This small town pie shop in Princeton, Illinois was so delicious it needed its own blog post. I heard Myrtle’s Cafe & Pies through social media, the review was “worth the drive from anywhere in Illinois.” They weren’t wrong.

We paired this visit to Myrtle’s with a trip to one of Illinois’ newest courses, Lake Kakusha in Mendota. It was a 30 minute drive down long country roads (out of our way to get here), and it was totally worth it.

Myrtle’s Cafe & Pie posts their daily pie flavors and deserts on their Facebook page, and store hours. They have EVERYTHING pie-related you can think of there: by the slice, whole pies, take home and bake, cinnamon rolls, and more.

It was the best pie I have ever had. To be honest, I was never really into pie - and that is probably because I grew up with Baker’s Square at family get togethers. This is totally different, down home country cooking — you cannot compare.

We tried the blueberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry pretzel pie, banana cream pie, and red white and blue (a 4th of July special, because we were there on the 4th of July!).

Pies stacked on the shelf at Myrtle's Cafe & Pies

OUR MYRTLE’S CAFE & PIES REVIEW

Blueberry Pie

Think nice whole berries, they tasted plump and freshly picked. I got a piece of this to take home for my Dad who is a retired chef. His favorite fruit is the blueberry, heck he is a blueberry because everything he ever gets is blueberry. So this is his review: “that was the best, I have never had anything like it. What did they go and pick the blueberries right off of the farm and then bake it?!”

Strawberry Rhubarb

When I think of a classic American-made pie, this is it. Simply delicious not too-sweet and not too-tart, each bite was wholesome and filling.

Strawberry Pretzel Pie

When you get sweet and salty into a corner this is my jam. The strawberries tasted just as fresh as the blueberries in the blueberry pie. This gelatin was perfectly balanced with fresh strawberries and the graham cracker crust with that salty pretzel flavor (incredible). Round it out with a whip cream edge, just wow! Okay, home-run.

Banana CREAM Pie

This was Chris’ favorite. His taste buds are “simple” in his words (or more like that of any picky 5 year old child). His first pick was the Blueberry Pie but I got him this so that he could live more adventurously. “It was not what he expected at all.” The filling was like banana pudding that brought him back to that memory of his dad’s homemade banana pudding. Topped with cream. This will definately be his go-to choice when we go back.

Red White and Blue

This pie was Born on the 4th of July. With a blueberry base, pudding filling, cherries on top, cream and red white and blue sprinkles, it was a must get on the 4th of July.

We started out with the Blueberry, Strawberry Rhubarb and Red White and Blue - sat in the car and had a bite of each. I filled the cooler with these, and then when back to get the more and a few other slices — and really fill the cooler! They were so fun to share and bring home for all to enjoy small bites. My only regret was not getting a coffee mug with Myrtle’s photo on it. But we will be back!

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MANY CHOICES WE HAD THIS IS FROM MYRTLE’S PIES POST ON FACEBOOK FROM THE 4TH OF JULY:

Regular store hours are..... Thursday Friday Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Tiramisu Pie

Fresh Strawberry Pretzel

Fresh Strawberry Marshmallow

Pumpkin Overboard

Blondie brownie bottom bourbon butterscotch brownie bottom salted caramel coffee cream red white and blue pie

Banana Cream with graham cracker or pastry key lime

S'mores

Salted Carmel

Lemon Lavender Overboard

Lemon Meringue

French Silk

French Silk with malt

Chocolate Cream pastry or graham cracker crust chocolate peanut butter

Jeremy's Peanut Butter Buckeye

Alan's Chocolate Coconut

Coconut Cream with pastry crust

Coconut Cream with cookie crust

Apple

Strawberry Rhubarb

Red Raspberry

Dutch Apple

Peach

Blueberry

Pecan

Sweet Cherry

Tart Cherry

Gooseberries

Cinnamon rolls with almond Amaretto icing, or bourbon brown sugar icing, or cream cheese icing or caramel pecan!

Snickerdoodles

Ginger Snaps

Lavender

Pumpkin Spice

Zucchini Bread

Banana Bread

Disc Golf Courses Near MYRTLE’S CAFE & PIES

There is an 18-hole course in Princeton, IL, we will check that out next time we are in the area. Myrtle’s Pies is also close-ish to the LaSalle County Disc Golf Courses (a roughly 30-mintue drive through rolling farmland fields):

Lake Kakusha in Mendota

This is the course that we played on the way to Myrtle’s Pies. It’s a brand new course that opened in May of 2025, a DiscGolf Park designed by Dana Vicich, Dan Nagle and Wes Black - with the help of countless volunteers. Check it out here.

The Quarry at Rotary Park

This is also a Dana Vicich and Dana Nagle designed DiscGolf Park in a reclaimed quarry that was once owned by the Pritzker family. Lots of hills, stunning views! Check it out here.

The full LaSalle/Ottawa track: Starved Rock Course (Oglesby, IL) Fox River Park, Bakers Lake and Illinois Valley Community College.

Or you can head East, Kewaunee is not far from here, or even Davenport, Iowa, or to the north you have Sterling, IL and Dixon, IL.