Happy National Pie Day!

In honor of National Pie Day, we are mixing things up and providing a review slightly different from our usual and highlighting Key Lime Pie! Although there is a special day is dedicated to celebrating one of Florida's most iconic desserts (September 26th!), we felt National Pie Day was the perfect opportunity to take a deeper dive into the world of Key Lime Pie. With its distinctive tartness, creamy texture, and specific variants like buttery graham cracker crust and meringue, this dessert has become a beloved staple not only in the Florida Keys but across the entire United States. Our aim is to highlight the nuances of this delectable treat and share our experiences to help guide you toward the perfect slice for your tastes!

Once slice of Key Lime Pie from Hurricane Hole, topped with whipped topping along the edge of the pie and another dollop of whipped topping on the grey metal serving tray.

We recently visited the Florida Keys and made it our mission to try SEVERAL "award winning" Key Lime Pies to bring you our votes on what you should try on your next vacation! The Florida Keys are renowned for their stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and, of course, their delicious cuisine. While the area is famous for many dishes, none quite captures the essence of the Keys like the Key Lime Pie. During our journey, we sought out local sweet shops and restaurants that proudly boast their award-winning creations. Each pie we sampled came with its own unique twist, whether it was a secret ingredient, a different type of crust, or a creative presentation that made it stand out from the rest.

Don't worry, Accessible Foodie accessibility reviews for some of the restaurants highlighted are coming soon! We understand the importance of accessibility in dining experiences, and we are committed to ensuring that everyone can enjoy these culinary delights. Our forthcoming reviews will focus on how to navigate these establishments, highlight their accommodations, and ensure that all guests feel welcome and comfortable while indulging in their favorite foods.

While it was impossible to try them all, we have 5 top picks for you! Each of these selections not only showcases the classic flavors of Key Lime Pie but also incorporates innovative elements that elevate them to new heights. We can't wait to share our insights and recommendations, ensuring that your next visit to the Keys includes a slice (or two) of these must-try desserts!

Our Top Pick: Hurricane Hole MM4.5, Key West/Stock Island

Our Top Pick! Key Lime Pie from Hurricane Hole! One slice of key lime pie topped with whipped topping along the edge of the pie and another dollop of whipped topping on the serving tray.

Although this stop wasn't labeled as "award-winning" or "famous," it became our favorite of all! The Key Lime Pie at Hurricane Hole features a sweet custard base with a delicious graham cracker crust. We appreciated the sweet to tart balance of the pie, which leaned more towards the sweet side. We enjoyed the creamy texture of the pie, along with the sweetness of the crust, and the perfect amount of whipped topping, on a warm afternoon while also savoring the experience at Hurricane Hole. If you want to "eat like a local", you'll want to go to Hurricane Hole!

VERY Close Second: Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory - Pie on a Stick - MM92, Tavernier

The Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory has garnered numerous accolades for its key lime pie, including the Best in Florida awards for 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as being the winner of Travel Channel's Food Wars, along numerous other awards you can find listed on their website. With such a reputation, we knew we had to try this pie, and it certainly lived up to the hype!

First and foremost, the shop offers more key lime pie treats than you can imagine! Not a fan of pie? No problem—they have everything from cookies to candy to meringue for you to enjoy! But more on that later, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Photo features packaging for the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie on a Stick, with the blue logo on the left, key lime pie colored packaging and a red heart on the right in the foreground and tropical foliage in the background.

The variety of key lime pie options here is almost limitless, but we chose the Key Lime Pie on a Stick. This delightful treat is a slice of key lime pie on a popsicle stick, coated in chocolate and frozen, just waiting for you to savor it. We discovered that letting the treat warm up slightly before eating allows the pie to soften a bit making it a creamy delight to enjoy. The pie on a stick isn't overly sweet, even with the chocolate coating, and offers the perfect balance of sweet and tart that we seek in a key lime pie.

This slice nearly tied for our top choice, but since we didn't try a traditional pie, it remains a very close second.

Third: Mrs. Mac's - MM 99 and 99.3, Key Largo

With this establishment dating back to 1976, we knew we had to stop in to try their famous Key Lime Pie! We stopped into both locations, The Original and Mrs. Mac's II, being full of our amazing meals, we decided to take our Key Lime Pie slice to go to enjoy later. **If you chose this option, please keep in mind that Key Lime Pie MUST be refrigerated and should not be left in the car as you enjoy the keys (this goes for ANY of the pies or key lime treats you choose to take to-go!).

One slice of Mrs. Mac's Key Lime Pie on a yellow plate with two forks alongside the pie, which is topped with whipped cream.

We savored the tangy taste of this key lime pie, featuring a graham cracker crust similar to the others we sampled. This version is slightly more tart than the first two, making it an excellent choice for those who favor a tart over sweet key lime pie. You have the option to add whipped cream on top or enjoy it plain to fully appreciate the key lime flavor.

Fourth: Sweet Savannahs MM 51.8, Marathon

At Sweet Savannah's, you can find almost any sweet treat you crave, but if you're reading this, you're interested in the Key Lime Pie! As per the Sweet Savannah's website, their key lime pie has been voted "Best" by the Keys Weekly Magazine for nine consecutive years! With such an impressive track record, we had to include it on our list!

Sweet Svannah's Key Lime Pie on a white plate topped with dollops of whipped topping along the crust and at the point of the pie slice.

This sweet shop offers a variety of gluten-free and key lime-flavored treats, including cupcakes!

This slice of pie featured a thin layer of crust topped with a generous amount of tart key lime filling, making it one of the tarter pies we sampled.

Fifth: SS Wreck and Galley Grill - MM59, Grassy Key

SS Wreck and Galley Grill, a veteran-owned business in Marathon, FL, shares its location with Coast-to-Coast Pizza, where you can enjoy a slice of their award-winning "Best of the Florida Keys" Key Lime Pie!

SS Wreck and Galley Grill Key Lime Pie, showing the thick graham cracker crust, topped high with tar key lime pie and a lime slice on top.

This slice was the thickest overall, resembling a deep-dish style. The graham cracker crust was substantial at the base, and the pie filling appeared to be at least 2 inches tall—I should have brought a ruler to confirm! This version is garnished with key limes, highlighting the tart key lime flavor that awaits your taste buds. It was the tartest of the pies we sampled, and since we favor sweeter pies, this one ranked fifth on our list. However, if you enjoy a truly tart key lime pie, this is the perfect choice for you!

Honorable Mention: Mangrove Mikes! MM82.2, Islamorada

Although we didn't sample the Key Lime Pie here, it appeared delightful in the display case, crowned with a tall layer of toasted meringue!

Whole key lime pie topped with a mound of toasted meringue from the case at Mangrove Mikes.

These are just our picks and opinions, if you LOVE a tarter Key Lime Pie start from the bottom of our list and move up from there!

Watch for our full review of Mrs. Mac's, Key Lime Pie Factory, Hurricane Hole, and Mangrove Mikes coming in February!

We Would Love to Hear from You! If you have any comments, suggestions, or a place you would like us to visit, please feel free to contact us at accessiblefoodie@gmail.com. Thank you for reading our review and we look forward to hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Accessible Foodie did not receive any compensation from any of these restaurants for this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the review are solely those of the Accessible Foodie Team.