Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe

Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe – A True Slice of Old Florida If you’re trekking through the Everglades and find yourself on the Tamiami Trail, Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe isn't just a place to eat—it's a survival outpost of "Old Florida" charm. Located in Ochopee, about 10 minutes from Everglades City, this spot is housed in the oldest standing building in the Glades, and the vibe is as authentic as it gets. The Atmosphere Forget the polished, air-conditioned bistros of Naples or Miami. Joanie’s is a rustic, wood-shingled sanctuary where the floorboards creak and the walls are covered in police patches from around the world. Whether you’re sitting on the screened-in porch to dodge the legendary Everglades mosquitoes or dining inside with live music and cold beers pulled straight from the cooler, the atmosphere is incredibly laid-back. It’s the kind of place where the owner, Joanie, might be seen barefoot, and the service is friendly, no-nonsense, and unapologetically slow—as the chalkboard says: “If you want fast food, keep traveling.” The Food The menu is a tribute to the "swamp critters" and coastal treasures of the region. * Blue Crab Specialties: As the name implies, the blue crab is the star. The soft-shell crab sandwich and the crab cakes (made with zero fillers) are highly recommended. * The Swamp Combo: For the adventurous eater, this is a must. It’s a platter featuring gator nuggets, frog legs, a crab cake, and Indian fry bread. * Local Delicacies: They serve things you won't find elsewhere, like gator ribs and the infamous "Swampy Dog." * The Finishing Touch: Do not leave without a slice of their Key Lime Pie. It’s the perfect, chilled antidote to the Florida humidity. Pro Tips * Bring Cash: While they do take cards, having cash is always a safe bet in these remote areas. * Dog Friendly: If you're traveling with a pup, the porch is welcoming and they’ll likely offer a water bowl. * Check the Hours: They usually operate from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM, making it a perfect lunch stop or early dinner. Verdict: Joanie’s is a destination for anyone who wants to experience the Everglades through their taste buds. It’s quirky, historic, and serves some of the freshest seafood in the state.

Great stop after a day of air boating. Food was great, staff was friendly and fast. The atmosphere was cool. Also- dog friendly out on the covered back porch!

Brunch at Joanies Blue Crab Café 🦀 Now normally, when I pull up somewhere and somebody’s already standing there waiting to greet me, I get a little weary. But Lisa? She stood right up and welcomed us like we were family walking through her front door. Lisa definitely sticks to her sister-girl energy — she’s warm, real, and not holding back. She’ll make you feel right at home from the jump. Just know… she’s no-nonsense. If her mouth doesn’t say it, her face definitely will! 😂 But that’s part of what makes her such a genuine gem. Now let’s talk about this food. We had the soft shell crab sandwich and the crab cake. That crab cake?? Listen… I almost got quiet at the table. Seasoned just right, cooked perfectly on the grill, enogh said. We could tell somebody back there cared about what they’re doing. Thank you, Lisa, for making our stop along the journey truly memorable. Joanne’s Blue Crab Café hit different because of you Stay sweet 😋

Ive always passed this place. Today sister , daughter and I stopped. What a place . Excellent food. Best fries. The pulled pork was perfect. The most old Florida waitress anywhere. Totally no filter on her whatsoever, just the way we like it. Nice touch was they use a seperate fryer for the seafood so people with allergies can have the amazing fries.

If you want a backwoods experience, this is it. Interesting atmosphere. Plenty to look at while your waiting for your food. Seat yourself. Help yourself to the cooler of drinks, but don't be in a hurry. A small staff working hard. It was fun. Cash preferred ☺️

Cool roadside stop over on the Tamiami Trail. Food is a little expensive. Cozy atmosphere and good service. Pick up a menu as you enter and grab yourself a drink from the cooler and the waitress will come over and take your order. We had an order of the gator and hush puppies. Little high priced for small appetizers. Worth a stop.

It’s old time Big Cypress and excellent for that! Get the burger and fries with a can of Cut Water Mojito - relax on the deck and go back to and older more relaxed time in life! Want a good laugh, go into the bathrooms which “warn of Naked images!” Been here twice and always happy when we leave! Super Pet Friendly too!

When you walk in there is a sign that tells you to grab a menu, a drink, and a seat. Baskets are served with slaw, hush puppy, choice of fries, sweet potato fries, or more slaw. We both had the grouper basket. I got sweet potato fries and my husband got "more coleslaw". The grouper was the best we have had in a LONG time!! The hushpuppies were sweet-crispy on the outside and soft inside. My sweet potato fries were homemade. I would recommend this spot to EVERYONE!!

A must-stop for me when traveling this section of US41. Crab cake is fresh and briny. Rustic ambience is appealing. Expensive but hard to replicate the experience.

Friendly service. Very good food. A unique and original spot for lunch. Don't drive by, you'll be sad you missed it.

Went to Joanie's on my way through the Everglades with my son. Gator bites were really tasty and this place has a great atmosphere. Great location and very good setting for lunch in the Everglades. Service staff are local, extremely friendly and informative. Great conversation and information about the area.

Local spot worth stopping by. Though the minor downside is the lack of air conditioning and the multitude of fans around to circulate the air, everything else about the place is interesting to see. From the authentic nudies in the bathroom, to the vintage memorabilia on the walls Joanie's is a good time. Go and grab yourself a drink from the wall side coolers before digging into some delicious food. I had the hotdog with all the works and it was more than I could finish, but packed with so much flavor. Service was simple, but wholesome and attentive.

This is a fun touristy place to stop on the Tamiami trail. It's got a kitschy fun feel to it, with a big interior and a nice porch in the back I sat at. I felt out of place going in as a vegetarian who doesn't normally frequent this kind of restaurant, but I ended up having a good time! I also got to try a local beer from the cooler. I wish they had some sort of entree/sandwich for vegetarians. However, I ordered 3 things that were all decadent and yummy: hush puppies that were just the right crispiness with a softer interior and very flavorful spices, corn that was way tastier than any other place I've ordered corn at, and a good slice of key lime pie , which is normally one of my least favorite kinds. Good memorable place to go while traveling through to sample the area's specialties.

The best spot in the Everglades to grab lunch. Fried everything as you would expect. Standard fare, but well executed and generous portions. Fun staff and quick service. Great for families.

With limited options to eat on US41, this place has hot food, cold beer and a lot of charm. We received excellent, friendly service. The crabcake was the special that day, it was fresh and meaty but needed some flavor. "When in Rome", try the alligator...it's a little chewy, like calamari, but not fishy. Fun experience. Good hush puppies, good fries, and the kids enjoyed the mac-n-cheese off the kids menu. It was just Kraft blue box, but that's what the kids want anyway, so no complaints. No AC (in late March), but it was cool enough inside, out of the sun.

Been on my bucket list forever. Flew down from Asbury park NJ and finally went to Joanie's. Very cool roadside food shack. Old as dirt and just awesome. Our waitress made the experience awesome. She was just the nicest friendliest lady you could ever meet. We got some basic food, burgers and fish sandwich. Burgers were a bit over seasoned compared to what we choke down up north so that might just be some down home Everglades awesomeness we weren't ready for, grouper sandwich was ok, food won't blow you away but if you are hungry it will do just fine. Go here if you have never been. I'm trying to squeeze in a second trip here before I fly home.

Randomly stoped here traveling Miami to Sarasota and we were not disappointed!! Great service, excellent food and atmosphere!! You will not be disappointed with a stop here!

Always a fun time Going to Joanie's Blue Crab Café. It's like walking back in time to old Florida. The food is great and the servers are friendly and fun.

Disappointed! Stopped after a fun day at Shark Valley expecting good authentic food. Boy were we disappointed by the smallest and most expensive crab soup ever. Don't have a problem getting my own beer from cooler but was shocked by the $7 price. Very expensive for what you get.

Best fried green tomatoes EVER! Very friendly people and a very relaxed chill place to hang out.

Eat here! This is so worth the stop during a visit to the Everglades. Joanie's sits right on Highway 41 near several popular roadside stops including the Ochopee Post Office, Wooten's airboat rides and several of the park trails & visitors centers. It is also just a 10-15 minute drive from Everglades City up to Joanies. My family and I stopped in during a day trip over spring break and are so glad we did. First and foremost, Lisa is worth the price of admission! She was the server on staff that day and was an absolute riot! Funny, friendly and super helpful about the area. Come for the service, but stay for the food. Lisa told me the gator tacos are "out of this world" and she wasn't lying. Around the table, we also enjoyed the gator bites, grouper tacos, crab cake salad, and chicken fingers. Our 4yr old now claims that gator is his all-time favorite! Joanie's also offered several local craft beers and I enjoyed 2 brews from the local Everglades Ale Company: Everglades Fishing Co. Ale and Gator Bait IPA. The only warning I give (which the servers do too) is that content in the bathrooms isn't kid friendly, but don't let that stop you. Joanie's is a MUST VISIT if you're visiting the Everglades / Ochopee area. I can't wait to come back! BONUS: there was even a gator hanging out in the water just off Joanie's back deck during our visit

Excellent experience. From the moment you walk in you are greeted with a warm welcome from the hostess. The staff educate you on the menu and it's a true cultural experience. Genuine southern hospitality. We will remember this experience for the rest of our lives. Thanks for the great Florida swamp food!

Finally had the opportunity to go to Joanie's on one of our trips to Marco Island. So glad we did. The staff were very welcoming and the atmosphere was family friendly and fun. The food was amazing. I had the catfish which had a great crunch and seasoning. The slaw was some of the best I have had in a while. My wife and 3 kids loved their food as well. If you are looking for a place that has excellent food, great service, and is one of a kind, Joanie's is your place. I love to support small businesses and would rather show my kids hard working, passionate people being a great example of how to provide great food and fun. I am glad we were able to stop in this time and wish we would have sooner. We will most definitely support Joanie's in the future and it's on the short list of places to take my family and friends who visit us in Florida on our trips to Marco.

I'm a fan of Joanie's it's my place to go after a good ride through Big Cypress. Local beers, a hearty crab soup, crab cakes, alligator bites and other American favorites. But the best is the service from Debbie and Taylor, always kind and nice. Decoration is full of Everglades Americana that makes it very unique and special.

What an experience? we had the crab soup and it was the best crab soup we've ever had. We thought Marilyn had the best crabs but let me tell you this bluest out of the water. Then we split a crabcake that was equally delicious. The service was friendly and nice and made sure we had what we needed. There was plenty of napkins on the table, and you got to pick what you wanted to drink out of the Cooler. We will definitely bring company back here. Fun delicious food and a really cool area. It's only about a half a mile from the smallest post office in America. And it's close to a buggy ride through the Everglades that we're going to do next time we go.

Fun, fun, fun. Good food, cold beer, funny humerus staff. Yes to shrimp poboys, salads, and cheese burger. Excellent sweet potato fries and grilled corn. Deep in the Everglades with many alligator hot spots to see along the way

This is an intriguing place. The food options are simple, but more than enough to satisfy your seafood tastes. The service is attentive and the portions are very large. The food is very tasty as well. A word of caution, particularly to families with young boys. The walls in the men's bathroom are covered with pornographic photos. So if you don't want to be forced into having a "facts of life" discussion sooner than you had planned, you might consider letting them use the women's bathroom instead.

Awesome local owners. This and their sibling second restaurant are awesome food. Bo better places in the Everglades.

We stumbled across this gem after a few days of camping and boy were we excited. After reading the reviews, I had the crabcake sandwich which was phenomenal. My son really liked the chicken tenders it has the vibe of an old Florida Fishcamp, and the service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend stopping here if you're ever passing by.

Honestly, I was excited to try this restaurant because of the positive Yelp reviews but I was quite disappointed. We tried multiple things including the fried alligator, stone crab, hamburger, and crab cakes. I wouldn't recommend the alligator - nothing special and just very fried. The crab cakes and hamburger were just alright. The service wasn't great. It took some time for them to even acknowledge that we were there, nonetheless they weren't friendly. Finally, we were very disappointed to find pictures of naked men and women all over the bathrooms. I was horrified to have to take my children in there. Pros: if you are already there, try the stone crab. That was the favorite thing we ordered. Although the service wasn't great, it was quicker than we had expected after seeing the sign on the wall to not expect quick service.

Down right good food, down right good people. Though if traveling with kids, the bathrooms are x-rated,,so there is that

The crab cake sandwich was unbelievably good. The outside of the building hides a gem inside. No air conditioning but well worth it to dine here.

We stopped here on the way from Bonita Springs to Coral Gables so it was very convenient for us. Very good food. Fresh! Nice hostess. She told us about some of the celebrity diners. Neat atmosphere.

This is exactly the kind of place I love. A historic building serving up delicious seafood. Joanie's is located on Tamiami Trail in Big Cypress Preserve. The little red building is said to be the oldest building in the Everglades. Joanie's is located in the tiny town of Ochopee Fl., just down the road from the smallest post office in the United States. When Joanie was born in the 1930's, the community of Ochopee was a one family tomato farm which had started in the 1920's. A few buildings grew up around the farm and in 1953 a fire destroyed the town post office and general store. The building the restaurant is in used to be a cattle barn then a bulk oil business. In 1987 Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe opened. For years Joanie enjoyed fishing and hunting in this area with her late husband. Although you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere (most of the time I don't have cell phone reception) this stretch of Tamiami Trail actually sees a lot of travelers. I have met people from all over the world who come here to visit Big Cypress Preserve. Consequently Joanie's can get quiet busy. I have wanted to visit here for the longest time. I came in a little before 4 thinking they closed at 5 and was welcomed even though they were shutting down for the day. I was instructed to grab what I wanted to drink from the cooler and have a seat. This is a cold beer kind of place and if I was lingering that is exactly what I would have had. Instead I took a Dr. Pepper and enjoyed checking out all of the Florida kitsch and postcards customers have sent as I waited for my food. I ordered the crab cake sandwich with fries. Nothing fancy, just perfect. My waitress Lisa was a trip. It is worth coming out here just to be served by her. Lisa told me to let her know if anything went wrong because she would make it right. I need Lisa to straighten out the rest of my life. Besides seafood they offer gator on the menu but I don't eat my friends. I didn't want to hold Lisa up even though she assured me the only one waiting at home for her was her cat, so I took my Key Lime pie to go. That is the thing about living in Florida, someone is always trying to foist a slice of key lime pie off on you and who am I to say no? This place is rustic, and by that I mean the only air conditioning is the breeze through the screen on the front porch. If that's a problem for you keep driving until you hit Naples or Miami. It will just leave more room for the rest of us.

Off the beaten path for sure, but if you like great food with a side of humor from the good-ole-gal server (Lisa), this place is for you. We stopped in on our way back to Marco Island after an airboat ride for lunch and we're blown away by the food, service, and ambiance. With all the charm of a roadside dive bar and food that puts many other restaurants in the Naples area to shame, we had the best experience. My husband and I each had a different special of the day: I had the crab cake sandwich and he had the Mahi tacos. Both were made from scratch from fresh seafood and were amazing! We started with the homemade fry bread which was served with a bright, pickled salsa. The beers were cold and our food was served with great (though some may find a bit off-color) table-side jokes. We were laughing all through lunch. What a great place!

Although it is your only option heading east in the Everglades, it is worth a stop. Food is yummy.

A cute little crab shack on the side of the road. We visited in the afternoon after some travels around the Everglades. As you walk in you are directed to grab a couple menus, swing by the beverage coolers, and find a seat. We picked up a couple Landshark beers from the coolers and headed to the patio. There was plenty of seating on the patio with a nice breeze, where we were greeted by our server Shelby. She was friendly and offered a couple of recommendations. They unfortunately were out of grouper but had plenty of other seafood options to satisfy. We chose the Soft Shell Crab Sandwich, Chicken Strip Basket, and Hush Puppies. Our food was served promptly. My husband was raving about his Soft Shell Crab Sandwich and offered our 7 year old daughter a bite. That was a mistake! The sandwich was quickly devoured and he was left with the chicken strips but those were delicious as well. The hush puppies were just ok and I probably wouldn't order them again. Overall we had a great visit to Joanie's and we would stop in again!

In the perfect location with traffic flow all the time. The only problem is they are only open during peek lunch time. 11-3. Good signage telling they are closed and to visit those other site.

I hadn't been here in 7 or 8 years and thought Father's Day was a good opportunity to return especially since my partner had never been there. We knew it closed at 5:00pm, but got a late start. We arrived at 4:35pm and were told we had to order our food to go because they close promptly at 5:00pm. We ordered quickly and they agreed to let us eat inside (it was raining outside). We couldn't have had better food! I had the softshell crab sandwich and my partner had the grouper basket. We ate rather quickly and then were told we could stay after 5:00pm. We left shortly after. The two ladies were great. We will be returning soon and make sure to time our trip better.

Great food, service, and ambiance! Laid back self serve drinks from the coolers with tasty soft shell crabs and sweet refreshing tangy cole slaw. If near shark valley this is a must try!

Love this place! It's right before the Skunk Ape Hq, so a perfect pit stop along Tamiami. Lisa, our server, was exceptional and super friendly. Frog legs, gator tail, key lime pie, and cold beer in a cooler were the perfect additions to hanging on the screened porch. I will always swing by whenever I'm in the area.

Always wanting to experience this cute place and finally made the stop this past week. It is a gem! The waitresses are very sweet and checked on us multiple times. We had the soft shell crab over a bed of salad. It came with a delicious vinegrette. Worth the stop in when you're enjoying your travels on 41.

Food was very good. Burgers were the best I've had in a while. Fish basket was good as well. We had a great server, Lisa. She made our stop here fun and memorable. Oh and the beer is cold!

Worth the trip. Welcoming and gracious service. Food was best you'll find. Had the all time most delicious soft shell crab. All Fresh ingredients. Burgers are also a must.

This is a cool restaurant in the middle of nowhere. I think it's the only one. The food is good. I had a catfish sandwich with fries. I liked it. Well cooked lightly seasoned with a nice sauce. I also had the sampler. It had Gator tail nuggets, crab cakes, French fries and frog legs. The gator tail nuggets were good I really liked it. An interesting fact. This restaurant is one little interesting place. You get a great view of nature if you sit by the balcony. The place is decorated with postcards from all over and in the bathroom there are interesting photos taken by a famous photographer.

Worth it in so many ways. The decor is hilarious, dont get scared by the other comments. The food is delicious and reasonably priced and the staff well Erica my waitress has been there for 4 days and was so kind and charming. The beer is $5 a bottle and they have a nice variety. This is a swamp authentic experience. Worth the stop! Hours are limited so time it accordingly and go hungry!

Good food, inappropriate pictures on the wall in the men's restroom. NOT kid friendly. No warning - my 14 year old was very shocked at the nudity as was I. They have a kids menu.

What a fun treat. This is a place on the side of the road that was recommended to us. The is good not outstanding. The wait staff is fabulous!

Joanie's open for lunch y'all!! Grab a beverage and sit down at your pick of tables inside or outside. It wasn't busy but they had steady flow of customers. The menu seems more limited than before, but still plenty of options for grouper, soft shelled crab, gator, crab cake in a bun or on salad. The food tastes very fresh and the crab cake sandwich was absolutely delicious. The gator bites are from LaBelle, Florida and they are so crispy on the outside and tender and juicy inside. The serving is large and after enjoying this lunch, we skipped dinner! Lastly, the bathrooms are very clean but only reserved for paying customers.

We stopped in for an amazing lunch while on an everglades mangrove tour. The staff was so friendly! Just walk in, grab a drink from the fridge and take a seat anywhere and they will find you and bring you a menu. We ordered the swamp basket which was deep fried gator bites, grouper bites and frog leg bites over a bed of tasty fries. Everything was delicious!! Honestly the gator and frog tasted like dark meat chicken and we didn't know which was which, ha! We shared a key lime pie slice which was heavenly! Don't miss this spot if you're in the area!

It's best to start with the peanut butter pie if available. So rich you won't have room for anything else.fortunately my husband and I shared so we were not too full. He chose the bean soup and fry bead. I had the grilled shrimp with slaw and fries. The fries were crisp and yummy. There were 8 shrimp accompanied with cocktail sauce. The waitress was friendly and funny. It was an enjoyable lunch.

Please don't come by unless you have a large food budget and like little seasoning/fried food. I spent upwards of $70 on overpriced, not spiced/seasoned food and the only thing good there was the almost frozen Key Lime Pie and the bottled water. Nice people but insanely overpriced food. If you do, avoid buying water or an appetizer because that can save you a lot when the average price of the lackluster entrée is $20.

Loved loved loved this place. We drove down on a Sunday with the family to Joanies and we had the best time ever. The drive from Miami to the place was super nice via Tamiami Trail. This was my first time here and never thought I was going to like it so much. However this place is rustic and unpretentious so don't expect anything fancy. Its very laid back. When we arrived there was a guy playing blues he was magnificent. We sat outside since the day was super breeze and at the same tome funny. We were 6 people and we ordered two swamp combos, three chilis and the gator nuggets lunch and also the pull pork sandwich which was delicious . The swamp combo came with gator which was my fav also had frog legs they were not as fried as i will want them to be and also crab cake which it was very yummy. However the pull pork won for my preference. To drink we have beer so pretty much you go get the beer that you want and in the end you pay. Service wise was excellent . Our waitress was so lovely, very attentive i mean not her but all of them there . What a service .... This is a must do ... almost forgot order their key lime pie ...

Great find on our way back to Marco Island from the Everglades. Authentic experience complete with live music in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. Friendly service and good food. What more do you need?

Talk about a hoot!!! This is a real deal Florida restaurant. It is not fancy, it has sketchy (af) pictures in the bathroom, but the food??? Delicious. My husband ordered the grouper sandwich--it came out as a basket instead of a sandwich, but he sure didn't care; I ordered the shrimp basket. The shrimp were some of the best I've had in a good time. Each basket was 18.99 so this is not the cheapest place--but quality was certainly worth the price. The drinks are grab from the cooler. There's a variety of beers and Pepsi products. Our server was friendly but very busy. Go there for the experience.

The food and service were great. We had the 5 oz crab cake, chicken sandwiches and a piece of key lime pie. Everything was fresh, delicious, and served pretty quickly. Our server, Lisa, was humorous and sassy- we loved her. There was a guy playing music on an acoustic guitar in the corner, which made for nice ambience. The decor was pretty cool- a little divey looking but certainly fit the vibe and was clean. They must have tons of fans- there were postcards from all over the world tacked on the rafters and walls.

I've been there several times... always, Great food !! I'm just sorry, I live so far away !! 125 miles. Great place to go ! Love it !