Canela

The food at Canela is excellent. Primarily sandwiches on toasted bagels or ciabatta, meals here are best for breakfast or lunch. Especially good are the zaatar sandwich (vegetarian) and the avocado BLT and some of the best coffee in town. My friend and I were there for Sunday brunch, and no reservation was needed after 11 am or so. The place has a casual, neighborhood vibe with a clientele of mostly young professionals. We sat at the bar to have our meal, where our waitress was warm, friendly, and attentive without ever intruding on our conversation or our meal. When we asked her about the menu and the business in general, she shared easily and with good humor that the core customers are students and employees at nearby Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition to breakfast and lunch, there is a daily happy hour with food specials like special pricing for burger and beer combos. Other offerings include fresh squeezed juices, smoothies, and a full cocktail bar, where management might start a new early morning happy hour for medical staff working the night shift in the near future. Prices are very reasonable, food is excellent, staff and diners are all very cool. I recommend this place highly.

I love the atmosphere and all the tables for working or reading or meeting up with a friend. The food is excellent (especially the zaatar sandwich!). My one issue is that every time I have come and sat for more than an hour there is always a very strong cigarette smell that seeps into the space. I'm not sure if it's someone taking a smoke break by the back or someone smoking upstairs, but in any case it's really awful for a few minutes and fills the hole space. Am I the only person who notices this?

I live nearby, so I often get coffee and a pastry if I'm on the go. The breakfast bagels are great as well if you can wait 10-15 minutes for them to make it fresh. They are very accomodating with making substitutions, they give great customer service, and their smoothies are great as well! Join their loyalty club on flok as well!

I come to Canela whenever I'm in Baltimore since I work remotely. It's a great spot--the food is really yummy, the staff are SO nice they make you feel right at home and always have a smile and a story to share. The *only* thing is that they play the same 25 Bossa Nova tracks NON-STOP. I wish they'd diversify their playlist a little bit, but other than that, I highly suggest this spot as a place to work remotely, grab a coffee, or have lunch with a friend.