STONE CRAB
Stone Crabs in West Palm Beach
Stone crab claws are Florida's only catch where the crab goes back in the water alive. We take the claw, the crab regrows it, and the fishery keeps going year after year. That's why Floridians have treated stone crab season like a holiday since the 1920s.
Our claws come in through our own operation, cooked at the dock the day they're caught, and sold whole so the meat stays sweet until you crack them.
Season runs October 15 to May 1. We're between seasons right now. Join the list below and you'll know the day the first claws hit the case.
In-season swap for that last paragraph and button:
Claws are in. Order below for pickup at the restaurant or nationwide shipping.
Claw sizes and how many you need
Stone crab claws are graded by weight. Bigger claws mean fewer per pound and more meat per crack.
| Grade | Claws per lb (approx.) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | 6 to 7 | Appetizers, first-timers |
| Large | 4 to 5 | The everyday order, best value per bite |
| Jumbo | 2 to 3 | Main course, one grade below showing off |
| Colossal | 1 to 2 | Showing off |
Plan on a pound per person if claws are the meal, half a pound if they're the opener. Nobody has ever complained about ordering too many.
Why the season matters
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission opens stone crab harvest on October 15 and closes it May 1. A claw has to measure at least 2 7/8 inches to keep, and the crab is returned to the water where the claw grows back, about a year per molt. Those rules are why this fishery has lasted a century and why claws aren't on the menu in July.
If someone's selling you "fresh" Florida stone crab in the summer, it's freezer stock. During the season, ours were in the ocean earlier this week.
From our boats to your table
Palm Beach Lobsters & Seafood is owned by a father-and-son team of commercial fishermen and divers. We hold our own wholesale and retail saltwater products licenses, so the claws you buy here didn't pass through a broker or sit on a truck. That's a shorter chain than any grocery counter in Palm Beach County can offer.
Storing and serving
Claws come cooked, so there's no recipe to mess up. Keep them whole, in the shell, on ice in the fridge, and eat them within two to three days. Don't crack a claw until you're ready to eat it. If you have to hold them longer, freeze them whole in the shell. Never freeze cracked meat, it turns to mush.
Serve them chilled with mustard sauce, or warm them gently in butter if that's your style. If you want the full technique, we wrote up how to crack stone crab claws without wrecking the meat