9 Restaurants With The Best Crab Cakes, According To Reviews

Done right, crab cakes can be simply sublime. You get the crispy golden crust, soft chunks of crab meat, and a fresh, subtly sweet flavor. They're one of those East Coast delicacies that everyone should try once, especially if you happen to be in Maryland, which is renowned for its crab cakes made with lump blue crab meat. The dish is a fan favorite at seafood restaurants and steakhouses alike. While plenty of places claim to have the best, a few restaurants really do stand out for their take on this coastal classic.

There's no doubt that Maryland has the lion's share of restaurants serving up the best crab cakes in the country. Many stick to the classic Maryland style featuring locally-caught blue crab and minimal fillers to let the flavors of the crab shine through. However, there are also restaurants in other states that stand out for their versions of the dish, some of which stay true to the classic recipe, and others that incorporate slight twists.

To track down the best crab cakes around, we looked at restaurants that consistently get called out in national and local publications, as well as places that show up again and again in online discussions and reviews. We'll go into more detail about our methodology at the end of the article, but for now, these are the restaurants that countless diners say serve the absolute best crab cakes in the United States.

Maryland has a well-earned reputation for having some of the sweetest, most flavorful blue crab you'll find anywhere. Ask locals where to sample the delicacy, and you'll likely come across much debate over Maryland's best crab houses and where to find the absolute best crab cakes. However, when it comes to the latter, many locals agree that Koco's Pub in Baltimore is right up there with the best of the best. One Reddit user even called it "crabcake royalty."

Opened in 1985, Koco's Pub started out as a humble bar, but it's now a bustling restaurant where people often line up just to get a taste of the crab cakes. Once you snag a table, you can take your pick of a single 11-ounce or 6-ounce crab cake served with crackers, or a platter with one or two crab cakes, fries, coleslaw, lettuce, and tomatoes. You can also get your crab cake with Caesar salad or opt for a crab cake sandwich. Don't want to brave the crowds? Koco's Pub also ships its fresh crab cakes nationwide.

Whether you dine-in or have your crab cakes delivered, many say you're in for an absolute treat. As one reviewer on Instagram said, "MASSIVE amount of crab. Massive amount of flavor. Melts in your mouth. I ordered one with salad on the side and had to take half home. It's that big!" It's also worth pointing out that Koco's Pub won Baltimore Magazine's "Best of Baltimore Reader's Choice Poll 2025" for the best crab cakes in the city 

Koko's Pub

(410) 426-3519

4301 Harford Rd, Baltimore, MD 21214

Faidley's Seafood is another Baltimore spot that always comes up in discussions of the best crab cakes in Maryland. John W. Faidley Sr. opened the shop in Lexington Market in 1886, and it's still in the same location and run by his descendants today. You can pick up fresh seafood at the fish counter and indulge in a variety of seafood dishes at the restaurant, including Faidley's famous jumbo lump crab cakes.

There are two types of crab cakes available at Faidley's: jumbo lump crab cakes and backfin crab cakes. Both feature the rich, buttery crab meat Maryland is renowned for (when in season), but the jumbo lump meat is a bit heftier. Backfin meat is a combination of jumbo lump meat and other parts of the crab and it can be a bit looser. You can get the crab cakes on their own or as part of a platter with sides like french fries, coleslaw, and macaroni salad.

Reviewers have overwhelmingly positive things to say about Faidley's crab cakes, like one diner who commented on a Facebook post, "I've eaten over a hundred different crab cakes and Faidley's are certainly the BEST!" People love that they're well-seasoned with hints of Old Bay and that they're substantial, clocking in at about the size of the baseball. The owners also take care not to over mix so that you get decent lumps of crab throughout. If you can't make it to Baltimore, Faidley's also ships its crab cakes across the continental U.S.

Faidley's Seafood

(410) 727-4898

119 N Paca St, Baltimore, MD 21201

Delaware tends to be overshadowed by neighboring Maryland when it comes to crab, but the state also has access to plenty of the same sweet and succulent blue crabs in the cool waters off the coast. There are also numerous restaurants throughout the state that serve stellar crab cakes and other crab dishes. One that gets plenty of hype is the award-winning Woody's Dewey Beach.

The crab cakes at Woody's are made with jumbo lump crab meat (considered by many to be the best crab meat for crab cakes) and they weigh in at 6 ounces. The crab cake platter comes with a broiled crab cake and your choice of two sides like Asian slaw, steamed veggies, or Tater Tots. You can also try the crab cake sandwich served on a toasted brioche bun or with crackers and sides of house-made Old Bay potato chips and a pickle spear.

Woody's doesn't ship its crab cakes out of state, but the restaurant is open year-round, so you can stop by come rain, shine, or chilly weather. It's clearly a local favorite, as it won the reader's choice for best crab cakes in Delaware Today's "Best of Delaware 2025" list. Fans say the crab cakes offer ample crab meat with just enough filler and seasoning to bring everything together, but not so much that it overwhelms the crab. One satisfied guest posted on Facebook, "One of the BEST crab cakes I have ever eaten!"

Woody's Dewey Beach

(302) 260-9945

1904 Coastal Hwy, Dewey Beach, DE 19971

Heading back over to Maryland, another spot that many say you shouldn't miss out on is G&M Restaurant & Lounge in Linthicum Heights. It started out as a pizza joint, but when new owners took over in 1993, they transformed into a seafood restaurant. Since then, it's been earning fans for its tasty crab cakes made with jumbo lump crab meat. You'll also find crab incorporated into a number of other dishes, including a dip, soup, salad, and pasta.

Like many of the restaurants on this list, G&M offers crab cakes as part of a platter or in a sandwich. For the platter, you can opt for either one or two crab cakes broiled until golden brown and served with your choice of two sides like coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. The sandwich features a crab cake patty nestled in a bun or served with crackers. The restaurant also ships its crab cakes nationwide with overnight shipping.

There will always be disputes over which restaurant serves the best crab cakes in Baltimore, but for many G&M is definitely a top contender. It won the top place in Baltimore Magazine's Best of Baltimore 2024 list for Best Crab Cakes, and it was a finalist in the Reader's Choice Poll 2025. In terms of what makes the G&M crab cake stand out, one reviewer said on YouTube, "It's big, it's meaty, no filler. It's flavored simple. It's good."

G&M Restaurant & Lounge

(410) 636-1777

804 N Hammonds Ferry Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar is another popular Maryland institution that's been around for ages. Mark Pappas opened the first restaurant in 1972 and grew the business into a thriving operation. There are now multiple restaurants around the state, a catering company, and a seafood market. The restaurants serve up a variety of dishes, including crab and non-crab appetizers, sandwiches, steaks, and chops. However, most people come for the crab cakes.

Order one of Pappas famous crab cakes (or two if you're feeling ravenous) and you'll get an 8-ounce orb of jumbo lump crab meat mixed with minimal spices and broiled until golden brown. The platters come with two sides, including mashed potatoes, Greek salad, and sweet potato fries. The sandwich is just as enticing with a crab cake served in your choice of bread, toast, a brioche bun, or a tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, and fries on the side.

Pappas was another finalist on Baltimore Magazine's "Reader's Choice Poll 2025" for "Best Crab Cakes," which is a pretty good indication that it has its fair share of fans. Rumor has it even Oprah Winfrey is a loyal customer. Reviewers love that the crab cakes are pretty much the same size as a baked potato and that they're expertly executed. One diner said on Instagram, "Barely any filler and great golden on the outside, Old Bay flavor on the inside." Even better, you can have them delivered nationwide with overnight shipping.

Pappas Seafood Co.

Multiple locations

It's easy to forget that Maryland isn't the only state blessed by the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia's waters are just as rich in blue crab, and there are plenty of restaurants across the state that serve top-notch crab cakes. If you want the tastiest version around, many say Frye's Famous Crab Cake Co. is your spot. There are two locations in Manassas and Ashburn, both of which serve hefty crab cakes and crab sandwiches.

Made fresh every day with high-quality jumbo lump crab meat, Frye's crab cakes are crafted to let the sweetness of the crab meat shine through. You won't find heavy fillers or an abundance of overpowering spices. Instead, the crab cakes are light golden on the outside and filled with chunks of soft crab meat inside. You can have them as part of a platter with hush puppies and sides like crab salad, or sandwiched in potato roll with your choice of side.

Frye's earns top marks with diners, many of whom say the restaurants serve up some of the best crab cakes in the DMV. One reviewer said on Instagram, "Those cakes ... HIT!! No filler, a slightly creamy binder, and all lump American sourced crab meat!" Based on reviews, the sandwiches should also go on your bucket list of East Coast sandwiches worth a road trip.

Frye's Famous Crab Cake Co.

(571) 292-2582 (Manassas) & (571) 918-0744 (Ashburn)

7541 Presidential Ln, Manassas, VA 20109 & 44650 Waxpool Rd #100, Ashburn, VA 20147

There are plenty of places to find great crab cakes in Annapolis, Maryland, but there's only one spot that consistently wins What's Up? Media's "Best of Annapolis" reader's poll year after year for the Best Crab Cakes and that's the Boatyard Bar & Grill. People come from far and wide to try the "all killer no filler" crab cakes at this nautical themed eatery. Past guests have included well-known public figures, like former First Lady Michelle Obama.

The team at the Boatyard use only fresh jumbo lump crab meat to craft the crab cakes and shy away from using unnecessary fillers. It's unclear whether they use classic add-ins like Worcestershire sauce or Old Bay Seasoning because the recipe is a safely guarded secret. However, many agree that whatever they put in there, it's just enough to set the crab cakes apart from others, while still giving you the sensation that you're eating mainly sweet, succulent crab meat.

If you want to try the Boatyard's crab cakes in all their glory, the crab cake dinner gives you two broiled crab cakes (or as one reviewer on Instagram called them, "two lumps of joy") with sides of vegetables, smashed potatoes, and tartar sauce. The surf and turf platter also comes with a crab cake, and there's a crab cake sandwich on offer that's served in a brioche bun with tartar sauce. You can also have the crab cakes delivered anywhere in the U.S. via Goldbelly.

Boatyard Bar & Grill

(410) 216-6206

400 Fourth St, Annapolis, MD 21403

Situated just off the I-95 Highway in Abingdon, Maryland, Boxhill Pizzeria & Crab Cakes may be roughly 29 miles outside of the crab cake epicenter of Baltimore, but many will tell you it's well worth the drive for its excellent crab cakes. The restaurant has been awarded the Baltimore Sun's "Best of Harford" category for "Best Crab Cakes" multiple times in recent years, and there's a good chance it might top the list again in 2025.

Boxhill sources only East Coast blue crabs for its crab cakes, each of which arrives fresh within 24 hours of being caught. The meat gets mixed with a light filler and seasoning and shaped into either 4-ounce or 8-ounce cakes. Each crab cake is then broiled or fried to order. You can get your crab cake with fries and coleslaw, in a sandwich, or on a platter with garlic bread and your choice of sides. You can also have the crab cakes shipped to your door.

Reviewers say the crab cakes taste ultra-fresh and that the natural sweetness of the crabmeat is buttery and delicious. In addition, people love that they're thick enough to constitute a whole meal. Many say Boxhill is their go-to spot for a crab cake fix, like one fan who commented on Facebook, "Boxhill has the best crab cake in all of Maryland and possibly the country hands down."

Boxhill Pizzeria & Crab Cakes

(410) 515-3662

2915 Emmorton Rd, Abingdon, MD 21009

Foodies who visit Louisiana might spend their time hunting down restaurants with the absolute best gumbo, jambalaya, or crawfish dishes, but it might surprise you to know that crab cakes are also popular in the Pelican State. Louisiana's coastal waters contain plenty of blue crabs, and some restaurants use the lump crab meat to create truly beautiful crab cakes. Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House gets particularly glowing praise for its take on the dish.

The culinary team at Rizutto's creates its crab cakes using 96% Louisiana jumbo lump crab meat and only 4% filler and seasoning. Order it as an antipasti course and it will come on a sizzling plate with just a drizzle of butter and a lemon wedge for extra brightness. You can also try it in the surf and turf dish topped on steak. Other crab dishes include the jumbo lump crab cocktail and the crab-stuffed mushrooms.

Ask locals in New Orleans which restaurant serves the best crab cakes in the city, and Rizzuto's will inevitably make the list. One reviewer on TikTok stated that it was the best crab cake they'd ever had, citing the sheer abundance of lump crab meat, the beautiful brown broil on the outside, and the hints of Italian flavors. Others say the crab meat is tender and juicy on the inside. It may not be your classic Maryland-style crab cake, but fans say it's pretty darn spectacular.

Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House

(504) 300-1804

6262 Fleur De Lis Dr, New Orleans, LA 70124

To find the restaurants serving the best crab cakes in the country, we looked for spots that consistently earn praise in national and local publications, along with strong reviews from within the past year from real diners on Reddit and social media. In addition, we sought out restaurants that have recently been racking up awards left, right, and center for their stellar crab cakes.

We paid particular attention to places that are recognized for their use of high-quality crab, especially sweet, meaty lump crab. Other criteria we looked for included the balance of flavors, texture, and portion size. These are the spots that earn top marks from food critics, casual diners, and crab cake fanatics alike for their crave-worthy crab cakes.