Joe's Stone Crab is a world-renowned Miami landmark that opened in 1913.
"When Joe Weiss opened his lunch counter in 1913, Miami Beach didn’t even have paved roads, and customers had to take the ferry to cross over. One century later, as high-rises and shopping districts blossomed all around, this restaurant has endured as one of the city’s prime attractions. Celebrities, politicians and locals alike make a beeline to this crustacean hot spot, now open year-round. And if the dedicated parking lot across the street is any clue, waits for a table here can get lengthy. Boiled, chilled and served with a signature mustard sauce, this seasonal specialty is also sustainable since crabs can regenerate their claws in around two years. End the meal with a refreshing, tart slice of key lime pie," according to the Michelin Guide.
Weiss came to Miami from New York City along with his wife, Jennie, in 1913, when his doctors told him that the only help for his asthma would be a change of climate. In 1918 they bought a bungalow near the beach, moved into the back, set up seven or eight tables on the front porch, cooked seafood in the kitchen, and called it Joe's Restaurant. In 1921, Joe brought in a Harvard ichthyologist, who mentioned that he should try cooking up the area’s plentiful stone crabs – which were abundant but nobody was eating. He took a chance and added them to the menu, and – lo and behold – they were delicious, and have been the restaurant’s signature dish since then.
Joe's son, Jesse, recalls on their website: "My dad threw the stone crabs in boiling water and that was the beginning of it. The bay was full of them! When we started serving them chilled and cracked with hash brown potatoes, cole slaw, and mayonnaise, they were an instant success. We charged seventy-five cents for four or five crabs, twenty-five cents for potatoes and twenty-five cents an order for cole slaw. And this is the way we have been serving them since. We hit the jackpot with that one!"
Stone crabs have a firm texture and sweet meat. Stone crabs differ from blue crabs in that only the oversized claws are harvested. This highly nutritious meat is considered a delicacy and, at Joe’s, is usually boiled and served chilled in the shell with mustard sauce. The meat resembles lobster in appearance and flavor, according to the website.
Kaitee and I parked across the street and approached the Maître D’ podium. The Maître D’ took our name and the number of our party. Then we grabbed a drink at the bar and waited for our name to be called when the table was ready. I went for a strawberry lemonade.
To start, we had a bread basket with a pretzel roll, regular roll, onion roll, rye slice and more.
We tried the grilled tomatoes with spinach stuffing and melted cheese; fried shrimp with garlic butter; lobster mac & cheese with white cheddar and butter breadcrumbs; snow crab bake and stuffies - baked stuffed clams with andouille sausage, onions, peppers and breadcrumbs.
Stone crabs weren't at the top of our list on this visit simply because they were out of season. Next time, though, I would love to check them out.
But everything that we had was delicious. I love seafood, so it's hard to go wrong here. But everything was just dripping with decadence.
Have you been?
Grade: A
