Environment is good! I got lucky with the weather it was beautiful !nice view of the beach. The waitress was very friendly and attendant! The food was super yummy ! read more

Sam's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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What's not to like? Amazing views, amazing service, amazing food. No hyperbole. The halibut was caught fresh that morning and it was absolutely the best fish I've ever had in my life. That sauce... I could drink it, so good! Husband enjoyed his lobster roll as always but also after tasting my fish he said he'd eat that and he doesn't even care for halibut (usually). Our son enjoyed his spaghetti and meatballs. Kids ‍ The wind surfers were totally cool. A perfect day for good food. read more

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I honestly don't understand how this is only 3.5 stars. Well anyway. Went there yesterday to celebrate my mother's 85th bday. Jay is one of the managers, and these stars are for the personal touch he gave us. First, we had a large party. Jay shows me three tables and was so sweet to ask if they were ok. I'm like YES!!! Our group were 70, 80, 90 year olds, and the quicker we got seated, the better. We brought our own cake & there is a $3 cutting fee, which was okay with me. Jay says, "I am going to waive the cake fee since you're celebrating a bday." THAT is why that place stays packed. THANK YOU JAY!!!! Oh & the food is delicious too read more

came to have a late lunch & it exceeded my expectations. my friend always comes and since the day was clear we decided to ride down. We had reservations but we sat at the bar to wait by the time our drinks came our table was ready. It was super busy so I recommend reservations. We decided to sit outside for the view but it was really cold so eventually moved inside. I love the variety of mocktails i had the blood orange najito 10/10. I also tried a rose drink thats was horrible. We started with the lobster bisque probably the best one ive had it was so good. then we had the chili shrimp which was good as well. The lobster roll was so good and the portion of lobster was huge. I did a side salad instead of fries and it was tasty. Last we did the keylime pie Im not a keylime pie person but it was the best ive had. The service was great. Megan was our service but the experience at the bar and with the host was great. I cant wait to come back during the summer. read more

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Amazing to sit outside and have a view of the water. Service was great, our server helped convince us to try to sushi special that consisted of a carrot puree. Fish was fresh, could've used more pure and sauce! Had the classic lobster roll with a side of slaw, a lot of bread but also ALOT of lobster. Can't wait to go again. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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My husband and I stopped in to try the lobster rolls. I ordered the naked roll and he got the dressed version. We both ended up preferring the naked roll, the lobster really shines without all the extra sauce, super fresh and flavorful. We also shared the polenta fries, which were just okay. Nothing bad, but nothing memorable either. read more

Food very good. Service ok. Gets very crowded and sometimes long wait times. Beautiful place especially at sunset. Inside and outside seating. One of my favorite places to go when in NOCAL. read more

I thought this would be another seafood tourist spot, and I was pleasantly surprised. Touristy? Yes. Terrible food? No. Before you read further, make a reservation, or just be prepared to wait an hour + and in the fridge cold wind. They do kindly have a souvenir shop where they will happily sell you a $65 zip hoodie so you don't freeze your butt off. I happily paid that. It was cold. We came here on Saturday, and it was so lively. I don't remember the last time I went to a restaurant like this. Live music? Amazing to see restaurant still doing this. This restaurant is HUGE. It's half inside and half outside with the outdoor seating on a lower level. They have outdoor seating that also wraps Around the restaurant. About 15 seats at the bar which is right near the live music. Restrooms here are notable as they are really gross. There was "water" everywhere on the ground and lots Of toilet paper. It was a bit gross. Important for management to hopefully read this as everything else was great. The food was so good that I don't even have photos we were also starving, don't forget about that hour + wait. You have to do their clam chowder. Surprisingly they have both New England and manhattan. I think next time we'll do the manhattan. I'm not a fan of New England style that uses bacon. It's too overpowering. Also note that when clam chowder gets poured out the thickness quickly dissipates and you get watery soup real quick. The Manila clams were some of the best we've had this year and the sauce is why you gotta get multiple Orders of bread. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Perfect spot for a sunset. Bring a jacket or be a sucker like me and buy their $65 jacket. - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

super pretty views of the water! we also went during sunset which gave bonus points for ambiance. other than that, it's a pretty casual setting. we tried the: - naked lobster roll ($33.95): I thought it was a bit dry, and some parts of the lobster felt a bit powdery - new england clam chowder (medium, $10.95): creamy but I wish there was a larger clam to potato ratio - fried calamari ($15.25): crispy and light! - apple juice ($5) - passionfruit lemonade ($7) overall taste was pretty average for the prices, but still good! read more

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We decided to have an early dinner on Saturday after enduring unbelievable traffic to HMB. It was interesting since the festival isn't until the 18-19th. We have been to Sam's a number of times and this was one of the best. We had the petrale sole and the fish and chips. Both items exceeded our expectations since the restaurant was packed. Our server, Lori, was engaging and given she has been there for over 17 years speaks volumes to the credibility of the restaurant. We sat outside and it was very comfortable with a great ocean view. We will be back. read more

Sam's is short scoot down from the city to half moon bay, and the restaurant is right next to the water. I would go on a warm-ish day and try to snag a table outside. They have heat lamps and the view is amazing! We came for lunch, and it was very very busy so be ready to order! We started out with a large bowl of the New England clam chowder to share and it was so warm, creamy, and dense. I wish I asked for more oyster crackers for the larger bowl. For the main we got the dressed lobster roll with fries (extra $ for fries) and it was an absolute show stopper! The roll was buttery with a mountain of fresh lobster. I had to take leftovers, can't believe how much lobster they stuffed in roll. I am such a fan of Sam's!! It got super busy during lunch and the servers are always hustling so much sure you are prepared! I was a big fan of the kind service. Plan your trip well bc there's also a small parking lot that fills up so you might have to park on the roadside. After lunch, it's nice to walk on the beach right there and enjoy the day! read more

Sam's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

So now I understand what all the hype is about. This place is so much bigger than you can tell from the outside and wow the ocean view!!! We were there for lunch on a Monday and were seated right away. The portions are huge! I could not have finished my shrimp po boy by myself. Oh and the old bay fries are a must have! Ok so I might be banned for saying this but I didn't enjoy the New England style chowder. I'm really looking forward to trying the Manhattan one if they let me in the door. And I want to try the blue crab sandwich! Sub the chips for fries always. Worth the $3. read more

Rating: 3-4 stars (leaning 3.5). The draft beer was solid and the seafood tasted fresh overall. The chowder was just okay--my only real issue was a bit of sand/grit in it. The sole was fresh but very salty. The lobster Roll portion was generous (big size, lots of meat), but the flavor didn't stand out as much as lobster I've had elsewhere. read more

Terrible food. Ordered a shrimp cocktail it was hot and mushy. Gross. Fish and chips slimy inside the batter. Just terrible. Claim chowder was okay but no clams. We took a couple bites of each, paid the bill and left. Service very good. The front host very nice and efficient. Sorry to say I would never eat here again. read more

So enjoyed coming here for dinner. It's been a while since I've come here and I must say we had the best dinner. Perfect place to end the night, gorgeous sunset and amazing delicious food! The place was clean, promo and great service by our nice server (Tima). The special salad that evening was the heirloom tomatoes burrata salad with arugula which was absolutely divine. Their chowder here is the best! The oysters, grilled octopus and cioppino were very good. I should mention that the credit card we used during our visit was compromised the next day, with unauthorized charges appearing in Massachusetts. Fortunately, we caught it in time, verified the transactions, and canceled the card. While I'm confident this incident wasn't related to this establishment, I wanted to share it as a precaution for others dining here read more

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Place is great, food is good not excellent but good, but in this case i had an experience with a server Celene who came back after taking our check and basically demanded a tip. Tips are optional, there is no rule on giving tips. She did great but after we told her to put 15% she deliberately put more than 20% which left a tip of $39. Left with a bad taste in my mouth about this place. As a food service person myself, if somone leaves a small tip or not a lot you don't have to go after them and do the most to get what you want. Probably won't be coming back and I'll be telling everyone i can. read more

Fabulous seafood! Great service. Excellent food. Huge kitchen staff. Food comes out tasty and hot! Our go to place for seafood, lobster rolls, crab and chowder! Great place for celebrations. Great beach access for an after lunch or after dinner walk! read more

Sam's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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What an amazing spot for fresh and delicious seafood in Half Moon Bay... I can't believe I never tried it before.. it's next to the ocean so you can sit outside and listen to the waves crashing or sit inside and still hear the waves because they keep the windows open... Keep in mind... reservations are highly recommended because they get super busy and if you tried the food, you'd understand why... read more

Sam's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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We had date day at Sam's. It was my first time there. The food was delicious, good drinks, and live music was the cherry on top! The host and servers were kind. The restaurant was clean and the view was outstanding! read more

Sam's Chowder House - King's platter - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I've been coming to Sam's for years and always have a great experience. The outdoor patio is dog friendly and they have a dedicated parking lot for the restaurant. There is usually a line that forms about 20-30mins before they open on the weekend, so I would recommend getting there early if you have specific seating requirements or a large party. The seafood is always delicious and fresh, and the views are hard to beat. read more

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I've been here a couple of times. The first time, we had a great experience, sat inside and really enjoyed our meal. On our most recent visit, we brought our pups and sat outside. Our sever was absolutely incredible, She was so sweet and friendly, made our pups feel so welcome, and even brought them each their own little water cup, unprompted. Unfortunately, the hostesses were less great. They could not have been more rude/disinterested while showing us to our table, seeming almost disgusted by our well behaved dogs. Then another hostess, with a group of customers, came up to us after we'd ordered and been served drinks to ask if we had been seated there. As opposed to what? Just squatting there and ordering and waiting to see what happened? it was odd and a bit insulting. Clearly, they had forgotten to update their system to reflect that we were at the table we had been seated at. Even when we said, "yes, we were seated here" she literally just rolled her eyes and walked away. I got the fish and chips while my husband got the lobster roll. The fish and chips are delicious are solid, i just wish there was one more piece of fish (3 vs. 2). My husband also liked his lobster roll. read more

I've been coming to Sam's for years, and even now, living in Florida, I still find myself daydreaming about their clam chowder--it's that good. Rich, flavorful, and always served piping hot, it never disappoints. The seafood is fresh, the views are stunning, and the vibe is pure coastal magic. Yes, the wait can be long, especially on weekends, but honestly? It's part of the charm. You can hang out on the beach, soak in the ocean breeze, and enjoy live music while you wait. Plus, the outdoor patio is super dog-friendly--there are always pups lounging around, so bring yours along if you've got one! Sam's is more than a restaurant--it's a tradition. If you're anywhere near Half Moon Bay, don't miss it. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Me and wifey finished up Valentine's Day weekend on Hwy1 past this place hundreds of times cause the wait time , today was raining and it was 45 minutes. Worth the wait Excelente drinks food everything service excelente view perfect reasonable prices Found a new spot for our Sunday cruises read more

Sam's Chowder House - Outside pre dinner drinks - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

One of my favorite places in HMB - not only because of the food, but also the views and the beach. We are usually here during the September - January months and I honestly can't complain, the weather is always perfect. For a Saturday at 12pm, slight wind but the sun was out, making it super nice to be dining outside. There's quite plenty of seatings outside so if you can, you should ask for outdoor seating (no choice if you have a dog). There are sunny/shaded tables available so depending on when you go and what's available, make sure you let them know. Our waiters/waitresses are always so kind and food is almost always on point. The first time we've been, we were excited to try their ceviche but tbh, it didn't end up being that good. Their lobster roll, mussels, and octopus are to die for! Especially...the octopus. We're on a seafood fix after having delicious octopus in Europe and now we're just on the hunt for it. Would highly recommend getting it. Also, tried out their seasonal pomegranate lemonade which was ok. I wish it had more of the pomegranate flavor but otherwise, it's just any standard lemonade. Parking is a hit or miss but if you arrive by 12pm, chances are that you'll be parking on the streets, alongside the main road. Parking lot is tight and gets filled up quickly but if you don't mind the short/long walk from the main road parking, then the food will be worth it. After you're done, you can take the stairs and stroll down to the beach - talk a walk, let your dog off leash, or just sit on one of the benches available. It's quite a nice place to send a couple of hours at and with the right temperature, I'm sure you'll be there longer read more

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We came on a Saturday evening. Although they do not allow pets, they allowed us to sit outdoors with our dog and we also saw other dogs as well. After ordering our server also brought over a bowl of water for our dog, which was so nice! They started us out with some sourdough bread and butter. It was good bread, but I wished the bread would have been slightly heated or toasted because it was kinda hard. We started out by ordering cups of clam chowder that hit the spot on a cold evening. We also ordered some fries and calamari. The fries were delicious and hard to stop eating, but the calamari was a bit bland. I ordered the seafood spaghetti which was delicious and came with lots of seafood. I would come back in the summer when the days are longer and warmer and maybe catch a sunset. It was dark so we didn't get a view of the bay, but the vibes were good. read more

Sam's Chowder House - New England Clam Chowder (cup) - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Not a great place for solo diners....relegated to the way back, away from everything, despite 2 requests to manager, Theresa, and server, Luis. Used to be my favorite place, but hostesses no longer have that connection with the customer, no smiles, nothing. Just efficiently dispatching lone customers to as far away as possible. So disappointing, things have really changed at Sam's. Still pretty view, but no longer the welcoming vibe. Just not worth the trip over the hill. read more

This is another extremely popular coastal joint like Barbara's fish trap and Mezzaluna. The food is mediocre. The ambience is pretty good being right on the water. It would be great if the cuisine match it. It doesn't. read more

The food was pretty bland and overpriced. The only item I enjoyed was the clam chowder. The lobster roll was so pricey for such a small portion and the chips that they paired them with didn't even have any flavor to them. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Mixto Ceviche - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Very good food, that you would expect at a seafood shack Very good service, albeit a little slow... but hey, it affords you more time to take in the great view of Half Moon Bay. Overall, a SOLID lobster roll Of course I opted for their "Nude" version read more

Sam's Chowder House - Beach - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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We came on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and it was 4:20pm. We ordered to go at the window. We got a large clam chowder. It was quick and took it home to enjoy. It came with oyster crackers and bread. The clam chowder was quite good! We liked it alot. Also, the bread was also good! A large (32oz) was $15.95 Will come back again if in the area. read more

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Idalas was incredibly rude to our table, no smiles, walks away as we thanked her. Walked away mid sentence/conversation, eye rolls. Felt extremely uncomfortable we've come here for YEARS, this is the first time we have ever felt discomfort here. Staff are usually incredible. read more

Fish and chips is bad. You'd think a 22$ staple would be beer battered. Nope. Just barely battered. Service is nice though. Top notch ambience. But if the food is bad when you're hungry after a day at the beach, it's not worth it. read more

Sam's Chowder House has a beautiful ambiance right on the water, and it's a good place to have a nicer dinner. I ordered the seafood spaghetti, and it came with a surprisingly good amount of seafood which were all cooked perfectly. It was a bit on the pricey side, but I feel it was one of the most worth it menu items for the price, flavorful sauce, and the amount of seafood you get with the spaghetti. Our server was nice and personable, and the dining experience was made even better by the beautiful sunset you could see from the outside deck! read more

Sam's Chowder House - View from the outside deck - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Service sucks, Waiter brought the chowder( even after we confirmed twice that, we did not want white chowder) and never he return for more than 30 minutes, even though we told the busboy (when he brought the bread and butter) to let the waiter know we needed him. Finished the red wine ( waiter never returned to refill), finished the spanish octopus, finished the salad, and after getting tired of waiting, stood up and went to find an associate, towards the hostess area, I found a person dressed as one of their managers. I asked if she worked there and she confirmed she did, I asked her I wanted to pay my tub because I needed to leave and the waiter never came back to service my table. She looked beyond my shoulders and saw the waiter running towards us, that's your waiter she said, I turned my head, and sure enough, there was my waiter. I told him it wasn't acceptable specially when he brought the wrong food and had to wait forever to get out of there. He said he'd take out the chowder, I cursed at him(I was very upset), I paid and left. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Same as the other photo - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Beautiful place overlooking beach, great vibe. Delicious food. Not my favorite Chowder but good. (Needs a little more cream, salt, and seasoning. But tender!) Cowboys looked good. Old Bay fries are yummy. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Patio dining, chowder cup, bowl, and fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Very disappointing experience at Sam Chowder House. The hostesses showed clear signs of racial discrimination. Our group Asian was seated outside, while several other parties who arrived after us were seated inside at better tables. We waited 90 minutes before we are seated. We also noticed that all Asian guests were placed in the same outdoor corner. Mind you there are 9 to 10 tables available inside and the restaurant wasn't busy. It reminded me of what happened at Great White in LA, the same unfair treatment toward Asian customers. I hope the management takes this issue seriously. read more

Sam's Chowder House - Hostess extremely rude - Seafood Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

We made a reservation the day before with no issues, we showed up 15 minutes early and they took us right in, we even got a window seat. Our waitress Chandra was wonderful, we weren't rushed, service was impeccable, our seafood was so good including dessert. A fabulous experience we love SCH! read more

Joined the wait list around 12:30 PM, seated around 1:15. When the server was taking our order, I asked what's more popular the dressed lobster roll or naked, she was so unhelpful and responded that it depends on your preference, fine that's reasonable. It's understandable that you don't want to steer me into choosing something I might not enjoy... so our order was placed at approximately 1:30. Appetizers came out shortly after placing our order, but our main dishes didn't arrive until nearly 2:30. During that hour-long wait, our server never checked in, provided no updates, and did not refill our waters. Majority of the time she was nowhere to be seen, the appetizers were finished and dirty plates placed at the end of the table. The mains were delivered by runners, with no follow-up from the server. Our entire section appeared to be neglected, including a large party next to us that hadn't even had their order taken. Meanwhile, other sections received attentive service. After flagging down the server to request to-go boxes and the check, we were still left waiting. Guests seated after us had already finished and paid. I eventually had to ask a manager for the bill, at which point the server finally returned to close out the tab. Very disappointing service. read more

Clean place, friendly staff. We had The calamari and oyster rockerfellow for appetizers. The calamari was good. The oyster Rockefeller was not cooked enough and was very fishy and that's only my opinion. It seems to be a different type of oyster than what I'm accustomed to in the South. I also had the lobster bun which was good. The next time I would like to have the butter on the side. It was a little too much for me. So I gave it three stars because of the oysters read more

Quickly seated as walk ins. Drink at bar. Great view table inside. Waitress very friendly. Portuguese chowder very authentic. Paella overpowered with spicy tomato base. Prefer saffron rice. Nice mixed seafood and shellfish. Served two easily. Polenta sticks crispy outside, creamy inside. New England chowder rich with clam flavor. Been coming here for years. Offer fresh hot clam broth to sip with meals. Serve bread warm and toasted with soft butter. read more