Restaurant near 17th St Causeway-stone crabs

[sckal]

2 FLA natives will be staying at a hotel on 17th St. Causeway the night before a Princess cruise in December. I know this is Stone Crab season, are there restaurants in walking distance that anyone has been to that serve fresh Stone Crabs?  I think I saw Finster Murphy's may have them, but I don't think the kitchen is open until the 4 or 5pm we need?  Or I know there are 2 restaurants on the beach in Dania that do, but I'd prefer something close to walk to.  Thanks in advance for all the Ft. Lauderdale residents/pros that can help!

[BNBR]

I'd Uber to Billy's. If you really want stone crabs, just do it right.  Else you can usually get them at Publix, they will crack them for you, then just enjoy at your hotel. 

[Capt_BJ]

if you are from Fl then you know ALL the stone crab you get in restaurants is frozen ... as is what you get in PUBLIX

 

Crab breaks down FAST and if therefore cooked & frozen as quickly as possible after the animal dies.  In the case of Stone where they only take a claw this is even more critical as the meat is 'dead' as soon as harvested as compared to 'King/Sea etc crab' which can be caught and kept alive in tanks on the fishing boat until landed where it is THEN immediately processed (aka cooked/cleaned/frozen)

 

Get 'em at PUBLIX and a bottle of white and find a picnic table .... save around $50

 

Unless you see the crab LIVE b4 they cook it ... it was previously cooked

 

King Crab .. fish market Bergen Norway

 

 

 

you could buy a whole crab and have it prepared to order

 

or buy previously cooked legs, steamed to heat 'em or cold.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Capt_BJ

[sckal]

Thanks to you both. Absolute aware they're previously cooked even at fish markets. Publix may be a good idea as long as I get them to crack them fully for us. Hang out by the pool with Stone Crabs and wine, sounds like a plan.  Otherwise, yeah Billy's is good, I've been there and it's not that far away.

[BlueHerons]

Call Boatyard and Southport Raw Bar.  

 

They have both had them in the past on special I believe.  

 

Otherwise, you can Uber to Trulucks.

[Host CJSKIDS]

On 7/12/2019 at 5:56 PM, Capt_BJ said:

if you are from Fl then you know ALL the stone crab you get in restaurants is frozen ... as is what you get in PUBLIX

 

Crab breaks down FAST and if therefore cooked & frozen as quickly as possible after the animal dies.  In the case of Stone where they only take a claw this is even more critical as the meat is 'dead' as soon as harvested as compared to 'King/Sea etc crab' which can be caught and kept alive in tanks on the fishing boat until landed where it is THEN immediately processed (aka cooked/cleaned/frozen)

 

Get 'em at PUBLIX and a bottle of white and find a picnic table .... save around $50

 

Unless you see the crab LIVE b4 they cook it ... it was previously cooked

 

King Crab .. fish market Bergen Norway

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 7/12/2019 at 5:56 PM, Capt_BJ said:

if you are from Fl then you know ALL the stone crab you get in restaurants is frozen ... as is what you get in PUBLIX

 

Crab breaks down FAST and if therefore cooked & frozen as quickly as possible after the animal dies.  In the case of Stone where they only take a claw this is even more critical as the meat is 'dead' as soon as harvested as compared to 'King/Sea etc crab' which can be caught and kept alive in tanks on the fishing boat until landed where it is THEN immediately processed (aka cooked/cleaned/frozen)

 

Get 'em at PUBLIX and a bottle of white and find a picnic table .... save around $50

 

Unless you see the crab LIVE b4 they cook it ... it was previously cooked

 

King Crab .. fish market Bergen Norway

 

 

 

you could buy a whole crab and have it prepared to order

 

or buy previously cooked legs, steamed to heat 'em or cold.

 

Commercially caught stone crabs are cooked immediately after Harvest and either left like that or flash frozen.  The unfrozen ones are considered "fresh stone crabs". They are actually good for 3-4 days after being cooked so therefore are served fresh in many local restaurants. Especially in the Keys, on the West Coast, places like Trulucks and Joe's Stone Crab. During Stone Crab season you are not eating frozen stone crab at Trulucks! Joe's serves frozen when it's out of season otherwise those are fresh.

 

The ones at Publix have without a doubt been frozen.

 

OP, as Blue Herons have suggested, call those restaurants and see if they have them in.  You can always ask if they have been frozen.   BNBR also mentioned a place called Billys and for fresh claws that may be a good choice.  (I've never personally eaten here however he has mentioned them a few times on this topic!)

Edited July 14, 2019 by Host CJSKIDS

[BNBR]

6 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

 

 

 

 

 

Commercially caught stone crabs are cooked immediately after Harvest and either left like that or flash frozen.  The unfrozen ones are considered "fresh stone crabs". They are actually good for 3-4 days after being cooked so therefore are served fresh in many local restaurants. Especially in the Keys, on the West Coast, places like Trulucks and Joe's Stone Crab. During Stone Crab season you are not eating frozen stone crab at Trulucks! Joe's serves frozen when it's out of season otherwise those are fresh.

 

The ones at Publix have without a doubt been frozen.

 

OP, as Blue Herons have suggested, call those restaurants and see if they have them in.  You can always ask if they have been frozen.   BNBR also mentioned a place called Billys and for fresh claws that may be a good choice.  (I've never personally eaten here however he has mentioned them a few times on this topic!)

 

Billy's is basically a Joe's knockoff. Billy used to be the buyer for Joe's, long ago. They have a market and wholesale, too. Definitely "the" place in Broward for stone crab. Outstanding location and view is just a bonus.  My wife prefers Billy's over Joe's just because of the view. I'd probably go to Trulucks or Billy's if out for fresh, never frozen stone crab as a visitor, though we personally always go to Billy's. 

[sckal]

Thanks to all! Billy's,Trulucks, boatyard and Southport. I'll give em a shout closer to that time.

[FOPMan]

 Between Southport and The Boatyard, Southport has much less overhead (well, more, quite literally, if you read the ceiling tiles which advertise local businesses or convey messages 🙂 . Southport is muuuuch more casual. I wouldn’t think twice about going in there wearing anything that might be considered a shirt and could be considered a shoe. Or flip flop.). The Boatyard has a higher standard for dress- a clean shirt.

 

15th Street Fisheries should also have them (they have in the past). It’s at the end of 15th street- go just past the Southport Raw Bar and hang a right. It’s at the end of the road on the right. It has a nicer view than Southport or the Boatyard. It’s the building on the water that’s lit up in the Southwest Airlines internet ads promoting Fort Lauderdale flights. It’s locally-owned (a friend, actually).