Brewing up classics: Baltimore’s own Carma’s Cafe offers fresh blends
By: Sierra Underdue, Columnist
Charles Village is home to more than just the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University.
You can also find an array of modern housing, the Baltimore Museum of Art and quirky small stores between places to eat in this beautiful neighborhood.
Among these precious restaurants and eateries lies Carma’s Café, located right off St. Paul Street.
If you are a coffee enthusiast or love good-quality, local farm-raised and organic foods, then Carma’s is the place for you!
Carma’s is easy to miss. The small cafe is covered in vines beneath an apartment complex right off the sidewalk. I actually walked past it the first time!
It fits in perfectly with the eclectic and modern aesthetic Charles Village has to offer.
If it’s a nice day you can sit outside to eat, and one of the employees will kindly bring your food out to you. If you choose to go inside and dine, you’re in for a treat as well.
The cool thing about Carma’s is the environment. It is small, cozy and really provides the café feel. The employees are calm, friendly and soft-spoken. It is decorated with weird art and includes everyday household items used as décor.
For example, plates hold up menu items, and it looks so cool! The music that plays there also adds to the coffeehouse feel, making it the perfect place to relax or study.
There is an abundance of different drinks to choose: coffees, lattes, chai, iced, Frappuccino, Americanos and a Carma’s-exclusive called Sno Joes.
Anything you pick can have a flavor shot added, and there is a wide selection — from peppermint to waffle cone and even watermelon!
If you are not into coffee or coffee-related beverages, they also offer fresh orange juice, milk and complimentary water. I am very simple with my coffee choices and got a vanilla chai, and it was superb!
The flavors and ratios were spot on, making for a delightful warm and comforting drink.
Breakfast is served all day and there are always daily specials until 2 p.m., but I ended up ordering a simple bacon, egg and cheese sandwich.
It was decent, but besides the fact that they use local farm-raised products making it taste fresher, it wasn’t that special.
This doesn’t knock the other tasty food options on the menu, which I will definitely be trying out next time!
