Sam’s on the Waterfront

After years of hearing about Sam’s, we finally visited this evening for my daughter’s 22^nd birthday. In a word, it was kind of disappointing.
We had reservations for six people at 6:30 and got there early. We were seated quickly by 6:20, however, after that, the service was extremely slow. It took quite awhile for the server to return after bringing our drinks, then the appetizers took nearly 30 minutes to arrive. The entrees weren’t delivered until 8pm, more than an hour and a half after we were seated.
In addition, it was $ 5 margarita night, so I ordered one when the appetizers were served. Once it was finally delivered I took a couple of sips and then noticed a fly floating near the bottom. After about 10 more minutes I got the server’s attention and she brought me another. I expected her to apologize and say that it was on the house, but that didn’t happen.
My daughter had ordered a wine with the appetizers, and the server noticed she was drinking it slowly. She asked if she liked it (she did), but then asked her if she liked ice tea. She said she would bring her a drink she would really like… which she did. We all assumed this drink was complimentary for her birthday, and since we were having to wait so long, and since I had the fly in my drink. When we got the check — more than 2 hours after we arrived — everything was charged, including my drink with the fly, and the $ 9 «Jeremiah Tea» for my daughter. So much for getting anything comped. We never said a thing about any of this, but this lack of customer appreciation means that we are not likely to visit again. Too bad, because the place looks great and the view is terrific. I also own a business in the area and have ample opportunities to refer restaurants, but this one doesn’t cut it for customer service.
Oh, most of the food was good (filet mignon and appetizers in particular), but some was just ok. For these prices, we expected better.

I selected Sam’s because of its Waterfront location. Upon arriving I asked for a seat on the water with an electrical plug for my laptop. I got both! I ordered The Flounder which was packed with Flavor! The food and the service was amazing! Special thanks to the hostess! She was the best!

I absolutely loved my meal at Sam’s on the Waterfront! When the weather isn’t too hot or cold, the seating outside is perfection. Yesterday the sun was out with a slight breeze, and it couldn’t have been better.
The food was outstanding! I don’t really understand how they only have 3 stars… We started with the caesar salad, which was a little more unique and upscale than most. It came with about 3 or 4 large pieces of romaine lettuce covered in a light caesar dressing served with a parmesan crisp and two small toasted garlic bread slices. Very light and satisfying, especially since the dressing wasn’t too thick and creamy.
I also had the fish and chips, and they were really good! The fish was a little more greasy than I would have preferred, but the batter was still well seasoned and crispy. The homemade tarter sauce on the side was superb! The french fries were very thin straw fries, which are my favorite (similar to the ones you’d see at Steak and Shake). Couldn’t have asked for a better meal.
My boyfriend really enjoyed his Hangover Hash, and my dad loved his Reuben sandwich. Nobody had anything but good things to say after our meal. We will definitely come back!

Dad and I wanted to enjoy the bar, watch the Masters and have some oysters on the half shell. We enjoy Sam’s frequently as dad lives in the community.
We were surprised to find out the chef has changed the menu and a waterfront Annapolis restaurant no longer offers oysters? Crazy! We asked about the new bar menu and most of the items are reheated prepared items. We passed, ordered the steamed shrimp. Great sized shrimp arrived quickly, the cocktail sauce was congealed like it had been frozen, all I can say is, crazy! We asked for it to be reheated and new cocktail sauce was delivered. The shrimp at $ 24 a pound were well spiced but half were over steamed. We asked for the manager, asked about the oysters and pointed out the issues with the shrimp. Manager just explained the chef changed the menu and offered us a drink on the house.
We watched several other regulars leave to eat elsewhere, another couple eat the prepared boneless chicken wings, and said average! I just don’t understand why this good location can not get a menu with fresh food that is exciting and up to date.
The bartender did a great job, got both of the stars, thank you! I felt bad for him having to deal with the menu and poor quality of food. We might want to find a new location.

I am new to Maryland and have dined at this place twice. The first time was awesome all around from the waitress to the food! Tonight was the night they rolled out the new spring menu and the food was EXCELLENT!!! My only issue was that the waitress could have been a little more attentive and even the manager seemed distracted and preoccupied. I like this place but as nice as it is i just feel that the service should match the quality of the food. Nothing less. So tonight only gets a 3 star rating just because of the food. Would liked to have given it a 5 but service was so off tonight. I always say that a staff makes or breaks a restaurant business. If an establishment loses business, I think they should know why but often times some people walk away and never give a reason why. My only hope is that they improve on service because the food is incredible!

Since our daughter moved to the area, we have been enjoying trying new restaurants around Annapolis. Sam’s on the Waterfront has been one of our favorites so far; friendly staff, good service, water view, and delicious food.
We were greeted warmly and since we had made reservations for 5 our table was ready. Everyone on the staff was so warm and our waitress was attentive without being over-​bearing. We ordered a variety of dishes from the brunch menu. In our party our daughter started with cream of crab soup, and then shared a lobster roll and lobster mac and cheese with my sister. The lobster roll was small but good, full of sweet lobster meat and served on a split roll. The appetizer portion of mac and cheese was very, very generous, plenty for a full meal for one. They were both quite happy with their choices. The 10 year-​old had a salmon sandwich, which was good but we should have asked them to hold the sauce for her. My husband had the fish tacos. I’m not a fan of fish tacos but his looked so tempting, nice large pieces of crispy fish, not smothered with too much sauce. He said they were the best he’s ever had. My crab cake was small but outstanding. it tasted fresh and had very little filler. The sandwiches came with French fries. They were shoe string, my very favorite, and they did not disappoint, hot and crispy. Makes me hungry just thinking about them! Two of us ordered bottomless drinks, available during brunch. Daughter had Mimosas and I had Bloody Marys. I had the option of getting my glass with alcohol and then going to the Bloody Mary bar and making my own from a selection of toppings and sauces, or to have the bartender create it. I wasn’t feeling adventuresome so I chose to have the bartender make mine and I wasn’t sorry, it was spicy but not overwhelmingly so. We got our bottomless drinks without any delays and we thought they were a great value.
Sam’s is surrounded by windows so it seems like almost all the tables would have some view of the marina. Another plus is parking directly in front of the restaurant (you get a «permit» as you enter the condo community). Apparently in the summer there is a very popular outdoor bar, but it was closed when we were there in early March. I would take away a fraction of a point because it did seem the restaurant could use a little sprucing up with fresh paint and carpet shampoo. Considering all the food we ate and the bottomless drinks, I thought our bills was quite reasonable. It was a most pleasant meal thanks to the food and the staff. We look forward to going back again soon.

My wife and I stumbled on to Sam’s today while driving around Annapolis.
We were quite surprised. Great food and service while looking out upon the water.

Sam’s has great food. The crab cakes were very good and I loved the squash. My husband had the duck and he really like his food also.
The view is beautiful, especially if you like boats or the water.
Service was really good. Food came out in a decent time and didn’t feel rushed.
Would recommend if you like seafood and a classier place to eat for a good price.

Sam’s was not our first choice for brunch but after stopping past our original destination and being told there would be an hour and a half wait we moved on and got lucky.
As you’ll read in many of the other reviews for Sam’s, the restaurant is situated in a marina community just off of the Chesapeake Bay, not conveniently located to much else. Nonetheless the weather was fair, the views were great and the food was damn good. Rockfish sausage made fresh daily by their in house chef, killer! Lobster mac, lobster-​full and perfect! Crabs Benedict, another must have! The sides were fine as well although I’ll pass on the Brussel sprout slaw my next go around. Not much left to do but add in the proverbial bottomless mimosas and Blood Mary and we spent half the day planning vacations and fairy tale getaways.
The lightly filled restaurant also meant consistent and attentive service from the staff, just another plus. If you don’t need the crowds or mind the off the grid locale give SAMs a try, I’ll be back for sure.
BTW who waits an hour and a half for eggs and French toast?

SAMs continues to disappoint solely because the owner is so damn cheap he ruins the experience. Let’s have a huge event but only 1 bartender.

Sam’s on the Waterfront is located in the marina of a condo community. As far as waterfront restaurant atmosphere goes this was average. If your going for a beautiful view of the bay this is not the restaurant. It’s a nice place, it just does not measure up to the other magnificent views from the other local waterfront spots.
We came here for a late lunch. There was a large group of roughly 30 people enjoying a buffet. We were promptly greeted by our waitress who was what you always want your waitress to be. She was informative, attentive and gave great recommendations.
We ordered mussels to share and my husband had the fish and chips while I had the amazingly affordable soup (cream of crab) and sandwich (shrimp salad) ($ 9). The mussels were good and the sauce was tasty for bread dipping. The cream of crab was buttery and rich. I don’t think I could an entire bowl. The shrimp salad was a perfect balance of seasoning and dressing. The fish and chips comes with a large piece of fish and shoestring fries. The skinny fries are not traditional for fish and chips. They were okay not my favorite. The fish was what tasted like frozen fish.
Overall I would say we enjoyed our visit to Sam’s but I would skip the fish and chips next time

Granted we came on a night when there was an unexpected 32-​guest reception and they were two waiters short, but our three and a half hours there were not warranted by the quality of the food. Everyone in our party of 4 got the Scallops Napoleon which, at $ 29 a plate, were pretty awful. There was no seasoning to speak of and they tasted like they could have been microwaved. The specialty drinks were much too sweet (too much grenadine and not enough alcohol, yuk! l
Our waiter kept trying to put a happy face on the situation but it would be 10 – 15 minutes between his trips to our table. Our reservation was for 6:30, we were seated by 6:15, and we got out of there close to 10pm. Our waiter turned out to be a manager pressed into service. He comped us a few drinks and some desserts but, all in all, the only bright spot of the evening was Irish coffee and the beautiful view of the millions of dollars worth of yachts and speedboats parked just outside the window. Well, maybe they were not so beautiful, as it reminded me of a lot of show and not a lot of substance which is how I feel the evening’s meal went. Would I go back there? Maybe for the Irish coffee and dessert but not for the food. I can spend much less for food that is much more tasty and filling at a much more local restaurant.

My husband and another couple visited Sam’s on the 25^th of July. This was our second time visiting. We had a great time. The atmosphere and staff are pleasant.
An elderly man arrived with a cane on one arm and his wife on another arm. He was absolutely precious and was unable to find a parking spot. I was impressed when a staff member took his car and parked it for him while informing him that he will also retrieve the car when the man is ready for it. I liked that a lot!
Regarding the food, my crab cakes were great but steer clear of the «fried green tomatoes». That’s a southern dish and is delicious when prepared correctly. This was not prepared correctly and I would not advise anyone to order it. In fact, they need to either get a southerner to teach them how to make it right or they should take it off the menu. It was that bad!
And I say that as a person whose family is from West Virginia and Alabama. I’ve tasted it when it’s prepared right and it’s almost a crime what Sam’s did to it. LOL!
Other than that, everything was great so I’ll still give them 5 stars. I also must give them 5 stars because I was very pleased with how they treated the elderly couple.

Not impressed but we came during restaurant week. Pork tenderloin was good but crab soup was pasty and appetizers were cold. Burger came out well done instead of med. Dessert was a good end to a lackluster meal.

Terrible service, overpriced and ridiculously expensive for young children. Wait staff cannot get orders correct and they do not have customer service skills when it comes to correcting anything. This place has a great location. and that is ALL! Very sad.

The view was gorgeous and the outdoor bar was a nice feature. However, the mixed drinks lacked flavor and tasted like the alcohol was watered down significantly. Granted it was happy hour however when we attempted to tell the waiter that the margaritas were not very good, he responded by saying «they only cost $ 5 so what do you want»?
Food was also well below average, which was a surprise given the higher than average prices.
Don’t think we’ll be back.

The food, with one exception, was quite good! But the service was truly horrible!
We started out with two appetizers, and that took about 30 minutes. One of the special apps was Fried Calamari. When it showed up, it was very tough and chewy.
But the Tuna Tartar was a big hit.
The entrees took at least another 30 minutes. I won’t say they were worth the wait, but they were quiet good.
Highly recommend the Bananas Foster for dessert.
By the way, the ladies room was BAD!
Great location, great view, huge potential, but I will not go back.

I can’t believe it’s been fie years since I came here the last time. It’s a great place. Although it’s a little pricey.
I was getting their e-​mail blasts and saw a great special evening of half priced entrees since they were rolling out a new menu. So the Missus and I decided to go and make it a date night.
It didn’t disappoint.
The atmosphere and view of the marina is great. Very Annapolis. The service and our waiter, Greg, was superlative. The food was delicious.
I’m not a foodie but I can tell you that the scallops we had and the dessert were far and away the best dinner we had in a long, long time.
The dress is casual so it’s really a nice place for that special dinner with friends or your main squeeze.

Service was great, large party and we were attended to very well. 10 people, bill well north of 800. Now for the not so good
Food overall was two stars at best cream of Crab soup was a bisque and not a good one at that. However. Some folks at the table had the butternut squash soup and they enjoyed it immensely. I had the prix fixe menu. Soup salad and entrée. It was priced not at a discount, depending upon what you ordered. Anyway, the second course was the house salad, which was properly dressed, however the vinaigrette lacked seasoning. After adding both salt and pepper it was better. But it appeared as if the chef just didn’t taste the vinaigrette before dressing the salad. Disappointing. My steak was very good, well cooked and the reduction was very nice. the veg was broccoli rabe also well cooked. My mashed potatoes were not good, I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong, but there was something off putting about them. Some folks had the sweet potato mash mixed opinions from all.
We did order some apps. Oyster Rockefeller were tasty, crab dip. Not bad. Other entrees that got good reviews, crab cakes, Kobe burger. But the main courses were okay at best. Appetizers were better than average, but only slightly.
The high point was the desserts. The bananas foster, fixed table side, were spectacular. The cheese cakes all excellent. A five star dessert experience.
The wine list was pretty good and well priced,
Greg our waiter was fantastic, he was excellent.
Overall, I’d go back for drinks and dessert, but not much else.

I’ve been to SAMs before, and had good experiences. Unfortunately, this past weekend was not a good experience.
First, the service was poor. The server may have been having a bad day. She didn’t smile once, was very brisk, and overall gave off a very negative vibe. Our drinks didn’t arrive until after the food arrived as well.
Second, our entrees were just okay. My lobster roll, which I’ve had before, was pretty skimpy. It definitely had less lobster than before. The fries were great as always. The steak for steak frites was good. The really sad part was the soup. My husband and I both had the cream of crab soup. Between our two cups, we literally could not find a single piece of crab. At all. This is Annapolis — put some crab in your soup!
Third, the bathrooms are just atrocious. In the women’s bathroom, there is black mold, peeling wallpaper, locks that don’t function, and a filthy soap dispenser. If you have kids, there is no diaper changing station. The cleanliness of the bathrooms are embarrassing for a restaurant of this level.
SAMs has been a go-​to place for my family. We love the view and love that they take reservations, even in the summer. I hate leaving a negative review. If obey one of the items above occurred I could overlook it. However when all of that happened in one visit it needs to be addressed. Hoping it changes for the better soon.