Pacific Northwest crab cake made with hand-picked sweet Oregon Coast Dungeness crab, very little binder, panko-dusted and pan-fried golden, served with a Meyer lemon aioli on a bed of butter lettuce.
Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) is the Pacific Northwest's defining crustacean, named for Dungeness Spit in the Olympic Peninsula. Oregon's commercial season opens December 1 and runs through August, with peak quality and price at opening. Portland has run high-end Dungeness crab cakes since Jake's Famous Crawfish opened in 1892 and codified the West Coast crab cake format: minimal binder, sweet crab as the dominant flavour, light coating, served warm with citrus aioli. The dish is now standard at Le Pigeon, Departure and Olympia Provisions.
4 editor picks for Dungeness Crab Cake in Portland, ranked by editorial score. All Portland signature dishes · Dungeness Crab Cake across every city.
Le Pigeon ★ 4.8
east-burnside-kerns · 738 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
James Beard winner Gabriel Rucker's communal-table bistro on East Burnside, Portland's most decorated French room since 2006 with chef's counter walk-ins.
Andina ★ 4.5
pearl-district · 1314 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR 97209
Peter Platt and Doris Rodriguez de Platt's Peruvian dining room in the Pearl District of Portland, open since 2003 with PNW produce and ceviche.
Tusk ★ 4.4
east-burnside-kerns · 2448 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
The bright, plant-forward Middle Eastern room on East Burnside in Portland, open since 2016 with Pacific Northwest produce on every plate. Priced at $$$.
Olympia Provisions Southeast ★ 4.4
hawthorne-belmont · 107 SE Washington St, Portland, OR 97214
Portland's first salumeria, now a refined European bistro in the Central Eastside with house-cured charcuterie and a long pastry bar at the front.