Café Carmela -- Pumpkin Pizza & More! On Halloween night, I stopped by Café Carmela excited to try one of their seasonal favorites, the Pumpkin Pizza! Since the restaurant was busy (understandably so), we started with the Meatball Salad, which turned out to be a fantastic choice. It came with crisp romaine, tomato, onion, red wine vinegar, EVOO, ricotta cheese, and delicious, tender meatballs. The mix of creamy and tangy flavors worked perfectly together, a great way to kick off the meal. When I asked our waitress for a recommendation, she mentioned that Café Carmela is known for their vodka sauce, my personal favorite, so I ordered the Drunken Rigatoni. It featured San Marzano tomato, cream, Stateside vodka, basil, and Grana Padano cheese. I also added a chicken cutlet on the side (because protein goals ). The dish was excellent, the flavor was spot on, though I personally would've liked the sauce just a bit creamier. Still, I'd absolutely order it again. Then came the star of the night: the Pumpkin Pizza. If you're a fan of seasonal specials, this is a must-try! It had arugula, ricotta, mozzarella, roasted garlic, sage, and roasted pumpkin, all beautifully balanced. The flavor was rich, cozy, and full of fall vibes. Next time, I'd just ask for the crust a little crispier (personal preference), but the pizza itself was amazing. This pizza is only available once a year, so definitely mark your calendar for next fall because Café Carmela's Pumpkin Pizza is worth the wait. read more

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We went to Cafe Carmela for a friend's birthday party. Although the restaurant is not really big inside, their private party room was able to hold approximately 50 people at two long tables. That left space for a table with the birthday cake, a small table for the leftover food, and a table for wine as the restaurant is byob. We started with pizza, and I especially enjoyed Mamma Leuzzi's pie with balsamic vinegar. A Caesar salad and antipasto tray were also on the food table. Served family style was Carm's parm which was good and the Drunken Rigatoni. The vodka sauce on the rigatoni was the star of the show and made this dish my personal favorite. For dessert, the tiramisu was good, but I appreciated that they also served the birthday cake. However, the coffee was lukewarm at best. The family was able to bring in balloons and decor. That, coupled with background music, added to the ambiance. Service was excellent too. Be advised that the parking here can be a challenge. We got lucky, but the restaurant lot is very small. read more

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The Don Cheech's steak I ordered was very tasty. Definitely satisfied my hankering for a steak sandwich. Nice quality of beef that was seasoned just right, fresh tasting bread, and perfectly melted cooper sharp. A good set of patrons were dining in and the interior is really very nicely appointed, clean and inviting. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers I've added a new place to my "will return" roster. read more

Cafe Carmela - Don Cheech's Steak - Pizza Near Me - Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Pretty good food and at reasonable prices, a big upgrade from the unfortunate places that used to be in the same location and ended up closing. My family put in an online order the Sunday a few days after thanksgiving and when we arrived after ~25 minutes it was hot and ready to for pickup. We shared an order of the Calabrian chili honey wings which were very big and crispy but still juicy and meaty, although the sauce was much more sweet from the honey than spicy or savory, I was hoping it would have more kick. For entrees we got the Magg pizza which is sort of a mix between a plain tomato pizza and a margarita, with mozzarella fresh basil and olive oil on top of tomato sauce; the crust was nice and crisp, the sauce was good and the slices were thin but still satisfying. We also shared the Italiano sandwich which comes with a nicely breaded chicken cutlet, broccoli rabe, provolone, and roasted hot or sweet peppers (we opted for hot); all the components were nicely prepared including the pretty thick chicken cutlet, but I feel like it could've also used a bit flavor and a bit of salt. Overall though, everything was fresh and prepared well, and this place is a nice spot to have for tasty but approachable and casual Italian American fare. read more

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One soooo delicious!!! Came out here to go to sesame place, and stayed the weekend. Had dinner here and it was soo good! The decor is pretty and service was so fast. read more

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Great fried mozzarella, Crab Mac & cheese, really you can't go wrong with anything you get.

Absolutely love cafe Carmela! Some of the best sandwiches and pasta around. Service is always quick and staff is always so nice! Love the atmosphere and decor, my favorite is the big recipe picture! If in the area have to check them out! read more

Cafe Carmela - Gnocchi my nini and side of meatballs - Pizza Near Me - Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

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Saturday lunch of my dreams! Our crew ordered a lot and shared :)the American boy pizza was flavorful and crisp! I didn't try the south Philly pizza w banana peppers and tomatoes and cooper sharp but my friends loved it(very unique!) . The cheesesteak does not photograph well!!! It was sooooo good and cheesey!!!!!! Drunken rigatoni was delicious and the rigatonis truly tasted homemade. Our waitress was so helpful and we had a little one with us and they were so attentive with our silly baby! read more

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Cafe Carmela has quickly become my favorite place to come have a cheesesteak. That seeded roll, cooped sharp with fried onions just comes together beautifully. The wings were the perfect combo of sweet and spice but my favorite part is how they fry them so perfectly. My baby enjoyed her spaghetti as well. Our waiter was amazing, even told us the joke from the kids menu. Love the floral wall decore they have and all the Sorprano pics scattered around the restaurant. I don't think you'll find a better cheesesteak anywhere else! read more

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After some reflection, I think that this was a 5-star meal. We've been looking for a good, (relatively) affordable Italian-American restaurant and now we've found it. We had: - Fried mozzarella (pretty much perfect) - An eggplant parm (delicious and crispy but just a little undersized compared to everything else) - An Italian chicken cutlet sandwich with sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers, and long hots (absolutely enormous and almost perfect; the sharp provolone was very high quality; the long hots were the red ones that have a slightly richer flavor than the greens;the bread was good but I've had better) - Kids rigatoni and meatballs (great pasta; great sauce; meatball was just above average in flavor and texture and was medium in size) - Kids mac and cheese (so, so buttery; a big portion for a kids meal) Service was great and the restaurant was lively and loud but not deafening on a Sunday night. Note that they warn you that dishes won't necessarily come out at the same time, but ours did. They also came out very quickly. We'll certainly be back. read more

Cafe Carmela - Italian chicken cutlet sandwich in the foreground and a meatball in the background - Pizza Near Me - Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Took my husband for a Sunday afternoon lunch. His 1st time eating in and he assured me it won't be his last.

I chose Café Carmela's for a casual birthday dinner with a group of seven, expecting a relaxed and enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, the evening started off on the wrong foot due to the hostess's demeanor. She was curt, unwelcoming, and didn't offer so much as a greeting or smile. I understand that restaurants often have a policy about seating only when the full party has arrived, but in this case, five of us were already there and ready to order. It felt unnecessarily rigid not to seat us, especially when the restaurant could have easily started us with drinks or appetizers while we waited. Instead, the interaction felt tense and dismissive, which put a damper on what was supposed to be a celebratory night. The experience was frustrating enough that we considered leaving for another nearby restaurant. Hospitality starts at the door, and unfortunately, this fell short. I'd consider ordering takeout in the future, but I'm hesitant to dine in again based on this experience. read more

Incredible food! Best cheesesteak in the city of Philadelphia! Restaurant is almost always busy because of how good the food is. And the gnocchi, I dream of it lol. Im gluten free now so i can't order it but take my advice, it's epic! read more

Loved this place! Delicious food, generous portions, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. Would come back! read more

My new favorite place. Feels like home when you're there. Food is phenomenal. Best chicken parm my wife has ever had. Arancini appetizer was incredible. Service was excellent as well. Elizabeth was our waitress and she was friendly and attentive. Going back in 2 weeks! read more

Visited for the first time on a Saturday afternoon. I admit we were hype chasing. Social media has been all over this place as having the best cheese steak in the burbs. Hype chasing works against places more often than not. That said I'd come here again. It's a pretty small place. Casual. Nothing too fancy. Tables are pretty close together. Our order started off with honey drizzled whipped ricotta on crostini. This was my favorite thing we had. I would order this every single time. Very tasty. Truffle fries were good, the right amount of truffle flavor. We split a chicken parm sandwich and a cheese steak. Both very good. Sauce on the parm has a sweet zing. The cheese steak was done in the modern style with the cooper sharp mixed in like a chopped cheese on a seeded roll. I find cheese steaks are either a 5 or a 7. Rarely do they stray outside the curve. This was most definitely on the 7 side. But the hype is a little over blown. What I wish we did was order a pizza. Every pie I saw looked fantastic. read more

It's just a pizza place. I had the Chicken Parmesan but chicken had no taste and the sauce could've used more herbs. The menu was limited with not many options. read more

Fried cheese - comes with four mozzarella squares topped with grated cheese and fresh basil. This would be a solid go-to for an app. Ravioli - comes with three or four (I can't remember) jumbo sizeed raviolis with generous meat sauce. The eggplant parm sandwich I would forgo. While it's toppprd with generous fresh arugula and drizzled with balsamic, it was a cold sandwich. read more

Cafe Carmela - Cheese ravioli with meat sauce - Pizza Near Me - Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Went back in today, 7 months later. Something's off. I ordered a plain steak with onions and long hots. My wife ordered a chicken cutlet sandwich with cheese and long hots too. Her food came out first. The cheese wasn't melted at all and she said the chicken cutlet was more like a chicken finger. The steak (meat) was chewy and stringy. The roll was good; I couldn't find the long hots. The kid that dropped off my food said they were in there (?). Also, our fries needed salt. There was no salt or pepper or extra napkins on the table. You guys can do better. Not sure what happened today. read more

Finally got to have dinner at the new location! We went on a Wednesday evening and met up with friends at 6:30. We were seated in a dining room off of the main dining area. They really did a nice job with this location! Looks great! We ordered a caesar salad for the table and the Oh My Sweet Ricotta (one of my all time favorite appetizers!). I ordered the eggplant Parmesan with the blush sauce. Another one of my favs! Everything was so good including the service! read more

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We love everything they have on the menu. I try to get something different every time we go. The Drunken Rigatoni was aldente in a delicious vodka sauce made with Stateside vodka. The sauce alone keeps me coming back. The meatballs are huge and tasty, a must try. We started with a Cesar salad, which was everything you would expect, including the anchovies if you want them. The service is always good and the atmosphere is very family oriented. Give it a try if you're in the area. read more

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Cafe Carmela's was amazing we walked in with no reservation and sat right away. Sam was a great waitress and our food got out SO SO SO quick! The gnocchi was so yummy and so rich. I highly recommend the margarita pizza and the peanut butter explosion dessert was awesome way to end our meal. Perfect place to have a casual sit down meal for lunch or dinner! read more

We arrived at 5:00 pm. We never went out to dinner that early. We were warned that it's very busy. Well yes it was. Couldn't find a parking spot in the parking lot. There was a party in the back room so seating was limited. Waited 45 minutes. Food was a disappointment. Won't be back! read more

Came in for a late afternoon lunch. Place was busy, but was promptly seated and served. Got 2 appetizers, the Arancini and the fried mozzarella. They were both delicious. Super crispy, with the arancini's inside creamy from the cheese and pesto. The fried mozzarella was everything you could want in a mozzarella stick, fantastic crispy outside and stretchy mozz goodness inside topped with finely grated cheese that paired excellently with the sauce. Everyone enjoyed their pastas. Good choices between seafood, creamy sauces, and lighter options. The portions were well sized. Would definitely return. read more

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I saw this place on You Tube and it was described as one of the best Philly Cheesesteaks around. Even more intriguing was the comparisons to my two all time favorites - John's Roast Pork and Angelo's. So the bar was set pretty high. I drove 30 minutes out of my way since I was catching a flight out of PHL on a Sunday (John's was closed). Again, the expectations were very high. So I find this place in an unassuming strip mall in a residential area for the most part. I look at their menu and it is a full service restaurant, not a cheesesteak place per se. So I am a bit "concerned". Then the moment arrived when my steak was ready. We are outside since we had our pup with us. Steak, sharp provolone, grilled onions and cherry peppers. All I can say is that I have never had a better cheesesteak ... the sandwich was exceptional. But it was the bread that made all the difference. Sesame seeds on a crusty roll with texture. Almost exactly like Angelo's for those in the know. My wife will not even eat cheesesteaks and she ate about 1/3 of my sandwich. I have never seen her enjoy a chew steak before. This is a true testament to the quality of this sandwich. I was blown away ... absolutely loved everything about this sandwich. I now have three favorites. read more

Cafe Carmela - Cheesesteak with grilled onions, sharp provolone, and cherry peppers. - Pizza Near Me - Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Finally got to Cafe Carmela to check out the hype. Sitting in is super cute and romantic. Now the size of the dining area is another story. Somehow no matter where I sat it felt like I could get in on the next tables full convo. Nonetheless, the servers were super nice and accommodating while getting folks in and out. Now to the food. Me and my lady tried the cheesesteaks and pizza. The cheesesteak wasn't anything mind-blowing to me can't lie. The bread was great and the portions were on point but I could snag a better one from the corner store. The pizza...naw. I appreciate a big ol box of pizza with big ol slices but it was mad soggy. Will I be back? Maybe to try something else and for the vibes. read more

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The food is always amazing whether we eat in or take out. My daughter loves their truffled fries, the drunken rigatoni is fabulous, their pizza is amazing and the best mozzarella sticks we have ever had. You can never go wrong when eating there. I've never had a bad meal there. read more

Great old school atmosphere. Food & service have always been great! Really enjoyable experience.

I absolutely love this restaurant. We used to go to the one on Holme Avenue but this is way closer for me...actually about 10 minutes away. The food is fabulous and the service is always good. Whether it's eat in or take out, the food never disappoints!!! read more

I can't have enough good things to say about Cafe Carmella! The food was phenomenal! I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone! We got take out so I won't comment on the service but next time we plan on dining in and I'll update our experience at that time! Boun Appetite read more

Delicious pasta and great service. Portions aren't huge but food is really good. Pizza is amazing. Crust very crispy. They don't take reservations so go early. BYOB makes very reasonable. read more

Four of us had dinner at Cafe Carmela in HV about a week ago. We had very high hopes based on word of mouth and reviews. Somewhat disappointed - 3 people ordered Ariani's Craving @ $22 - pasta, beans, broccoli rabe and hot sausage. One diner asked for sweet sausage because she can't eat anything spicy. The sweet sausage was a $5 upcharge. Especially ridiculous because there were only about 5 or 6 small quarter-size pieces of sausage in the dish to begin with and the portion was on the small side. Chicken parm dish was very good but tomato sauce was a bit "too tomato paste-y" for my tastebuds. Had to ask server to bring Italian bread. We went back next day for cheesesteaks because we heard so much about them. Cheesesteaks were very good ($16 ea) and the seeded roll was excellent. All in all, food was good but it didn't knock our socks off. There are too many other places closer to us serving equal if not better food at a better value for your dollar. read more

My family brought me here to celebrate my birthday. It was phenomenal, I got to try so much! The chicken parm pasta & Mariana is delicious and cozy. The loaded 10th street salad, the American boy pizza, & joeys hot honey sandwich. Everything exceeded my expectations. It was cool & fun because the lights started dancing and a happy birthday song went off when they brought over the dessert we ordered! Which was the tiramisu & pb chocolate bomb. The staff was so so friendly & service was good. It was quite busy for a Tuesday night! This place was a chill cozy vibe. Loved it read more

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Our server Juliet was so kind and attentive. The food came out so quick and was so delicious. The wings were the BEST wings my husband and I have ever had. There was a lot of meat and no chewy/weird parts. The texture and flavor were spot on. I do wish we had some garlic or pepper flakes to add to the pizza but I'm sure if we asked we would have gotten it. Peanut butter bomb was the perfect end to the night. Will definitely be back. read more

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Cafe Carmela's second location on Huntingdon Pike is just as delicious as the one on Holme. Fresh ingredients, authentic flavors and here much more available seating. Multiple eating sections and what appears possibly to be a party room (not certain) Parking on the other hand can be a challenge as the lot fills quickly. Glass bottles of water are an automatic for each table and the friendly waitstaff keeps you replenished while dining. Carmella's menu is not as lengthy as most pizza shops but Carmela's isn't your typical pizza shop. Pride and care go into the making of these pies. They are among the top tier of my local favorites. The wings are a definite must try with a unique flavor profile. Crispy, juicy and topped with creamy fresh blue cheese crumbles. Simply perfection. read more

First timers and will definitely be back!! Our waitress was amazing and super helpful with her suggestions. Our food was incredible and the service was great! We had a cheesesteak, chicken parm, fried mozz and truffle fries! Everything was a 10/10 !! read more

Tried this place again to be in all fairness. I would give this place a 3.5 and not a 3 (Huntingdon Valley) The food is pretty good. The portions are fair in some cases, but, in others, for the price, need to give more. The menu needs to expand to more choices. Same things! Their other place seems to have a better cook and choices. However, the quality is fresh! What I do not like is...the food comes out in different times. The food should be served the same time with your party! read more

Genuinely the BEST pizza I've ever had in my life. The crust was so crispy, so light and airy. Quality ingredients went into that pizza and you can tell. The chicken parm was just want I wanted. Chicken was crispy not soggy and the sauce was incredible. My Pop commented how he's never seen such big raviolis before and he had to stop himself from eating the whole plate. Said the cheese inside was so fresh and delicious. The waitresses were incredibly sweet. Everyone helped one another out. Samantha thank you for your kindness in answering all my Pops questions. He kept telling me how nice you were! The restaurant is so clean, so cozy. I was a little chilly but I'd rather be chilly than hot so for any women bring a jacket if you get cold like me. I definitely want to try the outdoor seating next time if I get the chance the pergola outside is so cute. I will 1000% be back to try more and I've already told multiple people to check out the restaurant and specifically the pizza!! read more

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I have been to both locations (Holme Avenue and now this one), and this one is definitely my favorite. The restaurant doesn't look that big upon initial glance outside, but there's a lot of seating inside! They have a private room off to the right, plus booth and table seating inside, and a nice area to sit outside. My colleagues and I requested a table to sit outside, which had a nice umbrella so we could be shaded. The parking can be a little bit of an issue: the majority of the parking is taken up by John's Water Ice, so you most likely have to park in the back. I'm thankful they have the additional parking back there. I ordered Carm's Parm and it was delicious! I ended up eating half and giving the rest to my husband. Our waitress was also super friendly. We had to ask for the bread twice (but I understand it was super busy), and the bread was absolutely delicious! read more

The food is so amazing. The only issue is the seating is too tight even in the new location. You cannot fully have a private meal or conversation! read more