The only time I had stone crabs was 10 years ago at Joe’s in Las Vegas. I remember not being impressed. On this trip to Miami, many trusted food bloggers I knew recommended Joe’s in Miami. Upon further investigation, it appears the two have completely different ownership but some sort of supply relationship. In any event, the one in Miami is the OG (and I will post about my visit later).
I was determined to try stone crabs a second time, this time in Miami, where they are iconic. I wanted a place that served them at lunch AND took reservations (Joe’s does not take reservations). That brings us to The River Seafood and Oyster Bar. It is located in downtown, very close to the Brickell City Center Mall.
We started with the stone crabs of course. They did not disappoint.
After that, I had the prix fix (3 courses for $25). I started with the seafood/fish soup.
It was decent and had some good fish flavor. It reminded me of the seafood chowder in Bermuda. For my main, I had the squid pasta. I ate only 1/4 of it maybe.
The pasta was overcooked. The sauce was flavorless. I rarely season food after it is presented as that should be the chef’s job. However, this pasta was so bland that I asked for salt, which took a long time to come. Even with the salt, the pasta was not enjoyable to eat and I decided to stop eating it. If I’m going to eat that much carbs, it has to be worth it! On top of everything, they put feta cheese all over the dish which was a poor pairing.
For dessert, I had cheese which was quite delicious. The server did not explain but it was some sort of blue cheese.
Overall, service was hit and miss, and the pasta just ruined lunch for me. The stone crabs were good. Maybe they get them from Joe’s. 6/10.