Sofia's Taqueria Old Bridge — Restaurant in Old Bridge

We were so excited to try the new taqueria in town after hearing great things about the Staten Island location on Amboy Rd. The place looks fantastic from the outside, and the interior has charming decorations, especially the cool mason jars for most drinks.

However, the ambiance is a bit chaotic; the music is incredibly loud, requiring everyone to shout for a conversation. And it's not even mexican music playing, some kind of Dominican dance music. This made it challenging as we could hear conversations from tables three away. Despite having a substantial number of service personnel, they seemed to be walking around aimlessly with empty hands. While they were attentive, the same couldn't be said for the waitress. She struggled with understanding the Spanish names of dishes, forcing us to point at the menu. Unfortunately, she was mostly absent after taking our main order, returning only once to inquire about drink refills, and even then, she missed one.

Drinks: We ordered a virgin Shirley Temple, strawberry lemonade, a Mango frozen margarita (the second one was far better than the first), and a bottled beer. It's disappointing that they don't have beer on tap despite promoting a full bar.

Food: Queso Fundido: A shared dish that was pretty good, scoring a 7.5 out of 10. However, I'm unsure if the cheese they chose is the best option for the dish.

Chicken Mole Enchiladas: A miserable failure with cold and undercooked tortillas and chicken. The mole was the only warm element, but the flavor was subpar, earning it a 4 out of 10. Birria Tacos: They were okay, but it's unclear if they were 100% short ribs. The consomé resembled more of a cilantro soup, lacking the seasoning or taste of chile guajillo, earning a 5 out of 10.

Carne Asada Tacos: Raw, semi-warm tortillas with unseasoned red meat and no salt. A disappointing score of 3 out of 10.

Steak Fajita: Prepared by multiple people, the dish lacked consistency in onion and bell pepper sizes. The meat was unseasoned, and the tortillas were undercooked. A score of 4 out of 10.

In conclusion, it's unfortunate that this taqueria doesn't live up to the authentic experience. I suspect not all Mexicans are in the kitchen, affecting the overall taste. In general, it feels like the environment of Jose Tejas with the food prices of Rosa Mexicano.

A fter reading the answer to some reviees I would like to add the Oxford dictionary definition to the word Taqueria.

Taqueria: Definitions from Oxford a Mexican...

Trying to give a well rounded review as overall, I’d give this place 3.5-4 stars.

Made reservations beforehand for a weekend lunch which I’d recommend. It was very busy there starting at around noon. It was loud and lively. Music did not bother us. We had a back corner table and were able to hold conversation fine.

They give you chips and salsa when you’re seated. Waiter was Franco and he was friendly and attentive. Water offered right away and drinks came in small mason jars.

Had chicken flautas and the street corn as appetizers. Came quickly even when busy. Both things were excellent. Served with delicious sauces and came out hot and fresh.

Entrees were Carne asada, Al Pastor, and ground beef tacos. Came 3 to an order. Nothing came with it except for the tacos. All three types were loaded and had excellent flavor. Temp was good, tortillas were fresh with maybe being on their way to soggy but I think that is due to how overstuffed it is. We all enjoyed them.

For dessert we split a slice of Cookie Butter Tres Leches which was amazing. Could have used maybe a tad bit more cookie butter flavor but overall, great.

My criticisms which kind of make/break it for me:

Drinks are $3 and no refills. The mason jars used are tiny. I don’t think it’s good business personally. I’d either get larger cups or offer free or even $1 refills. I heard several people complaining about it when there.

They have an avacado ranch that’s served with the flautas and on some of the tacos which was amazing. I asked for a small side. I was brought a tiny little dish and was then charged $4 for it. I was shocked. I expected to be charged the normal $1-$2 I’m used to seeing when I’ve requested side sauces at other Mexican places. Not this much for such a tiny amount.

It was $125 for 2 apps, a soda, 3 taco entrees and 1 slice of cake inc tax and tip. Considering you get no sides with the tacos, and they seem to nickel and dime you for everything here, I’m hesitant to return even if the food was good.

If you honestly don’t care too much about pricing ( which in todays world, good for you if you can’t tbh) then yes, it’s a cool place with good food for a date night, get together, birthday celebration, etc. But I think it’s too pricey for what you get to make it a regular thing.

And be mindful that you’re mostly being charged a premium for any kind of sauce or extra side...

First of all, my 13 year old loved this place so much they made sure I promised to write a 5 star review! They got the rice and bean burrito and loved the flavor so much. The biggest issue was how big it was, but that just meant plenty of leftovers. They couldn't even finish half of it, but they praised it the whole time.

Before the main meal, we were served chips and salsa. Neither my kid nor my mom could get enough, especially of the salsa. So fresh and flavorful. I don't even like chips or salsa, but once my family made me try some, I went back for a few more bites. The salsa was better than I have ever had.

I ordered the Caesar salad and asked for steak on top. What a culinary surprise I got when the waiter asked if I wanted flank steak or skirt steak. Seriously, at this place? I ordered the skirt and then I was asked what temperature I wanted. This is the kind of attention to details you expect at a high end fancy restaurant, not a taqueria off of Rt 9. I was so taken back by the question that I gave the wrong answer at first before correcting myself to the proper medium rare request. And wow did this salad deliver. The greens were fresh and crispy. The steak was cooked to perfection and seasoned so remarkably well, it was bursting with juiciness and flavor. The only demerit here is that I asked for dressing on the side but the greens came overly dressed (which is why I always ask for dressing on the side). But it all tasted good and the flavors made up for the copious amounts of Caesar dressing in the bowl.

Other than that one service snafu, the wait staff was attentive and kept on top of making sure we had everything we needed. Everyone was friendly and genuinely seemed interested in representing Sofia's very well.

We all loved the ambiance too. The outside is so wonderfully colorful, you can't miss Sofia's from the highway. The inside has an authentic feel to it, with fun decorations and signs all over. The booth seats were the highlight for us, as they were really unique burlap sacks covered in a clear plastic covering so the burlap doesn't irritate your legs. The seats were just so unique that all three of us at the table took noticed and commented on them.

I moved away from the area 6 years ago now, but thank goodness Sofia's is on the way to my usual places to visit when I fly back into Newark. We will be coming back...