I've been let down with each visit to Chez Sami, and won't return. Our visit on Valentine's Day 2024 with the 5-course Prix Fixe menu was dreadful.The restaurant took a short-notice reservation and got us in within the hour. We were seated quickly and bread service was prompt.The Duck Croquette to begin the meal was fantastic.Then we watched four couples, who came in at the same time as (or after) us, receive their entire meals while we waited on Course 3. When we asked a staff member to check on our course, our waiter told her that we had received it. But we hadn't - so we continued to wait. We did eventually receive the French Onion Soup. It was good, but not wait-an-hour-good.By then, the neighboring tables all seated different people than those we had started dining with.More time passed. The waiter asked what dessert option we wanted, but we hadn't yet received the entree course. We asked the staff member about the status of the entrees. The person presenting as the manager brought out the Lobster Thermidor and Beef Wellington we had ordered an hour and a half earlier. She said they were "keeping it nice and warm" for us. The Beef Wellington's filet was overcooked, and the plates plus the other food were not warm at all.We pulled the manager aside to lament the cold food. She doubled down and stated the food had to have been warm. The solidifying butter sauces on our plates told another story.The manager moved the entrees into to-go boxes and offered us an expedited dessert. We opted for Creme Brulee.We did receive a discount on our bill, but I still feel ripped off. There was no accountability from management. The wait staff's lack of professionalism and competence was startling. The pale brown Beef Wellington ended up thrown away, after all.C'est la vie.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Jennifer Janay Schmoker
Had reservations for 615. We were told we could order off of the menu from the host. Our waitress then told us she was wrong that we could only have the prefix that was on the menu since Valentine’s Day. Manager came around and confirmed that we had to order off of the prefix menu. We decided to give it a shot but after 45 minutes and still no appetizer we left. So my take is the communication with staff is horrible, the service is horrible and the tables weee so close that I could hear everything from the table behind us that was not even an arm length from me. I would not recommend this place at all! It was supposed to be my birthday dinner and it was a waste of time!
The closed sign was displayed even though we had reservations. It's a small place so it was just the server and chef. We were the only couple there when we arrived, about 10 mins later one other couple showed up, so not busy. The server messed up our order, and in general, was confused. She messed up the table next to us as well. The food was not fresh or hot. For the price and reviews we have seen and heard, we had much higher expectations and were really disappointed overall with the experience.
Felicia Newman
The table service was outstanding. Started with escargot and lobster gnocchi the Beef Wellington for entree. Too full for desert but definitely will be trying the crème brûlée next visit…. Yes will be returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Wellington for 2
Felicia
The table service was outstanding. Started with escargot and lobster gnocchi the Beef Wellington for entree. Too full for desert but definitely will be trying the crème brûlée next visit.... Yes will be returning.
diner
Our dinner was excellent. We especially enjoyed the escargot, the beef wellington, and beef bourguignon. The service was very professional. In summary, a highlight of the Lubbock area restaurant scene!
T. Ryan S.
Hidden gem in Wolfforth just outside of Lubbock city limits.Definitely worth a visit by foodies visiting West TX.Melanie, our waitress, is outstanding.The mural and art inside the restaurant is courtesy of the chef’s fiancé, which add to the “cool factor” of restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Short Ribs
Dawn Moore
Great service by Edith and great food! The beef wellington was fantastic and do not miss the chocolate tart. This was our first visit. We will be back soon.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Genesis Shealy
What a wonderful little spot! Do not be fooled by the unassuming exterior, as soon as you walk in the atmosphere is very nice. We particularly loved the art on the walls. Our server Edith was just lovely, and the chef even came to say hello. The food was incredible! The short rib was particularly amazing, it melted in my mouth! And the panna cotta was to die for. If you're a fan of fine dining quality food in a more relaxed environment, this spot is for you! We will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael C.
We've been eating at Chez Sami since they opened in Wolfforth and were really happy to see they were opening in Lubbock. We were able to go to the Lubbock restaurant with another couple last week. The food was absolutely delicious. Servings were a bit small by West Texas standards, but they were certainly par for the course for upscale restaurants. Service staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. So why only three stars? Well, I've forced myself to ignore their high corkage fees ($10/bottle), which are the highest in Lubbock. But what I cannot overlook is being charged for plain old tap water--not bottled water, but tap water. When the bill for four people at the table is north of $250.00, It seems cheap and churlish to charge $2.00 a person for tap water. The food is great, but I don't feel valued as a customer after this kind of treatment.
Cute place, great food and atmosphere :). It's like an old speakeasy because you can't tell how nice it is from the outside!
Don S.
Looked forward to this dinner but left disappointed. Mussels were good. Beef Wellington was good. Table had two orders of short ribs. Initial taste was good but both were cold. Waited but didn't get noticed so we walked our food to the kitchen entrance to ask if they could heat it for us. They said they would re-plate and bring them back. Waited a long time and the other two of our party finished their entire meal before they brought ours back. Asked if the chef was in but told he was out. They said Gilbert was in. I actually don't think he was. The meals seemed more like the kind you get on an airplane. That is already made and then reheated by someone besides the chef. Most likely the servers had to heat our meals up while chef was working on the other restaurant? They charge a corkage fee ($10/bottle). Ok but for us we had to ask them to uncork and they poured only one glass. Corkage service was not there. We poured our own glasses throughout the night. Not an issue but having to pay the service corkage fee, shouldn't that include service? Were they so busy that this could be expected....well no. We were one of two tables and at the end we were the only table. Also for a finer dining experience I would have expected some type of either an apology or perhaps a dessert or something as compensation for the failed dinner. Well you would have guessed wrong. I would recommend the beef Wellington and short ribs but the duck was perhaps a bit old. I think we will try then new location but I also need to lower my expectations before going.
Salt by Angie
I took my staff for our holiday party and Chef Walter did NOT disappoint, we relaxed and were served amazing offerings by a fabulous staff!!! What a way to end the busy season!! We will surely be back!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lori M.
So disappointing. Maybe because they are focusing on the Lubbock location. 2 of 4 dishes had to be sent back because they were cold. Got them back to the table after the other two had finished. No compensation whatsoever. Seemed frustrated that we stayed too long, as we were their only table. Not at all what we expected.
ScotinTheWoods
We chose this restaurant for our son's Graduation celebration. We don't live in the Lubbock area and booked on the recommendation of friends . The food was delicious and our server was friendly and helpful. The exterior of Chez Sami was a bit of a surprise, but Inside the restaurant was cozy and welcoming. I would highly recommend Chez Sami.
I've been let down with each visit to Chez Sami, and won't return. Our visit on Valentine's Day 2024 with the 5-course Prix Fixe menu was dreadful.The restaurant took a short-notice reservation and got us in within the hour. We were seated quickly and bread service was prompt.The Duck Croquette to begin the meal was fantastic.Then we watched four couples, who came in at the same time as (or after) us, receive their entire meals while we waited on Course 3. When we asked a staff member to check on our course, our waiter told her that we had received it. But we hadn't - so we continued to wait. We did eventually receive the French Onion Soup. It was good, but not wait-an-hour-good.By then, the neighboring tables all seated different people than those we had started dining with.More time passed. The waiter asked what dessert option we wanted, but we hadn't yet received the entree course. We asked the staff member about the status of the entrees. The person presenting as the manager brought out the Lobster Thermidor and Beef Wellington we had ordered an hour and a half earlier. She said they were "keeping it nice and warm" for us. The Beef Wellington's filet was overcooked, and the plates plus the other food were not warm at all.We pulled the manager aside to lament the cold food. She doubled down and stated the food had to have been warm. The solidifying butter sauces on our plates told another story.The manager moved the entrees into to-go boxes and offered us an expedited dessert. We opted for Creme Brulee.We did receive a discount on our bill, but I still feel ripped off. There was no accountability from management. The wait staff's lack of professionalism and competence was startling. The pale brown Beef Wellington ended up thrown away, after all.C'est la vie.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Had reservations for 615. We were told we could order off of the menu from the host. Our waitress then told us she was wrong that we could only have the prefix that was on the menu since Valentine’s Day. Manager came around and confirmed that we had to order off of the prefix menu. We decided to give it a shot but after 45 minutes and still no appetizer we left. So my take is the communication with staff is horrible, the service is horrible and the tables weee so close that I could hear everything from the table behind us that was not even an arm length from me. I would not recommend this place at all! It was supposed to be my birthday dinner and it was a waste of time!
The closed sign was displayed even though we had reservations. It's a small place so it was just the server and chef. We were the only couple there when we arrived, about 10 mins later one other couple showed up, so not busy. The server messed up our order, and in general, was confused. She messed up the table next to us as well. The food was not fresh or hot. For the price and reviews we have seen and heard, we had much higher expectations and were really disappointed overall with the experience.
The table service was outstanding. Started with escargot and lobster gnocchi the Beef Wellington for entree. Too full for desert but definitely will be trying the crème brûlée next visit…. Yes will be returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Wellington for 2
The table service was outstanding. Started with escargot and lobster gnocchi the Beef Wellington for entree. Too full for desert but definitely will be trying the crème brûlée next visit.... Yes will be returning.
Our dinner was excellent. We especially enjoyed the escargot, the beef wellington, and beef bourguignon. The service was very professional. In summary, a highlight of the Lubbock area restaurant scene!
Hidden gem in Wolfforth just outside of Lubbock city limits.Definitely worth a visit by foodies visiting West TX.Melanie, our waitress, is outstanding.The mural and art inside the restaurant is courtesy of the chef’s fiancé, which add to the “cool factor” of restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Short Ribs
Great service by Edith and great food! The beef wellington was fantastic and do not miss the chocolate tart. This was our first visit. We will be back soon.
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a wonderful little spot! Do not be fooled by the unassuming exterior, as soon as you walk in the atmosphere is very nice. We particularly loved the art on the walls. Our server Edith was just lovely, and the chef even came to say hello. The food was incredible! The short rib was particularly amazing, it melted in my mouth! And the panna cotta was to die for. If you're a fan of fine dining quality food in a more relaxed environment, this spot is for you! We will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We've been eating at Chez Sami since they opened in Wolfforth and were really happy to see they were opening in Lubbock. We were able to go to the Lubbock restaurant with another couple last week. The food was absolutely delicious. Servings were a bit small by West Texas standards, but they were certainly par for the course for upscale restaurants. Service staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. So why only three stars? Well, I've forced myself to ignore their high corkage fees ($10/bottle), which are the highest in Lubbock. But what I cannot overlook is being charged for plain old tap water--not bottled water, but tap water. When the bill for four people at the table is north of $250.00, It seems cheap and churlish to charge $2.00 a person for tap water. The food is great, but I don't feel valued as a customer after this kind of treatment.
Restaurantji Recommends
Cute place, great food and atmosphere :). It's like an old speakeasy because you can't tell how nice it is from the outside!
Looked forward to this dinner but left disappointed. Mussels were good. Beef Wellington was good. Table had two orders of short ribs. Initial taste was good but both were cold. Waited but didn't get noticed so we walked our food to the kitchen entrance to ask if they could heat it for us. They said they would re-plate and bring them back. Waited a long time and the other two of our party finished their entire meal before they brought ours back. Asked if the chef was in but told he was out. They said Gilbert was in. I actually don't think he was. The meals seemed more like the kind you get on an airplane. That is already made and then reheated by someone besides the chef. Most likely the servers had to heat our meals up while chef was working on the other restaurant? They charge a corkage fee ($10/bottle). Ok but for us we had to ask them to uncork and they poured only one glass. Corkage service was not there. We poured our own glasses throughout the night. Not an issue but having to pay the service corkage fee, shouldn't that include service? Were they so busy that this could be expected....well no. We were one of two tables and at the end we were the only table. Also for a finer dining experience I would have expected some type of either an apology or perhaps a dessert or something as compensation for the failed dinner. Well you would have guessed wrong. I would recommend the beef Wellington and short ribs but the duck was perhaps a bit old. I think we will try then new location but I also need to lower my expectations before going.
I took my staff for our holiday party and Chef Walter did NOT disappoint, we relaxed and were served amazing offerings by a fabulous staff!!! What a way to end the busy season!! We will surely be back!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So disappointing. Maybe because they are focusing on the Lubbock location. 2 of 4 dishes had to be sent back because they were cold. Got them back to the table after the other two had finished. No compensation whatsoever. Seemed frustrated that we stayed too long, as we were their only table. Not at all what we expected.
We chose this restaurant for our son's Graduation celebration. We don't live in the Lubbock area and booked on the recommendation of friends . The food was delicious and our server was friendly and helpful. The exterior of Chez Sami was a bit of a surprise, but Inside the restaurant was cozy and welcoming. I would highly recommend Chez Sami.