Will be visiting Baltimore in a few weeks, and eager to find the best crabcakes in town. Would like to hear locals'/visitors' favorites. Off the beaten path fine with me.

Not, at Phillips (inner harbor), which is a big tourist draw. There are probably many other places to get basic crab cakes with fries and slaw that are outstanding. But I like Piccollo's on the waterfront in Fell's Point. They usually do something unique with them --like serving them with a Dijon mustard sauce that was out of sight.

Well if you want the BEST crab cakes their is only one place to go PRIME RIB
restaurant. Don't get fooled by the name, believe me they are all crab meat and delicious. I must warn you their not cheap, the Prime Rib is rated as the best restaurant in Baltimore, check it out. Make it a special occasion, the prime rib steak is also worth trying, you won't regret it. I am from NY (now PA) and have eated in all the best, but never had crab cakes that ever tasted so great. They are located at 1101 N. Calvert St.,they even drove us back to our hotel (which was preety far) when our cab didn't arrive. Good Luck. Eileen

Try Michael's on York Road in Timonium. My personal favorite.

Have fun.

My husband, who works in Baltimore, likes the Italian Grove and the G&M, but I haven't managed to eat at either one yet. I'll try to get addresses for you.

It's the Olive Grove, not the Italian Grove. Both it and the G&M are on N. Hammond's Ferry Rd. in Linthicum Heights near the airport. Phone numbers are 410/636-1385 and 410/636-1777. My husband says the crab cakes are good in both places. Get the crabcake sandwich, not the platter unless you're a really big eater--it has two huge crabcakes. The "ambience" in the Olive Grove is slightly a cut above the G&M.

That last post reminded me-- when my husband and I are somewhere with good crab cakes and ribs (for some reason these usually go together) we'll each get the full platter, then split-- so we get one crab cake and half a rack of ribs. mmmmmmmmm. (Of course we don't do this TOO often or we'd look like Mr & Mrs Santa Claus!)

john steven's pub in fell's point. the best crabcake sandwich i ever tasted.

Are these people serious? They must not be from Bawmer 'cause the best crabcakes are at Angelino's on Harford Road in the area of Parkville. Case closed, 'nuf said. Now I'm goin' down de ocean, hon.

DK, you should also check out the north side of Baltimore. Gibby's and Ocean Pride Seafood in Towson has good crabs.
Be sure to order extra seasoning

We were there a few weeks ago and stayed at Harbor Inn Pier 5 (http://www.harbormagic.com/marketing/007/) and had crabs or crabcakes each night we were there! Awesome! Have fun!

I also think that Angelina's are the best. A little pricey, though.

Angelina's isn't bad, but Pappas' at corner of Oakleigh Rd and Taylor Ave. (in Baltimore County) is very good and not too pricey. Stay away from Phillips at Inner Harbor or any chains such as Chart House. Many places in Little Italy, near the Harbor or Fells Point, also near the Harbor or Canton area have good crab cakes. Try Friends in Fells Point, or the Admiral Fell Inn in Fells Point, or Claddaugh's or Weber's in Canton. All good places.

Do crabs have a season, like oysters? If we order crabcakes during our trip to DC/Baltimore in January, will the crabmeat be fresh or possibly frozen or even (gasp) canned?

Crab season in MD is from April 1 -
Dec. 31 But even during the heart of crab season crabs are frequently imported from the Carolinas, Virginia and even Louisiana. You can't tell the difference. A Blue Crab is Blue Crab. Most places that serve crab cakes buy their meat frozen in a can. It's more cost effective and tastes the same. I have worked in 5 different seafood restaurants in Baltimore and Annapolis over the past 20 years. A good crab cake in Annapolis can be found at Fred's or the Maryland Inn or Davis's Pub. Angelino's is good in Baltimore. A good crab cake should have ample spices (Old Bay) but not too much. Little breading and lots of backfin meat. And broil it. If anyone would like the winning crab cake recipe at the Maryland Seafood Festival let me know.

Hey Walt - I would love that recipe. Could you jot it here? That can't be your real e-mail address....could it? I recently moved out of Maryland, and I sure do miss those crabcakes. Thanks.

Definitely try G&M's in Linthicum for the crab cake platter. You get two huge crabcakes with tons of backfin and perfectly spiced with Old Bay, terrific, and less than $20. My wife and I waited 2 hours to get in this summer on a Saturday, but it is well worth it. Don't even think about appetizers.