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    Carma's Café

    3.7 (176 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 2:00 pm

    Carma's Café Photos

    CARMA'S CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for working
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Carma's Café

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    Street view
    Jada C.

    I am absolutely blown away! I bookmarked this place over 2 months ago to visit from Yelp and I am so glad that I visited today! Call me crazy but, this place is almost directly across the street from a Starbucks and I am thinking about visiting this place more than that Starbucks across the street... and I have stock in Starbucks! It's not the most appealing place on the inside but it's the cutest place on the outside. The inside perks include, fantastic customer service, a nice variety, and plenty of seating for individuals, intimates, and small groups! This place has so much character that I can't wait to come back and visit again! And you guys all know that I love handwritten things! They have boards that are written on with special markers to advertise the daily specials and other items. Dahlia was there to greet me as I entered and answered all of my questions no matter how tedious they were! I definitely appreciate versatile and fantastic customer service when I see it and I am looking forward for the opportunity to receive it again very soon!!

    Peach Cobbler Waffles ($10) = pretty tasty; taken on Oct 07, 2018
    Mike W.

    Location/the physical store itself = 0/5 Food = 3.5/5 Service = 5/5 Value = 2/5 Total = 2.5 stars Carma's café is a small café that has become a Charles Village institution over the years beloved by many Hopkins students and local residents. As others have pointed out, the atmosphere at Carma's is very basement-y: it is in the basement portion of a larger of building. The sitting area inside is tiny, with only 4 small tables available. To be honest, the place is a little dingy. With such a small space, it can get quite loud in there and is not a good place to stay to get some work done. Because of this, they have many tables and a picnic table outside of the store, most of which are covered by a canopy. Due to the limited seating inside the store, they have blankets available for the outdoor seating in case you get cold. While that's thoughtful and cute, this is just not for me. I don't want to share blankets with strangers. I'd not mind sitting outside when the weather is nice. Now onto the food part! Carma's serves some good food that's fresh and yummy. Cold noodle salad, avocado toast, gluten-free baked goods, and weekend brunch waffles are classic. The staff members are nice and sweet. They bring the food to you outside when they're ready. As others have pointed out, the wait for food really varies. I appreciate the fact that they use real plates and utensils. Prices are a little high for my taste and the portions are small for a grown, muscular man like me. On average, you spend about $10-15/person. Pro tip: Carma's has their daily specials listed on their website at carmascafe.com, their Facebook page, and on the board outside the store. They're updated daily so be sure to see what kind of yummy sandwiches they have for that day before you go in!

    Jayne O.

    Carma's is a staple for Hopkins students. In the mornings, the little cafe is quiet and a good place to read. In the afternoons, it becomes more of a social spot for people to get lunch and dinner. The grilled cheese and tomato soup is a favorite, although their turkey, cranberry, and Brie panini is another contender. They also have the best veggie cream cheese I can find in the area. In regard to drinks, the Twiggy tea latte, the Mayan chocolate mocha; and the caramel cloud are all good no matter who makes them. I give this place 3 stars because of the lack of space, the awful take out time (they always take forever), and the inconsistent service. Sometimes the food will come out quickly, other times you will wait 45 minutes and nothing. That being said, roll the dice.

    Sandy J.

    Impression: Came here for breakfast and brunch since I was itching for a breakfast kind of place after eating a lot of Chinese foods and bakeries for desserts. This place serves your omelette, frittata, rockets, sandwiches, paninis, and coffees. It is reasonably priced. Everything was less than 10$. My only tip is that they take a very very long time to prepare foods- that's good! At least all from scratch- but if you're looking for a "quick" breakfast place and you're in a hurry, then this may not be the best place. However if you're wanting to catch up with friends and hang out over a relaxed weekend brunch, this is a great joint! They even provide blankets to cover yourself on cooler mornings since the sun won't get to them until afternoon so it may be chilly if you sit outside on a spring/fall day. Portions were enough for 1 person, so if you're thinking about splitting 1 dish, It may not be enough. Sides include sesame noodles and salads. I would give this place a 3.5/5- good breakfast options- nothing super stellar but still a solid place to go with good prices, overall satisfactory taste, and there are blankets!!! What we ordered i.Meatball Rocket Meatballs were pretty large and well flavored, juicy and tender and came with tomato sauce. Large white roll that you can stuff your meatballs in. 2. Meat Frittata Good for one person unless you order many dishes and you can sample with friends. It's an egg dish with ham, sausage, and something else in it- goes well with a salad i think 3. Virginian Ham Sandwich This reminded me of a Cuban sandwich! Flattened bread with ham slices inside with mozzarella/provolone cheese. This is definitely a filling dish if you're super hungry. I recommend asking for the salad for the side for this one. Sides- We got the sesame noodles and the salad. I thought the sesame noodles were ok- they used spaghetti pasta and flavored lightly with sesame oil and maybe salt. I think this was kind of a weaker dish on their end- A little unflavorful and plain if you're already getting a sandwich as your main entrée. Salad is the better choice- comes with olives and peppers.

    Avocado toast
    Vicky W.

    Really nice cafe with good espresso drinks and sandwiches. Their daily egg frittata is my favourite. They also often have some samples near the counter for customers to try. Cute and warm setting though there aren't too many seats inside. They do have outdoor seating and they even brought out blankets for us. Their avocado toast is also really good!

    Grilled Ham and Brie with Bean & Chicken Chipotle Soup
    Helen T.

    The grilled sandwich was absolutely AMAZING, with a Dijon vinaigrette dressing that perfectly complimented the melted cheese. The soup was okay. However, the wait was very long (more than 45 minutes), so definitely not a good idea for a quick brunch. Not a super pretty interior, but, if you're into that hole-in-the-wall coffee shop vibe, this is the place for you.

    Chai!
    Tiffany D.

    Met friends here for a little chat and some tea. The atmosphere is very "basement"--- as it is in the basement portion of a larger of building. It can get quite loud in here and is not a good place for reading or working. It worked for a girls meet and chat though. The drinks? I got a chai latte, and it had a very funny taste. The price was cheap, but the drink was just subpar. They have a small selection of pastries that I didn't try. Overall, I might come again if I'm in the area, but I'm not raving about this place.

    Latte
    Himali W.

    Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of breakfast/brunch options in the area. This place was decent. I had a latte, with the frittata with tri-color pepper and provolone. I picked this because I thought it would be a healthy option, but it was not. The frittata slice was large, dense with a layer of greasy provolone on the top. I normally like provolone, but it didn't go well with the frittata and I ended up eating around it. It came with one slice of toast and homemade jam (I picked the 3-bees, which was yummy). The latte was good. My friend had the San Pedro sandwich, a vegan sandwich with coconut bacon, avocado, sprouts, and vegannaise, which she loved, along with orange juice, which she also thought was delish. Prices are moderate and they do take credit card.

    TCB w tomato cream soup
    Nicole H.

    One of my favorite spots to eat at near the Homewood campus! The food definitely grows on you. I only came to love this place last fall, after being here for three years. The grilled cheese with the side of tomato soup is to die for. To die for. They also have different variations of the sandwich throughout the week. The Brussels sprout one is great. At first I was deterred by the blue cheese in it, but you can barely taste it! The garlic aioli ones are pretty good too! And you can add avocado for $1 to any sand which! Instead of the tomato soup, I sometimes go for the sesame noodles, one of their specialties. The TCB sandwich is my go-to. It's the perfect version of a grilled cheese with protein! And it's great for all those with sweet tooths! The Xander is another good one if you're looking for a more dessert-y taste. When it comes to dessert, you must try the Pink Dalmatian! Although I am a true chocolate chip cookie connoisseur, my loyalties lie with the Pink Dalmatian. The chocolate chip cookies are a bit too healthy-tasting for me with the nuts. Ooh a second favorite is the molasses cookie! To be honest, it kind of tastes like a gingerbread cookie. But it works. Super cozy environment! Definitely come here! And it's BYOB!! Bonus, they also offer almond milk with their drinks.

    Irish oats with fruit (and part of an iced mocha)
    Jacqueline R.

    A staple during my time at Hopkins. TCB's are the ultimate comfort food. The ginger cookies remind me of home and Christmas. The Irish Oats were a favorite Sunday morning tradition - make sure to get the fruit with it. Waits for to go can be long, but I recommend grabbing friends and shooting the breeze eating at their picnic tables. There's usually even blankets to keep you warm at night. Go to Carma's to feel cozy and content.

    Vegan sandwich with stuffed ingredients
    Prisma T.

    I often pass by this lil underground cafe on my walk to the BMA and I'm so glad that I finally decided to enter. The shop inside is very quaint so thank goodness they have a good seating outside of the shop.the interior design and atmosphere was really cute. The cashier was very kind and patient with the newbie I was and made great recommendations. I saw chai and vanilla ice latte so I was excited. But unfortunately the taste and flavor was lacking. I think it just needed a lot more pumps of vanilla and chai flavoring because the milk and ice just really drowned away any taste. As for the food, I got a vegan veggie sandwich and it was very filling and delicious. There was caramelized onions, avo, lettuce, and a jam that really harmonized with the food. The sandwich has cool ingredients on the inside with a warm toasted bread so it is great for the summer. It is hard to hear your name called out for your order from the outside for drinks. But I'm glad they give a spoon number pager for food and delivered to you at your table. Great overall experience !

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    Our yogurt IS available by the quart!

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