The Most Scrumptious Cafes in Baltimore

Blue Moon Too

★★★★☆ 4.3 (690) • $$

"Question; what time do you open on the 26th if you open? Any weird chance you're open on the 25th?In town for a couple days and we all love going there!!!"

Spoons Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (646) • $$

"After a long 7-hour drive, we stopped by Spoons Café for breakfast, and the food did not disappoint! We had the stuffed French toast, home fries, and mimosas, all of which were delicious. The service was also relatively fast. One thing we really appreciated was that the café wasn't crowded, making it a nice, quiet space to enjoy our meal and have conversations without too much background noise.Unfortunately, our experience was affected by poor service. Our waiter forgot one of our orders and, instead of addressing the mistake professionally, was rude to us. I waited for my friend's food to arrive before eating, and by then, mine had gone cold. It was disappointing, especially because the food itself was great.If you're looking for a quiet spot with good breakfast options, this place is worth checking out--just hope for better service!"

Cafe Bueno

★★★★☆ 4.3 (587) • $$

"Cafe Bueno is an awesome find here in Frederick and is a great lunch spot if you work nearby. This is a go-to at least once a month if you want some decent Mexican food. The food is good but it's not "write home about it". Most Mexican restaurants serve complimentary chips and salsa so if you crave those bad boys like I do anytime you eat mexican, you'll have to pay $4.99. I typically get a burrito for lunch but decided on their Chimichanga lunch special and it wasn't good or bad. It was crunchy and completely stuffed but a little watery inside, but the flavor was there. There is enough parking spaces to fit the amount of people that can fit inside this smaller restaurant but they do have outdoor seating which is nice in the warmer months. However, you do have to deal with the noise from East Street traffic since it's right there. The service is pretty good as well, but I would not count on anyone coming to check on you after you get your food. You typically have to stop someone and ask for a refill, although it depends on which waitstaff is there that day.All in all, I would recommend this place to someone!"

SoBo Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (472) • $$

"Sadly, I was disappointed with my dinner experience at SoBo Cafe. The cafe itself feels much more like a bar, which is cool, but the quality of food for the style of dishes in context with the atmosphere felt mismatched.My favorite dishes were the crab soup and the smith island cake. The crab soup was pretty good, with lumps of crab. The smith island cake was moist with good chocolate icing... although as you can see in the photos, the layers of the yellow cake inside weren't even, and the chocolate was clumped in some areas. Nitpicking, yea- but keep in mind this is a $10 piece of cake. The Peruvian roasted chicken was okay- it was cooked well and had decent flavor, although a bit overpowered by the dressing. The sides with it were just okay and nothing great. Cornbread very just okay and dry at parts. I would've ordered this dish for $15, but not $29.Now unfortunately for the worst parts. Being Italian, I am particular when it comes to meatballs- although there have been times Ive enjoyed ordering meatballs in restaurants. This was not one of those times. The meatballs were inedible for me.My friend didn't mind them, but she also likes the meatballs from Subway... and she even acknowledged that they weren't that good, which says a lot.The brussels sprouts were weird. I have never had orange slices and creamy aioli-like dressing with warm brussels sprouts and goat cheese for good reason: it's not very good. This was an extremely odd combination that our waiter did recommend ordering the broccoli instead (probably would've been a good choice), but for some reason I didn't imagine fully what the appetizer would be. I'm not usually big on making a point about price, but the dishes at SoBo were way over priced for their quality. Yes, they are elaborate and technically high end style dishes worthy of higher price points, but the quality and execution of these dishes are so lacking that the price points cannot be justified. At $95 per person, dinner at SoBo Cafe was far from satisfactory. It wasn't the worst meal, but for how everything was priced, I cannot give this restaurant more than three stars.I do not include service in my rating, but our waiter also wasn't the best or most attentive. He had the attitude of a bartender who would rather be doing something else."

Cafe Gia Ristorante

★★★★☆ 3.9 (463) • $$

"My man loves this spot and wanted me to experience this too. I had lasagna and a sangria and he chose to eat the spinach and Fritto Misto. We forgot to take pics but enjoyed our time together and the meals were delicious."

Pitango Bakery Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (381) • $$

"Busy, popular bakery at Fell's Point [Baltimore MD]On the waterfront at Fell's Point is this bakery with options for a hearty breakfast or an afternoon snack. Since we just came from breakfast in the same area we just wanted something sweet from the bakery.When we walked inside... this was around noon, the cafe was full, busy at peak lunch time. The queue had two people ahead of me and I proceeded to order a chocolate croissant when it was my turn.... soft, flaky and gently warmed chocolate croissant... could use a little more chocolate inside the pastry but It was okay. It was a quick in and out transaction and experience. Review #3667"

Sunny Day Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (338) • $$

"Delicious food and sunny staff! It was a cold morning and the front door kept coming open, though! Brrrr. Hope they get it fixed soon. Definitely looks like a place the locals love because lots of walk-ins. We ordered the Banana Split with Greek yogurt, berries, banana, granola and honey. Perfect with our cups of coffee! Thanks, Sunny Day!"

Main & Market

★★★★☆ 3.9 (311) • $$

"Great Food Always & good Service and the Catering Service is Excellent!!Their Bakery is so good and they do Custom Cakes too!"

Cunningham's Cafe & Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.2 (253) • $$

"Cunningham's is the cutest place to grab a coffee with a friend or grab breakfast with boyf! Service is always so fast and every one is always so nice there. GET THE CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH LATTE ITS SO YUMMY!"

Syriana Cafe & Gallery

★★★★☆ 4 (207) • $$

"Great place for some delicious food. Everything was served just right! The Rose water sherbet and Syria coffee was very good. The portion were so big we thought the plates would fall off the table, which were a bit small for two. Service was fast and our food came quickly. They also have some great desserts downstairs but we were too full. A very enjoyable dinner watching the snow fall, felt like we were transported to another world."

Terra Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (235) • $$

"This post is long, but I will delete it after a few days, So 4 dudes can stand on the corner of a major intersection like 25th & St. Paul and hurl a series of bricks through a 70'x70' plate glass window of a black business and the overhead city surveillance drone didn't detect a thing? Well, they need to get more of them or send that one back to Amazon or wherever they got it. Or could it be that because it was a black-owned business it's just not on their list of priorities? cuz You can believe that had this been fed Hill, Canton, or Upper Charles Village they would have signaled the calvery and within 30 seconds every Black person within 5 miles would have been stopped and questioned. The owner of this business is one of the nicest cats you've ever want to meet and it seems to me there should be a way for us to pull together some dough and gift this guy some of those pull-down metal gates or perhaps hire the security guard from Safeway to patrol this area a few hours a night, and the reason I'm suggesting him is because he is extremely well-liked, he knows everybody and everybody knows him, check out how he gets ppl to move outta that fire lane, his technique is masterful, so maybe his presence would make a difference. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that we can't afford to lose this business, especially since Busboys & Poets got ran't out of Charles Village, and you can be sure that the next business that goes there such as a Poke bowl or something with the word "Wok" in it will be given the benefit of armored plated vehicles stationed curbside, military-style aircraft-cover overhead, and 3 or 4 different brands of security agencies surrounding the perimeter and there will be lines around the block of people waiting to get in and all of it will be celebrated as the way minorities should behave. Well, what they don't understand on this 60th anniversary of the march on Washington and the murder of Emmitt Till, is that if it were not for the so-called misbehavior of Dr.King and John Lewis and so many others willing to walk smackdab into BillyClubs, firehoses, and German Shepherds then these tik-tok places would not exist because nothing would have ever changed. So let's do what we can to help this Brother, if they want to put a jar on the counter and label it security fund or something like that then I'm all in with a recurring donation until whatever goal they set is achieved. Otherwise, all of the other groups will continue to build their version of the American Dream off the backs of our American nightmare!"

Vinny's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (182) • $$

"Great foodThey know how to be efficient and good quality of ingredients Best In areas"

Atwater's - Kenilworth

★★★★☆ 3.9 (186) • $$

"Yummy!! Tried their chicken salad sandwich and iced americano today! Both were great :) Service was again pretty fast despite it being so busy. It's a bit harder to get seating around lunch time so keep that in mind."

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering

★★★★★ 4.8 (114) • $$

"Have you ever wondered what clean food taste like? if you don't know you need to go to Our Recipes Café! The food is extremely delicious because it's so fresh and lovingly prepared,in my heart I believe they have a farm in the back back of the restaurant with organically, fed cows, chickens, and organically, grown fruits and vegetables!Look, stop reading this review and get to this cafe as soon as you can, it's worth the trip. I should know, I traveled from DC to eat here and will do so again in a heartbeat!"

Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 (117)

"Small empanada shop in highland park area. Street parking only. This shop is small and has a few bench tables for eating in store. Probably not be good for a big group of friends unless you do takeout. They fry them to order so expect to wait 15-20min for your order if it's not busy.I tried multiple flavors including white flour chicken and corn, corn flour beef and potato, and seafood shrimp empanada. Overall the flavors were good, I liked the chicken and corn flavor the best. It also comes with 2 salsas which is nice. You need a minimum of 3 empanadas for a meal, but likely more if you are hungry. At almost $5 each, it can get pricy, I would recommend checking out their Tuesday 3 empanada special, currently it's $9."

Mad City Coffee

★★★★☆ 3.5 (204) • $

"8.26.23Stopped in to wish our niece a happy birthday. While there, hubby and I each ordered an iced mocha coffee and I got a chocolate chip cookie. Didn't know they could make iced mocha. It was really good."

LOCAVINO

★★★★★ 4.5 (120) • $$

"In the heart of downtown Silver Spring, but a bit tucked away not street facing. Free 2 hr parking around the back. Met up with friends for a late lunch and was surprised by the food offerings! Everyone got a little something different and everyone enjoyed their meal! Burgers were recommended by the cashier so I got the Frederick County Cabernet - didn't taste the wine but it was a thick patty and all the ingredients were fresh - only downside was I asked for a medium cook and it came out well done despite the thick patty. I had a bite of the jerk sandwich and it was also a bit overcooked and dry but the flavors were good. I added the Truffle Parmesan fries and they were fried perfectly and flavorful. And of course there's a large selection of vino to drink there or buy a bottle for home. Definitely a nice casual spot to catch up with friends or even a casual date! The service was also good, you pay first at the cashier but they bring your food and clean the table, so don't forget to tip when you pay! Solid 4 stars, maybe even 4.5 based on price if they didn't overcook the meat."

Fuentes Cafe

★★★★★ 4.8 (95)

"Today I tried Fuentes Cafe in Timonium , Md . My Quesadilla was awesome . It was loaded with fresh grilled Chicken and Cheese and came with a nice dipping Salsa and Sour Creme . My wife really enjoyed her Chicken Salad Sandwich . I had a great conversation with the owner(s) while I waited for my takeout . She was super nice ! With a mix of delicious American and Mexican food it is a hidden gem in a town loaded with food places . Family owned and operated by great people . Please give them a try today !"

Cozy Cafe And Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.9 (121) • $$

"Stop for coffee across the street from the old railroad station by the river. The best coffee cake and carrot cake my wife and I have had in a long time. Very moist and delicious . Coffee is strong so it keeps you going for your shopping spree. Service is nice- order when you come in and they will deliver it to your table."

Hannah's Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (84) • $$

"Their food is pretty tasty but it is quite expensive and portions are small. Total for my order of tuna melt with fries was $17.91. Typically when I pay this much for a sandwich & fries at a deli, I usually consume 1/2 of the sandwich and have the balance the day after but not with the tiny tuna melt I received from Hannah's."

South County Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (103) • $

"Stopped in for a quick bite, found what is clearly a local treasure. Food here is delicious, from what I saw in the counters and ordered for lunch."

Cafe Ez

★★★★☆ 4.3 (87) • $$

"Decided to come here on a whim with 2 of my daughters and it was awesome. The food was super tasty and as a non pork eater I was thrilled at the turkey bacon options even for the loaded fries. (It's a small thing that means a lot to someone like me.) the atmosphere felt like a kitschy kitchen diner vibe and overall I love this little tucked away gem and will be back for more!"

Bengong's Tea

★★★★☆ 4 (97) • $

"Good!!!! Good sweetness and black tea cube/jelly is good!!!! Try this if u are tired of having boba all the time."

Hull Street Blues Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (93) • $$

"Great service excellent food. Will hit this place up again . Had a great black and tan and the pork steak spec"

Centrado Cafe Shop

★★★★☆ 4.3 (79) • $$

"Great spot for coffee and breakfast. Great service, food was very good. We got the Breakfast Tacos and a Huevos Picados breakfast bowl. Free Wifi if you want (or need) to work; didnt get the pastries (trying to be good) bjt they looked fabulous. Highly rec"

The Gateway Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (81) • $

"Tucked away a bit right off Exit 18 on 270, this little spot is one of those hidden gems people love to find. Being in an industrial park it has limited hours but a great lunch spot. The steak and cheese is very good and just the right amount of food, so you don't feel like taking a nap afterward.Run by the friendliest family, you'll be greeted with an enthusiastic hello when you walk in the door. Highly recommended!"

Rize + Rest Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (62) • $$

"So happy to have this full service restaurant and cafe in my neighborhood. The Rize and Rest opening was long-awaited, but surely worth it. The end unit rowhome has been transformed from a grubby corner store into a gorgeous, welcoming restaurant with a cozy ambience. The devil is in the details and R+R got them right. By day, grab your coffee, do a little work and try nana's biscuits-you can't go wrong with the eggs or the chicken. When the evening comes, a cocktail or glass of wine is a lovely start, and my favorite accompaniments are the oyster or broccoli Caesar apps. The focaccia is also delicious! Check out this neighborhood gem-you don't want to miss it!"

Touché Touchet Bakery & Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (87) • $

"Now I absolutely love coming here for the Adult Grilled Cheese and macaroni salad cause who doesn't love an amazing grilled cheese? I highly recommend it. The flavors of the ingredients on it just work! Now today is the first time I have ever come in here and received subpar service. Now idk if it's cause it's the weekend or what but there was a young man on the register who was doing EVERYTHING...taking orders, making and serving coffee, stocking the condiment counter and doing the DoorDash/UberEats orders all while a young lady stood beside him folding boxes. AND there were two ladies making the food arguing. Well it sounded like they were arguing cause they sure weren't kiking back there. The wait time for service was just crazy as the line behind me was so bad customers walked out. As I'm waiting for my AMAZING sandwich, I see more "workers" emerge but the order taking has stopped altogether. I have been coming here for years the hours just don't buck with my schedule...and when I checked Yelp and saw they were open now, I hurried here. These service hiccups will not deter me from patronage but I will be more conscious about the time I come as it is during "lunch". There is an "Help Wanted" sign hanging at the door too...Today's service is the only reason for less than 5 stars!UPDATED: Sad to report I had to rush back up to the bakery minutes before closing to return my not so awesome adult grilled cheese sandwich. It was made with American cheese instead of smoked Gouda and it didn't appear to have any fig preserves on it. So heart breaking when that's all I wanted...the young man was nice enough to offer to remake the sandwich for me but it was just minutes before closing and it already had taken a long time to get the first one. I politely declined and he offered a refund. Again, none of this will deter me from re-patronizing the bakery. I love this place, faults and all! I bumped up my rating for this..."

Molli's Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 (50)

"Stopped for a late lunch. The sandwiches were great. They were not particularly crowded given the time of day. I had a turkey bacon panini that was very tasty. My wife had a hot dog which was not a favorite. The staff was friendly and the food was prepared quickly."

My Kabul Restaurant and Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (47)

"I came here because of the WaPo article, and I wanted to investigate for myself. Outside is a busy street and a congested parking lot, but inside, you can enjoy a wonderful ambiance, smiling hosts, and soft Afghan music. I asked the wiater for his recommendation as to their signature dishes. I got the (I don't have the real names) dumplings, garlic naan, lamb with rice & carrots, and a "pudding dessert". The dumplings were excellent. Great sauces and the beef filling was very tasty. The garlic naan is flavorful, but unlike the Indian naan I am used to, this one is very stiff. I would enjoy the option to have both versions, as a suggestion. The lamb with rice & carrots really surprised me. I've never had such silky and seasoned rice before. It needed nothing else it was so good! However, the lamb was tender, spiced well, and really complemented the dish. Insight recommend it. Finally, I tried the Afghan dessert, which was a new one for me. I love pistachios and the taste is not overly sweet. However, the texture was a total surprise! It's hard to describe but the top layer is slightly firm while underneath it's almost a yogurt consistency. I enjoyed it because it was something new and unique."

Cafe X-press

★★★★☆ 4.4 (48) • $

"This is a lovely and affordable place for breakfast or lunch. I have been here twice and once last year early in the morning before an appointment when PJ's did not open yet. The staff is very friendly and there a few tables you can eat/drink at or you can take out."

Mandali jaju

★★★☆☆ 3 (98) • $

"Been coming here for years. The owner is friendly and always says hello. Everything I get is outstanding, baked goods, challah French toast , Muenster omelette, cream cheese and lox bagel . I drive across town for the whitefish salad, best I ever had. Always clean and comfortable. Tons of choices for grab and go, multiple varieties of bagels and assorted cream cheese and salads. Friendly customer service and they hustle to get your order out. Much appreciated by me."

Pekara Bakery

★★★★★ 4.6 (38)

"I had no idea this bakery existed and just happened to see it. I dropped in and am so glad I did! I purchased about a half dozen croissants and a baguette. Having worked for years as a college student in French bakeries in several cities, I usually judge a bakery first and foremost on a plain butter croissant and a standard baguette. Pekara hit it out of the park on both counts. Absolutely classic and first quality! I would say these item were the best I have ever had in Baltimore. The other items I purchased were also very good. The space itself and the interior is not all that aesthetically pleasingly. But the quality of their baked goods is outstanding. I hope this business thrives. I will certainly be back."

Rox Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 (36)

"Get the SOUP!I know it's summertime but get indoors into the AC and grab the chicken noodle soup!I came for the chicken parmigiana panini but as I waited about EIGHT different orders of soup were picked up. I don't want to miss out on a movement so I bought a cup too! It overshadowed my panini - my husband got the smoked salmon wrap - everything was good but the soup is the keeper! You have to call to see what they have for the day - something tells me everything here is delicious- I'll be back!"

Martha's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (37) • $$

"Our travels today from Towson brought us over to the west side of the County, and I'd had this place bookmarked for a while, so we stopped in for brunch. It would be a 25-30 min drive from Towson to Martha's, and I wouldn't hesitate to drive there weekly to eat here. Such a hidden gem! Let me start with the service. These are some genuinely super nice people who clearly love what they do. The staff has a family vibe, and that starts at the top with the owner. Will is on-site, working, hands-on, and super well respected by his staff (3 different people told me about how great he is to work for). Onto the food. LAWDAMERCY! The food! Loaded Chicken and Waffles: The flavors went together so well, and the maple butter is bomb. Only criticism was that the bacon on the dish was not at all crispy, and well....flaccid. (Sorry for that word) (8/10)Monte Cristo: absolutely delish and the raspberry jam is such a nice contrast to the ham(s) and swiss. (9/10) Creamed chipped beef: This one SENT US. Probably the best cream chipped beef I've had in my 53+ years on earth. The chipped beef is finely chopped, and the gravy is smooth and like BUTTAH. This is the dish I would drive around the beltway for on the regular. Even the Pullman toast is perfect. Hearty enough to provide a perfect raft for the chipped beef, and toasted to perfection. Chef's kiss all around. (40 bajillion stars/10) Sides of scrapple and bacon: We requested for both to be crispy, and honestly, I would've liked about minute on the cooktop for the scrapple to really get a nice crust, but it didn't matter because the scrapple was soooo good. Inner texture was smooth, and free of toenails (sorry again, but IYKYK) which made me wonder if it was housemade. I wouldn't be surprised if it was, and if not, def was local. (8.5/10)Needless to say, we will be back and soon! Bookmark this place now! Thanks Will, Meadow, and company!)"