I got the fish taco, shrimp taco and lobster taco I believe. My memory escapes me as it really wasn't that memorable. I felt each of these tacos were under seasoned and lacked overall flavor. None of the topping complimented the protein and I gave up trying to eat any of it only to steal some of my coworker's bulgogi fries from another food truck. For $30 lunch, I really expected better. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile used to be a great alternative to driving down to Half Moon Bay. But, lately, the quality of Lobster rolls have been going down. I loved the times when they gave a decent amount of lobster for $18.50. With the pandemic, they increased it to $19.50, which was acceptable given the difficulties restaurant workers were facing. The, they resorted to cheap tricks by filling lobster only at the mouth of the bread roll and leaving a huge vacuum inside. You are fooling nobody with it. Today will be my last purchase from Sam's Chowder. Not only is the quality of lobster rolls bad, they jacked up the price to $22.50. I'll be going to Woodhouse grill or Pacific catch instead, where I'll get a decent lobster roll for the price paid. read more

Great truck for a quick bite at Golden Gate Park. The Po' Boy and seafood seasoned shoestring fries were tasty. A good size sandwich served in a lightly toasted butter bun stuffed with crispy popcorn shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, and a tad of mayo sauce. The fish and chips were just as good if not better. The batter was light and perfectly crisp. I need to try the lobster roll. read more

See all

I ordered the fried calamari this past Sunday right before 3:00. The guy was friendly, and the calamari was okay. (Not great, but okay). The portion was good size for the $11 charged. But just about 3-4 hours later, I began to feel dizzy and nauseous. Then came the diarrhea with a low grade fever. It was food poisoning. How do I know it was from Sam's? All I had eaten that morning was 2 slices of toast. I should've listened to my friend who judged me for getting seafood from a food truck. read more

I have heard nothing but great reviews about this place and their food truck parks at my school sometimes. Their fries are really, really amazing lots of flavor with whatever seasoning they use, but the calamari was like rubber. I was very hungry so I ate it and they have a garlic sauce that goes with it that helps a LOT, but the picture I took does not at all capture how over cooked the calamari was. Overall, the service was pretty great and they got my order out very quickly. I might go back to get some fries but definitely not for calamari. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Calamari $10-not worth it - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

YUM is all I can say to describe this posh food truck. Posh meaning... it's quite a hefty price you're paying for the food, but a great deal for what it is. I haven't had a lobster roll in ages, so when Nina Y. decided to take me around Golden Gate Park during a recent trip to the City, I couldn't say no! Boston's lobster rolls were fabulous, so I wondered if these would live up to that status. The regular sized lobster roll is $16.95. We decided to order one and split it, along with a basket of calamari and a side of fries. We also grabbed two bottles of chilled soda, which made the perfect compliment to our meal. After ten minutes, our lunch was served, and it was time to dig in. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/H3Gk6OUYkueXaTnqmJDkXQ?select=7VfHkeXlnj-SUTkXjevxNA#O9JeoiWyYRYiOCOFZNVi-w The lobster roll was very good. Not too heavy on the mayonnaise, which is great in keeping the taste of the lobster alive. Like many have said though, the amount you get isn't a whole lot (and the roll itself is quite steep), but all lobster rolls are usually this much. Split one and enjoy the other food options. Our calamari was HUGE- it came in a medium sized container, but was filled to the rim. Squeeze the lemon and dip it to get that tasty, fried squid flavors bursting in your mouth. A good amount of food that we devoured in no time. So yes... your money may go further somewhere else, but for a one time lunch on lobster rolls and fries, this food truck definitely delivers. read more

See all

Clam Chowder and Old Bay Fries are consistently flavorful.

Stopped at Sam's Chowder Mobile while in HMB for a little air with the family; quarantine cabin fever is real! We ordered a shrimp po' boy, calamari and fish and chips and everything came out pretty fast considering the line. Once we got our food, we (5 ppl) shared them all as a family style lunch. I wasn't able to get pics of the spread because we were hella hungry and polished everything off. The calamari was so good we ordered 2 more for the road along with a crab cake plate ( SO GOOD) and a cold container of chowder that we haven't tried yet. Convenience, service, quality - 5 stars, highly recommend. ALSO, finding parking then standing in the crazy lines at the brick and mortar seafood restaurants in HMB is crazy if you aren't in the area before the lunch rush, which we weren't, so the convenience of ordering from the truck was perfect!! read more

Visited this place while I was in the Japanese Tea Garden, and I must say this place is very much overrated! Maybe it used to be great in the past, but right now it definitely failed to meet expectations. I ordered the shortie lobster roll, and was pretty excited to see all the lobster meat packed into the roll, with large portions of claw meat. Unfortunately, once you start eating it you'll realize the lobster meat is NO-where near fresh--it tastes really stale, like dried lumps of meat. They tried to mix in bits of celery into the lobster meat to try to make it "feel" fresh, but it was no use. Compared to Prime Dip, this place definitely sucks. For a $11 sandwich that I order from a food truck, I would expect the sandwich to be at least as good as what I can get from and actual sit down place like Prime Dip, and that is simply not even a close comparison! Y IS THERE NO LIQUID BUTTER?! :) Would definitely not visit again. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - truck - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This truck is a moving blob of lobster and seafood goodness. Found this truck by chance at Off the Grid SF in Civic Center. I sometimes deploy the long line method whereby I pick the longest line without regard to the type of food. This truck had the longest line. Like 20 people deep. A few items on the menu, but they all sounded pretty good. Highlights were the $17 lobster roll, fish n chips, truffle taters, and chowder. Went with the lobster roll, shortie since I read that it was voted one of the top 5 sandwiches in america by the today show. Came out quick. Lobster meat to bread ratio was adequate. The roll was buttered and grilled, and tasted like a Kings Hawaiian sweet roll. The dish was really good, although at $11 for about 5 bites, it was a little on the pricey side. I say try it. But clear some space on the Amex. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

HANDS DOWN THE BEST LOBSTER ROLL I HAVE EVER HAD. My boyfriend and I were visiting the Japanese Tea Gardens and spotted this truck and were super intrigued. We ordered a full roll and some coleslaw and we honestly thought it was so delicious, one of the best foods we've ever eaten. They put sooooo much lobster on their rolls! We talk about this roll everyday, and we ate it back in September. I HIGHLY recommend this spot! read more

the old bay seasoning fries, SO good, get it!! Don't even think about it. Its giant for $5 and very shareable. I also got the clam chowder which was yummy The spicy shrimp taco is pretty solid, it's filling and the pineapple salsa compliments the crunch of the shrimp well. Fish and chips were also good, kind of wish there was more seasoning in the batter but yum overall with the tarter sauce read more

The food truck was at Golden Gate Park yesterday and we stopped by honestly because lines at the other trucks were too long lol. I didn't expect much but just needed something quick and warm. Nonetheless, the clam chowder and fries were really good! Very impressed. Great flavor and nice portion. Highly recommended! read more

Their clam chowder used to be fairly good . Now it's all just clam flavored potato soup . No more clam chowder from Sam's chowder mobile

Typical cold, foggy SF weather always makes Sam's a win. We took the kids to the Academy of Sciences and the truck was out there. Usually, we'll just succumb to the chowder or the calamari. But today was the chowder, calamari and the lobster roll. I've never had the lobster roll here before, but was quite surprised by the size of it (see picture). Other places have wonderful lobster rolls, but I am always put off because they are the size of cigars. I actually ordered one because I wanted something smaller today, but definitely no complaints! read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

I tired the shrimp po'boy and I was so disappointed. The bun was nice and toasted but the bay size shrimp had a weird metallic taste. The shrimp weren't fried right and the coating fell off. The fries are so salty to the point I couldn't eat them. My hubby tried the claim chowder and it was mainly potatoes. Even the oyster cracker were stale. So disappointed and wouldn't eat here again! read more

The quality has gone down and the prices have gone up. This used to be a nice place though. Hope they pick up their quality.

Nothing says San Francisco quite like eating a $17.75 lobster roll from a bougie food truck in a plaza filled with residentially-challenged folks camping out! No judgment for either the homeless or the yuppies/muppies, just observing an interesting and very present dichotomy. Not quite the picturesque fish shacks by the ocean I'd enjoy warm buttery lobster rolls from while growing up in Connecticut, but ambiance doesn't deter me from trying to get a taste of my homeland. Lobster Roll: This is Connecticut-ish style. The lobster is warm and tossed in butter, though they could have been a little more generous with the butter. It is served on a nicely toasted split bun which is almost authentic, except it's a tad too thick skewing the bread-to-lobster ratio. The lobster portion is respectable, so it's just that the bun has more bread than a typical frankfurter split bun. I'm not sure why they added celery; thankfully it was sautéed or something, so it wasn't too potent a distraction. Overall, it was a valiant attempt for California. Just serving it warm with butter and no mayo is a big accomplishment, so their split bun (albeit a bit too thick) definitely gives them bonus points! Old Bay Fries: These were oddly addictive. Granted, I've had fries with Old Bay seasoning before, but there was something about these. They were thin and crispy like McDonald's. There was a generous covering of Old Bay, not just a weak sprinkle. And I think there was a fair amount of salt, adding to the goodness. Coleslaw: I generally don't like coleslaw and this one didn't manage to convert me. I'll acknowledge that the veggies were fresh and crunchy, but just not my thing. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Old Bay Fries - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Got a fantastic crab cake and fries with old bay seasoning! No filler, just lots and lots of crab meat - YUM!

Best crab cake ever!!! Large, crispy outside, tender inside. Some places use a "crab salad". Not Sam's! They use all crab! It doesn't hurt they add a side of old bay French fries. This combo is one of my all time favorites. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. My bf always gets the lobster roll and he always loves it too. read more

Bought 3 piece fish and chips and the fried calamari when the chowder mobile came to sparks. Started eating with in a couple minutes and the fish and chips were already soggy. Fried calamari was nice and light but needed seasoning. read more

I have to say... hearing that Sam's chowder house was at 246 Ritch made my day! I have heard so much good things about this food truck (also Sam's Chowder House), but never had the chance to go. Finally it is close to my work and I ended up going! I didn't know the prices were that expensive! I ordered the following: Lobster Roll ($16.50): Yes, it is that much... but what do you expect to pay for a sandwich with lobster in it?! So much lobster meat!! I was like this better taste good and be worth it. I took a bite into the crispy bread and into the lobster meat. SOOO GOOD! It was well worth the $16.50! I was worried that I would be jipped with the amount of lobster in this roll, but man it was stuffed with lobster... LARGE CHUNKS OF LOBSTER! You can even tell which part came from the claw and which didn't. The bread was lightly buttered and toasted. All of the juices was soaked up into the bread ( I mean the excess lobster juice). There is finely chopped celery to add to it. Actually complimented the lobster. This also came with a side of cole slaw. Took a bite of this and there was a over powering taste of onions. The texture was what I think cole slaw is supposed to be, crunchy yet thinly sliced veggies, but I was disappointed with them putting too much onion into the slaw. Clam Chowder ($5.50): good. Not as thick as other clam chowder places I have been too, but had a lot of flavor. Tiny bits of bacon, chopped up potato and clams. This was good, but wasn't really great 1/2 into drinking this. Still over all FIVE stars! Line was long, but wait wasn't, food was warm and the soup was piping hot. Service was also good. And I did talk to the guy that took my order, he said they will be at Ritch more often! Make sure to check @thelunchboxsf on twitter before heading over!! read more

See all

The Calamari was overcooked and overbreaded. You can't taste the calamari anymore and the flour is all you can taste. Too crispy to my liking read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - An order of calamari and clam chowder. The calamari is overbreaded and overcooked. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

We used Sam's Chowder Mobile at a recent company event for 400+ people. They were fantastic from start to finish - great communication, thank you Katie! and wonderful onsite support. We underestimated how popular this truck would be, but they were still able to accommodate the majority of our employees without endless wait times (we had other food trucks available as well). The lobster rolls were the clear winner - SO MUCH LOBSTER! My only suggestion is to have more sauces available. Would 100% recommend them for an event and will definitely use them again in the future. read more

Zero stars! Tonight, I went to the Off the Grid in Belmont for dinner and had the misfortune of choosing this food truck. I spent $9.75 on the special, a grilled shrimp po'boy and fries. I opened the sandwich and was angered to find only 4 1/2 small shrimp on a huge 6" bun. When I placed them side by side, more than half of the po'boy was shrimpless. I wish my phone wasn't broken so I could have posted a picture. It was pathetic! I ate the under seasoned shrimp and a few fries, and threw the rest away. I also ordered the fish taco ($5.50), which had 2 shrimp sized pieces of fish swimming in an ocean of mayonnaise. With drink and tip, I spent $18 and drove home wondering what I should get for dinner. Never again. read more

Family lives in Maine so I should stop setting high expectations when I hear "amazing seafood" here, on the West Coast. - Lobster roll was stuffed with lobster meat, but lacked the traditional mayonaise mixture. They used clarified butter to bind the lobster, and bun was very dry. Overall it was a dry, flavorless but large lobster roll. - Clam chowder was not new England style. New England Clam Chowder is thick, this was runny, thin Boston-style clam chowder. Also, chief had a heavy hand with the celery seed. - Old Bay fries were very good. Brings me back to my New England roots. Kind of hard to mess up fries with a special seasoning though. Not recommending, not returning. read more

I always stop by sams chowder mobile when they're present at OTG serramonte. I really their lobster rolls. It is around $14 for a shortie but for $4 more, you can get the full size!! The amount of lobster they put in their lobster rolls is impressive for the price. They toast the buns perfectly golden brown, and with the tasty coleslaw on top it's mouth watering. Chowder is good as well and piping hot with oyster crackers. Perfect on a cold day. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Sams chowder mobile at serramonte otg: Shortie lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I love their clam chowder soup! It has bacon bits in it... need I say more? Hmmm hmmm yum. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Heart attack clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

We got the clam chowder, but it wasn't anything too special . It tasted great on a cold night though! :) read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

On an unexpected Sunday that just passed.. We went to Picnic at the Presidio.. And my boyfriend got the lobster roll. Let me tell you that lobster is too die for. But, like my boyfriend said.. They need to learn how to properly make a sandwich (cutting the bread deep enough), so it a little more messy their lobster roll. I got the prawn wrap. It was delicious, no complaints. The bay fries weren't shabby. I got the corn and I wish it was seasoned all around or on the other side at least, but it good.. Maybe it'd be insulting but I kind of rather eat a KFC cob over this. BUT.. the corn is fresher here for sure.. I just like the super buttery kind of corns more. TAKE-AWAYS FROM ALL OF THIS: ***** Get the lobster.. anything lobster and you won't regret. read more

Had this truck when it made a stop in Belmont and I finished indoor rock climbing so I was starving. I ordered the shortie lobster roll (I guess I was eating the baby of a regular lobster roll) and their clam chowder. Lots of lobster. I even saw a claw, so I knew it was legit lobster meat. The only thing was even the butter couldn't mask the bland taste. The clam chowder is white and really thick. It held my spoon while I finished my shortie. Pretty good, but I've had better down at Fisherman's wharf. read more

Crab Cake, wow! 8oz large crab cake, nicely seared, can really taste the crab inside and it was great. Spicy shrimp taco amazing portion and flavor was great as well. read more

Cloudy days=great days for chowder. I got to the foodtruck and studied the menu...and wanted a lobster roll instead. Food truck got there before 11 but took 40 minutes to get everything prepped. It took all of my willpower not to leave and get something from somewhere else. Finally it was my turn and I ordered a lobster shortie roll ($11.50) and an order of bay fries ($4.50). Since the sandwich is called a 'shortie' I was wary about how small it would be...but it's actually pretty juicy. It filled me up REAL good for sure. Meat consisted of lobster claw (and there was a LOT of meat) but I wish they used lobster tail as well. There's a lot of butter within the sandwich, but it wasn't enough to sicken me. The bay fries were delicious. I loved that they stayed crispy overall and the bay seasoning is great. It's a huge order of fries so I could only eat so many. The office ate like the rest of it though. Great food. I'm interested in trying more. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Lobster shortie roll - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

What I ate: Shrimp po' boy and fries, clementine Pellegrino Visit date: July 27, 2014 First time? Yes. A nice deep fried indulgence! I visited Sam's during the Treasure Island Flea. The line was significantly faster than other trucks -- major plus! My fiancé and I enjoyed the shrimp po'boy and fries. The shrimp were fried to a golden perfection. The batter wasn't thick so it gave the shrimp a slight crunch, which paired nicely with the succulent shrimp inside. The mayo sauce was rich. Half a sandwich was good enough for me. The fries --ah, well they reminded me of my childhood. Sam's tops their fries with a seafood seasoning that I used to flavor my popcorn with. They are a definite must-try. Bonus - If you're a Pellegrino fan, here's where you can try clementine Pellegrino! I had never heard of the flavor before. Thanks for the intro, Sam! read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Shrimp po'boy and fries. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Sam's was in the Civic Center today. I walked over and bought a regular lobster roll for the gasp inducing price of $19+. The sandwich was good. Lots of lobster stuffed into a buttered roll. The lobster was fresh. It was not limp or on its way to being decomposed. It's a good meal but not worth $20. Service was quick and friendly. Well I can now say I ate at Sam's! read more

I love their food! First time I got the lobster roll and enjoyed the generous amount of tasty lobster meat chunks. Today I had the fish and old bay chips. I've had seafood from Maine, Boston, NYC, Maryland, Philly and Virginia. Sam's is up their with the best of them! I'm so full I still have to make room for the chowder and key lime pie. Thanks for another wonderful meal! It's a real treat when you come to our building. read more

LOBSTER ROLL -Very fresh, not too over-cooked, flavorful and buttery (melts in your mouth). I appreciated the large chunks of lobster. The bread roll was soft and also buttery. Satisfying! read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Lobster shortay! - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Staff was friendly! Social distancing reminders to stay 6 feet apart and the staff wore their masks! And now on to the good stuff... the food was AMAZING! We had the clam chowder, regular sized lobster rolls, single crab cake, fries and calamari! We were so happy to drive by this truck on the way to the actual restaurant! It saved us so much time and the prices were more than fair for the quality and flavors. The crab cake was just that- a patty made entirely of crab meat! So, so good!!! What are you waiting for? Go. Get. Yours. Right. Now!! read more

Time Visited: 12noon Time in Line: 5-10 minutes How Long I Waited for Food: 10-15 minutes Seated: Food Truck Traffic: Moderate (Private Event @ MidPen Housing - Foster City) Spent: $53 What I Ordered: 2 - Lobster Roll $17.50 1 - 2 Piece Fish and Chips $12.75 1 - Key Lime Pie $5.50 How Was The Food?: LOBSTER ROLL: I got the regular size as I knew the "shortie" would not be enough to satisfy my hunger. For the price, I felt the larger one would be the better value. The bread was really good. Nicely toasted. I wish that it was toasted on the inside as well to keep the bread from getting too soggy (personal preference I guess). Compared to walking along the SF Pier and getting a Lobster Roll from a street vendor, this is definitely a better value because you get more. For what I paid for the regular size, I would have gotten something much smaller from an SF Pier street vendor. TASTE... So here is where the dish was lacking. If it were lightly TOSSED in butter, maybe they should start using SALTED BUTTER. It tasted bland to me. They should add a lemon wedge with their roll, along with some salt and pepper packets. Something this expensive should come out with a BANG!! With a taste that I would want to eat OVER and OVER. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Best Lobster Roll I ever had was at Luke's Lobster (http://lukeslobster.com/plaza/) in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. FISH AND CHIPS: The fries were probably the best part of this dish. The fish itself was cooked good, but the batter was more brown than golden, and tasted a little burnt. This either means the heat was too high, or the oil needed to be changed. CONCLUSION: For the price, I was expecting MORE. This food truck does NOT live up to the hype. I give it a GENEROUS 2 stars because the quality is there. But, being as they're are so successful, I don't see them changing their ways. I will not be visiting this food truck again, even though there are things on the menu that I would love to try (the Poboy). If it were FREE, yes I would eat here again. But, only then. --- --- --- --- --- ADDITION: BEST KEY LIME PIE I HAVE EVER HAD! I would go back to the truck just for the pie, if the line weren't long. read more

Sam's Chowder Mobile - Private Events in Foster City - Lobster Roll is bland. Read my review. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

The one star is given because negative stars weren't an option. I was really excited to try the entire menu but I limited my order to three items, which were clam chowder, a regular lobster roll and a side of fries. The excitement quickly turned into disappointment and the anger from my money being wasted. Pros: - A large side order of non seasoned fries - The roll was perfectly toasted and buttered - Large pieces of lobster meat Cons: - Tasteless - No seasoning - Over cooked, no seasoning and not dipping in butter read more