A slice of heaven

Rachel Schneider

 Since March of 2019, I’ve fallen in love with Florida’s very own key lime pie. It all started with a simple BuzzFeed article that caught my eye one day. It was titled, “We Need To Talk About Publix Key Lime Pie.” I was curious, considering I was headed to Florida where the grocery store, Publix, is located. The article discussed why the Publix key lime pie was absolutely delicious, so I decided to try it for myself.  I was never really a pie person, but this BuzzFeed writer was right. Publix key lime pie is way superior to other pies. 

 After trying it for the first time in 2019, I went back to Florida this year and got more pie. This time, I really upped the game and decided to test other key lime pies from local restaurants around the Fort Myers, Florida area for comparison. As a result, I can say that Publix is still the best. 

Publix has that sweet taste that a key lime pie should have without being too tart. It’s silky smooth and every bite is better than the last. The graham cracker crust adds a crunch that contrasts with the creaminess of the pie. This is why all the other pies could not stack up. 

The other pies I tried were from Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant and Matanzas on the Bay in Ft. Myers Beach, as well as Keylime Bistro on Captiva Island.  The presentation at Snug Harbor was great, with dollops of whipped cream and key lime syrup drizzled on top, but it wasn’t making me want another piece because the syrup was overly sweet. Matanzas’s comes in a close second behind Publix’s pie due to their amazing chocolate graham cracker pie crust. The crust was great, but the pie was pretty average and lacking in flavor. They did give us an extra slice for free, but still, my mind kept wandering back to Publix. 

The Keylime Bistro pie had solid flavors, but it was too stale and chunky,  plus the slice was pretty big.  Despite coming from a restaurant with key lime in its name, this was my least favorite pie. 

Don’t get me wrong,  all the other pies I tried were definitely super tasty as pies usually are, but nothing lives up to the iconic, super rich, smooth, and flavorful Publix key lime pie topped off with whipped cream and pecan shavings around the edge.

 If you ever go down to Florida, I highly recommend that you try Publix’s very own key lime pie. Your taste buds will thank you. That little slice of heaven will be on your mind so much that with every passing second, you will be itching to have another.