I my first ever Turkish au lait, and it was so creamy and good! Next time I want to try their pastries as well.

Finally got to swing by and try this infamous bakery. True to the masses, it gets ridiculously packed and since we decided to eat there, we got the full dine-in experience. The service and setup: Very confusing. After you order, you wait until they call your name but your food doesn't come out all together. Instead, they call you as each dish is ready. For the 4 dishes we ordered, we got up 3 separate times. With so many people getting orders and coming in and out, imagine how crazy it got. Other notable mentions - water was out at the bev bar and the trash was overflowed so it made for a pretty messy area. The good: The cold meze bar assortment with the crick cracks are on crack! Reminds me of the 7 Layer Hummus over at Sarma. A must order. The chicken shawarmas got a big thumbs up too. 4/5 The okay: Heard one of the ladies in the next table saying how she had dreamed of having the Shakshuka for over a month so I was excited since we had ordered the same thing. When it finally came though, it was just "okay". Eggs and sauce were fresh but the seasoning was too mild/mute. Lots of hype but didn't really deliver. 3/5 The bad: My Spinach Falafel flatbread. I've never had a falafel with a very mushy center but I guess there's a first for everything. Me thinks it may not have been cooked through all the way. 2/5 Lasting thoughts? I'll be the oddball and say I didn't instantly fall in love with this place. It was too hectic and not my ideal spot for a dine-in brunch but if I were in the neighborhood and just grabbing takeout on the fly, I'd definitely try something else with an order of the crick cracks and meze bar. read more

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Yummy pastries! I am always pleased with the food and their staff. I highly recommend the pastries. **** D Patnod Cambridge read more

We have Turkish style breakfast and Börek. Borek was tasty as Turkish ones. Borek is a filled soft pastry with cheese. Give a chance. You'll love it. But Turkish style breakfast was disappointment. I had breakfast in Turkey hundreds and thousands times and this one is not anywhere near. One of the other 2 cakes in the picture was filled with almond and nothing special. Other one is simple as well. Waited in the line for 40 mins at 10.30 a.m on Sunday. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Turkish - Style Breakfast Borek - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The food is definitely delicious and I enjoyed every bite, but the line is truly painful. The worst part is that the line is only to order food, you have to fight a whole other battle just to get a table. At that point it's better to just order online and have a tasteful picnic somewhere. read more

I wish I could have tried everything on the menu / wish I lived in Boston just for this bakery. Everything was reasonably priced and simple and delicious. I love when simple ingredients are put together to make someone so dang good. We got: - Shakshuka ($9) - Turkish style breakfast ($9) ... soft boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, olives, feta, yogurt, and spoon sweets. - Black garlic parmesan biscuit ($3) - Chocolate buckwheat croissant ($4) - Twice baked strawberry pistachio croissant ($4.50) - Orange blossom glaze morning bun (3.50) - Latte ($3.75) Everything was AMAZING! My friend said her latte was really good coffee. The Turkish breakfast was by far my favorite. It was so simple yet such an amazing combo. I wish I could eat this every day. Also the strawberry pistachio croissant.. ugh, so good. I also loved how friendly the staff was. I love asking for recommendations and the woman that took my order did a perfect job at giving suggestions. Also to note, this place gets PACKED. We went on a cloudy morning around 10 am and there was a little line. We were able to grab a table outside. Around 1030 the line was out the door! If you are in Boston or Cambridge, this is worth the quick uber ride to get to. read more

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I ordered the sweet potato with fried mushrooms. The potatoes were soft and surprise - drizzled with pesto! Yum. The pea biscuit was savory with a lovely moist crumb and some whole peas. The spinach pie/spanokopita was a very flaky pastry wrapped around a delicious substantial core of spinach and cheese. The sweet potato soup, however, was so spicy that i could not finish it, even though i tamed it down with a bite of biscuit or cracker after every bite. read more

The only con: lines and food can move slowly. So if you're in a rush this might be a painful experience. That's it. Go when you have time to enjoy being there or don't mind a few minutes waiting to play order and receive food. All the pros: soooooo freaking good. I have yet to eat something that wasn't magical. The coffee is stellar, in particular the latte is lovely. From the menu definitely try their spinach falafel, lamb shawarma, favs pate, and today their gazpacho was stunning. Their breakfast menu is wonderful as well, sometimes I wish I could get it all day. The Shakshula (a tomato soup + egg dish is not to miss.) read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sofra is probably my favourite bakery in the area. I love walking to get there, especially because the cemetery is right across the street and that's really nice for a stroll. It's usually packed after 10ish especially on weekends but you should be able to get a seat if you go earlier. Sometimes they give out samples too! I've gone so many times, so to organize this review I'm just going to go by menu item: The Morning Bun: cinnamon and cardamom brioche with butter and sugar and a glaze of orange and saffron....although I don't think they put the saffron in it anymore so the flavour profile is a little less interesting...... :(. regardless its great and so light and fluffy! The Mezze Bar: All of the dips are incredible, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the muhammara (the walnuts are divine) and the beet tzatziki. Get a couple crick-cracks (crackers) to go with them! Spinach Falafel: I feel like a lot of people have already reviewed this so to keep this short, it's delicious and the falafels are really well-done -- great texture, and not deep-fried to the max like so many other restaurants'. Durum: Also amazing (but I still prefer the spinach falafel). Earthquake: Fudgy, soft, dark chocolatey cookie! A nice size (not too big) so you can get more pastries. Sesame bostock: the halvah cream on the inside was super good! just wish there was more of it and that it was a softer texture. Smoky lapsang souchong: Smokey black tea drink. Definitely get it, it's super unique and delicious. Saffron sugar roll: I don't think this is on the menu anymore :( But it was one of my favourites; the cream on the inside was incredible. Bring it back please!! I also like the turkish-style breakfast (the labneh is excellent and so are the fried eggs), and the poached egg bowl. read more

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I had a good quality turkeys food. Chicken salad on shelf so good. I got LADA drink is not test for me. Probably not my type. Recommend the date turmeric roll is the best staff was friendly read more

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Amazing place! Great food! Top favorites are whipped or baked feta with pita chips, morning bun and molasses cookies! Very small place but service is quick. The staff are very friendly. read more

Best falafel I've ever tasted. Got here on a Saturday morning and it wasn't too crowded. Food tastes extremely fresh and staff was friendly. That also make decent coffees. Had a flat white. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Falafel pita - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

FYI - they have two windows, one for walk-up orders and one for pre-paid pick ups. They also have tape on the ground to mark where you should stand. The staff is great, and really patient. Loved the service here even though I've never had the chance to dine-in here. The coffee here is underrated and absolutely phenomenal. Got the sesame caramel latte, and it was delicious. They frequently have changing seasonal flavors too. The turkish coffee is also great. Coffee isn't on the online pre-order though, so you'll have to place a walk-up order for it. Wish they'd add at least iced drinks to online orders, but I understand that they're trying to keep everything as fresh as possible for their customers!! Came here specifically for their weekend pastries, and was kind of disappointed. The tahini donut ($4) was really greasy, and lacking in tahini flavor. I ate half of it and couldn't eat the rest. The morning bun with the orange blossom glaze was okay, but nothing I'd purposefully go back here for. Their holiday cookies are great. The saffron snickerdoodles are amazing - get a bag! They make great gifts. Their pre-made food is also really good and easy for days when you don't want to cook. The sultan's delight ($20) serves 2, but I easily split it into 4 servings and it was still filling. The lamb youvetsi ($16 for 2 servings) was also delicious. They provide heating instructions too which is nice. Would definitely like to try more of their lunch options next time! This place is popular and they definitely get very busy very quickly. There isn't really any slow time for them that I've seen, so order ahead if you can to save yourself some time! read more

Best of the best!! Superbly crowded, and hard to find seats, but the food is totally worth it! There is a large variety of decadent flavors, ranging from sweets to egg dishes to fabulous coffee. My friend and I split the grape leaves, the spreads, and a shawarma option. We also got a lot of desserts to go, which were all delicious! One downside (aside from how crowded it is) was the lack of enough bread with the spreads and they charge extra for it. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Almond croissant!! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This is a very nice modern small and cozy Turkish cafe in Cambridge. Their food is very fresh, is of high quality and very flavorful. The serving size is a little small but no complaints at all. read more

SOFRA IS A TURKISH WORD THAT MEANS A PICNIC, A SPECIAL TABLE PREPARATION OF FOOD OR A SMALL SQUARE KILIM RUG FOR EATING.    Sofra Bakery is the second location created by the Oleana Restaurant Group, and was established in 2008 by Executive Chef Ana Sortun, together with business partner & Executive Pastry Chef, Maura Kilpatrick. While traveling in Turkey, still deciding on the name for the bakery, Ana and Maura would ask the locals what the word "Sofra" meant to them. They were amazed at how the word instantly brought a smile to people's faces. read more

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What an amazingly surprising place to brunch! Their lamb schwarma, their Whipper Feta and the whole selection of cold meze was just out of the world! 5star easily! read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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My favorite place for brunch and sweets in the Cambridge/Boston area. You can't go wrong with virtually anything on the menu--my favorites are the spinach gozleme, almond rose cake, zaatar almond croissant (sweet and salty!) and tahini brown butter donut (weekend only). Not a huge fan of their shakshouka (I find it too watery and they don't give enough bread to dip), and some of their egg options are on the small size (but still incredibly delicious). Weekends here are PACKED and it is a tiny shop, but it is always worth the wait! And it's definitely cheaper than their sister restaurant Oleana :) read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Clockwise from top: Egg entree, spinach focaccia, zaatar almond croissant, berry olive oil cake, tahini brown butter donut - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Food was good but I felt like it was extremely over priced. The dishes are all on the small side too. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Make a game plan before you enter this place or you'll get crushed to death by the crowds of Cambridge intelligentsia. Absolutely delicious - some items are more worthwhile (i.e., soups, Mujjaddara, shakshuka) than others (Spinach gozleme - basically a pita the size of the palm of your hand with spinach and feta for $9 - not super filling). read more

OMG. Everything was so delicious. Pumpkin loaf, morning bun, pumpkin tort and the chocolate halva croissant was the best pastry I ever had. Outside of Brooklyn cannolis. Great place . A beautiful thank you note from the staff. We will be going back soon. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Just fyi, I did the this restaurant's Sienna Farms/farm share Summer 2020/it was excellent quality but does not quite work out for us. But fyi, per their email newsletter/Sofra/Sienna are doing a Sofra Farm share: "Starting this winter, we're thrilled to offer a brand new specialty share from Chef Ana, Maura, and their talented team at Sofra Bakery and Cafe in Cambridge. Enjoy a weekly box of goodies from Sofra's kitchen; ready-to-eat meals, sweet pastries, condiments, meze, granola, and pantry goods like their signature spice blends. Each box will be a little bit different, and WOW so tasty! Available from November 30th, 2020 through March 1st, 2021, skipping the weeks of Dec. 21st and 28th, (i.e., same schedule as our 12-week winter share)." More info at their website. #shoplocal read more

The food is amazing. Yet, the building is too small for the crowd. Too busy around lunch on weekdays or especially on the weekend. A cozy environment but too many people and no available seats to enjoy it. read more

The food here is so good and interesting. The only thing I don't love is that there is orange a long line and you don't get so much. But it's worth it. read more

Sofia used to be a wonderful little cafe/bakery/wine shop with Turkish influence. The key here is used to be. These days there absolutely nothing wonderful about it. Everything is outrageously small and overpriced. The most disappointing thing is that nothing tastes good anymore. The special touch they used to have with their food and baked items is gone. Even basic items like Turkish Simits and Baklava do not taste right and do not look appealing. My best guess is that the kitchen stuff has changed or the owner is no longer running the kitchen. Sofia was always pricey but it was worth it as the food was excellent. No more. read more

Dog friendly, has outside seating! I have been wanting to try this place for a long time and it lives up to the expectation! I got the Turkish breakfast which has the fried egg, goat cheese and the cheese borek it's actually surprisingly more doughy than cheese and lentil flat bread. The lentil has a kick. I also got the cracker bits snack and they are addicting!!! You seat yourself so good luck fighting for a seat and they have 6 guest parking at the back which is very convenient. The place gets very packed of course. read more

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This is the smallest place I have been to, so small but when you see 10 people working it, I was amazed by what sofra has to offer. Wait in line place your order and wait for your name to be called.. seating is limited but we did manage to grab a spot, they also have a few tables outside but it was extremely hot to be sitting out. Now let's talk about our food experience. Chicken wings: 6 pcs $8 Not a bad deal as they were loaded with meat but what they were marinated in is what made me order them. Turkish spices, date molasses and charmoula which is a marinade and it's main ingredient is cumin. Really different not to sweet from the dates but the flavors all came together and it was a big hit.. Lamb shawrma: I don't think I ever heard of lamb shawrma, I usually have eaten beef or chicken so I was curious to try lamb.. the bread was thin, the lamb meat juicy and shredded like a brisket and topped with a plane yogurt. It was a small sandwich but it did fill you up.. A+ for the creativity Cheese borek: thick pcs of cheese it was 3 pcs and they were so different cause I have had them wrapped in some type of phyllo dough but these I couldn't figure out but they were amazing. Dessert: kunafa was awesome $4 for a small pc but it was worth it. Everything here was awesome. There was so many other goodies hazelnut baklava, zattar on pita bread, salads, soups, flatbreads, Armenian sweet breads. I was so full couldn't eat anymore I will be back to ATTACK!! read more

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The Tsatziki from here can't be Beet. Or can it? You see, on my first visit here, I wound up so entranced by the Beet Tzatsiki that I went through a phase of trying to recreate it at home. I remember feeling kind of non-committal about everything else we tried though. This time around, in all honesty, our original plan had been to grab a to-go lunch on the way back to NYC at Sevan Bakery. But it turned out that it, and all the other intriguing looking Armenian spots along Mount Auburn Street were closed for the Memorial Day Holiday. Sofra happened to be nearby so we settled on that instead: I went with the Spinach Falafel Stuffed Flatbread because wouldn't you know, it came with Beet Tsatziki. Happy to report said Tzatsiki was lovely. But the Falafel was off-puttingly creamy and dense inside, and it wasn't crispy outside. Hubby had ordered the same thing and opined that maybe it was baked, but neither of us was diggin' it. I will say that everything tasted really fresh and I felt super healthy and virtuous after my meal. As an aside, the kid got some sort of Lamb Shawarma Wrap. He wasn't sharing, but for $10, it looked kind of sad. Others have mentioned the tight and annoying seating situation here and I couldn't agree more. Frankly, I leave NYC to escape that sh*t . read more

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Have visited twice for their weekend brunch as this is certainly a unique brunch option in the Boston area. Two things to note when visiting : - They run out of special weekend items very quickly (go before noon at the latest). - Their online menu may be slightly different from offered menu in store. Highly recommend trying their Turkish breakfast if visiting for the first time and in the mood for something different. Comes with fried phyllo eggs, yogurt and spoon sweets, some fresh veggies and fried feta squares (YUM). Their baklava bowl is also quite special but more of a dessert item than breakfast for me as it is quite indulgent. They offer lots of special pastries during the weekend that are worth trying as well as jarred sauces, jams or to-go options that are unique and a good option if in a rush as it can get quite busy. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Turkish breakfast, Latte and baklava bowl. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

So good, but so expensive for the serving size. I can't justify spending $28 for two snack-sized portions. I love being able to treat myself, but sadly it's not worth it. 5 stars for the food without a doubt. read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Chicken couscous and meze "platter". - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This is part of the same ownership as Sarma and Oleana. I haven't tried Oleana but I love Sofra and Sarma. This has been a great place to grab coffee drinks and food. Their breakfast and lunch choices are solid. Place is small so it's more of a takeout place but you can sit and eat if you can grab a table read more

Solid place. A little heavy on the vibe of Cambridge-cool but good coffee, good food.

Sofra is one of those beautiful Boston/Cambridge gems that make me think New England can be as wonderful a food destination as New York City. Serving up lovely Turkish/Lebanese/Mediterranean fare to crowded yuppie brunch crowds in West Cambridge, come here ready to have your taste buds blown apart. 1 star- ambiance. Despite the crowded interior, it's decorated charmingly with lots of enticing cookbooks, spices and oils, and ready-made foods and desserts for you to gander at while you wait your turn in line. 1 star- service. Nothing to complain about; despite crowds, the line moves decently quickly and the food comes out as fast as to be expected. 0.5 star- value. Their entrees run $8-14 for brunch/lunch and aren't massive but a fair amount of food. 1 star- taste. I don't think I've ever had a bad bite at Sofra (or at Sarma or Oleana to be honest). Everything is fresh, exciting, with amazing texture and flavor combinations. This latest visit, the twice baked strawberry pistachio croissant tasted even better than it looked (and it looks incredible) -- with flaky, crusty croissant, slightly sweet strawberries, and incredibly green and crunchy pistachios. 1.5 stars- innovation. Sofra just kills it with the interesting menu items. The brown butter donut made me feel like I was going to both heaven and hell, at the same time -- so sinful, so delicious. The sausage pita was spicy and tangy and salty, with great flavor coming through from the olives and feta butter. Protip: come here early and if you can, run or bike here so you can really earn that dessert! read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Twice baked strawberry pistachio croissant and brown butter donut - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The food and sweets are absolutely disgusting. Meals are loaded with fat and salt and the portion size looks like it was ordered from a kids menu. The place is very small with metal bar stools that are very uncomfortable and not to mention, the food is very pricey read more

I finally got to check out this place after a while! Not surprised with all the positive buzz that Sofra has received. Their food was delectable, and they serve all kinds of dishes from breakfast, meze, shawarmas, to desserts. Nice selections! Came here for a dinner to-go, and was very pleased with my choices. I ordered the cheese borek, the hot wings, and the chicken shawarma. The cheese borek was amazing! Creamy, cheesy, and perfect in texture. It came in 4 small pieces, so it was a good meal to share. The hot wings was extraordinary! The glazed dates gave it a sour-and-sweet taste, which what made it so special. One order came in about 7 pieces, so I'd recommend that for a shared appetizer. The chicken shawarma was great, although it could have been bigger in size. Sofra is located at the corner of the intersection, so it's pretty easy to miss. Don't worry about parking though, they have a decent parking lot on the side. I do recommend coming in a small group since there are a few small tables inside. I would definitely come back to try their other meze plates, their breakfast menu and desserts! read more

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Loved the selection on their Meze bar. The place is always packed so be prepared to stand in line. Although it's worth the wait.  My pick of the Turkish-style breakfast and a 5 platter combo from their Meze bar was a no-brainer. The Meze bar offers a range of salad and dip options to choose from and also available in gluten-free variety (at least some) if that matters to you. I chose - "Beet tzatziki", "Moroccan-style carrot salad", "Muhammara (with red pepper & walnut purée)", "Hindbeh (with mixed braising greens, fresh herbs, garlic)" and "Whipped feta (sweet & hot peppers)" and absolutely loved it! And the Turkish breakfast comes with a combination of soft-boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, olives, feta, yogurt & spoon sweets. The ambiance is cozy and retro but seating is tight, weekends especially. Also my selection of choices was rather savory, so if you have a particular sweet tooth this may not be your pick. For more check my FB page and IG: @caught.in.a.taste read more

SOFRA Bakery & Cafe - Maze bar - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I can't believe that I didn't review Sofra even though I lived for 3 years right down the street, and still do live in the proximity of this place. This is a very popular place and is always crowded. I'd highly recommend their breakfast options or the cold and hot entrees, which are great. I think the classic Turkish breakfast is also pretty good. They have ready to go meals on the side shelves. I used to get an eggplant dish that I really liked, and I don't see it anymore. They also have sesame butters and things like that if you're into it. As far as the coffee drinks go, I'd have the classic Turkish coffee but wouldn't really recommend Lattes or the regular coffee. They aren't that great. Knocked off one star for the coffee and somewhat poor crowd management, but otherwise a good place. read more

Tourists, Yuppies and college students go to Tatte. However, FOODIES go to Sofra. Expensive, but everything is worth it. A true gem. read more

Everything here is savory & well prepared. But expensive. "Large Closet"-sized tho - Tiny space - expect to wait 1/2 hour to be waited on, another 20 for a seat. (Pre-Covid) I still love this place. read more

The food is good, but pricey. I'm all for fresh Mediterranean, but there are many other places that offer the same caliber of Mediterranean for cheaper or similar prices. Additionally, the sheer number of people who crowd into this place is insane. The place itself and the employees are very warm, but I can't say the same of the crowds in the ten or so times we've visited. Everyone is looking out for themselves and getting a table is like Black Friday at Best Buy. I can't say enough good things about the service and food, but the atmosphere is just too overwhelming. That being said, definitely worth trying, but not for the faint of heart when it comes to trying to get a seat. read more