Joe's stone crab is, to say the least, an institution. Presidents such as Bush, Clinton and Nixon have all been, which signals its reputation. However when reading the latter in my hotel magazine I assumed it would be a posh nosh sort of affair. It's not. Joe's is a modest yet beautiful place. The food speaks for itself and the decor is a mix of diner come savvy. So... of course I ate the Stone Crab, which was as fresh as it was delicious. I came to learn that Stone Crabs were discovered by this restaurant, before which nobody thought them edible. This discovery, which took place in 1921, meant that Joe's had its edge. A place that served a crustacea that nobody else thought edible, however with one bite they were converted, and seemingly this meant that Joe's was not only the oldest restaurant in Miami, but also the most innovative.
Today Joe's sits in a classic bracket. It's not fancy, it's not new, but it serves fresh simple fish, and it serves it well. The Stone Crabs, which you can order in small, medium and large are so fresh that you don't get a whiff of that fishy smell we've come to associate with semi rotting fish. The price varies according to the market, because this fish is fresh and they don't want you to forget it! It is accompanied by a mustard sauce, which resembles mayonnaise, minus the thick gloopiness.
We followed the claw magic with a Seafood Bisque, which was delicious, albeit slightly too creamy. ($6.95). We also had a side of Onion Rings ($6.95). The rings were the biggest I've ever seen and were coated in a herby crust that was a perfect mix of salty and sweet. We ended with the classic Key Lime Pie ($6.95). I liked it but felt it was slightly too much like a thick custard, this was more about the texture than the taste. All in all the meal cost us $29.95 and although we were minimal with our ordering what we did order was filling and very reasonable.
If you go be aware that you can't book and the wait for dinner is up to 2 hours, however at lunch there is no wait. That's when I went and I recommend that time.
Joe's Stone Crab
9/10
9/10
11 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(800) 780 crab
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