The Lizard Cafe

We were in town for a conference and discovered this place. Don't let the line or wait make you pass by this little hidden gem. The food is amazing and the guy that makes the food works really hard and minimizing the wait time. You may wait a few minutes but you can scan the code on the menu and order on the app to help them out. I had the chicken bacon ranch wrap and it was delicious!! I highly recommend this place! We did take out one day and dine in the next day. Yes, it was that good. We ate lunch here two days in a row!

What a gem! Inhaled my chicken and dumplings and chicken sales sandwich. Hidden in a book store; it didn’t show up in my google search for a lunch spot. Doesn’t get any better….

Such a cool place. Inside a book store so it's a nice atmosphere. I had the chicken salad sandwich and it was PHENOMENAL. will absolutely be making this a frequent lunch stop. Also the service is great.

We enjoyed our meal after visiting the USS Wisconsin we ordered the chicken salad and bacon chicken ranch wrap both are delicious. The owner is the chef and is very helpful. Definitely worth a try.

One of the best little cafes around. I came back for the dill tuna sandwich and was delighted to try the bbq chicken noodle soup. A delicious lunch spot in the downtown area.

Great cafe for lunch. We are from England and always pop in when we are in Norfolk. Today I had a bowl of chicken & dumpling soup and a 1/2 BLT sandwich. Lovely. I do recommend this place.

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

Small shop connected to a book store. The ham and cucumber sandwich is fantastic. To be honest it’s going to be hard to try anything else. If you are in the area it’s worth stopping in. Service is fast and excellent.

Absolutely incredible cozy sandwich shop on a book store. The food was some of the best I've had in years, and the staff is great. If you are in Norfolk and don't go here, you're missing out in a big way.

Absolutely amazing and delicious food. Our 1st time there today and the owner greeted us with great hospitality and very friendly service. The food was so good and felt great to be eating healthy options that tasted wonderful. We will definitely be spreading the word and returning. Try the Tuscan chicken, you can get it as a wrap, and my hubs got the Chicken Salad and everything was fresh and delicious

Located inside a bookstore, came in for lunch just because it was close to the hotel. Soup and sandwich place. Was pleasantly surprised! Got the ham, turkey, and cheese. Loved the sun dried tomato aioli.
The sandwiches are fresh panini-pressed, made to order. Owner/operator makes all the food himself.
Will be back next time I’m in the area

Highly highly recommend Lizard Cafe. Fantastic food for a great price, both quality and quantity, though to be honest I only ever got the chicken salad and a few wraps. Being from the south, I have high expectations for chicken salad - this is some of the best I've ever had. (As much as I wanted to try other things on the menu, I couldn't. Because all I wanted was chicken salad.) Made fresh from scratch in house every day. Chef/owner Brian uses quality ingredients to create delicious traditional dishes with his own unique twist. What's more, he knows and takes care of his customers. He makes great recommendations and will gladly make special orders as he's able. Lizard Cafe is my favorite place to eat in downtown Norfolk. Highly recommend. I'll go back any chance I get.

The owner was very nice and accommodating. He was sweet and the food was great. My tuna sandwich was flavorful. My daughter enjoyed the sweet potato biscuits and my husband loved the chicken salad. It’s a nice place to go and we would go again.

Love the changes that have been made since Brian took over the Lizard Cafe in April of 2019. You can tell he's passionate about the food he makes and cares about his customers. The Jefferson combo is my favorite. You get a fresh sweet potato biscuit and surry ham topped off with an apricot jam. PLUS two sides. It's delicious. 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.

Great price and atmosphere.

The books are pretty limited but you can check out the selection while wait or eat. The sandwich /soup deal is pretty good. The bowl is huge! Go with cup if you aren't looking to get full

Prices are good

Ask the owner to heat up a sweet potato bun and put some apricot jam on it. It is literally one of the best things I have EVER had. I can't wait to go back and get another one! That AND the service was fantastic. What a hidden gem!!!

A hidden gem.
I had a turkey avocado sandwich, and it was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.

Made to order with fresh, artisan frenchbread, and plenty of turkey. Came with a side of excellent potato salad.

A superb, friendly cafe with great food and prompt friendly service. It's in the downtown area of Norfolk, and a 3 minute walk from both the Nauticus museum and the Waterside center. (Prince bookstore--another hidden gem--shares the floorspace, so you can buy a book and read while having lunch or coffee.)

This cute little place is conveniently located downtown and shares a roof with a nice little book shop. The sandwiches are unbelievably good. They are fresh and made with homemade rosemary bread; delicious!!

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.

Delicious food! Had lunch today (chicken noodle soup, turkey blt) and both were great. Also super fast and very friendly.