Koco’s Pub

Came here for dinner… and all we had is crab cake, wings, and fries…
Wings: to me, it’s a bit dry… taste is good, and definitely get the OldBay wings!!! they are so good…
Crab Cake: this is the 2^nd crab cake in 2 days, and i do have to say, they make it fresh to order (i think) they taste a little creamier then Faidley’s which i think they might have more «smaller pieces» of crab mixed in to have the texture… not a bad things… so if you like a creamier crab cake then Koco’s for you! It’s a bit too filling for me, but i managed to eat the entire thing myself…
Service is awesome! Kitchen closed at 9pm, but they let us sit and eat even it’s pasted 9… i think we were there till 9:30 almost 10pm… they didn’t kick us our or even motion us that they are closed, they just continue to come and give us water and make sure everything is ok… they are just awesome… :)

Love it. Friendly folks. Excellent local vibe. The no filler crab cakes are as good as any in Maryland. The prices can’t be beat. Been there about six times or so and look forward to it everytime. Great place to go with a group.

Five stars five stars, im in looovvee with the no filler lump crabcake, fries and salad included in my meal.
But i dont think you guys are hearing me no filler crabcake just so juicy, hot, and large. I took another one home to freeze it is worth it.
The fries were fresh and salted to perfection.
Now the staff were just so chill and laid back.
The bathroom was neat, lotion very soft fragrance.
I’m definitely coming back to get my crab soup, crabcake and fries

oh my god, the crabcake
ok, I could just stop there for my review, and that would be sufficient, but here’s a little more text. lol.
Parking situation sucks. just drive up and down the neighborhood streets and find something. I promise, it’s worth the hassle for the awesome crab cakes.
It’s more of a diner feel than a pub. But either way, casual, no-​fuss, comfy little place. There are no frills, no silver platters, no nice china, no linen cloth. But you didn’t come here for that, did you?
There are some other things on the menu, to be honest, I can’t even remember what they were. Just stop fussing and order the crab cakes. It’s large… large enough to share. but why? Just get your own and eat it all. You’ll want to. =) You might be insanely full afterwards, since there’s no filler and it’s ALL CRAB. You’ll have had enough protein for the rest of the day. You likely won’t feel hungry again for the rest of the day. But just do it!
Now that I’m writing this review, I’m drooling wanting to go back. Will have to drag the hubby and go this weekend. Yumm…
— — — — — — — — — — — –
Explanation of my rating system —
5*: Epitome of something, the best I’ve had, would LOVE to go back
4*: Great food and happy to go back regularly, but not the best of the category
3*: Food is fine. I may spontaneously decide to go there based on convenience. But no need to go back either.
2*: If you insist, I guess I’ll come along. I’ll find something to eat. But I wouldn’t have picked it.
1*: No plans to come back. I’ll try to talk companions out of going.

5 stars for the crabcake.
1 star for the styrofoam that they serve it on.
1 star for the oddball ‘tropical’ atmosphere.
1 star for calling itself a pub but closing at 9pm.
–Seriously though, they truly do have the best crabcake in town but I’ve only been a couple times because of these few shortcomings.
–I get it that their kitchen is tiny but I still feel like they could figure out a way to get a dish machine in there so you aren’t eating their glorious $ 30 cake off of a non-​recycled styrofoam plate. You can’t tell me that they can’t afford this upgrade…
–I do not get the tropical theme. What does that have to do with Baltimore and its favorite delectable meal?
–And finally, what kind of pub closes at 9pm? I know that Lauraville isn’t necessarily a bustling area later at night but you can’t even watch an entire Orioles game at Koco’s. They will seriously kick you out.
–I will be back regardless but with a few upgrades I can tell you with much certainty that I would be there much more often!

I can understand why the tourists don’t make it out of the harbor and up here for crab cakes. But, the rest of you? get in the car (or über). It’s in the heart of Lauraville, and worth the drive — shoot meander up the block to Maggie’s for a cocktail. Clearly everyone else is, it was evening on a Wednesday and this place was packed. I grabbed us a few seats at the bar.
I have long believed they have one of the better crab cakes in this city — not cheap, though — the platter rings in at just under $ 25. One very very large crab cake, fries and some coleslaw. For what they lack in fries, they certainly make up in crab cakes. My singular complaint for Koco’s is the frozen from a bag generic french fries; but that didn’t stop me from eating every single one. I guess we all have our vices…
First off, they are HUGE, like bigger than my fist, huge. They get a high quality Maryland Blue lump crab and mix the succulent meat with so little filler, it’s amazing that it keeps it shape. This is how I like my crab cakes and have ever since I lived on the eastern shore. They broil their crab cakes to a perfect golden brown. This crab cake is a little, should we say — «saucy» — creating a creamy old bay texture to the cake.
I won’t tell you that you have to order the crab cake. I hear they make great wings and shrimp salad. I am saying that you will be envious of all the other guests if you don’t.

Unilocalers you were right on the money with this one! Although, I have had crab cakes in Baltimore many times I have never been so completely satisfied before! This place is aaaammaazzzzing!!! I grew up eating a lot of crabs and crab cakes in the «Hampton Roads» area for many years. My father makes the best homemade crab cakes with no fillers, just lots of jumbo lump crab meat, old bay seasoning, and a few more secret ingredients. Old bay seasoning is a Maryland tradition. This seasoning is more than 75 years old and consists of a blend of celery seed, salt, red pepper, black pepper, and paprika. It is typically sprinkled over steamed shrimp and crabs. Needless to say, many places (in NYC and Maryland) don’t come close to having a «complete» crab cake for my tastebuds. Usually places don’t use jumbo lump crab meat or they put flour, breadcrumbs, and a whole bunch of ingredients as a filler. Some over power the crab with mustard or some other unnecessary ingredient. You end up not even being able to taste the crab meat! My boyfriend and I was only going to be in Baltimore for a couple of hours so I found this place as a great «pitstop» to fill up on great food and head back to NYC. Parking was not too bad, we found a space 2 blocks down from the place. There really isn’t any designated parking and unfortunately the restaurant is on the corner of a main street with little to no parking spaces. But when you live in NYC and you battle with parking everyday in every single borough you become a pro and you can’t complain about parking in any part of the U S of A! Anyway, the place is really cute with a nice size bar. It’s a neighborhood hangout with nightly locals. The service is super friendly and attentive. The menu is strictly seafood with no dessert in sight, which is fine as the waitress told me they want to focus on what they do best — crabmeat! My boyfriend and I decided on a crab cake platter which consists of 1 jumbo crab cake with 2 slices of beefsteak tomatoes on a bed of lettuce, and a dill pickle spear. The platter is $ 24.95 and could easily be shared by 2 people. The crab cake is larger than a baseball. I really should have tried to measure it because it’s the largest crab cake I have ever seen. It’s probably a pinky length shorter than the length of my 6S plus iPhone. Filled with jumbo lump crake cake and seasoned with old bay seasoning. The crab cake wasn’t overly seasoned with mustard or mayonnaise. It was seasoned just right. The tomatoes were amazing! Although I’m usually not a fan to eat them sliced without being in a salad, I ate the 2 huge slices without hesitating. They were sprinkled with old bay. I could barely finish my food but stuffed myself because there was no way I was going to leave any crab on that plate! We also shared and enjoyed a huge Greek salad that was $ 12.00. Although they were a little heavy handed with the old bay seasoning on the tomatoes, they «aced» the crab cakes! I will definitely return in the future!

Hmm… not sure why it took me 4 years to finally give Koco’s Pub a shot. I guess it’s always better late than never and it’s well worth the drive.
These crab cakes are legit! Probably the largest size you’ll see in Baltimore, built with large helpings of lump crab. The texture of the crab cakes are creamier and less firm than others I’ve had, but I actually really like that. The market price isn’t cheap, but is reasonable for such generous portions.
The wings here are also delicious. I love Koco’s flavors and how they make the wings. The Old Bay is a dry rub for certain, but for the other flavors that are saucy, they make the wings crispy like a dry rub, and then lather the sauces on top. Genius.
This place offers many specials depending on the day of the week, and are a good bet to please your palette.
Service was awesome, and I’ll be looking forward to next time…

The food here is absolutely delicious! I had stuffed jalapeños as an appetizer and the strips of fire + french fries for an entrée. I recommend the raspberry sauce that comes with the stuffed jalapeños, although you can always get both that and the buffalo sauce. Both are great! The chicken tenders had the perfect amount of sauce on them. Fries were also good. They are apparently known for their crab cakes and margaritas. My friend had a margarita and it had a good taste to it. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. It’s in your best interest to make a reservation although I didn’t know this before I arrived. They made room for us despite us not having a reservation. Paul was our waiter and he was super cool! Friendly, helpful, and attentive.

First, lets get the bad stuff (and it’s not really bad stuff) out of the way…
1. Parking can be a trick as they don’t have their own lot. You can park along the street or at the Safeway one block away.
2. Reservations required. The place is small, maybe 20′ wide x 60′ long. Half of that is the pub/​bar. What remains is for the dining patrons although in one corner, they have toys to keep the kids entertained.
I came with 2 co-​workers, our first time to the Baltimore area. 2 of us had the Crab Cake platter, my other co-​worker had the burger. This place is casual, VERY casual. If you want fine dining, white tablecloth service… look elsewhere.
The crab cake was extraordinary, the texture was ethereal. 11 oz. of jumbo lump crab with ONLY enough breading to prevent the thing from falling apart. The platter is served with fries (made to order), cole slaw (a bit soupy for my taste), and a thick seasoned tomato slice (a nice, lightly acidic counterpoint to the rich crab) They broil their crab cakes as opposed to pan-​frying resulting in a slightly crispy exterior and a sweet, moist interior.
My co-​worker who had the burger, said it was really good.
Summation: If you are in the Baltimore area, and want a REALLY good crab cake (or burger, so I’m told)…you will be hard-​pressed to find a better one. In fact, we’re going back next week.

Mommy has been wanting to take me here for months.
Glad we finally came. The food was delicious.
Mom got a garden salad and everything was fresh ingredients.
For her entrée she order the large shrimp and fries. It was delicious.
JT ordered crab dip as his meal. It was very rich and came with warm baguettes.
I got the world famous crab cake. It was enormous. Very tasty. My only suggestion s to cook it longer. I don’t like when it’s creamy in the middle. All in all it was a great experience.

I’ve been coming to Koco’s for a little over a year now and have never had a negative experience. My mom and I usually eat here on Thursday’s for their crab cake specials.
The food, in my experience, has always been very good, granted I’m an extremely picky eater. Although most people come for the drinks and crab cakes, I eat the Parrot «something» chicken which is basically jerk chicken and pita chips that are always worth it. I am personally not a huge fan of crab cakes but this is the only place I’d voluntarily eat them. In my experience, crab cakes always have weird cartilage pieces left over in it and it immediately turns me off to eating it. The crab cakes usually don’t have them. The crab cakes are not heavily breaded at all, a very generous portion and well seasoned. It usually comes with a garden or Caesar salad. Overall, the other items on the menu are great as well and in my time going, I’ve never witnessed anyone complain.
It is a bar and it’s very popular on game days (in addition to Thursday’s). The drinks are good and the bartender is friendly. Get there early if you want a table or make a reservation as the place fills up pretty quickly around prime eating times (5:30PM on). The table arrangements can be pretty tight and parties can be huge so it gets crowded.
Parking can be a mess if you don’t know where to park. The best place to park is at the grocery store parking lot (Shoppers?) and walk the block or two up, but there is parking in the immediate area. You run a risk of ticking off the residents if you park in front of their houses, so try to avoid that if possible.

The crab cakes here are glorious. I found this place through Unilocal,so I am forever grateful to these reviews for sending me here. The crab cakes are bigger than my fist (about softball sized), and have excellent flavor that they don’t even need tartar sauce (though their sauce is really good). The pieces of crab meat are huge, and I have to wonder what’s holding it all together since there is so little filler. I also love that they have a salt shaker full of Old Bay on the tables so you can add more seasoning to your preference. I don’t have a huge stomach, but I totally devoured that delicious ball of crab. Bravo, Koco’s!

Been here once on the advice of a friend. It was ok… Nothing extraordinary… had the crab cakes of course…
THE GOOD…
–crab cake was pretty good
–server was friendly
–took reservation
THE BAD…
–crab cake is almost to big to the point where it wasn’t crispy on top… wasn’t really cooked to my liking
–seating area was cramped
–water cups were small and refills were very slow
–menu isn’t that good, minimal choices
–should use real plates for their food
–bit pricey for such a divey spot
Overall Koko’s was ok. I’ve had better crab cakes before. I didn’t think the meal was worth almost $ 100. If you’re considering trying this place out go ahead… Nothing here that would really lure me back again.

AWESOME! It was between here and G&M. I read bad customer service reviews for G&M so Koco’s it is. Koco did not disappoint. The wait staff was very nice and the FOOD! OMG the crab cake was so good. I am impressed. $ 24 for the crab cake and Caesar salad. Cake was so moist and I was shocked at how much meat was in it. «Was there any filler?» I don’t know.
It’s about a 15 minute ($ 10) Über from the Marriott Inner Harbor.

Great pub in its own right… not a bad selection of craft beer. Several TVs with sports. French open when I was there. Ok… nuff small talk… yes the crab cake is astounding. I did an 11 ouch. This is 99% crab meat… None of that bread.
Best ever.
That is all.

Absolutely The Best Crab Cake I’ve Ever Had. This crab cake has very little Filler and All The Lump Crab Meat You could ever Dream of. It is so Jumbo I can never eat it all in One Sitting. They season it so well. You Don’t Need Tartar Sauce or More Old Bay or Even Cocktail Sauce (If U r In to that) It’s Just Damn Good By itself. If You are visiting Baltimore and You are looking for the Best Crab Cake This is Your Place. It’s a Hole in The Wall — - But The Holes Usually Make THE BEST FOOD. BTW: The Drinks ain’t too shabby either. They have anything you want from Top shelf to rail. Also eat in… They charge $ 2 For take out. Aaaannnddd Get it Broiled… Don’t Disrespect The Crab Cake and Fry it!!! It’s So Not the Same. Happy Eating!!!

Came here with a few friends a while back with a reservation. There is a lot of seating and a bar, but the place was packed!
My friends and I split the wings, which were your standard fried wings. Juicy, crispy skin, and yummy sauce!
The best part for sure was the crab cakes! My friend and I split a crab cake platter and I was plenty full just eating my half. The crab cake itself was so large and as others have said, was all full of sweet, tender crabmeat without any filler. I also liked the slice of tomato that was sprinkled with Old Bay that came on the side. Although the crab cake is a bit pricey, it’s worth the splurge every now and then :)

We came in a party of 5 on Saturday night at 8pm, and good thing we made reservations! They fill up quickly.
We got an order of buffalo wings (average of 10 wings, but the number depends on the size so it ranges from 8 – 12). The sauce was pretty standard and the meat was rather dry. We also each got the original platter, which was $ 24.99 (varies with market price). Best crab cakes I’ve had. They are humongous and almost all crab meat. The service is also fast and nice. The waitress was quick to give us straws for our water and separate plates for items we were sharing without us even asking!

Best crab cake of my Annapolis/​Baltimore weekend. Not only are the crab cakes nearly double the size of other places, the crab meat was sweet which I didn’t find elsewhere.
Went Saturday afternoon with a big crowd watching the NFL playoffs. Service was still good and food just great.