Roma's Cafe Offers a Little Bit of Everything

Editor's Note: Have you eaten at Roma's Cafe? What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments. 

Upon arriving at (10517 York Road), I was skeptical. Tucked behind the Mr. Tire at the corner of York Road and Warren Road, I doubted that the small, diner-like restaurant could live up to its boastful billboard promises of seafood and Italian specialties.

After all, I expected something akin to my experience, which, while positive, made no promises of accompanying the Italian dishes with any Maryland seafood favorites.

The editor in me was also particularly put off by the egregious amounts of typos on the menu, but that's neither here nor there when it comes to good food.

And any doubts I had were laid to rest with my first bite.

The service in the cozy, no-frills, one-room space was inviting and attentive, but most importantly prompt, quickly delivering a cup of Maryland crab soup ($2.50) my way. A native Baltimorean, I've had my fair share of Maryland crab soup, and this one ranked right up there with the best. With a healthy dose of lump crabmeat on top, the flavor of the vegetable soup had the perfect balance of spices and a tangy tomato flavor.

The server also brought out a pre-meal basket of bread, notable because it was warm, freshly baked, and included the pleasant surprise of garlic bread along with the dinner rolls.

I had trouble deciding what to select for my main course, given the wide variety of dishes available at Roma's. Did I want to continue down the seafood path, go Greek with a gyro, or try one of the many varieties of pizza or subs?

I opted for a single broiled Maryland crab cake ($11.99) that came with two sides; my choices were coleslaw and a baked potato. Everything was fresh and hot, but the crab cake did not live up to the standard set by the crab soup.

It had great flavor and more lump crabmeat than filling, but the cake was small and on the greasy side. Nonetheless, it was not a disappointment, but having viewed some of the large, stuffed subs at neighboring tables, I found myself thinking about how I haven't had a cheesesteak in a while.

I also had the opportunity to sample the chicken parmesan ($12.99), and the bite-sized pieces of chicken with sauce and parmesan cheese over pasta was delicious. Additionally, the refreshing shrimp salad over a green salad ($10.00) with house dressing was nothing short of addictive.

Roma's also offers wings, pasta, sandwiches and wraps. There are 27 varieties of 8-inch subs, and Roma's Hunger Buster Pizza ($10.99 for 12-inch, $12.95 for 16-inch) headlines the pizza selection, featuring pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, Italian sausage, ground beef, double cheese and anchovies.

In other words, the Hunger Buster Pizza has just about everything -- similar to the menu of which it is a part.