The counters in Key West worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Key West worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Glazed Donuts fries small-batch rings on Eaton Street in Key West, glazing them with hibiscus, guava and key lime and pouring Red Buoy house coffee.
Order: The key lime doughnut with torched meringue
Tip: They sell out and lock the door well before noon on busy days; go before 10:00 and take a bag of Red Buoy beans home.
Worth the queue: Key lime doughnut with meringue
Old Town Bakery laminates croissants and pulls baguettes from a conch house at Eaton and Grinnell, and turns out a key lime pie the neighbourhood rates.
Order: A sticky bun in the morning, a slice of key lime pie after
Tip: The baker starts at 03:00 and the case thins by early afternoon; seating is limited, so plan on takeaway.
Worth the queue: Key lime pie
Croissants de France folds guava, almond and coconut cream croissants on Stock Island, a short drive from Old Town Key West and open daily from 06:30.
Order: A key lime beignet with a cafe au lait
Tip: The pastry list changes daily and the laminated things go first; the counter runs 06:30 to 14:30, so treat it as a morning stop.
Worth the queue: Key lime beignet
Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe sells pie whole, by the slice and frozen on a stick at Elizabeth Street, the island's best-known key lime storefront.
Order: The frozen chocolate-dipped key lime pie bar
Tip: The Elizabeth Street original beats the Duval satellites for seating; the gluten-free pie is a real version, not an apology.
Worth the queue: Frozen chocolate-dipped key lime pie on a stick
Key West Key Lime Pie Co bakes its family-recipe pies on Greene Street, selling slices, frozen chocolate-dipped bars and mini pie-making classes.
Order: Key lime pie in a cup to walk with, or the chocolate-dipped bar
Tip: This is Kermit's great rival two blocks away; taste both in one afternoon and pick your side of the pie feud.
Worth the queue: Key lime pie in a cup
Mattheessen's has poured copper-kettle fudge onto a 500-pound marble slab since 1993, baking face-sized cookies for the Duval Street crowds in Key West.
Order: A warm chocolate chip cookie and a square of slab fudge
Tip: It stays open to midnight, which makes it the sweet stop on the way home; the Cuban coffee ice cream is the sleeper.
Worth the queue: Face-sized chocolate chip cookie
La Grignote bakes croissants and plates croque madames from scratch on upper Duval, the French counter Key West queues at for benedicts and quiche.
Order: Almond croissant before the case empties
Tip: The kitchen closes at 15:00 and the pastry case sells down by late morning, so treat it as a breakfast stop.
Worth the queue: Almond croissant
Moondog Cafe & Bakery backs its 2026 Bib Gourmand kitchen with a Key West bakery case where vegan key lime cheesecake sits beside the charred-meringue pie.
Order: Key lime pie with charred meringue
Tip: It sits across from the Hemingway House queue, and half the bakery case is vegan; the patio suits a long breakfast.
Worth the queue: Key lime pie with charred meringue