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?

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.

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.

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."

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.

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:

And when it comes to shrimp and grits... South Carolina has some of the best in the world!

As with any food or specialty dish, there are certain places that just do it better.  Whether it's the best pizza, burgers, Mexican food, or in this case... the best shrimp and grits. Obviously, everyone has different tastes.  So your favorite may not be the same as someone else's.  But one website created a list of the best shrimp and grits in the WORLD.

According to Taste Atlas, TWELVE of the top 20 restaurants with the best shrimp and grits are in South Carolina!

From the looks of the list, Charleston is definitely a hot spot for this dish! Other than that, we do have one location in Atlanta that made the list.  A couple in Texas and Louisiana... And then one in Tennessee!

According to the website, these are the best in the world... as decided on by "food experts." To see reviews on each restaurant, click here.

Their website describes them as "Quintessentially Lowcounty. Simply Delicious."

Address: 82 Queen Street, Charleston, SC

This restaurant has been around since 1890, and it currently under it's 4th generation owner!

Address: 215 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

Described by their website as "The Island's Place for Lowcountry Seafood and Cuisine Made The Way 'It Used To Be.'"

Address: 32 Palmetto Bay Road, Hilton Head Island, SC

From the website: "Charleston’s original home grown neighborhood-based, locally focused, all natural restaurants."

Address: 1219 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC

South City Kitchen has a few locations in the Atlanta area.

They describe this as "Local Food for Local Folks."

Address: 302 Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC

Address: 72 Queen Street, Charleston, SC

Address: 901 Louisiana Avenue, New Orleans, LA

Address: 76 Queen Street, Charleston, SC

Address: 31 J.C. Long Boulevard, Isle of Palms, SC

Address: 1790 North Record Street, Dallas, TX

Address: 707 Carson Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada

Address: 1644 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC

Affectionately shortened to S.N.O.B.'

Address: 192 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC

Address: 1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA

Address: 185 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC

Address: 1 Hudson Road, Hilton Head Island, SC

Address: 518 Tremont Street, Chattanooga, TN

Address: 210 East Glenn Avenue, Auburn, AL