Joe's Stone Crab

The South Beach stone crab house ends a meal with a classic key lime pie, thawed from the freezer to just the right temperature and carrying a tart citrus punch. A graham cracker crust holds a silky filling, equal parts sweet and sour with a touch of zest, under freshly made whipped cream instead of a heavy meringue. The restaurant closes for part of each year, so check that it is open before planning a visit. Order the key lime pie after the claws.

Picks from The Infatuation, Miami New Times, and Time Out Miami

Joe's has served Miami stone crab since 1913, making the seasonal claws inseparable from the restaurant's South Beach history. Miami New Times' current guide points directly to the claws and their mustard sauce. Order them during stone-crab season and keep the sauce alongside rather than over the shellfish, so the sweet meat remains clear beneath the sharp, creamy accompaniment.

Picks from Miami New Times

Joe's Stone Crab is a century-old South Beach institution whose history predates Miami Beach itself. Miami New Times includes the restaurant in its seafood guide, and its seasonal stone-crab claws remain the defining order. Ask for the claws with the house mustard sauce when they are available, keeping the meal tied to the local catch that built the restaurant's identity.

Picks from Miami New Times and The Infatuation

Joe's is known for seafood, but Eater's fried chicken coverage points to the lower-priced chicken as a local-insider order at the century-old South Beach institution. The dish offers a different way to use the dining room without building the meal around stone crab. Order the fried chicken with classic sides, and treat the contrast between the famous setting and the straightforward plate as part of the reason to choose it.

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