[[HIGHLIGHT]]Came here for the first time on a Saturday night and it was really busy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We made a reservation but still had to wait a bit to be seated. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's tiny inside but clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We got the mixed cold appetizers which tasted really good with their bread. The mixed grill was very good, their lamb is one of the best we've had. I hope they consider adding iskender to their menu in the future. Unfortunately we didn't experience the best service when we were there. They didn't give us menus so we looked it up on our phones, and we had to flag the staff down to take our order after almost 15min. We asked for water refills and yogurt sauce but received neither and no one came to check on us. We didn't want to wait longer so we opted to skip dessert. read more

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Let me talk about the kebab -- the quality of this place has significantly declined over time. When they first opened, they were truly making authentic Adana kebab. The chef was from Adana, and he used to prepare lamb meat properly with a zırh (traditional curved knife). But those days seem to be long gone. During my last two visits, there's been a noticeable drop in flavor. It seems they've switched from hand-minced meat to machine-ground meat, and they've started mixing in beef as well. The kebab, which used to crumble with rich texture, has now turned into something more like a cheap supermarket meatball. Despite charging above-average prices, this decline in quality is unacceptable.The kebab was served with both rice and bulgur pilaf, but both had clearly been sitting for a while. The rice, in particular, seemed like it had been cooked 2-3 days earlier -- it was far from fresh. It might still appeal to Turkish customers who have never actually had proper kebab even in Turkey, but to anyone who knows what Adana kebab is supposed to be, this is a joke. I assume most of their customers are foreigners who don't really know what to expect from a real Adana kebab -- so they've taken the easy and cheap route. To make things worse, during my last visit, one side of the kebab was burnt. And the chef, like a typical trickster, had placed the burnt side facing down on the plate, trying to hide it. That's just shameful. And finally -- here's a photo of the cooked tomato they served. Completely white and unripe. Really, chef? You didn't notice when cutting it? You didn't see it while cooking? Or even when plating it? If good tomatoes are hard to find (which they're not -- they're just coming into season), then don't serve them at all. If someone asks, you simply say "It's not the season, and we couldn't find good-quality tomatoes, so we chose not to serve any." But you don't serve pickling-grade, pale white tomatoes on a plate. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Also, the place is now covered with signs saying it's alcohol-free -- seriously, there are nearly ten of them across the entrance, exit, and walls.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When I asked the waiter about it, he explained that the restaurant is now a "halal establishment." But here's the strange part: since the place opened, I've been there around seven times, and every time I brought my own alcohol, the staff gladly served it to me at the table. Surely they didn't just now discover that alcohol isn't considered *halal* in their religion. read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Excellent place. I highly recommend this Turkish restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's very clean, beautiful, service is friendly and excellent (Thanks Greta)![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food is excellent! I've had the liver, the mixed grill, the appetizers, and the chicken Adana. Everything is excellent, portions are big. Lots of free parking. Great for parties and special occasions. read more

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This new Turkish spot nestled on the East end of Waterbury is ! This is only the second day they've been open and I have to say, very authentic, classy and stylish. The servers that we had are very proper which is always appreciated.I love love love trying new spots! Sofra doesn't serve alcoholic beverages; HOWEVER, they were not opposed to BYOB!! Luckily, there's a package store 4 doors down in the same plaza! Can you say winning?! I can; !WINNING! The pepperoni and tenderloin flatbread is made from scratch. The crust is light and fluffy and also handmade. I'm impressed so far. I ordered the mixed grill. It has every meat they serve here on my plate and I'm not disappointed. Everything is just perfect, just perfect. There's a lot of food here, looks like I'm going to eat well tomorrow also. The Executive Chef /Owner came out to get some feedback. I love that! On to dessert... we ordered the Kunefe and the baclava... the Baclava was so light and flakey, just so goood! The Kunefe was also pretty it was buttery, a little crunchy, and cheesy! Not gonna lie, I'm a happy camper. My family and I will be back!! Thanks for a great first experience. This experience gets the highly coveted " MMMMMSK™" read more

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We came here Sunday night for dinner because my family came to visit; and we wanted to try out this restaurant. Very good variety of food. We all enjoyed our plates. Very filling. The appetizers were tasty also. We got the beet dip and haydar dip along with Albanian style liver and salad for appetizers. For entrees, we tried the chicken mix grill and the bifteki sis. For dessert, we got the pistachio baklava and kazandibi with turkish tea. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was a nice night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The restaurant is BYOB also. read more

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Food was overpriced and overcooked. The quality wasn't there and food was tough and texture off-putting. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service and ambiance were uncomfortable and awkward.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]This place is very impressive![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We walked in and it was a great smaller spot and very well decorated I loved the vibes there.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was great as well they greeted us and they were really attentive when asking questions. We also enjoyed the food the kebabs/rice /salad and bread were all amazing . One of the best starter salads I've tried! Also I tried the manti and the portion is huge and it taste great. read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Chicken adana kebab and lamb Adana kebab platters - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

This place is fantastic. They have a huge variety of appetizers and main dishes to chose from. They also gave us fresh bread and salad on the house which were both delicious. I ordered a pide which was really good. My husband ordered a chicken dish which he liked. I also ordered a dessert called kunafe which was absolutely delicious. And they gave us tea to go with it. The service was exceptional which I don't say about every place. Place was clean and was cute inside. Definitely definitely recommend! read more

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This was our first time having Turkish cuisine and we are so impressed! Sofra is relatively new in Waterbury and is totally a hidden gem. We absolutely loved the presentation of the Sofra Platter, and all of the food was so delicious! One of my favorites was the chargrilled chicken melt, and I could eat the dips from the mixed appetizer all day. Everything seems super authentic! I will definitely be returning. Beautiful restaurant and attentive staff. read more

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My wife and I returned to Sofra this evening for dinner. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The service ,atmosphere and quality of the food still remains outstanding![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. I have attached some photos of the assortment of appetizers and entrées we had. For dessert, we had the mixed baklava of pistachio and walnuts. A must have! We will be back again. read more

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Great interior- new, clean and attractive Food- I am not an expert on this cuisine but this is noticeably better than anything around. Taste, presentation and amount of choices are fantastic. Service- professional well dressed waiters. This place is a must go to read more

Excellent food and service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tables are close together but there were not too many people there so it was totally manageable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our party of 4 shared the Karisik Izgara | Mixed Grill which was more than enough. We were treated to a nice variety of which all were delicious. We finished with the delicious baklava. read more

Don't bother coming without a reservation. We were just turned away. Super aggravating UPDATE- It seems you can't post being turned away. If you're actively looking at comments on YELP you should ACTIVELY post that you suggest reservations. We didn't expect to MAGICALLY BE SEATING- however I did expect MAGICALLY for the owner to demonstrate some respect and appreciation for a patron who travelled 45 min to eat at your restaurant. Yet another attack! Your public response is VERY DIFFERENT from the private one. Unprofessional, and petty Now I'm editing comments? On top of a being unprofessional, you're a liar. Fitting. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great ambience, amazing food and the service was spectacular.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My family enjoyed lunch and would definitely recommend and bring them back. They also couldn't stop raving about how good the food was and can't wait to bring their family back to enjoy such an amazing experience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The first thing you notice immediately is the cleanliness of the place, which is a big deal for all of us.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The salad so fresh the breads were so warm and the appetizers were out of this world. We did order the Sofra grill which came with so many different kinds of mixed grilled meats from chicken to lamb and beef kebabs, grilled peppers and rice which all tasted so delicious. Always a win for me! Thanks Sofra for the amazing experience!! The best! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Fantastic service, delicious food, & peaceful clean ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I love taking my family and all out of town guests here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a well decorated & classy establishment.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food is always fresh & flavorful. Everything on the menu is delicious. I've tried 90% of the menu at this point! But my faves are Adana kebab, mixed dips appetizer, Albanian liver, chargrilled chicken melt, manti, & the baklava!!! The chef never misses! So glad this place opened up! read more

You would have gotten a one star for if it wasn't for the meat bread which was actually pretty good tasty. For the price you can do so much better at pretty much any other restaurant. The lamb and kabob meat platter had one lamb chop that was paper thin and burnt to a crisp. It was leather and it was not represented however many are listed in the photo. The photos make the good look decent but in person looks like dog chow. Honestly most of the Turkish/halal carts in nyc blow this place out of the water. Very over priced andTerrible quality. read more

Food is amazing if you never tried it your are missing out every thing we tired is amazing

Food was fantastic! We were in the area from Pennsylvania and I have been dreaming of their food ever since we left.

Hello Everyone.. This review comes from a Turkish Person who lived and grew up in Turkey. At first I was very excited to visit this place.. but disappointment followed by more disappointments. It is a shame to call "authentic"!! This was the worse food I had!! The Quality was horrible and everything tastless.. Not to mention the rice was 3 days old. Our Waiter was from Portugal.. not sure if he was very familiar with the menu... Although I kind of felt bad for him as he was running back and forth and the only waiter available for the entire restaurant, he couldn't keep up the speed and forgot orders. It wasn't even super busy.. He only had to serve 5 tables.. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The other empty tables were all dirty and flies were flying around.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had to sit there trying to enjoy our dinner while next tables had leftover food everywhere. Our food finally came out and the Apetizers looked and tasted like from a Jar! Once our entrees came out the presentation and quality was horrible. I had to spit out the Adana as pieces of chunks were coming out that was not chewable.. Now I really wonder what kind of meat they served us!!! Our Daughter's Entree never came out and we already almost finished ours.. I called the Waiter and asked what happened to her food??? Some INDIAN Dude from the Kitchen comes out to tell us that there was somethjng wrong with the Doner meat and it was actually gone bad and therefore couldnt serve her.. They had to wait until we almost finish ours to tell us????? WTH??? Where is the Health Department? Food should be stored according to regulations and checked daily!!! I was so confused from the Portugese Waiter, to the Indian Guy from the kitchen.. tastless and old food.. and it's all supposed to be AUTHENTIC!! What a Joke!! Better if we went to McDonalds!!! read more

It's a small restaurant, but the food is great. The portions are big enough for two people. The staff are great, friendly and respectful. I really recommend Anyone to try this place. It's good for a night out and also for a date night. BYOB. read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Adana kebab lamb - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

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The food was delicious! Great portions we went home with food for lunch. The service was very nice and attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant has great ambience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The food was fresh and tasty, and the place felt comfortable and the dessert was delicious; I really enjoyed it. Great service and flavorful food, I would come again! read more

The food was fantastic! The service was wonderful! We were so happy to find this little gem.

This place was so good! The service was top notch. Everyone was so attentive of us and they brought so many yummy dishes to the table. Our main entrees were excellent as well. They were very flavorful and delicious! I will definitely be back! read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Chicken - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

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Great food and superb service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Loved the inside of it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Good sitting area.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everyone over there is very polite and friendly. Highly recommend it. Went back to eat their multiple times and every time had a great experience. read more

fresh, amazing, delish! They answered all our questions, made suggestions, and were the absolute picture of Turkish hospitality. This is my new favorite! read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Sofra Style.... 3 meals. - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Amazing experience! The food was delicious, the presentation beautiful, and the service was great. read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - two plates of food with smoke coming out of them - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Tried this place over weekend , the food ,the service,the atmosphere was excellent . So happy there's more Turkish food close to my home . If you have never tried , go try I can guarantee , You will love Turkish food !!!! Great job Sofra !!! And see you soon!!! read more

We were looking for a new casual place to go and discovered Sofra through Yelp. The food was delicious! It's a BYO place so bring some wine! [[HIGHLIGHT]]There were lots of families celebrating birthdays so it's a great spot for a group.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend the hummus with pastrami! read more

This restaurant is a gem! Service was amazing. Food is incredible. Chef Eren was so accommodating with his knowledge & eagerness to please. We have an awesome experience and will definitely be back! read more

Tried this new Turkish place over the weekend with my family. When we first walked in the atmosphere was very inviting. The decorations gave us a very positive vibe. We were greeted with smiles and offered a seat. We started with a Shephard Salad. Then went onto the hot appetizers. Pastrami hummus, yogurt dip, beet yogurt dip, and flat bread that was baked fresh at the restaurant. For our main entrees we ordered the Chargrilled Chicken Melt. It was phenomenal! It had so much flavor I couldn't get enough! Its a good thing since I ended up with leftovers from the generous portion size! My wife had the mixed grill and said it was the best she can remember having. This was impressive since she is from New York and she has frequented many Turkish cuisine ristorantes throughout her life. For desert we had Kunefe. It delicious. I will try my best to describe it but its made with Kadayıf ( its a type of stringy crispy and crunch texture) with cheese and a thickened syrup that gives a buttery sweet tase. An absolute must try! read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Chargrilled Chicken Melt - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

This is a little hidden gem in Waterbury making Authentic Turkish cuisine. Now I don't know much about this area or culture, but I do know good food. I was in the mood for Mediterranean style food, wanted something healthy but flavorful and this hit the spot. I was in a rush to get home so ordered online on my way home from Bristol. Online ordering was a breeze and so many delicious options to choose from....I got the red lentil soup, the variety of dipping sauces appetizer (apologies...other than hummus which was awesome..I don't know the others) that had 7 or more tasty spreads with fluffy flavorful warm bread and a chopped salad of tomatoes cucumbers onions and the most flavorful diced marinated chicken. It was out of this world flavorful and moist. I think getting the food To-Go does not do this place justice. But it was still sooo good. You can tell the food is prepared with love, probably simmered all day in savory spices and it comes through in the flavors. I will stay for lunch or dinner next time. So happy I tried this place. I'll be back. And the cool thing is...(fun fact) this food is similar to the food found in "blue zones". Those are the 5 areas of the world where people live to be 100yrs more frequently than any other area. So you get health benefits while you enjoy some of the best food on earth. Cheers! read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Red lentil soup, Greek salad with gyro chicken, mixed spreads appetizer with warm bread - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

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Great food. Excellent service. Every single fake thing in menu is fresh. Highly recommended. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Clean place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Family friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We went party of 9. 3 kids. No problem.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Best Turkish place in Waterbury for sure. read more

Delicious food served beautifully by very nice waitstaff. The dining room is lovely, and the place settings are so cool (brown leather placemats and silverware holders). Make your own sofra and get ready for a fun surprise presentation! read more

Food was amazing and the ambiance was excellent. Their meat was tender and juicy, full of flavor. The waiter/waitress were extremely kind and made sure our party was taken care of ! read more

Excellent place service and good atención. I recommended for all people and all brothers and sisters from islam good Restaurant for all the family. read more

Service is miserable. They don't care about coustmer time.not enough employees. We don't recommend for other people.

I loved this little place!! We came to this place with my friends. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The taste, service and ambiance were amazing![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I recommend it to everyone. Thank you Sofra! read more

We had a dinner at this place on the way home from Maine, surprised by its high quality food and service. I ordered a grilled chicken mix with appetizers and a Turkish apple drink. They were wonderful, presented in neat plate and stylish containers, with sauces I never had had before that tasted fresh and good. The waiter and waitress were very friendly, actively explaining to us the food sources and cooking processes. The dishes were of so generous size that we both could handle less than a half of each, taking home two packages of rich meat and desert fir next day! I bet this place will soon be a hot spot nit just for folks in Waterbury, but Hartford and beyond! Five stars! read more

Sofra Turkish Grill - Grilled chicken mix n leftover salad etc. - Turkish Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

What a great new addition to the Waterbury area food scene. It has a sophisticated vibe with an upscale renovation and super friendly wait staff. We even had the pleasure of meeting the executive chef who came out to check on his diners. This restaurant that takes pride in everything it does. No detail is overlooked. It's also super clean. The food is outstanding and absolutely authentic. In true Turkish style, the flavors are clean, delicate, and nuanced, and not overly spiced or salted. The meats are lean and tender, and not heavy. Portions are generous and prices are reasonable. Thank you to everyone, Sofra. Looking forward to next time. read more