Sam’s Pizza & Burgers

How have I never reviewed this place?LOVEGreat burger and fries in a classic San Francisco hole-in-the-wall. So good.Open late.LIKECounter seating, elbow to elbow with friendly strangers, watching the cook grill up orders.

Yea, not sure what happened here, but I was in San Francisco Chinatown Hilton and had an urge for a late night burger, so decided to check out the night scene. Walked around for awhile, a lot of Chinese restaurants were either closed or had a reserved CNY party going on ( it was still within the CNY celebration period), so eventually stumbled across this dive/hole-in-the-wall burger joint along Broadway, "Sam's Pizza and Burger", right across the street from the "Condor Club", once better known as "THE Condor" in its heydays with Carol Doda! Anyhoot, back to Sam's, the place had serious late night dive texture which is actually very appealing to me and many others for its street life ambiance and old school lifestyle which in and by itself didn't disappoint. One of the patrons and his girlfriend/wife/whateva whom I chatted with were very friendly even during this late night hour. You never know who's real and who's a jerk unless you engage him/her in a chitty chat, and this dude and his girlfriend/wife/whateva were good folks. ............The only disappointment came with the burger! It was dry and had nothing but an overly dry patty sandwiched between 2 Safeways buns! Keep in mind I've never been to this dive and especially never late at night, so I thought what I got impersonating as a burger was what late night Broadway SF had to offer and I was good with it given my low expectations of the late night dives. ..............flash forward a few days later after I checked out photos on google maps, read the dive's historical significance in SF, and checked out photos of this joint - I see photos of juicy burgers you would lust for with greasy lettuce, tomato, and some special sauce! ...........I said to myself, whaaaaa!? Did I look stupid to the cook at the place and so he decided to play me!? I got a dry patty covered with a Safeways bun, nothing else, zero! Where is my juicy patty with lettuce, tomato, and greasy sauce burger that others have raved about!? I also came to realize this dive on Broadway SF is a San Francisco institution and had high remarks from the man himself, Anthony Bourdain! .......soooooooo ANSWERED ME my "Sam's Pizza and Burger" friends whom seem so friendly---nothing on you'all---but the dry nothing burger was a deal breaker for this review! Maybe the cook just had a bad-hair day!? .....but, again, for reals though, Answer me, WTF!? and maybe I'll change my mind and this review! Peace, out!https://gallery.wingsdomain.com

Dating as far back as when I was a teenager, if not earlier, I had always been curious about that "tiny hole in the wall burger joint by Chinatown". Even back then, I really liked how Sam's felt like it had been transported from a bygone era in SF's history. After the famed Anthony Bourdain (RIP) stopped in for one of his shows, though, my curiosity increased significantly...as did nearly everyone else's out there. Not that I blame them - it says something when someone that well travelled and knowledgeable about food declares it one of their top three burgers in the world!In nearly every way, Sam's is practically the epitome of an old school, divey type of spot - no-frills and classic rather than trendy. At the same time, that also what adds to their appeal. After all, they've become a decades old legacy restaurant for a reason! Inside, the restaurant is tiny (it's mostly counter seating with a few small tables), the fixtures are dated and worn from years of use, and the menu is pretty simple. Along with their burgers, they also offer hot dogs, Polish sausages, fish & chips, spicy chicken wings, and a mixture of fried goodies, like fried shrimp, onion rings, nuggets, and corn dogs. The signage above the door still lists pizza, but they seem to have disappeared.-- SAM'S CHEESEBURGER - Quarter Pound Beef Patty, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Red Onion, Mayo, Ketchup, and Mustard on a Toasted Sesame Seed Bun...$8.99If I had to name an example of your "basic" cheeseburger, this would be it. It has all of the classic fixings, but no bells or whistles. Similarly, the taste of this was pretty standard - flavorful patty, melted cheese, and fresh veggies. There was too much bun, though (felt dry) and I would've liked less ketchup/mustard.-- SPICY WINGS WITH FRIES...$13.99Rather than split a side of fries, my buddy and I opted to get this. The batter was crispy and the chicken was moist, but they weren't very spicy (I didn't mind, but you might). The onion rings were a nice surprise (pretty solid), but the fries didn't do much for me (a bit dark and soggy).As far as service goes, we didn't run into any problems, but I can see why some Yelpers have. The guy working the counter took our order quickly and the food came out reasonably quick (the wings took a bit longer than the burgers), but he didn't come across as being all that friendly. Not that workers always have to smile and be cheerful and all that, but he sounded really irritated when taking the order for the group behind us and with this one couple. However, in his defense, it's possible that one couple was the issue, as seemed to perk up after they had left.While I certainly didn't expect Sam's to live up to Anthony Bourdain's heady praise (not sure anyone could), I can't say my burger was as good as I had hoped it would be. Still, that's not to say it was bad - it's absolutely worth checking out. it just didn't overwhelm me. My buddy described it as a really good version of what you'd get at a BBQ with friends and I can kind of see what he means. It checks all of the boxes for what a decent cheeseburger should have, but that's about it (there's a reason it's just $9). Perfect for a relatively cheap meal and/or after a night of drinking (love the late night hours!), but if I'm going to eat a burger, I don't mind spending a few bucks more to get more.THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down, but I get why others would have rounded up.

These burgers here are simple, no frills serving your standard diner burger. It reminds me of a bigger McDonalds burger. It's fast, simple and dressed with your standard ketchup, pickles, american cheese, etc. It's worth a stop after a night of going out. The quality of the beef reminds me of pre-shaped frozen patties like you'd buy at Costco and wholesale stores. I'd get it again if I'm in the area, but it's not a burger I'd go out of my way for.

Tried Sam's on a food crawl day in SF as we were celebrating a foodie's birthday! Sincere the birthday boy loved Anthony Bourdain's shows and the places he dined at, we decided to try Sam's burger and pizza. The burgers are great, and they have a special entree named after Anthony B!! The service was fast as well and seems the original owner passed away and his son runs the place, chatted with him for a while and glad he is keeping the family business going!!

Sam's is an old-school neighborhood dive, a relic of a bygone era! While it's fun to dine in and reminisce about the days when the legendary Anthony Bourdain graced this counter, I think, sadly, those days have come & gone...The Double Cheeseburger is hearty, but the meat quality isn't stellar, and it's a bit greasier than I would prefer. Also, when I dined at the counter, the cheese wasn't melted. I don't know if this is standard practice, or they simply served with cold cheese by mistake, but it doesn't make for the complete cheeseburger experience that I crave at a place like this. I also found it to be a bit pricey at $12.I also opted for a side of fries for an additional $5. While pricey, these were hot, fresh, and delicious, and are more of a soft "diner style" texture than crispy, which I prefer. All in all, I think Sam's is a fun place to come if you are looking for a vintage burger dive with history tied to the city, but I wouldn't recommend seeking it out for the burger alone.

Sam's is a great spot to grab late night burgers and fries after a night out in North Beach and it's packed!! They have a couple tables inside and bar seating; they also have outdoor seating. We got the Anthony Bourdain special- double cheeseburger, fries, and a beer. I really like the family feel, lots of old newspaper articles/pictures of this history of Sam's, yes there are lots about AB visiting! The fries were seasoned with salt and pepper, and the burger was delicious and very very filling. The service was great, but it takes a minute to get the burger if there's a cue. Overall good food and vibes! They take cash and credit (3% surcharge).

The food is alright. I get that it's an institution, but I don't see what the hype is about. They're burgers that you would get in someone's backyard. Even drunk, it just wasn't hitting. Checked my notes on the food the next morning and it read "wtf this aint it." Really the only draw is that it's open late and it's not too expensive.

Hole in the wall spot that serves frozen foods heated up. It is what it is and might just hit the spot. The oil used to fry the fries was incredibly dirty and the fries came out an unappealing grey-ish color but the cheeseburger was decent. They crisp the bun up nicely and that really elevated the burger for me.

The best late night hang over cure in the area. It's a one man show who's cooking, taking orders, and working the register. Service was fast and food was hot off the grill. I recommend the onion rings and everything on the burger +bacon