This week while finishing up some work for JmksportStore, I stopped to also pick up a couple of pies from Papa Murphy’s. I’ll be the first one to say that I shouldn’t be eating a lot of pizza and I should never do anything extra that could be considered “bad” when I am getting pizza. There is always a short waiting time while your pizza is made so I walked out of the store, like I always do when I’m just kind of hanging around. I walk around because you never what type of hidden gems you can find in small stores in strip malls or on Main Streets everywhere.
Two doors down I saw the magic words, homemade and pies… What person doesn’t like those two words? Well, I figured I should do a little investigating. I opened the door with no intentions of actually buying anything homemade; since I was already buying pizza pies… you know, but what type of reviewer would I be if I didn’t pick up something just to see what this store was all about? I walked in and the first words I read were “National Award-Winning Pie Company”. Now you know like me, that any time someone makes a claim like this, skepticism abounds. For me I go into, “prove it,” mode. This is the only reason I bought something, because I needed proof. I’m doing this for you all who are reading this article. I’m willing to make the sacrifices of buying sweets and ruining my diet to make sure that you are aware of something important. That’s just the kind of guy I am. I take the hits; I take one for the team…ahem.
I strolled over to the counter and looked at the two blackboards with the list of pies, cookies and cupcakes that I could buy in order to give you this article, because that is the only reason I was there, remember? All pies are available, with the exception of a few menu items that have to be pre-ordered. They have a great gluten free menu which has to be called in prior to pick up. Ron, one of the co-owners welcomed me at the counter. He must have noticed the pensive look on my face. He broke the silence with a small joke and then explained to me what I could order to help out my fellow man. As he was going through the menu he said the words, “Lemon Ice Box Pie”. Everything else he said kind of sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown, “whomp, whomp, whomp whomp…” you get the picture. There are only a few things that can take me back to childhood. Music is the first thing, the next thing is food of course, but one thing in particular brings memories of my mom standing in the kitchen pouring cans of evaporated milk into a mixing bowl with lemon juice. I can see her setting the graham cracker crust onto the counter. After blending the milk and juice, she would take the bowl and fold it into the crust. She would then take the plastic cover and place it on top of the foil of the pie and fold the edges over and place the pie into the icebox. When I would have a birthday, we never really had big celebrations and I didn’t get a cake. I always, always got a lemon ice box pie. When I was in the Navy and I would come home on leave, there would be icebox lemon pie. I think the person who decided to call pies and soul food, comfort food, got the message from God, to call it that. Certain foods simply make you feel better and always remind you of home…
Ron, said “You can have a slice of Lemon Ice Box pie.” He didn’t have to say anything else. I talked with him for a moment and that’s all it took for Audrey (his wife and co-owner) to come from the back and pass my pie to me. Now, obviously I’m taking one for the team and I never like to go home with just one slice of something because you know, that’s just not fair. So, I did what any man that knows the value of being the pinch hitter does, I got in the car and ate the pie before I made it home. I destroyed any evidence of me having the pie, which basically prevented me from doing this review yesterday. Which meant that today, I had to go back, not because it was so dayum good, but because you know I owe it to you, the readers, to do a proper review on more than just one item.
This time to prevent any problems with transporting the pie home…I brought my wife and kids along. You know, to make sure they knew where You must be store is and all, and instead of walking in and out, we spent about 20 minutes just talking with Ron and Audrey. See, that’s the beauty of spending your dollars at independently owned small business stores. You get a sense of warmth and all-around great vibes because your dollar means more. You get to talk with the owners and hear about their dreams and goals. You find yourself identifying with them and you want to go back to support them for this reason alone. Sometimes though you don’t go back to a small business because it just isn’t being held together well or the product is not very good. In this instance, my second trip back in two days was only for you the reader: okay just kidding. My second trip back in two days was because (go click the video up top and scroll back down and continue reading), this pie was Dayum, Dayum, Dayum. We picked up a 50/50, half and half, you can get with this, or you can get with that, Fri. 10:00 am to 7:30 pm and a half of a Slap ‘Yo’ Mama Chocolate Pie.
Typically, most pie places are so sugar laden that you have to rinse your mouth out with water while eating it just to clear your palette and take another bite. This is specifically the case with most chocolate pies. You must be create light, almost whipped fillings. The Lemon Ice Box pie uses fresh squeezed lemon juice, which is much lighter than the juice in the green bottle. The chocolate was dark, but not too rich. It wasn’t heavy at all and had this been the previous day, I could have eaten it before getting home. Yeah, sure, I would have had to work out for an extra hour, but dammit, it would have been worth it.
I keep repeating this phrase about Memphis, the city doesn’t have a clue of how to brand itself. You must be is definitely a Memphis Hi Lite and should be on any person’s list of eateries to visit. In a corner of the store there is an award cabinet. It’s right under that “National Award-Winning Pie Company” and the pictures of people who have visited. Based on my two trips (for the people), those awards are well deserved. Ron and Audrey Anderson bake with God’s spatula, and the devil’s flour, because it should be a sin how good this pie was. I honestly don’t know how none of the Memphis news outlets don’t spend more time talking about the various small businesses in this city. I don’t know why I hadn’t heard of You must be. All I know is, I’m glad I walked ten feet down and stopped by; I suggest you do the same. Oh, don’t just go and like their Facebook page… get your butt on over there and get you some sho nuff and then do what I did after I ate my pie, run around the neighborhood and slap all the mommas on the street, lol. (Disclaimer: Do not run around your neighborhood slapping mommas. That was a joke.)
(901) 752-5454
I keep repeating this phrase about Memphis, the city doesnt have a clue of how to brand itself
Operating Hours
Fri. 10:00 am to 7:30 pm
Wed 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Fri. 10:00 am to 7:30 pm
Sat. 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Sundays and Mondays CLOSED