Restaurant Review: Joe’s Stone Crab

Joe's Stone Crab

Joe’s was the first restaurant in Miami I found that peaked my interest.  It seems to be a staple there for locals and tourists alike. It’s been around for over a hundred years since 1913 and in high season can have lines around the block.    

Joe’s Stone Crab is obviously known for its Stone Crab but they have an extremely varied menu at reasonable price points. The stone crabs can be more expensive depending on the season since they are rare and only local to Florida.

Stone Crab Claws

The other reason that Stone Crabs caught my attention is because of the sustainable way they are treated.  In Florida, Stone Crabs cannot be landed whole from the water. Fishermen are only allowed to remove one claw from each crab if it is at least 2 ¾” long.  They must return the Stone Crabs safely to the water since they are able to regenerate their claws three to four times.

All the fresh delicacies

Even though we missed Stone crab Season, October 15 to May 15, we decided that we still had to give them a try.  At Joe’s they’re boiled and served chilled still in the shell with a mustard sauce and clarified butter on the side.  I’m so glad the shell is pre cracked because you would definitely need a small hammer or mallet to get it to crack open.  

They were delicious and mild.  They were almost sweet and the texture was delightful, almost like lobster. I’ve never had crab taste like that before and I’m in love.  I won’t lie, I don’t like the taste/texture of a lot of crab but this was incredible. I did not leave any crab meat on my plate! And it went so well with the butter and the mustard sauce as well.

Our yummy meal

We also tried their Snapper and Shrimp Ceviche, Fried Calamari and Lobster Roll and got a bottle of the house Chardonnay.  Everything was fresh and delicious and prepared so well and the wine was light and didn’t overpower the seafood at all.

For me, the number one thing we ate was the Stone Crab.  I will go back to Miami just to get more of those delicious claws.  

The best calamari

That being said, the Snapper and Shrimp Ceviche was so refreshing. Our waiter mixed it right in front of us, which definitely added to the experience. The Calamari was seasoned and fried to tender perfection, no chewiness in sight.  I think it’s the best calamari we’ve ever eaten. The Lobster Roll was delicious and fresh. It was served Maine style, so chilled and with mayonnaise. It was not our favorite dish, but simply because last year we tried Connecticut style Lobster Roll which is served warm with butter and we loved that so much. It’s now my comparison point for Lobster Roll (we tried it at a food truck in South Street Seaport in NYC last Independence Day). At Joe’s, the Lobster Roll was really good, just not as good as that NYC treasure we found.

All in all, we loved Joe’s Stone Crab and would definitely go back if we make another trip to Miami in the future. Even their bread was good! I definitely recommend giving them a try!