Fantastically fresh food that's family-friendly Food: Had a couple of dishes to share, starting with the garden salad that was very fresh and cool, perfect for a home summer day yet with a hint of sweetness that made it bright and vibrant. The hummus with mushroom was also very unique, it tasted very earthy and balanced the pita very well, providing some chew and meatiness to the dish. The pide was also very nice and crispy, and you can taste each ingredient separately on the pide yet it all melds together with the fragrant spices combine it all. Service: There was plenty of seating available in the restaurant, and the people were all very friendly. As it was our first time, the server helped provide some recommendations and walked us through some favourites on the menu. Atmosphere: The place was a nice and clean, but nothing spectacular in terms of design. Seats were comfortable enough, although the tables were fairly close together. read more

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Both meats were Super salty and almost inedible without the tomato to numb the saltiness. The rice was also soggy Not sure if this was just a bad day but this was not worth the $25 The salad was good and no issues. read more

I landed at the airport and had to make the drive to North Bay. Before the drive I made a quick stop in in Sofra Istanbul for a late lunch/early dinner. There is construction on 400 so it can be tricky to get here. You might have to go one exit passed Steeles and come back but it's worth it. Because of the time I went , there was only on other person in the dining room. You can see back into the kitchen. I like that be because the dining room usually smells pretty good. The server was from Turkey and he had a bit of an accent which made me think the food would be a little more authentic. On the recommendation of the server I got the Cokertme Kebab. It doesn't quite look like it does in the menu picture but it was really good. The beef strips were well seasoned and tender. The yogurt complimented the beef very well and the chips added good texture. I would definitely recommend giving it a try. read more

After reading the reviews, I wanted to give this place a try. We were immediately seated after checking in. We were seated by the windows and I was worried about being cold because Canada was going through a very cold week. But, surprisingly, it was very warm and comfortable. The restaurant is small but comfortable, with the place following a red and white color scheme. Booths that seat up to four people line the windows of the restaurant while a long continuous red booth sits along the opposite wall. The wall with the long booth has a stone-like pattern and has canvases depicting landscapes and food still life pictures hanging from it. Behind the counter are three television screens that display the full menu, but you can pick your food from a regular handheld menu too. We ordered the Adana Kebab, which are two skewers of ground beef and lamb marinated with chopped red peppers and spices. Served with a choice of side. We got a side of bulgur. Kebabs were nice! I've seen it served with skewers but never got to experience it. Bulgur was pretty good, too. Next, we ordered the Veggie Pide which has spinach, feta cheese, onions, mushrooms , red peppers and mozzarella on top. It's like a veggie pizza and it was pretty good while hot. Lastly, we also ordered a couple of cold appetizers: babaganoush and fried eggplant with tomato sauce. Eggplant is hubs' favorite vegetable. These were both delicious! Service was very friendly and quick. There was a slight language barrier. I asked if they had this iced mint tea that I usually have in Middle Eastern restaurants in the US. He said that they have it but it turned out to be Nestea iced tea. Oh, well. Place is very bright looking and very cheery atmosphere. I love this place. Will definitely return to try other items on the menu! read more

This restaurant is absolutely awesome!! The absolute best - all homemade, even the wraps themselves. I have been eating here regularly for the last 12yrs and have never been disappointed. If you want some great Turkish food this is the place to have it! read more

Not impressed. The self serve gas station of restaurants with full serve pricing. Disclaimer: pricing varies according to customer's appearance and number of party members. Reminds one of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi Policy. Came in without a reservation. Just me. Not very attentive service. The staff would much prefer that you seat yourself, find your cutlery from other tables, and deny till you say you're sorry that they have any cutlery besides salad forks, butter knives and one standard size spoon. Guess they don't like keeping up with Uber tables for the walk ins. Well ... I hope the food compensates. I've ordered Comcha Salad and Manti. Salad portion was decent for the small. Easily split between 2 people. Typical grade produce for this level of eatery and time of year - anemic tomatoes, small cucumber dice, and worst of all, the tough, yellow (obviously old mixed in with newer) parsley. I was looking forward to trying Manti, a Turkish form of ravioli, as I had not come across it in my travels and definitely wanted to experience something new to sample. Unfortunately, it really wasn't to taste - I found the combination of warm and cold bit of red type sauce and cold sour cream not something I'd order again. The ravioli are very small little meatballs wrapped in wonton like noodles, and the filling was quite dry. Also, the ratio of noodle you end up getting in relation to the to filling is very high, so you mostly get a plate of starch, sour cream, and some dry meat. Not my new favourite Turkish. It tasted better when I brought the remainder home and nuked it. I hate wasting food so I decided it would be worth taking it away with me back to the hotel, even though once again, it's a case of being presented with your little styrofoam containers to fill yourself. The little salad bowl was easy to empty straight into the container, but the Manti was a different story. It wouldn't have been so clumsy had the heavy, oblong platter been so awkward to angle that you can't handle the food well. Even the staff couldn't stack the dishes very securely for more than one table. She almost dropped my salad bowl on me and left the rest. I sure wish those IKEA glasses were larger. The one glass of water I received was nowhere sufficient for the amount of time I spent waiting on myself, and then waiting for the bill. Could you at least put a pitcher on the table? The food was worth coming in to try. The service made it sure I don't come back. If you're not a regular, or booking a nice easy party to cater, you're a waste of their time and space. Yes, dear, you're not welcome when you look at your payment and don't see the tip you still expect? No thanks.. also, I only have my cash subtotal. They kept my credit card receipt. I hope the cash slip matches my statement when it arrives in the mail. I'm guessing it will, but the point of those credit receipts is so a customer can track and reconcile the charges showing later. Worst part of the cash in, cash out approach to the service. read more

Sofra Istanbul - Check your receipts carefully. Make sure you get them in the first place. - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

The food was perfect!!!!! Friendly staff, awesome service and great experience overall; the prices were really good and the food was absolutely delicious!! Must try! read more

Sofra Istanbul - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

We were in the area visiting Black Creek Pioneer Village and decided to eat here against the wishes of our kiddo who had spotted the golden M next door. They changed their mind on realizing mango smoothies were available and had hummus and fresh baked pita. The restaurant also has a kids menu, but our kid loves any kind of bread. The hummus also got two thumbs up, I tried it and agree, it was delicious, garlicky, and seasoned perfectly. My husband had a wrap the size of his head, and I had the iskendar kebab. Both were amazing, though portion sizes required takeout containers to bring all the left overs home. Service was friendly, the restaurant was clean and bright. If we lived closer we'd definitely become delivery regulars. read more

Mom and pop shop, best bang for buck with amazing flavors. We had falafel wraps, hummus and pita. The portions were generous and the food was delicious. read more

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With out a doubt they have the best Pide in the GTA and we must have tried at least 10 Turkish restaurants around town before saying this bold statement. Needless to say reminds us of the taste of the same bread in Istanbul itself. Great service. The owner is friend and chef puts his heart in the food and it shows. The only area of improvement I would say is the desert can be more fresh. Overall 9/10. read more

Chose this place because it has dine in option (other restaurants nearby only accept take out or delivery). Great service, nice place, busy (but maintain distance). Ordered falafel, iskender kebab, pistachio coconut roll and kunefe. Yummy dessert!! Pistachio coconut roll is unique , sort of like baklava, but less sweet. Kunefe is warm and soooo good..melting chewy cheese...with the sweet syrup.. (better to eat right away instead of take out&heat up). Nothing can go wrong with falafel (taste the same with any middle eastern restaurant). Iskender kebab is alright. The tomato base tastes exactly from italian restaurant or hot food in groceries store. I was hoping for something more unique. It's quite sour too. Took home leftover for my husband, and he made the same comment (we tried another turkish place and spices are unique/distinct). Turn out many of my coworkers love this place. So I may come back for different menu. read more

Glad I tried this place I decided to dine in I ordered the chicken shawarma dinner which is $15.99 they give you complimentary bread served with your salad first the salad I had all fresh ingredients the the dressing was amazing When the chicken shawarma plate actually came out I was surprised it was a lot of meat the rice was tasty and the food tasted light. I didn't feel heavy while I was eating but I could not finish the portion sizes were quite large The only thing missing was some garlic potatoes and a bit of my rice was stuck together and chewy but other than that everything was amazing they exceeded my expectations read more

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Love the portions they pack. Taste is awesome, the chicken shawarma dinner or chicken shawarma sandwich are my go to all the time.

Every bite was delicious. The service was excellent! If you are in the area, I would highly recommend this eatery.

We order take out from the restaurant all the time and we are always satisfied. We order tons of meat, vegetable side dishes, rice and salads. The meat is always delicious and the sides are always great. This is an Israeli style Mediterranean restaurant and it gets really busy. If it's the weekend, order ahead. Definitely check it out if you're craving healthy meat and veggie style dishes. read more

Everything was so delicious!! The service was fast and very kind. The ambiance is less enticing but the food makes up for it. read more

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Amazing freshness, quality, taste and portions. Authentic Turkish cuisine. The bulgur is super tasty and their wraps are hard to beat in terms of portion and fresh options. Their prices are very reasonable for the good quality of food. Nice customer service as well. Dine in if you have time. read more

We came here for dinner on Saturday and were fasting for Ramadan. We told them that we wanted to get our food when it was time to eat and the waitress was very kind and told us she would make sure it came out then. Our sons meal, the kofta with fries came out before and was freshly made and came with a soft naan. We ordered several things off of the menu which included the vegetable and mixed Pide, Tzatziki, chicken shish kabob white, falafels, shawarma hummus and salad (weird tasting and wouldn't recommend) and Turkish tea. Food was fresh and so good. Service was quick and came just in time to open our fast. Will be going back!! read more

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Amazing Turkish food. Try lahmacun here, or land chop, or lentil soup.... Or all of them.

Biggest shawarma in town , price is modest , service great - food is good . Always busy on friday come early for lunch otherwise line up .

A great restaurant all the way in Vaughn. If you are heading to Black Creek Pioneer Village, this is a perfect place to have lunch or dinner before or after you head to the park. They have an extensive menu with some traditional Turkish food that you will only find in Turkey. They also have other general menu items such as schnitzel, kabobs, shawarma, and steak for those who are not adventurus in trying something different. I ordered Beyti a ground beef and lamb skewer wrapped in some form of paper dough. It was amazing. The Turkish pizzas looked and tasted amazing too. Their Baklavas are quite good and very cheap ($1.79). This is a great restaurant to check out. I wish it was more central. I would come here more often. read more

Sofra Istanbul - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

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Gourmet food in a diner setting!!!! I enjoyed lunch with 3 girlfriends today and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of food. I mentioned to the waitress that this was my first visit and she was so gracious and friendly while taking to time to explain the items on the menu. The food was not only delicious the presentation was fantastic as well. Every bite was a flavorgasm in your mouth. Only thing missing was a glass of fine wine. I will definitely be back soon!!! read more

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I used to work in the area and go there once a month. Stopped by last night and was happy to see that it's still around. Food quality is consistent (at least for the Iskender that I've been ordering for years), house salad is always fresh with yummy dressing, and best falafel in town. Introduced it to different friends and they all liked it. read more

Ok I eat most days of the week with them. It a very good place to get some great Turkish​ food. The biggest​ problem is they are always busy. but the service is super fast​ and​ the​ ​ food is always fresh. Options are loads and you can for sure get what you want. Again it does get busy at times especially​ lunch hour. read more

Delicious food. Gigantic portions (seriously, 1 entree is enough for two people). Ingredients all seem fresh, and I think almost everything is made in house. They even have an oven where they do all their baking. Good proportions of meat too, for the carnivores among us. And very friendly and efficient service to boot! read more

Sofra Istanbul - Iskendar Kebab. - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

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Amazing food and amazing staff. I tried this place on the recommendation of a co-worker and it was fantastic. Authentic food made with love and honour. I would definitely be recommending this place to everyone I know! An absolute must tryb read more

Very few Turkish restaurants make Manti, because of all the work that goes into making them. Thank you Sofra for making the effort. The Mantis were meaty and flavourful, but the best thing for me was the fact that they were not salty. My last experience many years ago wasn't good, but if they keep on delivering like they did today then I will continue to come here. Sorry folks, I was too hungry, forgot to take picture of Manti. read more

Great food, amazing spices, delicious desserts. Amazing Turkish pizza, children shawarma.

Why does this place have no reviews? I was given a choice between pumping my stomach with meat, grease and Cajun fries (Five Guys burgers...and I mean that in the kindest way possible. It's an experience all of its own) or taking a chance on this new Turkish restaurant. I cannot express how glad I am to have chosen the latter. We walk in and, despite being slightly intimidated by our own unfamiliarity with the cuisine, are quickly seated by friendly staff with a massive, beautifully illustrated menu. There's clear photos of everything and numbered items to order with, so there's no anxiety or uncertainty about the less-familiar items on the menu. Having never had Turkish food, we settled on the grape leaves appetizer, the Cokertme kebab (a beautiful beefy sunburst of fried potatoes and tenderloin) and the special pide - appropriately contextualized as a Turkish pizza. The waitress surprised us with complementary salads, which appear to be standard with any order here. The salad was a wonderfully fresh mix of romaine lettuce, a nest of shredded carrot and grape tomatoes - no corners cut on the produce quality here or the size of this "side" salad. It came with this amazing, apparently homemade dressing on the side (always considerate) - a nice sweetly tangy yogurt-based dressing that I continued to crave long after receiving my entrees. Food arrived fresh, fast and YES - as good as the photos in the menu. Trust the photos on their website: presentation definitely does not play second fiddle to taste here. And everything tasted just as good as it looked - the kebab and pide both reflected the copious amounts of fire you'll see erupting in the kitchen. Meat was perfectly spiced and cooked nicely, and the cushion of yogurt it arrived on was the perfect complement. In addition to the salad, I felt that despite the meat-heavy menu, this place is pretty vegetarian friendly and labels the many options as such. Additionally, the quality of the produce, meat and preparation made for a meal that felt satisfying and robust but not belt-looseningly heavy or self-hatred inducingly rich (see also: Five Guys, my other Vaughan/Woodbridge/YorkU area go-to.). Decor was clean and minimal: a brightly lit suburban eatery that would just as easily accommodate a large Sunday family feast as it would a quick solo weekday lunch break. Orders were fast, staff were sweet and helpful despite how busy the place was, and every plate coming out of the kitchen looked utterly delicious. Do yourself a favor: don't walk in here, and sell yourself short with a shawarma or some lame chicken fingers. Pick yourself the coolest looking picture of a meat-sunburst or point at a fan of kebab skewers and get that. You won't be disappointed. read more

Sofra Istanbul - Cokertme Kebab (photo from http://sofraistanbul.com/)- it arrived at our table looking exactly like this, if not better! - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

Doner Kebabs! Although this place had a huge sign that advertised its doner kebabs, I decided to be a bit more adventurous. I ordered off the traditional Turkish menu and got dishes that you don't normally see at a doner/shwarma joint. Iskender Kebab- This resembled a shwarma plate dinner with shaved meat. However, the tomato-based sauce and the yogurt complemented the flavours of the meat. However, I wasn't a big fan of the bread underneath the meat as it got soggy from the heat and sauces. Adana Kebab- Two huge skewers of meat on rice. The seasoning of the meat was not overpowering and it was made fresh, which added to the tenderness of the meat. Veggie Eggplant- Cold dish of egglant rolls with minced meats. This was mediocre. Special/mixed peta- Probably the best part of the meal. Fresh bread made in a traditional oven topped with minced beef, onions, feta, and lot more seasonings from Anatolia. I definitely recommend trying the peta here! The food is overall above average as its price range. However, the decor and environment are a bit lacking, which reminded me more of a take-out shawarma joint than a traditional Turkish restaurant. But hey, if you value the taste of the food above all else, check this place out! read more

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This was absolutely delicious meal. We started with the Mushroom/Onion Hummus. I've had hummus many times before but never with Mushrooms & Onions...a delicious change. The meal was white basmati rice (not my fav) & Sauté Chicken. My wife had Cokertme Beef Kebab. Both were fabulous (my Sauté Chicken was better...just saying)!! The service was great & the food was amazing. The even served cold lemon water with the meal. To top it ALL off..we had a coconut roll which was outstandingly good. If your looking for a fresh & delicious middle eastern meal, THIS is the place to go. I'm coming back!! read more

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I decided to try something here based on the reviews and it was on the way back to my hotel. It did not disappoint. The staff was courteous, polite and very helpful. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted but the mixed shwarma was recommended. I know shwarma is pretty much a staple and easily done for the most part but this was excellent!! And the hummus was also great. I kind of wish I was staying in the area a bit longer so I could try more of the menu. read more

**UPDATE: had an employee of this restaurant reach out me asking I can have this review removed. With all due respect, no thank you.** Worst customer service experience!!! I decided to take my mom out for a quick lunch after her first session of chemotherapy. Our server, young girl, comes after a few minutes and we order teas and fshe orders a spinach and cheese pide (I think that's what it's called, the ones that resemble a pizza). The food comes and my mom immediately notices her pie came back but not with spinach and cheese but a veggie one. I ask the server to double check the order as I heard my mom order the spinach and cheese, I figured they would make another one, no big deal. . The young girl comes back and tells my mom that she ordered the wrong thing and she never said spinach and cheese. She was adamant and would not accept anything else after I continued to tell her I also heard her. I have no reason to lie about hearing what my mom ordered, it's really not a big deal! The server was stubborn and clearly trying to make a point that she was right. My mom was started to get overwhelmed and I felt sorry looking at her. Our server went as far as to make a gesture with her hands to her head and say "maybe you forgot or something??". The gesture blew it over for me. You don't do that to an older women with bad health. You don't underestimate her intelligence regardless of the scenario. I was in disbelief and I told the young lady you don't speak to humans this way and that I was disappointed and we were leaving. She says simply "have a nice day". No manager, no supervisor, nothing. Customer service is valued highly by me and this place took the cake as the worst customer service experience I have ever endured. Shame on you. read more

The best shawarma in town! Great food and a very nice team. We go there at least twice a week. Always fresh! read more

Sofra Istanbul - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

Nice big portions. The only downside is that we have to purchase the sauces separately.

My boyfriend had been talking about this restaurant for a few years now, and recently we were in the area and decided to drop by for a late lunch. It wasn't very busy, and someone came to assist us right away. She was lovely. We ordered a small baba ganoush (with bread) and iskender kebab to share. The baba ganoush was fairly generic, but pretty good. The iskender kebab was a) huge b) nothing like I've ever had before and c) delicious! It's basically shaved beef with a tomato sauce over Turkish bread. It's a medley of flavours and textures and it's balanced nicely with the yogurt and grilled jalapeno on the side. Oh and the side salad was really good too! I'm typically not a fan of random house salads, but their dressing is really nice and balanced. One thing: The dining area could be a tad bit cleaner. This is not a place you go for ambiance and 5-star-service - you come here for the food and I'd say it's pretty authentic and delicious. There are a lot of options, and I'd definitely go back to try more items on their menu. read more

Prices were higher than expected based on online reviews/photos of menu. We ordered 2 sandwiches which were decent sized and surprisingly had a tasty salad mix inside (not just your regular iceberg lettuce, tomato and onion combo). At first glance we thought it was an order at the counter service but you are actually waited on which was nice. read more

Sofra Istanbul - Kefta sandwich - lots of salad inside - Mediterranean Near Me - Vaughan, Ontario

We tried this place out today after my brothers convocation from York. After seeing how busy it was from the outside we surely wanted to try it out and we were not disappointed! We ordered baba ganoush with fresh pita bread to start with. The pitas had seasme seeds on it and were fluffy, warm and fresh. The Baba Ganoush had a great smoky flavour that my family loved. We then got our main course meal. The chicken schnitzel was nice and crispy on the outside and the marinate was flavourful. The chicken skewers were cooked to perfection. The meat pies were also a big hit but just had too much oil. The lamb skewers had a very meaty taste that my brother does not like! The meals also came with big jalapeño peppers which looked amazing. Once my brother had a bite of it his mouth literally burned. He then had to eat a sugar packet to calm down the burning sensation. Lol! The service was also great. Our server was super nice. All in all I would highly recommend this place! read more

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Absolutely the best Turkish food I have ever had. Fresh and tasty chicken kabobs with amazing mash potatoes and fresh salads & baked pita bread. read more

We ordered chicken shawarma, lamb kebab, Manti and mixed pide. Chicken shawarma and lamb kebab came with the salad - fresh ingredients and delicious dressing, and we got rice which was good. Mixed life was ok, it had a ground meat, veggies and pepperoni or sausage. We only enjoyed ground meat part. Manti are very tiny. They were ok but not much flavour, I'd suggest to ask for some spicy sauce. At the end we ordered some sweets that were displayed near cashier and they were delicious! read more

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