Weekly reviews of crab cakes around the MD and DC area

Whole Foods Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

Whole Foods Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Whole Foods Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Crab Cake Review

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!

Unlike the backfin crab cakes, suggested cooking instructions were not printed on the barcode label this time around.  I went with the backfin instructions, baking my crab cake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.


Looking at the ingredient list, there are definite differences between the backfin and jumbo lump.  The jumbo lump is mostly crab meat, held together with a mixture of mayo, dijon and a small amount of breadcrumbs.  By comparison, the backfin was just crab, mayo, peppers, onions and spices.


I cooked my crabcake on the lower end of the scale, leaving it in my oven for 12 minutes.  This resulted in a slightly saucy crab cake, although the breadcrumbs do add a bit of texture to the sauce, firming it up a bit.

The crab meat is nice and sweet, but after you taste the crab, you then taste the dijon.  It may have been the cake I received, but I thought the flavor was too heavy on the dijon, despite being a lesser ingredient than the mayo.  It's not the worst thing in the world, but a bit too mustardy for my liking.  The crab meat were jumbo lumps, although there was a bit of breakage in the lumps.  My other thought was that the cake could have benefited from having a little less sauce in the mix.  

Crab cakes from Whole Foods are a nice alternative to spending a lot of money on going out for a meal.  Of the two styles, I actually prefer the backfin to the jumbo lump, mainly because of how overpowering the dijon was (which may come down to personal preference).  Aside from that, they are still quality crab cakes that you can't go wrong with should you be in the mood.

Additional Info

  • Restaurant Name: Whole Foods
  • Address: 1001 Fleet St Baltimore, MD 21202
  • Neighborhood: Harbor East
  • Restaurant Type: National Chain
  • Review Date: 05/11/2011 8:18pm
  • Atmosphere: Not Busy
  • Item(s) Ordered: Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
  • Cooking Style: Oven Baked
  • Other Styles Available: Yes
  • Available by mail order?: No
  • Price: 8.99
  • Order Type: Store Bought
  • Crab Content: Jumbo Lump
  • Filler: Minimal
  • Spice: Average
  • Overall Impression: Very Good
  • Rating (out of 5 crabs):

    4-crab

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