Sammy's Fish Box — Restaurant in New York

I went there last night to celebrate the birthday of a friend and what a place it was. This is my second visit in 25 years, and I can tell you I regret not going there again many time since the first visit. To begin, the parking was free, easy, and valet. We had a reservation at 8:00 pm and we had to wait a half hour for a table. The place was packed and the people were saying that the waiting time was two hours. But, clearly it was worth it for them as I have not seen anybody leaving because of the long wait.

Our waitress was phenomenal, she was polite, efficient, helpful, and seemed to be really like her job.

The menu is overwhelming with a variety of seafood and other dishes. It was really difficult to choice for some of the folks in our group, but with the help of our waitress they were able to get something each that they liked.

I got the shrimp and porgy dish. But before I describe to you how it was, let me tell you that we immediately got served with healthy vegan snack on ice and lots of freshly baked flour and corn bread. That was an awesome introduction as the chilled vegetable was very fresh and crunchy, and the bread was nicely baked and warm.

Service was fast and the we order the drinks and everyone loved what they had. I had water only, but I heard from my colleague who had Pina Colada that it was very good. The sizes of drinks served were large enough to order just one drink for the night. Water was free and cold and abundant on the table.

My grilled shrimp and porgy dish came with salad and four choices of dressing, and a baked potato (alternatively I could have order fresh fried or some other side dish). The salad was fresh, and the size of the dish was just right to leave room for the rest of dinner. The food came hot and it looked very appetizing and Delicious from the second they placed it in front of me on the table. My food came with several large size shrimps, and two medium size porgy fishes. The food was cooked just right. The meat was tender, and the seasoning was subtle, and no salt was added which was really big plus. The food was also very tasty and filling. In fact, I could not finish the whole dish, and I took one of the fishes with me home.

I should mention that they gave us several shared plates of corn on the cob and rice that were nicely prepared. The corn was sweat and well done, and the rice was a nice compliment to any seafood dish we had.

Toward the end, they sang happy birthday to you to the our birthday king of the night.

We all had a great time at this place.

Very important, the prices were very reasonable considering the quantity and quality of seafood we were served. The night was really a good bargain.

The seating was very comfortable and semi-private. No loud music was playing in the restaurant during the time we were there. That was big thing for us as we were able to take and share stories around the table without having to scream.

To me this is a perfect family type place to have a small party in or enjoy a night out. It may or may not be the perfect place for a romantic night out.

Finally, the restroom was clean but very small considering the size of crowd...

Hanging out in my hometown of Yonkers and I've got some family from out of town here as well. So when we're all here there's something we absolutely have to do, go to City Island for seafood. Lol. My parents are a little on the older side so when they say "City Island", they meant a specific restaurant. However, the wait time for that place was so insanely long that we tried someone where new... Sammy's Fish Box. Here's how it went...

Atmosphere/Appearance: Right on the main strip crammed in among the other businesses is this gem. There's actually 2 locations very near each other so things can get a bit confusing. Parking is a nightmare, honestly. Good luck. If you can find a spot on the street, like I did, that's your best bet. However, if you can't find a place on the street there are parking lots up and down the block that will be happy to take your money. Once inside you're a bit overwhelmed. It's so busy. Busy with customers and people, but also busy with decor. There are glowing signs above your head, light wood EVERYWHERE, plants and paintings seem to be randomly scattered throughout and the layout can be confusing. I guess all you really need to know is where your table is and where the bathroom is. Lol.

Service: I can't remember who took care of us, but there were 8 of us and they didn't miss a beat.

Food: The menu here is huge. There are so many variations of dishes then those same dishes can be fried or put into combinations. Lol. There's just so much. Just visit their website. To start the meal complimentary bread with cheese and pickled vegetables is brought out to the table to share. For my entree I went with the shrimp-stuffed sole with a side or corn on the cob and rice. Delicious. It wasn't fine-dining level, but still VERY tasty. Everything has a delicious garlic-buttery flavor that just works! Lol.

Value: It's seafood AND it's New York. Do your own math. Lol. $54.95 for my entree which again, includes the entree, the complimentary stuff and sides. So, come prepared to pay, but you'll really enjoy yourself.

In conclusion, I'm glad that Johnny's Reef was so busy because it gave my family a different place to try out. You know? I'm all about trying new restaurants so it's about time they did too! I'd totally check this place out again. Their menu is long enough to keep any busy for...

Update March 9, 2025: Today’s lunch with my son was outstanding, thanks to our waiter William, who has been serving me for over 20yrs. His hospitality and professionalism as a waiter is outstanding and few can be compared to him in the restaurant business. His bosses should feel proud of his professionalism and caring for his customers. Today my son and I order fry calamari, shrimp and chicken Parmesan and lobster including an apple martini and a Corona beer .The food was a large portion unable to eat all so we packed it up to take home. Today’s lunch my son and I really enjoyed and thanks to Willie’s hospitality and professionalism , we truly enjoyed. Therefore for today’s rating it is 5 stars. The restaurant was pretty packed today with many customers since this Sunday was a sunny and beautiful day. Note: First two pictures were from Jan 15, 2025 , the other pictures are today’s lunch.

Jan 15, 2025:Went to celebrate my birthday and was disappointed with the food. The service was not the greatest. I have been going to city island and to Sammy's for over 50 + years. I always have had my waiters for over 20 + yrs. On this day my waiter was not in. I ordered mussels and half was empty but they gave me another one. We had tilapia fish and it was very small the last time it was a bigger piece. I also had chicken with linguine, and the chicken breast was burnt as well as the wing. I also ordered chicken and shrimp Parmesan with linguine to go. When at home to eat the shrimp was over cooked and no taste. To conclude the quality of the food has gone down and service. I do know many of the owners in many of the restaurants in city island too. I have always rated Sammy's with 4/5 stars, for their food and service. I guess my waiters were not there on this day and it changed my rating based on the food and service. I have for years celebrated my birthday but this day was the worse. Note: first...