Karella's Cafe — Restaurant in Baltimore

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...

UPDATE: The encounter was with both the owner and his son. The owner did the talking upon picking up our order. I can see this type of thing coming from inexperienced employees. Not from the owner. No we aren’t asking for a freebie. Neither were we when we brought up your mistake. What we would of liked was a sincere apology from you in person when we picked up our order, not an apology in this review. Sadly it was the opposite. An owner of a restaurant should own up to their mistakes and not argue with a customer.

Our family used to carry out of here alot on a weekly basis so we became familiar faces. Their souvlakis were delicious, but we will never go back here again after our last experience with them. There were 2 occasions where they shorted us. The 2nd time, we decided to give them a call to let them know. (It took us an hour to get there and back) The owner’s son who takes the phone orders, was rude about it and said he’ll get us next time. Well, the next time came around and the moment the owner and son saw my husband walking in, he went back, grabbed the container, set it on the counter, opened it, and said “count them, we don’t make mistakes”. Wow what a nice way to greet your customers. No hello, no apologies for the last time, nothing. What a way to treat your customers. Instead, why not, “Hey we’re sorry for the last time. We counted them and made sure they’re all in. Enjoy!” These people made us feel terrible and called us liars. If it were me picking up the order, I would of left the food right there and left. Never gone back since. Will never recommend a single person again. There are other great Greek restaurants around that value...

The family atmosphere is remarkable. When entering the establishment you become part of the Karella family. Yes, from management to even other customers you find yourself enjoying the ambiance, overwhelmed by the outstanding food, taken aback by the caring and welcoming staff, casual atmosphere and you find yourself wanting to go back again and again. The decor is perfect, contemporary and old world feel as well. You start speaking louder, toasting, and impressed by the all the Greek specialty dishes. The octopus, lamb, and salads are hot! I've also had the fish, gyros, and a recent new zuchinni appetizer. Worth the travel, worth the $, and worth...