Sam’s
“If you're looking for a nice time and fantastic pizza, ready to trade barbs with Louie and company, this place is it.”
“I come here often with my family because they have the best "old school" brick oven pizza around.”
“i just moved to the 'hood, and am ISO really great pizza without the trek & crowds at Grimaldi's-
i got take out from Sam's the other night.”
Sam’s
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This place is 4-stars if you go in with the right attitude.
My family has been coming to this restaurant for decades. The energy at Sam's has suffered ever since the current owner took over from his parents, but the pizza and veal Parmesan (2 best items on the menu) are still delicious. If you're not down for the musky, old-school, Brooklyn pizzeria ambiance, order a pie to go.
Solid 4.5 stars for take out pizza. Wow, can't believe it has taken me 10 years of living in Carroll Gardens to get a pizza from here. Truly phenomenal authentic old school pie. Completely different from the "boutique" pizza shops that seem to be opening on every corner with artisanal cheeses made in your vinyl record playing neighbors vintage LV steamer trunk…this is a real traditional hand crafted pie. The staff is incredibly friendly and you can't help but be charmed by the old school vibe of this place. Finally, with most places charging north of $30 for a pie out sausage and onion pie was ginormous and only $23.50. Of course Grimaldi's still wins out with the best value charging only $18 (recently up from years at $17) for an exceptional large pepperoni pie, but this is an equally exceptional pie, but just a very different pie that is not about splotches of mozzarella but rather classic shredded cheese with layers of toppings. Picture I am attaching doesn't do it justice, but this is a huge and dense pie and perfectly cooked with no burned portions. Will definitely be back to eat there.
A visit to Sam's is like taking a trip back in time to another era of Brooklyn. We were lucky enough to discover this place as part of Scott's Pizza tour and are so happy we did! The restaurant is from another decade (a few decades ago at least, if not 1930 when they opened!) with the dated decor, booths, and signs. There is something charming about this place however.
Louie is a character for certain—the current owner and a relative of the original owners (grand nephew I think?). He was extraordinarily friendly to us, possibly because he was familiar with our tour guide, and was attentive and jovial throughout. Lots of great stories about the place's history and his family.
The pizza we had was amazing. Even more amazing if you request their special garlic oil be spread on beforehand. Really unique about their pizza is that they layer the cheese before the sauce–never seen that before! It creates this crazy thing where the cheese and sauce become one. A must try for any pizza lover!
It is cash only so keep that in mind. And prepare for slower service. You can't find an experience like this many places so to me, it would be worth it.
They also have a complete menu of other food options besides pizzas, if that's not something you're up for. Beer and wine too.
There's a Yelp review that says "the waitress was confrontational," and I think that statement would actually apply at Sam's Restaurant, albeit for the owner/host/also our waiter (?). My family and I stopped in for a big holiday lunch and were summarily harangued by the owner in a not-unexpected style. I think it's part of the schtick here and it can be quite charming if you're up for a little old school Brooklyn hospitality.
Sam's has been around for a long time and it looks that way, but it's a nice step back in time to when there were a lot more places in Brooklyn like this. It's definitely an old school place with a vintage vibe. We ordered their terrific baked clams to start as well as a pizza which was excellent. I had fettucine Bolognese as my main which was great too – A comforting, red sauce Italian choice and the egg pasta was delicious! The portions here are huge and the prices are relatively low, so it's a great choice for big groups or families.
As for the owner, he's a piece of work, but hard working as well as entertaining. I can see why it's a standby for so many and a great choice for a traditional Italian-American (Brooklyn-style) meal in the area!
If you are not from Brooklyn, you may not get this place. For me- it was like a piece of old school heaven. Booths, yes booths, an old telephone booth covered by boxes. The older waiter was nice, but again no little hostess to greet you when you walk in, I just said I wanna eat- the waiter said……..sit anywhere. I took a booth of course.
Ate:
Hot antipasto
Veal cutlet parmigaina with spaghetti
Total- $26.50- cheap!
The hot antipasto arrived in a metal dish with a stuffed pepper, two baked clams, a couple of shrimp oreganata and eggplant parm. This dish was nothing short of BRILLIANT! Every component melded so beautifully with every other and the flavor was reminiscent of the best of every antipasto ever!!! The veal parm on the other hand embodied my least favorite parts of old school- thick, overbreaded, but the flavor of the sauce and cheese fared better the next day when reheated. The sauce here is a great one- deep, rich dark and tasting of the history of the memories this spot must have seen. The pizza looks amazing and want that antipasto again- no doubt about it!
If you wanna kick it old school, you'd be hard pressed to find anyplace more old school than Sam's. Walking in is like stepping onto a movie set, except it's all for real. Sit down in a booth that's seen better days, marvel at the photos on the wall, and order a stiff cocktail and a no-frills pizza from the owner himself, Lou.
Yes, the pizza will be in the area of $25 if you want toppings (highly recommend pepperoni and garlic). But it's a large old-school sized pie. And yes, the service will be a bit slow. But hey, that's the way things were done last century. And if it ain't broke, why futz with it?
Honestly, I think we all need to slow down once in a while and eat way too much pizza and pretend we're in a different era.
An era of cash-only.
I came here because of Scott's Pizza Bus Tour.
Apparently, it's the most authentic Italian pizza joint I've been to because according to our guide, the pizza spot is "trapped in time" based on their ingredients and process of food creation.
We had cheese pizza and was very delicious. It tasted fresh and the textures were perfect. I think it was cooked "upside down style" meaning the tomato sauce is above the cheese so that the cheese doesn't slide off after taking a bite.
The owner was probably the most authentic Italian person I've seen (aside from in the movies) and fit about every stereotype–pretty awesome. He set up a long table in the back of the restaurant for the whole bus party. It felt like scene from a Home Alone movie.
If you're on a great pizza hunt in NYC and want to venture outside of Manhattan, Sam's is a great spot to have truly authentic pizza.
Wow. I never ran into the problems that some of the yelp reviewers had at Sam's.
I have only been here during lunchtime hours. Loved the pizza and salad. The pizza has a Nice crisp crust with good flavor.
The place is old but I love coming here. Never had any service issues. Wish I still lived in Bay Ridge so I could get there more often.