Our visit today was a great experience from start to finish. The service was excellent, and the food came out incredibly fast while still being fresh and delicious. We also enjoyed dessert, which was a perfect way to end the meal. A special touch was when Carmela herself stopped by and handed us a to-go bag with complimentary bread. That kind of hospitality really made us feel welcome and added to the warm, family-oriented atmosphere of the restaurant. The only slightly unusual thing was that the meals for our table were brought out separately rather than all at once, and they serve Pepsi products instead of Coca-Cola. Neither was a major issue, just something to be aware of. Overall, a wonderful dining experience with great food, friendly service, and a genuine family ambiance. read more

I swear some of the best food I have eaten are in strip malls! Cafe Carmella is no exception. I have eaten here multiple times and have never had a bad meal. This is not a pizza joint but Italian Done Right and the dining room is cozy but you won't care. Fair warning they are always busy but so worth the wait. Don Cheech (cheesesteak) plenty of meat, juicy, cheesy and the bread is oh so good, French fries are solid with or without the truffles. They make homemade Arancini and it's delicious as is their burrata caprese. Then there is the meatball salad with ricotta or their Ceasar salad are crisp and filling with house made dressings. Every pizza I have seen looks amazing but I haven't gotten to them yet. I had the gnocchi mi nini amazingly creamy and light and their eggplant parmesan the eggplants was perfectly crisp and cooked perfectly. No mushy eggplant here. If you have any room left (we had dessert first one day) the tiramisu is delicious and so worth every calorie. The servers are very nice and have not had any issues plus the owners are waiting tables too with them. Don't be surprised to hear Italian spoken here it just adds to the experience. read more

I went to the wrong Cafe Carmela! I had been to the other one previously and was blown away. Stopped here and the food was "good" ... but just not as good as the previous visit. read more

I'm pretty long winded. Let's be very straightforward here. Let's keep it simple. The best damn Philly cheesesteak ever. I bought three of them. It fed six people. There are no pictures. We ate them. Oh my God. I think you have enough information now. Go. read more

Once again, we all enjoyed our meals from the appetizer to our entrees and then dessert. Staff were wonderful; friendly, engaging, funny, and very attentive and helpful. Cute place with plenty of parking available. In the area? Check Them Out! read more

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This place never disappoints, the service is always at the top. Food is always fresh and fast. Best cheese steaks and pizza u can get in the northeast, will always be back too try something new. read more

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We ordered take out consisting of a pizza, cheesesteak, and pasta. The food was good until I found a baby roach in my pasta and threw out the pasta. I ordered the Ariani's Craving. The pizza was also kind of dry. I would stick with their pastas and cheesesteaks if I go back. read more

I've had on my list to try for a while. We went on a Friday evening and it was but we were seated right away. Lots of tables enjoying the pizza and pasta dishes. We decided to try the sandwiches instead: Don Cheech's steak and Italiano. The cheesesteak was hot and absolutely delicious. The chicken cutlet on the Italiano was prefectly breaded and cooked. Flavors were spot on and you could tell everything was freshly made. It's a family-owned and operated spot, there's something about that personal touch that really comes through in the food and service. We'll definitely be back! read more

Café Carmela - Italiano - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Seeded rolls for cheese steak are bomb! Had these long hots in it that was fantastic! Highly recommend

Food is always so amazing, but it's tight inside. I hope they expand the restaurant soon considering business, but amazing. Always 10/10!

Decided to get a pizza (American Boy) with the cauliflower crust. How disappointing. It is the smallest, thinnest pizza that barely qualified as an appetizer. You couldn't taste the cauliflower at all because of how thin it is. To charge the same amount for a regular sized pizza ($18) is really unbelievable. There are no pictures to indicate the size or a description letting you know how small and thin it is. read more

Café Carmela - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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It you haven't been to Cafe Carmela yet you need to change that! This is the old Blue Duck location on Holmes Ave near Nazareth Hospital In the NE. It's on the smaller cozier side. They have a larger Huntington Valley location that would be better for larger groups. No resevations. BYOB. Only $20 for this huge plate of chicken parm and house made rigatoni! Food came out within 5 minutes of ordering. I love the ice cold bottles of water they bring to the table. The sandwich's looked amazing! Tables are close so it was hard not to spy on what our neighbors ordered! Their Italian chicken cutlet sandwich looked amazing! There is a 3% charge for using credit cards and no ATM that I saw close by so bring cash if you want to save a few bucks, read more

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I enjoy this place to say the least. The wings are pretty good. Not the most flavorful but they're good. I wish they were a tad more crispy though. Their ranch its served with is a nice addition. The cheesesteak was ehh the first time I had it (w cooper cheese) I tried it again but got their cheese sauce instead which definitely made it taste a lot better! I hate they don't add condiments on their steaks because it "messes up" the flavor. I honestly don't care what their reason is, as paying customers we should be able to get our food the way we want it. Pizza is pretty good. I have yet to try the pasta read more

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Whenever I eat here the food never disappoints! The pizza, the crust, the pepperoni just chefs kiss. But don't get me started on the cheesesteak...it was absolutely delicious! Something about the onions & cooper sharp on a cheesesteak just gives it such great flavor! read more

Café Carmela - Half plain, half pepperoni pizza - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I had my sister pick up a Philly cheesesteak from here when she went to meet her friend for dinner. Per my cousins recommendation I ordered the Ribeye with onions, Cooper sharp cheese, salt, pepper and long hots. I was told to ask for salt and pepper otherwise it doesn't come seasoned. I am a big believer the bread is what makes the cheesesteak. The bread was really good, they know what they are doing. I love Cooper sharp cheese more than the traditional cheese sauce. The long hots gives the cheesesteak the perfect spiciness. All in all my cheesesteak craving palette was satisfied. read more

Café Carmela - Cheesesteak with onions, Cooper sharp cheese and long hots - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food is always on point. The cheesesteak is one of the best in Philadelphia and the pizza is always hitting the spot. I have sat in and done takeout, and both have had great experiences. Overall a great spot and it's also a BYOB. I will say sometimes there is a wait as it can get very busy around dinner time, but it is worth the wait. read more

Stopped in on a rainy day, but the inside was still humming with patrons. I was tired of hearing from people about the cheesesteak, so I had to have a first hand experience. Don Cheech's Steak - $16 fine cut ribeye - not chewy at all, no gristle. Not drippy, but mixed in with plenty of Cooper sharp provolone. Went well with hot cherry peppers ($1 add on). Cooper sharp provolone was melted into the roll nicely, heavy, but not a dripping mess while mixed in well with the ribeye. Bread was a seeded roll, fresh and crispy outside, soft inside and the cheese was melted into it. Sandwich itself held together well. One of the better cheesesteaks you'll find around. The staff was so nice and prompt. They were handling the take out orders and tables calmly and with a smile. The inside is cozy and bigger than you'd think. Everything was clean and I enjoyed the Italian atmosphere. Will stop in again sometime to explore more of the menu, but the steak experience was definitely worth it. Thanks guys! read more

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Love this spot. Its a about to be a fav of mine. I have been here twice. Food is delicious and filling. The ambience is very mom and pop but has a modern flair. Took a friend here for his birthday after he saw the restaurant on social media. They even put on lights, sang, and brought a dessert out when ai told them it was my friend's birthday last minutes. Service my first time was super friendly and accommodating. The takeout experience was good too and food still delicious but service was not as friendly. read more

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The title of this review should be "It's Still As Good As I Remember." Kicking off this year with one of my favorite places, Cafe Carmela's. We have visited both locations, but Holme Ave seems to be our favorite. Yesterday, we stopped by to soothe our wing and pizza desires. Simple glad we got in around 12:30 bc we grabbed the last 2 seater (table). We looked over the menu and quickly realized we would like to stick with the plan, pizza and wings. So, we ordered the buffalo chicken parm wings "well done" and a regular pizza (half sausage). The wait time was maybe 15 mins or so. Our wings and pizza arrived together. We quickly started on the wings. They were crispy with a nice mixture of sauce and blue cheese. None of the ingredients over powered the other. Next up, the pizza. I loved the crisp and firmness of the thing crust with just the right amount of sauce, sausage and cheese ratio. The slices were just the right size. Thereby allowing me to eat both, pizza and wings. That's rare for me. I'm usually too full to eat both. We barely finished our 8 wings and definitely took home 5 slices of pizza. Yay! I like having more pizza to eat the next day. We can't wait ti go back to Cafe Carmela's this year to see what new menu items we can devour. read more

Café Carmela - Our half and half pizza (half cheese and half sausage) - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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They have the best Mac cheese in Philly! Their cheese steak is peak food. And the the orange soda is mouth watering.

Stopped by on our way to New York off a friend's recommendation and was not disappointed! I got the Drunken Chicken Cheesesteak and it was sooo good! I ordered online and it was ready when I got there! Loved that there was a parking lot so easy in/easy out! read more

Café Carmela - Drunken Chicken Cheesesteak - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cozy space , Delicious food good portions enough to bring home for leftovers. Very nice staff

Oh yes! While Cafe Carmela was a little distance from City Hall for me, this restaurant delivers incredible cheesesteaks and Italian food. I came to Cafe Carmela on a Tuesday Night and it was packed with patrons. I was able to be seated despite how busy it was. I ended up ordering: Don Cheech: this is their top notch cheesesteak. It's one of the best I've had in Philadelphia. The cooper sharp, onions, and ribeye along with the Carangi bread makes it one of the best Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. Carm's Parm Chicken: THE. GRAVY. Is killer. What delicious sauce they make here. The chicken parm was tasty along with the very flavorful ragatoni. I absolutely loved this. Maybe more than the cheesesteak, and that's saying something! Cafe Carmela does get packed. It's a little loud inside but manageable. The staff are efficient and nice. Overall a great restaurant in Philadelphia if you don't mind a little bit of a drive. read more

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Café Carmela offers great Italian food in Philadelphia. It's a smaller spot and a great local spot that also has another location. I got their Philly cheesesteak with cooper sharp and their Margherita pizza. Their cheesesteak was good piled high with the ribeye meat the bread was delicious. Service was great and friendly and definitely a great spot to get a Philly cheesesteak. read more

Café Carmela - Philly Cheesesteak - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Decided on Cafe Carmela as our top cheesesteak place to try out after our Parx trip and man did we pick right! This place was awesome! The service was friendly, welcoming, and prompt. As someone from The part of NJ where NYC is considered "the city" I was equally impressed with the pizza as I was with the cheesesteaks! We had "the mags" at the request of our server and she did us a solid! Cafe Carmela has replaced Angelo's in our rotation as we can actually sit and enjoy our meal without the organized chaos elsewhere. 10/10 recommended! read more

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It's a tight space for dining in, but it's doable. There was enough room to add a high chair. Our waitress, Jocelyn, was so friendly with our toddler and helped make the overall experience easier and pleasant. As the menu warns, the pies are crispy but that's what I enjoyed! My son was a big fan of the fried mozzarella and the marinara sauce was great. I'd go back for the Mags pie and I'm also curious about the other pizza and food options. read more

Stopped by for one of their legendary cheesesteaks and was not disappointed. I got it with Cooper Sharp and long hots. It looks like a really wonderful and welcoming dining area and I need to come back sometime and sit down and order one of their pizzas too. I'm still on my cheesesteak journey but this is one of my top 5. Definitely the most luscious cheese I've had so far. read more

The Angelo's of Northeast Philly! Come hear for the best pizza and cheesesteaks in area... no question. The ONLY criticism would be the onions are kinda bigger... I prefer smaller dice. Also the roll is good (Corropolese) but not as good as Angelos (they bake their own). Pizza is great quality - flavor and crisp. A local gem in the area. This is the original spot, they also opened a location in huntington valley. read more

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A few days late on this post but video is up on the socials now after meeting up with Godfather of Meat and Foodula for my first ever time at Cafe Carmela! I of course came for the cheesesteak but Tyler also ordered the Drunken chicken cheesesteak and The Godfather talked me into trying the Sicilian wings. The cheesesteak was shaved ribeye (medium cut) with fried onions and cooper sharp on a seeded Carangi roll. I thought the chop on the meat was nearly perfect for my preference and the flavor was good. There was a lot of cooper on that bad boy which made the roll tear a bit underneath, but I certainly wasn't mad at it. Onions were a bit larger than I prefer but the cook on them was good so it didn't mess with the bite. The drunken chicken cheesesteak had great flavor and was also on the Carangi roll. We opted for no onion and this one comes with cooper as well as mozzarella. If I had to knock anything from this day at all I would say that this was a bit salty for my personal preference. I am, however, sensitive to salt so take that with ... uhhh .. a grain of ... yeah you know. The wings were the best item I had and one of the best orders of wings I've maybe ever had. Mannnnnn they were awesome. Solid fry on them, the flavors were awesome and the fried onion/cherry peppers overtop were different but worked well. The cucumber ranch dipping sauce made no sense in my mind but perfect sense on my palette. I would get these twice a week if I lived anywhere near here. Cafe Carmela, for sure, Didn't Suck! read more

Café Carmela - Cheesesteak cooper sharp wit' - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The rumors are true. The cheesesteak here is one of the best. While the restaurant is in a random kinda sketchy location on the outskirts of Philly, the restaurant itself is very charming. There's a parking lot in front which is convenient. The service and food here are top-notch. Staff was very friendly. They interacted with my 3-yr old, which my daughter appreciated. The food here was excellent, even beyond the cheesesteak. We came here for the cheesesteak, but was blown away by the Drunken Rigatoni. The rigatoni came out piping out and was sauced up nicely and had great flavor. We also ordered the arancini and a side of spinach. The spinach was nothing special. but was seasoned well and tasted great. The arancini was also fresh. The cheesesteak was generously portioned and was very flavorful. The bread-meat-cheese ratio was perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The one issue some people may have with this place (which I did not) is that they serve food when it's ready. Given the high volume of customers, they just pump out food when it's ready so we got our cheesesteak first, followed by the pasta and then the spinach, and finally the arancini last. Some people may be picky about the order in which they receive the food, but for me, I'd much rather food come out quickly and be fresh. Would definitely come here again! A can't-miss place! Next time I'll have to try the pizza as well, as the tables around us got it and it looked great. read more

Every Friday we pick a different place around Northeast Philadelphia that has either gone viral or that we've heard really good things about. This week, we kept hearing how good Café Carmela was, so we ordered a large pie, half steak, and fries. Easy enough, right? But when I order takeout, especially from somewhere that's literally a four-minute walk from my house, I don't expect to get home and have to reheat my food. The fries looked like they'd been sitting under a heat lamp for about an hour, and the bread from my steak had already started absorbing grease by the time I got home. When I walked in to pick up my order, there was no "hello," no "have a good night"... nothing. Now, I do take into consideration that it was 745pm and they close around 9 pm but still--you treat every customer the same, whether it's the first order of the night or the last. The only thing I will say is the steak quality itself was good... just the steak. But you should never order out and have to come home and reheat your food. read more

Food was delish service was good , closing for a week , free rolls n veg for whom ever wanted some , I did lol read more

Café Carmela - Rib eye cheese steak - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Cafe Carmela is in a strip mall in the Northeast but once you're inside it's like being in South Philly! It's family owned. It's on the smaller side but has a good amount of seating. The lunch take out was booming! Plenty of parking is available. The hostess and servers were attentive, helpful and very nice. The food is delicious with quality ingredients! The fries were hot and crispy. The meatball salad was surprising with lots of greens plus 2 big meatballs and fresh ricotta. The Parmigano is chicken cutlet with long hots. The chicken is lightly breaded and not greasy. The Giardino is thin eggplant lightly breaded and fried with arugula, mozzarella and balsamic. It was heavy on the balsamic so I would get it on the side. I asked for a new roll for the second half because the balsamic was too heavy. I was fine with the rest but the owner insisted on making a whole new sandwich! Very nice since it was a personal preference not the restaurant's fault The owner and staff really care about the food and their customers! read more

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OMG, I've had their food catered for parties but this time I ate in with friends for lunch. Absolutely delicious. Had the pasta and chicken parm. I'm very particular about my chicken parm and this was absolutely delicious. Brought half of my meal home and shared it with my husband who loved the pasta and sauce. I saved the chicken for me. I would so recommend this restaurant. read more

Just back to say that time hasn't changed this place Every time we are welcomed with smiling faces and amazing food. Consistently delicious read more

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Have had several meals appetizers. Never had their pizza but from others pizza is great. Recommend this restaurant. read more

Absolutely amazing! Every dish was packed with flavor, and the service was top-notch. The atmosphere was inviting and warm. Truly a five-star dining experience I'll remember fondly. read more

Really cool place with great choices on the menu. Food was generally excellent including the pizza and chicken cutlet-broccoli rabe sandwich. Those were amazing. I must say the cheesesteak we ordered was good, but didn't live up to my expectations given the reputation. Maybe be careful of ordering the cheese sauce which was quite strong, rich, overpowering the bread and steak. Service was very attentive and the open air kitchen. Bottled sodas are also a bit lame for such a nice restaurant. read more

TWO WORDS.... TOP TEIR! Yesterday, my family & I took an impromptu visit to CC's (our nickname we gave them b/c we are family now) & we were not disappointed. Although, we went during their last hour of opening, we were treated like family from the moment we walked in. We were greeted, seated and welcomed with smiling faces and warm personalities. Our waiter Mrs. Amerie (the boss lady) was very nice and attentive. Mr. Anthony (the boss man) was running the kitchen but still greeted us with hospitality you rarely receive any more in establishments (we were sitting next to the kitchen) He greeted my husband shook his hand and the two shared stories like they knew each other for years (I guess it's a BookBinders & South Philly thing) Mr. Anthony was just a vibe! We wanted to order the whole menu (but in due time) However, we order the Garlic Buffalo Parm Wings that were delicious to the bone. The Blue Cheese crumble on top------chef kiss! My husband had the Drunken Rigatoni spicy-10 out of 10 (his words). The Rigatoni was cooked perfect al dente (as the menu promised it would be) you taste every seasoning used including the fennel in the sausage. The sausage had good meat and fat ratio & the sauce... THE SAUCE; good GOSH! The sauce was truly Blush sauce made with the BEST TOMATOES on this side of the coast. It was naturally sweet from the tomatoes with a hint of Mr. Anthony's homemade spicy olive oil. BAY-BEE get ready to curl your toes through your shoes . I had Carm's Parm and it was the BEST CHICKEN PARM I'VE EVER HAD HERE IN THE STATES (besides my husbands)! Now now, let's get into the meatballs. BRACE YOURSELVES...these meatballs are in our top 3 if not #1. Mr. Anthony makes them in house daily. He makes a minimum of 1,300 meatballs a day with love and it shows through the taste and presentation. You are served two HOT, SOFT BUT FIRM (if that makes sense) DELICATE meatballs smothered in the sauce with the best tomatoes as mentioned before...SWEET MARY & JOESPH! Our children ate what we had. However, we order pizza as well. A classic cheese and it was so good. It's something about their ingredients that show NO SHORTCOMINGS! It was the grated parmesan on top that made it next level for us. Only a few authentic Italian restaurants do this & it makes the experience that much better. It was real pizza, dough made in house with real cheese that melted sometimes I question our pizza establishments in Philly but here, no question about it. Oh & let's not forget, the bread we had to slurp up the wonderful sauce Corropolese finest (IYKYK) Now, although we order a lot of food. Here's what made us family & now lifetime patrons of CC's Ms. Anthony treated us like guests in their home. He gave great conversation & complementary items (no you cannot know what those items were besides the bread) The bread alone is phenomenal. You never had cheesesteak or hoagie if you've never had it on a seeded roll. It's not up for debate (the foodies know.) My husband made us breakfast sandwiches this morning on the rolls. THANKS Mr. Ant. But Anyway, the welcoming alone completed our experience. Will visit again? In the words of Mr. Anthony, "ABSOLUTELY!" read more

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Update: February 1st. I ordered another Don Cheechs cheesesteak today. It was far from great. A good portion of the meat ended up on my plate as a very incredibly chewy choking hazard. I'm not sure whats up with the chef or their vendor but my confidence has diminished in this place as the best place to order a cheesesteak in NE Philadelphia. I'll try again some day soon and if its the same as it was this time I'll go back to Stoli's. read more