The first sign of Spring isn't a lavendar crocus gently peeking out of the snow. This is Los Angeles, and it's time for strawberries! Which means strawberry pies are back! The greatest pie of them all is the Banberry Pie at Polly's Pies. Sometimes strawberry pies can be a bit overwhelming, and sometimes they are way too tart. Banana cream pies are just a little dull. The geniuses at Polly's Pies combined them to make the jewel that is the Banberry Pie. Yeah, OK, yogurt-makers thought of the strawberry-banana combination too. But screw yogurt. It can never love you the way Polly's Pies can.

Like many coffee shops, Polly's may just be a great place to take your grandma. Maybe the menu isn't very interesting beyond breakfast, their exotic chicken salad sandwich (ooh, are those cashews?), and the chicken pot pie. And yes, they are in an unholy alliance with the Colonel ("it's a well-known fact he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly"). But if there was only one Banberry Pie left in the world, I would fight you to the death for it.

OK, we would never really have to fight to the death. Polly's has lots of pies and they're only $5.99, but I get a little passionate when pie is involved.

More gratuitous pictures of Polly's after the jump

This cherry pie barely made it home

OK, I have to admit it is a damn good chicken salad. And check it out - even the fruit cup is ban-berry!

Polly kind of gives me the willies

All photos by Elise Thompson for LAist

Polly's Pies
3490 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach, CA 90807 562-595-5651
4680 Los Coyotes diagonal Long Beach, CA 90815 562-597-6076
17198 Norwalk Blvd. Cerritos, CA 90703 562-402-2758
14136 E. Whittier Blvd. Whititer, CA 90605 562-698-0551
More locations can be found on the website