Okay, friend…

While visiting the Florida Keys with my sister in law and niece, we decided to launch an entirely unofficial—but deeply committed—Key Lime Pie Challenge. Talk about FUN! We made vacation enjoyable for ALL of you.

Let's just say ... we took one (or many!) for the team. 😂

Our mission?
To test Key Lime Pie across the Keys (mainly Marathon) and rank them based on several categories.

As a person who can't have gluten, Jenn and Addison did most of the ranking. But I have also added a gluten-free division because the gluten-free people deserve joy too- but so far we have only found 1 gluten free option. 😂

But honestly? I am having just as much fun documenting their experiences. I highly recommend you try this yourself when you take your next vacation/staycation.

Three Girls. Four Days. Seven Pies.😂

5 Main Ranking Categories

1. Key Lime Flavor

“Does it actually taste like KEY LIME?”

Tartness
Freshness
Authentic flavor

Fake lime energy loses points immediately 😂

2. 🥄 Creaminess

“Silky? Creamy?”

Smooth texture
Richness
Balanced consistency
No gelatin consistencies allowed 😂

3. 🥧 Crust Quality

“Can the crust carry the emotional weight of the filling?” 😂

Consistency
Flavor
Thickness
Structural integrity 💀

4. ☁️ Whipped Cream Experience

“Homemade magic or canned sadness?”

Homemade Taste
Texture
Flavor
Did it elevate the pie?

5. 👀 Would We Come Back?

“Would we willingly spend calories on this pie again?"

🍋Bonus Categories

1.💥 Pucker Factor

“Did the tartness attack your face?”

1 = basically vanilla pudding
10 = full citrus assault 😂

2.🌴 Atmosphere

“Did the location add to the pie experience?

3. 💀 Worth the Calories?

“Would we sacrifice our macros again?”

Day 1- Geiger Key Marina Restaurant

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	2/10	Could have been MUCH more tart 🍋
Creaminess	7/10	Very creamy… maybe a little too creamy
Crust Quality	4/10	Biggest downfall — crust tasted frozen
Whipped Cream Situation	5/10	Addison doesn’t even really love whipped cream 😂
Would We Come Back?	No	Wouldn’t be the first pick for key lime pie but would definitely come back for the food!

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	2/10	Needed WAY more tartness
Creaminess	7/10	Smooth and creamy
Crust Quality	3/10	Crust didn’t deliver 😬
Whipped Cream Situation	0/10	There WAS NO whipped cream because Addison ate it all! 🤣
Would We Come Back?	Probably not	Not a top repeat choice for dessert but 10000% for atmosphere and food

Day 2- Sweet Savannah's

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	8/10	Finally bringing REAL key lime flavor 🍋
Creaminess	8/10	Super creamy without being overwhelming
Crust Quality	8/10	Strong recovery from Day 1 😂
Whipped Cream Situation	8/10	Homemade whipped cream elevated the experience
Would We Come Back?	YES	No hesitation 😂

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	7/10	Tartness specifically rated a 6
Creaminess	7/10	Smooth and balanced
Crust Quality	8/10	Solid crust approval 👏
Whipped Cream Situation	9/10	“That’s a GOOD whipped cream.” 😂
Would We Come Back?	ABSOLUTELY	“Way before the other one.” 💀

Day 2- Sweet Savannah's GLUTEN FREE Edition

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	7/10	Good… but not as good as the regular pie
Creaminess	8/10	Still creamy and solid
Crust Quality	6/10	Slight downgrade from the “glutenized” version 😂
Whipped Cream Situation	8/10	Homemade whipped cream still delivering
Would We Come Back?	YES-ish	Would choose the regular pie first, but would absolutely eat this again

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	8/10	Actually MORE tart than the regular version 🍋
Creaminess	8/10	Smooth and balanced
Crust Quality	6/10	Gluten-free crust energy 😂
Whipped Cream Situation	9/10	Whipped cream stayed undefeated 👏
Would We Come Back?	YES	Definitely return-worthy

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	8/10	Strong tartness without overpowering
Creaminess	9/10	Creamy without weird jelly texture 👏
Crust Quality	10/10	BEST gluten-free crust I've ever had
Whipped Cream Situation	10/10	Legit homemade whipped cream dreaminess 😂
Would We Come Back?	ABSOLUTELY	“Maybe tomorrow.” 💀

Day 3- Herbie's Bar and Chowder House

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	9/10	Most tart pie so far 🍋👑
Creaminess	8/10	Creamy and balanced
Crust Quality	6/10	Fine… but not memorable. Felt a bit soggy
Whipped Cream Situation	7/10	Good, but not elite
Would We Come Back?	YES	Not beating Sweet Savannah's though 👀

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	9/10	“The filling was a winner.” 👏
Creaminess	8/10	Smooth filling
Crust Quality	5/10	Thin, softer crust
Whipped Cream Situation	4/10	Jenn was NOT impressed 😂
Would We Come Back?	YES	Strong filling carried the pie

Day 4-Pie #1 Publix

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	7/10	Solid flavor 🍋
Creaminess	7/10	Consistent overall
Crust Quality	7/10	Better than Herbie’s 👀
Whipped Cream Situation	5/10	Not bad… just not elite 😂
Would We Come Back?	YES	Grocery store pie surprisingly held its own 👏

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	8/10	Better than Sweet Savannah’s for tartness, but Herbie’s still wins 👑🍋
Creaminess	7.5/10	Smooth and balanced
Crust Quality	7/10	Better than Herbie’s, below Sweet Savannah’s
Whipped Cream Situation	8/10	Definitely canned whipped cream… but GOOD canned whipped cream 😂
Would We Come Back?	YES	Strong grocery store showing 👏

Day 4- Pie #2 Key Fisheries

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	8.5/10	Strong tartness and flavor 👏🍋
Creaminess	7/10	Good balance overall
Crust Quality	7.5/10	Second favorite crust so far 👀
Whipped Cream Situation	6/10	Definitely not homemade… but acceptable 😂
Would We Come Back?	YES	Strong overall pie showing

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	9/10	Herbie’s still wins tartness overall, but this was VERY strong 🍋
Creaminess	7/10	Smooth and balanced
Crust Quality	8/10	Second favorite crust behind Sweet Savannah’s 👏
Whipped Cream Situation	6/10	Better than Herbie’s… below Publix and Sweet Savannah’s 😂
Would We Come Back?	YES	Definitely repeat-worthy

Day 4- Pie #3 Irie Eats

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	4/10	Very underwhelming 😬
Creaminess	6/10	Average overall
Crust Quality	4/10	Nothing memorable
Whipped Cream Situation	0/10	“Tastes like candle wax.” 💀😂
Would We Come Back?	NO	Sadly, no

Category	Score	Notes
Key Lime Flavor	3/10	Biggest disappointment so far 😬
Creaminess	3/10	Not a great texture situation
Crust Quality	4/10	Forgettable
Whipped Cream Situation	0/10	Also described as candle wax 💀
Would We Come Back?	NO	Not repeat-worthy

🍋 Official Disclaimer

No pie establishments were harmed during this challenge. Also just because an establishment did not win in the dessert category doesn't mean they didn't knock it out of the park in the food category! That's another day. 😂

All rankings were highly emotional and based on tasty quality preferences, whipped cream perfection, and overall pie-related joy. 😂❤️