If you know, you know. And if you do not know Riggins yet, stone crab season is the right time to fix that.

Riggins Crabhouse has been part of the South Florida seafood scene since 1982, when John and Sylvia Riggins opened their Maryland-style crab house. More than four decades later, the Lantana institution at 607 Ridge Rd is still doing what made it a local favorite in the first place: fresh seafood, big platters and plenty of crabs in a casual, old-school room where getting a little messy is part of the deal.

Stone Crab Season Is Almost Here

Florida stone crab season runs October 15 through May 1. Stone crab claws return to the Riggins lineup seasonally, in the restaurant and in the market, joining the blue crabs, lobster and fresh fish that have made this place a destination for generations of South Floridians.

The Blue Crabs Riggins Is Famous For

Blue crabs are the signature. Riggins says it sources them from the Chesapeake Bay and the Florida coasts, and the market keeps them alive in a specially designed cooler until they are ready for your table or your own feast at home. Three ways to go: steamed Maryland-style, the famous garlic crabs, or live from the market to make your way.

The Newly Renovated Fresh Seafood Market

This is our favorite reason to visit. Whether you are eating in or taking the feast home, the newly renovated Fresh Seafood Market is a seafood lover's playground: live blue crabs, live Maine lobsters from 1¼ to 4 pounds (bigger ones by pre-order), Florida lobster tails, king crab, snow crab, Dungeness crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, mussels, grouper, snapper, salmon and more. Availability changes based on what is fresh, so the case looks a little different every visit.

The market keeps its own hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM to 6:30 PM, Sunday 10 AM to 2 PM. If you want stone crab for a Saturday night at home, go before the afternoon rush.

Why It Lasts

There are not many places left that feel like Riggins. A true old-school South Florida seafood institution where you can sit down for a crab feast, grab fresh seafood to cook at home and come back season after season for whatever the ocean is giving up. Over 40 years. Live blue crabs. Lobsters. Fresh fish. And stone crab season almost here. Come hungry.

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