Sofia's Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Lakewood

I came here on the second day it was opened, so I was excited to try it out but also open minded that there might be some kinks to work out. But everything went smoothly!

We made a reservation online, although probably not necessary as we were one of the only tables occupied when we got there at 5:30 on a Wednesday. It did fill up by the time we left though.

The hostess was very nice. We were seated in a booth, but the seats were very uncomfortable. You cannot sit back because the bench is too long, so my back was kind of hurting.

Almost immediately after we sat down, our waitress asked what bottle of wine we were having. I thought that was odd, but I didn’t know if they had those as a special on Wednesday nights or something (they didn’t, she just really liked wine). We replied that since we just sat down, we didn’t know what we wanted to drink yet, and she said oh sure we can start with cocktails and then get a bottle of wine after. She joked that one bottle of wine was really only two glasses. This was really off putting. I’ve honestly never been pressured to drink before. I know she was half joking, half salesperson, but it made me really uncomfortable. Not to mention, no way my husband and I could drive home if we drank all that!

Anyway, we decided on a Blueberry Patch and a Blackberry Smash cocktail ( a gin and a whiskey drink) both were absolutely delicious!

We love getting an appetizer, but nothing really stood out to us. We got the roasted nuts, which were very good! But heads up would only be a good app for two people as it was very small.

For our meal, I got the veggie sub. It was pretty good. Tasted like caramelized onions mostly, not in a bad way. Some of the fancy broccoli pieces were too tough to chew though. So kinda awkward to spit those out. And the bread was good but so thick and hard to eat as a sandwhich. The potatoes were good they were served with. My husband got a beef dip or something like that. He said it was good, but wasn’t really impressed.

Various people kept a filling up our water glasses throughout the night (no ice, small cups). And while I do love having a full glass of water, it was a little distracting how often they came over. Perhaps bigger glasses or leaving a water pitcher at the table would help.

Lastly, dessert! We got the Apple torte which was soo delicious!!!

Overall, it was a nice date night out and I would definitely...

Come and get taken care of by Sofia's Kitchen, and particularly, her staff. Lakewood's newest restaurant mixes woodsy lounge with sports bar, and tops it off with the most charming front of house staff ever. We came on a busy Friday night and got to enjoy a corner table, where we could fully appreciate the luxurious heavy curtains framing the giant windows. The hefty silverware and warm windows add to a vintage lounge feel. But on the opposite side of the dining room, two large TVs and modern lighting offer those who enjoy sports bars a home as well. The theme seems just to be "keep it fun" - look to the bathroom stalls for a cute use of quirky porcelain doorknobs as coat hooks, and a seahorse wall ornament, just because.

Everyone we met, from the hostess to the servers keeping our waters constantly topped off and especially our server who had the best comeback lines, was a treat to talk to.

The menu is short and sweet, with lamb-lovers getting a particular nod. Gluten-free and vegan options are clearly labeled. Drinks (including non-alcoholic cocktails) are on the back of the main menu, and a separate wine menu was provided on seating. I especially liked their inclusion of orange/natural wines.

The starters were our favorites, with tasty Mussels and Chickpea Battered Veggies (that crunch!) shining through. The Deviled Eggs and Shepard's Fries were a little on the saltier side, which was a theme that continued into the entrees. While my Spice Rubbed Charred Chicken Thighs were super moist and tender, they were overseasoned and the arugula drowned in balsamic to the point that I found it hard to finish my dishes. The Lamb and Anna Burgers were good, not great, and Pork Prime Rib an oversized attempt at winning stomachs over from a traditional beef prime rib. Portions were decent, but we found ourselves not being able to drink enough water to keep the salt-induced cottonmouths away.

Lots of promise with Sofia's, especially with their staff making every moment feel like home. Hoping that they change around the menu and adjust the sauce levels for...

Stopped in here for the first time last evening around 8 p.m. It was a Tuesday, and kind of late for dinner, so the place was rather empty.

In spite of that, the restaurant was very welcoming to my party of 3.

2 of us started out with a house-made cocktail called "Fire on the Mountain" (we drank them in Donna Jean Godchaux's honor), and one of us had their variation on an Old Fashioned. The cocktails were very good and unique. The mixologist/bartender/server spent some time with us explaining the drinks as well as a bit about the kitchen philosophy.

We got lamb burgers, the soup of the day, and a salad. Everything was excellent and things that should be HOT/WARM were HOT/WARM, which was a very pleasant surprise to know that the kitchen was paying attention to details even for our late, small party.

We...