Where Can I Buy Crab Cakes? Your Guide to Purchasing Delicious Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are a quintessential dish in coastal regions, especially areas like Maryland and Virginia that border the Chesapeake Bay. These savory cakes packed with sweet crab meat are delicious as an appetizer or entree. But where can you buy high-quality crab cakes if you don’t live near the Chesapeake Bay? I’ve got you covered with this guide to purchasing incredible crab cakes online or in stores.

Online Stores That Ship Crab Cakes Nationwide

One of the best ways to get your hands on delicious crab cakes is to order them online from a reputable seafood company Companies like Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore and Pappas Seafood Company in Virginia Beach ship their crab cakes nationwide The benefit of ordering crab cakes online is that you can get them straight from an authentic crab cake producer located in a region renowned for crab, Here are some top options

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood has been serving crab cakes and other seafood dishes in Baltimore since 1974. They ship both their jumbo lump and junior lump Maryland crab cakes nationwide. Jimmy’s crab cakes are made with their family recipe passed down through generations. Customers rave about the fresh, delicious flavor of these authentic Maryland crab cakes. Jimmy’s also offers combo boxes with crab cakes and other Maryland favorites like crab soup.

Pappas Seafood Company

Pappas Seafood Company has been a staple of Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area since the 1930s. They are especially known for their award-winning Maryland-style crab cakes made with lump and jumbo lump crab meat harvested from the Chesapeake Bay. You can order Pappas crab cakes online in various sizes from 4 ounces up to 10 ounces. Pappas also ships combo platters with their famous crab cakes along with sides like crab bisque.

Chesapeake Bay Gourmet

Chesapeake Bay Gourmet offers smaller crab cakes and crab balls along with their classic Maryland-style crab cakes. Their cakes contain jumbo lump crab meat and are seasoned with their own special blend. You can order a sampler with different kinds of crab cakes to taste test them. Chesapeake Bay Gourmet also has fun crab cake gift packages and assortments.

Grocery Stores That Sell Crab Cakes

If you want to pick up crab cakes locally instead of ordering online, certain grocery store chains on the East Coast and beyond carry crab cakes, often from Chesapeake Bay producers. Here are some grocery stores to check for crab cakes:

• Harris Teeter – This North Carolina-based chain sells crab cakes at many locations, including broiled crab cakes from Phillips Seafood.

• Wegmans – Wegmans stores on the East Coast stock crab cakes from Phillips and other brands in the frozen seafood section.

• Whole Foods – Some Whole Foods stores carry fresh crab cakes at the seafood counter or frozen ones from Chesapeake Bay producers.

• Publix – Publix is a good spot to find crab cakes from Stavis Seafoods and other brands at stores in the South.

• Safeway – Select Safeway stores sell crab cakes especially on the East Coast, like jumbo lump crab cakes from Seattle-based Ocean Beauty Seafoods.

• Costco – You can find huge packs of crab cakes to stock up on in the frozen section of some Costco warehouses.

Check the labels carefully to make sure the crab cakes from the grocery store contain real crab rather than imitation crab meat made from pollock. The refrigerated or frozen food sections are the best places to look for crab cakes at most chains.

Regional Restaurants Known for Crab Cakes

If you live in an area without great access to crab cakes in stores, try dining at a nice seafood restaurant for a taste of crab cakes. Here are some restaurant chains with fabulous crab cakes on their menus:

• Legal Sea Foods – This upscale East Coast chain is renowned for their crab-packed crab cakes served as a starter or entree.

• The Capital Grille – The Capital Grille restaurants across the country serve a Maryland-style crab cake with mustard sauce that earns rave reviews.

• Bonefish Grill – Bonefish Grill locations across the U.S. have a Maryland crab cake appetizer baked with Imperial crab meat.

• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood – Eddie V’s restaurants across the southern U.S. offer both classic crab cakes and unique twists like crab cakes Rockefeller with spinach.

• Ocean Prime – This upscale national chain is known for their two-bite mini crab cakes served as an appetizer.

• Oceanaire Seafood Room – You can find jumbo lump crab cakes at locations of this midwestern seafood restaurant chain.

Check out seafood-centric restaurants like these in your area for a taste of crab cakes straight from the kitchen.

Things to Look for When Buying Crab Cakes

Now that you know where to buy crab cakes, here are a few things to look for when selecting crab cakes:

• Crab Meat Type – Jumbo lump crab meat will give you the highest quality crab cakes. Lump crab meat is the next best option. Avoid crab cakes filled with crab claw meat, which tends to be stringy.

• Binders – Good crab cakes use breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs as binders. Avoid crab cakes with fillers like celery or excessive mayo.

• Seasonings – Traditional Maryland-style crab cakes are seasoned with Old Bay and Worcestershire sauce. Look for natural ingredients over artificial flavors.

• Size – Appetizer crab cakes are usually 1-2 ounces, while entree crab cakes are 3-6 ounces or larger. Mini crab cakes can be as small as 1 ounce.

• Filler Ingredients – Quality crab cakes shouldn’t contain a lot of filler like bell peppers, onions, or carrots. A touch of filler is fine, but the crab should be the star.