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Bayshore Club
Photograph: Courtesy Bayshore Club

Here’s where to find the freshest stone crabs in Miami

It’s the most magical time of year: stone crab season in Miami!

Written by
Eric Barton
Contributors
Virginia Gil
&
Jennifer Agress
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When people in the rest of the country talk about the holidays, they’re usually referring to Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year and the like. But here in Miami, we know the most magical time of year begins October 1 and doesn’t end until May 1. That’s when you’ll spot them on menus nearly everywhere in town: the sweet, tender, mustard-mayo-dipped little marvels we know as stone crabs in Miami. 

They’re not cheap, but there are plenty of places across the city that’ll serve you delicious, fresh-caught claws ready for the cracking—you just have to know the right spots to look. Craving stone crabs in Miami? Bib up and head to these well-connected restaurants and dedicated local seafood markets to take advantage of the most magical time of year: stone crab season in Miami. 

RECOMMENDED: The best waterfront restaurants in Miami

The best stone crabs in Miami

  • Restaurants
  • South of Fifth
  • price 3 of 4

This is the very place that first served stone crabs, so just based on that, Joe’s should be on this list. But here’s the thing: Joe’s is a Miami institution for good reason. People wait, sometimes for hours, for limited-reservation tables because Joe’s does so many things right, including the stone crabs. Fresh? Yeah, Joe’s has its own fleet hauling in claws. Mustard sauce? This is the place that invented that too. If you like stone crabs, you should just accept that you have to pay Joe’s pretty exorbitant prices to eat at the original.

The two family-owned and operated Blue Runner trucks have become a go-to for those seeking extremely fresh, high-quality seafood at a reasonable price. By cutting out the middle-man (the fish markets) altogether, the tell-tale blue trucks have become hubs for those who’d rather not pay restaurant prices for claws during season. At whichever truck is closest, expect to find some of the freshest, most affordable stone crabs in town—that is if they haven’t already sold out for the day. Biscayne Blvd and 114th St; NE Second Ave and NE 36th St  

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  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • East Little Havana
  • price 2 of 4

Get claws of all sizes from this Little Havana seafood institution, around since 1976. The best thing about going to La Camaronera for stone crabs is that you’ll get to pair them with other favorites from the sea, like their famous minuta sandwich (fried snapper—tail and all!—on a lightly toasted Cuban roll) and the fried lobster tail, which absolutely no one can ever turn down.

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  • Restaurants
  • Steakhouse
  • South of Fifth
  • price 3 of 4

Chains don’t end up on our lists very often, but S&W is a rare one. It’s good, first off, but it’s also got a location that’s downright stunning, right on the water at the very tip of South Beach. It makes for an ideal spot to order a seafood tower dotted with stone crabs as the sun sets across Government Cut just feet away.

  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • South of Fifth
  • price 3 of 4

If it starts with the word “Prime” in Miami, it’s going to be bougie. Prime Fish is no different. At this eat-and-be-seen spot, you’ll find luxury up and down the menu and—during stone crab season—plenty of market-priced colossal claws. Prime is where you go for a fancy night out; it’s a buzzy place that hasn’t forgotten that the food is supposed to be the main event.

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  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • East Little Havana
  • price 2 of 4

Garcia’s is a no-fuss riverfront restaurant that’s also a Miami landmark. This is one of those places that have enough regulars and loyal customers to fill a stadium. Why? Because the product is fresh as can be, occasionally coming off the owners’ own fishing boats. The open-air spot makes for an ideal destination to bring visiting tourists—this is the Miami they hoped would exist.

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  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • Coconut Grove
  • price 3 of 4

The waterfront bar and restaurant next to one of our favorite new happy hour spots, Regatta Grove, serves stone crabs the traditional way, on ice with mustard sauce. But the real way to go here is the Crab & Shrimp Cocktail Cooler, where a charming little teal Igloo arrives tableside overflowing with shrimp and stone crab claws priced at $15 each.

  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • Miami
  • price 2 of 4

Golden Rule is a family-run joint that dates back to 1943. Unlike some of the fancier options on this list, feel free to show up in a bathing suit and flip-flops. Just make sure you’re hungry. On a nice night, Golden Rule’s impressive backyard tiki hut is the perfect place to crack open some claws, have a cold beer and pretend you’re on vacation somewhere tropical.

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This North Miami staple sells stone crabs of all sizes (hello, jumbo!) at standard market prices. Not ready to dine in? Pick up your super-fresh claws to enjoy at home. While you’re there, take a look around Captain Jim’s seafood market and see what else inspires you. Shrimp? Oysters? Grouper? They’ve got it all. Captain Jim's is run by David Garcia, who also owns La Camaronera: seafood lovers, you're in good hands.

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