This is a FOOD QUEST for a good old fashion Apple Pie or Peach or Berry or..... I tried their apple pie last year and remembered the name because it tasted so good. I decided to drive out 45 miles from the San Jose area and visit Watsonville California. Look at the pics. It was a perfect day. Had a great time. The drive was nice and easy. Sun was beautiful. Reminds me why they call this the Golden State. This place specializes in PIES only. I did not want to visit Marie Calendars or the local grocery stores. I wanted to try something SPECIAL. Something different. Very happy and content I took the drive to visit this Ranch that specializes in Apple Pie. They have different types and all made with real fruit. Crust on the pies was excellent. Not too flaky or breaking apart. The Best pies in NORCAL. It was a great visit. I bought 3 pies. I will return with the family. I tried a slice of the double apple and it was still warm mmmmmmm! out of the oven. eeewww! Yum Yum to the belly. Made the wife and daughter happy. read more

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Tried to go to pinnacles this morning to hike to the caves with my gf. The line to get in the park was 5 hours! So we decided to go back home. On the way back we attempted to look for some produce stands in Watsonville because my mom told me that Watsonville has lots of strawberries. So we checked out Gizdich Ranch for strawberries and pie. Standing in line, the inside of the pie shop was very cute, I was intrigued to learn that this ranch was established in 1937! Then before we got the pie, my gf tried out her camelback for the first time and accidentally spilled water all over the floor. There was a staff who came to mop it and put a wet floor sign, and she said "don't slip!" She was lovely. The pie was great, the workers were friendly, asked if we wanted ice cream but we declined. The seating area was very cute and there were kids who were loving the see saw. After we finished the pie, we went to the antique shop to ask the worker if the were selling produce anywhere. The worker told me that produce doesn't grow this season and they only have produce when it's harvest season. She said look around, do you see any fruit on these trees? and gave me a stink face. Then she told the lady behind us that she can't take her dog in. She frightened me a little bit, and I felt slightly belittled in this interaction. I told my gf let's go. So we left gizdich ranch strawberryless and a little confused. read more

Do not take your children to this farm. An elderly lady (her pictures are up in many places around the farm) who works there yelled at my son and harassed us while eating our pie peacefully in the picnic area. She was very rude and called me "terrible" when I told her to stop yelling at my son who was playing in the sand area and who she demanded to put the cars back in the sandpit because they fell outside of the sand. Who does that! Oh and let's not forget the confederate soldiers next to the cash register in the antique store. Beware. Let's hope it was just a harmless mistake but people will always show you their true colors. If I could give NO stars that would be more authentic. read more

Absolutely delicious pies. Definitely fresh and large variety! Cashier was super nice too. Definitely a place to come to in the summer. Can't go wrong with the apple pies here! read more

They make the best apple pie I've ever eaten! It was also extremely fun to go apple picking. They had seven different apple varieties to pick from, and many trees to walk around trying to find the best one. read more

Gizdich Ranch - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

Their pies set the bar for any other pie that I try. Every one that I have tried is great. The apple is a classic and always hits the spot. But if they happen to have the Olallieberry Pie, do yourself a favor and get a whole pie! My friend got the apple puff pastry with a side of ice cream and I was wishing I had ordered the same. It was divine. This is also a great place for field trips with your class if you are a teacher. read more

Good pie. Top tier, though I reserve the best for pie in the SLO area. The place isn't close to the freeway, so you have to commit to going. Pie is solid. Top tier. read more

Omgawd their pies are so delicious! I've only recently been coming here as my friend let me know about their pies and ever since my friends and I coke at least once a month. The drive from San Jose is worth it! All their pies are good but my favorite are their berry and black berry pies. They have plenty of outdoor seating for social distancing so you eat there or take it to go. When we come we eat a slice in their patio and take a couple of pies to go! Last time we went we met the owner. She minds the antique shop right next door and is very nice. I can't wait to come back when fruit picking is allowed. I recommend their pies, so delish! read more

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It is a nice activity for family especially for young once. Their strawberries are huge and sweet. It's quite expensive but with family with picking up strawberries yourself is a good experience. read more

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Who doesn't love fresh pies??? This is a family owned ranch that grows many types of apples. They bake and sell fresh apple and berry pies. With current restrictions they have measures in place for everyone's safety. You can buy a pie or other daily desserts and enjoy it at separated tables. Great place to enjoy your treat with your family outdoors amongst the Apple trees. read more

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My thoughts: This is a traditional classic Ranch that is been around the Santa Cruz county area through out the up and down of the economy. And any business can survive the harsh business world is A OK in my book. Plus they do serve good Organic fruit , pie, and juice. Also maintain a reasonable price. Here is my scoring card for this restaurant: 1) Location: ( 5 Point ) - Great location for customer to see and find. Great parking for street parking and back side with parking lot parking. 2) Decoration : ( 4 Point) - They still have the original decoration. Clean but not up to date. Which suit the ranch style. 3) Price: ( 4 point)- The price is competitive compare to other same stars and type food they serve. 4) Quality and Taste : ( 4 point)- The quality is ok, food taste is good and portions are good . 5) Type of food standard : ( 4 point) - The style of food they serve is pretty close to the way it was prepare in Back in the day. Not bad! But some dishes did have slightly modify to cater the customer's need Overall it's not bad and I thinks it's great to give it a try and let me know what you think. A quick note, the goal for this place is to bring farm and ranch back our day to day lives. Go foodies Total max is 25 Score 18 Stars = 72% round up to 3 stars read more

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When passing through Watsonville area, we always make it a point to stop by Gizdich Ranch for their fresh fruit pies and apple cider. At the ranch you will find their general store where they sell a variety of deli and country goods, and a pie shop where they sell their famous pies. Outside is a courtyard where you can find many picnic tables with sun umbrellas to enjoy your pies. Selection varied by the season. On our visit we got a whole blackberry pie. It was so fresh that it was still warm when we dug into it with our forks. Every mouthful was fruity without being too sweet. We also love their apple cider. The best thing about Gizdich is that their prices are so reasonable. A whole pie is less than $20, compared to close to $30 if you go to Avila Barn at Avila Beach. The same with their fresh fruits, when strawberries are in season you can get a tray (3 baskets) for $10. At my local farmers' market I would be paying $5 for a basket alone. read more

Gizdich Ranch - fresh blackberry pie and apple cider - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

Amazing pies! Nice and warm straight from the oven had the ability to get the berry pie and it was delicious will always stop by when I can!

Best pies around, hands down. If you are fortunate enough to meet Nita, the matriarch of Gizditch who oversees the antique store, she will be happy to share the history of the ranch with you. I had only been able to taste the Dutch Apple because other establishments do sell their pies, but in limited flavors and quantities. At the Ranch you can order a whole pie in many different flavors or sample several with ordering a slice of pie. I ordered a slice of the Two Berry; blackberry and razz berry uhhhh Yummm. We took home a Double Berry Dutch Apple, and I am not even kidding you our household devoured it before I could even get a slice. Ollalaberry is one of my all- time favorite pies but is only available in the Summer. Come on Summer so I can get me some more pie. They also have berry picking, and when it warms up a bit we may return to do that as well....sounds fun. read more

Picking strawberries and apples was a perfect pandemic getaway, but the pie shop had a very long line with very poor social distancing. My wife and I have going to Gizdich many times, and it's always a fun getaway from the city and the fresh fruit you pick yourself is always delicious and also very well priced! If you are using GPS to get there, be sure to look for the Gizdich signs once you get to Carlton Road. The strawberry picking is on Lakeview, while access to apples (and the pie shop) is via Peckham Road; it's a pretty far walk between the two, so if you want to do both, plan on driving between them. If you can't find parking near the main ranch but want to stop by the pie shop, consider parking near the apple orchard (drive through the main ranch and turn right on Scurich; the apple parking is maybe a 5 minute walk from the pie shop. In the fields, they are doing a great job with social distancing: everyone must be masked, you have to use their containers, and there is plenty of space in the fields and orchards for lots of families to pick. We got a few pounds of strawberries and a couple of types of apples (Fuji and Pippin); the cash-out areas have plexi glass to minimize contact even further. They take both cash and cards for payment. The experience in the pie shop was in direct contrast to what was happening outside. The pie shop had two lines: one for whole pies and one for everything else. Especially in the "everything else" line, the line outside was fine, but inside the shop people were all crowded very closely together and the line moves pretty slowly (granted there is lots of ventilation, but still). I think with some simple changes like floor markings inside and outside the shop this situation would be dramatically changed, but I was a bit sad to see that a business that had put a lot of thought into CoViD safety in one part of its operation was not taking simple precautions in another (riskier) part. read more

Apple picking. Pied and fresh squeezed apple juice. All excellent options here. My biggest complaint is that the line to buy pies was super long in Saturday and they needed up moving lied to the store to hurry up the line. Pies were delicious though when fresh. Kids e joyed the apple picking as well read more

I used to love inviting family members to Gizdich for some amazing pies. However, my family and I have had two rude encounters by an older lady which I believe is the owner. Previously, she told my in laws rudely that it was 5pm and they were closing. Today, the same lady rudely told my 4-year old daughter not play near the tractor. There's no sign that says not to play near the tractor. I'm not one to complain, but it made a fun day to enjoy some pies to a bad experience. Their service needs to improve. read more

Local fruit orchard beloved by locals. They have great variety of pies which the fruits came from their own orchard. Strawberry Rhubarb; Apple; Dutch Apple, Boysenberry; Raspberry and the Ollalieberry. They are all good. They also offer Apple Cider which is all natural fruit juice not sugar added. When in Watsonville; try to visit them. read more

I've heard that their pies are good. We took a detour here on the way to Carmel, and the Double Berry Dutch Apple pie was worth it! The line was short when I arrived and doesn't move very fast. They are nice and don't rush you when you order. The pies are best enjoyed there. They have tables and chairs inside the barn as well as outside in the garden. They also have a gift shop and restroom. The sign said they were out of olallieberry but they ended up having it. I got the olallieberry pie too but liked the Dutch apple's crust much better. I wished I tried the pumpkin pie instead of olallieberry. read more

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Very busy at peak season, so a good tip is to order your lunch ahead on the phone. Then when you arrive, just tell them you pre-ordered and you can skip the line. They also have various pies for a very reasonable price. There is plenty of outdoor seating. read more

Gizdich Ranch is a family farm located in Watsonville, CA where they have berry pickings, pies, ice cream, and a deli. My friend recommended the place to me, and we drove about 50 miles from the Bay Area to get here. I suggest coming to this place right as they open (9 am), because they are known to run out of their famous pies. By 9:15 am, there was already a line of people forming, and was getting busier as we were there. The pies here are baked fresh and you can get whole pies ($13-$14 each) or pie slices ($3-$5). I suggest getting a pie slice with vanilla ice cream. I ordered a Very Berry pie slice with Vanilla ice cream ($4.25) and the pie smelled amazing. I took a bite and enjoyed the buttery goodness of the pie. It was nicely crisp with a soft touch, and went really well with ice cream. The sweetness of the berries were met with great complement when the ice cream and pie were eaten together. This is by far one of the best pies I've had, and I urge anyone who enjoys baked goods to give this place a try. It is definitely worth it. In the end, we got two slices and two whole pies which came out to about $40. read more

Gizdich Ranch - Very Berry Pie with vanilla ice cream ($4.25) - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

I'm definitely going to stop by here every time I'm in the area. Their pies are the best. Everyone enjoyed the double berry pie and the strawberry rhubarb was delicious as well. I also had a wonderful chat with Nita and she told me about her experience growing fruit on her ranch. Very nice lady. read more

PROS: - We got a dutch apple pie and it was pretty darn delicious. CONS: - There really was nothing to do here but purchase bakery items. - Half of the place was closed. - The cashier taking our pie order seemed like her life was miserable. read more

I arrived around 3pm on a Saturday with my friend. The area with the antique store, bakery, store was bustling and the parking lot was full. The line to enter the bakery was a 15-20min wait. We paid for a boysenberry pie and a very berry pie because ollalieberry pies were sold out. And we told the cashier we wanted to pick them up later. (I ate a slice later and they're not too sweet!) Picking ollalieberries (essentially blackberries) was challenging because we came at the tail end of the season when many of them were past their peak. A lot of them were shriveled. Definitely recommend bringing napkins and maybe plastic gloves to prevent the thorns from cutting you. My friend and I each got several splinters in our hands. You pay by the pound and for ollalieberries it was ~$3.50/ lb. Fun activity to do and something different for the weekend! read more

The pies are freshly made everyday, sooo good! Great place to take your family for a picnic day in the ranch. There's also a sweet lady that gives tours on the apples, great for the kiddos! read more

Is there something I am missing from this place? I've been wanting to try out this place for years and was able to drive down here from Bay Area a few weeks ago. There were only a few pie options when I came. Maybe because it's a weekday? I tried the strawberry rhubarb, boysenberry, and the dutch apple pie. None of the pies taste impressive at all. Out of the 3 pies, I did enjoy the dutch apple but it didn't have a wow factor. All the pies were also cold. I really wanted to like this place but I was highly disappointed and not worth the drive. read more

I used to come to this ranch to get apple pies as a kid and I've been on a pie kick these past couple of weeks so we decided to stop by! We got the apple pie and very berry pie (not on the menu) both were delicious but the very berry pie blew my mind! There were so many blackberries and it was the best combo of sweet and sour. The lady working there had suggested it! We sat outside cause there was a big family inside. The outside area had many picnic chairs. If you're ever in Watsonville, stop by for their pies! read more

Gizdich Ranch - Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

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Love the Ollalie pie so much, I drive an 1.5 hr to pick one up. This time, we came from spending much time at the beach and wanted to come home with a pie. We also got a gallon of the on site, freshly pressed not squeezed, apple juice from their ranch. We love picking the fresh berries. Highly recommend trying it out. If you take time to find your perfect berries, you will be absolutely delighted with your harvest. They just opened up picking berries yesterday 6-15-20 for Ollalie, Strawberry and Blackberry picking. We were planning on picking, however, by the time we arrived, we wouldn't have had enough time to pick. But we'll be picking soon. They have a cooler of apple juice with 1qt, half gallon, and gallon sizes in the bakery area (large barn). And also in the gift shop area as well if you find the cooler in the barn is lacking your desired size. They also have fresh strawberries and blackberries for sale in the market shop among many other surprises. We were very lucky to arrive when we did because they just finished drying out some slices strawberries. I couldn't help but ask to try one out since I was already purchasing the readied blackberries and gallon of apple juice. Wow! Strawberries are great when perfectly ripe. But they are not on my top 3 fruit favorites. Game changer! What an explosion of strawberry goodness! Never thought I would be in for such a treat! I'm salivating now. If you have time, check out their gift shop and you might see Nina Gizdich herself! She is now the owner of the ranch. Hang out and get a slice with ice cream or get a whole pie to take home. So good! read more

Gizdich Ranch - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

Delicious apple juice. Best apple juice I ever had. I probably don't want to buy any grocery store apple juice anymore after trying theirs! Dutch apple pie was good, although a bit too much sugar for my personal preference. Would be curious to try their regular apple pie Con: the line for apple pie is quite long and inefficient read more

Great produce. Gotta taste the apple pie, delicious. But the entire pie! Can pick your own fruit if you'd like.

This is one of California's hidden gems. In all honesty, I hope it stays hidden because I would hate for it to end up being so congested, one might jot be able to enjoy it. But, if you're reading this then consider this your sign to visit. If you go on a beautiful day, like we did, you can enjoy mid-70's temps with sufficient sunlight, outdoor greenery, and a meal. While there are many options to choose from, I usually visit for the sandwich meal. Having this meal alongside your loved ones in someone's beautiful orchard is a piece of paradise. While you're here, be sure to check out their shop where you can take home your own bottle of freshly squeezed apple juice. Many people can be seen walking out with a few boxes of their freshly made pies! You don't want to miss out on those either. I will continue to visit and bring people here to make wonderful memories with amazing food. read more

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Great pies , nice community addition . Good honey and Jams . Priced reasonable for these days

During a recent solo trip from LA all the way up the California coast, a local recommended a visit. I am so grateful he did because the apple pie I got as a "souvenir" for my husband was AMAZING!!! Sweet but not artificially so and the crust is sooo good!! You can tell it's home made and if you didn't see the lovely ladies making them as you placed your order. And that nods to everyone who works there...incredibly kind and friendly. I highly recommend a visit whenever you're in the area. read more

BEST PIES EVER! I've been enjoying the drive out there for years. Friendly pie making ladies! You can expect to pay about $14 for a whole pie. If you want pies during a holiday I highly recommend that you order them well in advance! Christmas or Thanksgiving I'd order a month prior because once they have a certain number of orders they stop taking them! You can go there in the morning and buy one however your limited to what they happen to have left for the day... earlier the better! read more

Gizdich Ranch - DUTCH APPLE!! - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

Pies are magical delicious , service is great and ambience is good. Definitely worth the drive our there

We went there in early August for strawberry picking. We visited the pie shop first before doing the strawberry picking. We had Olallieberry pie and very berry pie. The pies were big. Even after 6 adults and 2 kids were sharing them, there were left-over. Both pies were good. The fillings were tart & not too sweet. The crust was just okay (flaky & not sweet but not as buttery as I like). They gave us complimentary 4 paper plates & utensils (there is a sign that utensils were extra $). I prefer very berry pie than olallieberry because of different berries in the filling. I bought the Dutch apple pie to take home. However, the apple pie was just okay. By the time I got home, the bottom crust was soggy. The apple filling was good - not too sweet but lack of flavor. The crumbles on top of the apple pie (my favorite part of any apple pie) was just okay. I had better apple pie somewhere else. Overall, the pies were good but they were not meeting my expectation after all the raves. They have some picnic tables near the shop as well as a sandbox for the kids to play. There is also an antique shop at the front near the parking lot. The strawberry field is actually 2 minutes drive from the shop. When we were there, it was toward the end of the season. So, the strawberries on the field were on the smaller size but they were mostly ripe & sweet. You can buy an empty box for your strawberry if you don't bring one. The price for a pound of strawberry was decent - almost similar if you buy from a supermarket. I might come back next year for strawberry picking and other fruit picking. read more

Gizdich Ranch - Olallieberry pie - Bakeries Near Me - Watsonville, California

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Love love their pies! Today's choice we pick: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Very Berry! Best desserts in CA! You can choose to eat there, enjoy in your home, or bring to a party. You can buy a slice with an alamode on site or buy a whole pie. There are so many fruit pies to choose from. Daily homemade pies, 12 + flavors, or cream puffs, turnovers, fruit smoothie, apple juice, etc... Definitely recommend!! read more

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Wow- this ranch is amazing, awesome, superb! We have been to their strawberry pickings, apple pickings and both have been amazing! They also have freshly squeezed juices which you must purchase.. if apple picking and then planning to go ranch, i would advice to just walk because parking is tough around the actual shop/ ranch- it is just a 3-5 minute walk. They also have amazing pies, ice creams.. looking forward to next season of fruits to go and pick! read more

Always such a treat visiting! This trip during the week they were out of olallieberry or wasn't ready yet but that was okay, it gave us reason to try another flavor. They have choice of full pies or single slices even an a la mode option! It has a cute hometown feel, plenty of benches, gift shop, antique shop and best of all... plumbed restrooms! read more

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I have been coming here for 10+ years. The ederly lady Nita does not like children coming to her establishment. She yelled at my grandson for setting the toys in sandbox down and going on the tractor in the yard. These toys are $20 each and years old. If you don't want toys to play, do not have them in yard. She also is rude if we ask about the you pick strawberries. I would recommend to have her retire and do not talk to the guests.. She is ruining this business. I have seen other reviews about this woman and its not the first she has treated children terribly. I get it, children can be a lot sometimes but to yell at them and make my grandson cry... is uncalled for. Didn't she have young children once? Imagine if someone yelled at her son/daughter that way.. read more