Stone crab season is underway in Florida!
October 15 marked the date when these sought after delights began showing up on restaurant menus slightly ahead of the snowbirds. In case you’re wondering, the season ends May 15, around the same time the snowbirds leave.
Coincidence?
I don’t think so.
When it comes to stone crabs, you have plenty of choices around here to get them. Almost every seafood house will have them, places such as Rack’s Downtown Eatery + Tavern at Mizner Park in Boca Raton, which has a raw bar, will have them and of course there’s Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami.
Personally, I don’t get the mystique surrounding Joe’s. They’ve been a part of Miami history, the place is “old school” where tipping the maitre’d gets you a table faster (not really, but he likes you to think that), but at the end of the night, the food is just “OK.”
After all, how can you screw up stone crabs?
A friend of mine says, “it’s all about the sauce, and Joe’s has the best sauce.”
I prefer mine “naked” without the sauce, so instead of making the trip to Miami, we hit up another restaurant semi-famous for stone crabs and definitely famous for catfish – Catfish Dewey’s in Oakland Park.
Now, let’s set the record straight here. Catfish Dewey’s isn’t some fancy-schmancy place. It’s bare-bones, no-frills, right down to the red and white checkered plastic table covers.
Open for lunch and dinner Catfish Dewey’s offers up other specials that pack people in from all around, and for good reason, they’re all-you-can-eat. In the mood for stone crab and want to eat a ton? You guessed it, you can get all-you-can-eat stone crabs. AYCE catfish is always on the menu and depending on the day of the week, you can eat shrimp, ribs, snow crab legs, and other items until you’re busting at the seams.
But since it’s stone crab season, why not go for the all-you-can-eat stone crabs? Which is what we did. The price varies on the sizes available, but one thing is for certain, you won’t leave hungry.
Here’s what you need to do… visit Catfish Dewey’s website and check out the stone crab blog for a daily update on what sizes they have available for the day, then call for the price and make a reservation, as they place gets busy!
Our stone crabs were delicious, easy to crack open, the sauce was good (not as good as Joe’s, I was told), and their hushpuppies – which are included with the AYCE specials – are addicting.
Like I said earlier, this is a no-frills seafood joint, so dress casual, come hungry, and have fun. The prices are good and so is the quality of the food. Note: they only serve beer and wine, there is no full bar service.
And you don’t have to tip the maitre’d to get a table!