McCormick and Schmick's runs a variety of seafood restaurants across the United States under differing names.  The M&S Grill is their take on providing fresh seafood and aged steaks in a more relaxed setting.  Located in the Inner Harbor next to the Harborplace amphitheater, you can enjoy views of the USS Constellation, National Aquarium, and watch the hustle and bustle around Harborplace.  With the main McCormick and Schmick's around the corner, the CCR decided to sit outside on a nice day, enjoy the sun and a cold beverage, and see how the crab cake at the more causal location fares.  Continue on to see how it all went down.

Looking past Faidley's and G&M, the one name that has been synonymous with Maryland crabs/seafood is Phillips.  Since 1956, Phillips has been churning out seafood for Maryland tourists, starting out in Ocean City, MD and branching out to not only multiple locations in Maryland (Baltimore, Rockville, and Ocean City), but along the Mid Atlantic seaboard as well (Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Washington DC, Myrtle Beach).  In addition to sit-down restaurants, they also operate seafood buffets, express stands and airport locations as well as grocery/retail and foodservice divisions.  Certainly anyone with this kind of success, especially in an area known for its seafood, specifically crabs, must certainly know what they are doing.  The sign outside of their Baltimore location boasts "Maryland's Favorite Crab Cake".  But is it?  Continue on to find out!

Koco's Pub is one of those establishments that mainly only Baltimoreans will know about.  And even then, the locals may not know that Koco's is known for their crab cakes.  Even if a tourist happens to hear about Koco's and has an interest, chances are they may get a bit scared making the trek out there (especially if you're coming from downtown).  Located in Lauraville (NE Baltimore) since 1985, Koco's has a bit of a following, and is often interjected into discussions regarding where to go for crab cakes in Baltimore.  Do all of the accolades and awards reflect the true nature of these mystical crab cakes?  Follow along and find out!

Back in April, we reviewed the Backfin Crab Cake from Whole Foods, which received high marks.  During a recent trip to that very Whole Foods, I noticed that they were offering jumbo lump crab cakes.  Seeing how the backfin ones were pretty tasty, it would only stand to figure that the jumbo lump would be even better given the quality of food that Whole Foods typically carries.  So how did the jumbo lump crab cakes compare?  Let's find out!

Every once in a while, you come across a place that you underestimate.  I really didn't know what to expect when I decided upon Regi's American Bistro for this week's review.  I had heard that they had really delicious food, and that stuck in my mind every time I've passed Regi's.  And now that I've been there, I have to hit myself for not going there sooner.  Regi's has been around since 1978 serving up fresh food with the 'farm to fork' philosophy, using only fresh ingredients and making everything from scratch.  So how did their crab cakes compare to the rest of the cakes we've reviewed?  Read on!

South Baltimore has long been known for being a working class neighborhood.  Located in between the stadiums and I-95, this area tends to lean towards your local scene, with bars and restaurants here and there, but no central area like Fells Point, Federal Hill or Canton.  Surviving in South Baltimore for over 50 years, Captain Larry's has been that small, local neighborhood bar on the corner that everyone knows about, but likes to keep as their own little secret.  Known for their excellent food and cheap prices, Captain Larry's crab cakes have a bit of a following themselves.  So what did we think of them?  Let's find out!

Ah, the infamous G&M.  You can't start any crab cake discussion without any mention of them, most often being pitted against Faidley's.  G&M has been around since 1972, churning out their crab cakes to high praises and accolades ever since.  The CCR has personally been eating G&M for years.  So in the great crab cake war, how does G&M stand out amongst the others?  Click on through to find out!

Shucker's is located off of Thames St right on the water at Broadway Pier (where you can catch the water taxi).  They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and have quite a large bar area.  They even have a yappy hour where they encourage you to bring your dog (outdoor seating only).  But you didn't come here to bring your dog.  You came here for crab cakes.  What did we think?  Read on to find out!

Claddagh Pub is an Irish pub located in Canton Square, known for their Chesapeake Bay cuisine by day and dance club at night.  This place seems to have it all: neighborhood bar downstairs with a wide range of sports showing on the televisions, outside seating on both the sidewalk and an inner courtyard, and the upstairs area where DJs play and pool tables are to be found.  Claddagh's is probably more well known for being a bar than a restaurant.  And an Irish pub typically won't be foremost on your list of places to find crab cakes.  So how were they?  Read on!

[Part 2 of 2]  Pierpoint Restaurant opened to rave reviews back in 1989, and continues to receive recognition from various publications.  Their concept is Modern Maryland cuisine with a more healthy approach.  Their signature dish is their smoked crab cake, although they also offer a regular one as well.  How do they fare in this town known for their crab cakes?  Let's find out!