Joe’s Stone Crab

Joe's Stone Crab is the oldest name on this list and calls itself a Miami Beach institution. It began in 1913, when Joe Weiss opened a lunch counter in Miami Beach selling a fish sandwich and fries, and it has grown into the restaurant at 11 Washington Avenue that it is today, along with a take-away shop next door.

The signature is chilled stone crab claws served with the restaurant's mustard sauce. Claws are seasonal, so check the website or call before you go if they are the main reason for your visit. The full menu, including sides and desserts, is published on the website, and the restaurant says that having a drink at the bar is a much-loved tradition, which is a good way to spend any wait for a table.

Dinner is served every day from 5pm, until 10pm from Sunday to Thursday and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday, and the bar opens at 4.30pm on Monday and Tuesday. Lunch is served from Wednesday to Sunday between 11.30am and 2.30pm, when the bar opens at 11am. Reservations can be made online through OpenTable, and booking ahead is strongly advised for dinner in the busy winter months. For a cheaper, quicker option, Joe's Take Away next door sells food to go and needs no reservation.

Joe's suits special occasions, families celebrating together and anyone who wants a taste of old Miami Beach. Prices are at the top end, especially for stone crab, so check the menu online before you go. Lunch is often an easier and calmer time to visit than a weekend dinner. For larger groups the restaurant offers private dining, and it ships food nationwide.

If you are visiting with a group, decide in advance whether you want the full restaurant experience or a quicker meal from the take-away, because the two suit very different plans. Gift cards are also sold through the website.

The restaurant is at the southern end of South Beach, a short walk from South Pointe Park, which makes a pleasant walk before or after a meal. The Goodtime Hotel at 601 Washington Avenue is a few blocks north. If you are driving, arrive in good time to find parking, or take a taxi or ride-share.