Skip to main content
The Kitchen Archive

Eats Archive › Maryland › Baltimore

Baltimore, MD

Restaurants Near D.C.

6 posts · May 19, 1994 to May 21, 1994

David B.Intermetrics, Inc.May 19, 1994
Renee L. wrote:

   My husband and I are planning to to to the D.C.-Baltimore area this
   summer. We will only be there for a couple days, so we would like
   to know where the really GOOD crabcakes are.  Please let me know if
   you have any restaurant suggestions.  Thank you.

Fred and Harry's Seafood House, on Rt. 29 next to the intersection with University Ave. used to have very good crabcakes, as well as other seafood.  I don't know if it has worn well.

                              Dave Barton
                              [email removed]
Jim C.Mount Holyoke CollegeMay 19, 1994
Crisfield's in Silver Spring MD - REALLY informal (looks like a dive!), great seafood, including crab cakes.
Jonathan C.Ark Technologies, Inc.May 19, 1994
Renee L. wrote:
>
>    My husband and I are planning to to to the D.C.-Baltimore area this
>    summer. We will only be there for a couple days, so we would like
>    to know where the really GOOD crabcakes are.  Please let me know if
>    you have any restaurant suggestions.  Thank you.

Sheesh.  These nice folks ask for good crab cakes, and you all send them to Silver Spring and Wheaton?!?!?!  Shame on both of the replies I've seen so far!

Renee, take a day trip to Annapolis.  It's the state capital of Maryland, was once the nation's capital, and is a beautiful historic city, as well as being the home of the Naval Academy and the best seafood in the area. There's a restaurant overlooking the harbor with a balcony that has excellent crab cakes -- all backfin, little or no shell, not overdosed with mustard or mayonnaise or breading.

If you have lots of extra time, drive southeast of DC to Saint George's Island (you'll find it on the map).  Way down at the end of the island is a seafood restaurant that is well-known to Southern Marylanders.  You won't have enough folks to get the all-you-can-eat crab special (includes steamed crabs, steamed shrimp, fried shrimp, steamed mussels, snow crab legs, and more).  Amazing stuff.  Alternatively, drive across the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore and wander about until you find a restaurant. As long as you're not in Ocean City, odds are you've find a local joint, and you're about to experience crab cakes as the locals do.

Don't bother looking for good crab cakes in the DC or Baltimore Metropolitan areas.  Yes, you can find better than average, but it's like discussing the best crab cakes in New Jersey -- are they good, or just better than what else is available?

-- Jonathan Crawford
   Ark Technologies, Inc.
Rich R.The Ohio State UniversityMay 20, 1994
Jonathan C. wrote:
>
>Renee, take a day trip to Annapolis.  It's the state capital of Maryland,
>was once the nation's capital, and is a beautiful historic city, as well
>as being the home of the Naval Academy and the best seafood in the area.

   I completely agree. After you tour the historic area and the academy you'll
 find many places serving crab. My favorite for crab cakes is the Ram's Head
 Tavern, a Cheers like pub with 7 or 8 imported beers on tap. The place has
 a lot of charm.

                                   -- Rich
                                     [email removed]
Brad S.Intel BizComm - Video Conferencing - Chandler, AZMay 21, 1994Subject: Crab cakes in NJ (was: Restaurants Near D.C.)
Jonathan C. wrote:
>Don't bother looking for good crab cakes in the DC or Baltimore Metropolitan
>areas.  Yes, you can find better than average, but it's like discussing the
>best crab cakes in New Jersey -- are they good, or just better than what
>else is available?
>
>-- Jonathan Crawford
>   Ark Technologies, Inc.

Actually, there's a place in NJ which has GREAT Maryland crab cakes. It's called Barnacle Ben's, in the King's Highway shopping ctr (ACME). Right on Lenola Rd. above the Moorestown Mall.

There's so much solid crab meat in these I can't even tell what binds them.  Get the broiled ones with drawn butter, not fried.

TAFN,_________________________________________________________
  __               [email removed]
 (/_) _  __  __/   Intel Corporation -- Chandler, Arizona _/__)/(_(_(_(_(    Personal Conferencing Div. - Video Products ______________________________________________________________
John L.I.E.C.C., Cambridge, Mass.May 21, 1994Subject: Re: Crab cakes in NJ (was: Restaurants Near D.C.)
>Actually, there's a place in NJ which has GREAT Maryland crab cakes.

There are lots of places in NJ with great crab cakes.  You just have to know where to look.  I gather that there's now as much crab landed in NJ from Delaware and Barnegat bays as there is in Maryland.

I like the ones at Surf City Shellfish in Surf City (the special ones, not the inexpensive ones out of the freezer.)  But ever since I tried their softshells in mustard sauce, the crab cakes have run a poor second.

Regards,
John Levine, [email removed], [email removed], [email removed]
Share this page