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Unless you live in Maryland or another coastal spot where crabs are found locally, crab cakes are often a specialty food item not regularly on dinner tables at home but instead enjoyed at restaurants. But it is actually very easy to order delicious crab cakes via online ordering that will arrive at your doorstep in a matter of days.
There are crab cakes that suit all sorts of preferences, whether they're made with Maryland blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay, Dungeness crab in the Pacific Ocean, or anything else. There are many restaurants and vendors to choose from, and we picked the best crab cake delivery services available nationwide.
Best Crab Cakes Delivery Services of 2023
- Best Overall: Goldbelly
- Best for Certified Sustainably Sourced: Sizzlefish
- Best for Award-Winning Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes: Faidley Seafood
- Best for Maryland Crab Cake Products: Jimmy’s Seafood
- Best for Plated: Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More
Best Overall : Goldbelly
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Goldbelly
SPRUCE15 for $15 off of minimum $50 spend, first time customers only, excludes shipping, standard T&C applies.
Goldbelly offers a variety of crab cakes from different regions around the country.
Variety of crab types and styles of crab cakes
Excellent customer service
Free shipping not always included
Online marketplace Goldbelly offers an assortment of gourmet mail-order crab cakes, including Maryland jumbo lump and Dungeness crab as well as crab cakes from South Carolina and Maine. With over 50 items to choose from, customers can order packs of two to 24 full-sized crab cakes as well as mini crab cakes from different restaurants and vendors nationwide.
Pricing will vary depending on order size, but it starts at $60 for a six-pack of crab cakes from Maine and goes up to $460 for a 24-pack of jumbo Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes. Order from restaurants including Angelina’s of Maryland, and Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. in Maine, as well as the national restaurant chain Legal Sea Foods, among others. Free shipping is included on some, but not all, orders. Some will be delivered fresh while others will be delivered frozen; details are indicated online.
Best for Certified Sustainably Sourced : Sizzlefish
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Sizzlefish
Online seafood marketplace Sizzlefish offers home delivery for a few types of Maryland blue crab cakes, including a gluten-free option.
Sustainable sourcing
Gluten-free option
Shipping not free until order $100+
Sizzlefish is an online seafood marketplace known for its sustainable sourcing. Sizzlefish offers a variety of seafood species, including crab cakes made with Maryland blue crab. Sizzlefish has five order options: Chesapeake Style Crab Cakes, Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Maryland Crab Cake Bites, and Gluten-Free Maryland Crab Cakes—plus a Halibut and Crab Cake Sampler. The gluten-free crab cakes are made with gluten-free breadcrumbs in place of panko.
Deliveries of the large crab cakes and mini crab bites come in servings of one, six, or as a dozen with each crab cake weighing at least 4-ounces. While the Halibut and Crab Cake Sampler, comes with four, 3.5-ounce crab cake portions per order. Crab cakes are all made with crab sourced from sustainable fisheries, individually vacuum-sealed, and frozen. Pricing is $99.95 per dozen for the Chesapeake Style Crab Cakes, $144.95 per dozen for the Gluten-Free Crab Cakes, and $169.95 per dozen for the Maryland Crab Cakes. The Crab Cake Bites come in six bites per serving and for a dozen portions cost $164.95. Free FedEx Ground shipping is included on all orders, which will arrive within one to three days.
Best for Award-Winning Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes : Faidley Seafood
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Faidley Seafood
Founded in 1886, Baltimore-based Faidley Seafood is recognized for its award-winning crab cakes.
Company history
Handmade with jumbo lump crab
Excellent customer reviews
Shipping rates will vary
Faidley Seafood is one of the oldest purveyors of fresh and prepared seafood in the Maryland Chesapeake Bay region. Though it has since relocated, its original location was in the world-famous Lexington Market in Baltimore. Faidley has received numerous accolades, including being one of Smithsonian magazine’s 20 Most Iconic Food Destinations Across America. Faidley’s crab cakes are repeatedly listed as “the best” by diners and reviewers alike.
Thanks to next-day shipping, you don’t have to live in Baltimore to enjoy a crab cake from Faidley Seafood. Crab cakes are made to order daily and shipped fresh via overnight delivery. The ingredients in the crab cakes are fully cooked so they will just need to be reheated. All crab cakes are made by hand with jumbo lump blue crab meat and average 6.5 ounces, packaged individually and priced at $24.95 each. Shipping rates will vary based on delivery location.
Best for Maryland Crab Cake Products : Jimmy’s Seafood
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Jimmy’s Seafood
Jimmy’s Seafood has been recognized for its Maryland Crab Cakes since 1974.
Company history
How-to videos
Variable shipping rates under $125
Founded in 1974, Jimmy’s Seafood makes signature Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes and many more crab cake products available for home delivery. Using recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation, the crab cakes are truly authentic and homemade. Offerings range from a single, 8-ounce Colossal Crab Cake ($32) to large gift boxes that include multiple crab cakes, Maryland Style Crab Soup, Cream of Crab soup, creamy crab dip, and other accompaniments for a crab feast. Crab Cake Egg Rolls are also available, along with DIY Crab Cake Mixes that come in 16-, 32-, and 64-ounce sizes. Other crab cake options include gluten-free, junior lump crab, and crab cakes that are a combination of colossal, jumbo lump, and regular lump fresh crabmeat.
All crab cake items are delivered fresh, not frozen. Shipping rates vary based on location and are waived on orders of $125 or more. Check out the “how-to” videos on unpacking your box and cooking the crab cakes once the shipment arrives. In addition to crab cakes, Jimmy’s Seafood offers other Maryland items such as steamed crabs, soft shell crabs, and crab imperial rockfish, as well as a variety of combo boxes, surf and turf boxes, and more.
Best for Plated : Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More
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Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More
Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More offers an assortment of crab cake dinners that are perfect for entertaining.
Variety
Company history
Customer reviews
Shipping not included
Crab meat is a mix of domestic and imported
Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More offers a large selection of Maryland-style crab cakes intended for entertaining or an elegant dinner at home. Founded in 1980 by a Maryland family, the company has continued to grow and is recognized for its signature Perfect Crab Cakes among a variety of other items inspired by classic Southern flavors. Its food offerings include a variety of food categories, including a mix of meat forward and vegetarian, primarily categorized by meal type.
Perfect Crab Cakes are available to order on their own in quantities of a half-dozen or dozen or can be purchased as a complete meal, paired with potatoes and haricot verts, or Surf and Turf style, paired with filet mignon among a number of other dinner plate combinations. For a tropical twist, the Island Crab Cakes are made with sweet crab meat and seasoned with coconut. For some more variety try the Sampler, which includes crab cakes, baked stuffed shrimp, crab imperial, and Maryland crab soup. Mini crab cakes are available in orders of 18 and 36, making this a perfect item as an hors d'oeuvre. Gluten-free crab cakes are also available. Pricing for six, 4-ounce Perfect Crab Cakes is $89.95, while a Crab Cake Dinner for Two is $54.95; shipping is not included. All crab cakes are delivered frozen and will arrive within seven business days.
Final Verdict
There are numerous companies and restaurants offering crab cakes delivery nationwide, and the biggest differences are the type of crab used and the style of crab cake, as well as the specific order combinations that each company offers. For classic Jumbo Lump Maryland crab cakes, you can’t go wrong with historical Faidley Seafood or Jimmy’s Seafood. If you like Blue Crab and also prioritize transparent sustainable sourcing, Sizzlefish has great options. If you are ordering crab cakes for a special occasion or want to plan a no-fuss elegant dinner, Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More has it all. Goldbelly is our top pick due to the variety of crab cakes offered made with different types of crab.
Compare Providers
Company Name | Type of Crab | Shipping Included | Shipped Frozen or Fresh |
---|---|---|---|
Goldbelly Best Overall | Mixed variety | Sometimes | Frozen |
Sizzlefish Best for Certified Sustainably Sourced | Maryland Blue Crab | Sometimes | Frozen |
Faidley Seafood Best for Award-Winning Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes | Maryland Blue Crab | No | Fresh |
Jimmy’s Seafood Best for Maryland Crab Cake Products | Maryland Blue Crab or Maryland “Blue-style” in the off-season | Sometimes | Fresh |
Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More Best for Plated | Maryland Blue Crab and other Blue Swimming Crabs (domestic and imported) | No | Frozen |
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Main Types of Crab Used in Crab Cakes?
The most common type of crab used in crab cakes is Maryland blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland and Virginia. The peak season for Maryland crabs is April to the end of November, but often frozen or pasteurized crab meat is available during the off-season. Peekytoe crab is found along the Maine coast as well as Rhode Island and Nova Scotia; its crab meat pieces are much smaller in size and sweeter in taste than Maryland blue crab. Dungeness crab is the most common crab in the Western Pacific Ocean and has a sweet, nutty, and mild flavor.
What Is Jumbo Lump Crab Meat?
Jumbo lump crab is the part of the Maryland blue crab known as the swimmer fin muscle and there are only two jumbo lump pieces per crab, meaning it takes over 40 crabs to make a single pound of jumbo lump crab meat; this is why jumbo lump crab is also typically more expensive than other types of crab meat.
What Other Ingredients Are in Crab Cakes?
Crab cakes are typically made with breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and perhaps some fresh herbs or spices, or both. Maryland crab cakes are made with little breading filler and are also occasionally seasoned with Old Bay seasoning. Some other styles of crab cakes may have more breading filler and also the addition of bell peppers.
Methodology
The best crab cake delivery services on this list were chosen for a number of factors including the variety of offerings, pricing, shipping costs, as well as sourcing transparency. Company history and customer reviews were also taken into consideration.
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