The canonical version and where to order it.
The South's plainest miracle: butter, sugar, eggs and a spoon of cornmeal baked to a caramelised custard. Kentucky bakeries riff it into lemon and chocolate, and Lexington buys it by the boxful.
Chess pie travelled into Kentucky with English settlers' custard pies and stuck because it asked nothing of the pantry: butter, sugar, eggs and cornmeal for structure. Nobody agrees on the name, whether from 'chest pie' or 'just pie' said sideways. In Lexington, Missy's Pie Shop, born out of Ramsey's Diner's pie counter in 1989, keeps chess and lemon chess in its rotation of Kentucky pies.
1 editor pick for Chess pie in Lexington, ranked by editorial score. All Lexington signature dishes · Chess pie across every city.
Missy's Pie Shop, born from Ramsey's Diner's pie counter in 1989, bakes chess pies and seasonal fruit pies on East High Street for Lexington's holidays.
TipOpen daily 08:00-17:00, but order whole pies days ahead for Thanksgiving and Derby week.
Chess pie makes more sense with someone from Lexington explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Embark on a journey through the heart of Downtown Lexington, where history and farm-to-table flavors intertwine for an afternoon of fun exploration.
Guided tour · 4 hours
Join us in the Distillery District for Kentucky farm-to-table cuisine, limestone-filtered bourbons, and an exploration into the history behind this revitalized piece o...
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Sink into your seat and sip unique craft cocktails and locally prepared plates while listening to captivating tales from Lexington's East End.
