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    Karellas Cafe

    4.7 (44 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Karellas Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    KARELLAS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Karellas Cafe

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    Mixed meats
    Tre S.

    We were greated with love. The hosted was so wonderful and very informative. We ordered the octopus, mix meats and fries. The octopus was fixed to perfection and the mixed meats were very savory. I see why they have a 4.8. Enjoy!

    Baklava
    Chiseko I.

    Great Greek foods with relaxing ambience! The staff was very attentive and the timing of serving was great. The octopus was crisp on the outside and tender inside. The staff told me that they steamed it before frying it. The chick pea salad was fresh and delicious. The strong Greek coffee went well with the sweet Baklava.

    Ahra J.

    Excellent spot! It is located in Greektown and sits in a quiet neighborhood. We were a party of 4 and arrived around 5 on a Saturday night. We also had a dog with us and initially we intended on sitting outside, but the owners were nice enough to let us sit inside since our dog was on the smaller side. They were prompt in greeting us and came over right away to make sure we didn't have any questions and took our order. We ordered the spicy feta, cheese balls, two souvlaki platters, octopus, baklava and coffee. Everything we ordered was delicious!! The octopus was probably my favorite. It is always a toss up when I order it because some places tend to overcook it. This was tender and very flavorful! The cheeseballs reminded me of the Brazillian cheese bread but cheesier! Their gyro souvlaki is pork based. The place is not that small and I did see several people coming in and out with one other table occupying the space. It has maybe a total of 7-8 small tables. There is street parking available but keeping in mind it is Baltimore and in a residential area, there are signs so just watch out and read them carefully before doing so!

    Shrimp gyro
    Jaleah S.

    As someone that has visited Greece, this gave me a smooth taste of the amazing food I had in Mykonos. When walking in they had on Greek television channels showing soccer games. There seemed to be regulars in there that added to the authentic Greektown ambiance. There is an open kitchen also so you can watch them prepare the food. Our server had great service, he checked in often and was very consistent. We ordered the fried cheese balls and friend shrimp to begin. 10/10.... 10/10... 10/10 for both. The hummus was top two. NOW two! The shrimp gyro was amazing only possible feedback or complaint other than perfect was more shrimp or meat for sure. Will definitely be back!

    HOT fries, Fresh Tzatziki!
    Edrika G.

    All I can say is everything here is so fresh! This is my local spot that I can walk to and pick up food. I love it!

    Octopus
    Brad R.

    TLDR: Unbelievable Greek food in a cozy cafe off the beaten path. Come for the amazing octopus, souvlaki and baklava. Vibe: 5/5. Tucked away on a narrow side street in Greektown, Karella's is a small restaurant that offers 2-4 person dining both indoors and out. Inside, the restaurant has a hand full of 2 top tables (can be pushed together for a 4 person group) making this a perfect date night spot. Outside there is 1 large 4 top that could squeeze up to 6 people if needed. When you walk inside, the sounds of Greek folk music paired with the Mediterranean decor are nice touches that add to the ambiance. The small kitchen is located at the rear of the restaurant which can be seen from the dining room. Karella's is setup as a counter service cafe, with a display case and beverage cooler at the main counter in the rear, but during our dinner we ordered/served at our table. Service: 5/5. The staff at Karella's was fantastic from start to finish. Days before our dinner, I reached out to the cafe to see if they still had outside dining, as we were bringing a dog and wanted to make sure we wouldn't have any issues. They assured me they could accommodate us and would have the outside table ready before we arrived. When we arrived for dinner, they were so kind to allow us to sit inside with the doggo since he was small and well behaved. As mentioned above, Karella's is setup as a counter service style restaurant, but on our visit we were serviced table side by what appeared to be the owner (only front of house staff present). He was very personable and did a fantastic job in explaining the menu and checking in on us throughout the meal. Beverages were kept full and when it was time to settle on the bill, it was a breeze making sure our Venmo went through (cash or Venmo only). Food: 5/5. Our group of 4 thoroughly enjoyed every dish we had at Karella's. We typically eat family style at restaurants, so we opted to try the cheese balls, crazy feta dip w/ pita, the octopus, the beef and pork gyro souvlaki platters (includes Greek salad and fries) and baklava for dessert. Again, everything was fantastic but the main winners of the night were the perfectly cooked octopus and the pork gyro souvlaki. The octopus was crispy on the outside, unbelievably tender on the inside and simply seasoned with lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs. The pork gyro souvlaki also had a nice crispy outside and perfectly tender on the inside. Paired with the homemade tzatziki sauce on pita, it was a match made in heaven. The homemade Greek cheese balls were also tasty. The owner told us that they are made with a blend of Gouda and several other cheeses to give it a nice nuttiness as well as gooey consistency. To round out a great meal, we had a fine example of baklava. Overall, we loved every aspect of our dinner at Karella's and will definitely look forward to dining with them again!

    Kabir A.

    Dined in as a group of 4 towards end of December (holiday season) Sunday night . No other patrons. Clean and looked newly renovated. Greeted and welcomed. Waiter was nice, professional and helpful in guiding us to our ordered items. We had: Chicken Souvlaki - seasoned fries, salad, 3 chicken skewers. Fries had a nice aroma and tasted good. Salad was delicious! Skewers were on the dryer side, not as enjoyable as expected. Bifteki - juicy, lightly seasoned beef patties stuffed in soft, warm gyro pita w/vegetables and tasty tatziki sauce. Greek coffee - on the sweeter side , smoky and delicious. Galaktoboureko - not too sweet, and has a kick of lemon? Perfectly balanced w/cinnamon and thoroughly enjoyed. All items came rather quickly, tasted fresh & beyond satisfactory. Granted we did not enjoy the chicken skewers, but to each his own on defining "tendor & juicy". Waiter was always attentive to us and gave us 2 free water bottles for the road. We all had a great experience. Prices were fair and portions within standards. Reccomend!

    Freshly made baklava!
    Abigail V.

    I have never wanted to recommend a place more than I have this one! Karellas is a MUST VISIT. I can honestly say this is some of the best Greek food I have had in Baltimore. This hole in the wall place is 100/10 on authenticity and service! If you are dining, the cheese balls for the table are an absolute must-- truly I did not have a bad dish! The service was incredible, Nick allowed us to try so many different spreads and dips, it was such a delightful experience. Not to mention all of the food tasted so fresh! Some things to know- this spot is cash only! there is an ATM nearby. There is no parking lot, but street parking was easy. The portions are great! I cannot wait to go back to this business, it is no question going to be my go to place for Greek!

    Ice cold  Peroni
    Cathy G.

    WOW!! We had dinner here last night and I'm still dreaming of it. I've never been to Greece, but I can imagine walking along a seaside village and finding a small family restaurant like this. We ordered so many dishes and they were all delicious. We drank icy cold beer while eating grilled octopus, pork souvlaki, lamb gyro and lamb chops. We also had gigante beans, chick pea salad and a Greek salad. I may be missing some other things we had but it couldn't have been tastier. They made us feel like family and by the time we left we were hugging the owners and promising to come back. I highly recommend this hidden gem. It's a culinary treat!!

    Chicken platter and keftedes
    Nikita D.

    Delicious food, everything tasted so fresh and authentic. Smaller place with good service

    Rachel E.

    JUST AMAZING!!! Some of the best Greek food I've had! Little cute spot in Greektown. I LOVED their octopus and dessert! Food was very fresh and tasty, people working here are very welcoming and super nice. Make sure you bring cash, they only accept cash.

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    2 years ago

    Second time coming here. Food was so good. The pita bread is like a little cloud of yum. 10 out of 10.

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    3 years ago

    Best Greek food in the city, with the nicest family as owners. My girlfriend and I went last Sunday and enjoyed every bite of this meal.

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    3 years ago

    The coffee and gyros were very good. Service was good in this cozy spot. I plan to return to try rest of menu.

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    4 years ago

    Fries and gyros are amazing. Seeing how they close later than most local restaurants, I will be back on a regular basis.

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    Excellent Greek coffee and salad. Service was friendly and lovely. I will return if in the area.

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    Karellas Cafe - greek - Updated May 2026

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