, while my companion had an open faced turkey sandwich.

We thought both were tasty. I found the pot pie different (in a good way) from others I've had, less rich and with much more poultry flavor.

I got the cherry pie and while I found the crust excellent, the filling was generic tasting. The coconut cream pie was another beast entirely, It was rich and fresh tasting with great coconut flavor.

[Cathy]

Hi and welcome to this side of the blog, TOEM. I am so happy that you tried -and liked- the chicken pie here, as well as the dessert. The rolls, and both types of pie crusts are made in the store daily and I suppose the fact that the receipe has been the same for-like-ever...that consistency is so comforting as well as tasty to me.

[Patti]

Has anyone ever been able to duplicate the chicken pie? I live far away now and would love to be able to make it at home.

[Beth]

Is this shop connected in any way to the Fresno CA Chicken Pie Shop? The pot pies and sides look like they are similar, if not identical.

[Cathy]

It has never franchised or branched out, other than to change locations within San Diego, Beth. The pies I guess aren't unique. The Chicken Pie shop in Arcadia makes similar pies also. The food is so good. Welcome to our blog.