You can step into almost any seafood restaurant along the waters of the East Coast and find some kind of crab dish on the menu. More often than not, it’s a loaded crab cake, complete with a crispy coating, fresh tartar sauce, and a pile of bright herbs. Every state claims to do it best, but crab cakes tend to differ depending on the area. Maryland is known for its filler-free hunks of crab, while New Englanders like to sear their panko-coated patties until crisp. Tastes differ, but there is one Baltimore-based chain you need to visit if you find yourself in the area: Phillips Seafood Restaurant.
Phillips Seafood is a family-owned business that’s been dishing out crab-loaded soups, dips, pastas, and plates to Marylanders since 1956. The company is now a recognized player in the international seafood market and operates a number of different locations, but it all started with a simple crab shack.
Finding themselves with a surplus of crabs one season, Brice and Shirley Phillips, a local couple who were operating a seafood packing plant on Chesapeake Bay, decided to take out a loan and set up a small take-out joint. It was a hit, and the crab cake recipe Shirly Phillips developed continues to be one of Phillips’ signatures. It’s even earned the restaurant a spot on our list of best crab cakes in Baltimore.
Phillips Seafood is ‘the real deal’
The Phillips Seafood Restaurant crab cakes are made with prime crab meat, a touch of mayonnaise, buttery cracker crumbs, lemon, and a secret seasoning blend. There are two options available at the flagship Inner Harbor location: the classic Hoopers Island Crab Cakes, served in two 4-oz portions, and the Ultimate Crab Cake, an 8-oz cake of jumbo lump crab meat. Staying true to traditional Maryland crab cakes, the filler is minimal, which allows the sweet flavor of the crab to shine through…