Delicious falafel, beef shawarma, and baklava. Friendly service at a restaurant that's been around for decades. Sam, the original owner, is (was?) from the old Middle East, so the recipes seem authentic. read more

My default meal at Sam's: lamb shawarma with both sauces. (yogurt AND tahini) Super tasty pita-style sandwich filled to the brim with freshly cooked meat and a great combination of veggies and sauces. Seating indoors is VERY limited (*EDIT* not anymore! */EDIT*), but when it's nice out, the patio is an awesome setting. My dog enjoyed the patio as well. *EDIT* has moved into the former Ciocolat (on the corner) and now has plenty of seating. The old carcass of Sam's is still next door, but this one is visible from where the Davis Farmer's Market is held and I think will flourish accordingly. */EDIT* My food came out of the kitchen partially wrapped in foil and on a paper plate, but beware: the take-out feel of this place is horribly misleading. It also comes with no sides. You order a shawarma, you get a shawarma. There are fries done to perfection also, but my meal on a paper plate filled me right up. They don't take plastic, which is tragic for this town where it seems like NO ONE carries cash. So bring cash and enjoy! If you live anywhere near here, you may get hooked... I mean it. read more

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Good solitude, friendly, cozy environment, not much seating, it's like a lot of other Mediterranean food places, and you can expect the same dishes and same tasty quality, but it's also nothing particularly special. I do enjoy approximately to a spots downtown, it has very friendly staff, but the food in and of itself does not stand out, nor does it disappoint. read more

Food is delicious and nostalgic - reminds me of my grandmas cooking. The staff is so sweet and friendly, and it definitely has the vibe of a family run restaurant which I love. I always get the shawarma plate (highly recommend) and it is a good amount of food for the price! Also, they have the best baklava in Davis. Do yourself a favor and grab one next time you're in. read more

I've been meaning to come here for over a year now but haven't because of school, not carrying cash, friend/boyfriend doesn't want to eat here, or because it's not open when I'm hungry. Yes, I've got to say the CASH ONLY thing puts a damper on my plans. Came here for lunch with the boyfriend - finally. This is family owned and the service is great! They were super super friendly and we got our food really quick. We decided to eat in and enjoy the place. I like the paintings on the wall. It's a rather small establishment, but they also have COVERED outdoor seating. Yay! We sat inside of course next to the heater. Haha. We ordered steak shawarma, lamb kabob + pita, and side of dolmas. I LOVE DOLMAS. Our food was nice and hot. I like how my lamb kabobs were cooked medium - if you want fully cooked you should say!!! The dolmas were delicious and came with a cucumber yogurt dip. I definitely want to come here more often! YUMMY. read more

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I had some chicken shawarma here recently and it was pretty good, and reasonably priced. It wasn't fantastic food, but I appreciate the location in downtown Davis near the university, and enjoyed the outdoor patio. The food was prepared quite quickly, so not a long wait. The particular day I went, there was a problem with their credit card machine, and they were accepting cash only. read more

There is something about a Sam's beef shawarma and their French fries that really hits the spot. Great food at a reasonable cost. Highly recommend! read more

Terrible customer service. They were out of kabobs and out of salad so basically half their menu. Restaurant was dirty and the people working there were unfriendly. We walked out and went to Halal Guys. read more

Sundays and Mondays are my least favorite days of the week because Sam's is closed. I go to sleep dreaming about Sam's. Every time I get Mediterranean food, I think "Sam's would be so good right now." I'd say, Sam's is pretty good. read more

The chicken shawarma on pita is SO good! This is the only place in Davis you can get a GOOD shawarma! My boyfriend loves the beef over rice too. Do not sleep on this place! read more

I really wanted a good shawarma...I searched yelp and came across Sam's. The location was perfect as I was on my way back to the city. We pulled up, found some street parking, easy breezy. The place is very small...similar to a shack. Love these types of places...walk in, take a look at the menu, place your order with the friendly fellow at the cash register, head outside for a seat. We ordered the chicken shawarma and the lamb kabob in pita. The latter one was ordered with spicy sauce. The chicken shawarma was just ok for me...it didn't really stand out but was enough to satisfy my craving. The lamb kabob really didn't float my boat. It was actually quite dry and I didn't enjoy it much. The fries were super piping hot and fresh but out of a bag. The prices were extremely affordable and the service was great...just thought the food was ok. 3 stars. read more

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

Got the mix meat platter-- where's the meat!? Big pile of yellow rice- no meat and no flavor. Should have asked for my money back, just threw in the trash and left. My husband says it was garbage- so called authentic Mediterranean- who wants chopped up lunch meat for dinner? Chickpea's was much better! Shame on you for calling this authentic food- I'm East Indian and I know good food when I get it. I can make this at home with my own lunch meat. read more

the hummus falafel wrap is SO GOOD! the falafel is so flavorful and the veggies are so fresh!

I was excited to visit after reading all the reviews. Visiting son at Davis so decided to eat at Sam's. Ordered Chicken shawarma and beef shawarma. Asked if they can make the chicken shawarma spicy- lady was polite and said yes. Unfortunately it was not spicy at all. Not only was the shawarma not spicy- it was just not tasty. It was smothered in yogurt or something like that with lot of lettuce and big pieces of tomato. Won't be going back. read more

This place is great! Atmosphere is chill and cool but the staff is also really friendly. They know what they're doing and what they're talking about, and you can tell making the customers happy is their main priority. Food is pretty good, and for their prices it's 100% worth it. the owner was very kind and friendly he came out and greeted me and my husband with baklavas! if we could've took him home with us we would've haha ! i had the chicken kabob over rice and my husband had the chicken shawarma over rice it was all to die for ! this was our first time here and definitely not our last we will be back this weekend !! WE LOVE YOU SAM !! i wish they had a sams in san Fran where we live I've never tried a better middle eastern place than this one. I highly recommend this place if you have not tried it this is your sign to try it !! i added a picture below of how the chicken shawarma over rice looks like because we couldn't get pictures of our food thats how good it was !! read more

Sam's Cuisine - the chicken over rice my husband and I fell in love with sadly I finished my chicken kabob over rice before I can even take a picture of it - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

My favorite place in Davis!!! Their chicken shawarma so tasty. I crave Sam's all the time!

I've lived in the Davis/Woodland area since '97, and have only been to Sam's twice. Once years ago when I was in college, and again last night. Sam's has a great reputation for excellent food at a great price with great service... and the reputation is definitely warranted. Sam's is a wonderful place to get your shawarma or falafel on! You might be wondering why it is I frequent this place so infrequently... well, for me Sam's is a bit out of the way. It is located just off the UC Davis campus in an area that can be difficult to find parking. For college students though, Sam's is just a block away from school. If I were back in college, I could see myself coming to Sam's a lot more often. Sam's is great for college students as the price of a meal is wallet-friendly. Many of the menu items are in the $7-8 range. The shawarmas and falafels are basically meat filled pita bread 'sandwiches'. Inside are cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and a delicious yogurt sauce that makes these items especially unique and tasty. As I fry guy, I had to get the fries at Sam's. The fries are of medium thickness and are sprinkled with special spices. The fries were nice and crispy and hot. Though there were quite a few people in the restaurant last night, the food came out very quickly. I even had to wait a bit to get into my freshly made fries as they were piping hot! If I had to knock Sam's for anything, I would have to say that the food cold have just a bit more 'umpf'. My beef shawarma last night was delicious, I thought the beef inside could have had a touch more flavor. And the same with the fries. I was very excited to see the spices on the top, but it lacked the pop I as expecting. Don't get me wrong, everything was very, very good... but I think I wanted just a bit more in certain areas of the food. Despite that, I would go back to Sam's in a heartbeat. The portion and the price is just right, and the service at Sam's is second to none. Sam's is definitely a special little place in Davis that is a must-go when in town! read more

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Love this guy, he is amazing and so is his food. Definitely go here, a lovely lunch spot in davis. Right near the bike obelisk it is a beautiful sates to eat lunch. Wait is always short and taste is always high. read more

The most reliable Mediterranean fast food in Davis in my opinion! It's unfortunate that it closes early so it can't sate any late night cravings (but that's okay, people deserve to go home and rest!!) but when I do want enough food to prevent me from getting cranky from staying at the library for too long, Sam's is such a reliable choice. Most places in Davis aren't great in portion sizes, since it is a college town, so I love that Sam's at least gives us all our money's worth of food! Plus it's really great. Though I like the soft pitas, I would rather get a shwarma over rice because that's completely filling. The rice is soft and fragrant (it tasted sort of cinnamony, but it worked so well with the other spices in the rice)! They give you enough yogurt so that the rice and shawarma pieces don't get too boring. And I'm grateful for the side salad because any time you eat a load of carbs you need to alleviate your guilt with a crunchy salad! However I feel like there's a tad too much dressing that drenches the iceberg lettuce. At least the cucumbers hold up regardless of the dressing. Their menu isn't too extensive (it's basically just shawarma, kabob, or falafel on pita or over rice, and the typical burgers and fries) but most people who choose to come here come for a specific craving anyway. read more

I ordered chicken shawarma plate and never liked the taste. The chicken doesn't taste normal. The taste is never close to shawarma. Sorry :(

The falafel here was so good! I had the falafel on pita and I would definitely get it again in the future. I did try the chicken shawarma plate once in the past which I didn't enjoy quite as much personally, but the falafel is definitely worth 5 stars (or more). Also, the girl that helped me at the register was incredibly sweet! :) read more

Sam's is my favorite place to eat in davis. The prices are great and it is run by lovely people. The food is something I consistently crave portions are generous and the ambiance is extremely cozy. read more

I love their lamb shwarma with yogurt sauce! This place is one of my all time favorite restaurants to eat at when I want something to go, quick and simple for lunch, and close by to college campus. Cash only is a bit inconvenient. Tipping is optional since they don't serve water and you seat yourself. Don't expect much from the decor inside and outside. read more

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

Solid shawerma with efficient friendly service! Really fresh bread, thinly sliced lettuce, generous portion of cucumber and tomato slices, and your choice of yogurt and/or spicy sauce. The spicy sauce tasted like a hotter version Sriracha to me; it can be a but overpowering. I would recommend getting the yogurt because it nicely balances out the saltiness of the chicken. CASH ONLY! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Chicken shawarma. It's bigger than it looks! - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Despite other glowing reviews, Sam's serves its shawarmas with the Greek tzatziki sauce instead of the traditional spicy garlic sauce. If I had wanted a gyro, I'd have gone to a Greek place. CCs are accepted even though many reviews say cash only. read more

Service is really friendly (suuuuperrrrr friendly), but food I found was only mediocre. I think most of the 5 star reviews is because of the college population that they serve. As a college student, anything that cost less than $10 and could last me 2+ meals was 5 stars worthy. My mom and I shared the chicken shwarma and it was decent. It comes already mixed in with the rice, which helps to cut the saltiness of the shwarma. Unfortunately, I found the rice and shwarma a little on the greasy side. The side salad is a nice touch and was very fresh, although I wish they would have given us more of that rather than filling the rest of the takeout box with tzatziki sauce, which we didn't have much of anyway. Cash only. read more

First time eating here. We came Because of the great reviews and we're not disappointed. Good food, fast service. Indoor and outdoor seating. read more

It is a family run restaurant in downtown Davis that is close to the University campus. Came here with family and niece that goes to UC Davis. We yelped to find a good lunch spot and this place popped up as one of the highest rated places. You order at the counter before you sit down. They take cash only and so had to make a quick run to BofA ATM which was a 10 minute walk from Sam's. The service was super friendly and the kitchen turned the food around quickly. Our family ordered Falafel on pita, Hummus with Pita, Chicken Shawarma over rice and fries. The biggest hit was the Chicken shawarma, the slices were tender, juicy and flavorful. The pita that is served with hummus and that is used for the wrap was very soft. The hummus didn't have much of a taste and the falafel wrap was only so so but the house hot sauce really perked it up. Seems like a very popular place in Davis but it didn't quite cut it for me with the vegetarian dishes that I had. read more

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

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First of all, let me just say that even if I like a place, I never feel the need to write a Yelp review... but I'm writing one for Sam's. They have THE BEST SHAWARMA RICE I have EVER had in my life!!! Take it from someone who loves to travel and would try any and every shawarma/kebab place I find in the world. The flavors are not overwhelming at all. The beef was PERFECTLY SEASONED! The rice is just DIVINE. And their yogurt sauce..... is absolutely DELICIOUS. And you eat them all together..... BAM!!! It's like Christmas, New Year, Valentines Day, Independence Day and every single holiday you can think of. It's just PERFECT. I'm writing this as I steal spoonfuls off of my boyfriend's shawarma rice cause I already finished my own. I seriously wish they have DoorDash. It would be amazing for people who don't have cars or those who are too lazy to go out. I always have to order 2 at a time cause I want to eat my Shawarma rice 2 days in a row but don't have a car. But over all, I will keep going to Sam's as many times as I can!! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef shawarma over rice (no salad) - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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Very friendly staff and great food! They didn't have platters and salads so I got the lambs shawarma on pita and it was tasty. The worker was super friendly and complimented my girlfriend which was very nice of her. read more

A genuine Davis institution. Fantastic shawarma pita sandwich: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sams-restaurant-davis?select=cNRwQE5C_1Zo44uOW0sMOg#Y4vQc8BQMHecG1PLWJU6cw Sam is always at the grill, and his daughter takes the orders. But, the falafel wrap is bad: the falafel is not fried, so it has no crunchy outside. It's just a mealy mass of mush. And it's too spicy. Stick with the shawarma. One downside: There is no bathroom. Instead, Sam provides a bottle of hand sanitizer: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sams-restaurant-davis?select=cNRwQE5C_1Zo44uOW0sMOg#Jyp-l9BUz8BCaNJhx82iVQ Happily, Sam has a symbiotic relationship with Ciocolat next door. After you devour your shawarma, you walk next door to Ciocolat (with your hands still dripping with tahini sauce), use their bathroom, and then grab a chocolate truffle on your way out for dessert. read more

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Beef shawarma. Yogurt sauce. Spicy. Got it? Now go get it. This place has ALWAYS left me satisfied. Sure it can get crowded and they are cash only, but I will go that extra mile for that beef shawarma. I've even gone here during two Picnic Days and the looooooooong lines and crowded seating could not turn me away. As a UCD graduate, I will seriously miss this place. Treasure this place while you still can, UCD students. read more

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

You can never go wrong with Sam's! Best Beef and Chicken Schwarma I have ever had! I love coming to this place for a quick bite on between classes, or whenever I am in the area. It's conveniently located near campus so I don't have to travel too far to grab some food. The service is impeccable and the guy that works there is always so nice whenever he takes our orders or brings us or food! Definitely love coming here, it's never a bad time. The food is uhhhhhh-mazing! As I said before, the best Schwarma I have ever had! I would say this is my go to Mediterranean place in Davis. I usually get beef Schwarma or chicken, but I've heard great things about their falafel as well as their chicken or lamb kabobs. Try to get it with the yogurt sauce they have, impeccable! Adds a little sweet and sour cucumber-ness (not a word) to each bite! Definitely love coming here and probably going to come here again! Going to miss this place once I graduate! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef Schwarma with cucumber sauce! - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Yelp did not lead me astray! The beef shawarma pita sandwich with yogurt sauce and chili sauce was outstanding. Perfect balance of meat, fresh vegetables, and sauce on a pillowy pita bread. Flavorful, filling, and fresh. The freshly made french fries were just how I like them too - crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and dusted with a tasty seasoning. Reasonable prices, friendly service, and delicious food. Cash only. I can't wait to return! read more

I love Sam's for a quick lunch -- easy to get to from downtown or campus. The mixed shawarma pita is my favorite, it's so flavorful and delicious. But lately I've been trying to eat more plant-based so I love that they have the falafel pita option. read more

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

The food was really made with love. The service was amazing both for take out and dine in, they always greet us with the biggest smiles. The restaurant itself is super cozy and made us feel at home. read more

It was like a club I wasn't a member of. I was expected to know how everything operates without anyone telling me. Seemed understaffed, so I will give the gal a pass who was less-than-savory to deal with. She sort of scolded us for not taking the receipt and remembering our number, when we didn't even know this was a thing. The food was fine, but definitely needed sauce. When I went in to get some sauce, turns out that it costs $0.50 to get sauce . Because I didn't want to deal with the whole paying $0.50 on a credit card and getting charged for that, I just ate it plain, which was quite disappointing. read more

We came here because we saw so many good reviews on Yelp. Everyone there was so nice and friendly that the service itself already deserved 5 stars! We had the Falafel Pita, Beef Shawarma with Rice and the Greek Salad. Everything was so good with big portions. The beef with thinly sliced and soft, the falafel was cooked really well. Good value for money and we were so happy with our meal! Definitely coming back here to try their other items! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Falafel Pita, Beef Shawarma Rice, Greek Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Food is fresh, the atmosphere is great on a beautiful day you can sit outside however inside seating feels cramped. Service is always friendly sometimes it can take a little while to get your food however usually fairly prompt. Flavors are good read more

Super nice folks and the food was good! Got my food quickly and the chicken was really fresh and tender. I will be back to try the beef