Customers Say The Best Chain Restaurant Crab Cakes Come From This East Coast Gem

Chain restaurants can be a blessing if you like consistency in your menu options and the quality of the food you consume. Some chain restaurants like The Capital Grille are known for their steaks, while others like Maggiano's Little Italy are among the best chain pasta restaurants. But if you're looking for a chain that is a gem of a spot for crab cakes, and find yourself on the East Coast, check out Phillips Seafood. This chain's flagship restaurant in Baltimore has a 4.2-star rating on OpenTable with over 2,400 people weighing in with their opinion.

What are people saying? One diner named Renee wrote on the reservation site that they ordered the ultimate crab cake and warned eaters to make certain their eyes aren't bigger than their stomachs. The individual wrote, "I mean, it was massive — I didn't pay attention that it was 8 ounces of jumbo crab! But it was very good, and could easily serve two." 

But OpenTable isn't the only place where reviewers are sharing their love for this menu item. Another happy customer shared on Yelp, "The ultimate crab cake is a must." And on TripAdvisor, a community member called Phillips Seafood's crab cakes "the best" around. While another member wrote, "I had the Ultimate Crab Cakes with lump crab, and my husband had the slightly less expensive Hooper's Island Crab Cakes. We both thought the difference in price was worth getting the Ultimate Crab Cakes."

Phillips Seafood Restaurant and its crab cakes have a long history in Maryland. This family-owned business got its start in 1956. The Phillips family opened a crab shack in Ocean City, MD, to sell the surplus crabs they would catch. Since then, it has grown into a chain with over a dozen airports, travel plazas, and casinos. If you are going to try the chain's ultimate crab cake, just know it will set you back $55. Of course, if you can't get to the East Coast, you might be able to buy a frozen version in your grocery store. You can use the company's grocery store locator to see if they are sold in a store in your neighborhood.

You can also find the recipe online and try your hand at making them yourself. Phillips Seafood uses lumps of crab meat mixed with bread crumbs, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley flakes. They are seasoned with Phillips seafood seasoning and pan-fried. But it is important to note that Phillips isn't getting its crabmeat from the Chesapeake Bay. So don't worry if you can't either. Phillips gets its crabmeat from Southeast Asia. This region supplies more than two-thirds of the imported crab meat in the U.S.