The service here was HORRIBLE! I couldn't believe how unhelpful the server was when I went there after reading the great reviews on YELP. The food was maybe 3 stars, but this place is definitely banned from my list of places to eat in Merced. read more

Great food. Reasonable prices. I am not able to stand much in the way of heat but this place really works with anyone. Even people like me. The owner is amazing. He remembers your name, your order and actually cards about the community and his customers. The restraunt itself is clean and feels friendly as soon as you walk in. Not alot of places can manage that. This place is a must. The combo pad thai is amazing!! read more

I'm so glad that I discovered Sam's Cafe on campus! They are the best Thai food I've had in a while. I was starting to miss the food back home in L.A but this is definitely a new favorite. I love the thai tea as well! Very good :) no complaints! read more

I'm not a huge fan of Thai food, because I'm not big on spices so generally I stick to the pad se ew. Always delicious, always the right amount of spice and just a tad sweet. We went here because we were in Merced and were meeting a friend. The wait staff was super friendly, the place was clean and not overly crowded. I must say even though I asked for no spice at all in my pad se ew, it had a little kick to it compared to other places. It wasn't bad, but definitly not my fav. I would come here again, if hubby wanted, but it would not be one I'd chose. Again super amazing staff. read more

I love Thai food. So as a new student in town, I wanted to learn my way around. And when I found out that this town actually has Thai food, I was like "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" So my mom and I went to Sam's Thai. I have never been to a restaurant where they ask me how spicy I want my Pad Thai. The waitress asked me how spicy on a scale of 1 to 10. I love spicy food, so I said 7. MY MOUTH WAS BURNING OMG OMG OMG!!!! I tried to get though it but I was sweating so much and my lips were on fire so I asked if I could get a 3. They remade my dish for me. :) Also, the owner, Sam, was there asking everyone how they liked their meal. He's a cool dude and he knew people that I knew from the UC. You can tell that the place is very family oriented because you can see pictures of him and his family and the story of how they started the restaurant. They also have Karaoke! I will definitely come back here again, and this time, I will order a 3 LOL read more

This is easily one of the better tasting Thai restaurants that I've eaten at in Merced, if not the best, but I still have to try out a couple more before I make that assessment. The prices are good for the portions you get, and the food is really tasty. I'd recommend the pad see ew, the friend calamari (absolutely delicious), and the sauteed mussels. My only gripe is the location of this place, as its kinda of in the middle of nowhere in the auto repair strip district of Merced (not the nicest part of town) and the restaurant has a habit of having things taste a bit different every time I go, as though perhaps there are chefs who stylize some of the dishes in different ways than others. read more

Food was tasty. Owner was friendly, but the waitress was usually horrible/unresponsive. At her best she was decent. You get the sense that she is going through the motions and checked out a while ago. Check it out if you're in the area, but be proactive to get what you need in a timely manner. The sticky rice is not fresh, so try something else. read more

My go to Thai restaurant in town! Best pad Thai and pho! The owner sam and his staff are also very nice. Lots of seating and not extremely cram! I highly recommend this place. Also papaya salad and the combination fried rice are also really good! read more

This was my frist time here, and I was caught a big off-guard by Sam. I was looking through the menu and I hear a big loud voice, since he had an apron on I thought it was a bit weird for him to be talking to us. Haha. I thought this because I thought the hostess would talk more instead. But anyway, Sam is very nice, he offered the Pad Thai, told us that if we didn't like it we can return it to the kitchen, no questions asked. When the Pad Thai got here, it was tasted delicious! The noodles were the absolute best. So chewy. However, the one thing I didn't like was that it was too spicy. Sam cooked it to perfection for my boyfriend, who loves spicy stuff. We also ordered the Orange Chicken, the chicken was lightly fried and the orange sauce tasted amazing! I didn't really like the texture of the rice though. =\ and he didn't have any brown rice. =\ That's okay. I didn't expect such a restaurant to be where it was considering the environment it was in. We made a wrong turn and kept on driving, and we ended up near the coroner's office and cemetary. Gave us quite a scare there. We were happy and relieved to find Sam's Cafe. Whew! Haha. read more

Sam Cafe - Thai Near Me - Merced, California

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One of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to, and I'm usually a huge critic of Thai food! The head chef and waiters/waitresses are extremely nice and the servings are VERY generous. I'm not a regular, but I heard the more familiar your face is to the staff, the more generous the food servings are. Definitely coming again! read more

Decent thai joint we came across on the road. The curry and pad se ew were good, and similar to most I've tried before...I don't think I've ever had BAD Thai food. However I picked up a spring roll, saw a that a green leavy substance took up about 1/3 of it, thought to myself "I sure hope that's lettuce and not mint", took a bite and it was the dreaded CILANTRO (which isnt listed on the menu as being in the roll). BLEH! Even for people who like it, isn't it supposed to be used as a garnish/herb instead of a replacement for greens? Yuck. read more

After eating at several Thai restaurants in Merced. This place it my fav. Not with most restaurant s when it comes provocation. But nas it when it comes to authentic Thai cuisine. read more

Sam Cafe - Very popular combo dish "Pad Thai". - Thai Near Me - Merced, California

Sams is in a tie for best Thai food in Merced, this place and Thai Cuisine both have great Thai food, cannot really go wrong with anything on the menu, only problem is that the food can be inconsistent depending on who is in the Kitchen. TRY THE EGG SODA ITS GOOD!!!!! read more

love Sam Cafe! I'm always craving the combo pad thai or the red shrimp curry, my husband is picky and surprisingly now loves Sam Cafe too!

The pad Thai is phenomenal and the service is awesome very friendly!!

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing management, what more could you want?? The pad thai here is incredible. They strike a good balance between sweet/sour, nutty, and spicy. I usually go for the "level 5" heat but I've ventured into level 7 territory before and found that I could stand it. The food always comes out quickly, fresh, and of consistent quality. It's always great to see Sam, shake his hand, and exchange a few words. He's incredibly friendly and always makes sure that our experience at his restaurant is a positive one. As a student of the university, I really appreciate the effort that Sam puts forth to run his restaurant and maintain the stand he runs on campus. read more

I wish I loved this place like everyone else but Orange chicken wasnt that good...and the amount of chicken that I got seemed like 1/2 cup of serving.the fried rice wasnt that good neither..next time I'll skip this place and just stick with new thai cuisine read more

I love Sam's this is the first place I went to eat out at in Merced. Sam is so sweet and he knows how spicy should be :D I love their pad thai and Sam's lunch box they are so delicious!!! I feel that their thai tea can be too sweet but it balances out will with Sam's spicy sauce. This place may be far away from the campus but I believe that every student should take the time to try this place out at least once. You will not regret it read more

Pad Thai is usually amazing, however, this time the noodles were not cooked all the way and were so undercooked that they were hard to chew. Service was so terrible that I felt leaving any sort of tip was hardly justified. We had to leave our table to find our server to ask for water, and after waiting 10 minutes after we were finished eating for them to come check on the table we asked for the bill. Ten minutes after we asked for the bill it still was not brought. We then approached the cash register where we had to wait at least 5 minutes for someone to come talk to us, and another 10 minutes for them to finish our payment transaction. And they weren't even busy. read more

First time here and food was delish! I would have never stumbled on to this great place because of its location, but thankfully I heard about it through some friends and checked it out on Yelp. Had great reviews so I brought my family here after church. Food was great, owner and waiters were very friendly. Definitely coming back! read more

Sam Cafe - Thai Near Me - Merced, California

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Very good food and service. They were very happy to modify our pineapple fried rice to vegetarian and the wide noodle dishes both to vegetarian too! Great taste. Friendly service. Very nice owners. The extra star is because it is Merced. read more

In Merced Sam Cafe is your best bet for good Pad Thai. The cashew chicken and blended curry is aslo highly reccomended. On a cold day, the rice noodle soup really hits the spot. Say what you want about the decor, I come here for the food. If you want ambiance, you'll have to pay for it somewhere else. Sam is almost always on hand to greet his customers and help them through the menu. Warning: you will be asked how spicy you want your dish. I like my food really spicy and a 6 hurts sometimes. If it is your first time, it's best to play it safe - go with a 4. I can't speak to the authenticity of the food, but I know good food - and Sam Cafe has some great dishes to offer! read more

Ate at Sam Thai again. Such a pleasure. Pad Thai was perfect. Medium spicy was great 5/10 on the spicy scale. Might have to try a little spicier but so many things to choose from I probably won't get back to Pad Thai for awhile. Can't wait to try some curry. Keep up the good work. read more

The food is okay they give you very little portions. Also the place is very dim and the prices are kinda high for what they give you. I asked if I could have half and half of something but they said they would do it but for a fee. That's ridiculous to charge me an extra $10?? No thanks read more

Just recently visited this gem and I am absolutely in love. Best pad Thai in town. The owner is super friendly and staff is very attentive. Also, if there is a Thai dish not on the menu, they are willing to work with you to create one you will love. Absolutely no disappointments here! read more

Sam Cafe - Thai Near Me - Merced, California

Let's see where can I start this is another hidden treasure mom and pop spot in Merced. I love the owner the customer service. Oh my God the spring rolls the pad thai noodles ,roasted duck and the chicken wings I tried the Thai beer everything was so good I would definitely will be back. read more

This place is ALWAYS AWESOME! Sam is usually in and is warm and entertaining. The food, on the food is amazing. Pleaser come and enjoy the uniqueness of this special place. read more

I love the food here, so does my girlfriend. We takeout a lot, but when we do dine in we feel at home. They are welcoming and remember us, and always put a smile on for us. Pad Thai is a must try, Pho is excellent as well. I will always return. read more

This place is hellah bomb. My wife and I will legit come here twice in one week sometimes when we're feeling a little spicy. Also I just tried the Thai tea and I was like ahh what if I don't like it but then I was like whatevs, full send. I got it and it's also hellah bomb. The people who work here are pretty dope too they're always nice. Anyways highly recommend. Ya boi Laden, out. read more

Myself and my family went in to have lunch and one of the waitresses was ill and instead of being at home she was at work. She literally kept on wiping her nose with her hands and decided to not wash them, grabbed our plates and served them to us. We instantly opted out of eating or meals after that, we left and haven't been back since. read more

Can here on the recommendation of a UC Merced student. At first I wasn't sure about this place. Its not fancy and a litte run down. But then the food came out. All of a sudden the decorate of a place seized to matter and I simply began to enjoy all the flavors and smells. The service was amazing as well. Wonderful family own place. Very accommodating to our needs. read more

My favorite restraint for 2018 up until this past Saturday. The young lady that waited our table was rude & gross. 1st she didn't give us straws for our drinks after our initial request and I literally had to get up from my bvb table to get one. Next after this same waitress serves our food she wipes the snot from her nose with her bare hand as she walked away. The older and younger gentleman that work there are very respectful people if you see her request for another waiter. read more

I always love their food, and it's fresh ..the owner is so nice and always checks in with his patrons when he's there!

This place by far is the best Thai food around. Sam's is comfortable, easily accessible off of the freeway and decently priced. We ordered Pad Thai Combo, Thai Muscles and Yellow Curry. The Pad Thai (#5 spicy) had enough kick to it without being too hot and not dry at all like the other local Thai food places I have eaten at. My husband says the Yellow Curry bowl at Sam's is the best he has eaten. PSA - come during daylight hours. Not the best side of town. read more

The place is definitely run down. Food was oily and the ceiling drapes, outdated decorations, and outside appearance of the restaurant should have been a tell tell sign things won't be that great. read more

Sam's cafe was recommended by some friends of mine. My niece and I absolutely loved the food and the restaurant is really beautiful. The service was great and we'll definitely be back!!! The Mongolian beef and orange chicken was to die for! read more

Really good food at a reasonable price. Perfect place for early breakfast or brunch. It's a small cafe so get there early or you'll be waiting by the door a bit before being seated. The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is because my 5 yr old daughter spilled her chocolate milk almost right as we got there..the waitress seemed so bothered that she handed me the towel to clean it up myself so after I came back from wiping my daughter down, the table was cleaned ..sort of. Glad she left the rag on the table. read more

Service: The service was not very good. When we walked in, no one greeted us. When we were acknowledge, the waitress took our order like she didn't care, and our water was never refilled. No smile, no single splash of enthusiasm. *on one note though, I think the owner past by, he was pleasant. It brightened up the experience a bit. Environment: This restaurant was placed in a pretty sketchy area. When you walk in, the place is a bit dark. It's not one of those places where you feel bright and welcomed, however, if you like the mysterious feel, then you'll enjoy this setting. Food: The food here is what really saved this place from a horrible rating. I personally thought that my Mongolian beef with rice (the rice costed extra) was SO DELICIOUS. I thought my friend's Combo Pad Thai was also really really nice. My other friend who is a vegetarian did not enjoy her dish- which was customized- she was not given much and the veggies did not have much flavor at all. Overall, the food was great (for me), but expect bad customer service. I may come here again. read more

This is one of my favorite Thai restaurants when I'm in the area. Their chicken wing, pad thai, garlic chicken, peanut sauce, and so many others are delicious! The staff is so sweet! read more

Best combo pad thai ever!!!!! Have tried others in Frenso but none can compare!! Also Sam is the sweetest person ever. Also try the sticky rice!!!! Pho is bomb too read more