The 8 Best Places to Eat Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys

There’s no denying it: Key lime pie is an essential staple of the Florida Keys. With a local fruit as its primary ingredient — yes, Key limes are different than the more widely known, larger Persian lime typically found in grocery stores — this tart dessert is a source of pride for natives of the Keys, or “Conchs” as they’re nicknamed.

The origins of the pie go back to the 1800s and are a source of controversy. One story claims that sailors off the coast of the Keys created a recipe for a dessert using condensed milk because they could not keep fresh milk (which needs refrigeration) on board. The sailors mixed the condensed milk with Key lime juice and egg yolks — both of which they believed would prevent scurvy — sat it in the sun to thicken, and poured the mixture over bread. A conflicting story, however, says that a woman named Aunt Sally, the cook for Key West's first millionaire, made the first Key lime pie. 

Whichever origin story you choose to believe, or whether you prefer your Key lime pie topped with whipped cream or meringue (a heated debate if brought up in front of any Keys native), here are a few spots that need to be on your Key lime pie tour of the Florida Keys.