My boyfriend and I decided to come to this place on a whim because we wanted something fresh. We came in less than an hour to close and the owner and his wife sat us right down and were so friendly. They answered any questions we had about the menu and we had a very pleasant conversation with the both of them. While we waited for the food we talked with the owner who was a very nice man. We also admired the inside of the restaurant which was adorned with beautiful paintings and dishes which helped with passing the time. The food, oh my gosh, that was probably some of the best food I've had in a while. It was so flavorful, the portions were large, and it was as if I was welcomed into someone's home and they cooked me a meal. I would go here over any chain food place any day. As someone who isn't from Maryland I feel as though I stumbled upon a gem in Greektown. If I ever comeback to Baltimore I definitely will be back! read more

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Holy cow, just had the best Gyro I've had since I was in Greece and also the best Greek salad outside of Greece. Karellas is a little place with 6 or 7 tables in Greektown and I came in at 5:30 on a Thursday and sat right down. I had the small Greek salad for $8 and the in house pork gyro for $13 which comes with fries. Both were absolutely delicious. The gyro was so good I wanted to lick the foil. I almost didn't come because I wasn't sure I wanted a pork gyro but I read that it was fabulous and indeed it was. I will definitely be back for more! read more

Karellas Cafe - Pork gyro - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Karellas is a delightful cafe found in Baltimore, specifically Greektown. My friends & I came ready to feast, and we were not disappointed. They have a good selection of appetizers, entrees, drinks, and a couple of dessert options. We started with the spicy feta dip, the octopus appetizer, and the cheese balls appetizer. All three were delicious but the octopus was definitely a highlight. I would get everything again in a heartbeat, especially the octopus and the spicy feta. The cheese balls were rather rich but delicious nonetheless. The Greek village salad is a perfect accompaniment to the platters - as all the veggies tasted fresh, the feta was delicious, and it was plentiful. My lamb chops were perfectly cooked and the platter came with six lollipops at market price (which was $35 the night we went, so not bad at all). The pita was delicious of course and the fries were well-seasoned. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Just tried this little gem, and it is now our favorite restaurant for Greek food! From the salad to the lamb chops, everything was excellent. The grilled octopus was the best I have ever had. Owners and son were incredibly accommodating. What an amazing evening we had!! read more

I arrived very late into their service hours, but the family inside still cooked and accommodated me all the same. The portions were very hearty, and the food itself was uniquely authentic and uncompromising, even compared to the other Greek restaurants locally. Their octopus was delicious! read more

A Family run business where they pour their hart and soul into everything they make and serve. The owners make you feel like you are family. Incredible home cooking with a wide variety of on and off the menu treats. Don't be deceived by the humble exterior and location. This place is a must. read more

Went here for after work drinks and dinner. Absolutely amazing. The service was fantastic! He was very kind and walked us through questions on the menu. We got the dip trio which is a MUST have. Spicy feta was our favorite. Gyro fries were also yummy! Had a Cosmopolitan and espresso martini and they were GOOD! read more

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. read more

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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! read more

Karellas Cafe - Mixed meats - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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We've been here several times at the advice of a friend who is greek.Nick, the owners son often serves you, everyone there is friendly, even the patrons. Many of the patrons know each other...its really more or a greek hang out than a restaurant in my opinion. The food is fantastic. I haven't had anything there that is not top notch. One of the most underrated restaurants in Baltimore. Parking is a bit of a challenge at times. Be patient and enjoy. read more

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! read more

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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! read more

Karellas Cafe - Shrimp gyro - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The food is always fresh, the cooking oil is always new, the service is always friendly, a small taverna that's a favorite with the locals. The inside is updated and clean. Our favorites are souvlaki chicken or pork, with Horta (seasonal green veggie), rice, homemade French fries, fried shrimp and fried octopus, Fresh warm pita with fresh tatziki sauce, and Homemade rice pudding. We always make a point to stop in here for a good meal and to meet some local Greeks. read more

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! read more

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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! read more

Karellas Cafe - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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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! read more

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Really wanted to like this place but the food was mixed quality. Salad was fresh. Shrimp gyros had great flavor and fries came out hot and fresh. But the meat and fries in the pork gyro platter lacked salt and flavor and was lukewarm. The decor was nice but they had a rated R movie playing while there were kids in the restaurant. read more

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! read more

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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!! read more

Karellas Cafe - Ice cold Peroni - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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

Karellas Cafe - Chicken platter and keftedes - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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. read more

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Best greek food in the city! Small location, parking can be a bit hard to find. I always order the platter, it comes with fries and salad. The fries are always fresh and come out hot and crispy. The feta cheese on the salad is delicious! Also, make sure you try the spicy feta dip, served with warm pita. If you're a fan of cheese, definitely try their cheese balls. They are made with a mixture of gouda and parmesan cheese I believe. They taste like a way improved version of a cheese curd. Overall 10/10 spot. Be aware they are cash only. read more

Thankful for Yelp in helping us find this gem Food was amazing! Ordered a favorite - chicken souvlaki platter and it did not disappoint Spicy feta w pita also a fan favorite The environment was warm, friendly and authentic Recommend to anyone passing through Baltimore Thx Nick! read more

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

Wonderful small corner cafe with the freshest Greek food. Delicious lamb chops, Greek salad, home made French fries, rice pudding and galaktoboureko. Very popular with local Greek Americans. read more

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Very old school greek. The food leans to deep fried and very rich. The octopus was crazy good. Crispy outside and juicy tender inside. Cheese balls are deep fried saganaki inspired balls, crazy rich. Meatballs were tasty, springy marble sized balls. Again super rich. The only miss was the beans. Good, gruff service. Classic greek family run business. Perfect for bringing some friends and doing beer and appetizers. read more

From the moment I called to check about parking, I knew I would love this place. Nondescript on the outside, Karelian cafe is a hidden neighborhood gem. Renovated interior, fresh, clean and bright Greek music fill the atmosphere. The wait staff is informative and friendly , and managed to service the entirety of the small restaurant without issue. The octopus salad is unparalleled outside of Greece. The cheese balls are unique and filing. The platters are generous, the fries hand cut and crispy, the meats superbly seasoned and fresh. Everything is fresh , homemade, authentic... will come back again and again and again read more

We are from Lynchburg, Va and Virginia Beach, Va, visiting my sister who lives in Greek town. We wanted a late breakfast so we went to Yelp for some suggestions. Karellas came up with great reviews and just a one minute walk from her row home. We ordered several breakfast items along with gyros and baklava. Everything was delicious and the staff were so friendly. Several local customers were inside watching a soccer game and they were friendly, as well. I enjoyed an amazing cappuccino while I waited for our take out items to be prepared. Awesome place and can't wait to come back!! *Edited to add that we wanted to order rice pudding (which my Mom loves) when we were there to add to our "brunch" order. They were out. We called back later to ask if they were going to have rice pudding for dinner and they indicated they were not. We received a call shortly there after telling us that they were now making rice pudding and that it would be ready in an hour or so. You can't beat that customer service! We will head back tonight to get that specially prepared rice pudding for mom. Thank you, Karellas! *Edited again! We went back the same night for the rice pudding and it was delicious! It was supposed to be for my mom but we all loved it:) read more

Karellas Cafe - Mom enjoying her specially made rice pudding:) - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Food was awesome and service was quick. The restaurant is super clean and cute, and there were quite a few people even at 9 PM. We got a pork gyro and a shrimp gyro; both were really good. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Staff is friendly ,food is amazing. We definitely going back here. Its a nice place for a family... read more

Though I'm not a king and am not fit, the salad, freshly baked pita, Greek wine, and souvlaki here are all fit for a king. Though I'm not Greek, this cozy little joint on a side street appeared to rank high on Greekness, based on the fact that the customers here conducted lively discussions in Greek, and the friendly owner asked me, "Are you Greek?" In sum this is a place where you can escape from the main road and live like a Greek King even if you are neither Greek nor a King. read more

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Came across Karellas Cafe via Baltimore Food Scene on Instagram. The octopus was very good and the Greek salad was extremely fresh. Looking forward to returning to try the gyro. read more

Karellas Cafe - Octopus and small Greek salad - Greek Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Very good food. Had chicken gyros here and they are some of the best. The service is quick and easy as I have always placed my order through the phone. The place is small not much indoor seating but the food looks amazing when they can bring it out to you. Try the octopus as well. read more

They state cash only, but its not advertised. I made a trip specifically to try this spot, but walked right back out after ordering, since they only take cash. read more

This place is the best! I've had their house pork gyro multiple times. Service is always warm and friendly, quick. It's a nice little restaurant with cool decorations. I'll definitely be coming back for more. read more

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.

Food, service, and staff all 10/10! We went with our family for dinner and had the most delicious dinner, and too much fun while we were at it. We ordered the octopus, chickpea salad, gigandes (giant creamy beans), spicy feta, and hummus as appetizers. Everything was delicious but the octopus and gigandes were both so good we ordered another round of those during our entrees!! The gigandes are such a stand out and if you are considering ordering them, don't hesitate! We ordered the tsiknopempti platter (lamb chops, pork souvlaki, chicken souvlaki, and bifteki) for dinner until we realized it didn't come with the pork gyro and then of course ordered that as well. All were amazing but the standouts from this round were the pork souvlaki, in house pork gyro, and lamb chops. The pork souvlaki and gyro were so good we ordered another round of those as well! (There were a lot of us and we love good food as you can tell.) After dinner, we ordered desserts and I don't really remember which ones we got but they were delicious as well. Overall an amazing dinner that left us feeling satisfied and quite full. All of the meats were tender and very flavorful. The staff were very kind and helpful with suggesting menu items the entire evening! We can't wait to go back! One thing to note: cash or Venmo only so come prepared! read more

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

Amazing authentic greek restaurant. Nick and his family clearly take pride in the quality of the food they serve and everything has been consistently delicious. Items are home-made and food always tastes fresh. Nick is so kind and very attentive to us whenever we dine in. Very happy to have this spot in the neighborhood! read more

Dont know what the buzz is all about.. Place is dirty, to small and one step up from a plain coffee shop. The food is pretty generic and overpriced. I tried the regular souvlaki and it was like chewing on ruber. I had to throw it out cause it made me gag. The crowd is really not Greek. Wishful thinking but they're background is different. I never seen anything like it...The owner and most of the customers are from an island called karpathos and that's a place that has been stuck back in time by decades. They rude, rowdy, and filthy looking. No manners or professionalism whatsoever. If you not one of them they look at you different and they will definitely gossip and talk behind your back. It personally makes no difference to me but it's still annoying and unprofessional. You go there to support a local business by spending your money and then you have to wonder what type of rumors they will start about you. No thanks. They shooting them selfs in the foot but haven't realized it yet. Straight up weirdos and clowns.. My wife said if we ever go back there again we getting a divorce. Places like cava and so many others are much better to go to. Food is phenomenal compared to this place and most importantly cleaner from every prospect. read more