Sophia's is a BYOB Italian restaurant in Union county on Morris Ave. There's lots of parking in a back municipal lot as well as on street. The room is large and well laid out, the settings are white table cloth and a TV providing background music, sometimes a bit too loudly when the restaurant is emptier. It is very crowded, and hard to hear, on weekends and has live entertainment. Service is prompt and efficient. The food is good, but not very good or excellant. Part of this is the competition for Italian food in NJ, especially Essex County, is fierce. At the prices charged, normal range but not outrageously expensive, many other Italian restaurants with simply better food line up ahead of it. Portions are generous, including appetizers. Dishes they do exceptionally well - eggplant parm, Chicken Scarpariello, which is on the bone since that dish simply does not work boneless, the lamb ribs and the rigatoni with roasted eggplant & ricotta. But many others are solid but so much better is available at the same price. read more

Solid dinner tonight - met my in laws and the restaurant was pretty empty. I don't think that's the norm but it's a cold January Thursday evening so perhaps weekends are busier? Good news is we could easily find parking outside, we could have a conversation and we weren't rushed out. For starters we ordered clams oreganata, and beet salad. For main I ordered penne vodka and my husband tried the special seared scallops with pesto pasta. He enjoyed it and so did I. Other dishes were veal piccata and salmon penne vodka. Everything was very good! Overall it's a nice BYOB spot! read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Seared scallop with pesto pasta - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

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This is a local place we tend to go to because of the convenient location. Plenty of parking available in street and in back. This is a BYOB. They always serve complimentary bread and these very tasty marinated carrots. Food here is always good, but rarely great. read more

I came here on a Friday evening with a friend who recommended the place. Specifically, my friend raved about the grilled shrimp pesto (pictured) which I will admit had a fresh and captivating taste. I also feel like it was a unique dish as I've never had angel hair pasta at a restaurant. I ordered the chicken margarita dish served with mashed potatoes and green beans. While it wasn't a memorable dish, it was quite filling. There was enough to bring home for day-after leftovers. I tried a bit of the sea bass special and can confirm it was one of the fresher fish I've tasted in a while. f you're looking for a quiet space to have a family dinner, I would recommend making your way to this place during off-peak dinner hours. When we arrived around 6PM we almost had the place and services to ourselves, but by 7PM, this took a completely 360, as more people and a live singer filled the dining room. Place is BYOB. read more

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Food was overpriced for what you got. Appetizers were frozen and were terrible. Main course was fine but small sized. Place was empty but still was rushed through the meal. read more

Came here for early dinner after visiting a local business. Looking forward for some traditional NJ old school Italian. Ordered the chicken parm pasta and penne vodka. Like some mentioned, chicken was hard, not tender or pleasant to chew. Penne vodka wasn't great and nothing spectacular about it. Desserts were typical and actually good. Overall mediocre to low quality food on top of unspectacular service. Very overpriced for the experience and quality. Not recommended. read more

Went for the first time to Sofia's - we were disappointed. Upon arrival staff watching world cup finale. I asked waiter to specifically wait to put in meals till after we completed our appetizers- waiter did not comply and food came out right after our appetizer plates were cleared. Calamari with balsamic spicy sauce wax rubbery and the mussels were frozen - the sauce was the only good part with the sambuca in it. Meals were small portioned for the price and we were completely rush from start to finish. Not with the trip very disappointed. read more

Nice ambiance, good food, reasonable. Parking in rear. Having my 70th birthday next year here. God willing my stage 4 lung cancer stays stable. read more

stopped for a quick lunch on a saturday and was impressed with the food and the service. i will definitely repeat when in the area again

I ate there last night. Chicken pamagian Chicken was so hard couldn't cut it with a knife The sauce on the spegetti was old and tasted terrible By the way all the prices went up read more

We had an early dinner there before going to a performance at NJPAC. We shared a stuffed portobello mushrooms. My husband had the chicken parmigiana and I had linguine vongole. The chicken parm has 2 large breasts, and my linguine came with a dozen of clams. They were Delicious! This place has spacious and nice with elegant decor and the service was good. They have a parking lot in the back if you can't find street parking. read more

Good were past dinners; current quality is questionable. Services is always good and the ambiance is comfortable and very family friendly. A recent Saturday dinner was very disappointing; baked clams tasted old and should have been sent back but we didn't out of respect. Rest of the dinner was ordinary so perhaps it was just an off night. Best advice, don't be afraid to offend the kitchen with your dislikes. read more

I returned here for a large gathering. The service was great and accommodating given we had about 15 or so people. I had several food options that I will briefly review below. Seafood Salad - This was good, all fish appeared fresh and not overly seasoned with anything. Long Hots with Sausage and Chips - The combination of the long hots with the mild sausage was very tasty. The crispy chips were a nice added touch. House Salad - This was a standard house salad, no complaints. Eggplant Rollatini - See previous review for similar thoughts. Hotsy Totsy Shrimp - This was one of their specialties. It was essentially breaded shrimp with a hot tomato sauce. The sauce was good, and the shrimp pieces were huge. The shrimp was a little overcooked as it was a little tough to eat, but the sauce made up for it. For my entrée, I had the veal margarita. It was topped with eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella in a tomato sauce. It was served over pasta. The veal pieces were tender, and I really liked the eggplant along with the mozzarella. I would have liked there to be a little more eggplant present. The pasta was also cooked appropriately. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Veal Margarita - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

Came with a large group and service was as good as if we were an intimate table of two. This BYOB restaurant offers Italian traditional dishes that are delicious and generously portioned. There was entertainment the night we dined and the duo was very good although a little loud if you are trying to hold dinner conversation. Highly recommend for a date night or family get together read more

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I hosted a small family dinner after a funeral; Sofia's was recommended by the nearby funeral home. Everything was top notch. Although there was not a private room, we were seated in an area that felt private. The food was excellent, the service was outstanding. The manager was so easy to work with. I forgot to provide him with the menu choices until 6 hours before the dinner. No problem. I forgot to order dessert and had to ask the manager to provide dessert at the last minute. This was also no problem. Planning a funeral was stressful, and everyone at Sofia's was so nice, sympathetic and accommodating. All of my guests raved about the food and service. Cannot say enough good things about this place. read more

We came to Sofia's for our Saturday date night. My husband and I loved the hotsy totsy shrimp! The sauce was delicious!! Both our meals, the cavatelli and shrimp fra diavolo were excellent. The service was also very good. The part that we did not understand and why we are giving it only 3 stars is that Sofia's is billed as a Fine Italian restaurant. The ambiance and atmosphere is very confusing........ Crisp white table linens, beautiful big wine glasses, typical Italian restaurant setting chairs, elegant picture framing on the walls...BUT then, two big TV's with sports games playing, track lighting and ceiling fans.....it just seems like a miss match. Does Sophia's want to be an elegant Italian restaurant or a sports bar? We may be back but we would not choose it for a romantic night out...... Food - 5, Service - 4, Ambiance - 2 read more

This spot is excellent for some good homemade Italian food , they have a nice menu with pretty much a large array of Italian dishes. The staff was easygoing and attentive. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Lobster Ravioli 21.95 - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

Had surprise takeout for my birthday and was so impressed! It was so very delicious, I would love to go in person and order in restaurant. The salmon was cooked and seasoned perfectly. My husband enjoyed his chicken and said the sauce was done perfectly. Sofia's came highly recommended and I would go try it for a date night in a heart beat. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Chicken Margarita - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

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I have been here twice with my mother and she is an extremely picky eater. When she approves that's when you know it's good. We came to this place because she wanted to try the Groupon she purchased and after that we have been here twice without it. The service is great and the atmosphere is quiet and extremely well kept. Definitely recommend this place to anybody especially those who want to go somewhere intimate and quiet. read more

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The food was exceptional and the service was excellent the restaurant had a family feel and I would give this restaurant a 10+

I wasn't impressed with this place. I didn't get the authentic italian vibe neither from the food or the atmosphere. The Alfredo pasta i got (which wasn't even on the menu) was too thick and flavorless, the bread was stale, and they brought store bought butter instead of olive oil for starter. The caesar salad had almost no croutons and no cheese. They didn't have the main italian pasta meals on their menu (spaghetti and tomato sauce for example isn't on the menu). During the meal they were playing old American music and in the kitchen cooks were listening to Mexican music. If you're looking for authentic italian you might want to try elsewhere. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Shrimp and Alfredo sauce - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

Sofia's has a nice atmosphere- quiet, plenty of space, high-end, and BYOB. The menu is typical of an Italian restaurant, with an impressive spread of seafood. I ordered Penne Vodka with Salmon, and my Fiancée got clams. The food looked great, but I couldn't shake the fact that something was wrong with the fish. Both my dish and hers had an incredibly fishy taste, atypical of salmon that is fresh and cooked properly. In addition, the clams were incredibly chewy, to the point of being inedible. We did not get sick, but it did take away from the meal. Other than the salmon, the penne vodka was good. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Penne Alla Vodka with Salmon - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

First time here, wasn't sure what to expect actually, was not overly thrilled with the experience. Chicken Milanese was good, not great, but good even though a little dry. Linguine with white clam sauce was way too salty, couldn't finish it without 4 glasses of water which didn't help. Service staff was good and attentive. Probably one and done with this place read more

I had a late lunch here and the food was amazing! The staff super friendly and the place very quaint. I am definitely coming back with my whole family! Loved it!! read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

Living in New Jersey my whole life with an overabundance of Italian, I'm rather trained on it. Sofia's ambles along with home-style cooking. As a BYOB place, they monitor beverages pretty well to keep it flowing. Service and ambiance are slightly formal. Within the local area, they have a pretty good, but noisy space for a small event. Parking's easy. Their bread's served at room temperature with individual packs of butter. Then, their calamari's crisp and adequately salted but missing tentacles- the best part! While their crabcakes are hardly crabby (=disappointing), their house salad's fresh and well-dressed, their meatballs are pretty good- especially in texture, and their pasta's perfectly al dente. Their Eggplant Parm's huge and satisfying (yes, that's what she said), accompanied by some spaghetti and could last a couple meals. When they took orders, they didn't note who ordered what, so later, they had to ask. Overall, memorably okay. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Linguine with Clams in a white sauce - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

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Called on a Friday night 30 minutes before arriving they had no wait and did not require a reservation. Did not know the place was a BYOB, sent one of my family members to the store 3 blocks away to grab a bottleneck wine. Was quite upset about the fact that they are charging a Covid fee of $3 per person. Why? Service was mediocre as well as the food. Calamari lacked seasoning, Sofia salad was very tasty with the goat cheese. Veal piccata was very bland as well. 2 other dishes were the eggplant parm and rigatoni were very tasty, but I had to ask for cheese it was not initially offered, salt and pepper were also not on the table which would have been helpful for the calamari and veal. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

I was puzzled by so many negative reviews of this restaurant. I went there last night and thought the service was great and the food was delicious. I'm particular about my Italian food, coming from an Italian background and a mom who cooks amazingly. I had grilled octopus over arugula for an appetizer and the pesto gnocchi with shrimp for an entree. It was delicious. Gnocchi was definitely homemade. My date had the skirt steak and it was very good and cooked nicely. Seasoned well. The pickled carrots they provided with the bread were phenomenal. Service was prompt and attentive on a weekday at 7pm. Ambience was clean and quiet and perfect for a date. Yes, there are TVs which I found odd for a more upscale Italian restaurant but the sound was off. Overall, a very nice spot for a good dinner and I would absolutely go again! read more

I picked up dinner for 2 tonight as a treat and wow was it ever! My chicken parmigiana was absolutely delicious and my husband raved about his salmon dish and the Italian cheesecake. Can't wait for the next time we decide to give ourselves a treat. Our thanks to the cooks at Sofia's. Roberta read more

I recently hosted my daughter's baby shower at Sofia's. The food was excellent and the service was fantastic. Several of my guests commented how much they enjoyed the food and are planning on returning for dinner. I've also had dinner at Sofia's many times. It doesn't disappoint. read more

Okay I ordered here today for lunch and the food was good but the portion I got for lunch was like a child's size I ordered the lobster ravioli and got 4 little raviolis 1 shrimp 3 pieces of italian bread. I know the prices are cheaper for lunch but I wasn't expecting a snack size meal from a fine italian restraunt. It makes me scared to try dinner because the prices are higher and I don't want a kiddy portion I'm an adult not a child normally when I get this from other restraunts it doesn't come in a small container and you get at least 6 ravioli it didn't even taste like their was lobster in the ravioli if there was it was very little so I don't know if I would order from here again I mean the taste was okay but for the prices it's not worth it feel like it was false advertising. And no I'm not confusing this with the wrong restraunt this is sofias fine italian dining in Springfield. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

Omg....my neighbor and I just had the most amazing meals here tonight. We both enjoyed our meals so much and appreciated all the special touches the restaurant did during this covid time. Service was great, food was absolutely outstanding...as someone who was raised in an Italian family and whose family owned an Italian restaurant for over 20 years, Sofia's blew my mind with how delicious everything was. Their sauce, utterly out of this world amazing. I cannot wait to go back for more!!!!! Definitely a gem in Springfield!!! read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Eggplant Parmigiana and cucumber/tomato/goat cheese salad. Beyond good!!!! - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

I have been to this restaurant 3 times and would go back the food is great I have tried the Veal Parmigiana and the Grilled Pork Chop and also the Shrimp Scampi and everything was great and the atmosphere was nice and the staff was very nice and pleasant Yes you have to try the crabs cakes me and my daughter get it every time we go read more

Finally Jason's back the big boss what another great meal chicken Parmesan oozing with cheese come on down and join the party at Sophia's without Jason it isn't the same but I'm back to for my chicken Parmesan read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Finally Jason's back the big boss what another great meal chicken Parmesan oozing with cheese come on down and join the party at Sophia's - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

The food was absolutely delicious! The service was always at your need.... The room was small but became loud as the night progressed! Over all have dinner!!!! read more

I probably would have rated Sofias 3 1/2 stars and when dealing with half stars usually go downward but this time went up because the food was that good as was the service except for some hiccups. Sofias to me is a throwback to places I used to like in Brooklyn before Brooklyn got yuppified and became cool. It seems like an old time place; in fact, they don't have a web site. If they did, it's well hidden. My wife and I went and she got a special sole franchese with shrimp over spinach - very good. I've had a hankering for spaghetti and meatballs, something I've not ordered in 20 years given I try to eat light and healthy and almost always fish. It was fantastic. The service was good; they refilled the water & cleaned the table quickly. It's a BYO if that helps. Now the negatives. The hiccup I mentioned related to a groupon which the waiter first thought expired (it hadn't ) and then made math mistake. My wife is very good at finding mistakes and the waiter was pretty good at the correction. Second, there were a few parties who were a little on the noisy side. Not terrible but I would have preferred quiet. Last, they have a big screen tv on the wall (sound off). I don't mind that and the Olympics were on but it bugged my wife. It would have been better if we switched seats but we didn't. In sum, the good food is worth the visit as are the portion size and price and service. Hadn't been in a few years. Still good food, good service. Nice menu. Still noisy. Price reasonable. Parking not a problem., read more

The food was devine, be sure to "BYOB" Bring your own bottle if you would like to sip and eat. Im unsure if theirs a cork fee. However, the pasta was so good. Thanks for the experience. read more

Went here for the first time. Great atmosphere-felt like it was in a family room. Lots of people knew each other which made it fun. Food was on point. Even the cannoli was great. Will be back. read more

Very reasonably priced lunch and satisfies my Italian cravings! The eggplant appetizer and sausage with broccoli rabe are excellent while being under $6. I also really enjoyed Steak Giambotta, chicken marsala, and veal francese sandwich. My orders were always accurate and timely. 4.5 stars! read more

i got the caesar salad to start and i really liked it! just enough for a salad and no too filling. def. good to start with. i got the Rigatoni Pomodoro for my main dish and loved it! it had big chunks of tomatoes and garlic which was yummy! me and my friend split the chocolate lava cake and wow! very good! melty chocolate and good vanilla ice cream on the side. loved everything! great service as well. read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey

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My family and I went on a Sunday due to purchasing a Groupon. The restaurant had a good dinner crowd, which is a plus in my book. We were seated after a 2 minute wait. Menu had a great selection of food including seafood. We ordered 3 entrees (chicken alfredo, lobster ravioli, and spicy shrimp in a marinara sauce). The food was fantastic. My lobster ravioli was a bit lukewarm, but hubby's spicy shrimp marinara made up for it. The sauce was homemade and very tasty. You could literally eat that with bread as a meal. They also provided complimentary bread and picked carrots which was great as well. We definitely would go back! read more

Sofia's Fine Italian Cuisine - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Springfield, New Jersey