Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant
Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 673-0365
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
80 Reviews for Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant
It's been a while since I've been, but for the five times I've been here of the last dozen years or so, It has been great each and every time.
Even back in the days before South Beach was "beyond hip" this has been the place you have to eat at if you're ever in the area. One of the top five of ALL places I've ever been to, but I usually go early to beat the rush.
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On a recent trip to South Florida, I tried Jones Stone Crab and WOW!
Awesome location, atmosphere, service and of course food.
I started out with a half-dozen oysters. For the main course I had a mixed seafood dish (name escapes me) which consisted of Florida Lobster, stone crab, scallops, and a few other items thrown in.
Can't wait to come back and try the Alaskan Killer Crab witch looked great.
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End of a tough week and Suzy decided to treat me. We went back, and since we had not been in a while the manager who recognized us as regulars asked how come we had not been around..I explained about the higher prices but Suzy's treat. We were VERY well treated. A place that will bend over backwards to keep customers is a place I will keep returning to! Also in all fairness, their seafood IS very well selected and prepared. The Stone Crabs are consistently HUGE! Thanx Suzy!
TIP: Early is better as in no reservations.
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2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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08/16/2008
Prices are now way over the top. Still great crabs, but the prices will keep me away as there is… Read more »
I just read some of the other reviews for Joe's, and they are missing some stuff. Yeah, you can't get better stone crab, but there is more than that to Joe's.
1st, you have to give their mustard dipping sauce some of the credit for their crab being so good. Also, their lyonaise potatoes are wonderful. All of their sides are great, but remember they are for more than one person. And they really do a nice broiled lobster tail, though since everyone gets crab, hardly anyone finds out. For desert, their brownie sundae comes with the hot fudge in its own cup for you to pour as you please. They should really sell that thick hot fudge as a desert on its own.
If you have a bit of a wait, take a look around. It really is a historic site, and the front patio area is quiet pretty (used to be the back patio area before they renovated about a decade ago.)
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If you love stone crab and happen to be in Sobe this is it, wonderful, fresh, family style portions. Plan ahead reservations are a good idea depending on time of year.
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If you love stone crab like I do this is your spot, the best that there is. The jumbo crab is unreal, the Key Lime Pie also Unreal. However if it is busy there can be a bit of a wait unless you know how to work the system.
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The food is ok at best but for the price and the amount of people there you would think the food would be mind blowing!
Expect a longgg wait. My boyfriends family knew the host (really nice guy) and we still had to wait an hour because there was just that many people there.
Our waiter was the NICEST man on the face of the Earth. Patient, knowledgable, the list just goes on and on. I cant remember his name but when i do ill add it because you have to request to be seated with him if you can. He makes Joe's worth it otherwise it is just a disappointment.
Key Lime Pie is really good.
I love crab's and I love Joe's. It's just that simple. Big and Juicy crab's.
Great waiter service.
A few years back I was down in Miami visiting my sister for New Years and she and one of her friends took my buddy Kurt F. and I out for an experience we would never forget. Joe's stone crab is a great South Beach staple. Their specialty is stone crab claws, which I guess are native to the Miami area. They only take off one claw of the crab and the crabs grow another one. Because she was in law enforcement at the time we went into the take away section and ate like kings for half price. "Jumbo" is the only way to go, but get there easrly because they run out. They also have a normal menu with other options, but the stone crab is really the reason to visit Joe's. The other big specialty is the key lime pie. I am not a big pie person but everyone there told us it's the best they ever had.
Not only was the crab great but at the time I was a grad student and my sister and her friends picked up the tab.
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Imagine the claw is as big as 3 of your fingers together & it's about 2 inches of thickness! That's how big the stone crab claw ;-)
Got to love it each & every time I'm in South Beach. Even though they have it available on line during the season (end in May 18th), but there's nothing can compare to it when you are actually there at this original location!
Yes, it always packed here but the service is friendly & very knowledgeable to explain to us about the history of the place & recommend us what to try!
It's definitely worth it to fly more than 6 hours here for this!
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Good food and atmosphere. It's very expensive and I'm not sure it's worth a long wait. However, we went on a Sunday night and were seated right away. Our waiter was a little pretentious, but other than that, it was great!
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Was it worth the two hour + wait, to try stone crabs for the first time? I'm not sure, but I'm glad that we finally made it to Joe's Stone Crab. As others have noted, it is a Miami Beach staple and it should be tried at least once, however, I don't know if I would be willing to endure such a long wait in the future, given that I didn't really taste the big difference in stone crabs over regular crab.
One tip, rather than waiting for your name to be called and milling around for hours, simply stand by the host stand, the gents pulling people to be seated will most likely seat you before your name is called.
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Huge alaskan jumbo crab legs. Fast service. Good vibe. Have a drink on the patio while you wait but don't waste your money on the key lime martini. Pricey but a good excuse to get dressed up. If you can wait for dinner go after 1030pm and there's no wait.
Stone crabs can regenerate their claws. That makes me feel better eating them and loving every minute of it. (Sorry stone crab, but you got more where that came from. Your little arms taste gooood.)
This place has it down. It was a Monday night, it was packed, and we waited for nothing. Crab is served chilled with lemon and butter, but no need for the butter. The crab is all good on it's lonesome. Melt in your mouth! You can order sides too, but my advice...just crab, and save room for the key lime pie. Heaven.
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Their Key Lime pie is out of this world!
I went for lunch last year and avoided the infamous wait that many people have to do when they come for dinner. I showed up walking in jeans and sandals, having casually walked the beach from about Eighth Street to First. I ordered a medium order of stone crabs...and I can't forget the service. The servers show you how to eat the crab, inquire about the progress of your meal, forgive you if your face is on your Wachovia checking card but your signature faded off of it (in my case). Joe's may seem like a touristy place but if I had money for a medium order of crabs and maybe their Key Lime pie I would go back in the future. Joe's is just one of those things you have to do when you visit Miami or you'll regret it.
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Yep, the crabs lived up to the hype. Two of us arrived at 8:15pm on a thursday night -- we had to wait AN HOUR AND A HALF to get a table. Jeez. On a weeknight for two people!?!
We started with a few beers from their disappointing beer selection (why the heavy focus on wine?! Crabs are supposed to be eaten with beer!) We had some conch fritters which weren't great -- too much bread (as another yelper pointed out..should have taken their advice to skip the conch fritters). Had a crabcake that was good.
Once seated, we ordered two orders of medium crabs and a side of hash browns. In retrospect we should have skipped the hash browns--they were overwhelmingly heavy and fried which we really didn't need that after our two appetizers and beer. I also should have ordered the large crabs claws. Oh well, maybe next time!
Oh! and the KEY LIME PIE exceeded my greatest expectations
One of the best restaurants I've ever been to. Fantastic and fresh stone crab and fish along with the most amazing key lime pie. Came here about 14 years ago and loved it. Came back here hoping for the same and was not disappointed at all!
Stone crab claws (5 stars) - such fleshy and sweet little suckers when they are in season (as they are now). They taste great standalone but even better when you dip them into Joe's creamy mustard sauce or butter. Yum. We had the Select size (7 claws that are bigger than medium for about $32) but guessing that 8 of the smaller Medium claws (~$20) would have been just as fine too.
Snapper (5 stars) - we had one of the delicious, moistest, freshest, and biggest portions of snapper ever. These guys just know how to make their fish
Key lime pie (5+++ stars) - I first fell in love with key lime pie 14 years ago when I first came here and they still rule the key lime pie world. It can turn anyone who's not a key lime pie fan into one.
Service was extremely welcoming and genuine - from the host who walks you to your table to your waiter. It's all part of the Joe's experience. Service from our waiter was a bit slow at times only because our waiter was busy servicing the tables near us but very friendly and responsive once we got his attention.
Bottom line: I could eat their stone crab, fish, and key lime pie everyday. One of my faves ever anywhere. Just come very early to ensure a seat as the wait can easily be hours. (Or get some takeout from Joe's Takeaway next door which I'll review separately.)
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Amazing! We had the large stone crab and the large alaskan king crab as our entrees with the lyonnaise potatoes for our side all recommended by our waiter. Everything was delicious and service was great. He was very attentive and didn't discriminate against us because we are a younger couple. Expensive but well worth it. We went during the off season and was seated right away. We can't wait to try the stone crab when they are fresh. The stone crab is a MUST when you go there and don't forget to save the delicious key lime pie for dessert. It was heavenly!!!!
Joe's stone crab is a great South Beach staple. It's been there for 83 years, which is ancient in Miami years, and the atmosphere is classic. The waiters wear tuxes and it feels like a traditional seafood place. Their specialty is stone crab claws, which I guess are native to the Miami area. They only take off one claw of the crab and the crabs grow another one. There are three sizes to choose from and then you order sides to accompany them. They also have a normal menu with other options, but the stone crab is really the reason to visit Joe's. The other big specialty is the key lime pie. We were so full that we had to take it to go, but it was awesome. Best key lime pie I've ever had. This is also a great place to go cause it doesn't have that obnoxious Miami beach attitude that most South Beach restaurants have - you don't have to have fake anything to fit in here....
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I think Joe's takes the cake for the largest restaurant where I've dined. That place is huge.
They tell you to come early, and it's a good thing we did. I think we got there at about 5 minutes to 6 and by the time our water had been set in front of us, there was a line out the door that didn't let up until we left.
The Stone Crab experience is something everyone should try, especially if you like shellfish, but hate all the work usually involved. The payoff on these claws is awesome.
We had three sides: hashbrows, fried green tomatoes, and creamed spinach and compared to the main event they were a letdown. I had a seafood bisque, too, and it was very tasty.
I like going to these kinds of places every couple of years just to check in with that section of the population. You know, the retirees, midwest vacationers and easily wowed professional athletes.
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This place may be a fixture on Miami Beach, but it is OVERRATED...It definitely did not live up to the hype.
I had dinner with 3 friends on Wednesday night. We arrived about 7:30 and did not have to wait for a table.
We ordered many different items and most of them were very good...but they were also very expensive. They do have some very inexpensive items on the menu, but who goes to Joes for rotisserie chicken or hamburger steak?
I had a perfect seat...every group walked right past our table as they were being seated. I have never seen so many frowny faces!! (Were they upset about not having to wait?)
Anyway...our waiter was very good, but definitely had an attitude...thought he was going to croak when we asked for separate checks.
My meal...2 glasses of a very basic Pinot Noir at $8.50 each...Mahi Mahi...asparagus...Key lime pie and coffee for dessert...total for one: $75.00 including tip...I have definitely had more enjoyable meals for that price tag. I was wishing we had stopped at one of the places on Collins with tables on the sidewalk.
Pretty damn amazing. We showed up and there were many people in front of us but we were served right away in the bar area. Then our name was called in about 20 min.
This is a very classy joint and seats like 450 people. Order the Stone Crab, duh. Although the 3 medium orders we had for 3 of us was way to much we had plenty of leftovers. Service was on point and all the servers were dressed to the 9's red tuxes which was rad. Do it!
Joe's Stone Crab is like Peter Lugar is to New York City or Cal Pep is to Barcelona. It is written up everywhere as the place to go. Since we are dressed for the beach, we were to Joe's Take Away instead of the restaurant.
Why are the stone crabs so good? Succulent and sweet. Mmmm-mmm good.
The hash browns were crispy and dripping in tasty oil.
Despite using iceberg, the salad was fresh and delicious, offsetting the oily hash browns.
Overall, it was good, really good.
But wow, the prices ... the frugal Chinese person in me was offended. Not sure if it was THAT good.
Hence, the four stars.
Oh yes, the key lime pie is more like a key lime cheese cake. GET IT. You'll like it.
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Always a pleasure, especially with an old friend. It's all about who you know here at this landmark. Established in 1913, it's nothing like it was then, but luckily we don't know any better. Go for the people watching and of course, the Stone Crabs, hash browns. I've had better chopped salad at Ruth's Chris, but then I'm a salad snob. Waiters are efficient and friendly, but why wouldn't they be? They are living in million dollar condos, as their tips are huge; but, worth it, as service is phenominal. Enjoy!
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Nope, the crab claws did not live up to the hype. Five of us ate here for dinner. We had the following meals that we each shared. I had the Kobe burger and the crab claws. My friends had the Cold seafood plater, Chilean sea Bass, and lobster dinner. I tried the claws which were nice and meaty but not very flavorful no where near the sweet taste of the Maryland Blue crab or Alaskan King Crab. The Lobster was just ok nothing spectacular, as was the Cold seafood platter it was just ok. I did not have the sea bass,but my friend that ordered it said it was only the 4th best sea bass he has ever had. So all in all the food was not worth the price we paid. My Kobe burger was blah I've made better burgers with regular ground chuck at home. If you are someone that rarely eats seafood I can see how it would get great reviews by others on this board, but I have eaten at many seafood joints around the world and this In my book was not worth it.
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Yum! That's how I feel about this place. If I didn't live in Chicago, I would dine here at least once a month (it can get kinda pricey.)! While vacationing in Florida, my friends and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice evening dinner. Upon a recommendation and of course consulting Yelp, we headed over to Joe's. There's usually a really loooong wait (at least an hour), and apparently they don't take reservations. We were lucky and our hotel concierge hooked us up.
For starters, we ordered the coconut shrimp. TASTY! It came with four jumbo pieces and was super good. I also ordered the seafood bisque. This is probably one of - if not the best seafood bisque I've ever had. It's a must order. For dinner, I ordered the crab cakes. We went to Joe's Stone Crab - so I had to get something with crab. Delicious! My friends ordered the house salad. There are so many other great dishes that I would skip this one. One friend ordered the scallops for dinner; that was also excellent. We each ended up spending about $50 on dinner; well, well worth it in my opinion!
Our waiter was a bit loopy ... but overall the staff was friendly. One waiter even saw how much I was freezing that he draped a tablecloth over me :-)
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A visit to south Florida from mid October to mid May is not complete without a visit to Joe's. I've been doing it for almost 40 years now and the only thing that has changed are the prices. WOW!!!!
My family knows that a strategy is required to make a visit.
We always arrive at around 5:00 PM, before the one hour wait line starts.
We tend to skip the salads and appetizers and breads.
We only order stone crabs.
If "Jumbos" are available, we order those....the bigger the better.
And once they bring these wonderful stone crab, you are transported to heaven on earth.
I prefer the creamy mustard sauce, my son and daughter go for warm butter.
It has become very expensive to eat here; however, for me it is a once a year tradition dating back to when my grandparents used to live in Hallandale Beach in the late 60's.
There is no place like Joe's anywhere in the world!!!!!
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This is a must visit in Miami, come for the ultimate experience. Superb food, wine, service, and people watching, extremelly popular, great fun, and all so satisfying!
Had to go to this famous establishment while in South Beach. We went on the early side to avoid a wait - we waited about 35 minutes and had a drink at the bar. FYI - the bar is lovely, a large dark wood bar with very nice bartenders and a long wine list.
This place is a madhouse - it is so large inside and there are so many big groups that it is incredibly loud - not sure that I feel it is a good date place for that reason (it would be very hard to have a deep intimate conversation here). The staff look so cute in their old time suits and are very friendly.
My sister and I had:
Garlic spinach side - very yummy
grilled veggie kabob sides - boring
Some random white fish dish - it was bland
Large Stone crab claws - these really were the star, in fact I don't recommend buying anything but these and maybe the spinach - go all out get the large expensive ones. These little babies were delicious :)
And they provide you with all the necessities - bowl for shell (pre cracked claws make it easier), picks, lemon, butter, other sauce and warm towels and lemon after to wash your hands.
Overall this place is expensive but very good - get the CRAB!!
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MMM stone crabs.... The take away is an easy way to experience the delicious crabs when you don't want to actually do a sit down lunch/dinner.
Was in Miami on business. HAD to stop by here during a night in South Beach. The wait was rediculously long (one hour). Good thing there was a really nice bar with a good mix of people. By the time I was seated, I was pretty drunk on various vodkas.
The restaurant is huuuuge, yet it was packed on a Thursday night full of South Beach's finest...
The famous stone crab was good enough to delight my drunken tastebuds - I dont think it's as good as a nice morsel of King crab, but still excellente.
Their sauces seem to be proprietary as they seem to have different tastes and textures compared to similar store bought stuff. For example, the calamari had a pesto-ish sauce that I couldnt really describe while the crab was served with mustard (I asked for a cocktail sauce also).
Great atmosphere, old world decor, and the ability to order online and have it shipped overnight makes this place truly unique. A must for those who visit South Beach.
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have i ever mentioned how i'd make the perfect wife for someone who's got a private jet we can fly to anywhere, anytime? i can't cook, and i hate cleaning, BUT for joe's stone crab, i am willing to dedicate four walls to a library of cookbooks, and i will keep the house so clean, you will swear you own a lot more stuff than it looks like you do. (minimalism? or... "i couldnt find a place for your stuff so i tossed it?")
anyway. go there. get the jumbo plate. prepare to have your socks knocked off. and im assuming if you've got that private jet, you'll be able to afford this place.
p.s. key lime pie is delicious... if you've still got room in your stomach and a couple bucks left in your wallet.
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Wow, this place is amazing, don't think I've ever had a better experience at a crab place before. Tried the stone crab, crab cakes, a few sides, everything was superb. Don't waste your time on the appetizers, unless you want a salad. Just go straight to the crab and dig in!
Was it worth the hype? I dunno. We arrived to a 2+ hour wait and decided to eschew the atmosphere in favor of the to-go store next door which as far as I know features the same food and had no wait.
The staff was really friendly and helpful. We ordered a ton of food to sample: the lobster with crab meet salad, stone crab claws, oysters, and finally the tomatoes with steamed spinach and cheese.
Overall I would give the food 3 stars - which is just okay. If I had to do it again I would skip everything except for the crab claws and the tomatoes which were delish.
I wish I had a chance to sample the dessert, but our tummies were full of seafood. Thank goodness for the long walk back to the hotel.
I don't know why everybody loves this place so much. Crab is cold with mediocre taste, and I can barely even remember the sides. Wait in line for hours and dress up for this? Not to mention the price. If I had spent $20 on dinner I would probably think it is great, but when I dressing up to eat, bribing the host, and blowing a wad on the food I expect it to be great.
Big disappointment.
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Good service, great food. I had the stone crabs and they were yummy. No need to get the larger claws, the medium ones were just as tasty and much cheaper.
First of all, the meat of a stone crab is sweeter and more tender than any other crab. Not only that, most of the time I just don't feel like working for my food so my reward is much greater when eating stone crabs. That said, Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant is my favorite place to get these rich and delectable crustaceans.
I confess I haven't had much on the menu because I'm stuck on three things in addition to the stone crab. The chopped salad is awesome and the half size portion is plenty for two people. I love potatoes and Joe's has some of the best hash browns you've ever tasted...nice and crispy brown on the outside, tender and piping hot on the inside. I'm head over heels for the key lime pie. I've had most of the fresh vegetable sides and they're prepared simply and perfectly.
If you don't want to wait or hassle with the crowds you should arrive at Joe's by 6pm at the very latest. Once, however, I made a last minute decision to treat my niece to Joe's late on a Saturday night. We got there 15 minutes prior to closing and got a table right away.
Despite some of the other reviews mentioning rude servers, my experience has always been pleasant. These are professional servers, most of whom have worked in the restaurant business a long time. Stop whining and treat them as such. Overall, Joe's is a delightful experience and one shouldn't miss out on dining at this institution in hot, hot South Beach.
And yes, it is expensive...
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I'm not a big fan of seafood by any means, but I have tried the crab here and it's the only crab I have liked. I was also very impressed by the quality of the side dishes. I'm not too thrilled about the price of the food but come on it's world famous this restaurant. I'm biased because I'm not a fan of seafood so I would probably give it a 5 if I was... BUT I DID ENJOY IT alot nonetheless.
This restaurant serves the best stone crab we've ever had, hands down. The gigantic morsel of crab meat was sweet, juicy, and tender, and it went well with the (honey?) mustard. For those who hate eating crab because of all the work you must put into it, I guarantee that eating crab at Joe's requires practically zero effort. Our waiter showed us how to peel off the pre-cracked shell, and it was actually really fun doing it. We ordered the jumbo claws - enough for each person to have 1-2 claws. We figured we'd order more later, but we were actually really full by the time we finished what we already had!
And that includes asparagus, fried calamari, and hash browns. I've never had this sort of "hash brown" before. It was more like fried mashed potatoes. Imagine fried ice cream - a thick and crunchy crust on the outside, soft on the inside. That's what the hash brown was like, and I gotta say they were the best hash browns I've ever had!
The restaurant's decor appears fancy with all the waiters dressed in tuxedos, but the ambience is quite casual and none of us were dressed up. The waiters were friendly and unpretentious. Our waiter was fantastic and hilarious and gave our bride-to-be complimentary cheesecake.
This place gets 5 stars not only for the food and service, but our party of 10 didn't even have to wait for a table. LOVE this restaurant!
