Cafes & Specialty Food in Key West, FL

Gladiators Ice Cream is a Front Street homemade-ice-cream shop. Ten attributable bodies praise fresh flavors, generous portions, dairy-free choices and friendly service while documenting heat-related melting, presentation, availability and item-level value cautions; RealReviews reports High evidence and withholds a proprietary score.

Homemade ice cream and sorbet

Tropical Vibes Cones & Bowls is a Key West dessert business known for shaved ice, rolled ice cream and acai bowls. Ten attributable bodies praise friendly owners, customizable treats, portions and repeat visits; the sample is positive-skewed and the business has a documented storefront-to-mobile transition, so RealReviews reports Limited evidence and withholds a proprietary score.

Shaved ice, rolled ice cream and acai bowls

Kermit’s Key Lime Shop at 200 Elizabeth Street is the brand’s original Key West waterfront-area shop and a practical stop for slices, whole pies, frozen chocolate-dipped pie bars, packaged key-lime products, and shipped gifts. The company describes its traditional pie as tart-forward and made with double-strength key lime juice. This is a retail dessert stop rather than a full restaurant.

Mattheessen's Homemade at 106 Duval is known for oversized cookies, handmade ice cream and Key lime desserts. Ten attributable bodies praise product quality, variety, friendly service and repeat visits while documenting premium item pricing, limited seating and a recent order-resolution complaint; RealReviews reports High evidence and withholds a proprietary score.

Cookies, ice cream and Key lime desserts

Flamingo Crossing is a long-running Duval Street homemade-ice-cream shop. Sixteen attributable bodies praise tropical flavors, sampling, generous portions, dairy-free choice and friendly staff while documenting service, price/payment and occasional flavor cautions; RealReviews reports High evidence and withholds a proprietary score.

Homemade ice cream and dessert shop

Key West Polar Bear Homemade Ice Cream is a 247 Front Street dessert shop with a mixed public record. Thirteen attributable bodies praise flavor variety, sampling, location and cones while documenting price, portion, service, texture and hygiene cautions; RealReviews reports a High evidence tier and withholds a proprietary score.

Ice cream shop and dessert parlor

5 Brothers Grocery & Sandwich Shop is a family-run Southard Street counter shop known for Cuban coffee, pressed sandwiches, bollos and conch fritters. Tripadvisor shows roughly 370 reviews at 4.6/5 and Restaurantji about 244 reviews. The consensus is unusually clear on flavor, friendliness, value and local character, while the practical limits are small seating/parking, changing daily items, closures and the difference between a quick neighborhood stop and a full-service restaurant.

Cuban coffee, breakfast, sandwiches and neighborhood grocery

Better Than Sex at 926 Simonton Street is an adults-only, dessert-first Key West restaurant with low-lit private tables, playful names and chocolate- or caramel-rimmed drinks. Tripadvisor shows 4.6/5 from roughly 4,279 reviews; seventeen attributable/context bodies support a High tier. Reviewers repeatedly praise decadent samplers, privacy, drinks and attentive service, while also reporting high prices, uneven dessert reactions, small-party limits and a sexualized concept that is not a fit for every couple or group.

Adults-only dessert restaurant and dessert cocktail bar