There’s a new chapter unfolding along Route 15 in Cambridge, Vermont, and if you know the story of Poorhouse Pies Local favorite: Poorhouse Pies – Underhill, it’s a pretty big one.
The beloved Vermont pie business that started with pies sold from a tiny backyard shed on the honor system now has a full café at 286 Route 15 in Cambridge. And this isn’t simply a bigger place to pick up a pie.
Poorhouse has transformed a 4,500-square-foot building into a bright, welcoming café where you can sit down for breakfast or lunch, meet a friend over coffee, pull out your laptop for a while or stop in for a quick espresso and something from the bakery case.
And yes, you can still grab a pie and go.
For a business built around an extraordinarily simple concept, this feels like an exciting evolution without losing what made Poorhouse Pies worth seeking out in the first place.
From an Honor-System Pie Shed to a Full Vermont Café
Poorhouse Pies has one of my favorite Vermont small-business origin stories.
Long before this new Cambridge café, Poorhouse became known for selling handmade pies from a small backyard shed in Underhill using the honor system. Customers could stop by, choose a pie and pay without needing a traditional storefront experience.
It was straightforward, charming and extremely Vermont. And the pies were good enough that people kept coming.
Over time, Poorhouse developed a devoted following that extended far beyond Underhill. The selection grew beyond traditional sweet pies to include savory options, quiche, pocket pies and occasional releases of some seriously good donuts.
Now the Cambridge café gives Poorhouse room to become something more.
Inside the New Poorhouse Pies Café in Cambridge
The new café is located at 286 Route 15 in Cambridge in a 4,500-square-foot space that was previously home to Taste of Texas BBQ and, before that, an art gallery and shop.
The Poorhouse team has turned it into a bright and comfortable space designed for more than grabbing a box and immediately heading back to the car.
There are places to sit down for a full meal, catch up with friends over coffee or open your laptop and settle in for a while.
That’s an important note because this location isn’t simply a bakery storefront. It’s a proper café and eatery.
And with Route 15 connecting this part of Vermont with destinations including Jeffersonville, Smugglers’ Notch and the greater Stowe area, it also makes a very convenient stop to build into a day of exploring northern Vermont.
What to Order for Breakfast at Poorhouse Pies
You could absolutely eat pie for breakfast. I won’t stop you. But the Cambridge café gives you quite a few other options.
The breakfast menu includes fresh-baked goods and heartier choices like quiche, pocket pies, avocado toast, a breakfast burrito and a smoked salmon bagel.
There’s also espresso and coffee, making Poorhouse an easy early-morning stop if you’re headed out on a Vermont road trip.
And because the café currently opens at 6 a.m., it actually works for those mornings when your Vermont itinerary begins well before most bakeries and restaurants open their doors.
Stay for Lunch
The lunch menu expands Poorhouse well beyond what you might expect from a business with “Pies” in its name.
Look for options like the Turkey Pimiento BLT, Chopped Italian Wrap and Salad Niçoise, along with comforting classics like a grilled cheese trio paired with tomato soup.
It’s the kind of menu that makes the café work for very different kinds of visits.
You can stop for 10 minutes to pick up a pie. You can meet someone for breakfast. You can grab lunch on your way through Cambridge. Or you can settle in with coffee and your laptop for a couple of hours.
That flexibility is one of the biggest changes from the original Poorhouse model.
Don’t Worry: The Pies Aren’t Going Anywhere
With all the attention on the expanded café menu, let’s get to the important part. There are still pies.
Poorhouse’s classic sweet pies remain a reason to visit, alongside savory pies, quiche and the pocket pies that have developed their own following.
If you’re new to Poorhouse, don’t overlook the savory side of the bakery case. Pocket pies are exactly the kind of portable Vermont road-trip food that make you wonder why you didn’t buy two.
And if you’re planning to bring a full pie home, I’d make that decision before you sit down for lunch. Otherwise, you risk getting distracted and forgetting the entire reason you stopped.
Watch for the Donuts
Donut people, pay attention. Poorhouse has also become one of my favorite places to watch for special donut releases, and those releases are becoming more of a regular occurrence at the Cambridge location.
They’re not necessarily something I’d assume will be waiting in the case every time you arrive, and when they do appear, they can disappear quickly.
If Poorhouse announces a donut release you particularly want to try, don’t plan on casually wandering in at the end of the day and expecting a full selection.
Go early. I include Poorhouse among my favorite Vermont donut stops for a reason, and the Cambridge café gives us another excuse to keep an eye on what they’re making next.
A Great Stop on Route 15
The location makes this new chapter particularly interesting.
Route 15 is already one of those Vermont drives where the journey can become part of the day’s itinerary. Cambridge puts you close to Jeffersonville and Smugglers’ Notch, while the route can also be incorporated into trips toward Stowe and other destinations in north-central Vermont.
Poorhouse gives you an easy reason to choose the scenic way.
Grab breakfast before an adventure. Stop for lunch between destinations. Pick up pocket pies for the road. Or end the day by bringing a full pie back to wherever you’re staying.
It’s also worth making the trip even if Cambridge itself is your destination.
What to Know Before Visiting Poorhouse Pies in Cambridge
You’ll find the Poorhouse Pies café at:
286 Route 15
Cambridge, Vermont
The café is currently open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As always with independent Vermont businesses, hours, menus and special releases can change, so check Poorhouse’s latest updates before making a special trip, particularly if you’re going specifically for donuts or another limited item.
A New Chapter for a Vermont Favorite: Poorhouse Pies in Cambridge
There’s something particularly satisfying about seeing a Vermont business grow without losing the idea that made people love it in the first place.
Poorhouse Pies didn’t start with a giant café or an elaborate business concept.
It started with really good pies in a backyard shed.
Now there’s a 4,500-square-foot café with espresso, breakfast, lunch, plenty of room to gather and an expanding lineup of baked goods. But you can still walk in, choose a pie and bring it home.
That’s the part I hope never changes.
So if you’re headed along Route 15, en route to Stowe or Smugglers’ Notch, or simply looking for a very good reason to take the scenic way through Cambridge, add Poorhouse Pies to your route.
And maybe buy the extra pocket pie. You’ll be glad you did.
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