Sophia's - Halifax

The food was enjoyable, but the service left something to be desired. We requested a table on the patio where a live band was playing. Although it was advertised as an acoustic performance, the volume was excessively loud for such a small area. Our waiter seemed inexperienced, as he brought us the wrong wine three times. While the food was tasty, I believe there are better dining options nearby.

Today, we went out for lunch around 1 PM. The restaurant was relatively quiet, with a few people at the bar and one group of three at a table. We were seated promptly by our server, who took our drink order. Unfortunately, after that, we felt overlooked several times. The food took quite a while to arrive, and when it did, some of it was served cold. If it hadn't been for the younger person in our group, we might have opted to sit at the bar, where we noticed the bartender was very attentive and helpful—so much so that we had to call on him multiple times to locate our missing server. Overall, it might not be a bad place, but the quality of service from the waiter can significantly impact the dining experience, and in this instance, it left much to be desired.

We ordered takeout on a Saturday night, and the food was ready quickly. The buffalo chicken wings had a lot of batter but were flavorful, accompanied by a thick and chunky blue cheese dressing. The steak and cheese spring rolls were enjoyable, although the dipping sauce was hard to identify—it wasn’t blue cheese or ranch and had a mayo-like consistency. The beet salad was a bit bland; we wished we had extra dressing for it. The chopped salad was generous and the chunky blue cheese dressing was once again quite good. While the overall experience wasn’t outstanding, we plan to return and try sitting at the bar, giving them another chance to impress us. The portion sizes were definitely generous.

I've visited this restaurant on a Tuesday for their $4.99 burger deal and on a Sunday evening during the Pat's game. Both times, the atmosphere was calm enough that we easily secured a table and enjoyed prompt service. The burgers were definitely worth the discounted price, and Ellie, along with her mom, ordered them when we went last Sunday. My salad from last week was fantastic, and the steak tips I added were cooked to perfection. If you enjoy seafood, you absolutely have to try the calamari—it's the best I've ever had, and I find myself thinking about it from time to time. The onion rings are also incredible, and I take my onion ring critiques very seriously! I'm really glad to have this place nearby for a nice, casual dinner.

The food and service at this restaurant are consistently outstanding. I particularly love the patio, especially for the beautiful views of the golf course.