You ever walk into a place and just know it’s going to be good because of the smell? Not just the sugar-and-butter scent of a standard bakery, but something deeper—yeasty, savory, and a little bit like a hug. That was the vibe at O Pie O Cincinnati. For years, if you lived in East Walnut Hills or hung around Over-the-Rhine, this wasn't just a place to grab a quick dessert. It was a local institution. People obsessed over the honey vinegar pie. Seriously, if you haven't had a honey vinegar pie, it sounds weird, right? Like something a pioneer would make out of desperation. But one bite of that salty, custard-like filling in a crust that shattered like glass, and you were a convert for life.
Then things changed.
The story of O Pie O is kinda the story of the Cincinnati food scene over the last decade—ambition, neighborhood revitalization, a global pandemic that ruined everything, and a quiet exit that left a lot of people wondering where they were supposed to get their crust fix.
The Rise of the Honey Vinegar Pie
Lou Vismore and the team behind O Pie O didn't start with a massive brick-and-mortar empire. They started small. We’re talking Findlay Market small. Back in 2012, they were just another vendor at the historic market, selling handmade pies to people doing their Saturday morning grocery hauls. But word spreads fast in a city like Cincinnati. It’s a big city that acts like a tiny town. Once the "foodies" (God, I hate that word, but you know what I mean) got a hold of the savory pot pies and that signature sweet-and-salty custard, the momentum became unstoppable.
By the time they opened their permanent spot at 1527 Madison Road in East Walnut Hills, O Pie O had become a cornerstone of the neighborhood's "New Renaissance." It was right there alongside Woodburn Brewing and Myrtle’s Punch House (RIP). They weren't just doing fruit pies. They were doing beef stew pies with a crust so thick it could withstand a flood. They were doing empanadas. They were doing brunch.
The Madison Road location was gorgeous. High ceilings. Large windows. It felt like the kind of place where you could sit for three hours, drink way too much coffee, and solve all the world’s problems over a slice of quiche.
Why the Crust Mattered So Much
Honestly, it’s all about the fat. Most commercial bakeries use shortening because it’s stable and cheap. O Pie O was a butter house. They used high-quality butter and handled the dough as little as possible to keep those distinct layers of lamination. When you bit into a slice, you could actually see the air pockets where the butter had steamed off in the oven. That’s the mark of a baker who knows their chemistry.
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They also understood the balance of salt. Too many "boutique" bakeries lean so hard into sugar that the flavor becomes one-dimensional. O Pie O understood that a savory crust needs to stand up to a braised short rib filling, while a sweet crust needs enough salt to make the fruit pop.
The Over-the-Rhine Expansion and the COVID Wall
Around 2020, things looked like they were going to get even bigger. They opened a second location in Over-the-Rhine (OTR) on Walnut Street. This was the "big leagues" for Cincinnati dining. OTR was the hottest neighborhood in the Midwest at the time. The new space was sleek, modern, and perfectly positioned to catch the pre-theater crowd from the Aronoff Center or the late-night diners looking for something better than a greasy burger.
But we all know what happened in March 2020.
The timing was brutal. A second location is always a massive financial risk, but opening one right as the world shut down? That’s a nightmare. They tried. They really did. They shifted to a carry-out model. They did "take and bake" pies that families could throw in their own ovens. For a while, it seemed like the O Pie O Cincinnati community would carry them through. People were buying gift cards like crazy. They were ordering three pies at a time just to keep the lights on.
But the labor market shifted. Supply chain costs for high-end butter and local meats skyrocketed. The math just stopped working.
The Sudden Silence
In early 2022, the OTR location quietly closed its doors. It wasn't a huge spectacle; it just... stopped. Then, the original East Walnut Hills location followed suit. By the summer of 2022, the ovens were cold.
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The most frustrating part for fans was the lack of a "big goodbye." One day you could get a slice of chocolate chess pie, and the next, there was a "For Lease" sign in the window. That’s often how it goes in the restaurant industry. Owners are usually so busy trying to save the ship that by the time it sinks, they don't have the energy for a press release.
What’s Happening at 1527 Madison Road Now?
If you go to the old O Pie O spot in East Walnut Hills today, you won't find pie. But you will find something equally soulful. The space was eventually taken over by Heyday, a burger joint that moved from its original home on Woodburn Avenue.
It’s a different vibe, for sure. Instead of the delicate art of pastry, you’re looking at griddled patties and fries. But there's a certain poetic justice in the fact that the space is still serving "comfort food." The neighborhood still uses it as a gathering hub. It’s just that the sugar has been replaced by savory fat and pickles.
Is There Any Way to Still Get the Pie?
This is the question that haunts the Cincinnati Reddit threads and local Facebook groups. Occasionally, rumors pop up about a pop-up event or a secret recipe share.
Here is the reality:
As of 2026, there is no official O Pie O storefront. The brand has largely gone dormant. However, the legacy lives on in the bakers who trained there. You can find former O Pie O staff members scattered across the city’s best kitchens. Places like The Brown Bear Bakery in OTR or Boosalis Baking in Kenwood often attract the kind of talent that appreciated what O Pie O was trying to do.
If you’re desperate for that specific Honey Vinegar taste, your best bet is to look at the "North Carolina Lemon Pie" or "Desperation Pie" recipes found in vintage cookbooks like The Joy of Cooking. O Pie O’s version was essentially a highly refined Chess Pie with a heavy hit of apple cider vinegar to cut the sugar.
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The Lessons of the O Pie O Era
What can we learn from the rise and fall of O Pie O Cincinnati?
First, niche works—until it doesn't. Being the "pie place" made them a destination. It gave them an identity. But it also meant that they were beholden to a product with a relatively low profit margin compared to cocktails or high-end steak. When the cost of eggs and butter doubled, their "luxury" snack became an expensive proposition for the average consumer.
Second, location isn't everything. Their OTR expansion was beautiful, but it was also expensive. High rent in trendy neighborhoods requires massive volume to sustain. When the office workers stopped coming downtown and the theaters went dark, that volume vanished.
Lastly, we have to talk about the "Cincinnati Food Identity." For a long time, this city was defined by chili and ice cream. O Pie O was part of the wave that proved we could handle sophisticated, artisanal concepts. They paved the way for places like Wildweed or Pepp & Dolores. They showed that Cincinnatians would pay $35 for a whole pie if it was the best pie they'd ever had.
Actionable Steps for the Displaced Pie Lover
Since you can't walk into O Pie O anymore, you have to pivot. Don't settle for grocery store frozen pies. That’s a path to sadness.
- Visit Findlay Market: Go back to where it all started. Check out Bonomini Bakery or look for local artisans in the seasonal outdoor market. The spirit of the "startup baker" is still very much alive there.
- Support Heyday: If you miss the building on Madison Road, go get a burger. Supporting the businesses that take over these iconic spaces is how we keep the neighborhood from turning into a row of empty storefronts or generic bank branches.
- Master the Crust at Home: Honestly, the O Pie O philosophy was all about the "All-Butter Crust." If you want to honor them, buy a bag of King Arthur flour, a box of high-fat European butter (like Kerrygold), and start practicing your lamination. The secret is keeping everything cold—ice cold.
- Try the "Honey Vinegar" Vibe Elsewhere: Look for bakeries doing "Chess Pies." While it won't be the exact same, that custardy, tangy flavor profile is a Southern staple that O Pie O helped popularize in the Queen City.
The story of O Pie O Cincinnati might be over for now, but in the world of restaurants, nothing is ever truly dead. Recipes get passed down, bakers start new ventures, and the next great Cincinnati obsession is probably being prepped in a kitchen right now. Keep your eyes on the local pop-up scene—you never know when a "Legacy Pie" might show up on a menu.