Sofra Kitchen Bar & Bistro

Octopus was cooked very well and made for a tasty bite with everything else on the plate. Burratta and octopus mentioned they came with beets but only included 2-3 very small pieces of beet. Shishito peppers were yummy. Overall, food was quite tasty and portions were ok. Drink was good but definitely overpriced for the area. Note that they don't clean the wood top which is used to smoke the herbs on the smokey old fashioned, so if someone picks up the top, drinks out of their drink, then puts the top back on, it will be placed right onto the next persons old fashioned. Drink service was not good, but I get the sense it was just the bartender and not the other servers. It was pretty busy and we sat at the bar, the bartender Mary Beth took our food/drink order and didn't check on us for 45 minutes after, even though we were seated right in front of her the whole time with empty waters and drink. After which we ordered another drink and a bit more food - food came but drink never came. After another 45 mins we gave up and closed the tab (with another server). There were only a couple other folks seated at the bar the whole time and there were 5-6 other servers around, most of which were actually helping the bartender make drinks, while they also had about 2 tables each. We wanted to like this place, but the service unfortunately made it a pretty annoying experience.

Octopus was cooked very well and made for a tasty bite with everything else on the plate. Burratta and octopus mentioned they came with beets but only included 2-3 very small pieces of beet. Shishito peppers were yummy. Overall, food was quite tasty and portions were ok. Drink was good but definitely overpriced for the area. Note that they don't clean the wood top which is used to smoke the herbs on the smokey old fashioned, so if someone picks up the top, drinks out of their drink, then puts the top back on, it will be placed right onto the next persons old fashioned. Drink service was not good, but I get the sense it was just the bartender and not the other servers. It was pretty busy and we sat at the bar, the bartender Mary Beth took our food/drink order and didn't check on us for 45 minutes after, even though we were seated right in front of her the whole time with empty waters and drink. After which we ordered another drink and a bit more food - food came but drink never came. After another 45 mins we gave up and closed the tab (with another server). There were only a couple other folks seated at the bar the whole time and there were 5-6 other servers around, most of which were actually helping the bartender make drinks, while they also had about 2 tables each. We wanted to like this place, but the service unfortunately made it a pretty annoying experience.

What should have been a special date night turned into a very disappointing experience. My fiancé and I arrived promptly for our 5:45 reservation. Despite half the tables being available, the waitress/hostess attempted to seat us directly next to the front door, at a table in the middle of the restaurant. When I asked to sit at one of the several empty two-top tables along the perimeter, she responded with an unwelcome attitude and almost rolled her eyes out of her head. Not a great start, but we shook it off. Our server, Michael, promptly and warmly greeted us. He was friendly and is very good. All of the food was mediocre at best. Were we at the same restaurant that has all of the glowing reviews?! The octopus appetizer was the standout, yet it was still underwhelming and a small portion for $23. The butternut squash soup was average, lacking depth and richness despite its appealing description. Usually, my fiancé and I order different entrees, but we both chose the rigatoni after reading glowing reviews. One had overcooked and dry chicken; the other had three shrimp I didn’t like, so I gave them to my fiancé. The pasta was light on sauce and flavor, and it was quite spicy without enough seasoning complexity. We also tried the white chocolate tart, which sounded tempting but fell flat—how can dessert be so disappointing? I had high expectations based on the reviews and the price, but the experience was a major letdown. Our bill was $190 for two, including tip (included two glasses of Pinot Noir at a reasonable $9 each). What was supposed to be a memorable date night turned out to be a major letdown.

What should have been a special date night turned into a very disappointing experience. My fiancé and I arrived promptly for our 5:45 reservation. Despite half the tables being available, the waitress/hostess attempted to seat us directly next to the front door, at a table in the middle of the restaurant. When I asked to sit at one of the several empty two-top tables along the perimeter, she responded with an unwelcome attitude and almost rolled her eyes out of her head. Not a great start, but we shook it off. Our server, Michael, promptly and warmly greeted us. He was friendly and is very good. All of the food was mediocre at best. Were we at the same restaurant that has all of the glowing reviews?! The octopus appetizer was the standout, yet it was still underwhelming and a small portion for $23. The butternut squash soup was average, lacking depth and richness despite its appealing description. Usually, my fiancé and I order different entrees, but we both chose the rigatoni after reading glowing reviews. One had overcooked and dry chicken; the other had three shrimp I didn’t like, so I gave them to my fiancé. The pasta was light on sauce and flavor, and it was quite spicy without enough seasoning complexity. We also tried the white chocolate tart, which sounded tempting but fell flat—how can dessert be so disappointing? I had high expectations based on the reviews and the price, but the experience was a major letdown. Our bill was $190 for two, including tip (included two glasses of Pinot Noir at a reasonable $9 each). What was supposed to be a memorable date night turned out to be a major letdown.

Aziz invited us to try Sofra Restaurant, and we were beyond pleased. From the moment we arrived, the welcome from the staff set the tone for a truly special evening. Every detail was thoughtful—the service, the recommendations, and every single dish were absolutely excellent. Everything was perfection. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.