Sofra Bakery & Cafe

Category:	Middle Eastern Restaurant
Address:	1 Belmont St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Phone:	+1 617-661-3161
Site:	sofrabakery.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	8AM–5:30PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 11

A Private User

First of all we are talking about a coffee shop here opening at 8am. Need I say more?! Second of all, I stopped in here at 8am one morning and was the first person in line. I waited for 21 minutes before I recieved my 2 coffees I had ordered. I saw 5 other people come and go that were in line after me. The workers were incredibly slow and did not even offer to comp the coffees that I had waited for. My boyfriend was waiting in the car and actually came in to see what the holdup was. I would hate to see what the wait was like when there was a long line. It made complete sense though why every time I drive by, there is barely anyone inside. My boyfirned and I vowed to never go back to this place ever again. I will make sure to tell everyone I know to avoid this place at all costs! I would rather pay $5 dollars for a coffee at Starbux!

Dimitrios D

Sofra is casual, and is mostly takeout oriented, but does have some very limited and coveted seats. With that said, if you dont live close enough to do takeout, this place is still worth going to as the food is excellent, from savory to sweet. Although I did take note that the savory is more interesting than the sweet. The gozleme flatbreads are great. I tried two different ones- one meat, one vegetarian- and both are delicious. The menu seems to change frequently which is why I am not mentioning specific types here. They also at least at one time had salep on the menu, which is a hot, sweet, white colored drink made of orchid. Its literally something Ive never seen on any other menu in the U.S., and it was great. It doesnt appear to be on the menu anymore, but hopefully theyll bring it back.

Vicki Yuen

One of my favorite food places, everything in here is absolutely delectable. Bright Mediterranean bakery with sweet and savory options. Definitely get the shakshuka if you make it there for breakfast: perfectly poached egg in a dreamy tomato base served with puffed up pita bread to sop up all the flavors. Also great: the mezes (my favorite is the muhammara, perfect with crick-cracks) zucchini fritters, moussaka, pretty much everything on the menu. Their sweets are to die for: chocolate earthquake cookies are chewy inside with a crispy outer shell, the almond-rose cake and kunefe are light yet decadent. The only downsides are theres not much seating and expect a wait during lunchtime, especially on the weekends. But worth it, every time!

M R

Unfortunately, this place has deteriorated steadily over the last few years. As many others have said: over-priced and over-crowded. Additionally, food quality has gone down. I have purchased a lot of their refrigerated items to-go, and lately they have been stale and less than appetizing; one was even past expiration. When I brought it back, they gave me an attitude of suspicion and wouldnt give me the money off my order (they did offer a replacement). In general, though, I want to love this place and the idea of Sofra, but it is no longer worth braving the crowds and unfriendly staff for just mediocre food. I will say- their bakery items are still to die for! Go for a coffee and a donut and stick with that.

C.W. CHUCK Self

A COMPLEX MENU OF MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD SOME SYRIAN PALESTINIAN, MOROCCAN, TURKISH, FLAVORS AND TASTE IS WHY SOFRA IS SO BUSY HOMEMADE FROM SCRATCH. I STARTED WITH COLD CARROTT SOUP SO DELICIOUSLY MADE I WANTED MORE MY SALAD CAME OUT WOW SO MANY DIFFERENT FRESH FLAVORS CLEAN MY PALATE. I then had some lamb WOW NOT WHAT I AM USED TO SO DELICIOUS EGGPLANT SPECIAL PLATE INCREDIBLE GREAT CHECK THIS PLACE OUT IF YOU SEEK GOOD FLAVORFUL FOOD I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED MUSTACHE APPROVED ** I WOULD GIVE PLACE ATTACHED TO IT A ORGANIC WINE STORE A GREAT EDUCATION ON WINE, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR BEST YOU CAN BUY REASONABLE PRICE CHECK IT OUT

Varun Mitra

Its a bakery. First and foremost. You can get a plethora of middle Eastern delicacies. From Baklava to Shaksukha. Usually this place is packed on the weekends and you would have to be really proactive to grab an empty seat and would have to do a fine balancing job carrying trays full of food back to your seat. Flavors are subtle and more suited for Western pallette. I have tried almost everything on the menu and my personal favorite has to be Shakshuka and the lamb filafel. Robias lattee and the seasonal sorbet are pretty good as well. Wait time is reasonable but do plan ahead and get there before noon.

Kayla T

The food here is simply incredible and the staff friendly and attentive. A great brunch spot so you have an excuse to try from the breakfast and lunch menu! Highly recommend the shashuka and any of the baked goods. Finding seating can be a challenge, as it is limited but if youre not in a rush and dont mind waiting a bit, then youll be fine. Although cafe is in the title, its not the kind of place to camp out with your laptop to work on your memoir or youll get angry looks from fellow customers waiting for a coveted seat. Theres also an organic wine shop connected to the bakery-what could be better?

Sam Melnick

m not sure whether this is a 3 or 4, but I feel like sometimes reviews inflates things, so I fell it is my duty to bring the average down a bit. In a vacuum I really like Sofra, food is good, drinks are fresh and tasty and I can walk to it! However, its really expensive and the amount of food you get is pretty small. $9 for a breakfast sandwich thats like 4 bites. Overall its a great treat if you want to grab a coffee, tea, or homemade fruit drink and a snack, but my wallet cant handle it very often. If yours can, more power to you and I highly suggest going to Sofra.

deneeb ruiz

I used to love Sofra but is getting more and more expensive. The spices prices are just ridiculous and the food.... I got the Sultan delight,or something like this with eggplant, to go, the smell was weird but I trusted them...I got the worst food poison ever... Caponata was the worst I have ever tried...90% of the staff is rude and usually I didnt care because food was good but now I dont think Ill be back. My two stars are because the baklavas still good although I can buy at Sophias bakery not far...

Simon Sarris

Sublime food with a large array of options. Go with a friend and try lots of things. Start with the Turkish breakfast and a cold meze platter (You can pick several from their selection). They serve Turkish coffee, which is made with finely ground beans that are settled in the bottom of the cup. Its not for everyone, but its a very recommendable experience if you like black coffee. This is also a great place for gifts, from unique cookies to harder-to-find spices (like Aleppo pepper).

Joseph Bahhady

We had a plate of 5 appetizers or mesa. And 4 shawrama chicken sandwhices. It coated 62 dollars which was very overpriced and we thought it would be great if it cost that much. It was probably the crapiest shawrama I had coming from a Syrian background. So bad that it came in small portions and there was something not right with the taste. It was the wrong ingredients. All in All, its the worst AMERICAN middle eastern bakery I have been too. Dont go!!