Good old fashioned burger joint! If your in the mood for a burger this place will hit the spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dayna Swan
No more pizza but the burgers still
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Cheeseburger and Fries
anne e
I wanted to love this place, but when I got my takeout home, I discovered that most of the burger was raw. Not rare, but RAW. It was not edible except around the outer edges. Sorry Sam's, but you failed miserably.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Mya Alvarez
Oh man the burgers here are so good! The cooks are super chill and it's a great place. I had the Anthony boudin special and it was just the right amount of food. The burger was cooked perfectly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Caroline C.
Battling a serious case of the Mondays and the post St. Paddy's day blues, I had been craving a burger for hours when I remembered I get to pass this San Francisco staple on the walk home. Sam, his son, and the chef's have been grilling up American style cheese burgers over a flame grill in this hole in the wall for nearly 60 years. Their classic recipe is the epitome of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Served on a paper plate with all the fixins, this not a fancy grommet-style meal, and there's no secret ingredient that keeps people coming back for more. It's the back to basics deliciousness paired with the old style feel of diners of the past. Staffed by only one or two people at a time, they're flipping burgers and making them consistently amazing and quick. Sam's hit the spot and 100% satiated my craving. They're open late on the weekends, so I'm looking forward to popping in again soon to round off a night out.
Stephanie A
Amazing and always
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicolle Holt
Awesome place! I have been coming here for over 10 years. One of the best burgers in SF for sure! they taste like backyard burgers which I love the taste of. Come here on the weekend nights and you are in for an entertaining show! Let’s just say the customers are hilarious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Cheeseburger and Fries, Onion Rings
Jonathon J
One of the best grease-burgers in SF will soothe your broken soul after you leave alone from one of the nearby strip clubs.Anthony Bourdain’s picture is still up from when he visited and gave his seal of approval to their burgers ??
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bourdain Burger and Fries, Double Cheeseburger and Fries, Onion Rings, Sam's Special Burger and Fries, Cheese Burgers, Rosemary Garlic Fries, Fish, Sam’S Hamburger, Sam’S Double Hamburger 1⁄2 lb Burger
Cynthia Lee
Rated 4 stars only because we had to sit outside and it was a cold night.Burger was great! Will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
The English Hostel Tirana
From reading the reviews here you can see that a few poor, clueless souls don't get a classic diner, but take it from me and Anthony Bourdain, this is a fantastic burger & fries, and a really relaxing atmosphere, to boot! I used to eat here when Mike ("Sam") was around and it was always a pleasure! Glad to see his family is keeping this treasure alive!
Totally agree with Anthony!! Wonderful Burger. Simple seasoning that let's you focus on the fresh meat. Fries were crispy and perfect. Great place!! Worth the search. Don't miss this gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Cheeseburger and Fries
Chun P.
Normally I wouldn't eat at an old dive place like this, but it was featured in an Anthony Bourdain episode, and after midnight your food options are limited! And if you've been out drinking all night, Sam's double cheese burger and fries is your preemptive hangover cure! It's a tiny place with minimal atmosphere, and it feels a bit grimy, but clean enough. The cook was friendly and chill, probably a bit stoned too. Can't confirm, and can't blame him either. $21 Anthony Bourdain Special: A big, fatty, greasy, double cheeseburger loaded with a half pound of juicy beef between two white buns and lettuce, tomato, onion. The frozen fries aren't fresh, but they are deep fried to greasy perfection, excellent at absorbing that alcohol swirling in your belly. And it comes with a beer of choice...this combo saves you a whooping $1 rather than ordering separately.
Kilo K.
3 star burger and 4 star service. Service was nice fast and friendly. Ordered a cheeseburger and the owner asked if I wanted bacon for free because he had some ready to go. Above average burger, very high quality ingredients and a nice homemade feel. While I was waiting, owner seemed to interact well with all the customers.
Abraham A.
I've been wanting to try Sam's for such a long time. The famous Sam's burgers! Very few diners in San Francisco are left so it's nice to have something historic such as this. $15 gets you a burger fries and a drink. I feel as if the place thing on the fumes of its former self, the burger was good but not mind-blowing. Everything was basic. From the store bought burger buns to the pre-made burger patties. The fries however were seasoned to perfection. The music was a little too loud for my liking but overall the food was good. Service was quick, I would recommend Sam's if you're into San Francisco History and craving a burger while in the area.
Hannah Paulson
The guy serving has more concern for his looks than anything else. Shame because it’s a good place, but they don’t listen and are rude to boot. I asked to go to the toilet and they just said no.
Good old fashioned burger joint! If your in the mood for a burger this place will hit the spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
No more pizza but the burgers still
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Cheeseburger and Fries
I wanted to love this place, but when I got my takeout home, I discovered that most of the burger was raw. Not rare, but RAW. It was not edible except around the outer edges. Sorry Sam's, but you failed miserably.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Oh man the burgers here are so good! The cooks are super chill and it's a great place. I had the Anthony boudin special and it was just the right amount of food. The burger was cooked perfectly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Battling a serious case of the Mondays and the post St. Paddy's day blues, I had been craving a burger for hours when I remembered I get to pass this San Francisco staple on the walk home. Sam, his son, and the chef's have been grilling up American style cheese burgers over a flame grill in this hole in the wall for nearly 60 years. Their classic recipe is the epitome of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Served on a paper plate with all the fixins, this not a fancy grommet-style meal, and there's no secret ingredient that keeps people coming back for more. It's the back to basics deliciousness paired with the old style feel of diners of the past. Staffed by only one or two people at a time, they're flipping burgers and making them consistently amazing and quick. Sam's hit the spot and 100% satiated my craving. They're open late on the weekends, so I'm looking forward to popping in again soon to round off a night out.
Amazing and always
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome place! I have been coming here for over 10 years. One of the best burgers in SF for sure! they taste like backyard burgers which I love the taste of. Come here on the weekend nights and you are in for an entertaining show! Let’s just say the customers are hilarious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Cheeseburger and Fries, Onion Rings
One of the best grease-burgers in SF will soothe your broken soul after you leave alone from one of the nearby strip clubs.Anthony Bourdain’s picture is still up from when he visited and gave his seal of approval to their burgers ??
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bourdain Burger and Fries, Double Cheeseburger and Fries, Onion Rings, Sam's Special Burger and Fries, Cheese Burgers, Rosemary Garlic Fries, Fish, Sam’S Hamburger, Sam’S Double Hamburger 1⁄2 lb Burger
Rated 4 stars only because we had to sit outside and it was a cold night.Burger was great! Will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
From reading the reviews here you can see that a few poor, clueless souls don't get a classic diner, but take it from me and Anthony Bourdain, this is a fantastic burger & fries, and a really relaxing atmosphere, to boot! I used to eat here when Mike ("Sam") was around and it was always a pleasure! Glad to see his family is keeping this treasure alive!
Restaurantji Recommends
Totally agree with Anthony!! Wonderful Burger. Simple seasoning that let's you focus on the fresh meat. Fries were crispy and perfect. Great place!! Worth the search. Don't miss this gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Double Cheeseburger and Fries
Normally I wouldn't eat at an old dive place like this, but it was featured in an Anthony Bourdain episode, and after midnight your food options are limited! And if you've been out drinking all night, Sam's double cheese burger and fries is your preemptive hangover cure! It's a tiny place with minimal atmosphere, and it feels a bit grimy, but clean enough. The cook was friendly and chill, probably a bit stoned too. Can't confirm, and can't blame him either. $21 Anthony Bourdain Special: A big, fatty, greasy, double cheeseburger loaded with a half pound of juicy beef between two white buns and lettuce, tomato, onion. The frozen fries aren't fresh, but they are deep fried to greasy perfection, excellent at absorbing that alcohol swirling in your belly. And it comes with a beer of choice...this combo saves you a whooping $1 rather than ordering separately.
3 star burger and 4 star service. Service was nice fast and friendly. Ordered a cheeseburger and the owner asked if I wanted bacon for free because he had some ready to go. Above average burger, very high quality ingredients and a nice homemade feel. While I was waiting, owner seemed to interact well with all the customers.
I've been wanting to try Sam's for such a long time. The famous Sam's burgers! Very few diners in San Francisco are left so it's nice to have something historic such as this. $15 gets you a burger fries and a drink. I feel as if the place thing on the fumes of its former self, the burger was good but not mind-blowing. Everything was basic. From the store bought burger buns to the pre-made burger patties. The fries however were seasoned to perfection. The music was a little too loud for my liking but overall the food was good. Service was quick, I would recommend Sam's if you're into San Francisco History and craving a burger while in the area.
The guy serving has more concern for his looks than anything else. Shame because it’s a good place, but they don’t listen and are rude to boot. I asked to go to the toilet and they just said no.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1