Established in 1913 and named one of America's Regional Classics by the James Beard Foundation, Joe's Stone Crab remains an undisputed Miami institution. Miamians have gathered for generations at Joe's for all manner of celebratory occasions despite the legendary wait to get a table – not to mention that the restaurant is only open when stone crab claws are in season, October through August. The elegant atmosphere is a big draw, but the real explanation for Joe's steady popularity lies in the consistently good food, from the superbly sweet stone crab claws to the renowned Key lime pie. Seafood, steaks, fried green tomatoes and Lyonnaise potatoes complete the menu. If you can't stand the wait, Joe's offers takeout and online ordering. Full bar. Regular season (Oct–May): Serving lunch Tue–Sat, dinner nightly. Summer season (May–Aug): Serving dinner Wed–Sun. Closed Mon–Tue. Check for takeout hours.
Where the Locals Eat rating
Best Crab
Top 100 Restaurant, Miami
"For 94 years, no visit to Miami has been complete without stopping in at Joe's Stone Crab. In 1913, Joe Weiss opened up a small lunch counter on Miami Beach. In 1921, he threw stone crabs in boiling water and that was the beginning of it. We started serving them cracked with hash brown potatoes, coleslaw, and mayonnaise; they were an instant success. And this is the way we have been serving them since."
– Joe's Stone Crab website
"You know about the storied history, the gloriously sweet stone crabs, the notorious wait to get in. Often overlooked are its consistently good food, truly professional service, ... surprisingly affordable prices (excepting the crabs), and stately ambiance. People are still willing to wait, and wait some more, to get into Joe's."
—Miami New Times
"A treasure, a grand, celebratory place where birthdays and business deals and bar mitzvahs and promotions are marked in one grand swell of cacophony, where the claw that looks like beak of toucan, black and pink and gold, holds magical reign. The most remarkable facet of Joe's is certainly the service; it runs like a Rolex, each gear and sprocket interacting at just the precise time to embellish your dining pleasure. Everybody gets Key lime pie, perhaps the world's best."
—Miami Herald
How others rate Joe's Stone Crab
Zagat 2009
26 food rating (extraordinary to perfection)
Miami New Times
Best Key Lime Pie, 2009 critics' poll
Frommer's
** (very highly recommended)
James Beard Foundation
America's Regional Classics, 1998
Miami Herald
*** (of 4)