7 Best Places for Key Lime Pie in Florida

From Miami to Orlando and from Tampa to Sarasota, here are seven great places to enjoy the best of Florida’s quintessential dessert. 

Some like a custard-y texture, while others prefer something more solid, cheesecake-like, or even whipped. But all agree that the filling has to be the perfect balance of tart and sweet, the lime flavor zinging the taste buds. The graham cracker for the crust must be, of course, buttery, while meringue or whipped cream can be optional.

When all these requisites are met, voilà! You have before you the perfect key lime pie. 

The citrusy sweet concoction that can be found on almost every dessert menu throughout Florida was introduced to Key West in the 1830s by Henry Perrine, a diplomat and botanist who discovered the plant in Mexico. Centuries later, it is still the Sunshine States’ most emblematic dessert. In fact, on July 1, 2006, the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate passed legislation naming “key lime pie” as the official pie of the state. Here are seven places to enjoy the best of Florida’s quintessential dessert. 

1. Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe

Rated as serving the best key lime pie by the Today Show, The Food Network and National Geographic, Kermit’s was founded more than 20 years ago by Kermit Carpenter, his sister Anita, and her husband. Beyond the traditional key lime pie, the bright neon yellow and green restaurant also offers a delicious invention of their own: a chocolate dipped key lime pie! 

Can’t escape to Key West at this time? Don’t fret. You can order the pies, and other delights, like sauces, cookies, candies, nuts, jams and jellies, and even bath and body products online. 

For menu, locations and ordering information, visit HERE. 

2. Columbia Restaurant

Opened in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernández, Senior, the Columbia Restaurant is not only Florida’s oldest, but it has braved everything from prohibition to hurricanes. The place started out as a small Cuban café serving coffee, potaje de frijoles negros (black bean soup) and other island fare. Today the Columbia Restaurant has seven locations in Florida, and is still owned and operated by family members. The flagship restaurant in Tampa occupies an entire Ybor City block with 15 beautiful dining rooms.

The restaurant’s uniquely delicious key lime pie is a family recipe brought over from Cuba by grandmother Carmen Piloto Hernandez, first to Key West and then Ybor City, so of course, Columbia’s version comes with a Cuban twist: a drizzle of guava paste.

For menu and locations, visit HERE.

3. Sister Honey’s

This downtown Orlando Artisan bakery selling a variety of cakes (whole or by the slice), cupcakes, pies and pastries, creates its desserts from scratch daily. It also serves a delicious traditional key lime pie made with fresh key limes and a graham cracker crust that can be purchased whole or by the slice.  

Owner Evette Rahman named the bakery after her mother and mentor, affectionately known to all as Sister Honey, a kind lady who would greet folks with, “Hello, my darling. How are you?” and put the same loving care into everything she baked for her family, friends, and community. 

For menu, location, and ordering information, visit HERE.

4. The Florida Key Lime Pie Company

You can enjoy their key lime pie on a plate, in a coconut shell, or in a cup. But one thing is for sure: no matter how it is served, The Florida Key Lime Pie Company’s most popular dessert is among the best in the Sunshine State. As part of the ‘Fresh from Florida’ state program, everything is made using local ingredients.

The Florida Key Lime Pie Company has a tiki bar, retail store and restaurant, where you can order or purchase key lime pie desserts, among other delights like taffy and ice cream. The business is also home to the annual Key Lime Pie Festival, which, happily for pie enthusiasts, includes a key lime pie-eating contest. 

For menu, address, and more information, visit HERE. 

5. Donut Hole Café & Bakery

The modest wood interior with floor-to-ceiling windows and diner-style tables gives a unique charm to this establishment located in the northwestern panhandle of Destin, Florida. With good food and reasonable prices, the place is a favorite of families, retirees, and everyone who wants to enjoy a hearty meal and a great choice of desserts. 

Open 24 hours, Donut Hole Café & Bakery is said to serve the best key lime pie in town. And because the pie is made with condensed milk, it has a thicker, custard-like texture with a more tart flavor, and a flaky crust. A fluffy whipped topping accentuates the flavor. Tempted? The pies are made fresh every day and you can sample them by the slice or on the whole. 

For menu, address, and more information, visit HERE.

6. Yoder’s Restaurant & Amish Village in Sarasota

In the 1970s Levi and Amanda Yoder sold their farm in Nappanee, Indiana, and moved to Sarasota, Florida, where they invested their savings in a tiny restaurant located on Main Street. With Levi’s people skills and Amanda’s talent for good home cooking, the place quickly became a local town favorite.

Today, Yoder’s serves all kinds of comfort food, but they’re best known for their pies, especially their Key Lime Delight, a sweet/tart concoction that melts in the tongue. 

For menu, address and ordering information visit HERE.  

7. The Restaurant at W South Beach (RWSB) 

For those of a more adventurous spirit and taste buds, this elegant, vibrant hotel kitchen with a breezy patio offers a unique version of the traditional recipe. Granted, it could confound purists, while delighting those who like their desserts with a twist. 

The popular ItalianAmerican restaurant inspired by Tuscan cuisine uses the traditional key lime pie as its base, then adds a pineapple crisp, caramel sauce, and a scoop of mango sorbet that transform and take the flavors up a few notches.

For menu, address and more information, visit HERE.

READ MORE: 6 Delish Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Florida