Late night New York-style pizza slices are coming to this storied midtown Sacramento space

Cafe Marika’s long-vacated midtown Sacramento space finally has a successor. And it’ll be open late.

Marilyn’s Pizza, a New York-style pie shop currently under construction, will open where the tenured Hungarian restaurant once was at 2011 J St., Suite A.

The pizza parlor is owned by TJ Bruce, who also owns LGBTQ+ bars Badlands, Roscoe’s Bars & Burgers and The Depot one block away in Lavender Heights. It’ll specialize in enormous 20-inch pies stretched thin and hand-tossed daily, slices of which will also be available for a quick bite, according to Marilyn’s website.

Marilyn’s will stay open until about 2 or 3 a.m. on weekends, Bruce told the Sacramento Business Journal, making it one of the rare food options on the grid after bars close down. Signage is already up outside the restaurant, and Bruce hopes to open it within the next month, he said.

Cafe Marika owners Eva and Louie Chruma closed their shoebox-like Central European restaurant when they retired in January 2020 after 30 years in business. It was known for goulash, chicken paprikash and pan-fried pork schnitzel, among other dishes.