We Don't Know Why Ace Hardware Sells Pie But TikTok Is Eating It Up

Ace Hardware can be a terrific spot to pick up a power drill or a new ladder, but in my experience, the only food items it has to offer are represented by mass-produced candy bars and simple snacks like beef jerky. And yet, it appears that some locations are adding to their gastronomic repertoire (or some have long had more food choices, and I've been missing out). A recent TikTok video, which has already garnered roughly 330K likes on the platform, showcased Ace Hardware selling frozen pies, and apparently, they aren't as bad as one might assume a hardware store pie would be.

In fact, the user who posted the video claimed it might be the best pie they have ever eaten. User @bradbradie cooked up a strawberry rhubarb pie and performed a taste test for all to see. They noted that the slice that ended up on their plate fell apart in somewhat lackluster fashion (a sacrifice cut of the pie might have helped that problem), but once they started digging in, it was all praise. "This one has a perfect amount of tang," they stated, adding, "And the texture is almost like pudding." Ace Hardware's strawberry rhubarb confection was decidedly a winner in their eyes.

As for the dessert's subpar visual impact, that could have been born from a controversial stance the user harbors about preheating an oven. Despite common knowledge dictating that you should preheat an oven for many foods, they declared, "I think preheating's a scam, and I'll die on that hill." That bold statement prompted another TikTok user to post a follow-up video about Ace Hardware's frozen pies, and theirs looked much more appealing.

Not long after @bradbradie made a video presenting Ace Hardware's frozen pies, TikToker @itsandiearbo posted their own video featuring the frozen dessert, and which responded directly to the allegation that preheating an oven is a scam. Instead of strawberry rhubarb, the blackberry flavor is highlighted, but it's not what's inside that was noteworthy about this video. Whereas the first user's pie came out of the oven with a somewhat pale, yet not necessarily unappetizing, crust, @itsandiearbo's pie came out looking gorgeous. An exemplary golden-brown surface heavily contrasted with the pale, uninspiring crust @bradbradie cooked, making the latter look worse than it originally had.

Still, it seems that whether the oven is preheated or not, Ace Hardware's pies are packed with surprisingly delicious flavor. Strawberry rhubarb and blackberry were the only pies cooked and featured in videos, but those are flanked by other flavors, such as blueberry, apricot, peach, apple cobbler, and more in the hardware store's freezer. It's nice to know that the next time you need some tools or hardware accessories and dessert is on the mind, Ace Hardware (or at least at some locations) is giving customers a chance to get both and make it a one-stop shopping experience.