A tiny cafe in an old strip mall, Sammy's will not likely draw you with its looks. Chances are you have come for the first time because a friend told you he (probably a he) said it was good. In fact, it is--very good, in fact. All the cooking is done in house, including the manufacture of meatballs and the like. The fried seafood is fried to order, and comes out crisp and dangerously hot. Everything is laid down generously. Cold cuts won't top those of the best delis, but that is Chisesi ham (the local standard) and Genoa salami.
Sammy's opened in 1996 in a former grocery store in a location obscure to anyone except neighbors. The present owners--whose grandparents opened the legendary R&O's in Bucktown--took over ten years later, and in 2010 moved to the present, more obvious location.
Here's one of the only restaurants I've seen where the kitchen appears to be bigger than the dining room. (They do a lot of take-out business.) High and low tables are set barely enough apart so you can get through. The counter suggests that this is an order-and-pick-up place, but in fact they have full and friendly service at the tables. A video poker machine hidden behind the usual saloon doors adds its unsavory note. The thumping you hear overhead comes from a dance studio.
Strangely, the small poor boy is a better deal than the big one. This is a good place to come with three others, which allows the ordering of a variety of sandwiches.
| Attitude | 2 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 0 |
| Hipness | 0 |
| Local Color | 0 |
| Service | 1 |
| Value | 2 |
| Wine | 0 |
