Found what I would describe as a little local gem. Great service, great food, hometown vibe.

Polite, professional and friendly service. Good food and an extensive menu at reasonable prices.

Great food but service a little slow but friendly. I'm out of town but would love to come back with the wife

Good decent basic food. Prices can't be beat. Service was good. This is a local favorite. You can tell. The regulars were all there. I tried their cream chip beef + home fries and scramble egg. All were good. I will return. read more

First time visiting this restaurant. What a hidden gem for sure! The Servers make you feel very welcomed and many of the customers were obviously "Regulars". Checking in and ensuring all is good. Very casual interior with traditional diner set up. My husband got the steak and cheese with French fries. I decided to try their fried chicken. They make the chicken fresh each order. The chicken came with 2 sides. I ordered the macaroni and cheese and collards. All the food came out very hot. The chicken was crispy on outside, tender and moist inside. The macaroni and cheese tasted was very cheesy and had been obviously baked in oven. The collards were chopped and wonderful flavor. My husband's steak and cheese had nice amount of steak and nice flavor. He ordered fries however the side list was very extensive, possibly at least 20 choices. Although we do not live in the area and can become a "Regular" we will make sure when back in area to come back. read more

Traditional greasy spoon that is easy to love. I'm a sucker for getting breakfast at any time of the day. Their normal diner fare is very good as well. There are your traditional regulars that you will always spot. Getting a seat typically doesn't involve much of a wait, but service can be a tad slow. If you are in a tight timeline, it probably wouldn't be my first pick. If you have time to savor the experience, by all means, give it a shot. read more

After many years, we went to Sam's Kitchen in the 'new' location twice in one week. Had a great pair of breakfasts...the 'Sampler' at the first time, and the 'New York Omelet' at the second. Both servers were A+. read more

Very good food. Great prices, friendly service! Everyone went out of their way to serve us & make us feel welcome. read more

Our go to has been torn down. Tip Top was too busy. So here we are at a small country diner. Wow. Big breakfast and full. Service was great. Had diet dr pepper. Yeah me. Everyone was happy. Food was generous, well cooked and wonderful. Eggs Benedict who knew. Will come again. read more

Great place to eat. We've been here a few times when we're in town and it's a solid win for a good breakfast. Staff is awesome and service is too. read more

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of eating at Sam's Kitchen very small spot but flavor and I ordered melt potato salad and a piece of fish. Let me tell you this place is underrated and should be one of the top 10 restaurants in Charlottesville because of the flavorsI will be going back today as a chef myself I am very particular about where I eat I will do my best to eat at Sam's Kitchen every other week thank you Sam's Kitchen for your wonderful food and your service. See you later today cordially the Charlottesville helper. will be going back today as a am very particular about where I eat I will do my best to eat at Sam's Kitchen every other week thank you Sam's Kitchen for your wonderful food and your service. See you later today. Cordially, yelper read more

Sam's is one of those diners that you hope no one else discovers. It's a hometown hideaway with pretty decent diner food. I like to get breakfast whenever I go throughout the day. The food always tastes fresh, hot and well prepared. Family diners are always a pleasure to find! read more

Great breakfast, a local secret. I can't in good faith give it a perfect 5/5 stars. While the breakfast food is the best alongside Seminole Trail, it's not top tier QUALITY food. That being said, this place rocks. The food is still quite tasty. The prices for the food are reasonable. There are a handful of options to choose from. Everything I've gotten from Sam's Kitchen has ranged from decent to fantastic. I have never had a negative experience here. The waitresses have a homey vibe and make you feel like you're eating right at home. I recommend getting the Egg's Benedict because the remoulade is addicting! I took my best friend's wedding party here on his wedding day and everybody had a great meal and a great time. Is it out of this world food? No. But is the experience and food comforting? Yes, yes, and yes! read more

We like to go to Sam's kitchen for Friday dinner. They usually have a few specials and a a different soup of the day. Yesterday it was a ham and bean soup and it was delicious. My father loves the meatloaf and my sister will usually get whatever fried fish special they have and proceed to devour it. Sometimes I want breakfast food, which they serve all day, and sometimes I just want a sandwich or a burger. I never leave disappointed with the food or service. They also have a full bar area and a huge tv, but we're usually there early in the evening so we don't sit in that area. It's certainly a family favorite place to eat. read more

Great diner for breakfast. Amazingly good prices. Super friendly people. And very quick service.

Good spot for breakfast all day long. They have daily specials for breakfast and dinner. Omelettes and pancakes are good. Others seem to enjoy the burgers. The waitress was attentive in what was a very relaxed atmosphere. Definitely prefer this local place over a chain like IHOP. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Dirty omelette with hash browns on the side and biscuits. - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Cute, homey restaurant. Service friendly if a bit slow. Best sweet potato fries I've ever had. Everything was really tasty! read more

Stopped here for dinner after a meeting in Charlottesville, based on Yelp reviews and the fact that the first place we tried has gone out of business. It was a solid choice, with good food, and the service was okay. Definitely appeals to the older crowd, which we should have figured on the way in, when the daily special was liver & onions. We had some onion rings for an appetizer, which were pretty good. My wife had the grilled cheese platter, which she said was okay. I had the Sam's Triple Decker club platter, with fries and potato salad. The sandwich was very good, and the fries were okay. The star of the meal was the potato salad, which was very good. The place seems to have plenty of regulars, so I'm not sure I need to go back. read more

This place is amazing. It doesn't look like much from the outside but when you walk in it is pretty spacious. The waitresses were very friendly and efficient. The food was good with good portions. This is a great little place. read more

Been here multiple times with usually no problems. Went in Saturday morning and was seated by an older woman. Three parties came in after us and were brought drinks, menus, and their orders taken. Sat for 10 minutes without anyone coming up to the table and have to leave after not having any service. read more

Good people and good food. Warm inviting feeling when you walk in. Recommend the mimosas with breakfast!

Sam's Kitchen is a nice, quaint business with a Sunday morning after church feel to it. The service is excellent and the environment is pleasant. The menu is pretty big. My go to is the philly steak sub, with all the fixings-Swiss, onion, peppers, and Mayo. I wish I could speak to other dishes on the menu, but unfortunately I can't-I get the aforementioned meal every time! Highly advise patronizing Sam's next time you're looking to try a new establishment. read more

Looked at the menu online. The actual store menu is much more expensive than listed. Had sandwiches that were fine. read more

My friend and I stopped in tonight on a whim. We'd both never been, but wanted diner food and atmosphere. We certainly got both! We were greeted with a smile and told to sit wherever we felt comfortable. We chose a seat and waited... and waited... our waitress came over, took our drink orders, and disappeared for quite a while. Food was brought out one table at a time. Service was SUPER friendly, but very, very slow. The food, however, almost made it worth the wait. I had a tomato stuffed with tuna on a salad with hard-boiled eggs and the potato skins. Both were so good and filling, it was 2 meals for me. My friend had a pork chop, and it was delicious as well. I can't say I'd come here often. My work requires me to be on the move. A s l o w moving diner is not typically something I have time for. If you have the time go enjoy the atmosphere, people watching and delicious food. read more

Heard from a friend said they have a good breakfast. Went to try this morning. We've been waiting over 25 minutes not getting our food but two tables who came after us already had their food. None of the staffs came to say anything to us.. went to pay for our drink and told the cashier what was going on her response was " Do you wanted me to check on your foods????" Really!!!! No apologies for anything! Never ever go there again!!!! read more

Amazing would be an understatement! This place is separated out for social distance, masks worn by staff, very friendly, polite, and professional. The food is 10 stars....we most get breakfast and this food will set your day up for success. It's so good that after breakfast, you want to simply sit with friends and family awaiting time to order lunch. Imagine a place that took the best parts of Waffle House, IHOP, and every mom and pops place down the East coast and across America then mixed it together with your sweetest memories of home...if this could be done, you would end up with Sam's Kitchen. read more

Good food; but service was kinda slow, especially when trying to pay. Overall, this a good place to have breakfast that's close to home-made food. read more

Lovely food! The place isn't much to look at, but it's pleasant and clean. Servers are pleasant and cheerful and helpful. Oh, by the way, the food is delicious! We came in for breakfast; hubby had a veggie omelet and I had the blueberry waffle (w/ice cream!). The omelette was full of fresh veggies and the waffle had fresh blueberries! No syrupy "compote", but FRESH fruit! So yummy! read more

Not impressed at all with this place for the lunch/dinner menu. Was looking forward to a mom and pop place for some great eats but this one didn't pass the test at a at all. read more

See all

Awesome mom-and pop restaurant! We love the breakfast here, and the sausage biscuits with gravy are amazzzing! We usually get an order to share with our table-everything is good, and home-made! Last time here, I had the waffle-and it was so great- I'm still thinking about it! I have to go back soon read more

Sam's Kitchen - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

See all

We heard about Sam's kitchen while waiting in line at IHOP. We stood in a line of about 10 people, who were waiting to be seated. There was one cashier taking payments and no one to seat the incoming guests. As we waited approximately 15 minutes, a couple said that they were going across the street to Sam's kitchen! Thankfully I heard this, because as soon as I did, I knew I was going to wait in line any longer! I looked it up on my GPS, and sure enough it was about a block down across the street. Once we got there, we were immediately greeted and seated. My husband and I bother ordered omelettes. His was egg, cheese, sausage and mushrooms, and mine was egg, cheese, sausage, green peppers and onion. It was delicious! I'm not a huge fan of ordering omelettes, but this is worth ordering. If you're in the Charlottesville area, I would definitely give this place a try! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Sausage, American cheese, and mushroom omelette! Biscuits are included. - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Great service and hospitality. Food was good. The fried chicken was good and so was the chicken salad sandwich. read more

See all

Great service, great prices, great food. In particular the crepes are amazingggg. And the waffles! This is a family owned business which is a bonus. I would highly recommend if you don't want to wait forever at a brunch spot in the area but also want big portions and good food, go here! read more

Solid place for breakfast when you're on your wait out of Charlottesville. Both times I've been the service has been great (a nice hometown feel) and the wait hasn't been that long for the food. Is the food better than IHOP, no not really, but they sure treat you well. The pancakes aren't the best I've ever had but for $3-$4, the amount you get is a lot. The bacon always comes nice and crispy when requested and the other dishes available are sure to fill you up. Don't be alarmed by the orange tint to a lot of their bread items, for some reason they use food coloring (worth asking if you happen to be allergic). The sausage appears to be fried in the same oil as chicken, but the flavor isn't super overpowering. One thing they could improve on is the quality of the coffee. It's quite bitter, but I guess you shouldn't expect much more from a diner like place. read more

First time eating here. I would have given 5 stars but the wait for our food was quite long. Once we got our food we all agreed it made up for the wait. The food was excellent. I will go back! read more

Friendly service and traditional, delicious breakfast options await you at this restaurant. I had the French toast with bacon and potatoes. Enjoyed every ounce of it! Our waitress was attentive and friendly. Give them a try! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

See all

It's exactly what it looks like in the photos and says in all the reviews. Old school diner with home cooked, simple, delicious food. The coffee is strong, the home fries are crunchy, you can order eggs over medium and they'll be cooked the right way. Seems as though the waitstaff and cooks have all been here for quite some time and address each other accordingly. The decor is peculiar and the old linoleum floor is showing some serious wear. This only adds to the charm and nostalgia, in my opinion. This place is a gem. read more

Great burgers! Not an oversized meat patty, and well stacked with tomatoes and lettuce. I also added a bunch of my coleslaw for some extra flavor and crunch. The baked beans had fantastic flavor and were loaded with bacon. Coleslaw was a bit wilty, but tasty as a burger addition. Soup was loaded with veg and sausage bits - very delicious! The atmosphere is very eclectic - Chinese decor, country music, serving American food! Overall, local gem at a fantastic price. read more

My wife and I were visiting the area to check out the wineries and breweries and stopped in for breakfast. We shared Sam's omelette and some pancakes. Everything was delicious and the service was great! Definitely stop by again on our next visit to the area. read more

Nothing fancy! Good, cheap food. We had breakfast and it was the best breakfast I have had out in a while. The fried potatoes are so good! Will definitely eat here again. read more