Sam B's holds a special place in my heart. As someone who grew up in Bowling Green, it feels like it's been around forever, and while I know the ownership has changed over the years, the spirit is alive and well. The food is surprisingly dialed in, with high-quality ingredients and deep know-how in the kitchen. Surprising only because the atmosphere and service are a little rough around the edges. Things like chipped plates take a lot away from the otherwise expertly prepared food, and the urgent nature of the service detracts from a proper date night. That said, BG is a college town, and Main Street is the epicenter of drunkenness, so I imagine it would be difficult not to have things set up the way they are -- a place built for the pace of a college town, focused on high-quality but quick meals. And maybe I just need to come back in the summer, when the college kids are gone and the townies take over. But seriously, Sam B's is almost perfect. And somehow that actually does make it perfect, for what it is. read more

See all

Went here with our daughter for a BGSU Presidents' Day event. Street parking was easy. We did not have reservations, in the future I would make them for any event, it is small but cozy. Menu has a lot of options can and vegetarian included. Has seafood which I love. Drinks, we started with a Long Island Iced Tea, it was good. Hubby had something like an Elizabeth Taylor IPA? Not sure if he got the name right but the aroma was lovely and it tasted lovely as well. As far as apps daughter ordered the Brussel sprouts with bacon. She and hubby tore it up. It did come really late, it was served with the meal which I will explain later. But, big hit. We all shared my cup of French onion soup. We all had different takes on it. I would deduct one star but clearly everyone has different likes regarding French onion soup. Don't get me wrong the taste was there, but it was very thick like a stew. The croutons were actually store type croutons so that with the thickness, the croutons were hard. Daughter loved that, I did not. Sooo potato tomato (pronunciation). So if it sounds like thick French onion soup with crusty croutons are your thing, you will love it. Entrees, daughter had the goat cheese raspberry salad, she was very happy with it, looked ver fresh. I had the seafood risotto, I'm always hesitant because you can really mess that up in so many ways. I have had many that had a fishy taste, this certainly did not. The kitchen was out of scallops so it was served with extra shrimp. It was excellent. One does pause before ordering seafood when surrounded by farm fields smack dab in Ohio, but they handled it nicely. Hubby had the salmon pesto risotto, while I did not love it, he did. The Brussel sprouts as I mentioned came out with dinner. The service I will say was slow. Our waiter, Seth, apologized and explained that they were not expecting so many people on a Sun night.I would have deducted a Star for the slow service but I felt that he made it right by apologizing, explaining, and did offer a free dessert, which we did not take. We will return and make reservations next time. read more

See all

A friend and i went there yesterday for lunch. We both got the 1/2 soup and sandwich deal. She got French onion and i ordered tomato bisque. We both got the Lake Erie sandwich with a choice of perch or walleye. The food was excellent as was the service. The server was kind, efficient and brought our food quickly. This is a beautiful restaurant with lovely art and a cozy bar. read more

We went for lunch and was told we had an hour to order eat and be gone because of all the valentines reservations. For the price the plates are small. The food was okay. We had to ask a few times for a box. We weren't given refills of water. They charge you over $3 to use a card of any kind, when that's done, we take it off of the tip. We, the clients shouldn't be punished because the restaurant wants cash. Parking is hard to find in the area but if you drive around a lot you will find one. read more

I've never had such a hot meal served to me!!! I was here for brunch & had the chicken and waffles. It was delicious and the service wonderful. The decorations were very artsy and warm. I would definitely return some time. My granddaughter may choose BGSU for college and may get another opportunity to try it again. read more

Love love SamB's in BG! Their menu has a nice variety; the staff is always great and we've never had a bad meal. I love the quinoa bowl!!! Nice wine selection; craft cocktails. You'll enjoy! read more

SamB's Restaurant - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

My favorite restaurant in town! Staff is always friendly and on it. They have a nice happy hour that's weekdays until 6pm with $5 off apps and some good drink specials. And on Wednesday's, it's half price bottles of wine all day. They offer a really nice section of appetizers - my faves being the steak tips and crispy brussels sprouts. For entrees they offer burgers, meat, seafood and pasta dishes. I love the ambiance and the art on the wall is all for sale from local artists. If you don't find parking on the street out front, there is a parking lot behind the building that's free also. read more

See all

Graduation weekend celebration! Dinner and service was spot on. They made out last night in BG a memorable experience. read more

I visited my hometown and the Bowling Green State University I attended for all the three degrees and one must visit our favorite restaurant! I met a friend for lunch and our server, AnnMarie, understood that we will be having a conversation and we might be delayed in ordering. She suggested to place the menu on the end of table when we were ready to order! That was extremely insightful and very much appreciated. The service here was perfect! The food was exactly how I remembered which was delicious and presently beautifully. The Chardonnay was crisp and refreshing and the Sam'Bs I remembered was back! So was I! The beautiful walls of paintings and the quiet background music made the day memorable! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Spanish & Bacon, soup and a Chardonnay - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

Good Italian meatballs. The bread is really yummy and the risotto was very yummy. The artichoke cheese dip could use more artichoke

food and service really nicely done. some will find it louder than you may appreciate. not overpriced. expect dinner with 2 entrees and a couple drinks to settle in around $76 plus gratuity. reservations are a good choice. read more

Have a kid at BGSU so will need a local restaurant when we visit. Searching for vegan options and SamB's came up. I was pleasantly surprised as we were in town 2 years ago and came to SamB's and the only option was a garden sale with tomato and cucumber (I am also gluten free- Celiac disease). They now have a veggie burger (not sure if gluten free?) and this vegan power bowl (which is gluten free!). The veggies were very fresh, lots of kale, and everything else mixed in. Only wish it had a protein like tofu or beans. My hubs got the ravioli (he's vegetarian) and loved the flavor but it only had 4 small ravioli in the large bowl. We will definitely be back... gonna try the local Mexican places as I did see a few with actual vegan ingredients!! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Vegan power bowl, side salad, ravioli - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

Had a nice experience here for dinner with a friend. It was a Tuesday night so pretty quiet downtown Bowling Green. The Waze app will take you to S Main for some reason even though you have N Main in the address. This restaurant is just south of Chase Bank. We each had a couple of cocktails and they were very good. We were there around 530 and didn't realize it was half price apps so we shared 3. The Brussels sprouts w bacon was very good and so was the crab cake. The crab cake is just one so I was glad it was half price and we got two. I had the Tuna with rice, spinach and broccoli. For the most part it was good but it was sushi grade tuna so not the nice and pink kind. Definitely order raw. I ordered medium raw and it was somewhat over cooked My friend got the Salmon and it was delicious and very sweet w the sauce. Ohhhhh.....and the delicious Buddha is no longer on the menu. I hope they bring that back!! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Grilled Salmon - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

Limited menu and generally fair wait staff. Nice looking bar but I'm there for food. Not the type of establishment I would regularly visit.

Very clean and warm environment. I really was impressed with the variety of options. I got a grilled chicken sandwich and the spinach dip! Very tasty! Our server was also great! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Spicy Chicken Sandwich - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

We were traveling through town and looking for a nicer place to eat, willing to splurge a bit. SamB's had a lovely atmosphere and very kind servers. The manager of the establishment also approached us to make sure we were having a nice meal. My 3 star review is do to the overall quality. The food and drinks are simply overpriced. I dine at many fine restaurants. I'm not a cheap person. I don't mind paying a high price for (quality) food and drinks. My fiancés loaded baked potato came out with a very large, very gross black spot on it. It was likely a bruised potato. This was already not the experience we expected with the price that came along with it. Our server was a very nice man but he didn't understand our gluten free needs, neither did the chef. The pineapple drink we ordered was very very poor tasting. It lacked flavor and for pineapple you'd expect it to be sweet. It wasn't. Not in the slightest. Simply put, I'm disappointed in how much it costed for a very average meal. My meal was fine, it wasn't high quality. If this establishment simply lowers its prices and holds its kitchen to higher standards, it is a very solid 4 star restaurant that I would recommend. read more

I had the best dish ever. It contained all of my all-time favorites: Diced sweet potatoes, diced roasted beets, diced avocado, spiced chick peas, quinoa, spinach and drizzled with smoked paprika aioli. Amazing. We came in 30 minutes before they closed and we were treated very well! My son had the chicken fettuccini and he said it topped Olive Garden!! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Buddha Bowl - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

Sat at the bar and enjoyed a couple micro brews. Had strip steak with baked potatoes and brussel sprouts. Gravy on steak was excellent!!! Will be going back. read more

SamB's Restaurant - New York Strip, Brussels and Bacon and baked potato. - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

We visited SamB's for the first time while we were in BG. It was early for dinner and didn't know they had happy hour on a Saturday so it was a happy surprise to get a discount on apps and my martini! Jasmine was our server and she's amazing! She was very personable and we let her know it was our first time there. She offered suggestions and gave us time to look over the menu. She recommended the Brussels sprouts for app and seafood risotto for my husband's dinner. I wasn't quite hungry so apps and a drink were perfect. The raspberry martini was delicious, and pretty with a flower decoration! The Brussels sprouts had a good combination of smoked bacon, maple goat cheese, raisins, pecans with a balsamic glaze. I would prefer it to be a little warmer but everything worked together! My husband loved his dinner, salmon was cooked perfectly. Jasmine talked us into dessert when she said her favorite is their creme brûlée, she did not steer us wrong! It's thicker as the dish is deeper so you're getting more custard in each bite! We can't wait to return and bring more family and friends and will definitely ask for Jasmine! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Drinks! - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

Second time here. Busy Thursday night. Pretzel nugget appetizer was excellent with mustard and cheese dipping sauces. Will be back when in town. read more

Stopped in mid day for a quick bit and to meet a friend who was in town. Great service, lovely meal. Salad was great , lavender martini was beautiful read more

SamB's Restaurant - Martini - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

Not sure if it was due to the number of people or the lack of consideration but left feeling hungry and unhappy. To start out the experience, my wine arrive with hair in it, while my boyfriend's drink curdled within minutes of it being placed in the table. We then received our appetizer with our food, giving us limited space on the table and had us eating cold food by the time we finished our appetizer. Sad to say the only part of our main meal we ate was the fries. My chicken sandwich which i specially ordered with no dressing, came with buffalo said piled on and burnt bread. My boyfriend burger which he ordered plain, also came with everything on it. Will not be going back read more

SamB's Restaurant - Curdled drink (happened within minutes of receiving) - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

The Service and the food was absolutely in par with the best of Cincinnati restaurants. Waiter Seth was amazing. read more

Could not have been happier with our experience. Food and service were excellent. My daughter had spaghetti and meatballs, I had the blackened chicken Alfredo. I would definitely eat here again. read more

While the food is flavorful the prices aren't as accommodating. But you get what you pay for and you won't leave Hungry. In fact, if you don't leave with "leftovers" perhaps you were hungrier than you thought?? As for the atmosphere, as noted, the staff are friendly and the setting is casual, come as you are. Cindy Wildes Smith read more

Service is great! However, the food is incredibly bad and in poor taste. If a cook/chef cannot make eggs then every restaurant is in trouble. Bob Evans cannot serve a proper egg no matter how they try! Sam B food is absolutely the worst including presentation. For the price you would think it would be quality food. The ambience is like being inside a giant cafeteria at a hospital and the clientele doesn't care about their attire. Disappointing and never again will we step foot into that. Place. read more

This is my first time dining at Sam B's. Im not from the area, and it was recommended by a regular patron. The customer service was phenomenal, and the food was out of this world. The seafood risotto was very creamy and flavorful, and the salmon was seasoned and seared perfectly. I will definitely be back!! read more

SamB's Restaurant - Seafood risotto is pure heaven. I definitely would recommend this. - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

Our late night visit to SamB's did not disappoint!! Everyone had finished their plates!! The chicken alfredo is a favorite my brother devoured. My dad enjoyed his burger. I really enjoyed my tomahawk, bone-in pork chop. Excellent char on it! The Buddha bowl grabbed all of our attention knowing that everything in it is on my mom's favorite list. Sweet potato, avocado, beets, spinach, spiced chickpeas, vegan smoked paprika aioli on quinoa. That sounds good typing it out! The service was prompt, professional and willing to answer any questions we had. Great teamwork too, while holding some finished dishes and answering our questions about the Buddha bowl, another server offered to take them from him. Well done staff of SamB's, well done! read more

See all

Based on last experience (a grilled walleye dinner): now the are serving what essentially are walleye "fingers" and which were not evenly sautéed piece-to-piece. the ice-cream scoop "mashed" potatoes were terribly dry and nearly tasteless. The slaw: meh. read more

Have been here 4 times in the last 2 months, food has always been perfect, the craft cocktails very creative, my favorite is the spicy margarita made with ghost pepper lemonade, staff always friendly and attentive read more

I really like the new location and as always the food is very good. SamB's is one of my wife, eyes, favorite date locations here in BG!

Very professional, amazing staff, amazing food, and nice strong drinks! The food is all very fresh and they greet you with open arms! 10/10

We had two amazing dinners to celebrate my husband's birthday. We had the salmon ravioli and the seafood risotto. They were both quite delicious. For dessert we ate the crème brûlée and the carrot cake. Everything was homemade and truly wonderful. It was our first visit but won't be our last. Melanie was a perfect waitress as well. We would highly recommend Samb's to anyone looking for a great restaurant. read more

We love going to SamB's - great ambiance and it's rarely Packed - the food is great. Especially love their Sunday brunch and the huge Bloody Mary, with the garnish that changes every week. Their Smash burger is excellent and I'd love to know the secret to the French fries. Hope more people start going so they stay in business- that would be a loss! read more

We were pleasantly surprised. The service was exceptional (we went on a Sunday night and they weren't busy but they weren't dead), friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being overwhelming. Wish I could remember our waiter's name, but he was great. The food was also very good. We enjoyed a couple of the craft beers and a creme brulee martini. The walleye cubes had a light spice and a good spicy aioli. The grain bowl was exceptional: it's actually a plate of spinach, red onion, avocado, roasted sweet potato and beets, quinoa and a light vinaigrette (it looked like it wasn't dressed, but it was the perfect amount). The cajun shrimp included 5 large shrimp in a very rich, yummy spicy butter sauce. Our only complaint was there wasn't enough toasts to soak up all the butter (but we didn't ask for more, so our fault). The yard burger is a big piece of chicken with cheese and fries (I am not a fan of fries with a batter on them, so these are not my fav, but everyone else liked them). We also had the soy sauce salmon with rice and the spinach salad, which were both quite well done. Servings are not large, and we ate all of it. A last comment about the atmosphere: this is a very comfortable dining place for an upscale meal and the art is beautiful. We will be back. read more

Food is dry. No offense. My daughter and her hoco group went here and me and my husband sat at the other table. I order the chicken Alfredo and the chicken was drier than the air on the cold day it was. read more

Known for its "down home" good cooking for many years. Comfort food and sandwiches in a college town. Food : 3/5. Try the soups and sandwiches for lunch Service: 3/5 Location: 3/5 Conveniently on the main street of town -but currently there is major disruption of traffic due to street repair/reconstruction- PARKING: is pretty much LIMITED to parking lots behind the restaurant. Signs there say the parking time is limited and you need to pay at a kiosk. We could not find a kiosk-- - but fortunately, finally, a local person came by and told us that there is no kiosk or parking fee and we should disregard the signs. Facility: 3/5. WATCH THE ENTRANCE FLOOR at the side entrance-because there is a step down to the right and a step down to the left, also. The building has not changed much in 30 years. Price 4/5 ok for a college town read more

Love the atmosphere in this place and the service is always spectacular. The food is worth every penny. read more

SamB's Restaurant - Cheesy Potato Soup - American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

We lucked up on this gem! We had only One night in bowling green and did a quick restaurant search with reviews. The reviews were good but didn't come close to describing the quality of this establishment . The menu was creative and daring and bold. The food was delicious (5 for 5 of us gave glowing reports) . The food was ample. Prices were reasonable given the quality of the fare. The service was friendly, charming and efficient. We were seated quickly on a Saturday evening at 7pm. Parking in back was a plus ! Wish we could bring this place home! read more

amazing service and the food was very good would recommend the price is good to. Great place to hang out and the employees were very nice too. 10/10 read more