Sam's Kitchen

I was thrilled to find Sam's Kitchen on Kuhio Ave in Waikiki. It was a little late and my friends and I just wanted to hang out a bit. One friend was staying at the Bamboo Hotel and asked us all to join him at Sam's Kitchen for a bite to eat and we could byob. The staff were friendly, we got plenty of service, the space looks amazing, and the food was yummy! We ordered fried tofu, veggie spring rolls, and crispy fries to share as pupus. I will definitely go back and will bring friends with me!

This is a place that I really wanted to like since the people there were SO friendly but the food fell a bit short for me. Granted, they had JUST moved to their new location so I feel like things were a bit unorganized and they were still trying to figure stuff out a bit. Starting with the positives, Sam and his team are so nice! You can tell they love what they do and love seeing their customers happy. There were a couple hiccups during our experience but they were always quick to try to remedy the situation. Our food took a little long to get to us but the servers always checked in with us which was nice.Unfortunately, the food was just average esp for the price point they are set at (at least it was for the night we went...). Personally couldn't taste anything super special about the garlic shrimp and the steak that we ordered was dry. I will say that I like that they give you the options to choose a sauce and protein for one of the dishes they offer - their sauce selection sounds pretty interesting (included a pic). Their new location is in a pretty nice spot in Waikiki though, so that's also a plus. It was nice to walk around after dinner to explore and digest.

Royal Hawaiian Location is closed!!! I guess my Apple Maps directed me to their old location. Waikiki mall food hall at 'The Stix' is still under construction. Don't be like me, tracking down Sam's kitchen not knowing the only spot that is open would the Bamboo hotel location. lol

This review is for takeout only. A family member recommended Sam's in Waikiki as a good place for garlic shrimp if in the area. We had to pick-up someone from the airport at 10 p.m. so returning to Waikiki brought limited options for dinner at that time. Arriving at Sam's, we decided to order a variety of dishes to share. We ordered an original garlic steak (just the meat, no rice or salad), two garlic shrimp with rice and salad and a spicy garlic shrimp (just the meat).Service is quick and friendly. Food is less than average. The steak was extremely overcooked and tasted more like beef jerky. The garlic sauce in all of the dishes didn't have much flavor. We ended up not finishing about half of the food and ate leftover musubi and poke we got earlier that day.

Conveniently located at our hotel! Perfect spot after a long day out. We lost track of time and ended up strolling back to our hotel late after exploring. So glad we were able to have a meal right by the pool. It's a really beautiful scene with the string lights, and some relaxing loungers. At the time they seemed a bit understaffed so things were a bit slower. There were lots of guests for the marathon so I appreciated the server checking in every now and then to make sure we were okay. Not a bad meal for a convenient and chill spot.

Food good, Ambience great, Bartender Amazing. Donnie Roxx is his name, full service is his game. By far the most inviting and friendly guy. Full bar with a great laid back Tiki vibe. Donnie took care of us for 9 days straight. Gave us great aloha vibes and great recommendations for the best experience ever. We had an Airbnb that we were not super excited about. But when we found Sam's Steak and pool bar, Donnie changed our experience for the better. Even if we don't stay at the bamboo next time we will be back to Sam's Steakhouse for drinks with the friends we made here.

Didn't get to try a shrimp truck on North Shore, but chose this for a bite in between hiking Diamond Head and surfing in an outrigger canoe.Literally a hole-in-the-wall/alley situation. I had the original garlic shrimp plate which came peeled, with potato & mac salad, rice, and salad mix. They had just opened so there was a little bit of a wait for the food. Street-facing tables, enclosed (but stuffy), or go around back to the awning-covered alley tables behind where you place your order. The shrimp was very garlicky! My dining companions also tried the tofu, the teri garlic chicken, and another flavor/style shrimp plate. We didn't try the beef or spicy sauce. Service was ok.

The menu is short and sweet. It made ordering a lot easier! The food quality was good, and the price is more than fair. The ambiance is perfect for a chill meal, with a relaxed vibe that made it easy to unwind. It's tucked away behind a hotel, so it's a bit of a hidden gem. They have a yellow van parked from of the hotel. Definitely a place I'd return to for both the food and the laid-back atmosphere!

The bar service from rock Star Donny is the best in all of Hawai'i. The food is pretty good too, but definitely drop in and say hi to Donny.

My girlfriend and I decided to try this place, but our experience was underwhelming. I ordered the teriyaki steak and garlic shrimp for takeout. Unfortunately, the steak, which I asked to be cooked medium rare, came out well done and lacked much flavor. The garlic shrimp also fell short of expectations, as they tasted plain and had no noticeable garlic flavor.What added to the disappointment was the wait time. The dine-in area wasn't busy at all, so we couldn't understand why takeout took so long. We were looking forward to a nice meal, but both the food quality and service left us feeling let down.