Food historians agree that the practice of combining minced seafood or meat into a patty dates back to ancient times. In Crosby Gaige’s New York World Fair Cook Book Baltimore Crab Cakes are defined as “a sautéed or fried patty of crabmeat,” and no trip to Maryland would be complete without trying this region's staple. How do you make a crab cake better? Turn it into a sandwich of course!
USA TODAY 10Best and Sandwich America asked readers to vote for their favorite crab cake sandwich in the state of Maryland. Voting was open for four weeks, and the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Crab Cake Sandwich in Maryland are as follows:
- Crabcake Factory USA - Ocean City
- Shark on the Harbor - Ocean City
- Dutch's Daughter Restaurant - Frederick
- Pappas Restaurant - Cockeysville
- Chick & Ruth's Delly - Annapolis
- Drum Point Market - Tylerton
- Ocean City Fish Company - Ocean City
- Koco's Pub - Baltimore
- G&M Restaurant - Linthicum Heights
- Box Hill Pizzeria - Abingdon
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Tawanna Browne Smith (10Best Local Expert), Hannah Carroll (Delaware Wave) and Shannon Morgan (10Best Local Expert) were chosen based on their knowledge of Maryland cuisine.
Additional nominees for Best Crab Cake Sandwich in Maryland included Boatyard Bar & Grill in Annapolis, Cantler's Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Duda's Tavern in Baltimore, Faidley's Seafood in Baltimore, Fratelli's Italian Restaurant in Salisbury, Harris Crab House in Grasonville, Nick's Fish House in Baltimore, Snappers Waterfront Cafe in Cambridge, Suicide Bridge Restaurant in Hurlock and Timbuktu Restaurant in Hanover.
Congratulations to all our winning sandwiches!
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The Experts
Tawanna Browne Smith
Tawanna has had a wanderlust spirit since she was... Read More
Tawanna has had a wanderlust spirit since she was 13. A dozen or so addresses later, she now resides in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Tawanna is the founder and creator of Mom's Guide To Travel, a family travel blog. She's also a contributor to the Travel Channel. If she's not traveling somewhere out of state, she's either shopping or searching for the best crabcake or the best cupcake in the Baltimore-Washington area.
Tawanna Browne Smith

Tawanna has had a wanderlust spirit since she was 13. A dozen or so addresses later, she now resides in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Tawanna is the founder and creator of Mom's Guide To Travel, a family travel blog. She's also a contributor to the Travel Channel. If she's not traveling somewhere out of state, she's either shopping or searching for the best crabcake or the best cupcake in the Baltimore-Washington area.
Hannah Carroll
After graduating from Salisbury University, Hannah... Read More
After graduating from Salisbury University, Hannah Carroll accepted a reporting position with Delmarva Media Group and moved to the beach. She now writes about bars, chefs and restaurants for The Daily Times, the Delaware Wave, Coast Press and Beachcomber. Hannah incorporates her zest for life into her colorful storytelling and her blog, The Sassy Banana. Click here to view her stories.
Hannah Carroll

After graduating from Salisbury University, Hannah Carroll accepted a reporting position with Delmarva Media Group and moved to the beach. She now writes about bars, chefs and restaurants for The Daily Times, the Delaware Wave, Coast Press and Beachcomber. Hannah incorporates her zest for life into her colorful storytelling and her blog, The Sassy Banana. Click here to view her stories.
Jennifer Daskevich
After winning the World Sandwich Championships,... Read More
After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Jennifer Daskevich

After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Shannon Morgan
Shannon Morgan is an award-winning editor and... Read More
Shannon Morgan is an award-winning editor and writer and the author of 100 Things to Do in DC Before You Die (2015). She has written for USA TODAY Travel, Food Network magazine, the Washington Independent Review of Books and several regional lifestyle magazines, including Maryland Life. She has appeared on WYPR Baltimore and spoken about social media strategies at local and international conferences. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two children and drinks way more decaf coffee than one writer should.
Shannon Morgan

Shannon Morgan is an award-winning editor and writer and the author of 100 Things to Do in DC Before You Die (2015). She has written for USA TODAY Travel, Food Network magazine, the Washington Independent Review of Books and several regional lifestyle magazines, including Maryland Life. She has appeared on WYPR Baltimore and spoken about social media strategies at local and international conferences. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two children and drinks way more decaf coffee than one writer should.