You probably know Joe's Crab Shack from the commercials you see on TV. Driving past one, it may remind you of a Bubba Gump's. More perplexing than anything else may be that this is one crab shack that you can't get steamed crabs at. Well, not like what we're used to here in Maryland. Buckets of crab legs just aren't the same as a steaming pile of crabs in the center of the table. But despite that little difference, they do have crab cakes on the menu. Are they respectable enough to be served in Maryland? Let's find out!

Another establishment not well known for their crab cakes, John Steven has been a Fells Point landmark since 1978 (although the history of the establishment goes back to 1911).  They're actually more known for being a neighborhood watering hole.  But walk past the bar, and you'll find yourself in the dining room with a back patio and outdoor seating.  Serving up fresh Baltimore seafood, it was time to see if the crab cakes fit the bill.

Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack doesn't lie when it comes to the name. Around the corner from the Hollywood Casino, tucked away on a local road, is The Shack. Complete with Tiki Bar, package store, and restaurant.  As the name implies, the big draw here, aside from live entertainment, is the crabs, which you can smell as soon as you walk in. As much as we love crackin' a few with friends over a pitcher of beer, we decided to take a gamble on their crab cakes. Did we win the jackpot, or should we have folded? Read on to find out!

Marylanders love a good crab shack. And Kahler's Crabhouse certainly delivers on the experience! They've been around since the 1940's, and have been at their current location since 1961. Holding on to traditional values, Kahler's aims to use the same quality ingredients that they've always used throughout their history, preferring Maryland Blue crabs to any other. Where you find crabs, you'll find crab cakes, and if their crabs are any indication, then we should be in for a real treat. Come and join us on our journey, where we put down the mallet, and find out how their crab cakes rate!

Kent Island Crab Cakes is a mail order seafood company located in, where else, but Kent Island, MD. A family-run business since the early 1980's, Kent Island Crab Cakes strives to exclusively use Blue Crab meat from the Chesapeake Bay. While crab cakes are their main attraction, they offer much more than that. They also sell a wide variety of seafood delights, delicious soups (both the Vegetable Crab and Cream of Crab are excellent!), meats, and desserts. While we might get distracted by a Smith Island cake, we're here for the crab cakes. So we placed an order for our holiday dinner and invited the family over. Read on to find out what we thought!