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I’ve had my fair share of key lime pies since I moved to LA, but none like the one you’re about to read about.
Fat + Flour is a pie stand located inside the historic Grand Central Market. It was founded by chef and author Nicole Rucker, who was the pastry chef at Gjelina and former owner of Fiona bakery on Fairfax Avenue. Nicole has won multiple awards like the National Pie Championship in 2012 and has recently been nominated for a James Beard Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the culinary industry. She’s also been featured in many TV show segments, among them, Late Night with Seth Meyers.
I found Fat + Flour because restaurants such as Woon Kitchen and Found Oyster shared her famous key lime pie on their Instagram stories, which instantly caught my attention.
When I saw the pictures on the website, I noticed an individual key lime pie, but when I called, they told me they don’t make it anymore. So, you can either buy an individual slice for $6 or the whole pie for $36.
I highly suggest preordering the key lime pie on their website either the same day, or the day before. For whole pies, a 24-hour notice is required. Since they sell out of the key lime pie all the time, it’s much more convenient to place your order online the day before and pick it up the next day.
Don’t be like me and drive all the way to Downtown only to find out that they’re sold out. Although they have other pie flavors, if it’s your first time, the key lime pie is a mandatory order. I went home, placed my order online, and went back the next day.
The pie was extraordinary. My taste buds were shocked by the richness and the amalgamation of the crust, the creaminess of the filling and the whipped topping. It was sweet, tangy and cool. The crust was melt-in-your-mouth-fresh, not hard like at many other places. It had that undoubtedly homemade quality that you rarely get when you eat a restaurant pie.
It was also a hot day in LA, so it was incredibly refreshing. Needless to say, I was in key lime pie heaven. I ate it in my car on the street in Downtown LA, and I’m pretty sure passers-by noticed my reaction as I was chowing down on this beauty. It was perfect and I haven’t had a pie of that caliber in the six years I’ve been in LA. It was a completely transformative experience.
They also had the Blueberry Blackberry Lemon Crumble pie, which looked dangerously tempting. This one was available both times I went there.
Blueberry blackberry / Meyer lemon filling / buttery crumble. All weekend long!
The good news is that although finding a good parking spot in DTLA is mission impossible, if you park in the parking structure right across the street next to Maccheroni Republic, it will be free for the first 20 minutes. Park, get out, cross the street, enter Grand Central Market, pick up the pie and boom, you’re out. The times I went there, I did not pay for parking.
In case you don’t want to park, they also offer curbside pickup.
Is Fat + Flour worth the drive to DTLA? 100 %. The guy at the register said that the pie should be eaten within two to three days, which it’s important to consider if you plan on ordering the whole pie.
If you have any allergies or you’re vegan, please note that Fat + Flour’s cakes are not vegan nor gluten-free.
The address is 317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 11am-5pm.
