Key Lime Pie: The 5 Best Places to Eat in the Florida Keys
Key lime pie is the official state pie of Florida. It’s traditionally made with key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs. From there, the subject devolves into a debate. Graham cracker or pastry crust? Meringue or whipped cream on top?
Even the origin of the key lime pie is heavily debated. The story goes that a woman known as “Aunt Sally” first created the delicacy in the 1800s, but the truth of that story is often called into question. Recent arguments have stemmed from assertions that key lime pie didn’t even come from Key West, but rather New York City.1 (New York City!!)
For a refrigerated dessert, the discussions can sure get heated!
Regardless of who made it first and where, key lime pie is a staple of the Florida Keys and just as scrumptious as ever – and here are the best places to eat when you want to find the best slices!
1. Pepe’s Café
806 Caroline St., Key West, Florida
When Pepe’s Café first opened its doors, William Howard Taft was President of the United States, and a man had not yet reached the South Pole (although Ernest Shackleton had just set the record for farthest south).
This was in 1909 if you couldn’t tell.2
For over 100 years now, Pepe’s has been serving up delicious breakfasts, lunches, and cocktails to please the palates of Key Westers. But don’t let that distract you – a trip to Pepe’s isn’t complete if you forget to save room for the pie!
Served in an eclectic atmosphere of worn wooden booths and vintage photographs, this key lime pie couldn’t get any better. Pepe’s key lime filling is tart and fluffy as a cloud and settles nicely into its graham cracker crust. The secret to the heavenly texture? Pepe’s whips the egg whites before folding them into the filling.3 That extra step adds extra deliciousness to every bite.
Each slice is also topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream, which helps tie everything together, giving this fresh, authentic pie the perfect tart-to-sweetness ratio.
(Photo: Unsplash)
Speaking of purrfect, Pepe’s is also home to Billy Bob, the black and white mustachioed cat! Billy Bob states on his Instagram: “My life started in a Key West dumpster, and now I get to eat and live at Pepe’s Café.”
What could be better than an afternoon of petting Billy Bob and eating key lime pie? Absolutely nothing. Though I suppose buying a Billy Bob t-shirt could help top it off.
2. Green Turtle Inn
81219 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida
Established in 1947, “The Turtle,” as it’s locally called, has a history almost as rich as their key lime pie.
When it first opened, The Turtle was known as a great place to eat, dance, and get a good night’s sleep if you were a motoring tourist traveling along the Overseas Highway.4 In recent history, the restaurant was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.5
Although Guy was there to try their namesake turtle chowder, we think the show’s real star should have been their unique key lime pie. (Especially because no turtles are involved in the making of it!) While graham cracker is usually the go-to crust for key lime pie, The Turtle opts for a scrumptious macadamia nut, rice crispy crust!
(Photo: Ralph Daily Via Flickr)
The filling itself is of the denser variety, so make sure you bring your appetite! Drizzled with fruit glaze, topped with coconut whipped cream, and garnished with fresh fruit, this key lime pie screams “fancy!”
Craving this key lime pie even after your Florida Keys vacation? The Turtle has you covered. With the magic of mail-order, they home-deliver their pies across the country.6
3. Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe
200 Elizabeth St., Key West Florida
Kermit’s was founded by Kermit Carpenter, and he’s been providing Key West with some of the best pie – and pie on a stick – for over 20 years!
Kermit’s pie is made with a graham cracker crust and real key limes, so it’s one of the most authentic bites you’ll taste in Key West. Unless you get the strawberry key lime – a slice of that pink pie is a slice of true originality. Obviously, Kermit is a fan of innovation, and we are too – so we recommend trying his pie on a stick!
True to its name, it’s a frozen slice of key lime pie skewered with a popsicle stick and dipped in chocolate. You can get key lime, or strawberry key lime dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate. This frozen key lime pie-sicle will blow your childhood memories of Bomb-Pops out of the water!
Oh, and for the record, Kermit’s shoppe also provides pies (in plates and on sticks) through mail-order! (We thought you’d want to know!)
4. Salute! On The Beach
1000 Atlantic Blvd, Key West, Florida
Salute! On The Beach is a fun, beachside café situated just a couple blocks from the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S.
Enjoy the laidback atmosphere and indulge in a slice of their one-of-kind key lime pie. True to the traditional, the tasty yellow, key lime custard is nestled into a graham cracker crust, but then Salute! spices things up by crowing the pie with a ridiculously awesome amount of meringue. Is that the Himalayan mountain range on your dessert?
All I can say is, mountain climbing has never tasted so good.
5. Old Town Bakery
930 Eaton St., Key West, Florida
Housed in a sweet, white shop with green shutters, this 2010 establishment has settled well into historic Key West. With its homey vintage vibes, Old Town Bakery is the perfect place to sit and chat while you enjoy their spectacular key lime pie.
Made with fresh-squeezed key lime juice, the dense, yellow filling is definitely that of a quintessential key lime pie. The crust is made of ginger-snap and has a beautiful flower-petal-shaped edge. The ginger really compliments the tartness of the lime, and the gorgeously swirled whipped cream is the perfect finish.
You might just have to splurge and get two slices of this delicious pie. And while you’re in the area, you can also check out the nearby Hemingway House!
Bonus: The Florida Key Lime Pie Company
102 Dixie Ln, Cocoa Beach, Florida
We just had to throw in this bonus, outside-of-the-Keys key lime pie place!
The best key lime pie in Cocoa Beach, The Florida Key Lime Pie Company, serves their creamy, tangy dessert by the slice or by the pie. In 2018, they served one with a 12.25-foot diameter, which is the world’s largest key lime pie.
The Company’s signature treat is their key lime yogurt-covered pretzels. These are so good and so addicting, they’ve been rightfully dubbed “Cocoa Beach Crack!”
But key lime isn’t the only sweet thing here!
The Florida Key Lime Pie Company is also the favorite haunt of the world’s most famous alligator, Sweetie. This scaly friend can be seen every Saturday and Sunday from 2-6p.m. – and she loves to be petted! It’s really something to feel her leathery, sun-warmed scales, especially if it’s your first gator encounter. And you really can’t ask for a better one: Sweetie lives up to her name and is just as friendly as your local neighborhood puppy dog. Sometimes she wears T-shirts, and she’s even an official Florida deputy.
We definitely recommend making your Cocoa Beach Crack runs a weekend thing so you can hang out with the lovable Sweetie!
Have you been to a place on our list? Which one was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay sweet!
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Photo: Unsplash
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