A beloved Brooklyn café known for its comforting coffee, warm hospitality and Filipino-American fusion cuisine has made its way to Queens.
Café Pri recently opened its doors in Middle Village, marking its first expansion outside of Bushwick. Located at 64-28 Metropolitan Ave., the café celebrated its grand opening just a week ago and is already serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner to the local community.
The menu combines American classics with Filipino staples such as Pork Sisig and Tapsilog, offering something for every palate.
Owner Pauline Coronado, who first launched Café Pri in Bushwick, said the time felt right to grow the brand and bring its signature style and service to a new corner of the city. “We’re excited to share our food and friendly service with the Middle Village community,” she said.
“It was always my dream to have one in every borough, and I know it’s very ambitious,” said Coronado. “But Brooklyn is where my daughter was born, and Queens is where I started in New York. So I always wanted to open one in Queens.”
The café is named after Coronado’s daughter, Pri, who was born the same year she launched her first location in Brooklyn in 2020. Prior to opening the café, Coronado worked in the hotel industry, but after becoming a mother, she sought a career that offered more flexibility and time with her newborn.
Inspired by a past job at a Long Island bagel shop, Coronado decided to open a café—recalling how much she enjoyed connecting with customers and becoming a small but meaningful part of their daily routine. “I loved how regulars would come in every day for their coffee and breakfast,” she said. “That sense of community always stayed with me.”
“I just love when somebody comes in and you already know their coffee order, and I like knowing how that makes them feel,” said Coronado. “With restaurants, you go there for celebrations, you don’t actually go there every day, but with coffee, when they like your coffee and you serve it, they come every day, and you get to know the people you serve.”
Coronado’s newest location is unique from her Brooklyn shop because she expanded her menu to include lunch and dinner since the new café has more space for tables. She also began adding more authentic Filipino dishes after experimenting with her customers’ reception to some of the dishes in the Brooklyn cafe.
“At the Bushwick location, there’s no dinner because [the café] is very small. So now I’m trying to introduce more Filipino dinner,” said Coronado. “At first, the [Brooklyn] café was only American food, and then I started adding a little bit of Filipino, and they liked it. So, I think they want to try more, and I hope they’re going to try our dinner.”
One of the most popular items on the menu is the Filipino Breakfast Brunch Bowl, a hearty dish featuring garlic fried rice, a fried egg, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a choice of meat—options include beef, pork, bacon, or Spam, among others.
Other breakfast highlights include the Berries and Nuts Waffle Plate and the Turkey and Ham Chipotle Croissant, along with a variety of other flavorful options.
On the coffee side, customer favorites include the Dalgona, a whipped coffee drink that gained viral fame, and the refreshing Iced Brown Sugar Latte, perfect for a midday pick-me-up.
Café Pri now occupies the space that once housed Li Wan, a beloved Chinese restaurant that served the Middle Village community for years. While the transition marks the end of one neighborhood staple, it also welcomes a new chapter filled with warm hospitality and fresh flavors.
“The Filipino breakfast is a typical dish we eat every day in the Philippines,” said Coronado, owner of Café Pri. “A few people here have tried it so far, and it’s been good. We first started with bagels, omelets, waffles—and then we added this at the Bushwick location, and everyone loved it.”
For dinner, Coronado recommends the Pork Sisig, a popular Filipino dish made with sizzling chopped pork, seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili. Served crispy and packed with bold flavor, it’s a highlight of the menu.
“I’ve been recommending the Sisig to everyone who comes in and says they want to try something new,” she said. “It’s my favorite dish in the Philippines. It’s really good—and we found a really good chef.”
Café Pri also offers a variety of vegan options, including plant-based chicken tenders, a vegan brunch bowl, and fresh fruit protein smoothies, perfect for a healthy start or a post-workout pick-me-up.
Though the café has only been open a short time, Coronado said the Middle Village community has already been incredibly welcoming. She hopes to build the same strong relationships here that she did at her original location in Bushwick.
“People have been very welcoming,” she said. “The nearby businesses came by on our first day and gave us a lucky dollar with something nice written on it. I was really touched—it was so kind.”
