Ah....the beach.  Or as we call it around these parts "downy ocean, hon".  While most beaches can provide fun, sun, sand and seafood, Ocean City is one of the few places on the Eastern Seaboard where you can get a true Maryland crab cake.  And taking a drive up and down Coastal Highway (otherwise known as Hormone Highway if it's Junebug season), you notice the plethora of crab houses offering up Maryland's finest.  It can be a nerve-racking decision as to which location you will patronize, especially if you are just there for a day.

If you are anything like the CCR, then you'll be thinking of enjoying a seriously good crab cake after spending some time on the boards (be that surf, boogie or the boardwalk).  And while any crab house can serve up a crab cake, it takes a place like the Crabcake Factory USA to let you know what their specialty is.  Despite having a not so stellar experience at another "factory", I decided to throw caution to the wind and see what it was they had to offer.

The Crabcake Factory USA has been around since 1986, making crab cakes fresh in Ocean City and shipping them all around the world.  There is even a sign outside of their restaurant on 120th St boasting the over one million crab cakes being sold/shipped.  But do the crab cakes live up to the hype?  Let's find out!

A family-owned and operated business, Faidley's has been serving up award winning all lump crab cakes in Baltimore's historic Lexington Market since 1866.  Faidley's is almost always included in any crab cake debate as a top contender with G&M.  Read any review, and people will either love or hate Faidley's all lump crab cakes, going out of their way to sample this world-renowned establishment.  What does the Crab Cake Review think?  Read on to find out!

Faidley's is a Baltimore icon, serving up world famous all lump crab cakes in the historic Lexington Market.  Always front and center in any crab cake debate, people have gone out of their way to see what the fuss is all about.  When you get to Faidley's, you will notice that there are three different styles of crab cakes:  All Lump, Backfin and Regular.  Which one you choose could impact the rest of your visit, either walking away completely satisfied that you made the right decision, or disappointed to find out you didn't choose the one that everyone is raving about.  We've already reviewed the All Lump offering from Faidley's, so let's see how the Backfin compares.

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!

Back in January, the CCR encountered Handy Crab Cakes, hoping that stumbling across a brand they've never seen before might actually be a frozen crab cake that is a worthy substitute for when you can't get a freshly made one.  As it turns out -- not so much.  Alongside those regular crab cakes were the Crab & Shrimp Cakes.  Call us a glutton for punishment, or maybe just consider us adventurous.  But we went ahead and bought a package.  For science!  They are, according to their website,  America's oldest seafood processor, who still maintains a plant in Crisfield, MD.  In this day and age of rampant patriotism, we say let's support the local Maryland economy and give them another shot.  Were these any better?  Let's find out!