Weekly reviews of crab cakes around the MD and DC area

The Bowman

If we told you that a seafood restaurant and a comedy club shared the same space, would you think it's funny? Neither did we, but it's still something you don't see everyday. In case you haven't heard, The Bowman has been a Baltimore staple for over 30 years, known for their famous crab cakes, in addition to their other menu items, such as steaks, seafood, burgers, etc. Baltimore Magazine rated them one of Baltimore's Top 25 Crab Cakes in 2013. Read on to find out if The Bowman's crab cakes are truly among the best in Baltimore, or if we should be laughing.

The Bowman offers crab cakes on a variety of menu items. There are your standards: crab cake sandwich served with chips, and the single or double entree served with your choice of two sides. In addition, there is also the Bowman Poorman, which is their surf and turf pairing a 6oz filet with a crab cake and your choice of two sides; you can also add a crab cake on to any entree for an upcharge. All crab cakes are 5 oz. and can be broiled or fried. For this review, we opted for the Bowman Poorman.

The crab cake consists of jumbo lump crab meat, bound together with a house mixture of Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, Dijon, and breadcrumbs. The crab meat was mostly medium-sized lumps, with minimal broken pieces. The binder was nice and moist without being too saucy, and was in the right proportion to the amount of crab meat. Spice levels were the perfect balance that accentuates the crab without overpowering or distracting.

While a bit on the small side, we really enjoyed The Bowman's crab cake! The crab had a nice, sweet flavor to it, and the binder was the perfect blend that provides a good flavor profile with some depth to it. The only real complaints that we have is that the crab cake got a bit too charred in the broiler. We're not sure if this is a timing issue or if they need some new kitchen equipment, but the charring did dry out the edges a bit. Other than that, the crab cakes were wonderful and are definitely ones to try the next time you're out on the town.

The Bowman Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Additional Info

  • Restaurant Name: The Bowman
  • Address: 9306 Harford Rd Parkville, MD 21234
  • Neighborhood: Parkville
  • Restaurant Type: Local
  • Review Date: 03/26/2014 8:07pm
  • Atmosphere: Moderate
  • Item(s) Ordered: Bowman Poorman
  • Cooking Style: Broiled
  • Other Styles Available: Yes
  • Available by mail order?: No
  • Price: 29.00
  • Order Type: Combo Platter
  • Crab Content: Jumbo Lump
  • Filler: Average
  • Spice: Average
  • Overall Impression: Outstanding
  • Rating (out of 5 crabs):

    5-crab