Sophie's Cuban Cuisine Reviews

Good food to be found here. Lots of choices. Good quality. Sandwiches look amazing. I had pulled pork with rice and beans. A classic. Very tasty. Large portion. I would prefer a smaller portion and a small price! It does get a bit pricy for lunch. Will stop back in from time to time.

If you want a very good Cuban dish for an affordable price, served with a smile, this is the place. I go there a lot, but what prompted me to write this review is a memorable experience I had last time which it is hard to see even in some fine dining places. My colleague and I ordered 2 different courses with different sides. Somehow the sides were mixed. I asked a waitress, who was not in charge of our table, to simply give me an empty dish and I would have sorted it out. She apologized profusely and came back in no time with new sides on separate dishes for both. The place is crazy busy, yet she found to time to make it right. I was so pleasantly surprised. Food, is great of course, but service tops it off.

I ordered the "Pernil with a twist, a pork sandwich with plantains and Sophie's special green sauce. Way too big of a sandwich, but tasty. Also had a empanada--guava and cheese. Many patrons looked like regulars, always a good sign.. wish I could of tried the oxtail soup, smelled good. Veggies also looked well cooked, to over done. This restaurant is a chain and I ate at the E 23rd st., which didn't come up as an option for hoice

Nice place for a good meal, good quality! Very nice staff. Highly recommended if you want to avoid the "touristic food factories"

I have ordered from here on the past and their rice and beans are amazing. Today I came to one of their restaurant locations to get to see what this spot is all about. They were well staffed and the staff was pretty friendly and knowledgeable of the food they were serving. I this time decided to go to a empanada. The empanadas here remind en of Brazilian pasteis, witha. Thing doigh loghtly fried and crispy. I got a cheese and spinach and a cheese and guava for desert. The cheese and spinach was pretty good and you could taste the freshness of the spinach, the cheese was a bit blend bit it was all Ok since the spinach made its presence well known there. The guava and cheese was perfect! A perfect balance of sweet and savor, creamy and warm, it was a pretty good empanada. Very much worth the try.

this is a counter service restaurant with a few older tables in the back. its more geared towards take out, although the tables in the back are not crowded. food is very good, really good flavors and very generous portions. you can ask for extra "green sauce' (a spicy sauce) if your feel that you want to kick it up another notch, although for most people the regular portion of green sauce should do. they have a special every day, however you should be able to get something interesting for a reasonable cost no matter what you order. by the way, this is part of a small local chain of "sophie's cubans's". i haven't gotten to any of the other outlets, so i can't compare this one to the rest.

My first visit to a Cuban and a great experience too. The day’s special was oxtail stew and I made the right call by ordering it. The stew was so close in taste to the Indian meat curry! The color, consistency and flavor made me feel I was in a good Indian joint. And it went perfect with white rice. For sides I had the ripe plantain fry. Again this was so close to the traditional Indian ones. Finally for dessert I had the flan and this took me straight to the caramel custard served by the Irani joints in Mumbai. The place was very busy for lunch and we did good by reaching early. Great place and highly recommended.

Good old fashion cuban food on a budget! This location packs a lunch hour crowd. The lines are long and the venue is small. It's best to get there before noon.

This place is great - authentic Cuban food, in a quick eats environment. Great for lunch on the good - the portions are HUGE and the food is delicious! It was about $11 bucks for lunch (which was a take out of chicken, rice and beans - huge portions).

Decided to try this place based on their previous reviews; we were very pleased with the food, service and the entire experience. Great food, friendly service and authentic flavors at an incredible price point. They offer dine-in full-service and also convenient take-out. We would strongly recommend this place to anyone craving an outstanding meal.

After reAding Yelp reviews came here with my husband. Ordered CubAno sandwich, and my husband had the Spicy chicken with rice and beans. He tasted my sandwich and is still taking about it. Simple place, to grab some delicious food.

This restaurant is part of a chain- was very busy at lunch with take-out and sit-down office crowd, but service was super fast and friendly. Food was Cuban nothing outstanding but nothing really horrible either. Good for a very quick lunch.

One of the very few places in city that serves turkey stew. It's on their everyday menu but is usually gone by 1:30 pm. The place is a descent Cuban restaurant. The staff is very friendly. I would recommend if you are in for a quick bite on the run.

I used to get the cubano with platanos; it was freshly toasted, hot, and delicious. Then Sophie’s expanded their chain and preprepared all the food. The cubano was not toasted, cold, and turned gooey from sitting so long, all the ingredients mashed into each other.

Excellent food, many choices and large portions all for a good price. Great for people watching too as every type of person, business and tourists all seemed to be lining up and enjoying lunch there.

This was certainly one of the best Cuban sandwiches I've ever had. Hot, cheesy, and full of all the great Cuban sandwich flavors... and their green pepper sauce is just a great flavor add-on. I also picked up a chicken empanada, but it was just okay as it was barely room temp. The green sauce elevated the empanada considerably. I will definitely be back.

We enjoyed our first visit so much that we went to this location for dinner on our last night in the city. This location was even better! Our server was more friendly than the first. I asked for a recommendation and was not disappointed. The Roast Pork with rice was unbelievable! I only wish that these were available where we live. This is a MUST TRY!!!

I knew of this restaurant chain from the previous years but at a different location and that was located in the downtown area Fulton & Gold street. I loved their ox tail and salmon there. The 21 W45th one looks newer and nicer in additions to air conditioner. However, I do think the food in the downtown location is a bit more tasty. They served exactly the same menu items, so maybe it's my own preferences.

Always busy Always good Always enough Service is quick pricing great Go try it Come Hungry. Have had the take out and eat in Try that Secret Green Sauce

This down to earth cuban restaurant serves up simple Cuban fast food with a good cuban ham and rices. Price is not cheap though for the fast food in Manhattan.

We are so happy we ran across Sophie's while we were shopping in Tribecca! The food was awesome, quick, and priced well. We had the cuban sandwich because it's a favorite of mine. The staff was super friendly and attentive. We can't wait to go back next time we're in the Big City.

I've been to Sophie's a few times over the years. Visited their new location. Cuban sandwich was flavorful but light on meat & cheese , especially for the price. Staff could be a bit friendlier, helpful.

I eat here very often since its simple fast good quality food. Nothing out of the ordinary just good. the only downside there is no bathroom.

Was recommended by a co-worker, went in for lunch. Have various dishes prepared you go in pick your dish and 2 side orders. Servings are a good portion, prices are reasonable, the food is very good. Would definitely go there again when in the area

Food looked so good from the street that we went here instead. Good Cuban food and a great setup for takeaway or sit down. We sat and ate, it was busy but good service! Empanadas and rice were great!

try the fresh lemonade and the sandwich with a twist oh yea!! the pork with the black rice and some beans is delicious

My husband and I ate a delicious lunch at Sophie's. Fried sweet plantains, rice, beans, oxtail soup and a Cuban sandwich. Everything had great flavor and I easily could have just made a meal out of the side dishes. Our server was very nice and attentive to our needs. There was quite a crowd in the small place which is a good sign that they know what they are doing! :)

Great authentic food and with great service! Expect it to be busy and loud with great conversation. We order a little bit of everything and shared as a family meal. Prices are great. If you are looking for a Cuban meal it's a must!

Fantastic Cuban food! Sandwiches or full plates in a cafeteria style setting. Have to eat here when I come to NYC. Several locations.

A good find in NYC! Great empanadas - chicken, beef, guava & cheese & fried plantains! Rice dishes with meats - roasted chicken & oxtail also looked great !

We stopped by on our way to Broadway and really enjoyed the beef empanadas (super tasty) and sandwich...great to go cuban food!

I come here for my Cuban/Caribbean food fix! I love their oxtail stew! Try it with the yellow rice. Their shredded beef is also delicious! Get the plantains on the side!

This is not fine dining but a great place for a reasonably priced lunch. My Cuban sandwich was tasty and hot and the service fast during a busy lunch hour.

Always a "line" at the lunch time. Food is served cafeteria style from chafing dishes. Always a mix of clientele, suits, construction workers, cops, etc. Go with the pernil and yellow rice, fried pork, plantains, maduros. Sandwiches are tasty too! get it to go because the tables are always occupied.

Food is fresh & tasty. Portions are generous. Can be easily shared, if not very hungry. We had fish & fried pork sandwich & liked both. Only negative for me was the flan, which was sweeter than what I prefer.

My colleague and I were in NYC about a 1/2 block away on business. We'd had a very long day and we're looking for someplace to eat that was close by. So, I relied on Yelp reviews to pick a place to eat and boy was I disappointed. To be fair, we didn't order any of the items that some reviewers raved about. I asked our waitress for recommendations and she suggested two items. So that is what we ordered, but our food was only average, at best. For the first 1/2 hour, we were the only people in the restaurant. We came for dinner and there seem to be more offices than residences nearby. So perhaps this place is better (food is fresher) for lunch????

Typically, good Carribean latino food in downtown and midtown are hard to find. About 10 years ago, Sophie's filled the gap. It was inexpensive and down to earth. Today, the quality has gone down while the prices have gone up. Seem like the rice and bean plates keep growing while the meat platters shrink. Their tostones (unripe plantain fritters) are oversalted and their maduros (fried ripened plaintain) are swimming in oil. Sometimes, its consistency is so mushy they should be served as mangu. Biggest offender is their empanadas. They do not check for quality and consistency. I ordered 2 for lunch last week and noticed the size difference between each piece. The bigger one was a bit hollow and seems like most of the contents leaked out during the fying process.

fast-paced, pretty bustling at lunch time - but the portions are more than generous, and the quality is outstanding. Can't beat it for the price.

The food is the thing. I had delicious spicy chicken, with rice and beans. I wish it was a bit spicier, but the jalapeno sauce on the table was able to remedy that. What made the meal complete was the guava and cream cheese empanada (described as an appetizer, but truly a dessert) -- I dare you to try one and not want to come back. The ambiance of the place is what would would expect -- low frills (albeit nice posters of Havana), clean, crowded, and noisy. Service was very good and friendly. And very cheap prices. I'll be back.

Huge portions! Food was amazing. It’s a little face paced through the line but it’s because they’re so good. The price was just right too!

The Cuban sandwiches here were delicious. We were weary travelers and the warmth of this place was reviving.

I love the oxtail stew and the marizcada best. And the hot green sauce just makes everything even better. I had the salmon a couple of times before and it was also good. I almost always get white rice but I will try their rice and beans next time.

Business luncheon was catered by Sophie's. It was delivered fast, the food was piping hot, and very authentic Cuban. If you have the hankering, give it a try!

Called in by chance for a snack as we were walking back from Central Park. Had a chicken and a beef empanada and mashed potato stuffed with beef and 2 drinks for $14. Spot on, the entrees looked really appetising so will be revisiting the first chance we get.

Very simple cafeteria like sitting area to eat your meal. I liked the spicy chicken with rice. Well priced food and solid service. I had the green plantains which were a little too dry after frying. But the sweet plantains looked very good.

We stopped here on the evening of a day trip to NYC. We were in somewhat of a hurry and wanted a decent meal on the go. We waited a bit for the sandwiches but nothing out of the ordinary. The staff were responsive and took care of us. We took our food and left to eat on the go. Every person in our group of six was delighted with the sandwich. Not a single bread crumb was left and those were big sandwiches. They were well balanced tasted yummy while retaining a bit of airiness and lightness to them. The temptation to go back the next day was in the back of my mind for quite some time.

What a great find. Im in NYC for work and was just walking around and stumbled upon this place. I got the Cuban sandwich but plan on going back and getting the Oxtail stew or one of the other great dishes!

Met up with an old friend who suggested take out from Sophie's for a picnic in Central Park. I cannot say no to Passion fruit, so the passion fruit shake was a must. Being honest, it was gone before our plates were prepared! We opted for a variety of sandwiches and the shredded beef plate. My friend was right, the green sauce is a must albeit a little messy. This is a counter-service restaurant, so plan on eating elsewhere. Do yourself a favor and try a shake, but dont forget to get extra green sauce!

Right by our hotel, we had Sophie's for dinner one night and loved it. The Ropa Vieja was very tasty!

I waited 2 hours for my food and when I called the restaurant to complaint about not getting my order they were so rude to me, I will never order from them again I understand some places get really busy but I believe in that field of work you should hire people that are capable to multi task and know how to treat the customers!

Good for a quick lunch inexpensive simple empanadas but not authentic. small space long lines especially lunch

My first time to try Cuban Cuisine, and Sophie's Cuban Cuisine gave me a positive, memorable experience and got me hooked! Their food is AMAZING! If you dine in, a server comes and gets your orders and serves them to you. The Grilled Chicken and Salmon were superbly delicious. It tasted fresh, warm and the servings are huge. The price is reasonable for the quality that you get. You have a lot of dishes to choose from. You all got to go here and have your fill of Cuban food. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee that!

Food was good. However we ordered some apps and soup and they came out after they served us the main dish. Music was very loud. Maybe because we were near the speaker, maybe not. I hear the takeout business is very good though. No adult beverages served in this location.

I eat lunch here almost every week. The food is excellent, very reasonably priced and the service is fast and courteous. The food here is better than many of the upscale Cuban restaurants like Havana Central and Victors. However, do not go here for ambiance, just for excellent food. It is set up like a cafeteria with waiter service. My favorites are the pernil, ropa vieja, mariscada, pollo picante and salmon. The red and black beans are always great, as is the fried plaintains. Arrive by noon to get a seat right away, otherwise you may have to wait 5-10 minutes to be seated.

Well, if you read the title, you know what I mean. Mouth-watering, succulant roast pork. Wonderful yellow rice. Fresh chick pea salad with tomato, onion, and cilantro. Slow cooked spicy beef. Plantains to cry over. If you like Cuban, go here. Small yes, but the traffic flow should tell you everything.

I love Cuban cuisine, I love NYC - I thought this would be a perfect match. I only just walked by it and it looked promising, and I needed a quick dinner, so I gave it a shot. It was good, but nothing special.

They serve very large portions here so if you are very hungry this is the place to go. They have seating in the back and is always very crowded.

I never dined in, always brought it back to my office for lunch. Love it! I always get the pork chops over rice with fried plantains.

Tons of hot offerings to go and table service to stay. We tried the picadillo, yuca with garlic, white bean avocado salad and a Cuban sándwich. We will definitely return. Prompt food and excellent service

I ordered the Baked Chicken with 2 sides. The chicken was tough and undercooked. I thought it was just me but my boss said his meat was the same. Paying almost $14 for a meal is a lot and for it not to be cooked all the way or even seasoned properly.

Get the Green Sauce with everything. The stuff is fantastic. Pork Twist Cuban is also very good, the plaintains are pretty kiler.

Had lunch several times. I tried salmon, fried fish, grilled chicken and oax tail with rice with beans and fried green plantain. .. The food is very tasty, the portions are very satisfying and service is very fast. Let me say this is one of my favorite take away dining options in Manhattan.

We ve ordered the food twice now and it is just awful. If this restaurant was in Miami it would close in a month. So wanted to like it but we all just couldn’t. The empanadas were the worst we’ve ever had. I’m sorry. People that work there are wonderful. The food is just terrible

We were planning to check out this place whilst wandering up 8th Street late one evening. I’m glad we did. Not particularly glitzy inside but the food! Wow! Delicious or what! You pick three ‘sides’ like rice, beans, vegetables and a ‘main’ like shredded pork. Yes it’s a chain of 5 of 6 restaurants. But Sophie, whoever you are, you’re onto a winner here! And that sauce?!? What’s in it?!? It tastes like a smooth blend of sour cream, avocado, coriander leaves and fresh chillies. Delicious!!! Highly recommended!! And all for under $15. Oh, and they do Cuban sandwiches too!

I recommend this restaurant for the best empanadas I had in a long time. They were fresh with a green salsa - very delicious! It's a great place for a quick lunch or small dinner. - always busy.

Sophies's is a great Cuban restaurant for lunch and dinner. Their portions are enough for 2 people and their food is so flavorful. I highly recommend the roast turkey and the roast pork. I always get extra pickled onions on top to enhance the flavors even more. One thing you cannot forget when having g theory food is theory green sauce.I promise you won't be disappointed. You woo thank me later. It is quote spicy but immensely delicious.

On a visit to NYC last November, my adult daughter and I went to Sophie's for dinner. It was cold, and we were happy to warm up with some good Cuban food. I believe I had rice and beans and chicken - nothing fancy, but still full of flavor and very satisfying. Being there reminded me of some of the old Spanish restaurants in the Lower East Side where I ate years ago - spare decoration, but with a poster or two celebrating Cuba, and the people who worked there had a real rapport going with each other that seemed genuine.

Very solid lunch entrees and sandwiches with generous portions. Numerous choices but pork sandwich with a twist is a favorite. Spicy green sauce is a must.

I would give it a 3.5 star.. wasnt able to give 4. A little expensive for a lunch box.. had to pay around 15 $ for a lunch.. Tasted good.. rice was really good but it was heavy.. will make you sleep after lunch :) plantain and chicken were so good !!

My hotel was near Sophie's Cuban Cuisine so we popped in there a few nights and got a take away and took it back to our hotel. It doesn't look much from the outside but the food was good. The fresh vegetables were cooked to perfection and a real treat!

I often times visit Sophie's for lunch break from my office. They have tables inside but I usually grab my lunch to go. The is extremely crowded around lunch time but don't let the line scare you since everyone is extremely efficient and you will not have to wait long. They offer several options but I usually go for their buffet and my favorites are roasted pork, rice with beans and fried plantains. Price is fair, and there is more than enough food for me to eat two days.

The Latin food is awesome, the rice, and the cheese and guava empanadas even better. the service was great. it could use deep celaning on the floors and walls.

We were in a hurry because we were attending a play, and we ordered the cuban sandwich. Delicious! They give you what they called a hot sauce but it's not hot at all, it's a green sauce, probably avocado, but whatever it is, after tasting it, I poured it all over the inside of my sandwich. We were at the 1015 6th Avenue location which is between 37th and 38th. I will return, because that food is calling my name. The tostones glistened, the 3 rice choices, the chicken, the pork...oh man it smelled great and looked great too. I will be back in the city next week and I know where we are eating lunch! The place is as big as a minute but sparkling, sparkling clean and get the lemonade or the seltzer to go with your meal. Not to mention the prices - muy barrato if I remember my Spanish - very inexpensive!

Great spot! Not just Cubano sandwiches but also empanadas and Cuban platters. The green sauce has a little kick but it’s fantastic! Enjoy

Delicious food! great place for lunch! Great selection for lunch options. One of the best cuban places around

As soon as you walk into Sophie’s you are struck by the intense aromas that can only come from equally intense flavors. Candidly, I’ve only ever ordered the Cuban sandwich (extra spicy) and beef empanadas, but dang they always satisfy. Huge fan of this place.

Came here to eat on the recommendation oof a friend and I'm glad I did. Good cuban food at good price. So far I have only been here a few times. I have tried the beef empanada, the chicken empanada and the pork chops with rice and beans. The food was definitely satisfying and the price was worth it. Can't wait to go back and try some other things.

Quick service and friendly waitress. Food was spiced just right and filled our plates well. A nice break from walking all day in NYC!

Great value for being near NYP/Cornell and Sloan Kettering hospitals. Chicken empanada cheap and a lot of meat. Great creamy green sauce, mild but adds a layer of flavor.

Food is usually good but today the grilled chicken looked and smelled questionable??As I got back to my office and opened the aluminum bowl the chicken smelled like it may have been bad but they cooked and served it regardless. I also, do not like when the servers congregate behind the counter laugh and talk over the food while it's being prepared... it's really not professional. A blatant disregard for the customer and the money.

Nothing fancy at this small cafeteria style restaurant. But I'm Cuban and live in South Florida, so I like to think I know a thing or two about Cuban food. for nearly 20 years I've tried to find a Cuban spot with congri (moros) as good as my abuela's. After countless restaurants that always leave me let down, Sophie's is the first in nearly two decades of searching to come close to my abuelitas! The lechon and Cuban sandwich are really good too!!

I often order from this restaurant from a different location, since they were open I figure give them my business (45 Street) but I was so disappointed. I order a Pernil sandwich with a twist (sweet plantain) and the main star of the sandwich which is the twist was hard, hard. I also order the cheese and guayaba empanada but only got guayaba in it. When I called to voice my concern and tell them, the person on the other line tells me I wont see the cheese because is all mix in. Did he think that I don't know how a cheese and guayaba empanada looks like....hello I am Cuban. He also tells me the plantain look good, guess what it was hard. I will continue to order from a different location and bye 45th Street Sophie but you seem not to care.