Sonny’s

The chile infused tequila is top notch. The margaritas they make with it are even better. Great scene and friendly staff.

This place surprises every time. Not only is the bartender, whose name I believe is Kenya makes the most delicious and sumptuous drinks, but the waitstaff just know how to make you feel completely at ease and withins arms reach of their servitude. the food: every bite is like an exotic trip to a warm and sunny place. I feel like I tan from smiling faces, tasty food, and generally the overall compassion amongst plebeians and the sophisticated. Sonnys should be a working model of utopia, despite your dispositions. Unbelievable interior architecture. love every inch!
Thanks Sonnys:)!!!

It was a rainy night and the wife was tired of walking and said this is were we are eating. Turned out to be a winner! Nice place, super busy but wait was only 20 minutes. Had a drink at the bar and waited for our table. Not a big menu at all but we both found something. Server was very friendly and food was great. Only 3 desert choices so we passed. I would recommend if you in Portland.

My wife and I had reservations here at 9:30 PM on New Year’s Eve.
We were seated, had drinks and four plates of food by 10 PM. The place was absolutely packed but the service was incredible, the food was wonderful and we couldn’t’ve asked for a better meal.
We had the mussels, which come in an excellent savory broth. The shisho-​ginger aioli on the calimari is a really interesting balance of sweet and umami (I think I’m using that right?). The house ceasar comes with actual anchovies! Neat! Tasty! And the special of the evening was lobster empanadas that came with a really rich tomato sauce. Delightful!
We came back on Sunday morning for brunch, and while the staff wasn’t up against the same crush of people, we had a delightful meal.
My wife had the Huevos Rancheros, I had the Biscuits and Gravy. We cleaned our plates. The gravy (chorizo) is pretty dang excellent. The biscuits were delightfully soft and floury without being overly dry. Soak ‘em in gravy. Boom.
Daddy’s Kisses is perhaps a bizarre name (perhaps) for boozy coffee, but it was tasty and came in a cute mug. The cherry was a nice touch.
I wouldn’t bring kids for dinner, but there was a nipper there at brunch and it seemed about right.
Loved it! Enjoy!
Atmospherically, the place is pleasant and hip. Good place for cocktails. You don’t need to dress up but why wouldn’t you?! It’s a great place to feel fancy. Get fancy!

Intrigued by the variety of items on the menu, my husband and I came here for dinner and drinks. As with most places, cocktails were more expensive than straight beers, but it was nice to see so many things sourced from Maine and New England. Also, most of the food is sourced from local farms and fisherman, so that always equals a slightly higher price.
Our server was friendly and happy to answer any questions. We ordered not long after we arrived and our food came out quickly. We sat with the kitchen in-​view and it was fun to watch everyone work.
The food itself was very delicious — the portions aren’t huge, but it is enough to fill you up on an average day. The dessert menu was rather small, so we skipped it, but we had both chosen sweet drinks (rum and lavendered-​flavored honey wine) so it didn’t feel like much of a loss.
Overall, it was a nice night out, but I don’t think it would be the first palce we chose for a night out. We didn’t hang out in the bar area, but it seems like a nice place to meet a group of friends.

Stopped in at an odd time, for a late lunch. Most other places were closed around 2. I found Sonny’s to be open and inviting. Cool and relaxed, I got the perfect light lunch I was hoping for. It was an empanada, and it will be tough to beat. The service was low-​key but attentive. Honestly, a really great experience. Thanks Sony’s!

Drinks and apps are great. Cool atmosphere and great service. Always a great place to go!

I really want to love this place. What a cool vibe and amazing décor. The old bank is a real winner for me, but there are a few things I dislike.
I’ve been here a few times with my wife and although the drinks are absolutely great tasting and priced, the staff is a little rude. My wife and I came in 3 times in 4 weeks, each time with the same bartender who consistently carded my wife but not me. You’d think this was a compliment but she remembered me and still carded her. The third time she left her wallet in the car for date night she didn’t bring a purse. It was a real pain to have to go for the 5 block walk to get it. But whatever maybe it’s just the rules.
Overall, fantastic place!

I love this place because it’s a really good stand-​by. Made plans to eat at a killer new restaurant but their hours are confusing? Go to Sonny’s. Couldn’t find the food truck/​cart you’ve heard great things about? Go to Sonny’s. You’re with a mix of friends who can’t decide what to eat and where. Go to Sonny’s. Sonny’s is in a central location and has a very palate pleaseing menu. I’ve always ordered the poblano burger with a side of yam fries. The yam fries here are to die for! They are breaded in a cornmeal-​like batter an then fried for that extra crisp. They come with a delicious aioli dipping sauce. During happy hour they come as an appetizer for $ 3. Highly recommended. Overall, I never really plan on coming here it just so happens that it’s always nearby when things go awry. Nevertheless, Sonny’s is delicious and the service is always on point.

My girlfriend and I stopped in to Sonny’s yesterday and were delighted to see they have a happy hour menu! Happy hour is Monday-​Friday from 4pm-​6pm. We got two orders of the yam fries. Each one comes with your choice of a sauce (we got the garlic and the poblano). We love the yam fries! Probably the best thing on their food menu. My friend got the calamari app but I did not try this because I don’t like seafood. The apps are $ 3 each (the other choices are cerviche and chips and salsa). Other happy hour options include $ 4 draft beer and $ 5 glasses of wine (merlot or pino grigio). My favorites are the happy hour cocktail deals for $ 6 each. I had the 99 problems which is a champagne mixed with ginger and lemon. It was good, maybe a little too sour.
Outside of the happy hour menu– the drink menu at Sonny’s is extensive and excellent. Most drinks are around $ 9 – 10 and come in a short glass. I’ve seen drinks here that I’ve never seen anywhere else. The reason for the 3 stars is that I don’t really like the food menu. Nothing on it is really appetizing to me– plus it is pretty expensive for basic American food. I ordered the pulled pork enchiladas and I had a hard time eating it. It was so unexpectedly sour! I’m not sure if it was supposed to be that way but it was hard to eat. Definitely not the savory meal I expected. It was expensive and only came with like 2 bites of black beans.
I do like the atmosphere of Sonny’s. It is cozy and has a couple of couches to lounge on. The bar gets very busy sometimes though, on a weekend night it has taken me 20 minutes to get a drink at the bar. I will be back but it will probably only be for the happy or a cocktail before or after dinner somewhere else.

Good: Tri-​Pork Cuban — tasty sandwich, nice balance of flavors.
Ambiance was nice and relaxing in the main dining room.
Average: lobster Parkside grilled Bagel — open faced sandwich where all contents slipped off with every bite, causing me to rebuild it, aioli was very tasty, but the lobster was bland, watery, and minimal claw pieces.
Bad: biscuits — 1^st round was raw on the inside, 2^nd round was ice cold in the middle, but at least cooked, they were pretty thick and solid and not light or fluffy, more like a scone.
Service was pretty bad. Our waitress was either extremely hungover or strung-​out. She brought our appetizer after our meals, never refilled our water (that was all some of us were drinking), didn’t check on our food until 10 minutes after being dropped off (the restaurant was not busy), and gave us our check without even asking us if we wanted anything else.
We did. We wanted anything else.

I love you Sonny’s. I always have and I always will!!! With my return trip home to Portland, I had a list of lands I absolutely needed to eat and drink at. I only had 4 days in town, so I knew I had to put my game face on to be able to eat all day everyday. Sonny’s was a stop on my first day that was intended for just drinks. Their drinks are absolutely delicious. I love their drink menu. It is unique, it is big, it is delicious. I truly just wanted to come here to «rest my stomach» in between my restaurant tour, and to have a drink with egg whites in it. Well, I got my egg white drink– I usually go with a whisky or gin type of deliciousness. Today it was gin. And it was awesome. I wish I could remember what was in it, but of course, I don’t. Anyways, all the cocktails I’ve ever tried here are amazing and really well made. They certainly know what they are doing.
So, originally I just wanted a drink or two, to make room for my 8 restaurants I would eat at just this one day. Well, I looked at the food menu, and naturally had to eat. Have I mentioned I love food yet? Luckily, there were 4 of us, so splitting apps would still let my «stomach rest». Our server was so super awesome and I asked for her opinion on a few options, and with her help, we decided on the yam fries and the nachos. Holy wow. I am still thinking about those nachos one week later. They were literally some of the best nachos I have ever had. When I used to live in South Portland, I used to go on the «best nacho» hunt. I have no clue why I missed out on Sonny’s, but I am quite sad I did. Of course I would only find out about these on a return trip home. ARGH! Anyways, the nachos were huge and made with corn chips, scallions, black beans, jalapenos, pico, sour cream, and a ton of cheese. They were so good, I want to fly back right now and eat 8 more orders. The yam fries were also excellent. We got them with the three dipping sauces, because condiments are the best thing in the whole world. They came with garlic aioli, poblano cream, and I assume a house made ketchup. The aioli and cream were the bomb. I think when the fries were gone we were literally eating them with a fork. I am not ashamed. Another friend came later and got the mussels. I tried a few and a few spoonfuls of broth. Also, super scrum. I’ve been here maybe 3 other times for food in the past, and always remember having delicious food.
The atmosphere here is great too. I love the inside, the seating, the patio, and I recall hearing excellent live music here on a few different occasions in the past. Great playlist was on this time too. 5 stars for Sonny’s, can’t wait to return on my next trip home!

Loved Sonny’s! I was visiting Portland over the weekend with a few girlfriends so we decided to check out Sonny’s for brunch on Sunday morning.
Everyone was extremely satisfied with their meals. I had the huevos rancheros with a side of home fries– delicious! My friends all tried something different on the brunch menu, and I did not hear any complaints about their meals.
They also have a wide range of brunch cocktails — all of which were very good. I have been trying to force myself to like bloody mary’s — and I can officially say that Sonny’s had the first one that I have ever enjoyed.
I also have to mention that I was obsessed with the music. They played a nice mix of classic rock — I heard multiple Beatles & Led Zeppelin songs throughout our meal.
Service was also prompt & very nice!

We were «lobstered» out and wanted something different and we ended up here.
The hostess station was empty and we waited a couple minutes. We were seated immediately once the hostess arrived.
The restaurant is dark and mostly lit by candles on the tables. They have outdoor seating on the cobbled park.
We were seated in the corner by the window with the view of Market St and the park.
Our server was peppy! Food came out pretty fast!
We started with the Arugula Salad. It was superb! The arugula leaves were huge, twice the size of what I am used to seeing. It was fresh, crunchy and peppery. Toasted almond slivers add another layer of flavor and texture. There was sweet cubed mango and white cheese. The cheese was the best I’ve had, the firm consistency of feta and the tang of goat. We thought it was goat and asked our server who supplies the cheese. She stated it is local, Fuzzy Udder. I looked it up online in hopes of visiting the business. Turns out it is made out of someone’s home/​farm in Whitefield, ME. I don’t even remember if the salad had any dressing, it was not needed.
Our mains were the Johnny Tri-​Pork Cuban and House Nachos with Pulled Pork.
The cuban was delicious! Each type of pork stood on their own as you take a bite.
The nachos were loaded but they were heavy handed on the jalapeños. Still good!
With so many dining options on Exchange Street alone, Sonny’s is a choice that will not disappoint.

I was really surprised by this place. It’s a simple restaurant with the typical menu of a american restaurant but the food was presented elegantly and it tasted just as good. The pulled pork enchiladas were very tasty paired with sweet potato fries and an avocado sour cream dip that I loved. We went there primarily for drinks and they did not disappoint! We had a kettle one cosmo and then I had a beverage with anise in it which was delicious! Definitely will be coming back soon!!!

Sonny’s!!! Where to begin… the drinks? The Oysters? The service? The Nachos? 110% awesome on all parts for my recent visit (ok, 3 visits in just over a day) to Sonny’s.
I was told it was the place to go for brunch but we didn’t make it for that time of day but we did go for some bites in the afternoon/​evening hours.
Visit 1… welcome to Sonny’s! We sat at the bar (of course) and was automatically in love with the atmosphere of the place. The gorgeous carafes of house infused liqueurs lining the window sill and the chatty staff made my day! It was a sunny hot Saturday and we (a party of 4) NEEDED some oysters. We got the oysters… the best oysters. And let me tell you, they WERE the BEST oysters! Beer was cold and hit the spot which was what it was intended to do! Visit one ended, we were pleased, and knew we would be back…
Visit 2… now we’re talking! Started with some cold beer… a bud light, nothing extraordinary but was tastier than water. Then had a Shed brown ale. That was very very good. We didn’t have any bites this visit but chatted with the bartender about surrounding area and what other good spots were that we could venture to. We left, ventured, but not very far… fast forward one hour or so.
Visit 3… epic. Have you ever had nachos? Like nachos that are so good that you never want the plate to be empty because you might get sad? Sonny’s has those nachos. I was feeling quite festive after already enjoying two brews just an hour or so prior so I indulged in a mixed drink!!! I thought I should take it easy and order a «mock tale», so I chatted with the bartender to see what I might like… a minute or so later I decided I wanted a full strength (including the alcohol) piña colada! B-​E-​A-​U-​T-​I-​F-​U-​L. So much effort was put into this drink and it was so obvious that the bartender took pride in his work. There was even a pretty little paper umbrella with 4 little cherries in it with both a lemon and lime wedge on it. It may have set the bar for me when it comes to piña coladas!
Alas it was time to end our adventure at Sonny’s but I know we will be back and we will meet again! Thank you!
Oh!!! Side note!!! I saw some pepperchini peppers being put away in the fridge and asked to have one to nibble on with my beer and got two! That right there is service.

So we finally stopped in for brunch! And I was super disappointed *womp womp wompppp*
— We stood by the empty host stand for about five minutes before someone eventually greeted us, several waitress rushed by several times but no one actually came over.
— We managed to snag an outside spot which was awesome, but our table was super wobbly. I asked the waitress if we could have a piece of wood to stabilize it, instead she just lifted it up *while our water glasses were on the there* and moved it which resulted in my glass falling over and spilling on me.
— She claimed «at least it’s refreshing» and giggled about it. When she came back to take our order, instead of bringing me some napkins to sop up the water she pounded her fist against the metal grate table so the rest of the water kinda fell off. I ended up using a newspaper someone left behind to clean myself off.
— Food was OK, I ordered the ojos grandes and the beans were burned and stuck to the sides of the skillet, otherwise the rest of the dish was good. We usually get the yam fries as an app, normally it’s a huge amount which is why we order them but this time it was about half the portion for the same price. $ 5 mimosas were decent, can’t beat $ 5.
Not cool, Sonny’s.

A friend of mine and I came here a few weeks ago for drinks and the possibility of dinner. We walked in on a Wednesday night and were able to grab two seats at the bar.
The bar area at Sonny’s is a cozy, darkly lit space with beautiful exposed brick walls, hanging lantern light fixtures and high arched windows overlooking Exchange Street. I believe this could possibly be a repurposed bank, because there’s a very strange crawl space with a thick metal door above the bar. All in all, quite beautiful.
The drink list is certainly the highlight. I’m instantly drawn to any bourbon/​whisky cocktail, and they offered a warm mulled cider cocktail made with a bourbon infused in-​house with deliciousness (dates? cherries?) that hit the spot on a cold evening. Twice.
Service is disappointingly bad/​ambivalent, however. It took about 5 –7 minutes for the bartenders to bring over a drink list. And then the bartender forgot about my second drink. Seriously, you have one job! What happens if a bus driver doesn’t drive the bus? S/​he gets replaced.
We took a glance at the menu, but nothing really popped out. Plus, holy expensive! This is a place that seems to try absurdly hard to be an upscale dining experience through inflated prices: $ 21 for a roasted vegetables plate? $ 14 for a Cuban? $ 16 for enchiladas? These prices would be fine if I didn’t know of at least a few places in Portland that already offer these options for at least 25% less than Sonny’s.
We decided on splitting four appetizers: panko fried avocado, mussels, nachos, and plantains. The nachos and mussels were good, the fried plaintains were ok, and the avocado was boring. A plus is that they all came out remarkably quick — almost faster than the time it took for us to get the drink menus after we took our seats!
To sum up: come for the excellent cocktails (temper your expectations when it comes to the service) and find dinner elsewhere.

For a better review that the one you’re about to read, go to Tony W.‘s review. It’s spot on.
Indeed, I have to say that overall, Sonny’s was disappointing. The food was rather bland and overpriced (although presented nicely) and the service was sub-​par. Our bartender was not only slow and forgetful, but she seemed completely uninterested in serving us — as if every small request (like ordering food) was an inconvenience.
The nachos, fried avocado and plantains were more home cook preparations than restaurant quality in my opinion. The mussels were perfectly fine but there isn’t much you can do to ruin mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and shallots.
Despite the negatives, there are still some highlights at Sonny’s including their incredible cocktail menu. I absolutely loved my 99 Problems — a mix of Prosecco, Canton ginger and lemon. My friend had a really nice bourbon –y, whiskey-​ish mulled cider served in a coffee cup with some cinnamon on top that he enjoyed enough to order twice.
The bar area at Sonny’s is quite nice and the dim lighting and large windows out onto Exchange Street offer a lovely setting but venture out into the other dining areas and you’ll find an eclectic mix of Edwardian couches and velvet curtains. I just can’t figure out what Sonny’s is going for… Underground Madrid?
Final recommendation: come for a cocktail and dine elsewhere.

Whether you’re looking for a spot for dinner, brunch or cocktails at the bar, many locals will agree that Sonny’s in Downtown Portland, ME is a great place to go.
Booth seating to the left, the bar on the right, and… ta-​da! Open kitchen in the back, my favorite. The vibe is laid back, but still has a bit of a trendy, chic aesthetic.
For a drink, I ordered their Spicy Cucumber Margarita (house infused chile tequila, fresh cucumber, fresh lime, simple syrup). I liked this drink, but, I will say, I like my spicy drinks spicy, and, I found this one a little on the mild side. Overall though, it was tasty, just not spicy.
Then, I ordered the Grilled Fairy Tale Eggplant (local heirloom and cherry tomatoes, house made mozzarella, israeli couscous, saffron tomato sauce). I really enjoyed this dish. The eggplant and tomatoes were fresh, and the saffron tomato sauce was really nice too, letting the natural flavors take the main stage and not adding in lots of extra salt or anything to take away from that. I especially liked the thick grained couscous pearls, it was tender and had almost a creamy quality to it.