Sammy's Italian Restaurant and Pizza — Restaurant in Ocala

I cannot rate this restaurant and especially their employees highly enough!!

We were on vacation with our three little ones ages ranging from eighteen months to eight years old and had an especially hard long day in the car with naptime being skipped and our normal schedule being changed so instead of going out to dinner as planned we decided to Google the closest pizza place and grab take out on the way to our vacation home to hopefully minimize the insanity as much as possible. We found a pizza place that was supposed to be about five minutes away from where we were staying so I called and placed our order and typed the address into the gps. It seemed odd that it said our trip would take twenty minutes but we went with it and arrived right on time. I went in and was greeted by Tish, gave her my name and she said she'd have my order ready in just a second with a genuine smile. Come to find out there are two locations and the one I called and the one we arrived at were not one in the same. She came out to let me know what had happened and to let me know that the were getting it ready as quickly as possible and invited us in to wait if we'd like. Of course the children had calmed down by that point so we decided to just go in and sit down to eat. I explained the stressful day we'd had and she assured us that it would be ready quickly. We had an amazing waitress and our food was brought out quickly, as promised. I have to say that this was the absolute BEST pizza and garlic knots we have ever had anywhere! Just absolutely phenomenal, something we didn't expect from a small strip mall joint. Everyone we encountered went out of their way to be helpful and friendly and I could tell that they really loved their jobs. They even gave my little ones shaved Italian ice pops when we went up to pay🥰 It was such a great experience that we went back again during our week long trip and will be going back next year as well! We just want to give a HUGE thank you to Tish and the rest of the staff and if you are looking for a friendly place with absolutely amazing food stop by Sammy's, you won't leave...

I want to start off by saying that this review is based solely on take out pizza. So the sit down restaurant could be different. Anyway, I ordered a large pizza from Sammy's based on a recommendation. Sammy's was touted as having New York style pizza. Although Sammy's was not the best pizza I ever had. It is by far, (so far) the best pizza I have had in Florida. More so in the Ocala area. I'm not saying it is the best. Only that they are the best we have had up to this point. Sammy's actually does seem like New York's style pizza. At least almost. But without a doubt, they actually make good pizza. It is close enough to New York style to make most folks happy. As such, I have given them five stars which I rarely give out. Again, it is not the best pizza I have ever had. But it is the best I have had in Florida (so far). (Edit to add: There is another restaurant that also makes very good pizza. So there are now two I've had) The price was not outrageous either. I paid close to the same price for a smaller pizza (same toppings) from a competitor, just the other day. Nothing is cheap nowadays. But Sammy's price didn't seem like they were trying to take advantage like some other places. So for an actually decent pizza, at a fairly decent price, Sammy's did it for me. I guess that I'm going to have to try out the...

Tried Sammys Italian restaurant recently I am sorry to say I have to compare ot to your grade school cafeteria! Tried the salad which was llack of product old lettuce and to top ot all off the onion peel was the most noticeable item in the salad ! Ordered lasagna amd it was pasta swimming in sauce meat was very hard to find next to invisible no taste or genuine Italian flavors, wife ordered stuffed shells which were under cooked and rubbery also swimming in tasteless sauce. Bread roll aren’t rolls! is a tiny loaf that appeared to taste and looked frozen and heated. After returning the shells waitress suggested a different t pasta we decided on a small Pitza which might as well have ordered from the Publix freezer amd would have tasted much better ...it was also runny cheese and sauce ( o taste) seems like the restaurant is big on low quality products We have been to a variety of Italian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and New York Sammys isn’t New York Pitza at all So sirry apparent the person who recommended this place has no idea of what Italian flavors should taste and smell! It was a let down we will continue attending a more popular Italian restaurant in the area which is usually very busy snd has great Italian food. .Conclusion: NOT RETURNING SERVICE WAS UNDER PAR. If you like this food...