Joe’s remains a Miami institution, a rite of passage, and quite possibly the only place in town where waiting two hours for a table feels like part of the charm. Joe’s Stone Crab has been cracking claws and feeding the masses since 1913, making it as essential to the city as all-night clubs and humidity.
If you go during stone crab season in the winter, get them: sweet, meaty, and pre-cracked for minimal effort, served with a now-everywhere mustard sauce that was invented right here. But don’t sleep on the sides: the garlic creamed spinach, buttery Lyonnaise potatoes, and perfectly crisp coleslaw are just as legendary. Not a seafood fan? The shockingly affordable fried chicken and burger are reason enough to go by themselves.
Joe’s doesn’t take reservations, and yes, the wait is long. First, you’ll queue up to put your name in, then you’ll wait some more. But call ahead to add your name to the waitlist—it won’t guarantee you a table, but it might save you an hour of standing around, wondering if stone crabs are really worth all this effort. (Spoiler: They are.)