I have been coming here for several decades, only downside is I have to pay the bill now. Love the food and atmosphere. We normally will order shrimp scampi and the two pastas as appetizers, T-bone steak and lobster for mains. Fries are the best you’re going to find anywhere and personally, I love the salad and desserts.
Now as a full blown carnivore, it’s worth addressing the confusion over steak temperature. That is a perfect medium rare T-bone from a few months ago in the picture below. In other steakhouses, that could be considered medium or medium+. I would suggest asking when you order or if it comes out too rare address with the server. Life is easier that way.
Elliot Sommer
We've been going to Sammy's for many years. Our most recent experience was mediocre. I ordered the 28 Oz bone-in ribeye because it was recommended as a special. I ordered medium. Our 2 kids ordered small filet minion, also medium. All three were tabled rare and were sent back to the kitchen. My ribeye was returned overcooked and tough. It was hardly chewable. I expected better for the $70 charged. I should have sent it back. When the hostess asked how we enjoyed our dinner I told her that I was very dissatisfied with the steak. She frowned and walked away.
Leanne Forder
This was a first time visit for us on our one year anniversary.. we went based on the amazing reviews and word of mouth. We were unfortunately very disappointed. The concept was interesting where you order upstairs and get to wait at the bar downstairs. However, the food was a disaster — the salad was iceberg lettuce saturated in red wine vinegar with two slices of onion and some tomatoes. Horrible — they need to create a new salad 100%… the shrimp scampi that others raved about as their signature dish was also a huge miss. The shrimp had zero flavor and the breading fell right off. The scampi sauce wasn’t seasoned whatsoever. Even the dried aged steak we ordered wasn’t seasoned - we ordered medium rare and it came out very very Rare. We ate it regardless, but it was a huge disappointment in flavor and texture. The French fries were the saving grace of our meal. We took the cheesecake to go, because we couldn’t get out of there fast enough. For a shrimp scampi appetizer and a steak dinner it was $107!!! Outrageous for a meal we didn’t even enjoy. The dining area reminded us of a cafeteria with cutlery that was bent and the cheapest you can buy, with tables lined up and pushed together in a family style eating environment. I think if they saved some money by not having so many staff members standing around the entire time, maybe they can invest some money in improvements where needed. This could be a really nice spot, but some efforts are needed to bring it back to life.
astainless NOYB
Very old school friendly staff. The food is amazing. It's a bit pricey but it is worth while. We will be going back.
Christian Paolino
The nostalgic atmosphere and the concept are cool. Servers were attentive and personable and we enjoyed the time spent, especially in the basement rec room where you wait for your table after ordering, kitschy without being affected about it.
But I have to agree almost to the word with a few other reviewers about the food... just not great especially given the prices. I asked for a medium steak, it came back raw and bloody inside. I very politely asked for it to be cooked a bit more and they put it on too high a flame so that the outside was singed black but the inside, still raw and tough. At that point I just ate it, but wasn't happy.
I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.
Kyle Demarest
Local mainstay with a great environment. Perfect place for some beef and drinks
J
Had no idea what to expect of this place. I drove by a bunch of times and always thought there couldn't be much going on inside. Never passed by while they were open, I must add. I'm always curious about this place. Looked at reviews and looks like a beloved local place. You walk in, and you're welcomed into what looks like an old school school restaurant. You have to know the menu and what you want to eat before coming. You place your order with the hostess when you put your place for a table. You are then asked to go down to the basement where there is a bar to wait for your table. My daughter loves the old arcade games, and we enjoyed gin and tonics. They call your name, then go upstairs where a waiter walks you to your table. Bread and house salad is served immediately. After a while, appetizers come out. We had the penne with vodka sause, it is very homemade tasting and excellent. Steak and lobster were on point and delicious. Salad, fries, cream of corn and desserts are included with the meal. Service is great and friendly. Food was excellent. Very expensive but honestly it was worth it. I will definitely come back with friends and family. Again places that look old, unassuming and had been there for decades, usually means there is a very good reason for it. Loved it. But expensive. Enjoy.
sharif farrakhan
Besides the fries… the food was horrible. Once I saw the table next to me cover his “dry aged steak” in A1 sauce I knew I messed up by coming here. We got the steak for two and it was overcooked and flavorless. He had one bite and said let’s go!
Andrew Durborow
I've been going here for years. First time with my father over 30 years ago and remembered a surreal unique memory but couldn't remember where it was until I described it to someone and they were like that's Sammy's, after which I've returned many times. The food is excellent, the service is great. The experience is unique and nostalgic, and for a steak house with quality steak dinner that includes salad, dessert and coffee it's a decent value. They also have a great wine list! You'll regret it if you don't check this place out. On my list of credible NJ landmarks.
Patty Friel Segal
High priced, mediocre service, extremely long wait times, with business owner unconcerned with feedback from patrons.
If you want to spend a lot of money on a steak dinner and deal with an arrogant bartender who refuses to leave you alone, Sammy’s is your spot!
I grew up in the Mendham area, and decided to go to Sammy’s as a 30th birthday celebration with my friends (group of 8, 3 of us were celebrating our 30th this month). Everything was wonderful until the end of the night when we went to the bar downstairs to wait for our Ubers. One bartender was very polite while the other bartender (older male) continued to make rude and inappropriate remarks about my friend’s wife. Rather than engaging - we decided to wait outside for our Ubers (we chose to wait outside on December 21st) in the cold to get away from this bartender. Believe it or not, he then goes outside to make additional comments to our group.
There was never any suggestion we were being loud, obnoxious, “drunk”, or anything along those lines. This bartender just made clear that, as a younger crowd, we were not welcomed at Sammy’s without ridicule.
The shame is that we spent over a thousand dollars (1.2k) on this dinner to celebrate, and were treated this way AFTER we paid AND tipped. If we were cheap tippers or acted inappropriately, that would be one thing. The reason I am so upset and spending my time to write this review is because neither was the case. We were just treated like absolute trash by an arrogant bartender who thinks he can get away with it since he was talking to the “kids” and not the “adults” (who he also talked alot of garbage about since no one else was around).
I hope no one goes through the same experience. There are so many nice steak houses around - this is not worth the cost!!
Thomas Misuraca
Excellent food. Fair price.
Steven Weill
Just like many other reviewers, I've been coming to Sammy’s for over 30 years. First time back in 3 years and it didn't disappoint. Everything was delicious and worth the wait. If you are swayed by the negative reviews don't be. Sammys is the same it was 30 years ago and it still delivers. The shrimp scampi, garlic and oil to the veal chop - delicious!!!
C Storms
Great place for the family and great staff and great food
Rosilena Coppola
Tough review to write, I’ve been excited to try this place for years. I finally had the opportunity to try it and was surprised by the food quality. The vinegary salad tasted like nail polish remover, inedible. The pork & ribeye lacked flavor and tasted a bit old. The dessert and overall charm of the historic restaurant salvaged our casual evening out but I would not recommend coming here if this meal is in anyway meant to be “special”.
I think this place could easily be turned around with the slightest adjustments and hope management will incorporate the feedback written in many latest reviews because I can tell this place was at one point a true local gem.
I have been coming here for several decades, only downside is I have to pay the bill now. Love the food and atmosphere. We normally will order shrimp scampi and the two pastas as appetizers, T-bone steak and lobster for mains. Fries are the best you’re going to find anywhere and personally, I love the salad and desserts.
Now as a full blown carnivore, it’s worth addressing the confusion over steak temperature. That is a perfect medium rare T-bone from a few months ago in the picture below. In other steakhouses, that could be considered medium or medium+. I would suggest asking when you order or if it comes out too rare address with the server. Life is easier that way.
We've been going to Sammy's for many years. Our most recent experience was mediocre. I ordered the 28 Oz bone-in ribeye because it was recommended as a special. I ordered medium. Our 2 kids ordered small filet minion, also medium. All three were tabled rare and were sent back to the kitchen. My ribeye was returned overcooked and tough. It was hardly chewable. I expected better for the $70 charged. I should have sent it back. When the hostess asked how we enjoyed our dinner I told her that I was very dissatisfied with the steak. She frowned and walked away.
This was a first time visit for us on our one year anniversary.. we went based on the amazing reviews and word of mouth. We were unfortunately very disappointed. The concept was interesting where you order upstairs and get to wait at the bar downstairs. However, the food was a disaster — the salad was iceberg lettuce saturated in red wine vinegar with two slices of onion and some tomatoes. Horrible — they need to create a new salad 100%… the shrimp scampi that others raved about as their signature dish was also a huge miss. The shrimp had zero flavor and the breading fell right off. The scampi sauce wasn’t seasoned whatsoever. Even the dried aged steak we ordered wasn’t seasoned - we ordered medium rare and it came out very very Rare. We ate it regardless, but it was a huge disappointment in flavor and texture. The French fries were the saving grace of our meal. We took the cheesecake to go, because we couldn’t get out of there fast enough. For a shrimp scampi appetizer and a steak dinner it was $107!!! Outrageous for a meal we didn’t even enjoy. The dining area reminded us of a cafeteria with cutlery that was bent and the cheapest you can buy, with tables lined up and pushed together in a family style eating environment. I think if they saved some money by not having so many staff members standing around the entire time, maybe they can invest some money in improvements where needed. This could be a really nice spot, but some efforts are needed to bring it back to life.
Very old school friendly staff. The food is amazing. It's a bit pricey but it is worth while. We will be going back.
The nostalgic atmosphere and the concept are cool. Servers were attentive and personable and we enjoyed the time spent, especially in the basement rec room where you wait for your table after ordering, kitschy without being affected about it.
But I have to agree almost to the word with a few other reviewers about the food... just not great especially given the prices. I asked for a medium steak, it came back raw and bloody inside. I very politely asked for it to be cooked a bit more and they put it on too high a flame so that the outside was singed black but the inside, still raw and tough. At that point I just ate it, but wasn't happy.
I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.
Local mainstay with a great environment. Perfect place for some beef and drinks
Had no idea what to expect of this place. I drove by a bunch of times and always thought there couldn't be much going on inside. Never passed by while they were open, I must add. I'm always curious about this place. Looked at reviews and looks like a beloved local place. You walk in, and you're welcomed into what looks like an old school school restaurant. You have to know the menu and what you want to eat before coming. You place your order with the hostess when you put your place for a table. You are then asked to go down to the basement where there is a bar to wait for your table. My daughter loves the old arcade games, and we enjoyed gin and tonics. They call your name, then go upstairs where a waiter walks you to your table. Bread and house salad is served immediately. After a while, appetizers come out. We had the penne with vodka sause, it is very homemade tasting and excellent. Steak and lobster were on point and delicious. Salad, fries, cream of corn and desserts are included with the meal. Service is great and friendly. Food was excellent. Very expensive but honestly it was worth it. I will definitely come back with friends and family. Again places that look old, unassuming and had been there for decades, usually means there is a very good reason for it. Loved it. But expensive. Enjoy.
Besides the fries… the food was horrible. Once I saw the table next to me cover his “dry aged steak” in A1 sauce I knew I messed up by coming here. We got the steak for two and it was overcooked and flavorless. He had one bite and said let’s go!
I've been going here for years. First time with my father over 30 years ago and remembered a surreal unique memory but couldn't remember where it was until I described it to someone and they were like that's Sammy's, after which I've returned many times. The food is excellent, the service is great. The experience is unique and nostalgic, and for a steak house with quality steak dinner that includes salad, dessert and coffee it's a decent value. They also have a great wine list! You'll regret it if you don't check this place out. On my list of credible NJ landmarks.
High priced, mediocre service, extremely long wait times, with business owner unconcerned with feedback from patrons.
Restaurantji Recommends
Worst bartender - good food.
If you want to spend a lot of money on a steak dinner and deal with an arrogant bartender who refuses to leave you alone, Sammy’s is your spot!
I grew up in the Mendham area, and decided to go to Sammy’s as a 30th birthday celebration with my friends (group of 8, 3 of us were celebrating our 30th this month). Everything was wonderful until the end of the night when we went to the bar downstairs to wait for our Ubers. One bartender was very polite while the other bartender (older male) continued to make rude and inappropriate remarks about my friend’s wife. Rather than engaging - we decided to wait outside for our Ubers (we chose to wait outside on December 21st) in the cold to get away from this bartender. Believe it or not, he then goes outside to make additional comments to our group.
There was never any suggestion we were being loud, obnoxious, “drunk”, or anything along those lines. This bartender just made clear that, as a younger crowd, we were not welcomed at Sammy’s without ridicule.
The shame is that we spent over a thousand dollars (1.2k) on this dinner to celebrate, and were treated this way AFTER we paid AND tipped. If we were cheap tippers or acted inappropriately, that would be one thing. The reason I am so upset and spending my time to write this review is because neither was the case. We were just treated like absolute trash by an arrogant bartender who thinks he can get away with it since he was talking to the “kids” and not the “adults” (who he also talked alot of garbage about since no one else was around).
I hope no one goes through the same experience. There are so many nice steak houses around - this is not worth the cost!!
Excellent food. Fair price.
Just like many other reviewers, I've been coming to Sammy’s for over 30 years. First time back in 3 years and it didn't disappoint. Everything was delicious and worth the wait. If you are swayed by the negative reviews don't be. Sammys is the same it was 30 years ago and it still delivers. The shrimp scampi, garlic and oil to the veal chop - delicious!!!
Great place for the family and great staff and great food
Tough review to write, I’ve been excited to try this place for years. I finally had the opportunity to try it and was surprised by the food quality. The vinegary salad tasted like nail polish remover, inedible. The pork & ribeye lacked flavor and tasted a bit old. The dessert and overall charm of the historic restaurant salvaged our casual evening out but I would not recommend coming here if this meal is in anyway meant to be “special”.
I think this place could easily be turned around with the slightest adjustments and hope management will incorporate the feedback written in many latest reviews because I can tell this place was at one point a true local gem.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
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