Sofia

4.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  1      Value  8     

I'm a regular Sofias customer who knows that cheap meals come at cheap quality. The calamari is great if you love chewing on your car tyres. But most of the meals taste great and the servings are massive.

The service, however, is terrible, The kids that work there need training and more professional uniforms, No one pours water for you and the cutlery is chucked on the table. Also I summoned a couple of waitresses by smiling and they chose to ignore me and continue the conversation.

If you are looking for a quick meal before a movie or going out clubbing I Highly reccomend this restaurant for its location, quick meals at great prices. Its great to duck into if you're in a rush!

Mar 05, 2012 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I enjoyed lunch here yesterday (Jan 19th). The service was prompt, food was served by friendly staff. Food was excellent and very reasonably priced, huge serves! Well done.

Jan 20, 2011 

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  2     

I went there on Saturday 8/01/11 with my wife and two kids and my friends and we arrived at 5:45 and around 7:15 while we eating the waiter came and told us that they need the table in 15 minutes.

I have been to thousands of restaurants in Australia and overseas and never ever in my life have been asked to leave restaurant because it was a two hours sitting and they are over booked.

Food was below average and service was a nightmare. I was upset and tried to speak to the senior staff and ask him why you didn't tell us it's two hours sitting when we booked and where is your sign in the restaurant that say that but he didn't have anything to say.

Never ever step foot in this restaurants again.

Jan 13, 2011 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  10     

I got to say - wow. I've been told to head back to Sofia's Frankston as its been run by a new manager and yes, what a massive improvement.

The food was fresh, tasty and always massive, which make great left overs for lunch the next day. As always, the low pricing and big plates made it great value. Also may I suggest, on a nice winter night sitting in the heated decking tent, its so romantic like an Arabian Night, with a great waiter 'Lenko' looking after us, it was wonderful, well worth the experience.

All in all a great new experience in Frankston, they are really lifting their game.
So forget all the old stories and try them out again, for a casual night out with friends, partner or family, its well worth it.

Jul 20, 2010 

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  4     

Having always considered Sofias to be a "slam bam thank you mame" style pizza and pasta restaurant, I decided to give it a go for lunch after a day on the pier.
The service is non existent here, on the verge of total rudeness and totally abrupt.

On delivery of my entree of pasta no cutlery was on the table and since I didn't fancy eating pasta with my fingers I requested a set of silver. It was promptly chucked on the table by the waitress who gave the impression that my request was not only unwelcomed but totally frustrating. The pasta was actually ok to taste though and entree serve was far too big and a little off putting.

The pizza was a disgrace, it was more of a pizza base with a few toppings scattered on top, I'm sure that this was not a case of running short of ham in the kitchen but rather the chef cost cutting and only putting on the bare minimum. I guess they know that no body will complain and they will still continue to come back because it is reasonably easy on the hip pocket. If you want something quick, easy and cheap with nil customer service then this place is for you.

Apr 05, 2010 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  10     

Despite the grave reviews, I actually enjoy Sofias. Its a good cheap meal, nice and quick. However, it does feel like you are in a camp hall as the tables are very cramped together and there is no privacy.

Jan 11, 2010 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  1     

I've visited Sofia's twice over this year with friends. It is an attractive venue as it is located on the waterfront. The first time I visited I ordered a chicken and avocado dish which tasted absolutely awful, also had a side of oysters kilpatrick which, as any kilpatrick fan would know should be at least slightly cooked, but tasted raw with a bit of wocestershire sauce and bacon chucked on top. I thought, perhaps, I'd ordered the wrong thing.

Last visit was a couple of weeks ago, this visit just proved Sofia's is never anywhere I want to waste my money on again. Ordered garlic bread, which was a massive platter of dry-tasting sugarless cake with chunks of garlic chucked on top, dripping in oil - ugh.. tried the oysters which were just as terrible and fish of the day, which was more like catch of the sewer, it tasted inedible and more like a fish which had been swimming around a sewer for the past three years.

The waitress we had was nice, yet it took a long while to get served. The food came out so quickly though that I'm sure they just cook everything in bulk at the start of the day and have it sitting there waiting until someone orders it. Will never come back!

Jun 23, 2009 

3.3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  4      Value  3     

I have been to Sofias three times in the last two years. The last visit will be my last. I am not a fussy eater. Generally I will eat anything. I could not for the life of me make the lasagna that I had ordered taste any better. I left almost the entire amount that had been served. My partner had a simple pasta that was reasonable but far too much in a serving. I have never complained in my life about food but after reading the other comments I cannot help but notice a general theme.

At the end of the night at the register we were not asked how our meal was nor were we thanked for our custom. The waiter that took my full plate did not make any comment or ask any questions about enjoying our meals. Will never return. Shame it takes up a fantastic spot.

Jun 06, 2009 

3.8 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  5      Service  2      Value  5     

Easter Sunday 2009 6pmish ...... took my young daughters to Sofias on the waterfront at Frankston after a wonderful day on the beach. It was early so we didn't have to wait long for a table. Couldn't get a waiter to serve us, however, for what seemed an eternity. They were too busy scurrying here and there but not taking any notice of their customers! I ordered my girls a fruit cup and when they were delivered my girls took one look at the fruit n icecream smoothy concoction and turned their noses up at them (it did look a bit like vomit!). Fruit cups don't have icecream in them!

The fish of the day was grilled John Dory. I asked for salad instead of vegetables. The plate when it arrived was nearly as big as a computer keyboard and it was piled high with soggy chips (that I didn't order) and was topped with a dryish fillet of panfried fish. No-one needs to eat that many chips! I'd rather have had a quarter of the amount of much better quality fries or wedges! The accompanying salad was a handful of mixed leaves, coupla bits of cucumber, too many long bits of spanish onion (tick for the raddichio leaves though!) and a teaspoon of thick balsamic I guess?! dressing.

Would have been nice if they actually tossed the leaves in the dressing, luckily I had a huge lemon wedge for my fish, so I finished off the dressing and tossed it myself! From the children's menu we ordered chicken and fries (read processed nuggets and more soggy chips!) and fish and fries (overcooked fish nuggets and more soggy chips). The fish nuggets didn't loook appealing and after one bite, my girls shared the chicken nuggets! (my girls are adventurous and not fussy eaters).

I accidentally spilled my drink (it's my kids who usually do that) and the man next to me dropped his spoon soon after, and not one of the dozens of waiters working there noticed, let alone offered a replacement fork, or came scurrying with a mop and bucket. So, drenched as I was, I got up grabbed a whole stack of serviettes and started cleaning up myself, thinking that'd get someone's attention. Having gone through the serviettes I finally caught a waiter's eye and the moppin began.

I was quite touched when he picked up a few icecubes off the floor and put them back in what was left of my drink! Of course I had to ask for a replacement drink and the soggy serviettes remained on the table apparently unnoticed by the waiters. My replacement drink turned up and it was clear aforementioned waiter wasn't going to take the old glass away, so I politely handed it to him.

I couldn't wait to get out of this tardy establishment that dares pretend to be Italian! I've never left a note for the kitchen staff of a restaurant in my life, well not until eating in this revolting establishment. But when you're 9 year old daughter figures out that "they don't care about the food they just want you out quickly so they can serve more disappointing food to other diners" you know it's bad and worthy of a scathing note to the kitchen staff!

Oh earlier in the afternoon we went to the Sofia's kiosk for icecream, there was a huge line and we waited patiently. The counter was covered in spilt icecream and it was sticky and running down the counter, looked like it hadn't been cleaned all day and not a serviette box in sight so I could clean my child's now icecream smeared hands. We were served by a young waitress who was clearly having trouble opening her mouth because of new braces perhaps?

She was completely inaudible. I had to ask her to repeat everything, I just wanted to scream oh for goodness sake, I can't hear you over the cacophany in this place and your lips are supposed to open when you talk. She clearly didn't want to be there (it was a beautiful autumn Easter Sunday after all!) and her attitude was appalling!

Don't eat here unless every restaurant in a 50 mile radius is closed! Needless to say I won't be going to another Sofia's restaurant ever!

Apr 14, 2009 

3.8 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  4     

I cannot honestly believe how bad the service is here. I am stunned that there was anyone there eating at all. I actually saw a senior male member of staff shouting at a customer, clearly a non english speaking holiday maker but she knew she was being yelled at. Disgusting. The food wasn't so bad though, I had a gourmet pizza and my friend had a parma, which was massive!

One drink at the beginning of the meal but not a sniff of another one, no staff contact after we had the food plonked infront of us. We wanted to take away our left overs but after waiting for 30 minutes for someone to approach our table, and waving like idiots to try and get someones attention we gave up and left. What a real shame that what could be a great place for a local or visitor to eat is ruined by its service staff.

Mar 31, 2009