A jackfruit here can weigh up to 80 pounds. That’s about five bowling balls’ worth of fruit in one very spiky package.
The whole business started with a six-year-old selling cucumbers. Nobody stopped on day one. Then his dad painted a simple sign, and the cucumbers sold out by noon the next day.
You can still find that boy’s name on the sign today. Your bill might get added up in pencil on a paper bag. Honestly, I find that more charming than any self-checkout ever built.
This corner of South Florida also stacks tropical jams sky-high and keeps goats and emus out back.
Who knew a few cucumbers could grow into a stand with emus, goats, and an 80-pound fruit?
A Six-Year-Old And A Hand-Painted Sign Started Everything
Cucumbers launched a legend. Back in 1959, young Robert Moehling sat by the road selling them from his family farm.
The first day flopped completely. His father then painted a sign reading “Robert Is Here,” and the cucumbers were gone by noon the next day.
That sign gave Robert Is Here Fruit Stand its name. It also gave Florida one of its most famous roadside stops.
Robert didn’t slow down after that. By age nine, he had hired a neighbor to help him.
At fourteen, he bought his first ten acres. He planted an avocado grove, which is a very grown-up move for a ninth grader.
When he turned 24, the small stand became a large market building. Most of us were still figuring out how to cook pasta at that age.
The story got a book, too. “Robert Is Here: Looking East for a Lifetime” came out in 2015, co-written with historian Cesar Becerra.
Robert still often works at the stand today. Meeting the guy whose name is on the sign feels a little like meeting a celebrity in flip-flops.
Fruit You’ve Never Heard Of Is Waiting In The Bins
Ever held a canistel? How about an atemoya or a mamey sapote?
Robert Is Here Fruit Stand specializes in rare and exotic produce. Many of the varieties grow on the family’s own farms.
The list reads like a tropical treasure map. You’ll find dragonfruit, lychee, sapodilla, guavas, eggfruit, passionfruit, starfruit, longan, tamarind, and sugar apples.
Then there’s black sapote. And Monstera deliciosa, nicknamed the delicious monster, which sounds like a cartoon villain with excellent taste.
The giant here is jackfruit. These can reach up to 80 pounds, so maybe lift with your legs.
Mangoes, papayas, and avocados fill out the tropical side. Key limes show up too, naturally.
Not everything is exotic, though. Tomatoes, squash, and lettuce share space with the wild stuff.
A smart move is grabbing one fruit you’ve never tried. It costs you a little curiosity and maybe gives you a new favorite.
Staff can cut fruit for you to eat outside. That beats wrestling a spiky fruit in your car with a plastic spoon.
Shelves Of Jams Might Swallow An Hour Of Your Day
Jars stack up everywhere you turn. Jams, jellies, marmalades, and fruit butters line the shelves in tropical flavors.
Many of the original recipes came from Robert’s mother. That makes every jar a little piece of family history.
The variety keeps going past sweet stuff. Sauces, relishes, pickles, hot sauces, dressings, and mustards all have their own spots.
Local honey is here too. So is jerky, if your road trip needs some protein.
Some product names are pure fun, like Monkey Butter and Traffic Jam. Reading labels becomes its own little game.
A good plan is picking one sweet jar and one savory jar. Breakfast and dinner both get an upgrade that way.
Jars also make great gifts. They travel well and beat another refrigerator magnet.
Ran out at home? The stand runs an online pantry shop, so you can restock later without the drive.
Tropical jams spread on plain toast feel like a small vacation. Honestly, that might be the best souvenir in the building.
Goats, Emus, And Parrots Run The Backyard
Out back, the fruit stand turns into a farm. An animal area waits behind the market building.
The lineup is delightfully random. Goats, tortoises, emus, donkeys, parrots, chickens, and geese all live here.
Honeybees are part of the crew too. They connect nicely to the jars of local honey inside.
Emus deserve special attention. They look like they’re always about to tell you a secret.
Tortoises offer the opposite energy. Watching one cross its yard is the most relaxing show in Florida.
Animal food is available on-site for feeding. Kids usually treat this part like the main event, and fair enough.
Bring your shake along for the stroll. A cold drink and a curious goat make solid company.
Parrots add plenty of color and noise. They might be the loudest employees on the property.
Give yourself time here before you leave. Rushing past the animals is like skipping dessert at a bakery.
Picnic Tables And Weekend Tunes Slow Things Down
Live music fills the air on weekends and holidays. It turns a quick fruit run into a mini outdoor hangout.
Plenty of picnic tables sit outside. They’re ready for cut fruit, shakes, and whatever snacks you grabbed inside.
Little ones get their own spot. A shaded play area gives kids room to burn off sugar from that shake.
That shade matters in Florida sunshine. Parents everywhere will appreciate it.
Every so often, antique cars and tractors appear on the property. Spotting an old tractor next to a mango tree is peak farm charm.
This is a place to linger a bit. Rushing through misses half the fun.
A smart move is ordering cut fruit and claiming a table. Eating mango outdoors means fewer sticky fingers in your car.
Weekend visits add music to the mix. Weekday trips may feel calmer if you prefer quiet snacking.
Either way, the breeze, the shade, and a cold drink do the trick. Your plans can wait twenty minutes.
Pencil Math And Paper Bags Keep It Old School
Calculators can take the day off. Bills here often get added up with a pencil on a paper bag.
That one habit says a lot about Robert Is Here Fruit Stand. It has stayed proudly traditional for decades.
The business has always been family-run. Robert’s children and grandchildren still work at the stand today.
That kind of staying power is rare. Most businesses barely survive a few years, let alone three generations.
The family also faced serious trouble in 1992. Hurricane Andrew wrecked the building and hundreds of acres of fruit groves.
Robert rebuilt the whole operation. That comeback is a big part of why the stand still feels so special.
Recognition followed over the years. It became the first Florida-based entry into the National Culinary Heritage Register.
It’s also a founding member of the Florida Agritourism Association. Not bad for a cucumber stand.
Watching your total appear in pencil might make you smile. It’s a tiny reminder that some good things never needed updating.
The Everglades Are Basically Next Door
Location is a big bonus here. The stand sits just east of Everglades National Park and west of Florida City.
You’ll find it at 19200 SW 344th St, Homestead, FL 33034. That makes it an easy stop on the way to the park.
Road trips to the Keys pass through this area too. Plenty of travelers make it a regular pit stop.
Think of it as fueling up. Only the fuel is a mango shake and a bag of lychee.
Heading into the Everglades? Grab snacks and drinks first, since fresh fruit makes great trail food.
Coming back out works even better. A cold shake after a hot day outdoors feels like a reward you earned.
Parking is plentiful outside the shop. That helps when you’re towing a car full of hungry people.
The surrounding Homestead area mixes farmland with newer neighborhoods. The stand still keeps that farm-town spirit alive.
Mark it on your map before you go. Missing it means driving back, and nobody wants that U-turn.
Time Your Trip Right Before The Calendar Runs Out
Timing is everything with this stop.
Robert Is Here Fruit Stand currently advertises year-round opening hours, with closures on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The fruit stand currently operates throughout the year, rather than following its former November-to-August season.
That gives you plenty of opportunities to visit throughout the year.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are closed too. Families deserve holidays, even fruit families.
The stand operates daily throughout the year, apart from its scheduled holiday closures.
The stand currently has opening hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, although checking for updates before visiting is advisable.
Summer brings serious mango variety. If mangoes are your thing, plan around those warm months.
Winter visits come with milder weather. Strolling past the animals feels easier when Florida cools off a bit.
Before 2026 wraps up, make this a goal. November and December offer pleasant weather and festive road-trip energy for a visit to the fruit stand.
Bring a cooler if you’re driving far. Exotic fruit and jars of jam deserve a safe ride home.
Robert Is Here Fruit Stand has been sweetening trips since 1959. Your visit just adds one more happy chapter to a very long Florida story.