Our Story

Joanie Griffin was born in Florida in 1939 and practically grew up in the Everglades, fishing and hunting with her late husband. Southern, warm, and often barefoot, Joanie built her cafe into one of the most beloved roadside stops in all of Florida.

Her crab shack is housed in the oldest standing building in the Everglades, right on the Tamiami Trail in Ochopee — a town so small it's famous for having the smallest post office in the United States. The nearest other restaurant is 44 miles west or 66 miles east, which is exactly how Joanie likes it.

Over the years, Joanie's has become a melting pot of a place. Patrons include men in cowboy hats who say "ain't" and tourists in berets who speak with German accents. Anglers stinking of fish, Miccosukee Indians on their way to the reservation, and motorcyclists who needed to get out of the rain and then stayed until closing time.

Every inch of wall space tells a story — taxidermied alligator heads, deer antlers, wild hog tusks, stuffed bass, and a greying photograph of a man with a Florida panther on a leash. The floorboards creak. The air conditioning is provided by the breeze through open windows. And the waitresses call you "honey."

Black bears have been known to show up at the back door looking for a handout. Joanie built an electrified fence to keep them out. "He's not getting in here," she said.