This Legendary California Bakery Has Been Making Its Famous Sweet Potato Pies Since 1956, Just In Time For Thanksgiving

Only four family members know the secret spice blend in one legendary sweet potato pie. Four.

That’s a tighter circle than most bank vaults.

The recipe traveled to California from Shreveport, Louisiana. The family still insists on Louisiana-grown sweet potatoes, which tells you how seriously they take it.

Then there’s the co-owner. She won Olympic gold in 1984, and now she helps run a family bakery with roots going back decades.

I love when a place has something unexpected up its sleeve.

The shop sits on a corridor once called the heart of Black Los Angeles. Vintage ovens and old cash registers still share space with modern card readers.

Thanksgiving tables everywhere need a pie with a story. I have a feeling this one would leave an impression long after the last slice disappears.

A Family Recipe Rode In From Louisiana And Never Left

Shreveport, Louisiana, is where the story of 27th Street Bakery really starts. Founders Harry and Sadie Patterson carried their family pie recipe west to Los Angeles, and California has been better for it ever since.

That recipe is still the star at 27th Street Bakery today. The family uses only Louisiana-grown sweet potatoes, which keeps the flavor tied to its roots.

Then comes the spice blend. It’s a closely guarded secret, known by just four people in the family.

Honestly, that’s the kind of secret worth keeping. Most of us can’t even keep a surprise party quiet for a week.

The pies come in full-size and mini versions. Minis are handy if you want to sample before committing to a whole pie for the holiday table.

Thanksgiving makes this pie feel extra fitting. Sweet potato pie is a Southern holiday classic, and this one carries generations of family history in every slice.

I have to give the family credit for not messing with a good thing. Plenty of businesses chase trends, but this bakery keeps its eyes on the same recipe it started with.

Central Avenue Holds Decades Of History Inside One Bakery

Back in the 1930s, Harry and Sadie Patterson opened a restaurant on Central Avenue. That stretch served as the social, cultural, and political heart of Black Los Angeles from the 1930s through the 1960s.

In 1956, the couple turned part of their restaurant into a pie shop. They called it Mrs. Harry’s Pies and Cakes, and sweet potato pie led the lineup.

Fruit pies and cakes rounded out the early menu. Still, the sweet potato pie quickly became the reason people showed up.

The second generation took over in 1980. Daughter Alberta Cravin and grandson Gregory Spann stepped in, and the name changed to 27th Street Bakery.

Today, third-generation sisters keep things running. Denise Cravin-Paschal handles retail, while Jeanette Bolden-Pickens oversees wholesale.

Jeanette’s husband, Albert Pickens, manages supplies and equipment. The family recently celebrated 70 years of pie-making, counting from that 1956 shop.

Three generations under one roof is rare in any business. In a fast-changing city like Los Angeles, it feels downright remarkable.

Each family member brings something different, yet the pies stay true to the original.

You Probably Didn’t Expect An Olympic Champion Behind The Counter

Gold medals and pie crusts don’t usually show up on the same resume. Jeanette Bolden-Pickens has both.

She won gold in the women’s 4×100-meter relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Those Games happened right in Los Angeles, not far from her family’s bakery.

Her career didn’t stop at the finish line. She coached the UCLA women’s track team to multiple national titles.

She also led the U.S. women’s track team to gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That’s a lot of trophies for someone who now talks pies with customers.

Bolden-Pickens credits her strong work ethic to her grandparents. Their entrepreneurial spirit clearly rubbed off on her early.

That connection shows up in how she treats the bakery today. She oversees the wholesale side, which handles a huge volume of pies.

I can see why this detail makes people smile. It’s not every day your dessert comes with a side of Olympic history.

Somewhere in that bakery, there’s probably a timer ticking. I’d bet she still beats it.

Relay habits are hard to shake, and pies reward good timing.

Vintage Ovens And A Lobby Plaque Tell The Story Before You Order

A black Blodgett oven from the 1950s still stands inside the bakery. Cash registers from the same era are there too.

Nearby, a modern credit card chip reader handles payments. The mix feels charming, like your grandmother learned to text and loves it.

Look at the lobby wall for something special. Councilmember Curren Price dedicated a plaque there in 2018.

It reads, “A Walk Down Central Avenue – A legacy of community: powered by the people and its places.” That line sums up the bakery’s role pretty well.

The space doesn’t try to look trendy. Instead, it honors where it came from, and the old equipment does most of the storytelling.

History buffs will enjoy spotting these details while waiting for their order. Kids might get a kick out of the old registers, too.

Take a moment before you rush to the pie case. The surroundings add flavor of their own.

It’s a good reminder that a bakery can be a small museum without trying. Few dessert stops in Southern California can say their lobby honors a whole neighborhood’s history.

Pecan Pie Fans Get Their Own Reasons To Show Up

Sweet potato pie may get the headlines, but the pie case goes further. Pecan pie holds its own spot here, including Gregory’s Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie.

That name carries meaning. It honors Jeanette’s late brother, Gregory, who helped lead the bakery’s second generation.

Can’t choose between sweet potato and pecan? The Sweet Potato Pecan Pie solves that problem with zero arguing at the table.

There’s also a Sweet Pumpkin Pie for traditionalists. Thanksgiving guests who insist on pumpkin won’t feel left out.

The bakery also makes a sugar-free sweet potato pie. That’s a thoughtful option for relatives watching their sugar during the holidays.

Mini pies make sampling easy if you can’t decide. A small spread of different flavors can turn dessert into a fun tasting session.

Planning a holiday spread? Mixing a few pie types covers different tastes without much effort.

Honestly, two pies per guest seems like a reasonable house rule. Nobody has to know who made it up.

Just order early, since holiday weeks bring big demand for anything with a crust.

Save Room, Because The Cake Case Plays Dirty

Sock-It-2-Me Cake might be the most fun name on the menu. It’s a moist cinnamon sugar Bundt cake packed with pecans and brown sugar.

The cake lineup keeps going from there. You’ll find Pineapple Coconut Cake, German Chocolate Cake, and Red Velvet Cake.

Cheesecake lovers have choices too. The Sweet Potato Creamy Cheesecake brings the bakery’s famous flavor into a new form.

There’s also a Caramel Pecan Cheesecake. Pecans clearly have a strong fan club in this kitchen.

Peach Cobbler shows up as another Southern favorite. It’s a warm, fruity alternative for anyone who wants something beyond pie.

Then there are Tea Cakes, a cross between a cookie and a biscuit. They’re thicker and less sweet, which makes them nice with coffee.

Cake slices are available, so you can try a few without buying whole cakes. That’s helpful for picky families.

A smart move is grabbing one cake slice alongside your pie order. Consider it research for next year’s holiday menu.

Your future self will appreciate the effort, and so will everyone at the table.

Those Pies Travel Way Beyond One South LA Storefront

Nearly 300 vendors carry pies from this family operation. That makes it the largest manufacturer of sweet potato pies on the West Coast.

Shoppers may spot these pies at 7-Eleven stores. They also show up at Ralphs, Smart and Final, ARCO stations, and small mom-and-pop shops.

So you might grab one of these pies while filling up your gas tank. That’s a pretty sweet upgrade from beef jerky.

The neighborhood benefits as well. The bakery provides steady jobs in South Los Angeles.

Many full-time employees have worked there for 25 years or more. That kind of loyalty says a lot about how the business treats its people.

Quality starts with ingredients here. The Pattersons believed in using the best and never cutting corners, and the family still makes its own vanilla.

During the pandemic, they waited in long lines at egg farms. They did whatever it took to keep the ovens running.

A grocery store pie with this kind of backstory is easy to love. Few desserts on a convenience store shelf can claim seven decades of family history.

Plan Your Pie Run Around These Hours

Mornings start early at 27th Street Bakery. Doors open at 8 AM and close at 4 PM, Tuesday through Saturday.

Sundays and Mondays are closed. Mark that on your calendar before planning a weekend pie mission.

You’ll find the bakery at 2700 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011. It sits right in the historic Central Avenue corridor of South Los Angeles.

Parking can be tricky, since there’s no dedicated lot. Give yourself a few extra minutes to find a spot nearby.

Pickup orders are an easy option. Order ahead, then swing by and grab your pies without much fuss.

Delivery works through Postmates, Uber Eats, and DoorDash within a five-mile radius. That’s handy if you’re busy basting a turkey.

Living outside California? Nationwide shipping is available through Goldbelly, so relatives across the country can join the fun.

Holiday weeks bring heavy demand for pies. Ordering well before Thanksgiving is a smart way to avoid last-minute stress.

A little planning keeps your holiday table stocked. Nobody wants to explain an empty pie plate to Aunt Linda.

TV Cameras Found This Pie Long Before Your Feed Did

Food Network came calling more than once. The bakery appeared on The Best Thing I Ever Ate and Bake or Break.

Print outlets noticed too. The Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly have both featured 27th Street Bakery.

That attention makes sense once you know the full story. Few California bakeries mix Olympic gold, three generations, and a secret spice blend.

Still, the heart of the place isn’t the spotlight. It’s a family keeping a promise to its neighborhood since 1956.

Thanksgiving feels like the perfect time to honor that history. A sweet potato pie from this kitchen brings a real story to the table.

Share it with guests while you slice. People love hearing that their dessert has a connection to the 1984 Olympics.

I have a feeling the pie would start conversations all on its own. Good food usually does.

So when the holiday menu comes together this year, consider a little Central Avenue history. Your table deserves a pie with roots this deep.

And if seconds disappear fast, well, that’s simply part of the tradition.