Sofia's Taqueria Toms River — Restaurant in Toms River

Overall, this is a 4 start plus experience, especially for the area. Toms River and a lot of "standard" dining venues, but Sofia's is truly a full sensory experience. I also tried the happy hour, which was overall a good deal. The menu was a little unclear when it said $3 for tacos, It is per taco for 3 in total which I guessed and verified with my server. The Tacos were excellent, especially the fish tacos and the chicken. Next time I will try more varieties. I also tried the empanadas, and they were small but very tasty. I would definitely try them again I asked for a sample of Mole sauce, having lived in Mexico for a while I'm very particular when it comes to mole sauce. I was a little too sweet for my taste, but I would have it again as the overall flavor was good and the chocolate density was spot on. I ordered the Queso dip as an appetizer, and that was definitely unusual, as there was no ability to "dip" it was more of a scrape. It was delicious, but if you are expecting a chip dipping experience you might be at least confused. Finally I ended with the deep fried ice cream which I normally would never get, but I have to say it was amazing and a perfect end to the meal. I also tried the jalapeño-cucumber margarita which was much better than I had expected and I will have it again next time for sure. I guess the food is overall above average--especially for the area--but what really makes Sofia's special is the people: they are warm, welcoming and accommodating. Apparently the training programing and fantastic and I felt that everyone there really cared about my experience. Even when I asked to speak to the manager, there wasn't the usual spark of fear, instead my waiter smiled and said "right away" and I was able to learn more about the menu and history of the franchise. I was also able to complement them on the truly immersive experience considering all of the decorations... it is like being transported into another world! The main dining area is a bit open and exposed, however, I strongly recommend dining in the bar area. I did (selfishly) mention to the manager that I would love to see Chili Relleno on the menu as that is one of my personal favorites. Overall it was a great experience and I'm looking forward to my...

In one word - meh.

In more words? Mediocre, overpriced, and loud.

Stopped in briefly during the holiday break to check out this place. The decor is vibrant and "playful", although perhaps a bit over the top; they did a good job with what used to be a fairly boring space at Roxy's. Unfortunately the wait time for a table was a bit longer than I was able to stay for, so I opted for a quick margarita at the bar while perusing the menu.

Adding to what others have said - the margarita was average at best, and tasted of premixed cocktail; not fresh limes and simple syrup. For the price, I expected a "proper" 'rita.

Taking a look at the menu and what was coming out at folks' tables, I cut my losses and decided to get dinner elsewhere. Sorry guys, but $20 for three al pastor tacos, with rice and beans and typical sides not included, is outright insanity for this area. I can throw a stone and hit 3 authentic Mexican restaurants in town, each selling the things for nearly half the cost, often with larger portions AND sides. Even something so simple as churros (literally fried dough with sugar), is egregiously priced at $11 for 4 tiny ones.

To make matters worse (not that it really affected my small tab much), they do the whole "charge an extra 4%" to use credit here, which considering their already inflated prices just feels like rubbing margarita salt into an open wound. Yes, I know other restaurants sometimes do this. It's still a really bad practice, and customers are very much aware that you're essentially passing on your cost of business to them by doing so. MOST places do not do this, or simply impose a fee under $10 or something.

Toms River and Brick are a huge cultural melting pot with tons of authentic places that charge fractions of what they do here, often for bigger portions, and without skimping on cheap sides like beans, rice, etc. I wish these guys good luck - but this is very much a one-and-done for me - there's just too many better options...

First off, you couldn’t miss the place if you tried! The colors of the building pull you in and catch your eye. We pull up and it was about an hour wait but don’t be scared, it’s worth every minute of that wait, trust me! We started off with pineapple guacamole with roasted garlic. Creamy, chunks of pineapple, perfect balance or sweet and salty with the tortilla chips, definitely a must. We also got the beef empanada because what’s trying a Spanish restaurant and not trying an empanada? Well, the beef and yuca were cooked to perfection inside. The empanada was baked and crispy. The green cream sauce that was served with this, I would drink it up! Next came out the margarita tower we ordered. Flavors were Pineapple, blueberry, mango/raspberry, and traditional. The pineapple and blueberry were a tie for me, followed by traditional and mango raspberry was good but very sweet. Now, onto the entrees! Their birria, idk something about when a restaurant has birria on their menu, it speaks to me, and theirs was a “hot” item so hey, when in Rome, well you know the rest. Their birria was out of this world! Perfect balance of cheese, crunch, moist meat and the consommé was absolutely a perfect match! My wife had the steak burrito and it was filled with steak and not just plain white or yellow rice but cilantro rice and that was amazing as well. The staff, the atmosphere here, down to the birthday party singing staff that carried around a glass rooster (you have to check it out), it was amazing. Put this restaurant on your radar, go out for date night, family dinner, it doesn’t matter, it’s worth every bit! My only, and I say only complaint here, is I was not able to get to the bottom of my margarita without fighting the straw and bending it a certain way to tilt the glass to get it all to the corner and drink it. They use a patron style plastic bottle with a hole drilled in the center of the cork and that’s all you get. But other than that, absolutely amazing! We...