Sammy's Neighborhood Pub — Restaurant in Belmont

3 Stars.. Just not WoW’d

As “The Man” stated at the end of the meal, ‘Kelly, we are turning into food snobs’. I wanted to deny, deflect, and dismiss such a claim. We are not "Mean Girls" who try to tear into a restaurant’s rep. At a time of rising inflation with a stagnant workforce and if you can find a restaurant that’s ‘dine-in’, you want a good experience and good food. Granted, you are going to have to wait a minute because as I stated, ‘stagnant workforce’. Based upon the crowds at Sammy’s yesterday, its obvious that people are over being at home and eating the same old thing.

We ordered the Southwest Eggrolls for an appetizer, and they were fantastic. Hot on the plate yumminess. We went through the Ranch dip before we finished the eggrolls but soooo good. The dish robbed us of conversation. We normally talk about the food but we just didn’t’ waste the time.

The Man ordered the Carolina burger, and I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak. His burger as you can see it came in parts, in a build-your-own-situation that didn’t enthuse either of us. The beef was cooked as ordered but was tasteless. The bland flavor was a bit of a surprise as I tasted it too at his request because he was confused on how the meat could be so blah.

I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak without peppers and onions. It’s a texture thing for me but I am aware that both veggies can and do push flavor and raise the “oomph” factor in a cheesesteak. Unfortunately, the sandwich was a hard pass for me. The meat was packed into the bun with a layer of provolone on top. I’m used to the cheese having a stronger taste than this, even melted. The cheese was on the top only, not mixed with the meat at all. Being conscience of hypertension, I usually give salt a pass because the foot should be able to stand on its own without artificial help. This dish needed a whole lot more than salt.

Before the charge of Covid rears its ugly head, no, we do not have Covid. As stated, the Southwest Eggrolls had flavor and were yummy. Just everything else didn’t.

The lady’s restroom as a slick sensation to the floors. My shoes were sliding a bit in the stall. That’s not cool, someone could fall and break a hip if they move in the wrong way. The high ceilings do not have any type of damping or sound reduction. For instance, if a child is cranky, its going to be live and in stereo… right in your ear.

I leave this review with a thought... Covid taught us many things and changed how we view life. We sweat the small things because they add up in the end. Greasy floors and bad food are fixable. ...

Sammy's has been a go to place of ours in Belmont for some time, especially for a beer and burger. We recently brought a group here on that recommendation. When our food arrived, those with the burger options started commenting that something seemed off. Myself having recommended to eat here and being familiar with the food, I sampled a few pieces. Immediately, I noticed an unsavory smell. The taste and texture were terrible....not tainted, but off putting ....not tasting like ground beef. I brought this to the attention of our server and she sent the manager to our table. After explaining the issue to her, she responded that they are the same burgers they have always used, and everyone is happy with. I said that I was a regular customer who is among those that normally loves the burgers, but that there was something very wrong with these and she should check to see what is coming out of the kitchen. She apologized that we were disappointed with the food, and would we like to order something else. When we declined, she partially compensated, but not fully for the burgers. I felt, that she was placating us, but not taking seriously the problem in the kitchen. Before leaving, I saw someone at a nearby table with a burger, who was making a noticeable face. On the way out, I approached him and asked what he thought of his burger. He responded that he usually loves the burgers, but not this one. I explained that I approached him because we had the same experience. I must wonder how many left without speaking up. If a regular customer, who is familiar with your product, tells you something is very wrong, you would do well to take it seriously instead of trying to explain it away as normal. I am very disappointed to have to say that I do not expect to return...

The food used to be great, but has become increasingly "McDonald's" like in recent visits. If you like Mickey D's then you'll love it. What's far worse than the food (and it's gotten worse over time as well) is the service. They're arrogant (I think it's a Millennial affliction, but that's a hard parameter for which to provide objective evidence with a single restaurant example) and (the biggest repellent of all) the place is just TOO FRIKKIN' LOUD. This means they get your order wrong when called in over the phone (which they dislike answering, also a Millennial affliction) and you can't hear yourself or each other when you visit in person. So NOISE is the biggest problem and contributes to the others. I'm a professional Musician (Classical and Jazz mostly, but I wore hearing protection) and professional Sound Engineer and I know the SPL/VU/Loudness wars issue inside and out. It's a Sports Bar and it sounds like a Sports Bar. I tried to register a helpful suggestion to whoever answers the phone and (this was my fault, I knew how it would go before I called, I just didn't think first) they started a repetitive and disingenuous "you're breaking up" riff just for misdirection and obfuscation's sake. Which, I hope to point out to the establishment's owner, does NOTHING to put my money in their establishment's pocket. Trying to be helpful doesn't work. Talking louder won't help either. Essentially, they're just obnoxious and the food is no longer worth the trouble. (Fix your Club Sandwich. It's a poor shadow of its former self. TIA.) There are other alternatives and I encourage everybody who cares about customer service to...