Humble

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I have been frequenting this shop regularly since they first opened several years ago. Everything I’ve tried has been delicious and the service is always great. The (soon-​to-​be-​previous) owners always made time to talk to customers and make sure things were running smoothly – even when they were busy baking in the back. It’s great for students during lunch (or cutting class)!

Delicious sweet and savory pies with both classic and modern flavors. Tiny little shop and outdoor seating as well. They do take out and advanced orders too. Good coffee and friendly service. I really wish they were open on Sundays to purchase pies for family dinners or brunch.

While in Madison, Humble was one of my must go to spots. I’m sad it didn’t give me the feelings of happiness and nomz as much as I had hoped for. When I walk into a pie shop, I expect warmth in service and it just wasn’t there. I think that tainted my whole experience here. Don’t get me wrong, the lady working wasn’t rude she just was cold and rather uninviting.
Humble has cool décor and a few tables if you’d like to dine in. Or you can take the little pies to go. It was a little pricey but I thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate dessert I grabbed from here. I was also a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a bigger selection — just 4 types available the day we went.
The pie is good, service leaves a bit to be desired, a little pricey and would like to see more variety in pie selection.

I loved the Reuben Pasty – corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and home made Russian Dressing all wrapped up in a yummy crust. It was perfect.
The Blueberry Raspberry Hand Pie and Root Beer Float Petite Pie were pretty good.
The shop is cute and very clean. There were two tables available for dining in.

I have to say up front that I have not yet been in to visit the Humble shop in Middleton, so this review is for the pies only. That being said, these pies are GREAT! I had read about Humble here on Unilocal as well as other local publications, so when we decided to purchase Thanksgiving day desserts instead of make them I knew this was the chance to try them out. We put in our order for two pies a few days before Thanksgiving and picked them up the day before. Here’s what we had:
Apple pie: This was the first Humble pie I tasted and it was both very good and VERY surprising. The crust is quite thick and holds up well even with a slightly juicy filling like apple. The top crust is latticed with thick strands of crust sprinkled liberally with spices. I was surprised at how thick the crust was, but also at how tasty it is. Very buttery and not at all dry, the crust is a welcome accompaniment to a number of different filings. The filling for the apple pie was also very surprising, again in a good way. The apples themselves retain a nice consistency and while there’s sweetness in the filling it’s not at all cloying. There’s also a huge hit of flavor in the filling from what I’m guessing is at least a few different spices. I think I got a bit of cinnamon, maybe a little nutmeg, and quite a bit of clove. This is a very different approach to apple pie than you’ll see many other places and it is a HUGELY welcome bit of variety.
Pecan pie: A bit more conventional than the apple, but again VERY good. The best thing about the pecan pie was the ratio of pecans to ‘corn syrup goo’ in the filling. Don’t get me wrong, I love that goo, but what I REALLY love is nutty, delicious pecans. This was a GREAT representation of a pecan pie because the leading flavor was pecan! Similar to the apple pie there was nothing cloying about this version of pecan, which was hugely welcome. I also really like the little accent of cream frosting as well. This added a lot to the overall taste of the pie, and again was not overwhelming.
The thing that really sets Humble pies apart for me is the balance of flavors. No one aspect overshadows the others. I really enjoy a good pie, and these are among the best I’ve had! I’m sure it’s starting to sound redundant, but the fact that these pies are not teeth achingly sweet is so welcome and (perhaps unfortunately) really surprising. I’m excited to visit Humble myself soon and perhaps try one of their more unconventional offerings. If they’re as good as these stalwart favorites I’ll be back again to give another 5 star review!

Cheers to pies: the unsung heroes of desserts. They do indeed deserve their own bake shop! This place was cute and the pies I tried were delectable. The crust was perfectly buttery and flakey, and the ingredient combos were well thought out. It’s easy to spend a lot of money here… But it’s justifiable if you treat each pie as a work of art! The savory pies are my fav; they remind me of Mom’s chicken pot pie :)

Humble is probably the only «pie» shop in the whole Madison.
I went in wanting to try their «pasty», which is a common thing among the Commonwealth…
They have a wide selection of sweet pastries and pies, and two daily special savory options. We tried the roast beef with caramelized onions pasty, it was really tasty, EXPECT, it’s not really what pasty is (to me at least). The typical pasty would use more minced like meat and gravy like sauces…
I still really like their pies nonetheless! I wish they would have more savory options is all!

I’ve only tasted one of their pies. It was incredibly delicious, so I’m taking the time to post a review. We had their wild blueberry pie. The crust is fantastic — light, flakey, and, hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. The blueberry filling was also awesome — loads of fruit, definitely wild (judging from their small size), perfect amount of sweetness (didn’t overpower), and a really nice lemony flavor as a complement. The people I interacted with were kind and helpful. The pricing seems to reflect the outstanding quality of their products. We’ll definitely be back to test out that hypothesis, both for their sweet and savory goodies.

I have not actually gone to Humble… our daughter was given four ‘hand pies’ to bring back
to Chicago. She shared them with us the next night.
Can I say that these little pies exploded with delicious flavor? The crust was out of this world —
and that is saying a lot, because pie crusts are frequently just holding filling, and sometimes are left on the plate. These crusts were buttery and delicious. The fillings were fantastic, too. Apple, strawberry rhubarb… and 2 others, all had just the right balance of tart/​sweet to compliment the amazing crust. I can only imagine that the pies would have been even better had we had them the day they were baked. These were refrigerated overnight and were still luscious the next day. Applause, Humble, for a job well done!

Amazing neighborhood place with some of the best crust I’ve ever eaten. Fresh local ingredients, creative flavor profiles and pairings. Super nice owner and staff.

Absolutely Delicious! Last week I had lemon lavender, gingerberry and apple! All three were remarkable! The crust was crispy, flavorful and absolutely everything a crust should be! The fillings were fresh, made with real fruit, spices and most importantly lots of love! I have been thinking about returning all week and am so excited for the opportunity to drive from Milwaukee to Madison to visit again today! I hope the people in Madison know how lucky they are for a bakery that uses fresh ingredients and not pie filling from a bakery supply company. Wake up Madison and eat the pie, it’s amazing!

Balsamic Blueberry hand pie and sour cherry galette. Hands down the best petite pies I have had in Madison. The drink menu also sparked an interest for a second visit. They have Vietnamese coffee and various teas that I would like to try in the future. The pies had the flakiest and most delightful crust with the freshest fruits and mixture of flavors to balance out that light airiness.
Seasonal menus make it even more worth the try. Was about $ 4 for each pie.

Pie is good. But pecan and cardamom sweet potato pie is really good.
The spiced flavor of the pie makes for a serious party in your mouth. Picture a cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and clove-​type explosion. This pie packs a punch in terms of quality fall spices.
That’s not to mention the freshness of the main sweet potato component itself. The texture of the pie is beautifully reminiscent of a pumpkin pie, yet this version is amped up in terms of flavor profiles.
It is not cloyingly sweet, as similar pumpkin pies often are. With this pie, Humble shows how versatile an ingredient like sweet potato is; its applicability spans from savory fare to sweet.
Humble, you’ve done it again.

Oh my yum!
I don’t even remember the name of the my favorite thing I got there. It was something hazel nutty that kind of resembled a pop tart. Sweet swirling asparagus tips it was that good! This is definitely a place I will come back to when I am in need of a sweet treat!

I love stopping in here and having a coffee and pie. Savory, sweet or gillette there is something in the case for you. My biggest suggestion, request, constructive criticism is to get a toaster oven. I love my pie warm but not in a microwave. All the love, nurturing and beauty that is created in that sweet little morsel is crushed to bits by the big bad microwave.
The owners are awesome and they showcase all sorts of local stuff. This year for Thanksgiving I have talked my wife into letting us order one pie (she likes to make pie at the house).
Go, sit, people watch and have pie and coffee (or wisco pop!) Now that is a great afternoon.

The disclaimer: I’m confident my 4-​star review will be raised after subsequent visits. They are a relatively new business and god knows it can take a bit to work out the kinks! I love supporting local & sustainable businesses so I will be back.
The background: Some friends and I stopped in on a Sunday afternoon looking to sit and have some coffee & pastries.
The good: Fantastic service! From the girl at the register to the woman who brought our drinks to the woman whom I presume to be one of the owners I watched interact with a somewhat difficult customer, I was impressed with everyone’s warmth & professionalism. The décor is also super cute, and they have a little stash of games to play while you eat – we played a couple rounds of Bananagrams, which was rad. They also make a mean thai iced coffee with grounds from Just Coffee Coop. And free wifi!
The needs work: My blackberry balsamic hand pie was $ 4 and very small (I ate it in about 4 bites). The price seems high for Madison, but all ingredients are locally sourced so perhaps that’s why. The girl at the register asked if I’d like it warmed up; I said yes, but I wish I hadn’t, because she microwaved it and it took all potential crisp out of the crust and turned the pie pretty soggy. It also zapped some of the flavor out of the pie – you know how things just never taste as good after they’re microwaved? Suggestion: a toaster oven! And if possible, larger hand pies.
The conclusion: Loved the atmosphere, loved the business model, will keep them in mind for any baked goods order needs and a place to spend a cozy afternoon (next time sans microwaved pie.)

I had a apple pie and it was wonderful. I ate it so quickly, I had to order the banana cream pie to go…$ 4 per slice was a bit steep but because they were so tasty and the place had so much character, I think they can get away with it. It is great to have another place to go to just hang out, rather than having to go to a cupcake place, because naturally, that is the other place I hang out…
The apple pie crust was on point. I dislike dry crusts but this was very moist and sweet. The banana cream pie was more of a cup like crust and that one was a bit «crustier.» It was not my favorite crust but the filling was great.
They also give free coffee to students. I told them I was a teacher and he gave me the coffee anyways (not sure if this is for all teachers). The store itself is kind of small but I love the personality of it. They use a lot of local products. The staff was also friendly and personable. They wanted to know what I thought of the food and carried on a small conversation. I will be back, and can not wait for fall pies!

I drive by this place everyday on my way to and from work and always sit at the stoplight tempted to go in. But i’m always in a rush to get to work or tired on my way home. But! One day I parked the car and finally made it in. The interior is a cute space with some seats available.
I ended up getting one savory and one sweet pie. The bacon Swiss and leek savory and blueberry bourbon pie.
I appreciate that they use an all butter crust. It tasted homemade and I mean that in the good sense. The bacon Swiss and leek was very good. Blueberry bourbon was not overly sugary so I got to enjoy the flavors.
These pies are a little bit on the pricier side for me so I would only go there as a special treat. But I will definitely stop by sometime again.

My family and I made a trip to Humble a couple of Saturdays ago. Everything in the case looked so good… we basically got one of everything! ;) Okay, not really, but we did get four things for two adults! My favorite was the mini key-​lime pie. I was expecting the crust to be hard, but it was a perfect flaky pastry crust. We also had two hand pies — one blueberry bourbon (my least favorite, but still excellent) and one apple ginger raspberry (so good!). My second favorite item was a mini sour cherry pie, which was so fresh and tart. My husband I were pretty much fighting over the cherry pie! My only sadness was that none of the savory pies were vegetarian friendly that day, so I didn’t get one — but I will be back to check out their selection! The guy working was incredibly friendly and helpful — the whole experience was fantastic. Go there! Now!

Pies. Little pies. Big pies. But no slices.
Ventured here on the day of their grand opening on Allen St. They had several flavors of sweet mini pies, 2 types of savory pies (margarita pizza, root vegetable), pinch pies (turnover style), «pop tart» style pastries, and 1 type of cookie. They had the most variety of mini sweet pies and I tried the caramlized banana (banana filling with whip cream) and chocolate (chocolate cream with whip). Humble also serves coffee and Cha Cha tea.
The real problem here is ratio. If you love the outer crust of a pie, this is a great choice for you. Personally, I find the edge of a pie to be more hard and less flaky than my liking, and you really get a lot of it vs filling when the diameter of the pie is decreased. The fillings were good, but not super outstanding. Overall, a slice is typically a better value (mini pie was $ 4 and smaller than a typical restaurant slice) and a better crust to filling ratio. Start serving slices, Humble, and I may change my mind!