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Balboa Surf Club, The Crab Cake. Photo by Western Addition

Featured Article

If you eat one thing

The crab cakes from Balboa Surf Club are everything diners could want in this seafood classic.

Balboa Surf Club is known for its delicious, fresh seafood, which makes it hard to pick a favorite dish. If pressed, however, their best-selling crab cakes might be it. This quintessential crab cake is made with no filler ingredients to let the dish shine with pure flavor. Large enough for an entree, each dish includes two jumbo lumps – the equivalent of two dozen crabs. The entree is served with French fries for dipping (more on that later), making it a solid choice for any meal. balboasurfclub.com

The Crab

Balboa Surf Club sources fresh, unpasteurized, never-frozen domestic crab. The location changes depending on the time of year, but the restaurant follows crab season along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to ensure maximum freshness and quality.

The Mix-ins 

In order to let the quality of the crab shine, the culinary team at Balboa Surf Club never uses filler in their crab cake. The jumbo lumps are held together by a light egg mixture to help the crab cake keep its shape.

The Breadcrumb Crust

The breadcrumb crust is made daily from the restaurant’s house-baked bread. Each side of the crab cake is dipped into the housemade crumbs and seared into a crisp exterior. 

The Sauce 

The lemon, butter, and dill sauce is a simple finish that highlights the delicate flavor of the crab. The dish is served with French fries because, according to the team, “they are the perfect vehicle for swiping up any leftover sauce.”