In downtown Brooklyn between Atlantic Avenue and Nevins Street lies your average New York City bodega, or so you’d think.
From 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. every other Friday, people gather outside the Atlantic Deli and Grill, waiting to enter a transformed bodega. The audience fills each chair as shots are passed out at the front door. A trumpet player serenades guests from the back grill while everyone awaits for the show to begin: Bodega Comedy.
In October 2023, Sam Boston opened the Atlantic Deli and Grill. Within three months, Boston’s shop became home to one of the most unique comedy clubs being held inside a bodega.
Vikrant Sunderlal and Christopher Isaacson, the show’s co-hosts and comedians, had performed several gigs at “untraditional” locations before coming up with Bodega Comedy. “We were doing pop-up shows in people’s houses, [playing in] as sick of a spot we could find. We did a massive loft [in] this kid’s backyard. We packed 100 people into a 50th-story penthouse in Times Square,” Sunderlal said.
Sunderlal and Isaacson lived in the area when Boston opened Atlantic Deli and Grill; the trio hit it off right away. They made several videos on TikTok and Instagram that went viral before the three of them came up with the idea of hosting their own comedy show inside the bodega. They had their first show in January 2024. “It was a big hit, so we just kept doing them,” Isaacson said.
For a comedy club that has only been around for eight months, Bodega Comedy has grown quickly in popularity; not only in views and likes on social media, but in the size of their audience. Attendees are jam-packed, filling the entire deli from front to back, adding to the night’s atmosphere. The shows are a high-quality experience, including food, drinks, and performances accompanied by a brochure of each comedian.
“I think that people really want to come and hang out in a bodega. I think it’s a great gimmick to get people in,” Isaacson said.
When you hear “bodega,” most people think of New York City. The next to follow is a chopped cheese sandwich, and while stand-up comedy may not follow in that list, the Atlantic Deli and Grill has all three.
Recognized comedians and newcomers alike have taken the stage at Atlantic Deli and Grill. “We’ve had people who’ve been on HBO and in film, and people with real credits, but the main thing that we want is just for [the audience] to have a good show,” Isaacson said. “You get to see performances from the comics who you might know, but in a totally different context, where they’re bouncing off their environment in a way that no one else has.”
Bodega Comedy has several shows lined up for the next few weeks, including a Halloween show on Oct. 25. Their next show is on Sept. 20 and the tickets are $17.85.
“We believe in the show. Not only do I think that it’s a quality show, but I think it brings together the neighborhood,” Isaacson said. “And that just brings warmth to my heart.”