Joe's Stone Crab

Reviews

• JS

  Jon Schneiderman

  2 days ago
  5.0
  I hadn't been to Joe's Stone Crab on South Beach in 30 years, and my wife and I have been together for nearly 25 years. Stacy has never been there and I thought Joe's was just one of those places she had to experience at least once. Joe's is an iconic Miami landmark. It has been around for 113 years and occupies a full city block of prime South Beach real estate. Servers, bartenders, and even bussers are tuxedoed. It's a very special place. Reservations are hard to get and sometimes one can wait three hours for a table. Fortunately my friend (and fraternity pledge father) is a regular and he was able to get us a reservation. It was an outstanding meal with great food, fantastic service, and wonderful atmosphere. Special shout outs to Maitre D' Evan, who was a pleasure to talk to on our arrival and to our server Kostas, who was a professional in every sense of the word. We started with a chopped salad and the crab bisque as starters, they were both fantastic. We ordered the large claws, which were perfectly prepared and served perfectly cracked (no mallets needed here!). We also ordered the fried shrimp which were huge and perfectly cooked. Joe's is a fantastic place for birthday, anniversary, or other special events. While it is somewhat pricey, I feel the quality of the experience justifies the cost.
• RG

  Ruby Gao

  Jan 4, 2026
  1.0
  We ordered what was advertised as their largest crab, but it was honestly not large at all. The crab meat itself was also very bland and lacked flavor, which was disappointing given the price and expectations. The service made the experience even worse. Our server was cold and unfriendly from the start — no smile, no recommendations, no engagement at all. What made us particularly uncomfortable was that we clearly felt a difference in how we were treated compared to other tables, where the server appeared much more attentive and friendly. When it came time to tip, the server stood nearby watching us, and after we still left a 10% tip purely out of politeness (despite not wanting to), there was not even a simple “thank you.” That moment really left a bad taste and made us feel disrespected as customers. Overall, both the food and the service failed to meet expectations. I normally don’t leave negative reviews, but this experience genuinely made us uncomfortable. I would not recommend coming here, especially if you value respectful service
• KA

  Karen Ali

  Jan 4, 2026
  1.0
  What should have been a great night turned into a masterclass in how not to treat guests. We had an 8:30pm reservation and checked in on time, only to be told to wait at the bar. That’s where the experience immediately went downhill. The bar was packed wall-to-wall, and the bartenders were openly rude—dismissive, unfriendly, and acting like customers were an inconvenience. By 8:50pm, our names were called over the loudspeaker. We went straight to the host stand, gave our name… and were told, “We didn’t call you. You’re mistaken. We’ll call you soon.” Confusing, but okay. At 9:15pm, after watching the chaos continue, we checked back in. This time the host was outright rude and insisted he had called us and that we didn’t respond. We were finally seated at 9:30pm and didn’t receive service until 10:00pm. Yes, the food was mediocre and it was wait-an-hour-past-your-reservation, be-blamed-for-their-mistakes, and deal-with-rude staff mediocre. Miami is full of elevated restaurants that deliver both great food and treat you like a human being. This place isn’t one of them. Save yourself the stress and spend your time (and money) somewhere that actually values its guests.
• BB

  Bunker Blake

  Dec 29, 2025
  5.0
  As Miami has grown into a global food city, many excellent restaurants have come and gone. That evolution is exciting, but Miami can also be trendy and fickle. Joe’s Stone Crab has remained steady through it all. It is my favorite restaurant in Florida and an institution that feels iconic on a global scale while staying deeply grounded in authentic South Florida history. If you’re visiting Miami, Joe’s is a must. The food is consistently excellent. The stone crab claws fully live up to their reputation, the stone crab bisque is rich and satisfying, and the Caesar salad is fresh and well executed. The shrimp cocktail is well-executed and straightforward, and both the fries and hash browns are reliably great. The key lime pie is also a standout. Wait times can be long, but they’re manageable. The line moves quickly, the staff is efficient, and the operation runs smoothly. Sitting at the bar in the takeout section is another solid option if you want a more casual experience. Joe’s is also uniquely versatile. No matter the occasion or the size of your party, it somehow accommodates everyone and makes people feel welcome. That openness feels distinctly Florida. It’s one of the few Miami restaurants where locals and visitors share the space comfortably, without any sense of separation. In the main dining room, servers are dressed formally, but the atmosphere is never stiff. The service is professional, warm, and comfortable, even if you’re not dressed up. What truly sets Joe’s apart is its consistency and its deep connection to Florida’s past. Long before Miami became an international destination, stone crabs were sold by local fishermen as part of everyday coastal life, long before food scenes, hype cycles, or Instagram mattered. That history still feels present here. In a city where dining can be hit or miss and often wildly overpriced, Joe’s continues to deliver without chasing trends. There’s a sense of old South Florida in this place that’s increasingly rare, and it’s a reminder of a Florida that feels honest, hardworking, and grounded. I love Florida, even with all of its contradictions. It can be polarizing, flashy, quiet, chaotic, conservative, progressive, and deeply charming all at once. Joe’s captures that balance better than almost any place I can think of. The location reinforces it, too. Tucked away south of Fifth Street in a primarily residential pocket of South Beach, it feels like a respite from the chaos further north. It’s calmer, more rooted, and a reminder that beneath the noise and extremes, there’s a version of South Florida with real history and character. I’ve also been to Joe’s Stone Crab in Chicago, which is very good, but nothing compares to the original. Whenever I’m in Miami, and the budget allows, Joe’s is a constant for me. It never disappoints, and it always reminds me why I’m so drawn to Florida in the first place.
• MJ

  Manuel Alvarez Justo

  Dec 23, 2025
  1.0
  I wrote this message to Joe’s management more than a month ago and received no reply. After reading other reviews, I now realize that it is the Take Away manager who displays poor attitude, lies, engages in illegal conduct as described in my previous message, and also harasses customers: "Dear Joe’s Stone Crab Customer Service Team, I hope this message finds you well. My family and I stopped by the Joe’s Take Away for a late lunch yesterday, and as always, the food was impeccable and the staff at the counter were excellent. The quality and consistency of your establishment are the reason we continue to return. However, I am writing to bring to your attention an unfortunate interaction that overshadowed what should have been a smooth and pleasant experience. A manager approached us and directly asked about my wife’s medical condition because she was accompanied by her alert service animal. As you know, this type of inquiry is expressly prohibited under both federal and state law. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA guidance: “Staff may not ask about the person’s disability.” (ADA Service Animal Guidelines, U.S. DOJ) Florida law mirrors this. Florida Statute states that a person with a disability “is not required to provide documentation of his or her disability or documentation that the animal is a service animal.” This manager also misunderstood the difference between the general term “service” and a task-trained alert dog, insisting that the animal must perform a visible “service” to qualify. Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as one that is “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.” A medical alert task, which is exactly my wife’s dog’s function, is explicitly recognized as “work or a task” under federal law. The manager further stated that “it is the law” that the service animal must remain on the floor at all times. This is also incorrect. The ADA only requires that a service animal be “under the handler’s control”, and Florida Statute mirrors this: “The service animal must be under the control of its handler.” There is no law requiring a well-behaved, 11-pound alert dog to be forced onto the floor if doing so interferes with its trained function. My wife’s dog remained quiet, unobtrusive, and actively performing its alert duty, exactly as the law requires. What made the situation even more uncomfortable was that the individual insisted on directly handling our interaction instead of allowing the available staff member to do so, creating unnecessary pressure on my wife. He also did not appear to be in the customary professional attire one would expect of a manager at Joe’s Stone Crab, which added to the confusion. I want to emphasize that we hold your restaurant, and Take Away, in the highest regard, and we truly appreciate the quality you consistently offer. That is precisely why this incident was so disappointing. Experiences of hostility or misunderstanding toward legitimate service animals are extremely rare in establishments of your caliber, and it is regrettable that my wife had to endure this during what should have been a simple late lunch pick-up. Thank you for taking the time to review this matter. We hope this feedback helps ensure that future guests accompanied by legitimate service animals are treated with the dignity and legal consideration they are fully entitled to. Warm regards".

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