Generally a solid restaurant. Enjoyable food, absolutely wonderful sauces, and pretty fast service. Since it is a small business it isn't uncommon for certain menu items to run out entirely, and sometimes they do seem overwhelmed in the kitchen. But overall I have had really great experiences here, and keep coming back! read more

The sweetest people!!! While pregnant I had my Dr. appointments in Davis just for Sam's. The food is amazingly good and it's 100% going to be the best shawarma you will find in Davis. read more

Stopped here on my trip to Uc Davis, this place came up on a highly rated Yelp suggestion and nearby to my seminar. I'm glad we stopped, the food was delicious and the service excellent! Prices reasonable for area and food. Parking is difficult but worth it, perhaps the weekend wasn't the best time to go due to a farmers market occurring with lots of traffic. read more

We ordered the Shawarma on Pita. This was by far the most tender and juicy meat in Shawarma. It started off tasting good but after a couple of bites it was so salty that could not eat it any more. Since we had taken to go we had to search for something else to eat. Seems like the meat was overly salty or by mistake they put in extra salt. read more

Sam's Cuisine - the dining room - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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All I can say is WOW My buddies and I had lunch here the other day. We all ordered this shawarma chicken or beef on a pita bread (a sandwich). The food is absolutely wonderful. Flavorful, not dry, and a very good size portion for a $9 sandwich. We also ordered their special seasoned French fries and humus with pita bread. I make a very good homemade hummus. Theirs is better Service was quick and the place has both indoor and outdoor seating A definite 5 star place read more

Really great, flavorful, and authentic Mediterranean cuisine. I ordered the chicken shawarma plate with rice - excellent portion to share or to have leftovers or if you're just really hungry! The meat is so flavorful, as well as the rice...honestly all of the component and flavors just blend together beautifully. Right by UC Davis- perfect for a quick lunch or dinner! read more

This is place is soooooo good! The gyro and chicken are delicious!! This place is family run and the owner is super nice as well!

My falafel cravings have been satisfied. Thank you. This Mediterranean cuisine is CA$H ONLY, so be sure to have some on you. Prices are very reasonable and worth the amount of food you get. I ordered the Falafel on Pita and my total was $6.48. The pita was soft. The falafel was beautiful! I loved how soft and crumbly it was. With every bite, when bits and pieces of the falafel fell, I just knew it was going to be a satisfying lunch. The whole ensemble itself was great. Right amount of veggies and the sauce was not overpowering. Location is on 3rd and B St. During my visit (9/20/18), 3rd St. is under construction but you're in Davis, so park on the street and enjoy a nice walk. It looks like a cute little house which gives it that home-y vibe. It's nicely decorated, bathroom and restaurant were clean, and service was excellent. I probably went on a good day, because a lot of Yelpers said seating is limited, but I was lucky enough to enjoy my falafel out on the patio. Sam's is a great quick bite to eat by yourself or with a friend or two if you're in the area. read more

*** Vegetarian Review *** Taking over the former Ciocolat location, Sam's Mediterranean continues the tradition of local eats on the corner of 3rd and B. That alone deserves a moment of thankfulness that a Starbucks or another Boba shop didn't invade our streets. If you've ever traveled abroad and popped into an off-the-map pub for a quick bite, Sam's has that same feel. Limited inside seating, tables too close together, zig-zagging line of eager and hungry patrons crowding the already fixed space to get to the ordering counter and yet, all you hear is laughter, see smiles, and smell food coming from the kitchen. I like this place! Would I come back test? Yes, this will be on regular rotation. The menu is simple for vegetarians -- not a lot of options, but they have all the staples you look for at a Mediterranean joint. Tips for first-timers: 1) Cash only! Nuff said 2) Street parking. Davis blocks are easy to walk, so if you find a spot remotely close to 3rd and B, grab it. You'll have 90 minutes to enjoy your food and then have plenty of time to walk it off around the nearby Central Park and maybe catch a local playing the public piano. 3) Road closure. 3rd Street is currently under renovation and based on the proposed rendering, it will be beautiful. Patterned pavers lining 3rd all the way down to the campus (UCD). Estimated ribbon cutting, end of 2018. 4) Seating. Limited tables inside. More room outside and mostly shaded. If you take it to go, walk across the street to Central Park and you'll find plenty of seating options. Keep in mind the Wednesday evening Davis Farmer's Market and Saturday morning markets can disrupt those plans, but that's part of the charm. 5) Daily specials board includes Falafel Mondays and Dolma/Hummus Wednesdays for vegetarians. Comparisons: My favorite pita falafel can be found at the Crest Cafe (Sacramento, next door to you guessed it, the Crest Theatre). It's larger. I'm unable to eat the whole enchilada (or falafel) on my own plus they offer a green dipping/pouring sauce that is absolutely out-of-this-world delicious. Sam's is very good as well, but the size and special green sauce are hard to overcome in a head-to-head falafel battle. However, if you're in Davis and have a falafel fix, go to Sam's rather than Halal Guys. Even though Halal guys includes rice as a side dish, the overall flavor of Sam's pita falafel is noticeably better. Falafel on Pita (Grade A - $5.99): Pita (Grade A): It's a hardy-one. Thicker than any other pita I've ever had, but when you pick it up and take your first bite, you realize why it's two-ply versus single-ply. The falafel and everything else they stuff inside needs a hefty vehicle to hold up to the tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dip, aka the ketchup of Mediterranean food). This is a minimum 5-napkin item. It's messy and forces you to make purposeful and strategic bites so that everything stays put. One lazy bite and like Jenga, it falls apart. The falafel is wrapped in foil so use it to co-pilot your food and keep all the tzatziki balanced throughout every bite or else, you'll have more on your hands than inside your falafel. Falafel (Grade A): The falafel (typically grounded chickpeas mixed with vegetables, herbs, and spices) are above-average. Crispy, not burned outter crust that almost holds its crunch halfway through your meal even though it's drenched in tzatziki. A lot of falafel is bone dry in the middle, but not these -- add the generous amounts of tzatziki and it makes for an appetizing mouthful of what has to be housemade falafel. Tzatziki (Grade A): Sam's is not shy about their usage of their cucumber yogurt dip and that's a very good thing. Makes for a messy dish and by messy, I mean savory. Overall restaurant observations: 1) Super friendly staff. They only had one person working on the afternoon of my first visit. She took all the orders at the counter, delivered the food, and checked up on us. 2) Generally clean space. Recommend sitting outside facing Central Park. You'll lose yourself in conversation and it will be the cheapest staycation you'll ever take. 3) Water station is towards the back near the ordering counter. It was difficult to get to with the lunch crowds. You're swimming upstream to get to it and then having to avoid getting bumped. Probably best to bring your Hydroflask, but please don't fill your personal Hydroflask there, especially if you're one of those that can't avoid hitting the lip of your personal cup against the public water spigot. Yikes! On my next trip, I'll probably get a side of fries with the falafel on pita and it will be more than enough to split with my wife and she will have plenty of room to get her Boba at Sharetea that is less than a 5 minute walk away. read more

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Wonderful food and wonderful service! It is Palestinian owned cuisine as well and I ordered a shwarma with fries and the fries were so good I ordered another one lol read more

The food here is always good along with the service! If I would recommend anything off the menu it would be the Beef Shawarma! read more

Hungry group completely stuffed after our lunch stop here. The Swarma excellent, nice bit of salad included and very generous tzatziki. Plenty for lunch the next day. read more

I had a very good chicken kebab over salad. All the vegetables were fresh and cut chunky. It wasn't drowning in sauce like most other places it was tossed perfectly. Don't cheat yourself try this spot. read more

Great food great area. The waitress/cashier was very nice. Our food was brought to us very fast and it was delicious

I honestly don't eat mediterranean food often and I came upon it as a recommendation from my friend, but it was worth it. It is affordable and they give you big portions, i couldn't finish. Loved the service. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef shawarma over rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

The food is delicious and the staff are all really friendly and have fantastic customer service! The food/service is very fast. I had the chicken shawarma on pita that was amazing and every else liked what they had as well. Finished it off with some yummy baklava. Will definitely be recommending to people and will come back! read more

Absolutely delicious food! I'm a vegetarian and got the dolma wrap. If you find yourself in Davis, this is a good stop requirement! Tons of flavor and very fresh! Yum! read more

Nice food, good service and price, owner Sam is very nice to me, I would love to recommend his restaurant to everyone Thank you Sam read more

Very well delicious The Mixed Shawarma bowl was big. All the tastes came together and they are absolutely adorable. Check them out! Patio seating was so chill read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mixed bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Great food and cool interior ambiance! I'd give the 5th star if they had beef or lamb kabobs. They had great shawarma but no kabobs. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Crazy cool tea sets! - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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We just happened to try this place on a whim, Wow! Great, friendly service and the Best Falafel sandwich that I have ever had in America; the baklava was phenomenal also. read more

工作日的晚上，一直有零星的人光临，暂时不支持堂食，不过外面开放的区域也有很多空桌。 地中海私房菜，主打Shawarmas 土耳其烤肉 和 Kabobs 肉串。我们点的，一个Shawarma on pita，圆面饼卷沙拉和烤肉，还有一个Shawarma over rice，像是烤肉炒饭，配小份沙拉和酸奶酱。 这两个比较，我觉得面饼卷肉好吃点，炒饭有点油！ read more

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The chicken shawarma and lamb over rice was very flavorful and tasty. The meat was not too salty and it was nicely cut. Their portions were huge and well worth the price. The rice was very hot so watch your tongue and don't burn yourself. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Chicken shawarma over rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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The food is amazing. I enjoy going here for lunch when I'm downtown. I always order the shwarma over the rice, and not the pita, because I need as much of this food in my belly as I can get. read more

Great food, it was my first visit to Davis and I was lucky to have a delicious lunch at Sam's Mediterranean Cuisine. Highly recommend and I'd go there again. read more

I come back to confirm that this place is still absolutely amazing. Everything was so fresh and tasty with big portions and really fair prices. Everyone who worked there was incredibly nice and really helpful. I will be back every single time I visit Davis! 10/10!! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mix Shawarma platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

I love this place.. I haven't been here in a while and could not remember the name of it for almost a year that I've been working in Davis. So glad I found it again, customer service is always top notch, food to match. Davis food leaves a lot to be desired, this place in my opinion is Davis' only saving grace.. read more

Omg AMAZING!!! I'm in Davis for work and I hope they send me back just so I can come here again. I live in LA and we have some very good Mediterranean and Persian places but this is the BEST I've ever had and I've had my fare share from zankou chicken to Raffi's. They pack some serious Persian flavors into this little box. The salad dressing is the bomb too. Of your in Davis you must try! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef sharwarma with side of falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Small location and you have to find street parking. The food is great with tasty meat options of lamb, beef, chicken, or mix. They have shawarmas and kabobs and more. Also take card or cash now. Staff is friendly and the food wait isnt long. I recommend stopping by if your in the area. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mixed meat Shawarma over rice was great! - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Ugh I'm craving Sam's as I type this! My boyfriend and I are Mediterranean food enthusiasts! Sam's closes early so I have missed so many opportunities to eat here until recently! Luckily I was able to scurry over after work one day and brought some cash (didn't realize they only take cash but that's not a probelm). We ordered the beef pita, chicken pita and a side of hummus. Oh. My. Gawd. I absolutely love this place and am so mad at myself for not having gone sooner! The pitas were decently sized and filled with lots of veggies. The hummus was so good we almost licked the container clean! It came with cucumbers and pieces of pita for dipping and drizzled with olive oil. The staff was friendly and the interior was decorated very uniquely. As it is in a house, it felt very much like a you were eating in someone's home. I can't wait to go back and order more food to feed my soul! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Love this place! Close to campus. Outside seating. Fast service. Excellent flavors. I usually get the lamb or beef shawarma over rice because I'm crazy for the yogurt and chili sauces. Today being Picnic day, they were only serving in pita. Vegan friendly. read more

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Sams is about falafel and the shawarma. They do it better than anybody. I think he might let you bring beer in (they don't serve alcohol). Chances are a family meme we will be taking your order. Always friendly and fair pricing. We go here for lunch when I want food but deny myself a beer because it's to early. (Can it really be to early? Once saw a guy in a diner have a beer with breakfast - it didn't look to bad) Anyway... Sam's is absolutely a BIG thumbs up. read more

One of the great restaurant in Davis, Sam's Mediterranean offers guests and visitors the best Mediterranean food in Yolo County. Have been a loyal patron of this restaurant for many years and enjoy the ambiance, the food, and warm hospitality service from the family who runs the restaurant. Highly recommend, 10/10 - never disappoints and is always a wonderful restaurant to check out. read more

I wanted to love Sam's! Service was slow but friendly and food just wasn't flavorful enough for me unfortunately Head over to Dixon for some real Mediterranean . ***im updating from 2 to 1 star after seeing some of the owners responses to reasonable reviews. Will never eat here again. Sam says all bad reviews are "fake," I'm starting to think all of his good reviews are. How can any decent or fair individual still be supporting him after his responses to fair reviews. Please see Sam's comment below to see his take on his business. I gave him a SECOND chance to prove himself. Still garbage. Sorry Sam. The only reason your in business still is because you're so close to the college. To the college kids, Don't run your business like Sam. We see why he chose cooking, it's because he can't spell and doesn't appreciate other peoples hard earned dollar spent. read more

Been going to Sam's since I was a student here and always have to visit when I'm passing by Davis. This is the first time I've been back since they were closed during Covid and thankfully nothing has changed. Prices have gone up a noticeably the last few years, but I can't blame them for trying to keep up with inflation. This little hole in the wall always hits the spot and meets expectations for quality food, fast service and a wonderful customer service. This place is a must try if you've never had it before. Highly recommend the beef or lamb schwarma wrap. read more

Caution: if you pay with card, ask for the final price and receipt. I caught the owner's daughter (cashier) sneakily tagging in an addition $3 dollars in the form of tip without my consent. Here is what I purchased: -(2) Mix Platter: $11.29 each ($22.58 total) -(1) Fries: $1.99 -Davis Sales Tax 8.25%: $2.03 Total: $26.60 First off, the daughter looks like she'd have more fun watching paint dry rather than being at the restaurant. Before we purchased the food, I asked for the final price and she informed me that it was $26.65. As most of you know, card readers have an option for tip. She was very quick to not offer a receipt. So I requested one and she became nervous. After a few minutes, she provided me with a receipt that she wrote out. -(2) Mix Platter: $12.22 each ($24.44) -(1) Fries: $2.15 -Total: $26.60 -Total Recorded on Receipt: $29.65 When I confronted her. She said the machine was broken, she doesn't know what happened, and questioned why we were concerned when it's only $2.70 more. Then she continued to use the machine for customers after us. It's more about the principle rather than the price. You can't say you were ignorant to what happened when you wrote the price breakdown and the total which is clearly different from the calculation and what you informed us the price would be. Receipt says it all. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Credit Card Transaction - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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As someone who is married to a mediterranean man, their food is mid, and they do try to con you on the meat portions and cost.

We ended up there by accident one day. We were planning to go somewhere else and I don't know how we ended up there. But the food was very good. It sucked because they weren't letting people sit inside. But since it was A fairly nice day outside it ended up being OK. They have really good hummus and I don't remember what else I ate there. But everyone in my group was happy. They give you a lot of food read more

I'm so glad that Sam's is back. This is one of my favorite spots in Davis and I had been dying to go back since they reopened. The service was impeccable! The person who took our order was soo warm and peppy! They made me feel so welcome. They take card now but I still chose to pay with cash. The food came very quickly but while we waited we sat at a table outside near a window to keep an eye on our order but then they brought it out to us! After that we sat in the park and enjoyed our food. We ordered one mixed shawarma on pita and one beef shawarma on pita. Both were excellent. The mix has slightly more food and it's 1 extra dollar. They have chicken as well. I cannot wait to go back! You can always bring your own favorite hot sauce to spice things up but I prefer without to taste the meat better! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mixed shawarma on pita (left) beef shawarma on pita (right) - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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A great place to get Mediterranean food! It's a little corner house converted into a restaurant. It seems like the restaurant is owned and operated by Sam and his family. Inside, there's a counter and a few tables. PSA: they only take cash. All the staff are really nice and the whole place feels very homey. There are only a couple tables inside and some outside so I would definitely recommend getting to-go if you are in a big group. They also don't have their own lot so there's only street parking. My boyfriend and I came in around 5 PM on a Wednesday and there were only a few customers inside. We both ordered the Beef Shawarma. I asked if I could get mine in a Wrap instead of the Pita they said they could definitely do that which I appreciated. They were each about $8. The food took about 5ish minutes to come out and it smelled so good. My boyfriend devoured his in minutes. But he did say that the pita soaked up a lot of the grease from the meat which made him feel really nasty afterwards. I would definitely recommend getting it in a wrap because it didn't soak up so much grease. The meat was really flavorful and there was a lot of it. I really liked the tomato and cucumber in it because it did cut some of the grease. The ingredients were also very well distributed throughout the wrap as well. Not exactly the healthiest wrap out there but it definitely satisfied my Mediterranean food cravings! I wish they were open later! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef Shawarma Wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California