Sammy's Mexican Grill in Elgin has become a favorite when we're craving Mexican food, and being right by Dulce Churro makes for a dangerously convenient dinner-and-dessert combination. The chips and salsa are solid, the drinks are great, and their Taco Tuesday specials make it an especially good time to stop in. But the real reason I keep coming back is the Birria Pizza. Calling it a "pizza" doesn't quite prepare you for what arrives. It's basically a massive, ooey-gooey birria quesadilla stuffed with tender, flavorful meat and tons of melted cheese, then served with consommé for dipping. It's rich, messy, ridiculously satisfying, and easily big enough for two people to share. Come hungry! Service has consistently been fast and friendly, even when they're slammed, which is fairly often. The restaurant has a lively, energetic atmosphere and usually draws a good crowd, especially around dinner and on special nights. That also means you may have a wait, so making a reservation when possible isn't a bad idea. Good drinks, solid specials, friendly service, and that monster Birria Pizza keep us coming back. Then having Dulce Churro practically next door for dessert? That's just unfair. read more

We celebrated a birthday dinner here with my husband and in-laws, and I can definitely see why they've been coming back! It was my first visit, and I was so impressed. The food was incredibly flavorful, the portions were generous, and the prices were even better than expected. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious, and the service made the experience even more enjoyable. This has officially become my new favorite spot for Mexican food, and I can't wait to come back! read more

My first visit here and I loved the fun, relaxed atmosphere Sammy's has. From the moment I was greeted, seated and given chips with salsa, I felt welcomed and ready for a margarita. The skinny margarita was light but still packed a lot of flavor. The salad with carne Asada (the Jalisco, I believe) was filled with fresh Spring greens and juicy bites of steak. Our food arrived the table pretty fast. And what a treat to walk right next door to Dulce Churro, for a sweet after dinner. Great music Playlist too! I look forward to trying other menu items. read more

Sammy's Mexican Grill & Bar - Steak salad. - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Visited our favorite Mexican restaurant on January 24, 2026, with my wingman, and both our wife's. As always, our adult beverages (Margarita made with Patron) were "perfect". For appetizers we had the chicken nachos (a first time for all of us), they were "delicious", the tortilla chips were crisp and not soggy! We all looked at each other and wondered why we had never ordered these before. We will be adding these to our normal rotation next time we come in to eat. read more

I've been coming to Sammy's Mexican Grill for about 7 years now, and it's one of those spots that never lets me down. The menu is stacked. Their fajitas are always on point, tacos and burritos are solid every single time, and somehow they also have an amazing burger (which still surprises me in the best way). You really can't go wrong here. That said, my go-to--every time--is the Burrito Suizo. I've tried all of their signature burritos over the years, and while they're all good, the Suizo is undefeated. Comfort food perfection. If you're looking for a reliable Mexican spot with consistent food and plenty of options, this place is it. Been a regular for years and don't see that changing anytime soon. read more

Sammy's Mexican Grill & Bar - Steak Chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

This is a place my coworkers go to often. Happy to finally get here. Got a taco salad. It was not large. Honestly it was the perfect size. I enjoyed the whole thing even the shell. It wasn't greasy like some taco shells. The chips were good and the salsa was salsa. Didn't knock my socks off but happy it was there since we were hungry. Coworker got the nacho plate. It was melted cheese the fake kind and we were all happy we did not get that - lol. Everyone said they always just get tacos so that's probably a next time pick. Friendly Serice, food came quickly. read more

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Tasty! And everyone knows it -- busy place! I got the birria tacos and they were pretty good! The menu is expansive and the portions are huge! The only downside of this place is the layout/hosting. They probably need a bigger space or a better workflow to handle customers walking in. read more

Sammy's Mexican Grill & Bar - Quesabirria plate - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Only went to Sammy's once and the food and even the margarita was horrible. The drink tasted stale. Couldn't drink or eat, the worst Mexican I've ever had. read more

Everything here is always perfect from the food to service to atmosphere in the restaurant everything is great 10/10.

Love the cheeseburgers and fried bologna! Always have to stop when we are on vacation. Thanks for the memories.

still great after all these years. they took the booths out of the bar side but i kinda wish they left them there. just always seems tight up front when u walk in there is no waiting area really. wish they used that space for that since u have pick up orders there too with lots of delivery drivers passing by, its not the best area to feel comfortable eating back to back with another table and passers by. i love all the food. millie was our excellent waitress. first time getting the chicken quesadilla appetizer and loved it. not too messy for kids either. every time i go here i get the habanero sauce on the side. it comes with the pibil dinner too. it's very spicy and delicious read more

Sammy's Mexican Grill & Bar - surf & turf tacos!! margarita in the back there. - Mexican Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Ordered a taco salad, Baja salad, and a kids quesadilla meal. Didn't recover the entire taco salad. Tried to call and the number they have listed is disconnected. Called their other location to see if they had another number and they gave me the same listed number. Can't even get a hold of them to fix their mistake. read more

Everything tasted great and the service was really good! I recommend the Fajitas. Always great. read more

My daughter and husband came on a Saturday night. We ordered margaritas, an appetizer and our meals. Everything was delicious. My husband had mixed fajitas, which he said were good. He didn't care for the couple shrimp that were mixed in. I had tacos, steak and al pastor which were both really good! It was our first time there and we will be back. read more

Tasted so good. I really enjoyed my Fish and Schrimp Tacos. Also go a Chicken Burrito and it was good. Drink was ok too. read more

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Husband and I go to Sammy's quite often. Delicious food, margaritas and very friendly staff.

I love their food! Service is always friendly. The atmosphere is upbeat. We will be back.

Very crammed; note a cozy or relaxing atmospher. Service was good. I ordered the steak burrito dinner. Nice size meal for the price. Meat was edible but too salty. Maybe I caught them on an off day... read more

Sammy's is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Service is amazing, food is delicious and margaritas are worth the drive!!

Don't skip this one of the best Mexican restaurants in Illinois. The place seems to be always packed. The tacos were awesome both the steak and chicken hit the spot. The steak was perfectly cooked, super tender, and had just the right amount of seasoning. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and had a nice smoky touch. But the real star of the show was the chile rellenos with ground beef. The peppers were roasted just right, and the beef inside was seasoned really well. The batter was crispy, and the sauce they poured over the top was this perfect mix of tangy and rich, complementing the beef without overwhelming it. On top of the great food, the service was friendly, and the atmosphere was relaxed but lively. Sammy's is definitely one of those places where you know you're going to get a solid, satisfying meal. If you're in the mood for authentic Mexican food that hits all the right notes, this place is a must-try read more

Awesome place. Great people. Definitely will keep coming back. The food is great, and loved the service. Great place to go.

Awful food, my sister invited me last month and the food is disgusting, we waited for almost 45 mins, bad service and the restroom need to clean it every single day, smells awful and are dirty. read more

One of the best casual places in and around elgin. Very reasonable and great staff. Always a good crowd, and now they have a churo place right next door. Our definite goto place when we're hungry and want good quick ser ice at a reasonable price! read more

la comida viene con pelos y una vez venía con una cucaracha. Esta gente no es honesta y hice reclamo y me sacaron de la tienda porque estaba enojado por chucos que son. read more

the best chicken enchiladas in elgin. been there several times. great serving staff always helpful.

Sammy's is not only the best Mexican Restaurants around, they have some of the best most consistent food and beverages. Been going there for almost 10 years , not once did we have a bad meal or service. If you haven't been , head there with your friends and family and enjoy an incredible experience read more

Terrible service. Order was delivered to wrong house. Had to drive to restaurant no one was answering phone. Only online ordering. Never again read more

Margaritas and food were amazing. Went back two times within two weeks after our first visit

The store hours said they close at 10:00pm, and we got here 50 minutes before closing, they just decided not take us. That is a bad business. read more

Wonderful service and phenomenal food! My company has catered from here several times and we always have loved the food. This was my first time in the restaurant. We had octopus ceviche, guacamole, enchiladas and quesobrillas. Everyone loved their food and the drinks were good too. read more

We came here on a Monday evening for dinner and had asked our server "Arlene" between two dishes on which is more popular. She answered and said that one is more popular, however she recommends the nachos as it is "one of her favorites." When the food arrived she came over and asked how everything was. We clarified if the nachos were supposed to have beans on top, she responded and said "yeah they were supposed to put them on top of the chips." She observed that there were no beans on top and proceeded to say "oh yeah sorry" and walked away with no care to fix the problem. Another thing we found interesting was the lack of communication when we had asked for a spicier salsa for our chips. She had no hesitation in bringing us habanero sauce upon request, however was not told it would be an extra charge (we found out when we received our bill). We have no issue with paying the extra $2 for salsa we request, yet we expect the extra information communicated as well. read more

What a great find! Great food, huge cocktail list, and super staff! There's a lot to like here. They treat everyone like family, too. TIP: This place gets busy, so be prepared for a wait. You can eat at the bar too and we love to watch the bartenders work their magic! read more

Great food and great service! Be careful with the hot sauce! The waitress told us about it before we dug into it. It was quite spicy!

You know how they say the service is like a chain- every piece of the experience may go well/great and that last experience wiped everything out? Well, today was the day. I have loved this place and been there frequently for years. Our service from our server today was beyond great! We went to celebrate National Margarita Day and our servers could not have been better. Fast forward to spending a bit of time on the machines with my friends, and someone working for Sammys I did not know came over to ask if we were using all the machines - was a bit rude, we said "no" - she said well other guests (plural) were wanting to use the machines. We were leaving anyway so cashed out and as I was leaving I heard her say to a couple at the bar - "they should be free now" and when I looked - it was the couple that is always there at Sammys and has never hesitated to ask if they could use the machines - btw we were playing two of the three machines. The individual from Sammys approach was rude and inappropriate. Not to mention this couple - will block their seats at the machines while they sit at the bar and eat and drink. While I love Sammys food, and most of their team members - I won't be back. As Maya Angelou says - it's not what they said, it's now how they said it, it's how they make you feel and I can tell you I didn't like how it made me feel when I left that restaurant. It's one experience out of several at this restaurant, but was impactful to me today - enuf to say Adios. read more

Sammy's is a great little restaurant in the area. The inside is cozy yet spacious. The bar is large for the space with comfortable seating. They have a large variety of drinks and drink specials as well as daily specials. I got "Sammy's Torta" and it was absolutely amazing. The "Sammy's sampler" is also a good choice if you're looking for a shareable or simply can't decide. The food came fast and the staff is friendly! read more

Horrible service ... food flavor they are not authentic mexican taste.. for sure i never comeback to this business no more horrible experience... read more

best salsa ever!!!!!!!!!!! i eat it every weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i could drink the salsa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

We used Sammy's catering for a large party this past weekend. We ordered the taco bar for 25 people and it was delivered hot and on time. Everyone agreed that the meal was plentiful and delicious. Our party was a huge success because of Sammy's catering! read more

Their good and service are really bad. Please to go there! it didn't look like the sanitation was good either

Fantastic food, excellent service and the atmosphere is amazing so if you're in Elgin IL you have to try it!!! You'll regret not giving this place a shot! read more