Ikeda’s Pies & More: Visiting Tahoe

During a previous stay at Hostel Tahoe, a roommate kindly recommended that I check out Ikeda’s Country Market in Auburn, located right off Highway 80. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to swing by on that trip – Highway 80 was shut down from a mudslide and we were rerouted away from Ikeda’s. Luckily, the season was still young and I was able to stop by with my boyfriend on a more recent trip to North Lake Tahoe. While the berry pies came highly recommended, I’m glad we also checked out what else they had to offer – which were equally delicious!

Fruit Pies & Cobblers

On our trip to Tahoe, we opted to spend the first night in Colfax (more on that here) and squeezed in a stop at Ikeda’s on the way. It was tough to choose a single pie, but we ultimately went with a Marionberry Cobbler. I would have included a picture here, but unfortunately we started digging in before I remembered to take a photo!

We didn’t realize until later that the diner section of the market sells single slices of pie. Had we known, we would have picked up a few of these instead so we could sample more of their pies!

If you’re stopping by, don’t forget to check out the back section of the market as well for cream and meringue pie varietals.

Savory Pot Pies

On our way back to San Francisco, we stopped by Ikeda’s again to eat at the diner. Though the burgers and curly fries looked delicious, we opted for the chicken pot pie, which was heavenly. It’s been years since I’ve last had a chicken pot pie (probably of the frozen Marie Callenders variety), so I could be biased – but my boyfriend also agreed that it was mighty tasty and hit the spot on a colder, drizzly day.

The market has an extensive freezer section in the back where you can stock up on frozen pot pies. If we had an ice chest or cooler, we absolutely would have grabbed a few of these to take home!

While this post has mainly focused on pies, both sweet and savory, I’d be remiss not to include a shout out about the market itself. I was pleasantly surprised by how well-stocked it was – this is a great place to pick up fresh vegetables, wine, butters (they make their own nut butters and jams!), bread and more. As a bonus, they have a enviable hot sauce collection, which is something you don’t see often.

Have you been to Ikeda’s before? Would love to hear about your go-to orders!