8 Stars American Bar — Restaurant in Fukuoka

I don't say this lightly... Sam's bar is my favorite bar in the world! I love going to bars to socialize, and Sam's bar is perfect for that. The owner, Sam, takes time to be a great host and helps take the awkwardness from breaking the ice and socializing with fellow patrons.

I got more or less stuck in Fukuoka during the pandemic, and if it wasn't for Sam's bar I definitely would've left the city and probably country much sooner than I did.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, and I honestly almost walked by the first time I saw the sign on the ground floor (I had to look up what Eigo was!). But, upon learning Eigo=English, and knowing English-speaking friendly places are often hard to come by in Japan, I made the chance decision to go up the elevator.

The first time visiting Sam's, he welcomed me in, asked my name, and we started talking. It turns out we're actually from the same state back in the US. As more patrons came in, he seemed to know everyone by name and introduced me to them, and really set us up for easy conversation. Most of the patrons are there to meet people and practice English, so it's a great place to be social and make friends.

I was in Fukuoka almost 3 months and probably spent about 2/3 of those nights at Sam's bar. It was absolutely an amazing time!

It really was the perfect bar experience. Sadly, I had to keep moving on my travels, but Sam's bar will always have a special place in my heart. I wholeheartedly recommend going there and checking it out!

Also, the highballs are cheap and the food...

Went to Sam's super chill bar for the first time a few days ago (had heard great stuff about it from a friend about it from a friend and was intrigued to give it a try). I went all-alone and didn't know anyone when I first entered, but by the time I left I had already met some cool cool people. exchanged Instagram, had great conversations and drank some really good Chai tea (they even served a biscuit with it, just like it is served back home!). The owner, Sam and his staff of Saki san and Uchi are all really welcoming and friendly (all of them speak great English and Japanese too). Normally international bars here do not have a great mix of foreigners and Japanese, but this one actually had a lot of Japanese folks eager to converse in English, as well as foreigners down to hone their Japanese skills. Of course, you can also enjoy lots of wonderful smells coming from the bar kitchen, I will definitely visit again and try the curries, drink more of Sam's oishii Chai tea and definitely meet more dope...

Disappointing Experience with Rude Owner ￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣ I reserved this bar for a private celebration with friends. During the event, some guests stepped out onto the balcony with their drinks. The owner reacted strongly, raising his voice in a way that made several guests uncomfortable, and some chose to leave early.

A few weeks later, I attempted to speak with the owner to clear the air. Unfortunately, the response I received was unexpectedly aggressive, rude and dismissive. I was particularly disheartened by the tone and the behavior.

I cannot recommend this place to anyone. The owner's behavior is unacceptable and rude. I sincerely hope others have a better experience, but I felt it was important to share this for anyone considering...