This past summer we shared that two Maryland restaurants (the top two) were included in a list of the “Best Crab Cakes in the U.S.” by Food & Wine magazine. Our staff tried both, as well as a few that readers recommended, and made our decision for The MoCoShow’s favorite crabcake (photos below).
Like any “best of” or favorite lists, opinions will vary widely. However, we align with Food & Wine in awarding the top spot to Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore. Although it was the last restaurant we visited, our experience with “The Boss”– a one-pound crabcake molded into a festive Christmas tree shape– quickly solidified our consensus on our favorite.
When the initial rankings were released in the summer, we set out to explore both featured establishments and expanded our list based on feedback. We discovered that nearly all the mentioned venues offered impressive crabcakes, but Jimmy’s truly distinguished itself. The flavor was exceptional on its own, and the accompanying sauce received table-wide acclaim. As evident in the featured photo, the crabcake contained minimal filler, highlighting the quality of the crab itself.
Since 1974, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood has served the Baltimore community with iconic culinary creations. Founded by the late Dimitrios “Jimmy” Minadakis, the restaurant quickly became synonymous with crab cakes and Maryland seafood in general. Today, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood carries on his vision through his sons, who have grown the business into a nationally known brand, shipping their food across the country.
Food & Wine writes, “This family recipe, which has drawn customers from all over the world, starts with high-quality crab meat (which chef/owner Tony Minadakis sources as locally as possible) and includes finely chopped white bread (no crust), eggs, mayo, wet and dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Jimmy’s own seasoning. Can’t make it to the restaurant in Maryland? That’s OK. Jimmy’s ships its crab cakes nationwide.”
Coming in at #2 from Food & Wine was Faidley’s, also in Baltimore. “Damye Hahn runs this family restaurant, founded by her great-grandfather way back in 1886, with her mom, Nancy Faidley. Nancy started making Faidley’s now-famous crab cakes in 1987, and she’s still making them by hand today. The recipe is as consistent (and as secret) as it was back then, and it starts with jumbo lump crabmeat. The cakes are served naked with lettuce, tomato, balsamic, and crackers. And, like Jimmy’s, Faidley’s is also happy to ship you its crab cakes, so long as you reside in the continental United States.”
Locally, in Montgomery County, we rank O’Donnell’s Market’s crabcake (Potomac, MD) as the best to come out of the county. Below are a few others we tried based on the following comments and a few photos from our trip to #1 ranked Jimmy’s Famous Seafood:
• Did they try Box Hill, G&M or By the Docks?
• PAPPAS is the best by far….. The diner on Ebeneser has great ones too!!!
• Koco’s is definitely my favorite but when I wanna penny pinch Mo’s have a double crabcake platter for $33.
• Locally, the Grilled Oyster Co. in Kentlands (formerly Potomac) has my favorite crabcake
• Jerry’s crab bomb in Bowie is the best!!!
• Nothing tops O’Donnell’s Market
• What about TimBukTu near BWI ??
THAT’S some amazing crabcakes!!!
• A lot of people are sleeping on Valentino’s on Harford Rd and Northern Parkway. Definitely top top three jumbo lump.
• King Street in Potomac!!
• Not many people know, but when Thaitalian in Cambridge makes crab cakes or a seafood platter for a weekend special, no one makes them better.
• Ever have Lee Lin’s? They are my fav crab cakes. Expensive though!
• I have tried crab crab cakes at well over 100 places in the mid-Atlantic region in the past 20 years. I vote for The Island Green in Westminster. Kocos is my second choice.
• By the Docks Chase, Maryland Eastern Avenue, or Middle River, MD Eastern Baltimore County is the place to be for crab cakes, dip, imperial, chicken chesapeake, Eastern shore doesn’t know squat, and nothing bad bout Luke McFad
• Criswell has been there for darn near a hundred years and has darn good crabcakes
