It’s called the No Name Pub, and it bills itself as the oldest pub in Florida. It might also be the hardest to find — the quirky eatery lies off U.S. Highway 1 in the Lower Florida Keys, down a winding road and over a humpbacked bridge in an individualistic settlement known as No Name Key.

You have to venture off the proverbial beaten path to find the No Name Pub, but the experience is well worth it. (Photo courtesy of the No Name Pub)

This out-of-the-way location doesn’t keep people from discovering the local landmark — or falling in love with its historic Florida Keys charm, world-class pizza and ramshackle décor that includes interior walls papered with dollar bills.

What is now the pub first opened as a general store and bait and tackle shop in 1931. In 1936, the owners began serving food; in the late 1930s they opened a brothel in an upstairs storage room.

The restaurant proved more popular than the brothel (no doubt a surprise to certain ladies eager to earn extra money!). The latter faded away, while the pub started attracting an ever-larger following.

Serious enjoyment and ramshackle decor characterize the quirky No Name Pub. (Photo courtesy of the No Name Pub)

Amenities in subsequent years included a honky-tonk atmosphere and amusements ranging from pool to less savory games of chance — some reputedly run by the local sheriff.

The pub’s famous pizza was born in 1960, prepared according to a recipe imported by two Italian cooks. It proved to be such an enduring draw that today it’s modestly promoted as “the best pizza in the known universe.”

You can choose traditional varieties or gourmet delights like a Keys shrimp pizza (a must-have treat — the combination of bubbly, slightly salty cheese and the Keys’ own sweet pink shrimp is impossible to resist).

The pub's individualistic character is exemplified by its funky casual signs -- like the ones pictured here. (Photo courtesy of the No Name Pub)

As the pub’s nearly 70 years of popularity prove, when great food and laidback Keys flavor come together, “no name” is no barrier to success.

The place itself may be hard to find, but its website is easy. Visit www.nonamepub.com for a glimpse of the landmark’s offbeat character, historic photos, menu highlights and a more-or-less exact address (actually, you find it by turning off U.S. Highway 1 at mile marker 30.5 bayside and then following the winding road … but resign yourself to the inevitability of getting lost at least once).

AND WHILE YOU’RE LOST … EXPLORE THESE!

Big-eyed and shy, Key deer can be spotted throughout the Lower Keys widlife refuge created to protect them. (Photo courtesy of Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

NATIONAL KEY DEER REFUGE, down Key Deer Boulevard off U.S. 1 at mile marker 30.5 bayside. At first, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Then you see one — a big-eyed Key deer, no taller than a good-sized Doberman, standing at the roadside in an instant of arrested motion before it scampers away — and you’re hooked on the tiny critters. The best times to spot them are early morning and dusk, and they wander freely in the refuge. The refuge has an informative visitors’ center located in Big Pine Key’s Winn Dixie Shopping Center.

THE BLUE HOLE, within the Key Deer Refuge down Key Deer Boulevard off U.S. 1 at mile marker 30.5 bayside. This was originally an old rock quarry used in the construction of the Overseas Railroad that connected the Keys to mainland Florida (and to each other) in the early 1900s. Today it’s a freshwater habitat for alligators and wading birds. Spend a few minutes at this secluded oasis, before or after your pizza, and you’ll swear you’ve been transported back in time to the Keys’ early days.