Best I Ever Had: Crab Cake at Brick Tavern Inn

There’s an unpretentious elegance in well-crafted Brick Tavern Crab Cakes, a menu mainstay for decades. Tender morsels of delicate lump crab take center stage in their signature version of this beloved dish, made from “our famous recipe”—which fans claim is superior to Maryland offerings. 

“We’re keeping the tradition alive, and that’s important,” says Executive Chef Scott Carpenter. Each batch starts with 12 pounds of sustainably sourced premium lump crabmeat and a mere 3 cups of breadcrumbs—using the restaurant’s leftover bread—before minimal binders and light seasonings complete the mixture. Shaped into generous 8-ounce portions, the crab cakes are then baked and served as a 1- or 2-piece entrée, accompanied by luscious house-made remoulade. (Hint: Ordering two diminishes resentment when companions ask for a taste!) 

Take It Outside

Chef Carpenter offers tips on upgrading a cookout with crab cakes:

•Purchase high-quality lump or jumbo lump crab; Phillips brand recommended.

•Include minimal binders/fillers to avoid crab-scented breadcrumb cakes.

•Avoid shredding the lumps by using your hands, not a utensil, to fold ingredients together gently. 

•Chilling cakes thoroughly helps them hold their shape during cooking.

•Cook over medium heat in a cast-iron pan on the grill, until internal temperature reaches 160–165°F, turning once. (Chef note: Typical griddles made for grills are thin and heat unevenly, resulting in crab cakes that may burn before finished cooking.)

THE BRICK TAVERN INN
2460 OLD BETHLEHEM PIKE
QUAKERTOWN
215.529.6488
THEBRICKTAVERNINN.COM