The French press drinks!!!! Yum! The atmosphere is chill and the food is good. Delightful when you get a chance to chat with the owner/head chef. She adjusts the end seasonally.Haven't been there yet for a themed weekday evening but hope to make a trivia or blues night soon.
I rarely write negative reviews, but the 4+ rating this place currently has is not at all merited. My husband and I loved it when it was at the New Castle location-- the food was delicious and it was the perfect spot for outdoor dining, especially when indoor options were limited during the pandemic. Since moving to Newark, though, it's really gone downhill. We've been 3 times and decided after the third it would be the last. The service is generally slow and inattentive, but last time it reached a new low. We arrived at noon; there was only one other party there, but the server still took 5 minutes to get us menus. Then, 30 minutes after we ordered, the server brought my husband's food out and only then did he mention that my order could not be completed (they were out of a key ingredient). So I had to place a new order which took another 30 minutes to arrive (by which time, of course, my husband was long since done with his meal). It was absurd. We were also put off by the bad odor emanating from our server which was difficult to ignore-- like they hadn't showered in days. All told, I'm not surprised that it was nearly empty at peak lunch time on a weekend, I'm just surprised it's still in business.EDIT: The owner responded and expressed doubt that I had actually been. I was there from noon-1:30 on April 30th. My husband and I both had the mushroom danish (which was great) after my initial order (berry and brie French toast) was not fulfilled due to the kitchen not having brie. I don't have any reason to lie about any of this, like I said, I used to be a big fan of this place and I'm sorry to see that it's no longer thriving.
I never knew this restaurant existed in New Castle, but have found them … during cootie times … on Route 4. It’s clear they’re working with limited staff, as are most restaurants. That said, I prefer being given the time to peruse a menu and eat without being rushed.Their French press margarita is what hooked me. The menu is what keeps me coming back.
I love this place so far. Been here twice, (Newark location). Once for brunch. I had the rhubarb gin cocktail and the chicken and waffles. Soooo yummy with their cajun syrup and crispy boneless chicken thigh. My only negative comment is that it was too salty for my tastebuds but the syrup made up for it ?. My friend had the southwest skillet and added cheese, she loved every bite. We also shared the mushroom pastry appetizer, very yum. My second time was tonight. My mom and sister had the flounder, they cleaned their plates lol. I had the tonkatsu and was pleased. Very delicious, and it was the first time I've ever had a dish like that. I will return because I want to try everything lol. The cocktails we had tonight were the fruit smash french press, which was amazing. And we took home the cucumber lemonade french press that we couldn't finish. Hope you continue to grow, cause I wanna see you stay Sonora! There is soo much for me to try!
I'm not quite sure if some of these other reviews are talking about the same place. We've been here 3 or 4 times now in the past few months and every time we have a lovely chat with the owner, enjoy a delicious meal, and have an all around personable and expedient service.Most recently, we got the rabbit poppers which were absolutely delightful, as well as the ghost pepper wings and buffalo chicken poutine. For my taste, the wings could have used a touch more sauce, but the wife and I are diehard heat-seekers, so we're not exactly the average customer when it comes to heat inducing sauce. That said, the wings were still cooked beautifully and the sauce was flavorful. The buffalo chicken poutine was excellent - no canned chicken or any of that nonsense, just actual chicken, buffalo sauce, and a touch of French fry magic.The selection is all over the place in the best way possible. Not every restaurant needs to define itself as "___ fusion" or "modern ___" - you can get a bangin' Reuben sandwich, Japanese curry tonkatsu, grilled longhots, or tomato soup and a grilled cheese. It makes those repeat visits that much better because you not only get to try a different dish, but often a different type of cuisine entirely.
After reading the reviews I had to try the chicken and waffles. Very good, and I got a side of thier special liquor soaked berries. The alcohol was not overwhelming at all, just a hint. My husband got the seafood strudel, gumbo & deviled eggs. The gumbo was not on the morning menu but when I inquired about it the chef took care him. We cook allot of food at home ourselves so we generally have high expectations for eating out. We would order everything again. It was all made carefully with love, great presentation. We were taken care of like family. The propritor values her customers. We are looking forward to going back and trying some more dishes!
Service was quick and kind. The French press cocktails are well balanced and really tasty. The food is over the top fantastic for the very reasonable price! I'm not sure how they make money. The tacos were great. The wild mushroom pasta was fantastic even the day after. Looking forward to going back.
We tried this opening week (take out) from the Rt 4 location and the food was bland. We chalked it up to a fresh opening and working out the kinks. We dined in with friends a couple months later. The food was only okay. The drinks were only okay. The service was a real let down. There were only a couple other people there and it took forever to get our food and drinks (20 minutes for a glass of wine). The menu sounds fantastic and I really wanted to like this place, but after two so-so meals I don't think this is the place for me.
This was a quiet place when we went around 1 pm. Couple of people in the bar area. I liked the bar area. Seating etc.. The Build your own burger was very unique. It was really good and a lot of options. Good selection of draft beer.
The food is incredible, but the best thing about Sonora is the people. The first time I visited I immediately knew this was a place I wanted to hang out. Melissa and her crew are outstanding and realty make you feel comfortable. I can't recommend Sonora strongly enough.