Joe’s Stone Crab was opened as a lunch counter in 1913, before Miami Beach was a city, by Joe Weiss.   He moved south from New York due to his asthma and found he could breathe easier in Miami Beach.  It started as a lunch stand and by 1918 he and his wife bought a small house and set up tables on the porch, calling it Joe’s Restaurant.  For a number of years, they were the only restaurant on the beach and Al Capone was a regular customer (using a different name). Around 1921 a researcher discovered stone crabs, but they were not known to be eaten.   Joe gave them a try and they were an instant hit.  His son Jesse evolved into running the place and had the personality to attract many celebrities and the well-to-do crowd.  The place served food to Will Rogers, Amelia Earhart, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Joe Kennedy and J. Edgar Hoover to name a few.  The third and fourth-generation family members now run the place with some employees having worked there up to 50 years.  It is an institution, to say the least.  A huge place, there are several dining rooms, a large bar and a patio all appointed with formally dressed staff and double white clothed tables.  Service is fabulous as is the food.  An experience not to be missed. Continue reading →