Stone crab season opened Thursday, October 15, bringing fresh Florida claws back into focus at Miami seafood counters and restaurants. Diners still face an opening-week wait for a clear price picture.

Prices were still taking shape as the season began, the Miami Herald reported October 15. Samir Canaan, who leads culinary operations for Truluck’s, told the newspaper it was too early to predict the market before boats brought in their catches.

The report also described hopeful early word from fishermen who supply local restaurants through seafood supplier Jay Bruns. The amount of crab reaching shore will help shape the choices diners see in the coming days.

A South Beach takeout option

Florida’s harvest season runs October 15 through May 1. That is the window for taking claws from Florida waters. It does not mean every restaurant first puts stone crab on its menu in October.

Joe’s Stone Crab’s menu lists claws as available year-round. The restaurant serves them chilled and cracked, with mustard sauce, in four sizes: medium, select, large and jumbo. Those size choices can change the cost of an order, so compare the size as well as the headline price.

For a South Beach takeout stop, Joe’s Take Away is at 11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Its current page lists daily hours of 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Check the day’s claw sizes and prices when ordering, especially during the first days of the harvest.

Buying claws to eat at home

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says stone crab claws are sold fresh-cooked or frozen. For meal planning, its stone crab guide suggests about a pound of claws per person. Shell weight matters: roughly 2½ pounds of cooked claws yields one pound of meat.

Keep cooked claws in the coldest part of the refrigerator and use them within two days, the state guide says. Frozen claws can thaw in the refrigerator for 12–18 hours. A crab cracker or the back of a heavy spoon can open the shell.

That makes the counter a useful stop for anyone planning a meal at home: ask whether the claws are fresh-cooked or frozen, which sizes are on hand and how much comes in the order. The answer matters more to your dinner budget than assuming last season’s price will hold this week.