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    Sam's Cafe

    4.1 (237 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, American
    Open 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Sam's Cafe Photos

    SAM'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Sam's Cafe

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    Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs, with Hashbrowns and a  Waffle

    The food here was good, and so was the service. I felt that this was an average experience. I would say the prices were decent for the amount of food you get.

    Menu December 2022
    Kyle B.

    I thought this "Sam's Cafe" was similar to the one in Ceres CA which is a staple of my hometown but unfortunately it was not. Portion sizes were very small but the food was decent. The Asian American boasted restaurant feels extremely plain and the service feels "forced" versus "welcoming"

    Corned beef...
    Lydia T.

    Good for a quick breakfast. Servers were nice. Service: 9/10 Food: 5/10 Their corned beef was very salty, i would not order it again. My husband said their iced tea didnt taste good too.

    Tanya T.

    Love the nostalgic feel and friendly, efficient service. I also love the rice option. The food was decent with veggies and I added my own seasoning and salt. I did not however enjoy the biscuits and gravy. I did not enjoy the serving plate used to serve my salad nor was I too fond of the price. I wont be coming back anytime soon but so happy to see the community flock to it in droves to support and enjoy.

    Store front
    Jonnita W.

    This was a great choice to have breakfast this morning. We were able to sit outside and have the scenery amongst us. All of the ladies working here were great! Our food was tasty and cooked to our requests. You can tell the food is good here based on the customers that showed up. Some seem to be regulars Located in the east of Stockton on Miracle Mile

    David L.

    Sam's Cafe has been a fixture at the North end of the Miracle Mile (Pacific Ave) for as long as I remember. If we are in town, we make it our Sunday morning go to for an early breakfast. There are a lot of regulars who come weekly as well. The decor is pretty simple, there are three booths, counter seating and six to seven tables down the side. The owners/staff are friendly and will stop to talk, if they are not running their backsides off serving folks. The food is your simple breakfast fare (I've not been here for lunch), I usually order a omelette and my wife gets the veggie scramble. Comes with potatoes, hashed browns or country style and toast. Coffee, water, iced tea, hot tea and orange juice are some of the standard drinks offered. One day I have to take a picture. Meals for two run in the $35-$45 including tip. Can be a little noisy when full.

    Menu
    VJ M.

    This cafe has outdoor seating. Family owned and operated by the owner. As soon as you walk in they seat you right away. The food comes out right away. This is the best place to get a waffle it's delicious.

    Pam K.

    What a friendly, little cafe. The owners are so sweet and old but full of energy. I ordered a simple plate of corned beef hash with rice and eggs over easy and that came with biscuits and gravy. This place is super mom n pop, I loved it. It's pretty small inside so it probably gets very busy. They even had a sign up saying to come in twos when it's busy.

    Wendy B.

    Sam's has been around for quite some time, and is not as American a cuisine as the name implies. More like Chinese-American. Mr. B grew up in South Stockton, and this little dive of a place was where he wanted to go and drum up some sweet memories from better than 50 years ago. I no longer recall the name of where he is from, but the chef is the real deal; he comes from a region of China known for their really good cuisine. We decided it would be breakfast on a Sunday. Surprisingly, it was not busy, but the majority of dishes flying out of the kitchen were typical American fare. We needed good, old fashioned, 1960's vintage, Cantonese food for breakfast, so we asked if we could order off the dinner menu. Of course, she said. So there it was...Black Bean Spare Ribs and a plate of Chinese fried chicken. And one salad, consisting of iceberg lettuce and some tomato chunks (lousy salad dressing choices). Oh yes, and a serving of rice for the Filipino guy. Not your typical breakfast, and not your typical Chinese meal. But it suited us quite well, and both entrees were great. The black bean spareribs tasted as good as the day he remembered so long ago. Delicious. The chicken, not greasy and still moist, with just a touch of a Chinese-flavored marinade, reminded us this was not a KFC wannabe. Better. The leftovers the next day were still sensational. This tiny cafe consists of 3 booths, 6 tables. There is seating for 5 at the counter and 3 small tables outside on the Pacific Ave. sidewalk. We were happy with our two dishes and will mark that down as a place to revisit and reminisce.

    So good

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great old fashioned diner feel, owners and staff are very sweet, funny and extremely welcoming. Great food, large portions.

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Such good home-cooked food. And the family atmosphere makes it perfect for breakfast on the weekend.

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    5 years ago

    Hole in the wall with good hospitality and food. Comfortable. Glad they made it through the pandemic. Support your small mom and pops shop.

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Simple delicious food. Very friendly staff. Even the customers were engaging and friendly.

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    Garlic Brothers Restaurant - Garlic Fries

    Garlic Brothers Restaurant

    3.3(892 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    Welcome to Garlic Brothers - my favorite garlic restaurant in Stockton. I would say my favorite…read moreItalian restaurant - but at Garlic Bro's, it really is all about the garlic. And I love it! Garlic Bro's is a not so hidden local favorite that has become much more popular through the years. It sits right on the Delta for a perfect water-front view for outside dining and those lucky enough to get the huge bay window seating on the inside. I can order a full meal just on the appetizers alone. Ive tried them all. The fried raviolis and the grilled duck wraps (in bacon) are among my favorites. Garlic Bro's has a unique selection of oven baked pizza's but when I come to Garlic Bro's, it's all about the entree's for me. My all-time favorite is the grilled garlic steak. It is the best rib eye steak in Stockton. I order mine blackened (crispy outside) with the brown mushroom gravy that comes in a side dish. For sides, I order the garlic mashed potatoes. They taste creamy good by itself but remember the mushroom brown gravy I ordered for the steak? It's really for my garlic mashed potato's. A perfect combo. Consider this a Pro Tip. My other side is the green death pasta. You have to request it (another Pro Tip). I've tried pesto pasta everywhere and it's only this delicious at Garlic Bro's. The honorable mention is the grilled pork steak. The best pork steak in Stockton. The grilled lamb chops are good - just not as great as the other two entrees....but I'm a very tough critic when it comes to lamb chops. One thing to know at Garlic Bro's is they don't water down the mixed drinks. You definitely get what you pay for. And the price tag is actually pretty reasonable. Garlic Bro's can get very busy so come early for good seats and parking - because they don't take reservations.

    Amazing food. Absolutely the best gumbo I've had in the area. View is nice. Parking can be a…read morelittle tight. Their drinks were okay. Not fruity enough.

    Photos
    Garlic Brothers Restaurant - Kitchen where the magic is done

    Kitchen where the magic is done

    Garlic Brothers Restaurant - Dinner Salad

    Dinner Salad

    Garlic Brothers Restaurant - Beautiful sunset

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    Beautiful sunset

    Waterloo CA

    Waterloo CA

    4.1(670 reviews)
    7.5 mi
    $$

    Wow just an amazing experience our first time visiting Waterloo Ca for tasty ribs, homemade bread &…read morepesto pasta on side. The freshness of their house made pesto pasta is top notch it just melts in your mouth with each bite. Ribs had a very nice smoky taste not too sweet, not too salty just right on seasoning and the bark was fabulous these ribs were cooked perfect, nice & tender but the meat didn't rip off the bone in one piece as if they'd been overcooked so great job on the ribs guys. Full size meals here guys so you know. Laura and I split a rib meal so we each got 4 ribs apiece, pesto pasta for both of us on our own plates since they even let you split meals for $5 extra. We'll worth plate split, each of us had ribs, pasta, bread and side. She got salad I got fresh minestrone soup too. Desert had their special spumoni ice cream to split among us. Highly recommend this place fantastic food great service and fun time capsule decor. Cheers!

    Drove out last night to celebrate bff's daughter's birthday. Seated immediately (4:30 pm). Drink…read moreorder right away. We had two orders of the ribs and chicken and 1 order of the ribs. Beautiful side salads for 2,minestrone soup for me , all excellent. Dinner plates were quickly served with huge portions. Really 2 meals as we all got to go boxes Birthday jonooree received a nice complimentary sundae. All good!!!

    Photos
    Waterloo CA - Honoring local veterans

    Honoring local veterans

    Waterloo CA - Minestrone

    Minestrone

    Waterloo CA - Calm Chowder delicious!

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    Calm Chowder delicious!

    The Omelet House - Steak & Eggs

    The Omelet House

    4.3(714 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Whenever I'm in town visiting my friend, this is the place where we love to grab brunch. The staff…read moreis always super friendly and the food comes out fresh / hot and in large portions. They have plenty of seating for small to large parties and even have seats up at the bar. It's got a small town cafe feel to it and I love it. I usually get the BLT sandwich with a side of fruit an an iced tea. Their BLT has to be my favorite because they load it up with bacon! I can't stand when you get a BLT and it lacks bacon, that surely is not the case here. My best friend loves to get their over medium eggs; the yolks are flawless, hash brown with cheese and toast. My other friend is a huge fan of their banana nut bread, it's a delectable breakfast item that feels more like a dessert and is dangerously addictive. I can't say enough positive things about this establishment, I will for sure be back again and again when in the area. There are plenty of other options. Please give them a visit and let them know what you think!

    Five stars for the food, minus a star for the service…read more.. I was down in Stockton and I had heard about this place so I decided to come in for a late breakfast. The place isn't fancy, it's just a simple "coffee shop vibe." I'm seated right away and they bring me my menu. It's a decent size menu, but as the name says, they have a lot of omelettes, broken down by protein. They have a decent number of bacon omelettes, sausage, omelettes, chicken, omelettes, vegetarian, omelettes, etc..... I decided to have the steak, Philly omelette. Angus steak, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and swiss cheese. I chose fruit instead of potatoes, and for bread, you can have toast, pancakes, waffle, French toast, or biscuits and gravy. I chose the French toast. The food comes, and there was a lot of it. They are four egg omelettes. It was humongous. The eggs were good. And while the steak tasted very good, I thought it was a little bit on the tough side. I didn't mind it too much, I didn't expect to get filet mignon. The veggies were tender. I normally don't like bell pepper, but hey, it's a Philly cheesesteak omelette. I'm glad that they didn't overdo the bell pepper. The cheese was also creamy and delicious. Everything played very well together. The French toast was extremely good. It was battered just right. It tasted like a good French toast should. The fruit was fresh. There was so much food, half of the omelette came home with me. For the quantity and quality of food, the price was reasonable. I'm taking a star off, because of the service. It was 11 AM on a Wednesday, and the place was less than half full. When they bring me my coffee, they didn't ask me if I wanted creamer, and I didn't notice that there was none on the table. I had to ask a second time for creamer. When she brought me my omelette, I asked her if she had Cholula hot sauce. She said, yes. I will bring it to you. She never did. I had to ask a separate server for the sauce. Finally, my coffee cup was empty, and I had to ask twice for a coffee refill. It was inconvenient. I know they are extremely busy on the weekends, I wonder what the service is like during the busy times... Other than the service, the meal was fantastic. I will give them another shot and come back, but if the service is the same again, that's going to be it. Thank you for a good meal.

    Photos
    The Omelet House - Busy, busy

    Busy, busy

    The Omelet House - Spicy Linguica Cheddar

    Spicy Linguica Cheddar

    The Omelet House - Outside signage

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    Outside signage

    Fork It - Wings and fries

    Fork It

    4.9(142 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    Just another review…read more I've been going since they opened the new location. The owner and staff have been nothing but welcoming and kind. They always offer us samples of their newest additions, and I've always left satisfied. They have rotating desserts and food items and I love that I can always try something different. I'm a creature of habit so my regular is The Tip and their deep fried mushrooms. I can see there are a couple of 1 star reviews. I can tell you now it wasn't over the quality of the food. I have a feeling they are just Karen's and don't like when the staff sticks up for themselves. I enjoy their responses and their food. To the owner and staff, thank you for everything! Keep being you and keeping it real with these "food critics"

    I'd been wanting to try this place for a while now, based on word of mouth. In order for the 2 of…read moreus to get maximum exposure to Fork It's quality, ordered 1 12" Cowboy with BBQ sauce on the side; 1 12" Clucking Bacon Ranch, 1 chocolate cream pie, 1 coconut cream pie and a single order of onion rings. My husband called in the order and I advised him to get there early as things have a tendency to sell out. 15 minutes later he arrived in the small strip mall off Don & Hammer, happy to find a disabled spot almost right in front. The area itself is a bit sketchy but okay during the abbreviated hours, mostly 11AM-4PM.. Closed Saturdays and most Sundays. The two big bags of wonderful smelling food cost $70, and I will describe and show photos of just what you will receive. A special note for the owner's son, Big D. The fact you noticed my guy was both elderly and disabled and offering help with the bags was beyond and above. He doesn't mention it but he's still a bit unsteady after hip surgery. My food rating is 4.5 but genuine kindness bumps it to a full 5! We started in splitting the chicken sandwich. I loved the fresh, lightly toasted bread and the fact this small business father and son team source locally. The roll was dressed with shredded lettuce and a couple ripe tomato slices. Two meaty slices of bacon added to the enjoyment, but what really knocked me out and made this such a fine value, 2 huge, (about the size of your palm and fingers), slices of breast with another half thrown in for good measure. The chicken benefitted from marinating then grilling just right. Missing in action? Any and all ranch dressing-I even looked for to-go containers but none to be found. Comparing notes with DH he said his bread was dripping with sauce to the point of being soggy...I guessed when the sandwich was upright on the drive home everything wet rushed to one side! Stuff happens. The size of these sandwiches is huge but we moved on to the Cowboy for dinner. Cut in two, I took the smaller side, closer to 5". I've deconstructed down to the point of separating out onions, mushroom and tri tip. We opted for Provolone for more of a cheesesteak vibe. Generous slabs of mild cheese helped hold the whole thing together. DH grilled tri tip and ribs for the Stockton Ports game for several years and knew what to look for. The consensus, fair amount of meat, cooked medium well, tender with good flavor. I specified BBQ sauce on the side, which was no problem. That way I could deconstruct my half Cowboy, could be a nurse thing! DH thought too many onions while I thought the ratio to meat was spot on. Sadly the mushrooms turned out to be 3/4ths of one button mushroom thinly sliced for my share. Both grilled onions and mushrooms add additional moisture and flavor. Adding the sauce, a molasses tomato blend with a small peppery kick made for a very enjoyable meal. The onion rings were about 1/2" thick and plentiful. Crispy on the outside while still being moist on the inside with sweet onion. The coconut pie was creamy with toasted coconut sprinkled over the whipped topping. The crust was of interest, buttery cookie instead of graham cracker or standard pie crust. Our chocolate cream pie was a chocolate lover's dream. A light mousse touch to the filling with heavier ganache brownie crust. We're still working on that one. So 4 meals, 2 happy campers and even our dogs give 4 paws up.

    Photos
    Fork It
    Fork It - Coconut cream pie

    Coconut cream pie

    Fork It - Wings, fries, tri tip sandwich

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    Wings, fries, tri tip sandwich

    Sam's Cafe - chinese - Updated September 2026

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