SoFA (South First Area) is an arts cultural, and entertainment district in Downtown San Jose. The SoFA Market is conveniently located near the California Theater. We came here for a quick bite before a movie on Thursday. There're quite a few food and beverage vendors inside: Japanese curry, hand rolls, salads/juices, Vietnamese, Mexican, Cuban, and Indian food, plus a bar towards the back. The pizza place was permanently closed, though. Inside the market, there were a long table at the front, a couple of tables on the sides, and a spacious seating area at the back. They also had back patio seating. Complementary water and cups were on the left side before you got to Fountainhead Bar. The restrooms were for customers only, and you needed to get a code from one of the vendors. They're very clean. It's a pretty good concept to have various eateries in a single location. It's just sad that they didn't have enough business to generate a lively vibe. read more

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This is the closer food court to Fanime than the San Pedro market and it works when you want to grab food in a closer setting and want to walk back to the con ASAP. I will always curse them for taking away Iscu Tea since it was actually unique and delicious, but that's the general cringe and expensiveness of being in the Bay Area. Although some of the eateries have the option to order online and pick up later, due to the crowds when there's an event, just tack on an extra 30 minutes since I've had really bad instances of this happening. There's some seating in the back, inside, counter seating, and outdoor seating, but again, can get quite fisted if there's an event. Food options are a bit limited, though of all the years I've gone to Fanime, there's been some form of sushi, Cuban food, and pizza. From what I recall, everything else just rotates around. It does what it does, but beggars can't be choosers if you cannot leave the con's vicinity and have no car. read more

SoFA Market is a small indoor public market in downtown San Jose. It primarily houses a variety of Asian vendors serving a mix of sushi, Japanese comfort food, Vietnamese, Indian curry and more. While this place has a lot of potential, it just doesn't seem quite right just yet. When I arrived at 7pm on a weekday evening, most of the vendors were already closed. The market felt a little cramped and the configuration of the restaurants was a little strange to navigate around. I'm hopeful with time they can gain some momentum. It's a great concept and always fun to have multiple options for groups! read more

It had been awhile since I last visited SoFA Market, so it was nice the revisit it and see what had changed. SoFA Market is a food hall similar to San Pedro Market where they offer diverse cuisines and is pretty cool to meet up with friends and try different cuisines and do family style. All food stalls have easy ordering via multiple kiosks. Seating all over both inside and outside. The atmosphere is more cozy and intimate. Large public restrooms for men and women. read more

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The SoFA Markets is a nice food hall in downtown San Jose. There's a pretty good selection for all your cravings with sushi, Mexican, Cuban, Japanese curry, Vietnamese, pizza, drinks, etc. we came in on the weekend dinner time. It had a very cool vibes of a food hall. There's plenty of seating inside and also outside patio setting. I went for the karage bowl at the Japanese curry place. I thought it was alright, a pretty big portion of rice and a few chicken pieces. I wish the chicken was more crispy in the end. My husband got the Cuban sandwich and he really liked it. It was pretty easy to order from the online kiosk. Then, you can opt to receive a text of when your order was ready. It was pretty quick, I only waited less than 10 minutes. We'll definitely be back to try all the other places! read more

SoFA Market - Karage bowl - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

Nothing fancy or nothing wrong. Basic food hall. Some selections. Hidden gem dishes for a good price are here, you have to search for them. I like the back outdoor area. May not be too much to look at, but more comfortable that sitting outside on the main street. read more

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I enjoyed the cubana sandwich at Habana Club before going to see a show nearby. There's a lot of options for different cuisines in the food hall. The cubana sandwich was the one that I was gravitating to the most. The sandwich was crispy and the pork was marinated really well. I really enjoyed the side of fries that paired nicely with the dish. Overall, the food hall seemed like a cool place to come back to check all the other food. Definitely recommend giving it a try if you're in the area. read more

It's different. I was looking for a salad place and I found that there are many different places wrapped up in one. There is Latin food - sushi - and a bar area. We ate at the fist place when walking in. It was Brazilian ?? Or Latin ? Soo good . I don't know what I had but it was a lot of bread in a sandwhich - the bread was soft and the chicken was spicy. I will be back. Sadly I don't know the name - it's Al soon as you walk in the very first stall. Just say yes. read more

SoFA Market - The door - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

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Lovely ambience and amazing choice of foods . I am a vegetarian and I had a sandwich at the columbian place and then a vegetarian vermicelli bun at Vietnoms . The market is always crowded and last time there was some really fun live music too . They also sell Mexican , Indian and other Asian foods there . read more

Food halls too big? This is a food corridor. It feels like a food hall pop-up more than a mall-less food court. It is certainly not horrible, but having some sort of unification through decor, music, style or overall vibe would make it feel less random and more inviting. A better/larger variety of vendors would make it a bigger draw. Games, music, or movies/TV or a variety of seating might make it more comfortable or worthy of hanging out. Local, rotating art would make it more vital to the local community. A dream machine for soda refills would make it a better value. And a central location for condiments and such would make it more convenient. There's just SoFa king much potential. read more

SoFA Market located in downtown San Jose that's been around for 10 years is a great place where they have with a cocktail bar a pizza parlor and a diverse ethic food all under one roof. A place to hang out with friends and co-worker for after hours or on the weekends either dine-in or outdoor seating. Ample parking though weekends can be a real hassle. read more

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Very small food hall with not a lot of options. Cute bar in the back with itty bitty patio. 2017 read more

Cool place with a few different eateries. They have shared open seating, so you order at the food counter of your choice and sit to enjoy your food. There are a Mrxican, Cuban, Japanese, Sushi and a bar. It's on the same block as the CA theater. I got the super taco de barbacoa from the Mexican counter. At $6, what a bargain & so good! read more

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Ate the fried vegan and pork and shrimp egg rolls. Crispy, and tasty! Sorry no photo because it was so good! My group also bought the shrimp and pork cold vermicelli noodles with fish sauce. Excellent fast and great customer service! read more

SoFA Market - Shrimp and bbq pork vermicelli noodles! - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

Date: Wednesday, June 19th, 2024 Time: around 3pm What: Food and Drinks A friend and I stumbled upon SoFa Market when we were walking around downtown last week. Couldn't quite tell what it was until we went inside. A food hall?! Why yes please! Luckily they have a bar in the back since our real intention was to get our drank on. We initially went to The Fountainhead for drinks. My friend explored the food options and ended up grabbing a few things from Hermanos Mexican Grill. He brought the food to the bar and we ate it there. Not a lot of options open before 4pm for drinks, so glad we discovered this spot. REVIEW #3471 read more

Chanced upon this spot after watching a show nearby at the California Theater. The simplest way to describe it would be it's a food court but much nicer and much better food than you would expect from a typical food court. There are a lot of great options and we settled on Vietnoms which I would highly recommend by the way. There is a small patio in the back which was nice where we ate the food and chatted with some of the other patrons. read more

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First time visiting this market. A lot of options. I didn't have to wait a long time for my food. I went on a Tuesday afternoon it wasn't busy at all. The staff was friendly. read more

SoFA Market - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

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Stopped by Uni Hand Roll Bar for a quick lunch and tried the California Roll and Lion King Roll. While the sushi was edible and convenient, it wasn't anything special. The quality was slightly better than grocery store sushi but not by much, and the price was a bit higher than expected for what you get. If you're in a rush and need a quick bite, it works--but if you're looking for top-tier sushi, this isn't the place. read more

SoFA Market - California Roll - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

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SoFA Market is a food hall of sorts with a collection of individual vendors that offer non-overlapping fare, such as Mexican fare, pizza, cuban, Vietnamese, and Japanese. There is some community seating at the front entrance and overall, ordering is either done at a kiosk or with a cashier. About a month ago I was here with some friends and I sampled a few offerings, such as their Margherita pizza, Nachos, fries, and tacos. Overall, this food market is solid option, especially if your group is craving variety, and when you're in this part of downtown San Jose(S. 1st street between San Carlos and E San Salvador St). All of the vendors I spoke to were friendly and welcoming. read more

After being a San Pedro Square fan, it is nice to find a similar-level food court nearby. The ambiance is nice inside and there is a good variety of cuisines. There is a cute open-air patio in the back. It's very clean, modern, and safe. I've come twice now for the Drag Brunch, which is fun, but they run out of seating, even if you come early. I wish they had more seating to accommodate for the popularity of drag brunch, or they put a limit on how many seats one person can reserve for their friends. The food is great, although it can be slow on Drag Brunch days. There is an easily walkable ParkSJ parking lot nearby, which is quite cheap. Will definitely be back. read more

SoFA Market - Drag Brunch stage and limited seating - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

Super cool space, tons of potential, room to improve. Sad to say the food & drink have not lived up to the potential yet -- overpriced & under-seasoned. But I've only had one drink at the bar & two meals at the Mexican spot so far, so I still have some experimenting to do... read more

This food hall in downtown San Jose has so many tasty options, plus a bar in the back! The ambiance is charming and rustic. There's many seating options out front and inside, plus a courtyard in the back if you want somewhere open air but without foot traffic. This review is for Vietnoms. I got a bowl of their vermicelli noodles with pork, and a shrimp and beef egg roll. It's all so flavorful! While the egg roll is a bit dense (but still delicious), the fresh vegetables, chewy noodles, and heaping of sauce make it very varied in textures and flavors. There isn't too much fish sauce heaped onto the bowl, so it's not too salty or sour. However, the amount of meat was a bit low. The serving size is pretty big: it was enough for me for two meals since there were so many noodles. It's a bit pricey here; a bowl of noodles is $18, and you may feel pressured to tip even on counter service, so it ends up costing over $20. read more

SoFA Market - Noodles with shrimp/pork egg roll - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

The SoFA Market has a lot of potential, but there are a few areas where it needs improvement. It has variety of food options from Indian food to Sushi. I found the quality inconsistent depending on which vendor you visit. Being in the heart of downtown San Jose, it's convenient and close to other attractions. Parking can be a challenge. Street parking is limited, and nearby lots can be expensive. If you're not familiar with the area, it might take a while to find a spot. Specially if there is a showing at California theater. Some of the parking lots increase their prices after 5PM. The small parking garage we used the price went up from $20 to $30. Also some close early unless you use the big parking garage. So make sure you know the closing time for some of the smaller lots. The communal seating areas are hit-or-miss. Some tables were clean, The overall space could benefit from more frequent upkeep & definitely more normal hight sitting. Near the bar there were high tables and chairs but if you go with a person that needs special accommodations the sitting is very limited. The staff at individual vendors were friendly and helpful. I didn't see any centralized service, which can make the experience feel a bit disorganized. Overall, is worth visiting if you're already in the area, but the challenges with parking and cleanliness make it less appealing for a return trip. I smelled urine on the street outside of the market. It possibly didn't have anything to do with the Market. I also understand it's downtown, and I am very sensitive to smell. However, I can't get that out of my head. If one of the members of my party wasn't dying of hunger, I'd go elsewhere due to the smell. read more

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It's a market full of great restaurants. They have so many options for food - Mexican, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, you name it. Great place to come if your group hasn't settled on what cuisine to eat. They have both indoor and outside seating. Most restaurants have you order by kiosk. read more

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I was surprised that the Tonkatsu Curry I ordered at Japa Curry was crispy on the outside, the Tonkatsu was well-done but not overcooked, and the quality of the meat was very good! The environment at SOFA is a bit like a small and cozy food court. The place is kept very clean and the staff is very kind. I ordered food using the ordering machine, so I can understand all the dishes. There is also a small band performing today, which is a very interesting place. Also , I got an Italian salad for dinner from Pizza Way. The portion is huge! A whole box! It is rich in protein and vitamins (vegetables), which is perfect for me when I'm on a business trip and don't know what to eat! Super fresh！ The seasoning is also moderate! The chicken breast is also very tender! And, Vietnoms ：Everything was good, but one thing that bothered me was the small plastic container of sauce on top of the food in the bowl. Also, when I took my first bite, I thought the ingredients were not fresh, so they were seasoned so salty. But after tasting all the ingredients, I found that the ingredients were fresh, but they were seasoned too salty! I drank a bottle of water while eating, but I still felt that I needed to drink more water. read more

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If I could give it six stars, I would. Instant Europe vibes. Lots of options. Tons of seating. Super clean. Super safe. It says if I walked out of downtown San Jose into a dimension with itself. No cap. The first time I came here with friends after Climbing, it was the ultimate experience. It is literally across the street from the Climbing gym, which makes it not only convenient in terms of having food nearby but also just the perfect chill experience after getting really active. There's pizza. There's sushi. There's Indian food. There is Mexican food. There's Vietnamese food. There are literally a ton of choices. Ordering is the easiest ever. Every spot has a touchscreen order situation. And it alerts my phone as soon as my order is ready. I can sit anywhere in the entire area and know that my food is ready. One time I actually got pizza and sushi at the same time. It was epic. 100% coming back repeatedly. read more

I liked that there were plenty of food options to choose from. Had great service at all the spots we tried.

Cute little food market in downtown! It's just smaller version of San Pedro Square market but it had a good variety of diverse foods. There's pizza, Mexican, Vietnamese, Cuban, salad, and a drinks place in the back. I went for Saturday dinner and it wasn't packed at all. I saw families eating as well as young people. Nice casual place to grab a bite to eat before you head downtown for nightlife. read more

This review is for a specific restaurant inside called Sabor a la Nuestro. Came on a Sunday around 1 pm and the place was lively. I was craving some type of toast and saw that they offered an avocado toast. Every restaurant has a kiosk to order from but beware!!!! Photos are NOT what the food looks like. Maybe it's not this restaurants fault since I was told By another restaurant that the company the kiosk is bought from chooses the photos for them (not sure how accurate that is). Anyway, I ordered the avocado toast off of the kiosk and as you can see from the photos, it looked completely different. I asked the little girl working (who was probably about 15 yrs old) if I can exchange this for 1 of their breakfast sandwiches since it looked nothing like the photo. She translated the message to her mom and came back to me and said please show me the photo. She went to the kiosk and told me i don't really see a difference. And you cannot get the breakfast sandwich because it is only served in the morning (which is weird because the kiosk states the avocado toast is also a breakfast item). So I said ok, could you please refund me since I cannot exchange this for a sandwich? In which, I do have to give credit that they refunded me for my toast. Just beware of what you purchase in there and on those kiosks! I learned to ask if the food will look like the photo so I won't be mislead moving forward. It looks amazing on the kiosk when you order it, but may not look like what you paid for! Some of these food places and items are overpriced for mediocre food. The second star is only for the ambience. It's always nice walking in there & sitting towards the back of the food hall where the bar is. read more

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We found this hidden little gem while on a scavenger hunt. It is a mini chill version of San Pedro Market, and I'm here for it!! We popped in because we saw it has a little something for everyone. Indian street food, Mexican, including several Berrian options, poke, pizza, pastries, coffee, and a big Ole bar in the back. Check em out. They have indoor seating and an outdoor patio, with outside seating out front. read more

SoFA Market - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

Super sad with the food vitamins it was expensive noddles and eggs rolls not good and not enough beef

Cool spot. Around 4/6 different food options. Says no dogs but I always take mine in with no problem. They have a bar in the back with live music that is a cool spot to kick it. read more

This place smell like piss!!! Totally gross... I'm trying so hard to enjoy my food and drink but it's impossible

SoFA Market is a great food hall for a snack or meal if you want a spot with various options to appeal to different tastes, especially if you want choices for different ethnic foods. The setting and decor is chic and inviting with an artsy kind of vibe... lots of arts and cultural events are held in this area. There's plenty of seating outdoors (front and back of venue) as well as indoor seating. But the overall space is actually pretty small for a food court. They have a bar inside, but I've only seen it open during later hours and in the evening. The place is kept clean and all the employees I've interacted with during my many visits here are really friendly. And service is pretty standard. The food options aren't my favorite, especially without any pizzerias here (though an old sign shows they used to have one). But I am a repeat customer at Natural Sweet which is a cafe that sells smoothies, coffee beverages, pastries and desserts. On my most recent visit I got a breakfast bagel with sausage, eggs, and cheese, and it was soft, fresh, and delicious. I really loved their empanadas too, but they don't sell them anymore. Also the cubano sandwich from Habana Cuba was pretty good when we visited for lunch last week. Street parking isn't always easy, but not difficult to find during the day within a block. Just don't forget to feed the meter. read more

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During my search for a particular spot, I wandered into this little area that had a handful of different small restaurants. They have pizza, poke, Mexican, and Indian street snacks. The variety is amazing, but after a few visits it ain't as exciting. Anyways, if y'all haven't already visited I definitely recommend checking them out! read more

As an SJ native, I did not know this place existed until recently when I was exploring the street after getting coffee. It looks and feels like San Pedro Market Square's little sibling. There is a good variety and amount of food options available here, from Mexican to Japanese to Vietnamese cuisine. I went on a weekday evening and it has a nice atmosphere for after-work drinks and conversations, and there was even a trivia game on the Tuesday that I went. There's only one place that sells alcohol, which is the bar. I often see people here for lunch. There's a decent amount of seating and the space has been generally clean each time I went, although sometimes the tables aren't cleared quickly. Overall, this is a cute public market that works well with the space that it has been given. On the weekday that I went, things died down around 8pm. Not the most lively place during this time but I'd imagine it picks up during the weekend. Glad to have it in SJ! read more

SoFA Market - cocktail from the Fountainhead - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

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Very clean bathrooms! Almost nicer than the rest of the place. Good variety of food.

Initially thought this was a furniture shop. Came here after visiting the SJ Discovery Museum. Also within walking distance of the convention center. Feel like the baby sister of San Pedro Square - much smaller and doesn't quite have the same vibe. We went straight to the back as we had a cranky toddler. I noticed one highchair when we walked in and didn't note any more so I ran back to the front to grab it. Back has a bunch of low and high tables. Some tables in the front of the place. All the food is in the middle. Different cuisines offered. Food is overall expensive. No place to return trays but there are a trash and recycling bins. read more

Had wanted to eat at Umi Hand Roll, had no idea it was part of this market! Something for everyone. I had hand rolls, my family got Cuban food. Friendly staff everywhere we looked. Big open space with lots of seating (both indoor & outdoor) read more

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I'm always a fan of a high quality food court and even more excited when I randomly find one. In this case, I was looking for a decent Banh mi and found a place that offered that and more. SoFA market is not that far from the convention center and was a nice change of pace from the local side down restaurants around. I'm not sure how common it was for it to be pretty quiet and not busy but it really helped make the experience better. There was quite a bit of seating in the back as well as outdoor siting in both the back and the front. While some of the shops were not open when we went, there was still a decent selection and this place allowed all of us to get something different. This was a bit smaller than some of the food courts I've been to but since it wasn't busy, I actually liked it quite a bit. There was a wide variety of food options and I'll give a shout out to the options at Vietnoms and Habana Cuba. I really wish I could try more but there is always my next visit downtown! read more

SoFA Market - a plate of food on a tray - Food Court Near Me - San Jose, California

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