Sam’s Food & Beverage

Without looking at the reviews before going in here and now reading them, I hate to be the Debby Downer but that’s life. It has a good craft beer selection but its selection or pricing is not remarkable or unique for Lakewood.
There’s a decent singles selection — about 40 or so with half of them in coolers although most in the ambient air had dust on them. The selection here isn’t rotated that often, there’s still several fall beers here and a couple stray summer beers in stock from last here.
The prices are average and it’s nice to have a place that’s amid residences and is within walking distance for many westside Lakewood folks including those in Birdtown.
This place isn’t bad, just don’t expect anything special. You can buy the same stuff in here that’s available at other beer stores (Moon’s, North Coast, etc) in Lakewood at the comparable prices.
Maybe I’ll stop by again and look for the white board, I didn’t see it this time…

What the whaaaaaaaaaat?! Another place I shamefully avoided, probably because I was sketched out by it, but one day I just went for it. Parking lot is bigger than it looks to passers-​by. Inside, holy shit. It’s like a craft beer store had a threesome with a bodega and a wine shop. Good selection even though the random people walking through will just purchase, as the previous reviews mentioned, disgustingly delicious staples of the ‘90s (funyuns, combos, bugles) and 40s.
It’s both super creepy and not creepy at all. They take all credit cards. There’s a guy who was just standing there helping people pick out wine while a long line of people waited for scratch-​off tickets. I mean… it’s a hybrid store of the very best kind.

Great staff. They keep a whiteboard to write special requests & follow up on ordering your request. I only drink a couple brands of imported beer & when I first stopped at Sam’s to see if they carried it, they had me write it down. By the following week they had it in stock & have continued to carry my special (often hard to find) brand. They’re always friendly & courteous & really take good care of their customers.

My go-​to, on the way home spot to grab a 40 and some Funyuns from time to time. Killer craft selection and priced well. Bunch of neighborhoodrat kids buying White Owls and bags of chips. Always good people watching. Crazy eyes behind the counter is a great dude and he can watch you and the malt liquor section at the same time… monocular vision is whats hot on the STREETS!

Sam’s has been a staple in Lakewood for decades. They were the O.G.‘s at having a ton of great craft beers for sale. You can pretty much get anything here. Store is old and a little cramped but the staff is always pleasant and willing to help if there is something you are looking for, obscure or not.

I love this little random-​ass place that sells beer, munchies, and is directly on my drive home from work. Anytime I get the hankering for beef jerky or my weekly bag of Combos, I know where to go.
This is the kind of place that used to be on every street corner back in the day, but closed due to the advent of sixteen Giant Eagles every square mile in the Cleveland area.