Jakes Crab Shack and Restaurant in Belmar is a one of the Jersey Shore's most popular destinations for delicious dining and truly the "Best Crab Cakes on the Jersey Shore."
We had our first taste of Jakes Crab Cakes a couple of years ago at the opening event of Jersey Shore Restaurant Week 2010 and we loved them. So we were very excited when we were asked to sample Jakes latest offering, their famous Crab Cakes and Crab Balls delivered to our door from the new Jakes Crab Cakes On-Line Store. We expected good, and they turned out to be incredible.
A great edition to any holiday party or dinner.
If you know our kitchen you know that our refrigerator is filled with sauces and condiments from all over the world. We decided to put the frosty cold package that arrived to the test with an array of complientary flavors.
We were a little worried, you see UPS, or was it Fedex, dropped off our delivery mid-morning on a relatively warm and rainy day. By the time we got home that evening we were concerned that the cakes may have thawed. But that was not the case. The ice inside and the bags of crab cakes and crab balls were intact and still very frozen.
We wanted to focus on the crab cakes so we served them with just some simple salads, cole slaw and a radish, carrot and arugula salad. They were so easy to cook, 15 minutes on each side in the oven. They came out with a nice crispy brown crust and tender, moist and delicious inside. The first thing I noticed was the abundance of fresh tasting crab meat, these are not loaded with bread crumb filling like many cakes you find in the supermarket.
According to Jakes, "the crab cakes and crab balls are hand packed, then flash-frozen at 30 degrees below zero, placed in resealable packages and packed in dry ice to maintain freshness." It worked. They tasted like they were just made.
We enjoyed the cakes with homemade tarter sauce, homemade cocktail sauce, both pretty zesty because we like it that way. We also tried them with Trader Joe's sweet chili sauce, Stonewall Kitchen Farmhouse Chutney, Ginger Dressing and some Mazi Piri Piri. Not all at once of course. Oh boy all so good.
For drinks we enjoyed some great craft beer, 2xipa, from a favorite brewer called Southern Teir.
Jakes is found facing the ocean on the Boardwalk in Belmar, NJ. They are known for their fresh Lemonade, great Italian Hot Dogs, Boardwalk Fries and...The BEST Crab Cakes at the Shore!
Jakes Crab Cakes On-Line Store
500 Ocean Ave Belmar, NJ 07719Tel. 732.894.3502
