Ikeda's

Ikedas California Country Market & Pie Shop
Industry
  • Market
  • Restaurant
  • Bakery
Founded1972; 54 years ago (1972) in Auburn, California, U.S.
FounderSally and Sam Ikeda
Number of locations
2
Key peopleIkeda family
Websitewww.ikedas.com

Ikedas California Country Market & Pie Shop, commonly referred to as Ikeda's, is a market, restaurant, and bakery in Auburn, California. There is an Ikeda's in Davis, California.

Description

There are two Ikeda's, the original location in Auburn and one in Davis. The Auburn location is a market, restaurant, and bakery, whereas the Davis location is more of a fruit stand. Ikeda's is known for their fresh fruit, and high quality ingredients, wines, and prepared foods at their original location in Auburn. Some of the fruit sold at Ikeda's comes from their family farm a mile away from the Auburn location. The restaurant sells burgers, poke bowls, smoothies, and milkshakes.

Due to being located along I-80, Ikeda's is a popular pit stop for travelers commuting between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.

Ikeda's operates as a family business, and is currently run by the third generation of the Ikeda family.

Recognition

Fruit pies for sale at Ikeda's in Auburn

Ikeda's is known for their pies and makes between 20 and 22 varieties, including flavors like dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, pumpkin, cherry, and chicken pot pie. Ikeda's sells over 120,000 pies annually. Glen Ikeda, Sally and Sam's eldest son, started Ikeda's pie business as a way to use bruised produce.

In June 2026, after media appearances and social media outreach to vie for support, Ikeda's won first place in USA Today’s 2026 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Pie Shop. Ikeda's was a runner-up for the same award in 2025.

History

In 1950, Sam and Sally Ikeda of Penryn, California formed a partnership with Everett Gibson, an established grower in the region, and started a fruit stand off of Highway 40 in Auburn, California to sell freshly picked fruit from their farm directly to customers. The opening of Interstate 80 in California improved the already growing business. Sam and Sally took over the business after Gibson retired, and opened the Ikeda's store in Auburn in 1972.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ikeda's stayed open as a grocery store but temporarily halted its bakery.

A second location opened in Davis, California in 2000. The Ikeda family is contemplating opening other locations throughout the Bay Area and Northern California.

Notes

  1. ↑ The farm is listed as being either 20 or 35 acres large.
  2. ↑ Sally and Sam were incarcerated at Tule Lake War Relocation Center as children during WWII due to anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Davis, Julie Brown (26 May 2021). "This market is the best roadside stop on the way to Tahoe". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Saria, Lauren (26 May 2022). "How a Family Fruit Stand Became Northern California's Best-Kept Pie Secret". Eater SF. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Magagnini, Stephen (1 September 2023). "Ikeda family's dream still bears fruit". Nichi Bei News. Archived from the original on 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
  4. 1 2 3 Vaziri, Aidin (18 June 2026). "This Bay Area-to-Tahoe road trip stop was just named America's best pie shop". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Ewbank, Anne (5 June 2026). "Sacramento area pie shop and fruit stand campaigns to win 'Best pie in America'". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Poindexter, Bill (29 May 2026). "The pies have it: Ikeda's nominated for USA Today Reader's Choice Award as top pie shop in country". Gold Mountain California News Media. Retrieved 2026-08-11.

38°55′41″N 121°03′18″W / 38.9281°N 121.0551°W / 38.9281; -121.0551