Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe

Barn-red plank shack on the edge of Big Cypress that Joan Griffith opened in 1987 — a onetime cattle barn and bulk-oil depot she and husband Carl bought off the Tamiami in 1976, then converted into what has become the definitive Everglades roadhouse. Screened porch built out over the sawgrass, tin roof, walls papered in postcards mailed back by pilgrims from every state, and a giant white-on-blue COLD BEER sign visible from a quarter mile out. Weekend afternoons a "back-road" regular like Raiford Starke, Pete Gallagher, or Mike Martin sets up in the corner with a guitar. Featured on Food Network and every Florida road-food list worth reading.

What to order

The soft-shell blue crab sandwich is the reason to stop — battered whole, on a bun, with the legs sticking out — followed by a cup of she-crab soup, gator nuggets, and a slice of key lime pie. Cold draft beer to wash it down.

Hours

Daily 10:30a–4p (kitchen closes sharp; cash and card accepted)