I live in WV but was visiting my sister for the week, and Sofra is near her house, so the very little parking was not an issue for me. I went twice this week! Sofra is a bright bakery and cafe with walls of windows to let in the light on this chilly day. On Monday, I got a bowl of red lentil soup and the cornbread and both were EXCELLENT. I also got an orange bun which was also tasty. Today, I'd driven past after grocery shopping and the line was out the door (thank you Charles River rowing competition), so I waited until late afternoon to stop in. The staff were friendly and helpful even after what (from the scarce baked goods) was an extremely busy day. Even so, I snagged a really tasty molasses cookie. Not too sweet, with plenty of spices! Perfect for fall. I also enjoyed the falafel wrap, but might suggest the platter instead of the wrap because it started falling apart by the end. But tasty! I ate every bite. I learned that while you order at the counter and get your own silverware, the staff do not get minimum wags, so tips really count! Feels like a community spot. read more

I love the space at Sofra! It's a spacious and bright cafe with an open kitchen, with lots of space for grabbing coffee and pastries on the weekend. It can get a bit loud but it's always a lively stop for a pastry and a morning beverage! The staff is always friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about their offerings + the coffee they serve. If they don't know a question, they're always happy to pop back into the kitchen to ask the cooks a question. Pastries and food are consistently delicious, but sometimes a bit small for the price. I love their regular menu items like the morning bun / baklava, and it has been so fun to explore their rotating pastry items as the seasons change. I would say the one pro / con is that there aren't many (or potentially any) outlets / wifi for working from the cafe-- so I find most of the patrons here are here to catch up with a friend or some offline time. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Morning bun, corn pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The greek iced tea is a highlight here! Just stopped in for a snack but need to try more of their meals. I wish I'd gone with the workers recommendation to try the tahini rice crispy instead of the dip because the pita was a bit dry. Super spacious and bright inside, probably a good place to work. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - pastries - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The food and vibes at Sofra are impeccable. All the staff are lovely, there are big windows to wash the space in natural light, and the menu is fantastic. It's counter service, which feels more efficient - order & pay at the register, take your number to a table, get utensils & water, and wait for your food to be brought over. My only gripes are the $1 surcharge for nondairy milk (even if just a splash in iced coffee) and fairly high prices, but that didn't stop me from coming here two days in a row! read more

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The parking situation is a little tricky on the weekends (their lot is tiny) but if you snag a spot you know it's a good day. We tried their Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava which was by far the best baklava we've had in Boston. The phyllo was so deliciously flaky and that choco hazelnut center was to die for. We also ended up bringing home some of their Earthquake & Chocolate Chip Cookies that were okay, just a tad too hard. The staff were very nice too. Overall a solid spot if you're craving some Middle Eastern delights! With the well done menu & homey atmosphere, it's understandable why they're always so busy. read more

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Went there to have breakfast. Parking was little tricky to find as all road parking were for residents only on weekdays and fee parking places reserved for bakery were filled. We got lucky and got 1 space soon but if you are planning to visit on weekdays, I suggest to find out parking first. We had coffee, chicken wrap, Cilbir , croissant with peppers. Coffee was great, loved the croissant with pepper, it was new, different and tasty. We love tatte bakery and this was a good change for us on similar taste. read more

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This has to be one of my all time favorite bakeries/cafes, not just in Boston, but in general! The staff is extremely friendly, and the manager is an absolute sweetheart, making you feel at home from the moment you step in the building! The cafe occupies a beautiful corner spot with lots of bright natural light to illuminate the spacious sitting area. It feels like such a fresh atmosphere, perfect for getting your day started or keeping it going strong! I consider myself quite a foodie, but the traditional mediterranean flavors brought to the table at this spot are unlike anything I've ever had, and they're just filled with a deliciously authentic taste that will surprise and inspire your palette with every bite! I didn't try a single thing that didn't impress me! Sofra is a MUST visit! read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Very fresh food. Delicious. Can't wait to come back and try more things. Came for lunch and had soup and shawarma

They have such a large pastry selection it was so hard choosing what I wanted. My boyfriend and I went in the morning and it was full of people it was so hard to find seats. We got the lamb shawarma and the walnut baklava. The baklava wasnt the best I had it was a bit denser than I liked. The lamb shawarma had good flavor but was a little bit mushy. You order first and the workers were nice and the service was fast. read more

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This is our favorite breakfast place in all of the greater Boston area! The original location is wonderful, but it's small and gets crowded at peak times. This newer location is larger and although very busy we manage to find a table each time. The breakfast items (breakfast sandwich and pastries) are all phenomenal. The lunch items are incredibly yummy. Our favorites are the various, delectable flatbreads (wraps) and the cheese borek is heavenly. Everything is so delicious it's hard to choose what to get. They have various hot drinks that are great including some exotic ones. The team is very friendly and helpful. Once you come the first time you'll want to come back again and again. It's that good! read more

3.5. Didn't quite live up to the magic of the original location. We are very hopeful that these are just growing pains, as avid devotees of the original location. Pros: The locatjon is quite nice and spacious, and service was quick and friendly (though there were a few small kinks). Cons: Overall, the pastries seemed a bit stale and/or like they were made with some lower quality ingredients (maybe the fat?). Of the four we tried, the savory pastry (pogoca) seemed to be the best, although it too seemed a bit stale. Something (the fat?) about the morning bun left a subtle coating in my mouth that tasted a bit odd. The chicken shawarma was okay, good flavor on the chicken inside although it was cold and the garlic sauce on top had an oddly goopy texture. The Gino's egg sandwich was more of a disappointment, with very little flavor overall, very unlike the original sandwich. Again, this location is still fairly new so we are hopeful that there are just some kinks that need to be worked out. read more

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I was excited to try out Sofra's second location, since the first is a little out of the way for me. We came on a weekday morning and it was pretty busy. You order at the counter, where you receive a number to bring to your table and they bring your order to you. The ambience got a little too loud for my liking, which is obviously a personal preference. We ordered the shakshuka, a pastry, and two drinks. The food came out pretty quickly, but it seems they forgot about our drinks because someone came to check on what we were still waiting for and I saw them make our drinks and bring them over shortly after. It felt like they were still figuring things out with being newly opened. I probably wouldn't come back to this location, but if I'm ever in the area I'd give their original location a try. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Pretty good experience here with a group of friends recently. This location is gorgeous, it's very airy with an open kitchen and there's tons of space, in contrast to the Cambridge location. I got the falafel wrap? Except that it was open faced. But it was really good, I appreciated the volume of falafel and vegetables. One of my friends got the spinach gozleme and found it to be quite salty, she ended up having to go back and buy a yogurt dip to cut the salt, so that was kind of a bummer as a group we split a savory pastry that was awesome. On the payment screen, there's an automatic tip included, which rubs me the wrong way a little bit when you bus and clean your own tables - i'm happy to tip, but would like to be able to add it myself rather than have it be an expectation? Especially since the food is pretty expensive to begin with. read more

There's a few rules I live by. 1. Do unto others etc etc 2. Order chips for the table 3. More Sofra is a good thing. I don't need to repeat this - this place is excellent (if a bit pricey). The only problem with the Cambridge location is it's the size of a broom closet. They tried an innovative new strategy here by...making it bigger. So, see rule #3. read more

Walked into Sofra in Allston today at 11:32 a.m. Only a few tables were occupied, and the food cases looked half empty. Basically no customers inside, clearly not a busy morning. I came specifically for Turkish simit bagels. Since I didn't see any on display, I asked the person behind the counter if they had any. He replied that they were "all out" because "a lot of people ordered soup today and ordered simits with soup." Mind you, this was 11:32 in the morning, well before lunch even starts. His tone was extremely unpleasant, as if I were asking for something unreasonable for expecting a classic Turkish item to be available mid-morning. What's the point of running a place like this if the food cases are half empty and they can't offer something as basic as a simit at 11:32 a.m.? Why the condescending attitude, as though expecting them to have one available at that hour is too much to ask? How can they even stay in business when they don't have basic items available in the morning and still expect customers to support them? And on top of that, having a half-asleep, condescending person tell me they're out because "people ordered soup with simits" at 11:30 in the morning is absurd. I walked out unhappy and puzzled at how such a large new Sofra location can be out of simit bagels before lunchtime and how anyone can think that's acceptable. Unbelievable. One star. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to sofra today! The food menu was extensive, a little bit overwhelming trying to decide what to get. My mom ordered an egg sandwich with halloumi which she loved and I got the mezze platter which was also great. You could choose the 5 sides you wanted on it. The beet tzatziki and tahini hummus were my favorites. It doesn't come with anything to dip so you do have to order a pita on the side. A must get was the Black Sea cornbread, I really enjoyed this. Different than your typical cornbread. Would definitely get that again. The desserts we got were good as well but nothing super standout. Nice restaurant. Very cute place to sit and do work or to bring friends. You order at a counter and then they bring the food out which came pretty fast. I will definitely be back here! read more

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Soooo good! Pastries are delicious, soups are fantastic, and the breakfast options are wonderful -- particularly the granola bowl! Great, friendly service, very accommodating, and willing to answer questions! Lovely space with plenty of seats, though it does get crowded at peak hours! read more

We stopped in here on a weekday morning around 10 am. There was no wait with plenty of open tables. The space inside is quite big with an open kitchen. Service was very friendly, staff was happy to answer any questions about the menu. I had already had breakfast, so opted for a couple pastries. We got the sweet cheese brioche and the spanakopita. Sweet cheese brioche was very fresh with a hint of sweet. The spanakopita was flaky but it was quite oily and reflux inducing. I'm not sure if you can ask to heat up the pastries but that would've made the experience soo much better. Also tried the cortado. Their espresso tastes better than average. Overall a great new addition to the area - looking forward to trying the rest of the menu! read more

My favorite brunch place serving Mediterranean inspired pastries. Great drinks although slim on seating on the weekends due to popularity. Order at the register and service is pretty good, but recommend getting stuff to go and eating at a park or at the outside tables. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Zatar - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I LEFT HUNGRY. Garbage food. I left after paying for food. On purpose, because of staff. if you value your time please pay attention. My first time, in house ordered 2 cold sides and a lamb swharama to go. Watched people go eat (hot or cold food) and leave 20 minutes including two baked (ordered subsequent served and eaten) shashukas while i stood. Owner and staff told me my food would be out 3x iI never asked nor complained), I walked out without a word. Just left the lamb (ive never seen anyone take 20 min to make a tiny lamb shwarama in my life) What an awful staff and crappy experience on a rainy day. I just left hungry. $7.00 cookies a plus, looks like a place for coffee/pastries/earbuds. Places like this deserve to be in the ground. I hope read more

I'm new to Boston and live in the Allston, so sometimes I feel I'm left out on my side of the Charles with coffee and pastry shops. I happened to stumble upon an article about Sofra and was excited to check them out. I went on the weekend, and the place was BUSY by mid-morning. Even though this is a bigger location, there doesn't seem to be enough seating to fit the need, so I took some pastries to-go. The line does move quickly and the staff are friendly. I think the pastries and food is reasonably price where it won't cost an arm and a leg to enjoy. I've enjoyed all the pastries I ordered (the orange blossom morning bun, the pistachio and saffron roll, saffron sugared cookies), but my favorite has been the ginger molasses cookies. (I loved them enough that I order 2 dozen to bring to Thanksgiving this year). I have also tried the orange blossom lemonade which balances sweet and tartness nicely (on a busy morning the drink did take about 10 minutes to reach me, but I was forewarned when I ordered). I do eventually want to try other foods, but will need to come earlier in the morning in order to grab a table. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was given a gift of a variety of your little treats and I have never had anything like these before - such a diversity of flavors! I wish I knew their names but the chocolate and pistachio treats were so delicious!! And you are so close to where I work. You have a new customer and fan!! read more

Fresh, tasty Mediterranean food, cafe, and shop. Try the pistachio baklava! (Everything is good)

I have been looking at this bakery for a while and finally got to come and try. There are so many canned seasonings and specialty items featuring middle eastern food, which is super exciting. The service is nice, you can see the cooking line in there, and pick which ever meze you want to assemble a plate. I wasn't very hungry so just had the hummus. The flavor was great, but I felt that it wasn't that much different from what I get from grocery store... I was more looking for a taste with lots of tahini and creaminess in there. Didn't try other things, but seems other customers also like the baked items. Would like to give it a try next time. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So exited to hear about this second location of one of my favorite cafes! The space is really bright and airy with excellent service. No more strategic maneuvering just to get a table! But the stuffed flatbread was very disappointing. It was served on a thin cold cracker that looked premade from the fridge, nothing at all like flatbread. It was impossible to eat as the cracker broke apart, dumping the filling everywhere. Soon the cracker got gummy with the beet tzatziki so it was even hard to even use a fork and knife. Seems like an odd mis-step for one of their iconic dishes, next time I'll verify what they term "flatbread" before ordering. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Stuffed "flatbread"? - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The selection of food, dips, and pastries was so amazing and had tons of variety! Loved the cilbir, whipped feta, Black Sea cornbread, and Shakshuka. This location is large with a good amount of indoor seating. Quick and friendly service. Recommend going with a group and sharing plates family style read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Cilbir - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Delicious!!! Delicious, delicious! Great vibe , yummy food and takeout too! Plenty of seating in this fresh space. read more

Having been to Sarma (same owners/chef), I was expecting much better. I'm surprised the reviews are so good. I got their weekend special (avocado toast) and it was probably the worst meal I've ever had at ANY restaurant. Middle Eastern spices can often have a bitter taste if not cooked properly, and I fear that is what happened. Either that or they did not balance the flavors of the dish. The only flavor notes I got were bitter and cumin (I like cumin, but not THAT much). I could barely finish the food, it was so bitter that I felt ill. I get not everyone is used to Middle Eastern-inspired food, but I feel like I am, so I think it must've been the way the dish was prepared, not personal preference. I composted most of the meal, unfortunately. To try to make up for the experience I bought a pastry after. It was good, but it would've had to be exceptional to make me forget that bitter poached egg toast. Otherwise, it's a really cute cafe and everyone was super nice, shame the food was so bad. read more

My Tahiti brown butter doughnut with a cream filling was amazing as was hubby's bittersweet chocolate Tahiti heart. Hubby enjoyed his yellow lentil mujadara. My sausage pita was prepared well but I didn't realize that it has olives, which I hate. A small dark chocolate apricot baklava was OK but not amazing. We bought some items to go. Arriving before 8 a.m. on a Sunday, we found a spot in the restaurant's small parking lot. On the weekend, nonresidents can park on the nearby main street. Plenty of tables were available. In good weather, one can sit at 2 picnic tables outside. read more

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Food so amazing! Treats and savories- got hummus to go! spicy! I had lebanese breakfast such a nice mix! My hubby had sausage?pita or sandwich like thing he raved about. read more

We've eaten at the Cambridge location which was terrific and thought we'd try Allston. So we stopped in for a quick lunch. The Chicken Shawarma & sausage pita were authentic. Lada's Ice Tea was delicious. Why 4, not 5 star? With 20%+ tip, our bill for 2 items & 1 iced tea was just under $40. That included a $1.77 'kitchen appreciation fee,' which we're happy to pay; back of the house works hard. Later, something popped on the emailed receipt: $0.50 sneaky up-charge for 'light ice' in the $5 iced tea. Wait wot?!? 10% more for less ice? Seems a bit precious. read more

Stopped in for a quick sandwich. Watched over ten people come in, order , and leave. Had to request wait time on my sandwich 20 minutes into my sit. Was actually working and pulled over to this spot for what I thought would be a quick stop for breakfast, turned into me debating on walking out without my food. There's like 20 workers behind the counter/ in kitchen. Can't believe the wait took so long , first and last time here. If you have time go for it, the sweets looked really good. read more

I have not shown up to a dinner party without Sofra's dips! Their freshness and bold flavor make these a hit! My go-to, if I am able to grab a seat, is the sausage stuffed pita. Overall, my favorite thing about Sofra is that I've never had anything like it before. read more

Sofra Bakery and Cafe - Whipped feta, beet tzatziki, and tahini hummus - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love Sofra! The food continues to blow me away. Parking can be difficult and the space can also get crowded quickly

This is a lovely cafe with great food options and friendly staff. I definitely want to come back for lunch next time.

I am so excited to have a Sofra on this side of the river. I've been a couple times now and was super impressed with the pastries. The pumpkin jam turnover, in particular, was so delicious, with its perfectly flaky pastry and sweet filling. The coffee is also really delicious, though I paid for flavored syrup both times and don't think it was there either time. The second time I went, I was with my daughter, who has a sesame allergy. We had to go back and forth with an employee several times to confirm that our food had no sesame. I would've liked the staff to be more confident in confirming that. Overall, I think this is a great spot, but they need to work out some kinks as a new cafe. I am sure I will be back. read more

Kind staff, but pretty rare for a cafe to not have public WiFi these days. Food was good, but expensive for small portions.

Beautiful new location in Allston with plenty of seating and a wide range of sweet and savory options. Choose your own Mezze plate with lots of options to choose from like Turkish babganoush, tahini hummus, beet tzatziki and carrot salad. You do need to order pita or chips separately. Great breakfast options, really liked Gino's egg sandwich with halloumi and interesting sauces on brioche bun. The Black Sea cornbread is amazing! So many treats - we enjoyed the brown butter tahini donut, bitter chocolate tahini tart and the pistachio shortbread. They also sell a nice variety of seasonings, tahinis, oils and other middle eastern pantry items. Will return to try more! read more

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Incredible flavor combinations with all the savory offerings. And unique baked goods. Everything we ordered was exquisite. Very nice and knowledgable staff. read more

I'm 56 years old and from San Diego California. I have to say... This is the 1st cup of black coffee that I've ever truly loved!