Sofrito

This was my first visit to this popular restaurant and everything started out fine. The wait was about 15-20 minutes for our table, which isn't bad. We had drinks at the bar and the service and atmosphere were excellent. When seated, my party and I decided to try the sampler appetizer. Although, the fried pork was salty, the r est of the appetizer was fine Breaded shrimp, plantains, etc. For my main course, I opted for the Ropa Vieja and was somewhat dissapointed because it was very salty and soggy. I'm used to it being crispy. The rice and beans were also salty. Maybe it was this dish, because my friend seemed to enjoy his Paella with no complaints, Do not order this if you have high blood pressure as it will sour, Everything else, including my beautiful waitress, was perfect.

First of all, you cannot make reservations! This is why the wait is so long. Second, do not go with a crowd, you will wait even longer. My boyfriend and I were fortunate enough that a kind acouple let us have their spot, so we waited only 45 minutes. The food was ok. The arroz con gandules could've been better...and the place doesn't have bacardi...wierd being a PUERTO RICAN restaurant. The bar area is not that spacious and you even have a lot of people waiting outside.. basically the wait makes this place NOT worth it.

The food was very good, however not any better than what you can get from your grandmother's kitchen...or a yummy cuchifrito from around the way. It is one of the very few "upscale" Boricua restaurants in the city...which is why it gets a lot of hype. The decor is fabulous, the live music is great and again the food is delicious. Very good portions for slightly overpriced dishes (please note dishes are still very reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in the city). The wait is horrendous. Due to the ridiculous wait at this restaurant, I recommend you def. check it out once, but I don't know about a 2nd visit to this place. I've gone several times with friends that I'm taking for their 1st sofrito visit....each time we are told 1 hour, and the wait ends up being close to 2 hours. Again, the atmosphere is cool...the food is good, BUT if you come from a Puerto Rican family or have Puerto Rican friends you can get this food at their house!! I doubt I'll be going again. Last night 5.17.08 our party of 3 arrived at 9:45pm and we weren't seated until 11:45ish...that is ridiculous! We weren't served DINNER until after midnight! And to top it off, after we waited so long we were being rushed out! On TWO (appetizer and entree) occasions I was still chewing food, while the waiter was trying to grab my 1/2 full plate away!! WOW In closing....go once! for sure, cause we have to show support...but once you experience their long wait and to be desired service, you make the decision.

I have been to Sofritos a number of times.The food is very good but as many have mentioned the wait is long. I was there last night w/ a party of 8 and we waited a LONG time to be seated although we were supposedly next for at least 30 mins. The plus is that in the lounge area you can have your appetizers and drinks while you wait. There are many appetizers to choose from , are reasonably priced and good. The music is good but as some of my party noted was loud. I don't mind. Sofrito's is like a combination of a good restaurant but also has a club feel. THere is good and bad, there are off nights and on nights but the constant is great food and fun atmosphere. Try it for yourself and you be the judge.

The food was delicious!!! Two thumbs up! However, the wait was horrendous...My party of 5 and I expected to wait because it was Mother's Day, but we did not anticipate being there all day. We were told the wait would be 2 hours. Instead it was 3. Again, it was definitely worth the wait. We're going back on a Monday, when it shouldn't be as crowded and there's a live salsa band playing...

We went to Sofrito's for the first time yesterday. The experience was a pleasant one. We were one of the first there so maybe that's why we were served and attended to in a quick and courteous manner. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the music. The staff was attentive, again maybe it was because of the time of day that we went. The food was great as were the drinks. As we were leaving, we did notice that the restaurant was getting crowded and the waiting area was full. This was at 6pm. So maybe the trick is to get there when they first open. Bien Provecho

A friend and I arrived before the rest of our party. We had drinks at the bar which wasn't bad. The place filled up quickly. By the time our whole party arrived, we were in for a long wait. As others stated, the buzzer didn't go off soon enough. We were also told we'd be next and the wait took forever!! Next is like an eternity at this place. While the restaurant is appealing, it is quite noisy. Now, we are a loud group so we didn't mind so much we just raised our own voices however, by the time you leave, you are still on high volume!! The food was very good (authentic, tasty) but beware when you order. One person in our group who had dined here previously ordered a platter of assorted items for us to share. The waited demanded we put in our individual orders at the same time he said he had to take the entire order from us. I guess since the place is so crowded on a Friday night, they don't want any group staying too long. That was ridiculous because we couldn't know how much would come on the platter and whether we'd need to order so many individual entrees. He could have been more forthcoming and recommended we order 3 - 4 additional plates to share. Instead, we each ordered a separate item from the menu. There were 7 of us so needless to say, we had WAY too much food. After sharing the platter, we were full! Basically, you will get your fair share of food, no skimpy servings here! On another downside, after we left the place, we were taking a few pictures outside the restaurant (but not directly in front of it). As I said, the place is loud so it's hard to adjust once you leave the place. I suppose we were having too much of a good time OUTSIDE their high-decibel joint, that one of their managers came out to tell us to calm down! The nerve! We were appalled. We were not doing anything wrong, just laughing and having a good time. That was totally uncalled for and we called the restaurant and let them know. We were very good customers and didn't deserve that rude behavior. All in all, a good time was had, but they need to work on their staff etiquette!