Where to Call And Carry - Prince George's County

For some people, there is only one place to eat in Prince George's County: Jerry's Seafood in Seabrook. This plain-Jane restaurant in a little strip mall has long been known for its "crab bomb" and its notoriously long lines, especially on weekends. Everything on the menu can be ordered for takeout. You can buy a cup of crab bisque, or you can get it by the gallon. Phone in orders for the best-selling crab bomb and baby bomb (10 ounces and six ounces, respectively, of jumbo lump crab meat gently bound with mayonnaise and a bit of Old Bay seasoning) and other items. The bomb is baked; it easily reheats without losing flavor. 9364 Lanham-Severn Rd., Seabrook, 301-577-0333, http://www.jerrys-seafood.com.

There are other places to get good crab; one is Lambert's Restaurant & Carry-Out , just a few miles down the road in Glenn Dale. Lambert's, too, is an unassuming place with a loyal following. We tried several items, including steamed shrimp and crab ball appetizers, that didn't reheat all that well. But the jumbo crab cake, described as a "pile of crab meat, deep-fried," was terrific a day later when reheated. Almost as big as the bomb but for less than half the price, Lambert's crab cake is a good alternative, at least when you want a heap of crab meat. Lambert's also serves breakfast and lunch, offering a wide selection of omelets and sandwiches. 10825 Lanham-Severn Rd., Glenn Dale, 301-262-2206, http://www.hotcrabs.com.

Baguio Cafe in Oxon Hill is one of the few restaurants in the area to offer Filipino cuisine. Operating in a small house, with folding chairs and tables for eating in, the restaurant is mostly a carryout. Named for the mountain town that is the summer retreat for Filipino presidents, Baguio Cafe has a steam table full of the unique Spanish/Asian flavors of Filipino cuisine. Try the pansit bihon (a noodle dish similar to lo mein), beef caldereta (a beef stew ), pork adobo (pork cooked in vinegar with cloves), bopis (minced beef heart and lungs cooked with red pepper and garlic -- often an acquired taste), strips of beefsteak cooked with onion, barbecued pork belly, and two kinds of lumpia, one stuffed with meat and the other with vegetables. For dessert, try bibingka , a sweet rice cake baked in a banana leaf. The dishes stand up well to reheating . 7400 Livingston Rd., Oxon Hill, 301-567-6468.

Negril, the Jamaican Eatery was started by Earl Chinn in downtown Silver Spring in 1985 because he couldn't find Jamaican food in the area. Seven years later, Negril expanded to Mitchellville Plaza and has been going strong there ever since. The Mitchellville location serves a full menu of Jamaican food, from beef patties (a flaky turnover filled with spicy ground beef) to chicken roti (chicken morsels in a pancake-like dough) to the ever-favorite jerk chicken. These dishes reheat well at home, if you can wait that long to eat them. The Mitchellville location is usually packed, especially on weekends, but the line moves quickly. 12116 Central Ave., Mitchellville, 301-249-9101; 2301-G Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, 202-332-3737; 965 Thayer Ave., Silver Spring, 301-585-3000, http://www.negrileats.com/ .

Boulevard at the Capital Centre has become a major dining destination, and there are numerous takeouts along Restaurant Row. Two soul food restaurants -- Soul Fixins' and Carolina Kitchen -- offer a wide range of takeout possibilities. Soul Fixins' (881-A Capital Centre Blvd., Largo, 301-333-1141) is primarily a carryout, with just a few tables and stools for eating in. Carolina Kitchen (800-C Shoppers Way Blvd., Largo, 301-350-2929,http://www.thecarolinakitchen.com) is primarily a sit-down restaurant with a takeout line that snakes through the middle. Both offer down-home favorites, including fried chicken, fried fish and lots of vegetables. Neither is really home-cooking good.

A new storefront featuring food from the upscale Fat zo Gourmet and Catering has opened in Largo. There is no kitchen on site, but the location offers an assortment of sandwiches, salads and desserts, especially luscious cakes and cheesecakes. The shop can deliver almost any special item with advance notice. 10658 Campus Way S., Largo, 301-333-2896.

Prince George's County is home to some of the best authentic Mexican cuisine in the Washington area. El Tapatio , a simple storefront in a small strip mall in Bladensburg, is my favorite. It has purple walls, serapes as draperies and Mexican artifacts as decorations. This is a family operation where everything is made from scratch. The chiles rellenos are among the best around (and they reheat well); the tacos are another favorite. For Coca-Cola purists, the Cokes are imported from Mexico and made the traditional way: with cane sugar. 4309 Kenilworth Ave., Bladensburg, 301-403-8882.

Just up the road is Three Brothers Italian Market, a restaurant, takeout and food store. There is a cafeteria line for those who choose to eat in and lots of options for carryout, including subs, pizzas and dishes such as lasagna and chicken parmigiano. This is the flagship store for what has become a regional chain and franchise. 4521 Kenilworth Ave., Bladensburg, 301-864-1570, http://www.threebrotherspizza.com.

The place for ribs is Johnny Boy Carry Out in Bradbury Heights. The ribs are meaty, with a deep, smoky taste tinged with salty undertones, cooked to near perfection so the meat pulls away from the bone easily but doesn't fall off. Order the hot sauce on the side, because it is all pepper and little flavor. The ribs are better without it. 4125 Southern Ave., Bradbury Heights, 301-736-6300.

The original Ledo Restaurant in the College Park area introduced pizza and Southern Italian food to the University of Maryland crowd more than 50 years ago, and it is still going strong. Everything on the menu is available for carryout: the trademark square "we don't cut corners" pizza, the red meat and tomato sauce pastas, fried chicken, sandwiches, subs, charbroiled burgers, even crab cakes. 2420 University Blvd., Adelphi, 301-422-8122, http://www.ledorestaurant.com.

El Dorado Meat Market & Carry Out is one of the newest additions along University Boulevard in Hyattsville. Open from breakfast through dinner, the carryout offers Salvadoran specialties, such as pupusas and chicken tamales. Several other popular dishes, including fish and meat preparations, are available from the steam table. The adjoining market sells fresh seafood, meat and Latin American canned products. 2200 University Blvd., Hyattsville, 301-445-1274.