City Bodega Cafe Relaunches in Lawrenceville With All-Day Brunch

The City Bodega Cafe has relaunched in Lawrenceville with an expanded daytime menu combining Southern comfort food, New York bodega staples and family recipes.

Owners Monica and Craig Philip marked the restaurant’s refreshed opening Oct. 1 at 1417 Grayson Highway, Suite A.

The family-owned cafe draws on the couple’s connections to Virginia, Charleston and New York. That mix appears throughout the menu, moving from shrimp and grits and salmon croquettes to chopped-cheese sandwiches, cheesesteaks and breakfast rolls.

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Among the signature dishes is The Charleston, made with grilled shrimp, beef sausage, onions and peppers over cheese grits. Momma C pairs fried salmon cakes with scrambled eggs, while A Long Island Thang combines chopped salmon, onions and peppers with eggs and a choice of home fries or grits.

The expanded menu also includes chicken and waffles, stuffed French toast, breakfast burritos, seafood po’boys, burgers and vegan choices. Most breakfast and brunch plates range from about $11 to $16.

The relaunch gives eastern Lawrenceville another independent breakfast and lunch option while preserving the restaurant’s blend of regional food traditions. Rather than treating brunch as a weekend-only meal, The City Bodega serves breakfast-oriented dishes throughout its operating day alongside sandwiches and heartier lunch choices.

The cafe offers dine-in service, takeout, delivery and catering. It also hosts a larger buffet-style brunch on the third Sunday of each month at Gran Palais Banquet Hall, with music, cocktails and special programming.

Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday.