Captain Jims Seafood

Not too special. We went with some regulars who had conch fritters and some crab. Both were excellent. Shrimp linguini was very good for the wife. I am harder to please — I got the special seafood putenesca. Disappointing. Pasta was cooked well and the (three) big shrimp were wonderful. The rest of the dish — sauce noting special — clams only two — Calimari only two small and then mussels mussels MUSSELS. COME ON. A$ 27 dish filled mostly with the cheapest seafood on the market. They were ok but I ran out of pasta before finishing them all. Got tired of picking them out.
I felt cheated. Shrimp is not that expensive and neither is pasta, so why not be a bit more generous. This is your most expensive dish.
Ambiance was too noisy due to hard floors and ceilings. Waitress was pleasant but the busboy– assistant waiter was clumsy and intrusive. He pushed between us and interrupted as we were talking and clattered the dishes without concern for the diners.

Been eating here for years and since the management changed, the quality has gone down a smidge even though prices went up…
That being said, we still come for Ivonne (our server is the best) and the grilled shrimp. I usually start with ceviche, but today we tried the steamed mussels and I wasn’t mad. Not over the moon, but we finished the whole bowl. My wife had the captain’s triple play and I had the shrimp with sautéed spinach… DEEELicious!

I almost don’t want to let everyone know how good this place is so that we can keep it accessible but truthfully the place is amazing. We started with the complimentary sample of the crab salad and crackers very fresh and delicious. Ivonne the waitress was very personable and recommended the shrimp and grits. We started with a pitcher of the local craft beer La Rubia from Wynwood Brewing. Love that beer not very hoppy at all, for those that like an IPA they also have the Magic City Pale Ale. The beer was paired perfectly with Conch Fritters and the recommendation of the Ipswich clams which she demonstrated how to eat, were a great experience also. The 4 medium stone crabs claws we had were delicious and perfectly chilled and cracked. The mustard sauce was very subtle and complimented the crabs well. We went on to share the Shrimp and grits and they were every bit as good as the shrimp and grits we had in Savanna, GA. Suffice it to say it was legit. For the finale the homemade Key Lime pie and Guava Flan are both equally delicious the flan is creamy and the pie has real vanilla beans in the pie scrapped from the bean as told by the bartender Clint he was very helpful at making the experience an all around sucess. This is easily our newest seafood spot.

We stumbled upon this place on another restaurant rating site while searching for a Seafood restaurant in our new neighborhood. The storefront looks like a seafood market and is located in a small strip mall. I had driven past Captain Jim’s hundreds of times… countless delicious meals missed. It’s now among our favorite seafood restaurants in Miami. The seafood is always fresh and the service is good (a little slow sometimes but always courteous).
I have tried almost everything but the gem here is the New Orleans Style Shrimp and Grits. The grits are extra, extra creamy. Possibly the best I’ve had in this region — dare I say comparable to true southern grits. The shrimp is always fresh and lightly seasoned. The best part though, New Orleans creole sauce that it’s all smothered in. To die for. I dream about this meal and will continue to go back so long as they serve this dish.

Great menu with lots of options — appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and more. All fish can be fried, blackened and grilled. They also accommodate requests — my daughter loves tilapia and even though not on menu they made for her. The complimentary bread and crab salad are also really good.
Desserts are also good — we had guava cheese flan and key lime. Delicious.
Our server and the busser were great. The owner was also there but honestly, he did not add to experience. He approached our table wearing sweats and didn’t introduce himself when talking, leading one in our party to ask who he was as we kind of thought he was just a random dude. He also had two kids there with him and they were running around. It was a little obnoxious.

Oyster rockefeller was amazing!
Lobseter bisque was amazing!
Shrimp and grits was more then amazing
Hush puppies more then amazing
Chefs special dish three fried dishes: mahi, conch, calamari was amazing!

Great restaurant. Best oysters I ever had! Had the fried yellowtail with sautéed spinach. Extremely fresh and tasty fish and spinach was delicious. Fantastic service! Quick service and very friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. I can’t wait to return next week. If you love seafood you must try this place. Better than joes.

O stars
My experience at Captain Jims. First of all I have eaten here many times and the food was always good. Tonight it was some of the worse garbage I’ve ever gotten. I ordered three meals which I picked up and brought home. First meal was blackened mahi that was so over cooked that you couldn’t eat it. Second meal was scallops that was so overcooked it was black. Third meal was shrimp which was undercooked could eat 3 shrimp. I paid $ 62.00 for 3 shrimp. I called restaurant when I got home and was told owner would call me back. No call I called back 2 hours later and was told again owner would call. No call. Don’t lie to a customer. Food and customer service SUCK!!!

Una buena alternativa en North Miami (7 min de las plays) para comer pescado muy fresco y a un precio razonable con comodo parqueadero.
Todos los platos que pedimos estaban muy buenos, la sazon de los platos y atencion son excelentes! Solo comimos pescados en diferentes presentaciones: Pargo, Dorado, Camarones y Caracoles fritos.
Las instalaciones no son de lujo pero la comida si. En la entrada esta una pescaderia donde puedes observar lo fresco de todos los ingredientes.
PD: De postre pedimos un Lemon Pie que estaba excelente lo recomiendo porque es una de los mejores postres que he comido en Miami.

Love this place. Good prices, great food and very friendly attentive wait staff. Ask for Ivonne! #miami #seafood #foodie #nomnomnom

Yes, the seafood is fresh but waaaaayyyyy overpriced for everything.
Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with oversalted swordfish (made 2x); i’m sure it was just a bad night for the cook or the pre-​season was oversalted.
Large shrimp cocktail very good.
Grilled conch good.
Service was great.
1 time was enough for me. I think one can find equally fresh seafood for less $$ elsewhere.

Amazing seafood, fresh little seafood market and everyone seems family oriented. Every time I have been here the service has been outstanding. This place seem like a nice family owned business. I’ve heard rumors that they actually catch their own seafood and it is not purchased from other companies. Now that is just a rumor, but I could believe it considering how fresh everything always is. It tends to get pretty busy, so make sure you hit it at the right our or be prepared to wait some time. They try to get everyone taken care of in a quick time period but sometimes when there is too many people it is hard to do.
I will keep coming back for the seafood restaurant and to purchase seafood to cook at home. This is a nice place if you want fresh seafood.

Like the song says, Captain Jim will get you fed tonight!
Excellent seafood and service. They have a split lobster finished in the grill that is worth the trip.
Sautéed spinach, very good. Cole slaw, very good.
If you just want good food and are not hung up on aesthetics, this is the place.

Quote from Layla E on 5÷18÷15:
«There was a time when I loved this place. They changed ownership and it has never been the same. The staff is friendly of course, and the seafood is fresh, but the recipes are just not good like they used to be.»
SOOO TRUE !!
New menu, new silver ware, new plates,½ the free crab salad appetizer you used to get and new HIGH prices in a medium price neighborhood. I have gone there for many years and you could depend on great food at good prices because the owner had his own boats but nothing stays the same. Whatever it is, it is smaller and poorer quality means higher prices.
I ordered a snapper fillet fried with creamed spinach ($ 19). I expected a fillet (1) of decent size coated with seasoned coating and what I got was small pieces of over cooked fillets that came off fish that probably should have been thrown back to grow much more. The creamed spinach was good.
I also ordered ½ lb of the crab salad ($ 6). I have always done that because it was sooo good and I take home what I don’t eat. Disappointing, not the flavor of old.
I see no reason to go back.

My review is based entirely on the food.
I came here because of a Groupon.
To start off, there were only 2 servers for the entire floor and we were left without looking at a menu for a good 10 minutes? I actually really liked our server, she was funny, helpful, and totally inviting… my complain is more aimed towards management… they need some! The bus boys need training (cleaning a table, when it should be done, i.e. not last minute as customers are standing behind you waiting to be seated), they need a hostess, and overall more guidance and leadership.
We ordered:
— New England Clam– I really liked this soup. It was salty and very meaty. I was actually really impressed with it. I’ve never had New England Clam but it’s my favorite so far =P I would recommend it.
— Lobster Bisque– I tried the bisque mid way through my New England Clam and when I tasted the bisque I didn’t like it at all. I think it’s because my palate was way off from the salty New England Clam. My GF really liked the bisque. It wasn’t as creamy as she would’ve liked, and not the best she’s had, but it was still good bisque.
— Conch fritters– These were one of the highlights of our meal. 5 out of 5. We ran out of the dipping sauce that it came with, it was very good! I recommend these.
–Shellfish Medley Puttanesca– I was really looking forward to eating this pasta dish, specially after looking at it! It looks amazing! I’ll admit you get huge portions of clams and mussels. Took me a bit to get all the meat in my pasta and the shells off my plate. Once I started eating though I was not impressed… I WANTED to be wowed by the dish but I wasn’t. Also, I actually really disliked the olives in the dish. This may be a personal preference type of issue with flavors but I’d give this a 3 out of 5.
— Beer Battered Prawns– The actual prawns were tasty, it’s fried, can’t really mess it up too bad eh? It was served over a bed of rice with a Thai Chili Sauce served on the side. I tasted a prawn and it was tasty, but the overall meal was very average. It wasn’t BAD… but it wasn’t AWESOME. Just like the Shellfish Medley
— Bread pudding– I like trying out bread pudding when I can… and i’ve actually found that not many places do bread pudding really good. I’d give it a 3.
If you have the opportunity I would give Captain Jims a shot… I mean the neighborhood isn’t nice lets face it, but if you happen to be in the area it might be worth a shot… their shrimp and grits is supposed to be awesome so maybe you’ll have luck with that. I’m actually curious to try it myself.
btw the small crab salad that they give you when you’re seated was awesome.
The entrees dissapointed. It’s not that they were bad dishes but they were just average, hence the 3 out of 5.

I came here with a friend after seeing it advertised on Groupon. Currently, they are sold out of the Friday-​Saturday deal, but if you’re able to snag the one for Sunday onward, it would save you a decent amount of money (about 1 entrée’s worth). We had also heard about Anthony Bourdain’s visit here and thought it would be a good idea to check out. Our expectations were definitely met. Captain Jim’s isn’t cheap (about $ 17 – 20 entrees), but the quality is very good.
My friend ordered the conch chowder and the all you can eat shrimp special. He had three bowls, to give you an idea of a filling portion. He enjoyed both immensely. I ordered a cup of lobster bisque which was fantastically flavorful and rich. Having tried his soup, I can say either would be delicious options. Additionally, I had the linguini with clam sauce, which is one of the most commonly ordered dishes there. I am used to a garlic and oil sauce with that dish, but here it’s a bit creamier. It isn’t quite as thick as an alfredo sauce, but it’s definitely filling. The portions are large, and I had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. This dish reheats well.
The ambiance is casual and the service is great. Several members of the staff come around to ask how your evening is, offer suggestions, and make sure everything is going well with your meal. Everyone was friendly and helpful.
This spot is great for seafood lovers, because their menu is extensive. They have anything from oysters, conch, shrimp, and fish to pastas and lobster rolls. I struggled to pick just one thing on the menu! Next time I go, I would like to try the oysters and share other raw seafood. Everything here was delicious and I can’t wait to return!

Last night I was watched Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown on CNN and could not help but eat here today! I just moved to the North Miami area about 6 months ago so I was so excited to try a local seafood restaurant and I truly was not disappointed at Captain Jim’s!!!
We started with the Crabcake absolutely delicious, it was all crab, so yummy! We each had a stone crab, cold, fresh and sweet!
For lunch I had the Oyster Po’boy wow!!! Lots of oysters they were lightly breaded and juicy! My best friend ordered the fried grouper sandwich, it was just as good!
As well as the great food was the great service! Our server Gabriel was amazing as well we got to meet the owner who was so sweet!
Almost forgot the Sweet Tea is refreshing and delicious!

I’m not sure if there was a change of ownership or a change of direction, but the once-​affordable Captain Jim’s has now become a casualty of the rest of Miami’s overpricing. While this may work in an upscale restaurant in an upscale part of Miami, or even waterfront property, being in a somewhat rough part of North Miami makes this price increase truly baffling. Gone away is the no-​frills ambiance, the plastic silverware and the styrofoam plates, and here to stay are the porcelain dishes, stainless steel silverware, their new, highly priced menu, and the Frank Sinatra tunes. Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some Ol’ Blue Eyes, but that does not mean you get to double up on your menu prices in exchange for the upscale music.
My friend and I noticed the cutbacks in the form of the complimentary crab salad having been halved from its usual quantity. As I browsed the menu, I asked the waiter what happened to their combos (they used to run about $ 13 a plate and included 2 – 3 selections such as conch, snapper, grouper, or shrimp), and was told their triple play (which is now $ 24) was the same thing. No, it is not, not just price-​wise but the seafood options are different. I tried to explain it to the waiter, eventually bluntly saying «I am looking for the old combos… you know… the CHEAP ones you used to have? Is this a new menu?» before giving up and resigning myself to a $ 20 filet of snapper (in the past, you could have gotten a whole snapper for this price).
It is so very disappointing. I wonder if the people coming in are also expecting to find the old menu and get an unpleasant surprise. I used to come quite often, but with these prices, despite the seafood still being fresh, not anymore. Sorry, you lost the one thing that set you apart from the other seafood establishments: a down to earth, no-​frills ambiance with reasonable prices.

I’m so glad I bought that Groupon! This place is truly a hidden gem. The only experience I have with grits takes me back to public school breakfast. But I took a leap of faith at Jim’s and it was ohh so pleasant! Their shrimp and grits are absolutely delicious! The shrimp is crunchy, and the sauce will make your mouth water. The service was also great. I will most definitely be back for more grits!

Like some others, we learned about Captain Jim’s because of a Groupon. Glad we did.
I am originally from New Orleans, and grew up eating some of the best, fresh, fried seafood in the world. I don’t say that lightly. Because as a result, over the years since I’ve moved away, I’ve had some pretty disappointing meals.
Not so at Captain Jim’s. They do the job right. Everything we ordered was excellent — and the fried items were done beautifully. Light, crisp, flavorful and tender.
The complimentary crab salad at the start is excellent.
My wife had a fried oyster po-​boy (she learned to love them on many visits to NOLA). It was served with outstanding homemade chips.
I had the «Triple Play» — a combination of blackend mahi, calamari and fried conch, with my choice of sides — fried okra, which was as good as I’ve ever had.
Portions are substantial — so be prepared to either be overfull or take home leftovers.
Somehow, we managed to take a few bites from a piece of key lime pie, also excellent — and a little different. It was rich covered with ample dollops of whipped cream, but almost tasted like it had a hint of cream cheese added to the filling. Not sure if that’s the case. But whatever it was, it worked.
The service was terrific. Our server was a fun, upbeat, friendly, energetic young woman named Juliet — who just added to a positive experience.
Atmosphere is casual — as a good seafood restaurant should be! I actually reminisced about countless experiences at the seafood places in New Orleans’ West End, where as a child and later, I enjoyed big platters of amazing fried seafood.
BTW… you can get your seafood grilled, blacked or friend, your choice. My focus of fried is simply because it’s so rare to find a place that does it this well. BUT, not to ignore the blacked mahi, it was really good. NOT overspiced (as it so often is) nor overcooked. It was super moist, tender and perfectly seasoned.
Prices, to me, seemed more than fair considering the freshness of the food and the big portions.
My only «complaint» (and it is a universal one) would be the choice of bread for the po-​boy. If you’ve ever had a great example of one of these New Orleans sandwiches, you know it came on light, crispy French bread. Now, you really can’t find that bread anyplace but NOLA. But the soft rolls often used elsewhere (and everyone I’ve been in South Florida) are a disappointing substitute.
Actually, good, light CUBAN BREAD, toasted, would be a MUCH better alternative. It’s the closest thing I’ve had in our area.
So Captain Jim’s, if you read this, consider it.
I have NO IDEA why there would be even one negative review on this place. If you haven’t tried it for yourself, go. It’s definitely worth it! We will DEFINITELY be back — as soon as I’ve finished the leftovers!

I dined here for lunch on 10÷22÷14 based upon a recommendation from Facebook friend, Miami Native, and Film Director Billy Corben. The wife and I decided to give it a try on our way back to Naples. This dining experience almost did not happen for a few reasons. We had seafood the day before for lunch and dinner in South Beach. The wife was in a hurry to get back to Naples, and when we pulled up to the restaurant, it did not resemble the fancy seafood joints she likes.
Well if listened to her we would have missed out on one of best dining experiences in Miami. For starters, the staff was very attentive. We walked into Jim’s and are greeted by everyone. I am talking about everyone including a gentlemen who I believed was the manager.
In regards to the food we started out with an calamari appetizer, which was cooked perfectly. The shrimp poor boy I ordered was a knife and fork sandwich as it was loaded with lightly fried shrimp. The day before my wife and I had Stone Crabs from Joe’s Stone is South Beach. We decided to order more since this was our 4^th trip to south Florida and our first time experiencing Stone Crab season. I know Joe’s gets all the press but for roughy the same price we had the same amount of medium crab claws Captain Jim’s and lets just say they same medium claws were bigger and better. I am not saying Joe’s were bad by any stretch but, I just enjoyed the crabs at Captain Jim’s Seafood better.
The service and food was amazing and has put Captain Jim’s seafood on my list of must eats whenever I am in Miami.

My girlfriend and me we are from France and every years we go to Miami for vacation, for two weeks and we have to go at list 2 times to capt Jim’s seafood we just love it very good food for a good price