Sammy’s Pizza & Deli

Just tried Sammy’s for the first time with mixed reviews from my husband and myself. I was looking forward to it after hearing from some friends who recommended it. We got a large house special to eat on the way back from a weekend in Grand Marais. The crust is fantastic; thin and crispy with a great chewy texture. But the sauce was nonexistent! First there was hardly any sauce on it and what there was had no flavor! We like a zesty pizza sauce with plenty of Italian herbs and spices and garlic in it so it sets off the great topping flavors. Not crazy about the flavorless ground beef on it either. Not sure if we will be back unless they improve the sauce. I hope they do because I really liked that crust!

After a morning of bird-​watching from Hawk Ridge, we were pretty hungry. We were also on a budget and unwilling to drive downtown, so I looked up some places nearby. Sammy’s popped up and it looked OK, though it didn’t seem great. I was wrong.
This is a charming little pizza parlor with long roots in Duluth. We split a meatball sub and each got a can of soda for under $ 10 total. The sub was great; the bread was mostly a spongy vehicle for the sauce and meatballs, which were tender. There were a couple of slices of melted provolone on top too. I could have easily eaten an entire sub by myself, but it was enough to sate my appetite for a long hike we took later that afternoon. The staff was also nice enough to cut the sub in half and serve them on separate plates.
While we were waiting, we watched as a family across multiple generations trickle into the shop. Mind you, this is not a big space so it was endearing to see about seven or eight people make themselves at home. It seemed like they met there often enough that the kids didn’t mind. They really enjoyed the pizza.
The pizzas looked really good, so I hope the next time we’re up in Duluth we can try them.

Nice thin crust pizza. Nice staff. Friendly delivery service. Ordered the Crew Special which includes pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms. Very flavorful sausage!

I had been away from Duluth for several years, so I was salivating, just thinking about the many Sammy’s pizzas my family and I had enjoyed in the past. I decided to ring up Sammy’s for a delivery. The pie was delivered in a timely manner. The total charge seemed a bit high– nearly $ 30 for a family size pizza, including delivery tip. I always tip the delivery person.
As for that pie: the red pepper flakes and parmesan requested were not present. No prob! I always carry spare condiments in my purse! The appearance of the pie was a let down after getting myself all worked up. The pie looked misshapen and hastily thrown together. The toppings requested were minimal. The crust a bit too burnt for my tastes. But, the the proof is in the pizza, or the taste of the pizza, right? Yes, it was familiar, but the burnt crust detracted from the full taste experience. Also, the dearth of requested toppings did not enhance the taste for me, but rather detracted.
In the past, I recall pizza that looked like it was lovingly prepared. Where did the love go???
I shall give Sammy’s another chance to redeem themselves. After that, there are other great pizza makers in the area. Sammy’s, I know you can do better, as you have done better. Perhaps it was an «off» evening, but consistency was what I loved about Sammy’s in the first place. I say all this with good intent. I want Sammy’s to be their best, as well as #1 on my pizza maker speed dial. Please make a monkey out of me and prove me wrong… to me.

Yum yum yum.
The Good
The pie was scrumptious! We ordered a plain old Italian sausage and loved every morsel. We had it delivered to our hotel on canal park and they were pros. Took my hotel name and room number and BAM! They were there with a piping hot pie!
This is an old fashioned thin crust (think 1978 pizza parlor) cut into little squares with a piece of sausage on each little square.
We got a large 16 inch pie with sausage for $ 23, $ 27 with tip. We sat on our balcony and watched he ships while we ate.
The bad:
Get plates and napkins from your hotel bc they didn’t bring any. We were too hungry to care. We peeled the lids off the in room coffee cups and used those.
The Ugly:
Yup. I’m dreaming of more pizza. I’ve had Sammys in Eau Claire and both rock. You’ll want to order it every night. Give up, on Grandmas. Get pizza!
A final word:
No stars off. No plates or napkins but in all fairness I didn’t ask for them and who normally gets those things during delivery?

We love Danny’s pizza! When I am in Duluth, it’s always that special treat that we get on Saturday nights.
The pizza is always super fast and yummy! The customer service here is awesome too. The next time I am in Duluth, I will be back to experience this phenomenon again! Hooray!

Pizza is amazing. Sammys special is my favorite!
The sandwiches and broasted chicken is also amazing but it’s hard to not get pizza when I go!

I love Sammy’s Pizza. This location is definitely in my Top 5 favorite Sammy’s Pizza locations in Duluth. One of the best pizza joints on the East side of Duluth. The seating area is quite small, but it is quaint and enjoyable if there are just a couple of you heading out for pizza.
The staff is friendly and there are also options to carry the pizza out or have it delivered.

Love Sammy’s Pizza, but this location stinks. 4-​Meat was all hamburger. Such little cheese all the toppings fell off. I will drive to another location rather than coming here. Have tried to order extra sauce, extra cheese and it still comes the same way. They charge for the extra toppings though! Locations are individually owned and this owner is tight with the extras. Recommend any Sammy’s but this location.

As long as I can remember, this pizza shop has been a part of my family’s life, and checking their online bio, I see they opened when I was about 6. I don’t remember exactly when my family started to buy pizzas, they’d call ahead, my dad would go and pick up (no delivery back then) and prior to that (and for a time after, I can imagine) family pizza nite meant a Chef Boyardee mix out of a box — contents were pizza dough mix, a can of tomato paste and small envelopes of powdered cheese and herbs.
It was pretty awful. Whereas Sammy’s is spectacular, and a Minnesota favorite, with a dozen or more locations sprinkled across the Upper Midwest, mostly descendents of the founder.
But the Lakeside outlet was our stop, it’s only in its second location since its origin, moving 2 blocks east of the original outlet. Each of the Sammy’s pizza recipe is standardized, but each offers something a little different than other outlets.
At Lakeside, it’s broasted chicken for as long as I can remember, tho I have never tried it. «Broasting» is a registered trademark of the Broaster companyin Wisconsin that sells the equipment and licenses the method to independent restaurants and groceries. It’s a combination of deep frying and pressure cooking, resulting in a fried, breaded, marinated chicken that is «less greasy» than conventional frying offers.
I digress. Our Minnesota Burger Bureau Chief, Kawika, a large supporter of Sammy’s Lakeside, today trekked out to try their calzones. The «Americanized» version of a calzone usually entails dough folded in a half moon shape, stuffed with pizza-​like ingredients, and baked. In Italy, you’ll often see a fried version, as well.
Kawika ordered his calzone stuffed with pepperoni, green pepper, and mozzarella cheese. Although the ingredients were right out of the pizza fixings, and thus adored, he said the dough wasn’t really to his liking, he was expecting them to use pizza crust dough. He is sure that this product will appeal to a large audience.

I’ve grown up eating here. Now that I live so far away, I crave it when I’m home. Great pizza, super friendly staff, and it’s always delivered promptly. Best of Duluth for sure!

Pizza was pretty good for the most part, although I have had much better for the price. Stay away from their all meat style of pizza (the name escapes me). It’s advertised with a ‘sprinkling’ of hamburger/​ground beef. There was so much of it on the pizza that it overpowered the taste.

Stopped by Sammy’s for a late lunch while visiting Duluth — what a gem. I had a mini pizza with two toppings and a drink for $ 3.95. Probably the best bang for the buck I have ever had. Pizza was made to order and I would have paid a few bucks more and still been satisfied.
Looking forward to my next visit to Duluth and eating great pizza at Sammy’s on the cheap.

I’ve had this delivered several times and it’s always the same: great! This is greasy American pizza… like the kind that you might want blot the cheese with a napkin to clear some of the grease off. It’s not complicated, but if you like what you’ve read so far… you’ll love it!