Sam’s Chowdermobile

San Jose, United States

3.7

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

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Telephone:
Not provided
Website:
www.samschowdermobile.com
Address:
111 W St, San Jose, CA, 95113
Downtown
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.2 miConvention Center
0.2 miFirst & Santa Clara
0.2 miSanta Clara (Northbound)
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
No
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
No
Caters
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (San Jose) 3:33 PM Sunday, June 1, 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Voted «Best Food Truck in the Bay Area» by San Francisco’s Bay Area A-​list in 2015, Sam’s ChowderMobile was the first mobile gourmet seafood truck in the nation. We offer the same fresh New England style seafood as our original restaurant, Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay. Our fleet of mobile trucks travel throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, from Napa to Monterey, serving lunch and dinner routes, catered corporate events, private events and weddings, and community and local events. From lobster rolls to fried calamari and chowder, Sam’s serves fresh, sustainable seasfood. In addition to ordering off the truck during private events, Sam’s serves authentic New England style Lobster Clambakes for groups, which is a delicious seafood feast as well as an exciting event.

Nationally known Executive Chef/​Partner Lewis Rossman, directs all food and kitchen activities. His seafood earned Sam’s «Culinary Hospitality Restaurant of the Year» by Sante Magazine, a feature in Gourmet Magazine, and he’s been featured on «Best of the Bay» TV.

Whether you need a quick and delicious lunch, or a three course Lobster Clambake on the beach, Sam’s ChowderMobile will bring the party to you. Visit our website to see our schedule of locations, menu and specials.

History

Established in 2009.

Sam’s ChowderMobile was started a few years after the original Sam’s Chowder House restaurant in Half Moon Bay was opened in 2006. Customers came to the oceanfront restaurant from all over the Bay Area and asked for more locations of Sam’s. Sam’s ChowderMobile was created so we can serve our fresh, sustainable seafood all throughout the Bay Area!

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20 reviews of Sam’s Chowdermobile

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Place rating: 2
San Jose, CA
«Meh» was my reaction after having tried Old Port Lobster Shack and Woodhouse Fish Co. I had always had high hopes on this place after seeing the crowds they used to bring in. Waiting for this food truck to make its stop near my work, I finally managed to try it. Ordered up a half lobster roll and a side of clam chowder. I was surprised that for $ 13 you only get the lobster roll and the side of coleslaw. No side of fries like what I’m used to paying for at Lobster Shack… The lobster roll was mostly bread, it had a decent amount of lobster, but not $ 13 worth. The roll wasn’t very tasty to me, it felt overcooked and basically crumbled as you bit into it. The lobster was also a big disappointment as there were quite a few shells present in it. As for the chowder, I was a bit befuddled by the coloration of the chowder itself. It held a murky, clear like broth and did not look very creamy at all. The chowder was flavorful though, but mostly held the flavor of bacon and black pepper rather than having the clam flavor really come through. If I had to describe it, it was closer to a corn chowder than a clam chowder… Won’t be looking to come back here any time soon…
Place rating: 3
Union City, CA
After all the hype from a friend, I had to try it. Got a Shortie and a cup of their famous chowder. I LOVE THE CHOWDER, but the roll was a little short of my expectation because it was dry.
The bread was too greasy for me and I would prefer my lobster a little more dressed. Maybe next time, I’ll ask for more dressing.
Place rating: 4
Mountain View, CA
Is it still $ 18.00 for a Lobster sandwich?
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Didn’t see the truck until I was already on my way to pick up lunch, so when I got back, I decided it was a yolo day and went to take a look. I got a cup of the clam chowder, and when I showed my co-​workers, they went to get calamari as well as the fried shrimp.
The chowder was soooooo good. It wasn’t as heavy as clam chowder typically is, and the soup didn’t look as creamy which I really liked. It definitely got more salty as I got to the bottom of the cup, but it is clam chowder so I kind of expected that. I had very generous portions of clams, bacon, and vegetables. Just thinking about it right now makes me want another cup. *drool*
I tried some of the calamari and fried shrimp. The portion of the calamari was definitely more than the fried shrimp. Calamari didn’t really have anything unique about it. The fried shrimp wasn’t what I expected, as they didn’t really coat it with flour before frying it. Actually, I don’t think they even dipped it into any flour at all. It was just literally fried shrimp, which tasted great! The lack of extra stuff on it made each bite very light, and definitely tasted better with the sauce that came with it.
Since they travel around, I’ll be pretty bummed until the next time I see them. Please come back to Milpitas soon!
Place rating: 4
Rowland Heights, CA
The food options at work range from bearable to downright awful, so when there’s a food truck that rolls around the vicinity with a lobster roll… you know I am there!
From my general experience of lobster rolls, they are all fairly expensive and they are not equal despite the price. Case in point… this lobster roll at full size is almost $ 18, but wow you definitely get your money’s worth! If you don’t believe me, check my picture. Absolutely stuffed with lobster, but it isn’t soaked in butter or grease so I’m not feeling like I’m about to have a heart attack while eating it. The roll is buttered though (as you would expect), but it provides great contrast to the lobster.
Definitely worth the splurge for sure! Just wish this was around work more than once a month, but that might actually be a good thing for my health.
Place rating: 4
Los Gatos, CA
I’m not sure if this was the one that stopped by off of 85 and curtner last night, but it was def the same company. There lobster rolls don’t measure up to the ones that I’ve actually had in Maine, but they certainly beat the crap out of any lobster roll I’ve tried in California! It was very good and hit the spot last night. I would go back. I also like te ambiance of all the food trucks parked around, buckets as seats, oldies music, and lights. It’s a great place to go with a date or your family. And the prices that I noticed on some of the trucks were pretty good.
Place rating: 5
Santa Clara, CA
Yum! The portions are great, the food is delicious, and the prices are good and inexpensive. It is 18 dollars for a lobster (an ENTIRE) lobster sandwich. The service is good, too.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I like… the lobster roll was worth every cent, stuffed with tons of meat I couldn’t finish it. I recommend their pie and chowder A+.
Place rating: 4
Land Park, Sacramento, CA
Spontaneously went out with a friend during our lunch break to grab a lobster roll! I actually never had a lobster roll before… SO EXCITED I WAS! :DDD
We shared a regular sized lobster roll, a side of fries, and clam chowder for each of us.
Lobster roll: It was good! Taste like I was eating lobster between two croissants! Yummy it was! ~$ 18
Rating: 4⁄5
Fries: the fries were perfect. OMG it was actually super duperly great! ~$ 5
Rating: 5⁄5
Clam chowder: It was mehhh. Temperature was luke warm and the soup was watery. All I saw was a lot of onions and celery. ~$ 5
Rating: 2⁄5
Food truck was parked in front of companies and the service is like lightning quick! Accepts master card and visa! :D Cha Ching!
Place rating: 3
San Jose, CA
Probably ordered the wrong thing, but this place wasn’t all that great. I ordered the spicy popcorn shrimp and I expected it to be a whole lot better than what it was.
The shrimp was smaller and they used a light batter-​it was far from beer battered. It was more like they lightly dusted the shrimp with batter. The portion is fair for the price but I don’t think I will be ordering this again.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Always wanted to try Sam’s Chowder House. It’s great that they have a chowdermobile that comes close to where I work every couple of weeks.
Being the first time Sam’s chowder eater, I decided to try their famous clam chowder and the lobster roll. The lobster roll (shortie) was about $ 10.25 and the cup of clam chowder was $ 5.31. Total with tax came to be $ 17.25. Not a cheap lunch but worth every penny.
As you can see from the pictures I have taken, the lobster roll was loaded with huge chunks of lobster with a bit of celery but no other fillers. The buttery warm roll can hardly contain the amount of the lobster meat and it was really great because I can actually taste the fresh lobster rather than some unknown sauces or filler ingredients. I also like the clam chowder because it’s not overly thick and rich. The chowder has a slight smokey flavor cooked with bacon, clams, potatoes, onion, cream and herbs.
It was a great meal. Thank goodness it only comes every other week or else eating it every day would not only break the bank but make my cholesterol shot up the roof.
Place rating: 3
San Jose, CA
For the rather hefty cash only pricing, I’d rather drive to Old Port Lobster Shack than follow the chowder mobile around unless it was convenient. Well maybe, unless I was really craving chowder…
We found the the fish and chips to be overly greasy, couldn’t finish it in one sitting due to over oil consumption.
Lobster roll was delicious, but still on the smaller side considering we ordered a regular. They did serve an ample amount when talking roll to meat ratio though. Nice seasoning as well, complimented the juiciness of the lobster meat. I actually just ate it on its own halfway through as the roll was rather tasteless and did nothing.
Favorite was the clan chowder. Nice texture with just enough potatoes and clams. Good consistency with the right amount of cream where it doesn’t over power the clam juice flavoring. I actually prefer this style as to the thick white canned Boudin like version.
Place rating: 4
Campbell, CA
I give Sam’s Chowdermobile four stars just for the chowder. It is super flavorful and creamy with a fine texture. I love that it is packed with flavor, but it is not packed with a bunch of different chunks of stuff in the soup.
Even though I loved the chowder, I would give the shrimp po boy 3 stars. It is a roll with battered shrimp, tomato slices, shredded lettuce, and onion. It was not as flavorful as I had hoped it would be and the seasoned fries were ok. It was just ok for the price, but I had expected more.
I waited over a half an hour in line to order, but after I ordered the food was waiting in the next window. Overall, the chowder was worth the wait but the po boy was meh.
Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA
I rarely give out three stars, but I feel disappointed with the food I ordered tonight. I’ve heard good things about Sam’s Chowder mobile so I was expecting so much more from them. I ordered the clam chowder and the lobster roll. I’ve been wanting to order from them for the longest time but I was always a little hesitant because of the priciness of their food. However, tonight we had family from New Orleans and they don’t usually get the food truck experience so I wanted them to try everything. The clam chowder was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. It tasted like any other clam chowder and for its price, I don’t think it’s worth it.
The lobster was most disappointing. Looking at the lobster roll, it appeared delicious and well worth the price because the lobster meat was huge. However, when I bit into the lobster roll, I thought the lobster was overcooked. The lobster meat was more tough, not juicy. It was also very chewy. I felt that it didn’t have much flavor to it either. I just didn’t think that what I received tonight was worth the $ 16.50. I expected a lot more than that from an expensive roll.
Overall, I feel disappointed with the food I ordered from Sam’s Chowder Mobile. I expected a lot more from them from what I have heard before. Maybe it’s because I had high expectations that I was disappointed with what I had tonight. I’m not sure if I’ll come back and order more from here because the food is kind of pricy.
Place rating: 3
San Jose, CA
i finally was able to try the famous regular lobster roll. It was just ok for me. i am not sure what i was expecting. Maybe i don’t really like lobster, but i swear i did at one time. The bread was nice and crunchy on the outside and sweet and buttery. Definitely delicious. The coleslaw that came with my roll was eh ok. I think it had too much horse radish. I am guessing that’s what they added. Not sure i would buy it again, but i am glad i can say i finally had it once. Current regular roll is $ 17.50 wowza.
Place rating: 2
Gilroy, CA
Let me say I built this up in my head for about 4 weeks. Seeing them at moveable feast and wanting to try the lobster roll, but 16 and change for a big one and what goes from $ 10.19 on the menu to $ 11.50 with tax final price for a «shorty» lobster roll I was finding it hard to pull the trigger. But I did finally and in a word I was bummed.
The lobster roll was a «shorty» for sure. Much smaller than I expected but it’s lobster it’s pricey, I get it. So I’m looking it over and there is lobster but the roll isn’t split all the way and it’s not packed in like I was hoping.
On to the tasting, I grabbed a piece of lobster that had fallen off the roll and it was okay, it wasn’t hot at all, more lukewarm if that, which is what the whole sandwich was heat wise. The bread tasted a day or two old and was very greasy, but greasy is okay with me as long as it’s hot and delicious but it was lukewarm like the rest of the sandwich. The lobster wasn’t über tender or anything like that. The coke slaw was tasty although I didn’t get a fork (probably my fault) so that was a little hard to eat.
I think my friend summed it up best when he said that it was a hit and miss item, and tonight it missed.
Overall I have to say with so many moveable feast options that are, A. less money and B. more consistent, I won’t be going back for a lobster roll anytime soon.
But hey there are plenty of other reviews to the contrary, so if you want to roll the dice on this roll I say go for it. I’ll try anything once.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
The first time I had Sam’s Chowdermobile, it was like lobster heaven! The buttery toasted bread was lavishly smothered with lobster. Every time that I came back (probably 3 times) the lobster roll got smaller and smaller, so I just no longer wanted it. Why spend the same amount of money when you’re getting less? I love the lobster roll but I will be on the hunt to find the next great Lobster Roll! You can see the difference in the before and after pictures I uploaded… I’d rather have a bigger roll than cole slaw that I don’t even like, in my personal opinion! It is good though, you have to try it at least once because it was featured on NBC’s The Today Show’s «Top 5 Best Sandwiches in America».
Even though lines are CRAZY crazy long, I still think that it’s worth it if you’re waiting with a group of people or if you come for the CLAM CHOWDER! I love clam chowder! The reason why I am in love with Sam’s Chowder is because the clam pieces are huge! It feels like you can spoon up a whole piece of clam… while at other places, I am searching for the clam in my chowder! Sam’s chowder broth isn’t thickened by tons of flours which makes the natural ingredients mesh better. Another plus, they add smoked bacon!
Other noticeable things:
–The calamari is GOOD too!
–The PO BOY sauce is amazing! delish!
–They take credit card so you don’t have to make a trip to the ATM/​bank to get cash before you hit up the food truck!
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
This might be a repeat post because mobile trucks are, well, mobile.
Mobile clam chowder? Awesome!
Sam’s Chowdermobile visited Palo Alto, and because one of the interns really loves clam chowder, we decided to make the 15 minute trek over to the truck’s location.
Most of us ordered their CLAM CHOWDER (duh), a small portion for $ 5.50 (tax included) with oyster crackers on the side. The clam chowder doesn’t have a thick consistency, and the stock has a sour creamy taste to it, but overall it’s some good clam chowdah. They throw in some nice chunks of potato and celery, along with large (but somewhat skimpy) pieces of clam. They even threw in some fresh clam shell for my serving! Can’t get fresher than that!
A side note: one of the coordinators says that she prefers to go to their actual restaurant in Half Moon Bay for their lobster roll. Guess I’ll be paying the restaurant a visit sometime soon ;)
Place rating: 4
Sunnyvale, CA
This is an great little food truck. I’ve been twice and got their Shrimp Po’ Boy both times. The shrimp is lightly battered and deep fried… and the sauce on the sandwich is simply amazing, complimenting both the shrimp and the lettuce and tomato on the sandwich. I’m a little particular about my tomatoes, preferring homegrown, and I don’t know where they get their tomatoes, but they’ve always been deliciously ripe and tasty rather than those not even red tomatoes you see most other places. The bun is also great.
Their fries are good! When crispy. I took off a star because the second time I ate there, my fries were soggy. Which was such a disappointment because the fries were excellent the first time. I also sampled my friend’s lobster roll… tasty delicious, but a little pricey for lunch… I guess it’s lobster. :)
Place rating: 2
Redwood City, CA
my husband and i wanted to try this food truck since we heard so many great things about it. with a mile-​long line, we figured this must be good and worth the wait, and the $$.
sam’s lobster roll ($ 16.50)
we’re told that if you purchase this at a restaurant, it’s an extra $ 5 – 6, so $ 16.50 is a bargain (supposedly). there was a lot of lobster on the roll, and it was fresh and tasty, but not out of this world, and not worth the price we paid. it came with a small side of coleslaw.
cup of new england clam chowder ($ 5.50)
it looked good, with so many ingredients in the soup, but tasted weak. compared to other places, the soup is not rich and creamy at all, it is quite thin, and tasted watered-​down. for the amount we got, we felt it was overpriced.
for $ 22, the food was slightly disappointing. not sure if we would come back.