When baking pies in the commercial kitchen located in the Keller History Museum, Lea Ann Bray-Salinas, owner of Texas Harvest Pie Company, said she doesn’t set timers to know when her pies are ready but relies on decades of experience and her senses.

“I'm usually putting things in the oven at different times,” Salinas said. “If it's nice and crispy on top, you know that the filling is bubbly—then it's done.”

The inspiration

Salinas said she can trace her love of baking back to her childhood when she would go to big family gatherings at her grandmother’s house.

“In this tiny kitchen, she would make these beautiful, big dinners and she would always make everybody's favorite dessert, and it was just her way of loving her family,” Salinas said. “I think that I got some of that—food is my love language.”


The timeline

In 2010, Salinas opened Texas Harvest Pie Company on Main Street in the Jarvies House, which was built in the 1920s. In addition to homemade pies, she served breakfast and lunch. She stayed there for three years until the property sold and she pivoted to a home business.

In 2017, she reopened the restaurant in a historic home on Olive Street. Four years earlier, the Keller Historical Society moved the Jarvies House to Old Town Keller Park and repurposed the building to be the Keller History Museum.

In 2021, Salinas started leasing the kitchen in the museum to make pies and no longer offers meal options since there isn’t a retail space for customers.


Craving pie?

Salinas said the top-three selling pies are buttermilk, apple and lemon meringue.

For the apple pie, Salinas uses a blend of granny smith and gala apples.

“At Christmas time, we're peeling thousands of apples,” Salinas said.


Custom requests are also accepted.

“Somebody requested a pineapple pie, and I'm like, ‘I don't really do that, but I'll try.’ The same thing with the Mexican hot chocolate pie request,” Salinas said. “I worked with the recipes, and then they ended up being part of our menu.”

The lemon ice box is Salinas’ favorite pie.

“It's fresh, creamy and cool and tart and sweet,”Salinas said. “I try not to eat too much...but I can eat that entire pie with a fork.”


Quote of note

Customers can place orders by calling or texting Salinas at 817-798-9474.

“We make all the crust and everything completely from scratch. Whenever people pick up their pies, they're freshly baked and usually warm,” Salinas said. “That's very important to me, because there's nothing better than a fresh-baked pie.”