Joe’s Stone Crab 100th Anniversary
Philip Levine, Bill Clinton, Stacy Robins, & Stuart Cauff at Joe’s Stone Crab on February 12, 2001
Miami Beach, FL – February 1, 2013 – This year marks the 100 year anniversary of a Miami institution: Joe’s Stone Crab. That’s right, Joe’s was founded in 1913 and has been in business ever since. It’s not easy for restaurants to stay in business for a year on Miami Beach, let alone a century. This milestone certainly warrants some applause. For a brief recap on how Joe’s came to be what it is today: Joe Weiss moved to Miami from New York in 1913 to help his asthma with the warmer weather. He opened up a lunch counter on the beach when it was a quieter, undeveloped town, and became known for serving up a great fish sandwich with fries. It wasn’t until some eight years later that Weiss started selling stone crabs, which at the time no one had heard of or had any desire to eat. Weiss and a Harvard ichthyologist (a biologist who studies fish) debated on how to cook and serve them, when Weiss eventually threw them in a pot of boiling water and served them with hash brown potatoes, cole slaw, and mayonnaise, all for a $1.25. While prices have definitely gone up since the ’20s, claws are still served with those same classic sides, and the family’s dedication to tradition and excellence has not changed. Along with their stone crabs, Joe’s Key Lime Pie has also become world-famous, with everyone from actors to politicians to star athletes coming in for a taste.
Anyone can dine at this renowned piece of history. The catch (pun intended) is that they don’t take reservations for parties less than 20, and they’re only open for stone crab season, October through mid-May, to serve the freshest claws. So unless you are one of the celebrities below, expect a decent wait for a table, or head next door to Joe’s Take-Away and get a meal to go. But it’s worth it. A trip to Joe’s is a must for anyone, locals and visitors alike, in Miami.
Steve Sawitz at Joe’s Big Chill at Joe’s Stone Crab during South Beach Wine & Food Festival on February 22, 2009
Current owner, Steve Sawitz, talks to World Red Eye about the monumental occasion: “Certainly, 100 years of legacy in Miami Beach, or for that matter anywhere, is something to feel proud of. Much of the legacy rested on the shoulders of family and employees who are no longer here. Calvin Keel, Abraham Spann, Pedro Lorenzi, my grandfather and his parents for example, were working warriors. I feel the responsibility to honor them by ensuring that every day for the next 100 years is worthy of their love for Joe’s.”
WRE: Do you believe that people wait 3 to 4 hours for a table? Whats the craziest story you ever heard from a person trying to score a seat on a weekend night during season?
SS: “With all the great places to eat, and time being so precious, I can’t understand why people wait so long. When I look deeper into that phenomena, I discover that people often times treat the wait here as time well spent people watching, trying out the bar food, watching a sporting event, or meandering over to the Take Away. The craziest thing that comes to mind was when a customer dropped Jo Ann (my Mom)’s name with the Maitre d’. Mom was standing right next to the Maitre d’ who didn’t have the first clue as to who this customer was. After a few moments, mom introduced herself, and the customer turned red in the face.”
WRE: How often do you eat at Joe’s and what’s your favorite thing to order? Are you sick of stone crabs yet?
SS: “I eat at Joe’s practically every day. Grazing is more like it. My favorite thing to order is breakfast in the Take Away. Egg white omelet and well done turkey bacon do it for me. Simple. The next favorite substantial thing is the Killer Crabs Grilled. And, I have never tired of eating stone crabs. Those critters run the Joe’s machine.”
WRE: We all saw Forest Gump and know about Bubba and his shrimp- shrimp scampi, shrimp salad, shrimp gumbo, etc… What’s the craziest dish you have served up with stone crabs as the star ingredient?
Chef Andre Bienvenu: Stone Crab flavored bubble gum, Stone Crab & Pepper Lavosh cracker for a soup, Stone Crab & Mango Jelly used for a poach lobster dish, Stone Crab & Horseradish Bloody Mary, Stone Crab & Honey Ice Cream, Stone Crab Chili with Manchego Cheese froth, Stone Crab Tamales with roasted green tomato relish, Stone Crab Ceviche, Stone Crab & Bacon Waffles used it for a pork dish, Stone Crab & Pepper crusted scallops, Stone Crab Sliders, Stone Crab Dust used for a salad dish. They all came out good.
Lee Schrager & Steve Sawitz at Joe’s Big Chill at Joe’s Stone Crab during South Beach Wine & Food Festival on February 22, 2009
Muhammad Ali & Miami Hurricanes at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
Muhammad Ali & Bernie Yuman at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
WRE: There must be a lot of novices out there, what celebrity did you most enjoy teaching how to eat a stone crab?
SS: “I have demonstrated how to crack crabs LIVE on Good Morning America with the full crew from Miami Vice back in the 80s. Al Roker got splattered on the Today Show, and Kit Hoover and Billy Bush got spritzed on Access Hollywood. They were all good sports after juicing them. I usually hold my breath as the hammer falls.”
Muhammad Ali at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
Willis McGahee, Muhammad Ali, & Ken Dorsey at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
Muhammad Ali & Bret Hart at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
WRE: Joe’s Stone Crabs can certainly be defined as an institution and one of the things that has defined Miami Beach for 100 years. How do you stay true to the brand, but change with the times? Is it all about the simplicity of the claw?
SS: “Staying true to the brand is attempted and hopefully accomplished through consistency with the multitude of details it takes to run Joe’s, or any business for that matter. Never being satisfied, always being a little paranoid (in a business sense), and staying true to who we are contributes to Joe’s success. I realize that it can all be taken away by one strong hurricane. Nature doesn’t care who it takes out. We’ve served the Great Ones: Wounded Warriors, Muhammad Ali, UM Championship Teams, sitting and former Presidents, U.S. Supreme Court Justices, actors, and so many beloved and influential people. Staying true to the brand means serving the next meal to whomever with the greatest attention to detail and care. It goes a long way to know your team, allow them to grow and fall down, lift them up (they have lifted me), and do it all over again.
Changing with the times can mean knowing when to time the change that is needed. Customers have helped us grow by showing us where the demand for something was. Take Away, shipping, expanding the bar, parking, and private dining to name a few, were all results of customer demand. Of course, I’m only discussing the tip of the iceberg since we own and operate two fisheries in South Florida. Long term thinking has also guided our thought process which in turn has kept us true to the brand. Protecting the brand means so many things. Happy customers, employees, and suppliers brings rewards and goodwill. Chasing the almighty dollar will kill the brand… Every time.”
Muhammad Ali at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
Willis McGahee, Bernie Yuman, Muhammad Ali, & Ken Dorsey at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
Ken Dorsey, Bernie Yuman, & Anthony Shriver at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
Bret Hart at Joe’s Stone Crab for UM Football Championship Party on December 19, 2002
WRE: What is it about stone crabs that makes them something an institution can remain in business with for a century?
SS: “The flavor, texture, and eating experience agrees with so many people. We spend our lives at Joe’s obsessing about them. The fishermen and their crews put everything on the line for the seven month season to ensure that Joe’s Stone Crab can keep cracking. The fisheries weigh, cook, and re-weigh the claws in state-of-the-art facilities that have evolved from tiny fishing town cooking facilities. We have come a long way in the past 100 years, and look forward to the challenges in the next 100. I do not anticipate coasting either. We have plenty of work to do publicly and behind the scenes. Every person and action counts.“
