Holy Crab: Freshest Crustaceans in the Gables

Now in its fourth season, this local stone crab market serves scrumptious claws — from pick up to an extravagant brunch.

Let’s get cracking! Stone crab season is in full swing and lucky for us, Holy Crab on the corner of Ponce and Majorca provides the freshest of these crustaceans. Sourced daily from fishermen in the Florida Keys, the market price stone crabs are cooked and ready for pickup at MKT Kitchen, itself a gourmet deli.

“When we started during the pandemic, it was about bringing families and friends together safely — that’s why we started delivering,” founder Irene Guerrero Calderon says. “But now, it’s more about bringing the Keys life to Coral Gables.” With that in mind, Gableites can either pick them up, get the crabs delivered, or enjoy this South Florida delicacy during weekend brunch, accompanied by gourmet dishes from MKT Kitchen.

If you pop in for Holy Crab takeout, the staff preps the succulent claws by the pound and cracks them open for same-day eating. Just don’t forget their homemade mustard sauce. Or you can stay at home and have the claws delivered (they also ship nationwide overnight, mallets included, in case you have friends or relatives elsewhere that you want to impress).

If you go the brunch route, you can pair your claws with anything from a toothsome vegetable tian to a juicy fried chicken sandwich (each $12), while simultaneously sipping on bottomless mimosas ($25 per person). And, of course, you can order real Key lime pie straight from Key West.

A key part of Holy Crab’s business plan is sustainability. Stone crabs don’t perish when they’re sourced. Instead, once the claw is removed, they can regrow it up to six times in their lifetime. The season runs from October 15 through May 1, giving the crabs the summertime off to mate and grow their population as well as their claws. The market also uses 100 percent recyclable packaging for its orders.

This year, Irene and husband Lucas Calderon are ramping up Holy Crab’s services, offering gift cards, corporate gifting, and catering. “We’re expanding – we have more of the capacity to do all of these things that we didn’t when we started four years ago,” Irene says.

Every season they’ve been in business, the Calderons have shared various personal moments: dating, getting engaged, getting married, and now, expecting! As they celebrate their sweet life, they’re also keying into their customers’ special moments.

“It’s so beautiful to be a part of people’s milestone events, that’s what blows me away,” Irene says. “Baptisms, birthdays, anniversaries – people eat stone crabs for special occasions, so hearing these stories on how they enjoy your product over a memorable event, makes it even more special.”

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Holy Crab
1831 Ponce de Leon
305.781.4808
holycrabdelivery.com
Use promo code coralgablesmag for a 10% discount!