{"id":6533,"date":"2009-09-01T09:14:05","date_gmt":"2009-09-01T13:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=6533"},"modified":"2025-08-21T09:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T13:25:18","slug":"best-baltimore-crab-cakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/6533\/best-baltimore-crab-cakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Get the Best Baltimore Crab Cakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is the height of crab season in Baltimore, which means it’s the very best time to try the city’s most famous culinary creation, the crab cake<\/strong>. But since just about every place in town serves them, we’ve rounded up the six best places to try the city’s trademark dish.<\/p>\n

1. Faidley Seafood:<\/strong> This Lexington Market institution is so famous it made an episode of The Wire, when Jimmy McNulty bribes two patrol cops to stand watch in an alley with a dozen of what many say are the best crab cakes in town. The jumbo lump cake is an eye-popping $12.95 and there aren’t any chairs, but neither fact seems to stem the flow of faithfuls standing at the counters gobbling down softball-sized chunks of Chesapeake goodness. (203 N. Paca St, faidleyscrabcakes.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

2. Perring Place: (closed)\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Despite a complete lack of vibe, this spot that’s “busier at 5p.m. than at 8p.m.” won the most recent Best Crab Cake award from the Baltimore City Paper. A little spicier than what you’ll find elsewhere, these cakes are for those who don’t just want lump crab but also a little pizzaz. (2305 Cleanleigh Dr, 410. 661.0630)<\/p>\n

3. Pappas Seafood Co.:<\/strong> The old-school mentality at Pappas\u2014they’ve been doing this the same way since 1972\u2014means you can get a martini for $4. But what about the crab cakes? Baltimore Sun<\/em> restaurant critic Elizabeth Large reports that “they’re full of beautiful lumps” and that if you’re all caked out, the crab imperial is also killer. (1725 Taylor Ave, pappascrabcakes.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

4. Thairish: <\/strong>So fresh you can only get them in high season\u2014perhaps into early September\u2014these monster lump masterpieces are a steal at $8.95. Oh, and they’re Thai spiced and served over a bed of fried rice to keep things interesting. (804 N. Charles St, 410.752.5857)<\/p>\n

5. Pierpoint:<\/strong> Chef Nancy Longo celebrates the 23rd anniversary of her “Modern Maryland” restaurant this year. Like Thairish, this Fells Point spot does cakes a bit differently. The cleverly named “Balto Box” appetizer comes with a smoked crab cake along with other local faves like fried oysters and a coddie. (1822 Aliceanna St, pierpointrestaurant.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

6. Gertrude’s:<\/strong> Perhaps the classiest of the bunch, Gertrude’s at the Baltimore Museum of Art<\/a> is the only place of these six where you can gaze at a sculpture garden while devouring your cakes. When Chef John Sheilds isn’t working or filming his show Coastal Cooking, he tells Baltimore<\/em> Magazine that you can find him eating at Perring Place, a ringing endorsement if there ever was one. (10 Art Museum Dr, johnshields.com)<\/p>\n

For more things to do in Baltimore, read 11 Budget-Friendly Reasons to Plan a Baltimore Getaway <\/a>and 10 Fun Things to Do in Baltimore With Kids.<\/p>\n

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