We had my mom's 96th birthday celebration for 14 people (upstairs.) The ambience is perfect (warm and homey) , the food is sumptuous (old style NY Italian at its best, esp love the baked clams), and Sam is the consummate host. People attended from all over the country. This was a well-healed , well traveled, up scale group. Long story short , everyone LOVED it. Huge success, the place is a gem. Value is also off the charts, especially for NYC. Getting hungry writing about it. Thanks Sam!
Sam’s Place is a hidden gem, being going there for over 25 years. You are made to feel like family. The food is excellent, you will not be disappointed. Had the lemon chicken with vegetables, along with mushroom salad. If you are looking for a good meal @ reasonable prices Sam’s is the place!
Lauren Michler
A cozy gem! We were lucky to get a last minute table due to bad weather. We were greeted warmly by the owner, and our waiter was kind enough to make a special plate when one of us couldn’t decide on what to get. Everyone enjoyed their delicious meals. I was hoping to show off NY red sauce Italian to out of state guests, and this place did the trick. Cannot recommend it enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmigiana
Kevin Thompson
What a cool place! Great food and great service! Highly recommended for delicious Italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Milo Pacheco
Cozy old school local spot with quality food and great service. Don't hesitate if you can get a table.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jumbo Shrimp Scampi
Andy Schulkind
This gem is tucked away a few minutes walk away from Grand Central. I have been going here since 2009. Quality, service, value and an overall great experience awaits. Brought some coworkers from Chicago and Spokane and they raved about the experience and the food.Put Sam's on your bucket list.
we are staying in the neighborhood and saw a place and then we saw Sam's. the best choice what a wonderful greeting coming in and the owner stopped by and said hi. food was fantastic one of the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy for sure
Nikki Brink
I rarely leave a review. This gem had to be acknowledged. The owner Massimo greets every single person at every table. He is genuinely kind and truly cares about your dining experience. The service is impeccable. The waiters are funny and also oh so kind. The atmosphere is on point. Cozy spot. Great vibe. The wine is the most generous pour in NYC. Now let's move on to the food... glorious food. I ordered my absolute fave dish to not only order out, but make at home as well. Im a pretty savvy home cook. The chicken picatta was delicious and as I have a dairy restriction, they made mine without butter. Dishes are made to order. My dear family member ordered the tortellini. She was in heaven with each bite. It had a Heavenly Alfredo sauce on the delicate lil tortellini. Now let me tell you the kicker... the entrees are @ $20 a plate. Sans the veal chop of course. You cannot get this level of food or this dining experience anywhere ive been in NYC. The scrumptious desserts are just $10. I love Italian food and have been to many delicious spots but not at this price point. Do yourself a favor and head on over to this fantastic hidden gem. Massimo has owned this place for 36 years with the same 5 waiters. That speaks volumes to me. They are a family by choice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nikki Brink
I rarely leave a review. This gem had to be acknowledged. The owner Massimo greets every single person at every table. He is genuinely kind and truly cares about your dining experience. The service is impeccable. The waiters are funny and also oh so kind. The atmosphere is on point. Cozy spot. Great vibe. The wine is the most generous pour in NYC. Now let's move on to the food... glorious food. I ordered my absolute fave dish to not only order out, but make at home as well. Im a pretty savvy home cook. The chicken picatta was delicious and as I have a dairy restriction, they made mine without butter. Dishes are made to order. My dear family member ordered the tortellini. She was in heaven with each bite. It had a Heavenly Alfredo sauce on the delicate lil tortellini. Now let me tell you the kicker... the entrees are $20 a plate. Sans the veal chop of course. You cannot get this level of food or this dining experience anywhere ive been in NYC. The scrumptious desserts are just $10. I love Italian food and have been to many delicious spots but not at this price point. Do yourself a favor and head on over to this fantastic hidden gem. Massimo has owned this place for 36 years with the same 5 waiters. That speaks volumes to me. They are a family by choice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicole Marcano-Frias
The staff is great the food was amazing I recommend it to anyone!!!!
For our last night in NYC, we wanted something with a "Moonstruck" vibe. This place was walkable from our hotel and we had the best time. It was the exact experience we wanted. The food was amazing, and the vibes were even better. I can't explain it, it was just great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu, Canaloni
Donesha T.
My coworkers raved about this place and it did not disappoint. The baked clams are delicious. I also tried the calamari and they are not overly breaded with a nice fresh taste. For entrees, we ordered the chicken parm with a side of penne alla vodka. You can also order the chicken parm with vodka sauce. The portion size is huge. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The space is small but great for quality food.
The Foodie Architect
This place is in the residential block that you would not expect the restaurant be here. Yet it seems it has been here for ages. The space and the food feels traditional. The dishes we had is great. Bronzino is cooked perfectly. Cozy! Quiet! Pleasant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
TravelingGayPanda
A great neighborhood, traditional Italian restaurant. The food is delicious. The calamari in red sauce was delicious, perfectly cooked, seasoned and complex. I had the veal marsala with linguini which I also thought was perfect. The meat was tenderized, subtly coated and bursting with that delicious marsala sauce. The portions are large so definitely expect to take leftovers home. Their homemade, traditional cheesecake was the perfect way to finish the night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TravelingGayPanda
A great neighborhood, traditional Italian restaurant. The food is delicious. The calamari in red sauce was delicious, perfectly cooked, seasoned and complex. I had the veal marsala with linguini which I also thought was perfect. The meat was tenderized, subtly coated and bursting with that delicious marsala sauce. The portions are large so definitely expect to take leftovers home. Their homemade, traditional cheesecake was the perfect way to finish the night. The staff were incredibly friendly and even encouraged to us to substitute different items on the menu to create a unique experience.
We had my mom's 96th birthday celebration for 14 people (upstairs.) The ambience is perfect (warm and homey) , the food is sumptuous (old style NY Italian at its best, esp love the baked clams), and Sam is the consummate host. People attended from all over the country. This was a well-healed , well traveled, up scale group. Long story short , everyone LOVED it. Huge success, the place is a gem. Value is also off the charts, especially for NYC. Getting hungry writing about it. Thanks Sam!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stuffed Clams, Veal Cutet Parmigiana, Chicken Parmigiana
Sam’s Place is a hidden gem, being going there for over 25 years. You are made to feel like family. The food is excellent, you will not be disappointed. Had the lemon chicken with vegetables, along with mushroom salad. If you are looking for a good meal @ reasonable prices Sam’s is the place!
A cozy gem! We were lucky to get a last minute table due to bad weather. We were greeted warmly by the owner, and our waiter was kind enough to make a special plate when one of us couldn’t decide on what to get. Everyone enjoyed their delicious meals. I was hoping to show off NY red sauce Italian to out of state guests, and this place did the trick. Cannot recommend it enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmigiana
What a cool place! Great food and great service! Highly recommended for delicious Italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cozy old school local spot with quality food and great service. Don't hesitate if you can get a table.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jumbo Shrimp Scampi
This gem is tucked away a few minutes walk away from Grand Central. I have been going here since 2009. Quality, service, value and an overall great experience awaits. Brought some coworkers from Chicago and Spokane and they raved about the experience and the food.Put Sam's on your bucket list.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu, Veal Cutlet Parmigiana
we are staying in the neighborhood and saw a place and then we saw Sam's. the best choice what a wonderful greeting coming in and the owner stopped by and said hi. food was fantastic one of the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy for sure
I rarely leave a review. This gem had to be acknowledged. The owner Massimo greets every single person at every table. He is genuinely kind and truly cares about your dining experience. The service is impeccable. The waiters are funny and also oh so kind. The atmosphere is on point. Cozy spot. Great vibe. The wine is the most generous pour in NYC. Now let's move on to the food... glorious food. I ordered my absolute fave dish to not only order out, but make at home as well. Im a pretty savvy home cook. The chicken picatta was delicious and as I have a dairy restriction, they made mine without butter. Dishes are made to order. My dear family member ordered the tortellini. She was in heaven with each bite. It had a Heavenly Alfredo sauce on the delicate lil tortellini. Now let me tell you the kicker... the entrees are @ $20 a plate. Sans the veal chop of course. You cannot get this level of food or this dining experience anywhere ive been in NYC. The scrumptious desserts are just $10. I love Italian food and have been to many delicious spots but not at this price point. Do yourself a favor and head on over to this fantastic hidden gem. Massimo has owned this place for 36 years with the same 5 waiters. That speaks volumes to me. They are a family by choice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I rarely leave a review. This gem had to be acknowledged. The owner Massimo greets every single person at every table. He is genuinely kind and truly cares about your dining experience. The service is impeccable. The waiters are funny and also oh so kind. The atmosphere is on point. Cozy spot. Great vibe. The wine is the most generous pour in NYC. Now let's move on to the food... glorious food. I ordered my absolute fave dish to not only order out, but make at home as well. Im a pretty savvy home cook. The chicken picatta was delicious and as I have a dairy restriction, they made mine without butter. Dishes are made to order. My dear family member ordered the tortellini. She was in heaven with each bite. It had a Heavenly Alfredo sauce on the delicate lil tortellini. Now let me tell you the kicker... the entrees are $20 a plate. Sans the veal chop of course. You cannot get this level of food or this dining experience anywhere ive been in NYC. The scrumptious desserts are just $10. I love Italian food and have been to many delicious spots but not at this price point. Do yourself a favor and head on over to this fantastic hidden gem. Massimo has owned this place for 36 years with the same 5 waiters. That speaks volumes to me. They are a family by choice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The staff is great the food was amazing I recommend it to anyone!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ravioli, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Portobello, Stuffed Clams
Restaurantji Recommends
For our last night in NYC, we wanted something with a "Moonstruck" vibe. This place was walkable from our hotel and we had the best time. It was the exact experience we wanted. The food was amazing, and the vibes were even better. I can't explain it, it was just great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu, Canaloni
My coworkers raved about this place and it did not disappoint. The baked clams are delicious. I also tried the calamari and they are not overly breaded with a nice fresh taste. For entrees, we ordered the chicken parm with a side of penne alla vodka. You can also order the chicken parm with vodka sauce. The portion size is huge. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The space is small but great for quality food.
This place is in the residential block that you would not expect the restaurant be here. Yet it seems it has been here for ages. The space and the food feels traditional. The dishes we had is great. Bronzino is cooked perfectly. Cozy! Quiet! Pleasant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
A great neighborhood, traditional Italian restaurant. The food is delicious. The calamari in red sauce was delicious, perfectly cooked, seasoned and complex. I had the veal marsala with linguini which I also thought was perfect. The meat was tenderized, subtly coated and bursting with that delicious marsala sauce. The portions are large so definitely expect to take leftovers home. Their homemade, traditional cheesecake was the perfect way to finish the night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A great neighborhood, traditional Italian restaurant. The food is delicious. The calamari in red sauce was delicious, perfectly cooked, seasoned and complex. I had the veal marsala with linguini which I also thought was perfect. The meat was tenderized, subtly coated and bursting with that delicious marsala sauce. The portions are large so definitely expect to take leftovers home. Their homemade, traditional cheesecake was the perfect way to finish the night. The staff were incredibly friendly and even encouraged to us to substitute different items on the menu to create a unique experience.