Sam's was recommended to me by the lovely women who were working at the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site. What I found was great food and a nice atmosphere. I had the seafood pasta, which was sauteed shrimp, scallops, and lobster served with pasta in a white wine garlic sauce. The seafood tasted so fresh, not like it had spent more time frozen than alive. It was all very wonderful! All of the servers were pleasant and helpful. I plan to return with my family to share the experience with them. read more

I travel a lot and eat exclusively at non chain restaurants, due to the fact that you get better quality meals. I was not expecting a great restaurant in the small town of Camden South Carolina. But sometimes you find a gem like this. The first night I dined here I had the best ribeye steak I have had in a long time. This was one of the best cuts of meat to start with and was prepared perfectly. I returned the next night for an open faced steak sandwich. In one word, YUM. Yes the service was great, but the food is what I look for. Mister Greg read more

Definitely one of my favorite date night restaurants in town. My wife and I have been here many times for dates, birthdays, drinks with friends, and business dinners. The food is always good and the staff is very attentive. Highly recommend the salads, steaks and drinks! read more

I mean Sam Kendall's is fine like it's an O.K restaurant. I think the food is fine I just think it is very upscale for a burger.

Well this was a surprise. I had no idea this place existed, but the food was good, the drinks were great and the waitstaff was very friendly/patient. I will definitely be back and recommend others to this place. read more

Great service, good food and great beers. First visit a few days ago was good enough for a future return visit. Walked right in on a Tuesday evening. Ambiance is quiet, classy and dark. We had fish tacos and grouper after a great appetizer of shrimp and crab stuffed mushrooms smothered in cheese. It's a bit pricey, tab for two w 1 app, 2 entrees and three drinks was $96. read more

See all

This is a beautiful restaurant right downtown in Camden. The interior is elegant yet absolutely charming. I thought the menu was excellent. My blackened Mahi was delicious. My companions ordered cheesecake and enjoyed it. I highly recommend SKs! read more

Thoroughly enjoyed this place! Excellent food and the atmosphere and service were on par. We had a scallop and pasta dish, and the tomato basil crab soup. Both very good. Highly recommend. read more

We've visited a few times in the last few months and our experience has varied. Each time we've asked for medium-well, our meals have come out more medium-rare. After the 1st time we clarified with our server how it would look, but were still disappointed. The last visit our server brought out the incorrect dishes 2 separate times for one of our party, as well as not bringing out other items (extra plate, more chips) All servers have bad nights, but this last experience was beyond annoying for the price of the meals for 4 adults, which came to $200. After this last visit we're going to take a break and hope that our next experience will be better. read more

Love this place so much! Favorite date nite spotFood is fabulous and staff is wonderful!

Absolutely love the décor and warm feeling this classy upper scale restaurant in Camden has. Brick walls lined the interior with dim lighting. There were booths ss well as table tops and bar seating Lining the interior. My girlfriend and I sat at the bar and had a drink while we waited for our food to go. She had a white Russian I Had a pino. This restaurant is moderate to high priced.The majority of the meals are between $20 and 35 dollars. The filet I believe was closer to $32 and it was done to perfection I ordered it medium but it did come out a little bit medium rare which I'm not complaining because I love Medium rare. I got dad the salmon And it came with a zucchini vegetable sideAnd a side Caesar salad with fresh anchovies . My girlfriend had the scallops and a broccoli side. My filets side was a baked potato loaded.I also ordered a pear and greens salad That came with a raspberry vinegar at champagne dressing it was delicious it also had fresh comple blue cheese and whole pecans I sat next to a lovely gentleman named Wayne who attended the University of Kentucky and he shared his appetizer with me which consisted of fresh fruit strawberries blueberries pear and oranges with assorted cheeses. That was so sweet of him and the cheeses tasted absolutely delicious with the wine. I was really appreciative of him sharing that appetizer with me since it is the 1st time I ever met him but I kind of felt like I had known him for a long time .By the time we were finished with our cocktails our meal was up and bagged and ready to go. I didn't check to see if there were silverware which was my mistake because Heather did not include silverware with our order that is why I took one star off. I really would have liked to have a knife and a fork to eat my filet and baked potato with but that just didn't happen so I felt like a cave man eating it with my fingers .I can't recall this restaurant being here when I lived here in the nineties but it really is a fantastic addition to the Camden downtown area . If you are looking for a good seafood or steak dinner this is definitely the spot for you. There is plentiful parking in the rear as there is no parking in the front of the building .I will absolutely definitely return before I leave to go back home because this is just too convenient to close to the hotel and way classy and exactly what I like when it comes to a nice dining establishment .If you are ever in the Camden area bake shore you stop in and have a nice meal. You definitely won't be sorry if you do decide to take food to go make sure you check it to make sure there is silverware and there.Heather did include delicious fresh baked bread which came with Olive oil balsamic vinegar and some oregano or spices which was absolutely delicious also. I really wish that they had half stars because I definitely have given it 4 and a 1/2 and only taken off half for not having any silverware. I'm looking forward to trying a few more dishes on the menu that caught my eye but for tonight the slate was my choice and it was delicious. Thank you Heather for taking great care of us. Her professionalism and friendly attitude when a long way. Everyone seems so friendly and that really made me feel welcome. I will just lie return before I leave as this is a really great restaurant. read more

See all

Staff was friendly and well attentive. Food was over priced. My $29 New York strip was the same quality as a $10 strip steak at a low end steak house like Texas corral. The fresh seafood was much better though. read more

Food was just O.K. Very overpriced for what you get $12.95 for a small hamburger. Waiter was ok The manager did not wear a mask and walked around the tables. No social distancing each booth was occupied. The restroom was almost dirty not very nice We will not go back ! read more

In town for the annual October blues festival (please make a trip to Camden for this it's really a great experience) and stopped in for lunch and some live music. Love the atmosphere of Sam Kendall's. Nice long bar to sit at if you are solo. Had the cheeseburger and fries. Burger was nice and juicy, cooked perfectly with fresh tomato, onion, and lettuce. Fries were hot and crispy. Draft beer on tap. Wine and cocktails available. Nice group of people dining here. Great ambiance. Will definitely come back here next time I'm in Camden. read more

Sam Kendall's is super tasty. There aren't many restaurant choices in Camden, so I'm happy to have this as an option when I'm visiting. We made reservations and I'm glad we did. On a Saturday night at 6:45pm, the restaurant was packed. To start we had the Red Hot Shrimp and Tuna Sashimi. Both were fresh and tasty. For my entree I had the crab cakes with seasonal veggies. It included two thick jumbo lump crab cakes sautéed and served with our jalapeño mustard and lemon butter sauces. It was fantastic. Unfortunately I never received my side, but I didn't even notice until after we had paid and were done eating. That's how good the crab cakes were. My date ordered the Ribeye with veggies and he said it was a good steak overall, cooked to perfection. All in all, Sam Kendall's is a solid restaurant. I would return if I'm in Camden again. read more

One of my favorite dinner spots. Cant beat the bang bang shrimp, a filet with a left hand milk stout.

This place is pretty good. I think it's way overpriced and overhyped. But they have pretty good craft beer, as well as, steak.. I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be but it wasn't awful. read more

I'm from mass and just traveling through and stoped at this cute place. We met Bob the bar tender who is so sweet. The drinks and the food is AMAZING. I had the half rack of BBQ ribs and my girlfriend had the scallop and pasta. Both I would recommend if u stop by. read more

My mother and I were visiting Camden and decided to get lunch. Mom is from Massachusetts and was thrilled to see Lobster Roll on the menu. We ordered the Lobster Roll and since I am LOW CARB, they placed the lobster in a lettuce leaf bed. They also had no problem substituting asparagus and broccolli for the fries. The waiter was great, the owner met my mother, and they talked about Massachusetts, as they are both from that part of the country. We had a wonderful time, and Mom was thrilled to get Lobster roll and meet someone from the same part of the US as she was from. . read more

Overpriced, food bland. If you want to eat and drink with Camden elite great place. Value and taste for your dollar, not so much.

Average at best! My wife and I had dinner on Monday, August 6 at Sam Kendall's in Camden. It was our first vist and it will be our last. The food was average at best and overpriced for the medicore flavors. I got the baby back ribs and the sauce was nothing more that tomato paste watered down! The bread came from some store and was dry and not good. My wife's zucchini and squash side dish was bland. read more

Went back this year and got the seafood pasta again. It was seasoned perfectly and had a little more Cajun flair to it. It was perfect. This was the best pasta I've had. It was so good. The drinks were great. Really enjoyed the restaurant and can't wait to return. read more

The food is always delicious and the service, excellent. I love the charming atmosphere.

Love the atmosphere of this restaurant! We went on a Friday afternoon around 3:30, had not problem getting a nice booth immediately. I ordered the mini crab cakes which were delicious and a steak with asparagus both of which were cooked perfect. The server was friendly and knowledgeable about the Camden area. read more

* atmosphere was very professional and comfortable, though a little on the dark side. Nice furniture, sleek looking bar * hostess was very nice and helpful! She was actually the one who read the specials to us * our waiter was also nice, but kind of dull, never cracked a smile. We didn't have to wait too long for food or check, but would have enjoyed the personality of the hostess a lot more! * got the ahi tuna as an appetizer and it was AMAZING. really the star of the night! You could definitely tell they use fresh tuna. * my date and I both got chicken entrées - I ordered the pasta salad and the other Caribbean marinated. The pasta of mine was tasty, lots of cheese and spiced well, though the chicken was disappointingly bland. The marinated chicken, however, was flavorful, nice seasoning. Mashed potatoes were bland, Caesar salad good. All in all it was a nice experience and we'll definitely come back by for appetizers and to try out the bar. read more

Way overpriced! Go across the street to Steeple Chase. The food is just as good or better and it's much less expensive.

Marking up food that is cooked poorly doesn't make it better. I fully understand that Camden is lacking in upscale restaurants, but that doesn't mean that a previously frozen steak that isn't cooked to order--dry and hardly medium-rare--is delicious just because it was more expensive. Service was fine, but the food could have come from a local chain restaurant based on its preparation. read more

The seafood pasta seems to be random on how many scallops and lobster I get but Other than that the pasta itself tastes great and the burgers are delicious read more

We were driving through and picked this restaurant randomly from Yelp. It was awesome! My son, parents and I were all very pleased with our meals. My parents had the scallops and commented that they were cooked perfectly! My salad and my son's pork chop were all very good also. The waitress was super and the setting was very attractive!! If you're driving thru make this stop! read more

Salad was adequate. Service was wonderful. Though almost too quick. Barely finishing y salad when the steak came out. However, whoever cooked that steak, do not get rid of him or her! Excellent!! Nice thick cut filet and cooked perfectly medium rare! My boyfriend said the same thing. Price was not bad either. Ambiance very nice. Excited to go back again. Thank you. read more

We had heard such wonderful things about this restaurant, but ended up being a bit disappointed. The food was adequate, but the server we had was less than tactful. Several times he reached over my grandmother to grab plates, kept trying to take her food when she was not finished with it, he also kept forgetting simple things we asked to be brought to the table, brought out one persons salad and had three other people waiting for more than 10min (finally had to ask another waitress to get them), worst of all he was using swear words and we had children in out party. I thought my food was okay, others in the party really liked theirs, and the dessert was fantastic. At the end of our meal the owner came by and saved the day. We all really appreciated that and are more than glad to come back after having the owner apologize directly to us. read more

My wife and I went there for our anniversary. Needless to say, the food and service is outstanding. I had the ribeye and my wife the seafood pasta and it was deliscious. After dinner desert and cocktails it was a little pricey but well worth it. read more

The ribeye was delicious and the crab cakes superior, but the entire experience was tainted by the heat in the restaurant. Spent the entire meal fanning. Servers and hostess all sweating. I can only imagine the kitchen. Is it sanitary to have workers in that condition dealing with food? Host told us it had been that way most of the summer. The air just can't keep up. Such a disappointment to spend $100 on a meal for two and have to rush to escape the heat. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g54159-d871181-r397741081-Sam_Kendall_s-Camden_South_Carolina.html# read more

Drinks are marvelous. Try a Bloody Mary. House salad with sweet balsamic vinegar dressing. I ordered the special, grouper with artichoke hearts very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Very nice selection. read more

Good atmosphere and friendly, efficient staff. The shrimp are very large and probably imported or farmed; they don't have much flavor. They would do well to switch to large SC shrimp. The rib eye was cooked properly and well flavored. The lobster pot was, well...just poor. I'd go back but I wouldn't get the shrimp. I'm giving them four stars because of the staff...I give the chef three stars because he could do so much better with what he has. It's a little pricy for what you get. read more

Sam Kendals has always been our favorite and dependable restaurant in our small town. Dinner experience there this week wasn't up to what we have been accustomed to. Mostly due to inattentive service. Server brought basket of bread first then waters then about ten minutes later finally our drinks arrived. The bread was disappointing. It was a small loaf of plain white bread. More like eating a hot dog roll. I would expect something like Italian bread with a nice crust. Our dinner of Lump crab over Cod was cooked perfectly and flavorful. Water glasses were not refilled. Friends also dinned there this week and said drinks took twenty minutes to arrive. Attention to detail was not what it had been in the past. Not sure what has changed but hopefully it will get better again. read more

Out of 7 visits to this restaurant, the last 3 were terrible. From rude wait staff to subpar food, it's definitely not worth the price. The old building is very cool though. I'm never going back. There are consequences for treating customers rudely while messing up simple orders. read more

Certainly, the best the Camden area has to offer. Good wine list, limited, but well chosen and priced better than I've seen elsewhere. Good service and very good food. The last time there, (we go 2 or 3 times a month) my wife had the calamari and I, the tomato bisque/crab soup for starters. Didn't share my soup -too good - but stole a few of my wife's calamari. Well worth the dirty look I got from her. Had the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, at $38.00. For our main course Ann had their sea scallops with a side salad and asparagus, I had their sea-bass. The sea bass was elegantly simple, with a lemon dill sauce. The scallops were tender, moist and very fresh. Desert was a shared chocolate peanut butter pie. Absolutely no calories or fat grams either. Dinner was $140 with including wine and a generous tip. read more

I am actually an ex employee of Sam Kendall's and I can personally vouch for Johnathan's (the owner) acute attention to detail and borderline OCD maintenance of his establishment. You could walk into his kitchen or cold food storage any day of the week and find his items meticulously labeled and maintained to the utmost. Charles, the chef, has been there since day 1 and runs a tight ship in the back. Sam, the bartender and owner's son, is always quick with a joke and is always pleasant to converse with. Now to the food, it is literally the best spot in Camden. Camden is my hometown and I always make it a point to go here with friends and family when I'm home. Always start with the Broccoli Bites! Hot gooey cheeses complimented with flavorful bacon and crunchy broccoli bits, it's amazing. Or try the tuna sashimi. The tuna steaks are always fresh and hand sliced by the salad prep. Next, try a cup of the potato leek soup. It is made fresh in house and has a mild comforting flavor that's perfect on a crisp evening or opt for a crunchy house salad. Tip: ask for the Mandarin dressing, it's unique and boldly flavorful. Charles likes to rotate the specials out regularly with fresh seafood and new twists on menu items. If you see the swordfish piccata, get it! If you just want to stick to the standard menu items, I have two absolute go-to's every time. If I want something a little light, I go with the Salmon paired with asparagus and the garlic mash. The salmon is always simply succulent and cooked to perfection with complimentary seasonings that's are accommodating to any palate. My second, and this is my entire family's go-to that they get every time, the Kingston Cut. Charles chooses perfectly aged USDA beef that he marinates in a light citrus marinade with hints of pineapple (its made in house) daily and grills each tender cut to your preference. It is just to die for, we never need to go boxes because we all clean our plates! If you fancy a smooth drink, pull up a chair at the bar and let Sam shake up a cocktail for you. The wine list is fantastic (I'm a bit of a wino) and the liquor selection is quite extensive, there's really something for everyone. The staff, the ambience, the cleanliness, and the amazing food makes Sam Kendall's a must-visit when you pass through our little town. read more

We stopped in on our way through Camden because it popped up on my phone. What a pleasant experience!!! The manager accommodated is on a busy night and the wait staff was phenomenal! The food was EXCELLENT! Best steak I've had in a very long time. I would definitely recommend anyone in the area to try this restaurant. The total experience was a great end to 2019 and an excellent start to 2020! read more