It happens at the end of every great meal at every great restaurant – you have to answer if you’ve saved room for dessert.

Once you say “yes,” then the real hard decision begins – which dessert.

You might be torn between the texture and depth of a bread pudding or the sweet and tart custard of a key lime pie.

Well, the people at The Wash House Restaurant in Fairhope have made such decisions easy.

Key Lime Bread Pudding at The Wash House makes 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama list from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

The Key Lime Bread Pudding combines the best of both desserts.

“Basically if key lime pie and bread pudding had a baby, there it is,” said Myles Meade, general manager of The Wash House. “It does have the consistency and texture of bread pudding still, but you do get that nice custardy filling in there and the flavor of key lime pie.”

It’s a magnificent mashup that has earned a spot on the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama.

The Wash House Restaurant gets its name from the building’s one-time function. (contributed)