Joe’s Stone Crab is a legendary seafood restaurant in the South of Fifth neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida, and one of the oldest and most famous restaurants in the state. Its story began in 1913, when Hungarian immigrants Joe and Jennie Weiss opened a small lunch counter near the beach. A few years later they began serving stone crab claws, and the dish turned their family business into a Miami Beach institution that is still run by their descendants today.
Stone crab claws are the star of the menu. They are served chilled and cracked, with the restaurant’s signature mustard sauce, during Florida’s stone crab season from mid-October to early May. Regulars pair them with classic sides such as creamed spinach, Lyonnaise potatoes, grilled tomatoes and onion rings, and finish with Joe’s famous key lime pie. The menu also includes fried chicken, seafood, steaks and lamb chops, so there is something for every guest.
The setting is classic old Miami: a Mediterranean-style building with a vertical neon sign, white-jacketed waiters, white tablecloths and a lively, buzzing dining room. In 1998 the James Beard Foundation honored Joe’s with an America’s Classics Award, recognizing it as a beloved, timeless local restaurant.
Tips for your visit: Joe’s is busiest during stone crab season, especially on weekends and in winter, so expect a wait at dinner and arrive early. If you’re short on time, Joe’s Take Away next door serves the same stone crabs, sides and pies to go, which makes it easy to enjoy a picnic by the beach at nearby South Pointe Park. Hours change by season, so check the website before you go.
Address: 11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Website: joesstonecrab.com
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