Two Top Spots For Crab Cakes Are In South Carolina
You can find seafood in just about any town you visit. And if you ask, everyone has their favorite place to feast on their favorite shrimp, grouper, and more. One common item that you’ll find on the menu at a seafood spot is crab cakes. And while they may be simple, each restaurant tends to have their own spin on this popular item. But where are the best crab cakes?
What’s In A Crab Cake?
There are some pretty simple, easy-to-find ingredients. Looking online, most recipes call for bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and crab meat. You’ll find some that include an egg, onion, parsley, lemon juice, or some mixture of various spices. There are some that even incorporate a hot sauce.
According to Food & Wine, the first crab cakes were made by Indigenous groups in the Chesapeake Bay. And crab cake have been extremely popular along the Mid-Atlantic coast, and expanded from there.
While you can get crab cakes all throughout the U.S., the question is, where are the best crab cakes? Well, Food & Wine did the hard work for us, and tested a variety of crab cakes to find the best.
Best Crab Cakes in the US
Food & Wine checked out crab cakes all across the U.S. and found 7 top spots. They even claim these spots are worth planning a whole vacation around! And two South Carolina restaurants made the list.
Charleston Grill
Coming in at number 4 on the list is Charleston Grill in Charleston, South Carolina. These crab cakes are a favorite for locals and vacationers alike. The Charleston Grill is located inside the Belmond Charleston Place Hotel.
Michelle Weaver, the culinary ambassador at Charleston Grill, uses jumbo blue lump crabmeat, and very few other ingredients, joking that there’s so much meat in each cake that the only thing that keeps them held together is “love and hope.”
Stono Market and Tomato Shed Café
Right behind Charleston Grill, at number 5, it’s Stono Market and Tomato Shed Café. This is also in Charleston. What started as a lunch stand for employees at a local plant has grown into a thriving restaurant.
The recipe for the crab cakes here are a made from the founder, Miss Babs’, recipe. During the summer, the kitchen uses around 80 pounds of crab meat per week. The recipe includes cracker crumbs, bell pepper, and a secret combo of seasonings. Then the cakes are deep-fried and served with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce.
Other Spots For Crab Cakes
On Food & Wine’s list, you’ll find a couple spots in Baltimore, then a spot in California, Delaware, and Seattle.
But what about the Augusta area? Here are a few spots around town you can find crab cakes:
- French Market Grille West – 360 Furys Ferry Road, Martinez, GA
- Cadwalladers Cafe – 106-A Davis Road, Martinez, GA
- Rae’s Coastal Cafe – 3208 West Wimbledon Drive, Augusta, GA
- Bonefish Grill – 2911 Washington Road, Augusta, GA
- The Chop House – 3450 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta, GA
- DeShawn’s Seafood And Chicken – 10316 Atomic Road, North Augusta, SC
And when it comes to shrimp and grits… South Carolina has some of the best in the world!
Best Shrimp And Grits In The World - Most Are in South Carolina
