Jumbo lump, barely any filler, and just enough Old Bay. From Lexington Market institutions to Annapolis decks, these are the crab cakes that define Maryland style.
The full ranking
Jumbo lump, barely any filler, and just enough Old Bay. From Lexington Market institutions to Annapolis decks, these are the crab cakes that define Maryland style.
Koco's Pub (Baltimore)
The Lauraville pub whose 11-ounce, no-filler crab cake became a national mail-order legend. Almost all jumbo lump, barely bound, with Old Bay calibrated to let the sweet crab shine. A 4.7 on Google.
G&M Restaurant (Linthicum Heights)
A former pizza joint near BWI that became a statewide standard-bearer, with 14,000-plus Google reviews. The 8-ounce cake is a master class in Maryland style: jumbo lump, white bread, just enough binder.
Faidley's (Baltimore)
A pilgrimage-worthy Lexington Market institution since 1886 that helped define the archetypal Baltimore crab cake. Softball-sized, jumbo lump-forward, no egg, bound with saltines and eaten standing at the high-tops.
Pappas (Parkville)
Oprah's go-to and the top finisher in the Baltimore Sun's 2025 reader poll, with more than 47,000 votes cast. Fresh, never-frozen jumbo lump and a light binder, in sizes up to 10 ounces.
Box Hill (Abingdon)
An Abingdon pizzeria-and-crab-cake spot that makes a bold claim, 100% Maryland blue crab, and has won Harford County's crab cake category every year since 2015. A 4.6 Google average.
Jerry's Seafood (Bowie)
Home of the famous Crab Bomb, Jerry's serves a hand-picked, filler-free cake with no cartilage in sight. A Barstool top pick and a 4.5 on Google.
Thames Street Oyster House (Baltimore)
A Fells Point waterfront favorite where the crab cake is seared in a cast-iron skillet, simple and bursting with crab. A 4.7 on both Google and Yelp.
Boatyard Bar & Grill (Annapolis)
Annapolis voters have crowned Boatyard's 'all killer, no filler' crab cakes the area's best for two decades running. Hand-picked jumbo lump broiled to a golden finish, 4.6 on Google.
Jimmy's Famous Seafood (Baltimore)
The TV-famous Holabird Avenue institution often ranked the country's best and named No. 1 by Food & Wine. A softball-sized cake held together with just a whisper of filling over lump crab, baked and browned.
L.P. Steamers (Baltimore)
A Locust Point rowhouse classic better known for steamed crabs, where the crab cake is a sleeper hit: minimal binder and the correct amount of Old Bay. A 4.5 on Google.
Ranked across 6 sources: All About MD · 10 Best Crab Cakes 2025; Tasting Table · Best Crab Cakes in Baltimore 2025 (unordered roundup); Mashed · Best Crab Cakes in Maryland 2026 (unordered roundup); Barstool Sports · Top 10 MD Crab Cakes 2025; Yelp · Ranked by Rating · 0.5x Weight (June 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating · 0.5x Weight (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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