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Swallow At The Hollow
From the outside, the Swallow At The Hollow appears to be a dingy dive bar, and for the most part, it actually is. But that's what gives such establishments its charm, right? (This IS Charm City, after all!) The Swallow has been around since the 1940's, and until recently, not really a place that you'd see yourself getting a high quality culinary meal, thanks to the exposure given to it by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Intrigued by the Ghost Pepper Honey wings, we also noticed their claims to have one of the best crab cakes in Baltimore. Which you know we just had to check out! Read along to find out what we thought!
The Swallow's menu offers Crab Balls as an appetizer, or the Crab Cake Sandwich, both broiled. The Crab Balls come with tartar or cocktail sauce for dipping, whereas the Crab Cake Sandwich is served with fries, slaw, and pickle. This review is for the Crab Cake Sandwich.
The crab cake is comprised of a loosely formed patty with Jumbo Lump crab meat, bread, and primarily an egg binder. Crab lumps are large with that sweet crabby flavor that you come to expect from Maryland Blues. We mention it is loosely formed as it falls apart really easily if you poke it with a fork. The Kaiser roll that the sandwich is served on is lightly toasted, which is a nice touch.
Overall, we thought this crab cake works really well as a sandwich. You're still able to taste the crab meat through the bun, although the lettuce and tomato were not very flavorful. Fresher toppings could have added some extra flavor, but it is not a deal breaker. As a sandwich, the crab cake is messy as it falls apart easily, so if you're not into a sloppy sandwich, order it on crackers. While we thought the cake could have used a touch more spice, it is a solid representation of what a Baltimore crab cake should be. Definitely check it out, and be sure to order those Ghost Pepper Honey wings as an app!
Additional Info
- Restaurant Name: Swallow At The Hollow
- Address: 5921 York Rd Baltimore, MD 21212
- Neighborhood: Belvedere Square
- Restaurant Type: Local
- Website: http://thehollowbar.com/
- Review Date: 03/05/2016 2:01pm
- Atmosphere: Not Busy
- Item(s) Ordered: Crab Cake Sandwich
- Cooking Style: Broiled
- Other Styles Available: No
- Available by mail order?: No
- Price: 14.95
- Order Type: Sandwich
- Crab Content: Jumbo Lump
- Filler: Average
- Spice: Average
- Overall Impression: Very Good
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Rating (out of 5 crabs):
