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!
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!
Edrika G.
Hot & Fresh!!! What else do you want? OMG this food was so good! Its right down the street so I placed my order and walked to pick it up. The Tzatziki was SOOOO FRESH & delicious!!! My girlfriend loves Octopus so we orders some of that and she loved it. We also got some delicious greek salads with big chunks of tomato, peppers, cucumbers, etc. Yummy! I got scewered chicken w/pita bread & Tzatziki. We also got fries. AND, they have the best Baklava! It was a DELICIOUS MEAL! I can't wait for them to come back from vacation in Greece so I can go back!
Dean G.
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.
Eddie D.
Fries and gyros are amazing. Seeing how they close later than most local restaurants, I will be back on a regular basis.
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!!
Francesca G.
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!
Ukegal K.
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
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!
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!
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.
Parsa F.
The most slammin' Greek food I've ever had! Such good gyros and coffee ! Also the best baklava I've ever had full stop. Would give this place 6 stars if possible
Annabel W.
I came here a couple of months ago, but I still keep thinking about Karellas and the wonderful food and service that I received while here. My boyfriend and I decided to come to Karellas from a friend's recommendation, and we were not disappointed! We ordered the meat platter with chicken, lamb, beef, and pita sides and the greek salad, and the portions were MASSIVE and so generous!! We also ordered the octopus, which was probably one of the best grilled octopi that we have ever had (and we try octopus at almost every restaurant that offers it). The owner also brought us some of her cheese balls (complimentary) that she had just made and they were absolutely delicious as well!! Her and her husband were the sweetest, most generous, and friendly people, and they really made our experience at Karellas amazing! It is cash only, but there is an ATM around the corner. My boyfriend went to go get cash while I stayed and waited at the restaurant. While I waited, the owners made me a free cappuccino and made sure that I was taken care of while I waited. When we finally paid, we were given free baklava as well to take home and try. It really felt like I was at one of my relatives homes, being bombarded with good food. We were so touched by the kindness of the husband/wife owners of Karellas. Though I don't live in the area anymore, I still think about Karellas and will DEFINITELY be going back if I ever find myself in Baltimore again!
Andre P.
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.
Anu G.
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.
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!
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!
Hot & Fresh!!! What else do you want? OMG this food was so good! Its right down the street so I placed my order and walked to pick it up. The Tzatziki was SOOOO FRESH & delicious!!! My girlfriend loves Octopus so we orders some of that and she loved it. We also got some delicious greek salads with big chunks of tomato, peppers, cucumbers, etc. Yummy! I got scewered chicken w/pita bread & Tzatziki. We also got fries. AND, they have the best Baklava! It was a DELICIOUS MEAL! I can't wait for them to come back from vacation in Greece so I can go back!
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.
Fries and gyros are amazing. Seeing how they close later than most local restaurants, I will be back on a regular basis.
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!!
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!
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
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!
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!
Restaurantji Recommends
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.
The most slammin' Greek food I've ever had! Such good gyros and coffee ! Also the best baklava I've ever had full stop. Would give this place 6 stars if possible
I came here a couple of months ago, but I still keep thinking about Karellas and the wonderful food and service that I received while here. My boyfriend and I decided to come to Karellas from a friend's recommendation, and we were not disappointed! We ordered the meat platter with chicken, lamb, beef, and pita sides and the greek salad, and the portions were MASSIVE and so generous!! We also ordered the octopus, which was probably one of the best grilled octopi that we have ever had (and we try octopus at almost every restaurant that offers it). The owner also brought us some of her cheese balls (complimentary) that she had just made and they were absolutely delicious as well!! Her and her husband were the sweetest, most generous, and friendly people, and they really made our experience at Karellas amazing! It is cash only, but there is an ATM around the corner. My boyfriend went to go get cash while I stayed and waited at the restaurant. While I waited, the owners made me a free cappuccino and made sure that I was taken care of while I waited. When we finally paid, we were given free baklava as well to take home and try. It really felt like I was at one of my relatives homes, being bombarded with good food. We were so touched by the kindness of the husband/wife owners of Karellas. Though I don't live in the area anymore, I still think about Karellas and will DEFINITELY be going back if I ever find myself in Baltimore again!
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.
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.