Haven't been to Sam's in a while, but wow‼ I was totally surprised and happy with the quality of my country, fried steak and eggs. I will definitely be back.‼ read more

This is a cute little cafe that offers home cooked meals. I love that they offer healthy options! I ordered the egg white omelet and it was cooked to order! It had a lot of veggies in it and the potatoes were delish! Our waitress was friendly and she came and checked on us often. if you're looking for a little cafe with good food, good service and great prices, then this is the place to stop at! read more

Sams Cafe - Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Excellent food. We ordered breakfast, they were busy but staff were very attentive and continued to check back. Excellent service

DAY: - Saturday morning around 10AM for a group of 3. - We were seated right away but it seemed like we just missed the rush. We had some time to kill and were hungry so found this place and decided to try it. LOCATION/INTERIOR: - Located in the center right off of the HWY 92. At the corner of HWY 92 and Main St. - The restaurant is located closer to Main St entrance to the center. - The interior and atmosphere is a typical diner feel. Seems like a mom and pop shop. ORDER & TASTE: - Sam's Special #2- this dish includes linguica, onion, spinach, avocado & cheese. On the side I got hash browns and toast. The portion is large and overall the omelet was good. - Ordered coffee and water for my drink. Coffee was pretty good, typical coffee. As for the water, I did NOT appreciate the cup I got my water in. It still had lipstick on the cup. It definitely makes me wonder, if it is being washed properly. Note: the toast does come pre-buttered. CUSTOMER SERVICE: - They did come around to provide me coffee refills, which was nice. - I did not appreciate the syrup was not properly cleared off the table before we were seated. read more

Sams Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

See all

Amazing Food! A REAL surprise! Looks like nothing special from the outside BUT WOW the food is amazing! I've had over 12 dishes and everything is truly amazing! Even the pancakes are amazing soft and chewy! You can tell they care about their business and food! They use great ingredients and not the cheapest stuff. Amazing food, very clean, nice people and fair prices! I'm a new regular! read more

Not only was the food and service great but the owner was honest and kind. I left my phone, including all of my cc and driver's license and they met me at the store after hours so I could retrieve it. Good people! read more

Decent food and okay service. Was in the area and need a breakfast place to stop at. The reviews seemed good, but do i gotta say experience wise, it was okay Order, French toast ( freind said it was very fluffy, so that is a plus!) side of corn beef has (friend really enjoyed it) Sam's special 2 (very tasty, avocado could have been evenly spaced out more through the omelet and wish we were told we can change the cheese as it was american cheese) Spinach, mushroom, onion and sausage scramble (only, have had better, cheese wasn't fully melted and my order was wrong at the beginning, asked for hash brown and ended up with potatoes, got it corrected and it wasn't even crispy, let down) toast wasn't completely toasted, they pre butter their bread. Water has lip stains on it. (no sanitary at all) Service was okay, had to flag down many people to get water, napkin, and straws and even the check. read more

Sams Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Approx $20 for bacon, eggs, hash browns. Additionally, the portions are very small. I left hungry after a wildly over priced meal. Not interested in returning. read more

Best breakfast I've ever had! Great food and service. Strongly recommend stopping here for breakfast or lunch

Great service. Casual. Nice size menu. Clean and friendly. Wonderful place to meet with people and share over breakfast or lunch. Wish they carried espressos ‍ read more

I'm never disappointed at Sam's. I've been here a number of times and tried breakfast & lunch, both are excellent. My favorite breakfast option is the ham, mushroom, and cheese omelette (I sometimes substitute ham for sausage). My favorite lunch item is the veggie burger . Don't expect fancy or excellent service just delicious food that will make you happy . read more

Sams Cafe - Ham, mushroom, & cheese omelette (substituted ham for sausage) with sourdough bread. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

The food is good as always but the prices sky rocketed. Every item on menu is 6-8$ more than before and the amount of food you get has decreased to 50-60% when you hike up the price so much ...Atleast give decent portion size. read more

I know it doesn't look like much but when I'm not too hungry and don't want a full meal, I get the fries. If the fries are good, I'll return for an actual meal. I enjoyed the atmosphere as it felt like a small town mom and pop restaurant. Old 70's diner feel without feeling rundown. The fries were yummy, trust me, I've have tasted every restaurant on the coast with fries. This place is top 3! Mimosa was stand. Hard to mess that up. read more

Sams Cafe - French fries and mimosa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Another place where you don't judge a book by it's cover. I've probably passed by this place more than a dozen times and probably dismissed it as old and so so place. Well, it's never open whenever I pass by so I assumed this place gets minimal business. From the outside, it's not much to look at, and it's located in a little strip mall that needs some makeover. I would peek inside and the decor looked dated along with their furnitures. Until the morning of Saturday, June 8, 213 at approximately 10:00 AM that my perception quickly changed. The place was packed and we originally went inside to grab a couple cup of Joes. The coffee was robust and had a nutty flavor to it. It definitely tasted better than Starbucks' regular cup of Joe. So wifey and I stepped outside and I did something that I should have done before: Check YELP. We looked at each other and quickly went back inside to grab a table. The menu consist of what a typical diner serves. It has your typical breakfast items like eggs, bacon, hash brown, pancake and sammiches. The prices will bear no heavy burden on your wallets as they are very reasonably priced. We both ordered the omelet special # 2. (I am ashamed to admit that I forgot the name of what we ordered. Yeah...shame on me.) However, I do know that it came with avocado, spinach, mushroom your choice of cheese and linguica. I ordered pepper jack and it also comes with a side of toast and an option of either hash browns or a bowl of fruit. I choose the latter. I was pretty impressed by how much avocados where used in our omelets. No, they didn't skimp on the fresh and local ingredients. It was a good hearty breakfast to start our day in Half Moon Bay. And less I forget to mention that we had the sweetest and nicest server one could have. She was fast, efficient, friendly and caring. She checked up on us every time she would pass by and she made sure our waters were refilled along with our cup of Joes. Good food. Good menu. Good price. Good service. Good, friendly staff. read more

Sams Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

See all

No better way to describe this establishment beyond just plain stuck in time. Once you sit down and assess your surroundings it will hit you. It works for most people. Nothing fancy just good food, fast service and a genuinely nice lady that served us. I ordered soft scrambled eggs and a side of bacon. It was one of those days where I don't require anything mind blowing. I just wanted good food! I got it here and I'm happy. Parking could be a headache since it shares the same lot as the thrift store. I'll come back if in the area. Cleanliness trumps other aspects and here that's evident. read more

See all

Sam must really get around since this is the eighth place I've reviewed in the Bay Area with Sam in the name. Or else the name evokes trust and familiarity to weary diners looking for comfort. Lemme see, there's Uncle Sam...umm, Sam the Butcher, Alice's dependable yet clueless boy friend on "The Brady Bunch"...then there's, umm, Son of Sam. Wait, too much? Anyway, this Sam is in a strip mall in Half Moon Bay, and there is definitely that whole "Hi, hon" vibe amid the country-style surroundings (photo: http://bit.ly/1kQhyKW). Jamie W. and I were on our way to Monterey for the day and needed nourishment for our journey before we got too far among the desolate coast to Santa Cruz. I flashed back on this place when I passed by it the last time I was in town. It was pretty packed with big families and big people when we got there. A lot of pancakes were being devoured on those tables. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, so we just sat there feeling like interlopers at a "Duck Dynasty" reunion. The menu is lengthy and downright endless with choices (photo: http://bit.ly/1fuTQfX). We were hungry and perhaps inspired by the big portions we saw on everyone else's tables. Jamie went for the $8.95 Denver Omelette with little chunks of ham, bell pepper and onion wrapped in a three-egg creation accompanied by a big flat of hash browns (photo: http://bit.ly/O2J0YF). Mine was the look-alike $8.55 Spinach, Mushroom and Jack Cheese Omelette with another big flat of hash browns (photo: http://bit.ly/1eLgiR5). We both got English muffins which should have been enough carbs for a Kenyan running a marathon across the Masai Mara with a lion chasing him (photo: http://bit.ly/1ckzisZ). But no, we went a little nuts and ordered the $4.55 Waffle as a chaser. It was a flawless-looking creation with a scoop of butter on top (photo: http://bit.ly/1gyRksU). Pouring a ridiculous amount of maple syrup on it was mandatory, but finishing it was an option we chose not pursue lest we were looking to stop the car somewhere south of Pescadero to relief ourselves one way or the other. Needless to say, we were in belt-loosening mode by the time we waddled out of there, and we barely started our road trip. That wasn't Sam's fault. I think I saw a salad option somewhere on that endless menu. FOOD - 3 stars...good, old-fashioned diner grub served up by people who know their grub AMBIANCE - 3 stars...country-style vibe packed to the max SERVICE - 3.5 stars...those waitresses knew their stuff..and you can take that to the bank, hon TOTAL - 3 stars...Sam, I think I know you... read more

See all

I was driving through HMB around breakfast time and was getting hungry. As usual I pulled out my trusty iPhone to check Yelp. And Yelp did it again! It lead me straight to Sam's Coffee Shop. I pulled into the little strip mall and man was it busy! I quickly found a (small) parking spot and walked into Sam's. The place was filled with hungry customers noshing their way through huge plates of eggs, omelettes, french toast, and breakfast sausages. I knew I had come to the right place. This place has an old school diner feel, complete with outdated tables and chairs, and posters on the wall. Despite the age of the place, everything was (relatively) clean. The service was great. As soon as I was seated the waitress brought coffee and cold water to the table. She gave me a few minutes with the menu (which like most diners was pretty big) before taking my order. She was attentive and responsive, making sure everything was too my liking. My buddy got a huge omelette (Sam's #2) with hash browns. I ordered chicken tenders and fries (my favorite thing to order at a diner). The omelette was loaded with spinach, avocado, onions, and sausage. Just add a little ketchup and hot sauce and it was on point. The hash browns were cooked perfectly, crispy and delicious. The side of toasted and buttered english muffins was good. I really liked that they have one of my favorite hot sauces (Tapatio) on the table. My chicken tenders and fries hit the spot. Cooked (deep fried) fresh to order and brought out steaming hot. Add a side of BBQ sauce and go to town. I'll grant you that both of these items were assembled elsewhere and taken out of the freezer before being cooked at Sam's, but sometimes pre-fab food is okay. Especially at a diner. They have Coke products on fountain. I got a cup of coffee which was good. Definitely from a fresh pot of coffee. The bathroom was not the cleanest in the world, but it had soap, hot water, and paper towels so I didn't have to touch anything. Price for two with tax and tip was about $26. Overall this place was pretty solid. Clearly judging by the fact that this place was packed the locals dig Sam's. If you are craving a decent spot for a diner style breakfast I think you will enjoy Sam's Coffee Shop. read more

See all

Eating out early can be hard on me because my BF likes breakfast food and I don't. This was our first time here. The menus and coffee were brought immediately. Order taken and food was brought out fast and correct. He ordered chicken fried steak, eggs & hash browns. Wow! It looked perfect and I don't even like breakfast. The over easy eggs had a little jiggle, the CF steak was dark golden, the gravy meaty, and the hash browns were crispy and deeply browned on both sides. Even the toast was picture perfect. He dug in too fast for photos. As for me, I had the shredded brisket BBQ sandwich and upgraded from fries to onion rings. I don't really like brisket and I'm not sure why I ordered it, but I am so glad that I did. It was great! Simple and straightforward, no frills; shredded beef, onions, sauce, grilled bread. Good beefy flavor, tender not dry. It was nice to be at a breakfast place and get a tasty sandwich and not have to get a burger. More than anything I am a texture eater and the food was fresh and hot. Truly hot, like just made and brought to the table hot, not sat under heat lamps hot. This unassuming cafe checked all the boxes for me. We arrived at 9 am on Saturday with no problem with seating. The cafe is clean and well staffed. The simple menu is clearly organized. The staff are friendly and attentive. I would 100% return. read more

Dinner was really yummy! Menu was great with a variety of options and a plate for everyone!

Crappy food and service. This place is a real dump. Not reflective of some of the great food on the coast. Go elsewhere read more

My daughter and I stopped for breakfast today. The restaurant that we wanted to eat at was closed today. So we decided to try Sam's Cafe. It was the best decision we made. The menus, water and coffee came immediately. We ordered and the food came fast and was delicious. I had the Sizzling platter with chorizo, my daughter had Chiliquiles. The service was great and friendly. This will be our go to breakfast place whenever we are in HMB. read more

Excellent food choices and fresh selections. Good service & reasonable prices and NOW open for dinner daily Highly recommend. Family run local recent remodel and nice ambiance read more

Have had breakfast and lunches over the last 2 yrs while in town working and all have been excellent. Now they are serving dinners and the fish tacos I had were excellent. Home made on the spot corn tortillas, fresh grilled fish and all of the trimmings. Please everyone try Sam's Cafe, its worth it!!!! read more

Food was delicious and came out super quickly! Stopped here on our way to Dunes Beach and will definitely be coming back. Safe to say the juevos rancheros was delicious read more

Sams Cafe - a half eaten plate of food - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

4 stars I went in blind, did not read reviews before venturing into this place Nice place to stop by if you got a decent sized appetite, came here with lil portion of my family so like 10 of us haha. upon entering i didnt think much the waitress that walked us to our table was kinda spacy. the person taking our orders though was excellent, good spot for kids and adults, note the kids menu states kids but can feed adults. so here is what we sampled: chicked fried steak with eggs overeasy w/gravy and home fries - **** jhum omelette with mushroom n swiss cheese with hash browns **** delicious double cheeseburger **** looked delicious pancake lite 1 pancake, bacon strips, 1 scrabbled egg **** for a lite meal wut da hahah kids meal - burger and fries in actuality this was meal for adult chicken fried steak was standard piping hot less then 3 min before I got it served, home fries fresh potato wedges sliced and seasoned with i think it was dill an lite salt, eggs overeasy standard and not runny which is excellent in my book haha yellow portion runny white should always be cooked through. wifes plate omelette w/shrooms and swiss cheese not heavy just rite dabbed some tapio sauce on the top to give it an extra kick the hash cruchy on the outside soft chewy inside definite pass in her book brother's double cheeseburger made down rite good, juicy not dry, filing, almost unable to finish due to portion of serving haha brothers wife pancake lite plate she ate everything but a tiny bit of her pancake for a lite meal she sed it was good the kids hamburger and fries both finished half took home in a to go box for later comatose city on the drive back home took skyline back instead of taking the winding streets through half moon bay definite will spot back here again if in the area!!! food **** service **** price $ everything under $10 ambiance *** looked lil dated but wut diner coffee shop has to be super fancy got that old town look and feel when entering haha read more

See all

This place is awesome. I'm a local yet haven't been in years. What a mistake. The huevos rancheros and the chilaquiles and breakfast chorizo tacos were so delicious! Their hash browns were happily made extra crispy. The club sandwich was so much more than the usual. Try this restaurant, it's family owned, clean and welcoming. You won't be sorry. read more

Food was excellent, I had the country platter. Service was on time and friendly. Would definitely eat here again.

Loved the hospitality and quality food provided by Cynthia and the staff at Sam's. Made a stop here prior to heading into the city and I'm very proud of this decision. I had the Smoked Salmon Benedict and it was the perfect choice. The egg was perfectly done and the hollandaise sauce was on point. Fairly priced for great service and solid food. Would come back again in a heartbeat read more

We stopped for breakfast and we loved it. The ambiance, the presentation of the food and the taste, it was perfect. The restaurant is very clean and folks are friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

We had the best time with a meet up with old friends!! The food was awesome but our waitress was the best! Attentive, funny and engaging! We will definitely be back again! read more

Sams Cafe - Our waitress is in the front taking the selfie! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Sams seems to be under new ownership but I was more than happy with the food quality and atmosphere. That could not be said a few months ago. Right now, best breakfasts in Half Moon Bay are this place and Joes. Tastes is nothing but flash and Ketch is just ok. If I had a recommendation for Sams I'd say open earlier than 8. read more

Why all the 5 star reviews? Food was not good it was pricey for what it was. Got the chilaquiles. More beans than chilaquiles and the main dish was greasy. read more

I was so disappointed drive an hour to go to this place. As I approached the door at 1:55 the girl behind the counter looks at me runs to the door and puts a closed sign in the door. I explained I drove and hour to get there for some clam chowder. Yelp said they are open until 300. She laughed at me and walks away. I was going to get some soup to go but then with being treated that way no way was I going to give them any of my money. I felt very disrespectful and discriminating going on as others walked in after me and where being served. After sitting there for a few minutes I realized you have to Mexican if you want any service here. So We went across the street, where treated very well with some really good food. Consider halfmoon bay tavern instead. I did look at yelp today before I drove to this place it did say it closed at 300. I did arrive at 1:55. Unlike the untrue replay. Yelp was changed changed after I left this review. read more

A diner stuck in time. We had an early breakfast here (9am) to bypass the Highway 92 to 1 gridlock before going to the HMB pumpkin patches. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/e0Eu2Gqt49cdD9tDysVPxg?select=JBmSZAI9Zcjyr0ML1wctLg) Located in a strip mall near the bottom of 92 there's no scenic views of the water just a strait up old school diner with an old school look to match the old school prices. The coffee is as black as a hole. A very locals reading the Sunday paper vibe. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/e0Eu2Gqt49cdD9tDysVPxg?select=cpkKEa19WqwTtiMYjbX4_w) (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/e0Eu2Gqt49cdD9tDysVPxg?select=Kef8n3UCEu7gnw1gQWEjrw) * STRAWBERRY FRENCH TOAST - $7.65 - Your typical diner grub with a local twist. The strawberries were tart. The toast was something you could do at home. Nothing special but when it's being served to you by a waitress whose been doing it for at least 25 years then it's kinda cool. She knew all the locals eating inside and would give them hugs when they left. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/e0Eu2Gqt49cdD9tDysVPxg?select=ugYAtzliZ2dfjAOIWByULg) 3 star grub with 4 star value and experience equal a solid 3.5 rounded up. Sam's coffee shop keeps it real. read more

See all

What a gem this little diner is for Half Moon Bay! It reminds me of Old Glory, a little place I grew up going to in NJ (which is like the diner capital of the world btw). Sam's is CHEAP and delicious, which is exactly how I like my breakfast. They have a huge variety of portion sizes too, which is great since not everyone can stuff a ton of pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast when it comes in bigger sizes. My mom had a meal that came with just 1-2 eggs, 1 pancake, bacon, and toast. She was super happy because typically she can't order a meal like that since it'll be too huge. I had the Denver omelet which was so reasonably priced I felt like I was back in my old diner on the east coast. Loved my crispy hash browns too. Everything was super tasty and the atmosphere was quieter so you could actually have a nice conversation with your dining partner. I'll definitely be back here for many more times to come. It's a much better deal than the Main St. Grill. Happy we found Sam's. :) read more

No frills, no fluff, no problem! This mom and pop coffee shop has a big breakfast menu with all the morning basics like eggs, pancakes, waffles and omelets. The food is generous, reasonably priced and a lot tastier than I expected. Service is friendly, super quick and our coffee cups were always full. Hubs and I split a plain waffle, the Sam's Special Omelet #2 (Portuguese Linguica sausage, onion, spinach, avocado and cheddar cheese) with a side of hash browns and toast. The waffle had a little crisp to it, which I love. And the omelet was surprisingly cooked perfectly and delicious. It was plenty of food and we cleaned our plates as if we hadn't eaten in weeks. Sam's is great for feeding your face quickly and leaving very satisfied, without breaking the bank. read more

Sams Cafe - Omelets, hash browns waffles! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I've debated posting this review. There are certain things that you like to keep to yourself. Half Moon Bay definitely caters to our guests, sometimes it's nice to save something for, you know, just us It's a diner. It's clean. It's food is tasty. The staff is pleasant courteous and friendly. The coffee and iced tea are good. Why five stars? In the 10 yrs. I've been visiting Sam's, I have never been disappointed. read more

Delicious food. Generous portions. Reasonable prices . Friendly and prompt service . Highly recommend

I dig Sam's for the old school vibe (well, the furniture is DEFINITELY old school, but well preserved) and hearty, simple bfast fare. Egg beaters, sausage and hash browns were excellent, and the sourdough bread came from a good sized loaf, and actually TASTED like sourdough bread (not some knock off the WonderBread people are trying to pass off)! Service was good and the price for 2 adults was under $25. Happy customer. Cheers! RS read more

Absolutely love this place! Kind service, high quality and fresh food! We had the homemade clam chowder and the kids pancake and sausage breakfast. Both were wonderful! read more