7 Chain Restaurants Using Real Lump Crab in Their Crab Cakes
A crabcake that’s seasoned perfectly and filled with fresh lump crab meat is worth the wait. Ignore those artificial, imitation crab sticks made of mystery fish. When you’re looking to treat yourself, crabcakes stuffed with actual, quality crab have a certain sweetness to them that comes from fresh shellfish. Here are 7 restaurants that say their crabcakes are stuff stuffed with real crab meat.
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Morton’s The Steakhouse is known for their quality cuts and dry aged USDA Prime beef, but their high standards fan out into other menu items, as well, like their crabcakes. The Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes are served with red onion, peppery arugula, whole grain mustard Beurre Blanc, and Grana Padano. If you’re looking for even more crab, guests can order fresh King Crab Legs with melted butter.
Smith & Wollensky’s
Smith & Wollensky’s is well-known in the industry for their dry-aged steaks, having high standards when it comes to their beef. “Our classic steakhouse cuts are USDA Prime, grain fed, and humanely raised. Further enhanced through in-house aging for a minimum of 28 days, the steaks’ natural flavor and tenderness are intensified,” the company says. “Our USDA Prime steaks, signature filets, and American Wagyu are sourced from a network of small family farms and sustainably produced by our partners at Double R Ranch and Snake River Farms.” With such a focus on quality, it should come as no surprise that their Crab Cakes are loaded with quality, lump crab meat (in addition to flavorful cognac mustard and ginger sauce).
Mastro’s Steakhouse
Mastro’s Steakhouse is known for their steaks and aging process, but it turns out they pay just as close attention to their seafood. They offer fresh shellfish like crab and shrimp cocktail, scallops, calamari, oysters, and even caviar, in addition to their Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes loaded with fresh lump crab meat.
Fogo de Chão
Fogo de Chão has been roasting their cuts over fire since 1979 at their Brazilian steakhouse, but that’s not the only thing they do right. Their all Jumbo Lump Crab Cake is “available as an enhancement to the Full Churrasco Experience, a 4 oz jumbo lump crab cake, perfectly seasoned and complemented by a zesty lemon herb butter,” as mentioned on their website.
Houston’s
Houston’s slogan is “serving you with pride and good food,” and that reflects clearly in each dish, especially when it comes to their crab cakes that sell out quickly. “Jumbo lump crab cakes [with] pan-fried blue crab, served with coleslaw,” the website advertises. “Extremely limited, we sell out daily!”
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood serves a Jumbo Lump Crab Cake that’s a signature item at the chain. “Artfully prepared with succulent jumbo lump crab meat and a golden panko crust, finished with a creamy housemade remoulade sauce,” the website says. Eat This, Not That! mentioned in an article about the best crab cakes that Dennis Littley, Chef and Culinary Expert at Ask Chef Dennis said, “Eddie V really handles and cooks the crab like it deserves,” he says. “The cakes are meaty, tender, and cooked so the outside has a light crisp while the inside stays soft. They don’t overload it with breadcrumbs or fillers, so every bite tastes like crab first, with just enough seasoning to enhance it.”
Bonefish Grill
The chain restaurant, Bonefish Grill, is known for fresh fish. “At Bonefish Grill, we created a menu that’s the envy of the seafood world and [took] the mystery out of fish,” the website says. “Full of fresh and innovative dishes, our menu specializes in seasonal fish, and indulgent appetizers like our guest favorite, Bang Bang Shrimp. Dinner, Lunch, or Brunch, you know when you walk into Bonefish Grill you’ll find that we do it right, every single time.” With their attention to obtaining and serving the freshest seafood, their Crab Cakes are a signature item, served with lump crab in a signature sauce with lemon.