Stone crab season has returned, bringing with it one of Florida’s most anticipated delicacies. While restaurants including Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill and Spoto’s Fish & Oyster serve the claws prepared, these local seafood markets make it easy to stage your own stone crab feast at home.
Tequesta
Pinders Seafood stocks stone crab claws alongside locally caught fish and shellfish ranging from oysters and lobster to clams, octopus, and caviar. Its prepared selection includes soups, salads, seafood cakes, fritters, dips, sauces, and desserts. Seafood bakes and smoked-fish platters are also available for entertaining.
Jensen Beach
New England Fish Market and Restaurant takes a market-to-table approach, pairing its casual nautical dining room with an extensive seafood counter. Daily offerings include stone crab claws and other seasonal seafood, along with fresh fish, shellfish, caviar, platters, seafood bakes, dips, marinades, spices, and sauces.
North Palm Beach
A bright umbrella and yellow sign help identify the weekly location of Steve’s Stone Crabs mobile market along the U.S. 1, although regulars know the line across the parking lot is the real giveaway. Coolers in the bed of a pickup truck hold stone crab claws, jumbo shrimp, locally caught fish, house-made crab cakes, and sauces.
For a brick-and-mortar option, stop by Cod & Capers Seafood Marketplace and Café in Crystal Cove Commons. Family-owned since 1984, it combines a fresh seafood counter with prepared foods, accompaniments, entertaining essentials, and a full-service café.
Stone Crabs 101
When can you get them? Florida stone crab season runs from October 15 through May 1.
Does size matter? Claws are sold in sizes ranging from medium to colossal. Bigger claws mean bigger pieces of meat—and higher prices—but not necessarily better flavor. Ask how many claws come in a pound so you know what you’re getting.
How can you tell they’re fresh? Give them a sniff. Fresh-cooked claws should smell clean and slightly briny—not overly fishy or sour. Pick them up at the end of your shopping trip and ask your purveyor to pack them on a bed of ice for the trip home.
How long will they keep? Store the claws in the refrigerator as soon as possible and plan to eat them within two days.
What’s the best way to serve them? Stone crab claws are cooked when you buy them. Serve them chilled with mustard or cocktail sauce, gently warmed with drawn butter, or simply finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
How do you crack them? Ask your seafood market to pre-crack the claws—it makes serving much easier. Cracking them yourself? Use a mallet, seafood cracker, or the back of a large spoon to tap the shell in several places without crushing the meat inside.
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