I adored this concept and found it well executed. This bookshop cafe makes for a comfortable and cozy lunch. The staff is very inviting and this is definitely a bookworm's dream! The cafe menu offers a nice variety of soups, salads and sandwiches to accompany a good read or fuel a work session. The cafe seemed busy late afternoon but we were quickly accommodated. Whether or not you are looking to set up shop for an afternoon or grab a quick lunch, you'll leave satisfied. read more

Lizard Cafe - Soups, sandwiches, & sides - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I thought I had posted a review but I have not. We had a great Team lunch here. Quick services, good food and the ambiance was wonderful. The cutest book store. I had to purchase a couple of books and some note cards before I left. I found on the street parking as well. This place is truly a hidden local gem! Don't just take my word try it for yourself. read more

Wonderful place! Owner is super nice, and it's connected to a bookstore! Even though they close at 3, the bookstore is open til 6 so you can still hang out. Like I said calm ambience and super nice people! Oh and the food is delicious too! (I did not get the Starbucks coffee from here but the food I did, I don't think they make specialty coffees here so I brought my own) And they have a Squidward tapestry, 10/10 read more

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I can't say enough about the food at this establishment! I'm gluten intolerant and the owner went above and beyond to accommodate! Everything was fresh and tasted delicious! My husband couldn't get enough of the sweet potato biscuits! If you are ever in Norfolk for lunch, hands downs a must go to! read more

This place is delicious and the prices are very reasonable for the high quality of the food. You are going to get a gourmet lunch for a very reasonable price. They have great daily specials with good variety. I had the 1/2 sandwich and bowl of soup. The soup was chicken and dumplings and it was wonderful. The star of the meal was chicken salad sandwich though. Their dill chicken salad is wonderful. They had a great variety with plenty of healthy options on the menu. If you find yourself downtown on a weekday stop in and grab lunch. While you are there, and since you have to walk through Prince Books, stop and buy a book. The waitress and the chef were very nice and attentive and both checked on me during my meal. It's a cozy little place that's great for dining with coworkers or on your own. read more

Amazing food! Fresh, delicious! Stuff is very friendly and kind! So glad I found this place. Definitely coming back :) Very nice and peaceful atmosphere. read more

Lizard Cafe - Chicken Salad Sandwich and Signature Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

10 out of 10 as my daughter would say. My wife got the BLT and I got the Tuscan and a little Tomato soup for dipping. Both sandwiches were fantastic dipped or not. They had 2 different but fantastic aioli's. The server and the guy in the kitchen who brought the food to the table sometimes to keep things fast were both pleasant and super efficient. The book store vibe made you want to hang out and read a book but we were in a rush. read more

If you are in Norfolk- you have to stop in this little Cafe- the Owner and chef Brian is an artist with his culinary abilities- and - his soups are some of the best you will ever taste! Every Thursday, the Chicken and Dumplings soup is out of this world! You can't miss with this place!! read more

Prompt greeting at the door. Perfect temperature. Good bookstore music. Perfect lighting. Good menu options. I have no regrets visiting. I'll definitely be back. In just the 30 mins I had til closing, my chicken salad sandwich was made fresh and tasted so good. I was actually embarrassed when I bit into it because I was caught off guard with the warm bread and cool salad. I had to take a look at it as if I didn't know what was going on lol. It was the temperature difference that I never knew could exist on one sandwich so well. There's window booths to sit at or tables, who doesn't love the option of a view. I came for the biscuits (hence my books and biscuits rave) but they'd sold the last one right before I came in. Good reason to come back, even if it's just to encounter the lovely chef and waitress. They were so friendly and seemed like they enjoyed serving up a good sandwich! I imagine they get a few regulars in there, considering the farewell by name I heard. LOVE THAT. So cheery. Prince Books, connected to the cafe is so cute. It's small and have a nostalgic feel with the wood and carpet picks on decor. Although the size makes for a casual amount of books, the category of books are satisfying enough. I want to say that I found a little gem, but I have a feeling it's a big piece of waterside. read more

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What a great find! Just happened to be picking something up in Selden Market, and I saw the Lizard sign as I was walking back to my car and stopped in for a quick bite to go. DELICIOUS chicken Salad, which the guy happily put in a wrap for me! Perfectly creamy and seasoned nom nom nom. He also highly recommended the Funky Fusion chips, and they were every bit as awesome as he said they would be. (I actually thought he was saying Poke Fusion, which did NOT sound awesome to me, but I trusted him anyway. Hahaha) Stop in here for an awesome small biz lunch experience! And try the Funky Fusion chips. ;-) read more

What a wonderful experience at this adorable cafe! They were very busy but the employees worked super hard to make sure everyone got their food quickly! You can even order on an app through their QR code to save time ordering. We will definitely come back again! read more

Lizard Cafe - Quinoa salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Service excellent, food outstanding, overall good experience. Loved the sweet potato biscuits with ham & peach preserves. Broth of the chicken soup was fantastic. read more

When at a conference in the Marriott, I stumbled across the bookstore next door and walked into the cafe. It was closed for another hour but the gentleman that was working that day welcomed me and my two colleagues in regardless. All we wanted was a coffee, two black and one with a lot of milk and creamer... We were told to have a look around the store whilst he brewed some fresh coffee for us. I had no idea there was a cafe here inside the bookstore! It's no Starbucks, so if you want a frappe-a-lot-of-crapu-ccino, go elsewhere. This is a great hideout in the city, surrounded by books, and the menu looks pretty decent for a bite to eat - next time I'll be sure to stop by when it's open to try, but I greatly appreciate being let in early, a very kind welcoming gesture. read more

Food: Great regional southern fare, with a twist! Service: Excellent and very attentive. Ambiance: Inside a cute local bookstore with tons of character. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town. read more

Very cute/quaint cafe. It's sharing space with Prince bookstore on Main Street in Norfolk. Forget Starbucks at a Barnes and Noble - this is the real deal! This cafe has salads, sandwiches, soups and wraps. The chef is really nice. I ordered biscuit with ham and ham as I already had lunch but gotta try something! I was told the biscuit is a good size. I had mine to go so let me rush home to take a picture and enjoy. read more

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Cafe is attached inside of a bookstore. Food is simple and good! I had the tuna salad with fruit and some tea. Great little lunch spot and very friendly service. read more

Owner/chef is rude and unprofessional. At the end of our lunch we ordered coffee and he literally came to our table and yelled at us for having the nerve to take up seating space for so long. We had been there for 35 minutes. We had just paid the bill (almost $70 with tip for three people) and he shamed us into leaving - we left our full cups of coffee that we had paid for. These are three people who will never return (two of us were frequent customers). read more

Cute cafe in a bookshop with incredibly tasty food and super friendly staff. Plenty of seating and good variety of menu options.

Terrible experience. Never again so rude. With so many coffee places around he needs to get a better handle on customer service.

Stunning service and great food!!! And can't go wrong looking for a read after!!! Definitely recommend!

My favorite thing about this place used to be the obviously dead plant in the window that looked more decrepit with every passing month. Since April 2019, Brian has taken over and there has been a lot more to love since then. The sweet potato ham biscuits were good before but they're even better now. The Jefferson combo is my favorite. Obviously fresh baked biscuits topped off with apricot jam and delicious surry ham. PLUS two sides. It's a lot of food for a great value. Though I get the same thing close to every time I enjoy trying the new soup selections. Haven't been disappointed yet and I don't think I will be. Finally, I really appreciate that when I get an order to go Lizard Cafe provides easily recycled brown paper take out bags. Definitely a great place to check out when looking for a casual lunch downtown. read more

Lizard Cafe - Yay for eco friendly! - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I have walked by this bookstore so many times on my lunch break, but had no idea about the cute and cozy café inside! I decided to go with the half sandwich and soup combo and ordered the egg salad sandwich with the Mediterranean chick pea soup. While waiting for my food I browsed around the bookstore, which is a nice selection! After a short time, the pleasant waitress signaled over that the food was ready. The egg salad was a little on the bland side, but the soup was very tasty with chick peas, tomatoes and zucchini. I would definitely come back for that. I heard that the sweet potato biscuits were to die for so before checking out, I had decided to order one to go. It was nice and flaky, topped with some peach jam. The prices are a little on the high side for lunch....but I would come back again and cozy up to a nice cup a soup and a good book! read more

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Home cooked meal while I read a new book in a nook? Ok! This place was so cozy I wanted a blanket while I sat there and just took it all in. The staff is so kind and they recommend the best choices. I had a country soup and Turkey half sandwich that was magnificent. I'd go before lunch hours or after 1pm because the bankers come down religiously and it's really packed then. Super amazing find this little place! read more

Lizard Cafe - A sample of the country soup! - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Such a cool sandwich shop in an independent bookstore!! The owner was awesome and genuinely one of the best meals that I have had in long time. The sweet potato biscuit sandwich with the barbecue chicken noodle soup and pasta salad was absolutely unreal. Cannot recommend this place enough!! read more

Great little cafe inside an independent bookstore. I love it. Tasty, but simple fare with exceptionally good service when I was there. No need to use the plastic cup when serving pasta salad- just scoop it into the plate and save the planet! I will definitely return. read more

Everything was great about this place food service. The server was super helpful, nice and polite.

This small cafe in the waterside area of Norfolk and housed in the Prince Bookstore rocks an awesome lunch. I was in search for a hard to find book and low in behold I come across this find. In some ways this is really strange, because this cafe use to be owned by the Prince family whom I know. However, I have never even thought of where it was located, or attempting to find it. This was my second consecutive day in the area, the first day I only checked out the bookstore. Parking is on the street meter, or nearby parking garages. It's recommended if your staying long to utilize the garage as the meter is pricey. The building that houses both the cafe and bookstore is a real looker, possibly circa early 1900's. Construction is a beautiful orange type brick. An antique clock that has been fully restored is positioned on the corner providing some really cool ambiance to the block. The front brick pavers are gorgeous and were clear. Signage is on the ground level for both businesses. The interior is pretty dated, but I found it clean and quaint. The lime green vinyl booths are on platforms that lookout to huge windows. Tables are in the center and the small counter is in the back. High vaulted ceilings with drop lighting are fitting for the structure and beautiful. The ceiling was in terrific shape and I imagine restored at some point. If your eating in have a seat to be waited on. If your carry out proceed to the counter. The menu is listed on the board and consist of all types of sandwiches, soups and salads. If dining in the menus are on the table. You will find prices are very fair. I talked with the super cool staff at the cafe that happen to be two sweet young ladies. They gave me some lay of the land. I also discussed ownership and found that The Leaping Lizard Cafe in VB no longer owns this cafe which was the original. The bookstore is still in the Prince family. The recipes used in the cafe are the same as when the Prince's owned it. I took a seat in a booth by myself and enjoyed watching foot traffic in front. I quickly decided on the ham biscuit soup combo. Little did I know that it would be so huge and filling. The dining room is not large and by the time the clock hit almost noon the place was packed with a mainly business crowd. There would later be a line waiting for a seat. The steady stream of carry out business had the three to four staffers quite busy. As I mentioned before the dining area is dated, but that is not the reason for a full star deduction. However, watching several customers set in booths where the seat flipped up and moved around is. Unsure if these booths are old, in disrepair, not just not made well. This is something that should be addressed before someone falls to the floor. The lunch plate came out within around 15 minutes and looked stunning. A nice helping of hot potato soup with flavors that burst out of the bowl. The Main Street salad was crisp and fresh. The roasted potatoes (same recipe as The Leaping Lizard Cafe) are to die for and I almost consider desert...they are that yum! But the hero on the plate was the fresh biscuits, ham and peach marmalade. So incredible you want to savor every bite in your mouth and not rush the wave of flavors dancing around in your mouth. My waitress came over and checked on me one time which was adequate. The meal was completely satisfying in every way. The service was above par as well. When one thinks of a bookstore cafe your first thought jumps to Barnes & Noble. For goodness sakes, this place could not be more unlike a chain and is the real deal authentic local anti chain. The bookstore is one of the last full service locals in our area. Come and enjoy a wonderful lunch, then head over and purchase a book. One only knows how long businesses like this can continue to survive, support it. I'm at a 4.5 rounding down. Keep in mind they are lunch only M-F 11-3. read more

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Hidden in plain sight. Small, eclectic, but not weird. Sandwiches that took the edge off the cold rain (I'm from southern California, where tax dollars go towards ensuring sunshine and drought), friendly service, newspapers to read.. And those little orange biscuits. Now, I'm no sucker for things left warm and smelling good on the counter....but when in Rome, eat what's on the counter. The helpful, cheerful waitress suggested I have it warm, with jam. Why sure, I'll have the cute little orange biscuit with jam, I'm quaint, I'm a tourist, I'll fall for anything, right? Of course, then I took a bite. Pure comfort. Comfort like I was 4, I skinned my knee jumping off the roof running from the neighbors dog and getting yelled at from the mean 90000 year old neighbor across the street and mom put a heavy heavy blanket on me and gave me a spiderman bandaid and a cup of koolaid, the kind that has 6,000 grams of sugar and icecubes comfort. I mean, dam, those biscuits were good. Old wood benches in the booths, some high windows to people watch and a reasonably good panini. And a biscuit. This place is great. read more

This place is absolutely charming! There's a small bookstore inside next to the cafe with a lot of choices to check out. Great food and service, will be back:)! read more

Lizard Cafe - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Terrific food--homemade soup and chicken salad were delicious. However, the chef came out and told us to leave as soon as we paid our bill. He told us he had other customers waiting. I told him that I did not think this was appropriate and that I would not return. He then proceeded to yell at me and everyone in the cafe got an earful. read more

Really delicious lunch! Great options,combos and flavors. I ordered the quinoa salad and chicken salad sandwich combo. Exceed expectations and I'll definitely be returning. read more

So nice and the food is delicious. I love to order their bacon ranch Sammy with pasta salad on the side. They have the best pasta salad. The owners are really friendly too. This place is also connected to a bookstore so you can pick up a book after if you want. read more

Best soup ever. My favorite spot downtown Norfolk. Their ham and cucumber sandwich is one of the best ham sandwiches I've ever had. Their soup is awesome. I always order a bowl with my meal. If I could give this place 20 stars I would. read more

Possibly my favorite place downtown- it's quiet, charming, and the food is wonderful! They have something for everyone here and they're super friendly. read more

Absolutely great! Food, service and ambiance is awesome. This is a hidden gem. Had crab spinach quiche, hunter burger and the open face tuna melt everything was delish! read more

Stopped in for a sit down lunch. Wide variety of sandwiches and salads. Quality and service was top notch. Nice local place connected to a book store. read more

Much appreciation to the staff for letting me camp out for a couple of hours before ordering. Despite not ordering for two hours, I was still getting service for water refills and frequent check ups. When you hang around for as long as I did you see lots of dishes being served. Sandwich after sandwich, I grew hungrier by the moment. When it was all finally said and done, I couldn't decide on a sandwich so I went with their taster sampler. It was chicken salad with fresh peach chutney, fresh dilled tuna salad, hummus and sun-dried tomato pesto with a side of leafy green salad. For something so fresh it was quite filling. I especially enjoyed the chicken salad and hummus. Everything blended all together was a nice mix, too. Lizard Cafe is located inside Prince Books so double your visit with a walk through the book store. You can never learn too much! read more

Lizard Cafe - Soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I am confused at the good reviews. While the place is nicely decorated with great light, nice staff and comfortable seating the food was more expensive than other local spots and unimpressive. We had three things, chicken salad which came with potato salad, and chicken noodle soup. The soup was so salty it overtook everything else about the soup and was essentially unpleasant. The chicken salad and the potato salad were both uninspiring and bland. I hope our experience was a one off but I rarely go somewhere that everything served disappoints. I really wanted this to be a 5 but alas it was not. I would try somewhere else. read more

Stopped here for lunch while in town for a conference. My colleague and I had the best lunch ever. Their sandwiches. I had a salad and sandwich. The chicken salad sandwich and signature salad. Wow. Amazing. All homemade. The balance and mixture of tastes was amazing--chicken with peach chutney and grapes, pears with gorgonzola in the salad. The potato salad was delicious. I wish I ordered a whole sandwich and a whole salad and took it home with me. read more

Lizard Cafe - Half chicken salad sandwich, half signature salad and potato salad all homemade. Delicious!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This place was a pleasant little surprise. I met my husband for lunch, and we didn't have very much time. I was reading reviews as we were walking and this place sounded promising. It's a little café tucked inside a used bookstore. It doesn't look like much, but the food was absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the chicken bacon ranch wrap & I had the mushroom & artichoke sandwich. Both were served with fresh fruit (it was a decent sized wedge of watermelon) and really delicious potato salad. He loved his wrap and my sandwich was pretty good. It could have been better if the mushrooms had been sautéed first. I'm not a fan of raw mushrooms. It would have been amazing though if they had been cooked first. The service was good, and our food came out quickly. Definitely try this place if you're looking for a quick lunch in downtown Norfolk. read more

Lizard Cafe - Chicken bacon ranch wrap. - Sandwiches Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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