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If you’re looking for the best key lime pies in Key West, you’ve come to the right place! The Florida Keys are the ancestral homeland of key lime pie, which is made from key limes indigenous to the region.
I am OBSESSED with key lime pie and I eat it nonstop whenever I’m in the Florida Keys. And many of the best spots happen to be right here in Key West!
Key lime pie is a custard pie, and the main ingredients are lime juice, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. It’s most commonly served on a graham cracker crust and topped with either meringue or whipped cream.
Beyond the basics, some people top their key lime pies with chocolate, some integrate coconut or mango, some people freeze them, and some even deep fry them!
Traditionally, key lime pie was made from key limes grown in the Florida Keys. Today, however, the limes are sourced from further afield destinations like Mexico. Key limes are more tart than the Persian limes we usually use, and are yellow instead of green.
Despite being Florida’s most famous treat, the history of key lime pie is actually up for debate. Some say it’s a spin-off of a lemon cream pie recipe published in the 1930s by a food and beverage company out of Ohio. But others maintain that key lime pie originated in Key West when Aunt Sally made the first one in the late 1800s.
No matter how you like your key lime pie, we can all agree that it is delicious — especially in Key West!
This post was published in January 2024 and co-written by Adventurous Kate and Riana Ang-Canning.
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Where to eat delicious key limes pies in Key West
Kermit’s Key Lime Shop
Kermit’s Key Lime Shop is an institution in Key West, having celebrated their 30th year in business in October 2023. What began as Kermit Carpenter’s smoothie stand (no, it’s not named after the frog!) has now expanded to two storefronts in Key West and a 12,000 square foot shop, warehouse and production kitchen just outside of Orlando.
In addition to their pies — which are unique thanks to Kermit’s double-strength lime juice — Kermit’s key lime Shop is well known for their pie bars. A key lime pie bar is a slice of key lime pie dipped in chocolate and eaten off a stick like a popsicle. Perfect on a sweltering Key West day!
Kermit’s also sells bottles of real key lime juice, cookies, candy, sauces, seasonings, jams, oils and more. Their Elizabeth Street location also serves breakfast and lunch.
The Cafe
As The Cafe explains, they serve “vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian food with a twist.” Yes — vegan key lime pie in Key West! It’s a thing that exists!
They serve a unique vegan key lime pie at The Cafe — it’s actually more like a vegan key lime cheesecake.
The Cafe is a full service restaurant with a focus on fresh, healthy and sustainable ingredients that provide the community with great value. Diners love their falafel, salads and noodle bowls, and rave about the ambience and extensive menu options.
Mattheessen’s
Mattheessen’s is one of the best places to go for a sweet treat in the Conch Republic. What started out as a coffee kiosk in 1993 has now developed into three locations in Key West (plus one in Nashville!) serving half-pound cookies, marble slab fudge, small batch homemade ice cream and, of course, key lime pie.
What makes Mattheessen’s key lime pie famous is its unusually thick pie crust, made with layers of pulverized graham crackers. Served without any whipped cream or meringue, they say the dense, homemade graham cracker crust perfectly pairs with the tart key lime pie filling. Why mess with perfection?
They also feature frozen key lime pie on a sick, dipped in Belgian dark chocolate!
Blue Heaven
Blue Heaven is one of my favorite spots for lunch in Key West — one that I recommend to every Key West visitor. And yes, they have excellent key lime pie!
Their key lime pie is famous for the staggering amount of meringue it’s topped with, perfectly browned on the surface and sitting pretty atop a layer of key lime custard.
Besides their pie, Blue Heaven also serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. They’re known for their whimsical decor, ramshackle outdoor atmosphere, live music, and resident chickens and cats who like to roam around the property.
Blue Heaven is the kind of place where you come in for a quick meal, and you enjoy the atmosphere so much that suddenly it’s getting dark outside. It’s SO chilled out here — and that’s what a trip to Key West is all about.
Old Town Bakery
Niall Bowen, a long time pastry chef, and his wife opened Old Town Bakery in 2010, revitalizing a historic building and bringing artisan baked goods to their neighborhood of Key West. Their signature key lime pie is freshly baked and features a gingersnap crust — I wish more places would do this!
In addition to key lime pie, Old Town Bakery also offers sandwiches, croissants, danishes, brownies and other delicious pastries. They sell these items, baked fresh daily, from their shop at Eaton Street and Grinnell Street, as well as at the Custom House Museum Cafe.
Thai Island
For a unique key lime pie in Key West, check out Thai Island, a Thai and sushi restaurant. Instead of serving their key lime pie with cream or meringue, Thai Island serves it with coconut milk sauce.
Lime juice is a common ingredient in Thai cooking, thanks to the native makrut lime (also known as a kaffir lime or Thai lime) that grows in Thailand. And Thai cuisine is all about complex flavors that meld sweet with salty and spicy. So it only makes sense to try a Thai spin on key lime pie!
Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen & Bar
Serving up American coastal comfort food, Matt’s Stock Island is one of the best restaurants in town featuring fresh seafood, fun cocktails, views over the marina and, of course, some of the best key lime pie close to Key West.
Matt’s key lime pie is served with fresh berries, and if you want a little more key lime in your life, you can order the key lime martini to go with it!
Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen & Bar is part of The Perry Hotel & Marina, but you don’t have to be a guest of the hotel to dine with them. (Side note: I’ve stayed at the hotel and it’s FABULOUS!)
Key Lime Pie Bakery
Locally owned and operated, Key Lime Pie Bakery specializes in — you guessed it — outstandingly delicious key lime pies! They bake them fresh daily and top them with their homemade whipped cream.
In addition to key lime pies, the bakery sells a number of other key lime products such as key lime cake, key lime juice and key lime tea. This is a great spot to pick up some souvenirs!
If you find yourself craving key lime after your trip to Key West, the Key Lime Pie Bakery will ship you a whole pie through their online catalog.
El Meson de Pepe
Pepe Diaz and his family have been serving authentic Cuban food to Key West locals and visitors since 1979. Pepe was born in Cuba and worked in restaurants in Spain before moving with his family to Key West, and in 1986 he opened the original El Meson de Pepe. With business flourishing, they moved to a larger location in Mallory Square in 1997.
El Meson de Pepe serves up incredible cuisine that honors Cuban-Conch heritage, such as Pepe’s Cuban Nachos. Their key lime pie, or Torta de Limon on the menu, features both whipped cream and meringue. Fans rave about it — though know that this is a lighter version, not quite as tart and heavy as others you’ll find on the island.
The Stoned Crab
If you’re looking to enjoy some of the freshest seafood in Key West before your key lime pie, you’ll find it at The Stoned Crab. This mostly-seafood restaurant has two private fishing boats that deliver Key West pink shrimp, local fish, spiny lobster and, of course, stone crab.
The restaurant also has an eco bar that serves organic or sustainable wines, spirits, beers and cocktails.
I’ll be honest — reviewers here seem split on the key lime pie. Some say it’s the best key lime pie in the Keys, while others say it’s too sweet or not flavorful enough. Guess there’s only one way to find out if it’s for you!
Key West Key Lime Pie Co.
Another great spot for key lime pie in Key West is the Key Lime Pie Co. From selling pies on the side of the road to winning national pie awards, this family business has come a long way. They were even featured on TV shows like the Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
Key Lime Pie Company sells their all-natural pies and pie bars in store and online. They also offer twists on the classic key lime flavor such as mango, blueberry, toasted coconut and extra tart.
And they offer pie making classes so you can learn how to make your own mini key lime pie! I took one of their classes, and honestly, it’s more of a key lime pie assembly class than making your own from scratch. But still a lot of fun and one of the more unique things to do in Key West!
Moondog Cafe & Bakery
Moondog is a charming cottage-style bakery in Key West featuring homemade pastries, a daily happy hour, and beautiful murals on their walls. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner in addition to their famous key lime pie.
Moondog’s key lime pie is topped with a mountain of torched meringue and is consistently called one of the best key lime pies in Key West.
Diners love the cookie-like texture of the crust and the perfect balance of sweet and tart custard. But it’ll be hard to order just one pie or pastry when you come to Moondog! (Maybe stop here on the way to the airport to bring some home!)
Hogfish Bar & Grill
Another contender for the best key lime pie in Key West has to be Hogfish Bar & Grill. This restaurant is on Stock Island, which is practically part of Key West, and the restaurant prides themselves on being a local spot that celebrates the way the Florida Keys used to be before tourism took over — fresh seafood, strong drinks and waterfront views.
I’ve eaten here and really loved the fish tacos. It’s also a nice spot to visit if you take a SUP yoga class at the Lazy Dog!
Their key lime pie is creamy and tart in all the right ways. Why not go all in on key lime with their key lime piña colada as well!
More of the best key lime pies in the Florida Keys
I feel like I need to mention some of the best pies beyond Key West, because you might be on a longer Florida Keys road trip and should try them all!
In Key Largo, I highly recommend visiting Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen. This is actually my all-time favorite key lime pie in the Florida Keys. It’s a fairly basic pie, but I have no idea what they put in it to make it taste SO good! Make sure you stop by here if you’re in Key Largo.
Another good spot to check out is Fish House. They offer both a homemade original key lime pie and a coconut key lime pie made with coconut milk and toasted coconut flakes. Fish House is technically located in Key Largo, but it’s on the bridge between Key Largo and the mainland, so it’s a good place to stop on the way to or from Miami.
Just south of Key Largo in the Upper Keys, make sure to stop at Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory in Tavernier. After winning first place in a key lime pie contest in 1999 thanks to her grandmother’s Brazilian pie recipe, Tania Beguinati and her husband opened Blond Giraffe and have been serving award-winning pies ever since! The outdoor patio here is an idyllic spot, too.
In the Middle Keys, you’ll want to stop in the town of Marathon for your key lime pie fix. Check out Porky’s Bayside for their unique offering — deep fried key lime pie! Another worthwhile key lime pie spot in Marathon is Keys Fisheries, a local favorite serving what many diners call the best key lime pie in Florida.
Lastly, if you find yourself in the Lower Keys, closest to Key West, I recommend visiting Mangrove Mama’s in Summerland Key, just before Big Pine Key. This fun seafood shack and bar has a great atmosphere and serves up some of the best pie in the Florida Keys!
More on the Florida Keys:
- Ultimate Florida Keys Packing List
- Solo Female Travel in Key West and the Florida Keys: The Ultimate Guide
- 30+ Best Things to Do in Key West
- 24 Fabulous Things to Do in Key Largo, Florida
- 22 Fun Things to Do in Islamorada, Florida Keys
- Best Time to Visit Key West and the Florida Keys
- 25 Best Florida Keys Beaches
- 11+ Best Beaches in Key Largo
- A Sizzling Summer Trip to the Florida Keys
- Key West, You Are My New Favorite
- Welcome to the Florida Keys
More on Florida:
- 17 Tips For Your First Trip to Disney World as an Adult
- Seaside, Florida: The Town from The Truman Show is a Real Place
- Miami is Nice, so I’ll Say It Twice
Have you been to Key West? Where’s your favorite pie? Share away!
