Sofia — Restaurant in Englewood

I will start this review by stating my opinions on Sofia are not representative of a small sample size, but are instead based on several visits (20+) for dinner and the downstairs cigar lounge, dating back to when they opened several years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed several meals and gatherings there. However, I will say my experience is severely tainted by recency bias, with pre-pandemic Sofia and post-pandemic Sofia wholly unrecognizable on a comparative basis. Degrading service levels and quality, disrespectful staff, a pompous air of exclusivity and astronomical price increases have completely ruined what was a unique ambience and one-of-a-kind experience in North Jersey.

The food has always been very good, albeit a bit overpriced when compared to the quality of steaks at true steakhouses such as Roots, Sear House, etc. Sofia has always tried to price their food and cocktails like they are across the river in NYC, not Englewood, NJ. The house cocktails are bar-none the best in Bergen County. The downstairs cigar lounge is an absolute gem.

Sofia management knows all of the above and is aware they are the only game in town. Restaurants like Ventanas that cater to the same crowd aren’t open as late as Sofia. There are no other high-level cigar lounges in Bergen County open past 10pm. Sofia is easily accessible off a major highway, with parking readily available and allows you to enjoy a cigar intra or post-meal without having to go across the bridge.

Economics 101 and the laws of supply and demand encourage Sofia to continually increase prices and cater to a crowd with higher disposable income. Kudos to them. However, this ostentatious “exclusivity” they are trying so desperately to implement into their brand is turning away hordes of loyal customers who helped to grow their restaurant into what it is today. No longer can you go downstairs to enjoy a cigar without being a “member” (at a cost of $3500), despite there being tables available in the lounge. No longer can you even sit down to enjoy a meal without a reservation, despite there being several tables available in their upstairs portion.

This pretentiousness extends to their staff, which is truly among the most insolent I have come across in various dining establishments over the years. There is one interaction I can vividly recall that happened a few years ago and forever tarnished my experience at Sofia. Enjoying a cigar in their downstairs lounge with 3 other individuals, we were told there would be a per person cutting fee for bringing our own cigars. Despite only two of us smoking cigars, we were charged 4 cutting fees (which have increased year after year). Our server did not cut our cigar, did not bring us a cutter, did not offer to light our cigars, did not bring us a lighter and did not bring us water. We had to do all of the above ourselves, ask for water, and pour it ourselves. When the time came for us to pay our bill, we were charged $60 for the 2 cigars we smoked. We gave a 10% tip for what was wholly substandard service (bringing us a pitcher of water and 4 empty glasses). What proceeded to happen still shocks me today, for an establishment that considers itself to be high-end.

The server accosted us, directed profanity at us and proceeded to get in a shouting match with us over the amount of the tip. After what seemed like several minutes of a back-and-forth discussion needlessly justifying our tip, as if we needed to, the manager came by, restrained the server and apologized on his behalf. “I think he’s having a bad day”. After being verbally assaulted by the server, that is all the recompense we were provided.

While this was the tip of the iceberg, it demonstrates behavior that is consistent with the culture and environment that Sofia has cultivated, especially over the past two years. It pains me to say that I won’t be returning anymore because I really enjoyed my experience there. Unfortunately, the only event that will change their attitude going forward is new competition, as they have been tone-deaf to their...

This was my first time dining here. I’m very familiar with the food industry especially for someone who has worked in it my whole life, as well as managing restaurants. So I know what to look for in a good restaurant. But this one didn’t meet my expectations. Not for anything but for a restaurant that charges $300 for two people, you’d expect a WOW experience. I would also assume that the servers and staff would be friendly and be more knowledgeable about food allergies. I have celiac so of course I always check the menu and call prior to going out. I saw that they had gf items which is usually a good sign and when I called to ask if they are celiac safe, I was told “yes”. When we were ready to order, I asked our server if the octopus appetizer was gluten free and celiac safe, his answer was “it has potatoes.” I replied with “is it fried” and his response was, “no, it’s sautéed.” My follow up question was “then why isn’t this dish gluten free? is there anything coated in flour or other gluten ingredients?” His answer was “no.” At this point, I understood that he didn’t understand what it all meant and to be honest I hate being that customer who requests to speak to a manager or someone else. - So I didn’t. I went with my own discretion and decided the octopus app was safe and it was. For my entree, I ordered a steak and also ordered my sides since you have to order them separately? pretty ridiculous but moving on. I ordered a side of mashed potatoes and veggies. After placing my order with the server I politely asked, “can you please let the kitchen know I am gluten free and I have celiac” Hoping that someone else in there would be aware of food allergies - especially a kitchen. When my food was brought out the steak came sizzling hot on a plate - which was delicious by the way. The part that made me upset was when the food runner placed the mashed potatoes on the table I saw that they garnished it with breadcrumbs. I asked the food runner - but with little hope I had at this point, if he knew of any other gluten ingredients in this dish? He hesitated and said I don't think so. I asked him if he could ask the kitchen to check if everything I ordered was gluten free - he never came back. LOL. At this point, I was upset but didn’t want the night to be ruined so I ate my steak and veggies which felt safe. The server not once came up to us during our meal and asked if we needed anything like more water, if we’re enjoying our meal, etc. Pretty upsetting for a place like this. The hosts are cold and seem absolutely miserable. Also, no reason for 3 hosts at one time. The entire time we were there, they just stood and did nothing. I give 3 stars because the food was decent, can’t say amazing. I also thought the restaurant itself is pretty cool. It’s large and they have a cool little speak easy...

Last night, I came to the restaurant for my one year wedding anniversary. This restaurant was highly recommended so I was looking forward to it. When we first arrived we were seated right away. Our waiter Sebastian attended to us quickly and gave us a great experience. Food came out in a timely matter. Drinks were excellent and the dessert was to die for. Then it was time to get the check. We asked for the check and then after about 10 mins or so our waiter walked back and let us know that their system was down. It was understandable. But then another 10 mins passed by. Then another 10 mins and now we ended up waiting about 45 mins just to be told the manager would be with us shortly to speak about the matter. This is where everything went downhill and my perception of this restaurant changed completely. In my opinion I feel as if in situations like this there should be a back up plan. For instance, there is multiple ways to pay electronically such as Zelle, cash app, Venmo and etc. This should have been a way to pay if the system was down because it is quite annoying to spend more time waiting around for a check compared to the time my wife and I actually spent at the restaurant. Also, after all of this we still had pay for all of it which isn’t the issue, but we weren’t given anything while we waited the whole time. We waited a total of 90 minutes to get our check. The manager never came to our table and handled the situation with a table that got there about 45 mins after us. Which we should have been handle with in the order we came in. The poor thing about this whole situation was the fact that our waiter had to deal with this situation and all of it was out of his hands, but he carried himself with class and made sure we got the check as soon as possible. As I write this review, this is very difficult for me due to the fact that my experience at this restaurant was tremendously awful. But the food our food was a solid 10 out of 10 and our waiter Sebastian handled everything with class and provided the best service he could with everything was happening. I hope management would recognize Sebastian’s hard work and class for dealing with something that management...