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Any visit to the Florida Keys would not be complete without its signature dessert, key lime pie. After all, just about every restaurant has a version, though not all are created equal. So how can you avoid the lesser versions, and head straight to the best key lime pie in Key West?
My husband and I sought to solve this conundrum on our latest trip to Key West. We both are big fans of key lime pie, though he is the bigger devotee of the two of us. We also happened to be well versed in what separates a good key lime pie from a great one, having been spoiled from years of trips to the Caribbean, where these beauties are locally grown.
What could be better than a challenge that allowed us to eat key lime pie every day of our trip, and sometimes twice a day? Below, I have listed out every version of key lime pie we tried, and have saved the best for last. Warning – some major key lime pie cravings are impending!
The Best Key Lime Pie in Key West
We honestly didn’t know where to begin with this challenge, so part of our strategy was to order key lime pie anytime we saw it on a menu. Additionally, we asked locals for their recommendations. One person was adamant about Kermit’s and Blue Heaven, while another said “Anywhere, they’re all good”.
To be honest they were all good, but we weren’t shooting for good, but rather the best! I do understand that “best” might mean something different for everyone though. Whether you prefer yours with whipped cream or merengue, sweet or tart, there is a version in Key West for everyone.
Here are our primary criteria for determining the stars of the bunch:
- Tartness
- Texture
- Good graham cracker crust
- Quality of topping, whether whipped cream or merengue
Let’s get started!
Hogfish Bar & Grille
Aaron and I swung by Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island on our drive down from Miami to Key West. After splitting a delicious hogfish sandwich, we shared what would be our first key lime pie of the trip.
Hogfish’s key lime pie was tasty, but a bit sweet and not tart enough. It was a bit yellower in hue than I’ve typically observed, and the whipped cream (while good) seemed like it was from a package. As far as texture, the pie was less creamy and rather more cheesecake-like, and the graham cracker crust was a little soft.
Price: $8/slice
Schooner Wharf
We stopped by this divey little spot on the water after a mid-day craving for conch fritters hit us. Of course we had to try their pie, but weren’t expecting anything gourmet at this casual spot.
Once again, the key lime pie at Schooner Wharf was good but still not tart enough to be among the best. However, the crust was perfect this time, and the texture was much more creamy. It was a rather thick piece too, which made it quite filling.
The topping was nothing to write home about, being simply canned whipped cream, and we could have done with less of it.
Price: $5.95/slice
Kermit’s Key Lime Shoppe
Now we are going to get into a couple less traditional pies, starting with Kermit’s chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick.
This is a really fun spin on a classic that I definitely recommend trying. We purchased our chocolate covered key lime pies and walked them a short ways down to Mallory Square to catch the sunset. Just a warning – if you walk with your pie, be sure to bring napkins for when it starts to melt!
I had high standards for Kermit’s key lime pie, having both read about it and heard good reviews from locals. It did live up to the hype for the most part. The curd was nice and tart, and the thin layer of chocolate was easy to bite through.
The only negatives were that the crust, while crunchy, didn’t have much flavor. Aaron also felt like the chocolate overpowered the lime, though I didn’t share this sentiment.
Price: $4.50/slice
Glazed Donuts
Okay, so I know this is a donut, not pie. That said, if you have a craving for key lime, the key lime pie donut at Glazed Donuts will hit the spot! I actually thought their flavor was better than several of the pies we tried.
First off, the key lime pie donut had a tarter curd than anything I have previously mentioned on this list. While there obviously was not crust, the donut had great chew and was the perfect denseness to support the filling. Plus it actually wasn’t oversweet at all, which is often not the case with donuts.
To finish off, the key lime donut is topped with some delicious toasted merengue.
Price: $3/donut
Best Key Lime Pie in Key West: The Finalists
All the below pies were spot on, but some were simply on a whole other level.
La Te Da
There was an evening where the place we dined at, Garbo’s Grill, did not have any pie to try. Therefore, we hit up La Te Da, which had high ratings and was walking distance from where we were staying.
We couldn’t find much to critique about La Te Da’s key lime pie. It had a somewhat thick crust, which may not be everyone’s preference. Otherwise, it was perfectly tart and had a nice, smooth texture.
Aaron did question whether the whipped cream was homemade, but I thought it tasted legit.
Price: $10.75/slice
Blue Heaven
Blue Heaven is legendary in Key West for key lime pie, piled high with their signature merengue. We’d loved their pie on a previous visit, and couldn’t wait to eat it again.
Once again, Blue Heaven delivered a beautiful pie with perfect tartness, crunchy graham cracker crust, proper texture, and not too thick of a curd. It was just how we remembered, except one thing. We struggled to get past the texture of the merengue.
Maybe it’s because it needs structure to stay so tall, but the merengue was a bit spongey and dry for us. It could also be because we visited in the evening, and maybe it was exposed to the heat and humidity all day. As someone who personally loves to prepare and eat merengue, I wanted badly to love this beautiful pie, but it fell just a tad short from being our winner.
Price: $11/slice
Latitudes
Latitudes is one of the nicest restaurants in the Florida Keys, so we had high expectations for their key lime pie. I’m happy to say they did not disappoint.
Being a fancy restaurant, of course Latitudes could not simply put a piece of pie on a plate and call it a day. Rather, it was covered in a beautiful toasted, fluffy merengue accented with a chocolate straw, and served with a blueberry sauce and fresh berries.
To Aaron and I, their key lime pie was out of this world, but I’d expect nothing less from Latitudes. Although the key lime flavor was not a tart as Blue Heaven’s, this was our best key lime pie experience in Key West. That is, until our last stop…
Price: $9/slice
Moon Dog Café
Last but not least is Moon Dog Café. Although we had intended on returning to Blue Heaven for our last morning in Key West, a forty-five minute wait in the heat quickly had us reconsidering.
We had walked by Moon Dog Café’s adorable front patio many times during our stay, so we decided to give it a chance since it had good reviews. Upon entering, we were greeted by a delicious looking dessert case, which had some exceptional looking key lime pie. We’re talking thick layers of both curd and merengue, the latter being lightly toasted and sprinkled with lime zest.
When we ordered it, the waiter said, “Great choice, it’s the best on the island”. I can’t say I disagree, as it was perfectly tart, had a lovely thin and crunchy graham cracker crust, and super soft and fluffy merengue. Oddly, it was the only pie that we could recall having any lime zest.
In a surprise victory, Moon Dog Café’s key lime pie ended up taking home the win for us. If you find yourself on Whitehead Street or in a long wait for a different restaurant, I highly recommend paying them a visit!
Price: $7/slice
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There you have it: the best key lime pie in Key West! If you are as hungry reading this as I was while writing it, chances are you’re thinking of booking a trip to Key West right this very minute.
Disagree with our picks? Let me know below if you’ve found better Key Lime pie in Key West. I’d love a reason to make a return trip and try more pie!
