Karella's Cafe

There’s a reason at the time of my review, this place had 5 stars. Nothing fancy, just a family cooking up authentic Greek food. The food was all made to order and tasted delicious. The staff was friendly, made conversation and more importantly, made us feel welcomed. Can’t wait to come back, extremely impressed A+

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!

Hands down one of the best gyros I’ve ever had. Super quick service, and the seasoned fries were a great bonus. This has become a must-stop for me on the way to and from DC

Some of the best Greek food in baltimore. I always get the chicken gyro wrap. But the iced freddo cappuccino and frappe are the best drinks.

Cash only but they accept venmo!

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.