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Sam's Sports Bar and Grill
Categories: Nightlife Bars Sports Bars Restaurants American (Traditional) Sports Bars, American (Traditional) [Edit]
1803 21st Ave SNashville, TN 37212
Neighborhoods: Hillsboro/West End, 21st/Vanderbilt
(615) 383-3601
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
58 reviews for Sam's Sports Bar and Grill
Review Highlights
"...my favorite haunts for Monday nights during football season."
(in 5 reviews)
"...know is that Tuesdays are two for one ALL FREAKING DAY LONG."
(in 6 reviews)
"TV's everywhere and a really great selection of draft beers."
(in 4 reviews)
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58 reviews in English
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Review from Brianna N.
Gallatin, TN
12/21/2011
I needed something quick for lunch, so I decided to stop by Sam's for a to-go order. Bartender Jessie greeted me and I ended up staying to enjoy my salad (which was delicious by the way). I had originally planned to take the food home since I was alone, but here, I was able to relax for a few minutes and enjoy some nice conversation before continuing on with my day.
I had the chicken tender salad with honey mustard, dressing recommended by Jessie. It was just what I needed!
Once, when I visited Sam's with friends to watch the Cowboys game, we had a server who didn't pay much attention to us, but other than that I've had all good experiences here! -
Review from Elizabeth E.
Nashville, TN
12/15/2011
How can you not be a fan of Sam's? And that's coming from someone who hates to go home smelling like smoke (and you most certainly will when you hang at Sam's). It's a local beer, bar and sports hangout wedged between Belmont and Vanderbilt Universities, so it gets a lot of traffic with a young crowd. It's almost always packed thanks to big sporting events, trivia nights or drink specials.
Although I'm not a fan of the company that runs the trivia at Sam's (and almost every other place in town), trivia on Wednesdays is fun and pretty competitive. Two-for-drinks until 7:30.
As far as the food goes, Sam's has good pizzas, their french fries are like crack, salads aren't bad, and the chicken fingers take you back to your childhood. Beer selection is great - prices are pretty similar to other places in town. Pitchers available.
Saturdays in the fall at Sam's are always fun as it attracts fans from all over the SEC - and even a few ACCers as well. When the weather is nice, the garage windows are rolled up, making for a great atmosphere toward the front of the restaurant. And
Overall, Sam's is a fun sports bar for those nights you just want to throw back a few beers with friends and watch a game. -
Review from David O.
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
The better half once got food poisoning here, so its forbidden that I suggest we return as a couple. I, fortunately, have never had any bad food here.
Overall, considering its proximity to Vanderbilt, a pretty speedy place for Lunch fair. You'll be in and out in time to get back to work. The food is pretty much what you'd expect. Maybe I just haven't found the magic dish here, but I can't say that with the "Better Half Embargo" I miss coming here with her. -
Review from Lauren B.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
Awesome sports bar--- and the food is great. This place gets overrun with the college crowd during the school year, but doesn't get as clubby/crowded as Sportsman's.
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Review from Leslie P.
Murfreesboro, TN
7/19/2011
We stopped here recently after leaving Cabana because we weren't quite ready for the night to end, which has happened many times.
Sam's is a great bar to go to when your in the Hillsboro Village area and are looking to catch a game or even just a great place to hang out. I love the locale. It is walking distance to some great shops and eateries. They have an abundance of televisions that are easily viewed from any spot. The open seating, patio and beer selection are also top notch. The service has always been friendly and attentive.
I can't wait to go back some time and take advantage of the Two-for-Tuesdays drink specials and food. I hear the chicken nachos are delish. -
Review from lyndi s.
7/7/2011 3 Check-ins Here
If you're looking for a fun sports bar with good pub fare and a great list of draft beers, this is your jam. The place is spacious, with pool tables and plenty of seating and room to stand if that's your thing. I think they offer a pretty sweet trivia night, although I'm not sure when exactly.
Their food is pretty tasty and supplies a really good variety for a sports bar. They also offer weekly lunch specials, which basically means that you can leave there paying $12 after tax and tip for a beer and a delicious burger. Also - the staff is friendly and helpful, which is always appreciated.
My only qualm about this place is that they allow smoking. While I'm definitely not an advocate for second hand smoke, Sam's wasn't too bad, and I didn't leave completely reeking of smoke.
Also - they have Sweetwater 420 and Fat Tire on tap. That being said, I will definitely be a regular once football season starts up again!Listed in: I'd Tap That
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Review from Marcia M.
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I popped into Sam's for a brief moment to meet up with some friends and quickly remembered why I don't frequent good ol' Sam's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing on your pal but just stating that it's not really my thing.
The seating and layout seem a tad awkward but the crowd didn't seem to mind as the place was packed. March Madness can do that for a sports bar! Tons of televisions surround the room, buckets of beer are plentiful, and artery clogging appetizers and food are the anchor. Smoking is allowed so plan to do laundry when you get home too.
Two-fer Tuesdays offer up compelling drinks specials so be prepared for a nice size crowd. I also appreciate the open-air dining on beautiful Nashville days too.
I presume that if I suddenly woke up and wanted to wear a jersey and pound beers while watching a Titans game, this would be one of the first spots that I would head but until then... -
Review from Kaitlyn K.
Nashville, TN
3/27/2011
I appreciate this place for many reasons, but mostly because they will show a good PAC-10 football game. Being from LA, I need to watch my USC football!
I don't love that you can smoke in this bar, but it's a sports bar, I get it.
The food is normal bar food, but I always order the pizza. They're delicious - especially with the jalapenos!Listed in: Just Eat It - Weird Al, Wasted Away Again In…
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Review from Ryan A.
Nashville, TN
3/14/2011
Sam's is a pretty good place to watch a game, but I've become less and less of a fan as of late. Also, coming from Columbus, Ohio, Nashville is in dire need of better sportsbars. Maybe people actually find this place enjoyable, but I believe its more of a problem of not having that many choices. They have plenty of tv's, but something is off with the seating in this place....
Let me also say I have had times where I have enjoyed Sam's. But on the other hand, there are plenty of other time I find myself asking "Why did I come back here?" The food is decent, I enjoy the cajun pepperoni pizza, the chicken tenders are good, and some of there subs are pretty tasty. With that said, I just can't find the smoke in this place bearable. I hate copmplaining about smoke in half of my reviews, but its really horrible here, especially when the garage doors are closed. If you plan on spending a couple hours here, be ready for a heavy wash or drycleaning.
The beers are decently priced, but besides happy hour or two for Tuesday, there aren't really any other deals. This is one of the few bars in Nashville where Buckeyes congregate, but it still doesn't change my opinion of it.
I can be swayed to go here by friends, but its not my first choice anymore to watch the big game. -
Review from Brian S.
Stanford, CA
2/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Sam's is a tough place to write up. I have some of the same problems other reviewers have struggled with (like whether you compare Sam's to other sports bars or to other restaurants), and a few of my own personal quandaries that I'll dive into momentarily.
Let me start off with what I like about Sam's. First off, I think the chicken tenders are divine. Both my sister and I are positively addicted to them. They're beer battered, which gives the crust that extra fluffiness and tastiness that I enjoy. It also helps them stand out from a lot of the other usual suspects for chicken tenders (e.g., O'Charley's). You can order them as an entree or as a basket appetizer -- the latter is the better deal. I've tried their French dip sandwich too, and it was pretty decent. There are a ton of TVs which makes watching any sporting event easy, and the selection of draft beers is respectable. I've never once in my life picked up a gal at a bar, but if that's your thing, it's a good place for it.
Now for the flip side. I see people ordering the pizzas all the time, and I have to wonder WTF is wrong with them. The pizzas, while not terribly expensive, are greasy and not very flavorful. I mean, I guess it's decent food if you're drunk or well on your way, but I'd personally toss a Tombstone in the oven when I get home. I suppose that defeats the point. Anyway, the thing I dislike the most is how smoky it gets in there. I grew up with a human chimney for a mother, so I'm no stranger to living in a dark haze, but Sam's just gets too stuffy for me.
If I'm wanting to watch a game, throw back some beers, and have a basket of tenders, Sam's is a good place. If I'm looking for somewhere just to hang out, I generally keep looking. -
Review from Robert S.
4/17/2011
Stopped by tonight after the film festival cuz it was open late on Sundays. I am glad because I felt at ease from the moment I walked in.
The wings were very tasty, the chili looked good enough for me to come back to try, and the beers were fairly cheap. Add lots of TVs for NBA/NHL viewing, and it doesn't get much better.
The only thing I could find to pick on was that smoking was allowed in the patio area, where we were sitting. It wasn't all that bad because it wasn't full, but if there was a crowd, and the weather was nice, I'd have to go somewhere else if I wanted to sit outside. -
Review from David G.
1/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
When I was preparing to write this review and give Sam's a particular number of stars, I encountered a dilemma. Should my star rating be based upon comparing Sam's to all Sports Bars in which I have ever been? Or, should it be a comparison to Nashville Sports Bars?
I chose the former: compared to everywhere - because if you're from out of town that only seemed fair. The sad news is that for a vibrant southeastern city where we have two professional sports teams, our sports bars kinda suck.
Sam's is honestly one of two great sports bars in the city. I really like Sam's and I really like the patio in Spring, Summer, and early Autumn. But, when compared to so many sports bars across the country in other cities of comparable size with their own sports' teams... Sam's is just mediocre.
The service is always a toss up, and the ladies dressed in those referee outfits - could you not find some attractive Southern women to put on those booty shorts and v-cut referee shirts? Some of the regular old-time employees who have been there since I was in undergrad - a decade ago - really should not be wearing tight clothes. Wow. That was just really mean. I'm sorry.
The food is on the better side of bar fare. But their beer selection could want for some better beers and a wider variety of selection. The mixed drinks tend to be a bit weak, in my opinion.
But, hey, it's a bar. It has lots of TVs and they play the game commentary over the speakers throughout the bar. All and all, if you want to watch sports at a bar, then I would recommend Sam's.Listed in: Walking Distance
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Review from Ashley A.
Nashville, TN
3/9/2011 4 photos
It is only fitting to start my coverage of Nashville's most memorable places with the one I've spent more time in than my own home: Sam's Sports Grill in Hillsboro Village. If you're looking for a thrifty, casual happy hour or the perfect spot to watch the game, Sam's is your place.
My love affair with Sam's began when visiting my Vandy friends in college, and its solid, dependable, delicious food is what has kept me coming back. Sam's menu features exactly the kind of food you'd expect from a sports bar - wings, pizza, sandwiches and salads - but the thing that makes this place special is that it does these things extremely well. For example, when I told my friend Carson Popkin, 28, that I was writing this post she just said "Wiiiiiings..." and stared off hungrily into the distance before coming to and saying, "They're phenomenal."
But wings are not the only thing Sam's is doing right. The Cajun Pepperoni Pizza is a salty, crispy pie with just the right spicy kick, and the Campfire Chili with cheese and onions is simply one of the best bowls of chili I have ever had. And I've had some chili. When soup and chili cheese dogs make up 80% of your diet, you become an expert fast. In short, the food is straight-forward, fresh and very well-executed. Whether you need to grab a club and fries for lunch or cure your hangover with a Blue Moon and a burger, Sam's will do you right.
And that is in no small part due to the atmosphere. Sam's is a quintessential sports bar with happy hour from 3-7 every weekday except Tuesday (when it's two-for-one!) and at least 20 TVs broadcasting games at all times. (It is a smoking establishment, so take that into consideration before you pull up a stool.) On any given Saturday there are 100+ sports fans screaming their guts out for their teams, and the wait staff generally does an good job keeping pace with the thirsty legions. It's even better when the weather is nice and they roll up the garage doors on the front side. Breeze + good people watching is the ultimate relaxation-maker.
Sam's also has a lively game of trivia on Wednesdays and even livelier karaoke night on Fridays. In short, Sam's is my Cheers (and ironically, Sam was the guy who ran Cheers - coincidence? I think not). I'd suggest that you make it yours too... Except overcrowding would make my standard Saturday table even harder to come by, and we clearly can't have that. But what the hey, go visit them anyway. In no time at all, it'll be the place where everybody knows your name.
1803 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 383-3601
Sam's also has a second location in Hendersonville, so you suburbanites don't have to miss out on the fun. -
Review from Sarah P.
12/9/2010
Wednesday is the legendary Trivia night at Sam's Sports Bar and Grille and over 25 teams gather in this Hillsboro Sports Bar to celebrate knowledge and battle to the death for bar bucks.
Sam's is a Sports Bar, don't expect too much glamour. There are college and local team flags alternating with T.V.'s on the walls that are set on the a variety of games and the servers have referee shirts on. Classic. They even allow smoking which was not a particularly strong plus for me.
What you might expect is the awesome food. They take the simple bar food like chips, queso, wings, pizza and somehow pump it up on steroids to have awesome flavor combinations. When it comes to food, they mean business! We sampled the Nacho Grande ($7.49) which was a slew of chili, jalapenos, sour cream and queso. The Spicy Chorizo Queso Dip ($3.99) really knocks your socks off! And they are so addicting and so delicious!!! They also have the full range of drinks on tap at the bar from classic Bud, Miller, and Yuengling to Yazoo.
Despite being trivia night for a bar full of people, the service was outstanding! Our server was attentive, entertaining, and a pleasure to interact with. From what I could overhear from the tables around us, the feelings were mutual.
Promotions and Happy Hour specials occur daily from 3p.m. to 7p.m. which allow all walks of life to join together over brews and fantastic food for some football in the fall or basketball in the winter. -
Review from Justin R.
4/6/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Great sports bar. TV's everywhere and a really great selection of draft beers. They have Sweetwater 420 and Fat Tire, so I'm a fan! I think they serve food, but I didn't try it the other night.
The bar is not as smoky as I thought it was going to be. They have trivia on Wednesday nights, which I am going to have to check out sometime!
If you looking for a place to grab a great beer and watch some sports, this is your place! -
Review from Lauren S.
2/3/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Overall: It's a typical sports bar with decent food & a open-air room up front.
Food/Drinks: The pizza is surprisingly good. (I'll admit I wasn't expecting much.) The wraps get a thumbs up also, as do the burgers and fries... but the sandwiches are a little dicey. (not bad, just nothing special.) The pitchers are fairly priced though I can't comment on the liquor drinks (I haven't ever ordered one.)
Service/Atmosphere: The service is always pretty quick and waiters/waitresses attentive, that's not something you always see at a sports bar so that's a plus for me. My only complaint (and I'll admit this is pretty petty) is the Metro Police officer (or look-a-like) checking IDs at the door. He's kind of an ass, but I suppose he probably deals with a lot of jerks so I'll let that lie.
Cost: Pizza (obviously) depends on the size but you can get a good sized one for about $12 & burgers are about $7.
Tip: Head over on a warm day when they open up the windows in the front room. It's a good place for Hillsboro Village people watching.Listed in: Casual Eats, Bars
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Review from Avonel R.
Nashville, TN
2/11/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I went to Sam's with a group from work for lunch. The special on this day was the chicken tenders so I decided to try them even though I figured it'd be mediocre bar food.
When I received my plate of food I was thoroughly impressed. Chicken tenders are nothing inventive, but they were the best tenders I've ever had. I now know that it is possible to have good bar food, just don't expect it to be healthy by any means. -
Review from Paul K.
10/21/2010 3 Check-ins Here
It's hard to review it, it changes every night. the service can be great, it can be slow, it can be bad.
Food - good for bar food. They seem to maintain quality at every point I've ever eaten here. The worst food I ever had was a slightly burned pizza. The worst food any of my friends have had was some slightly wrong fries and perhaps forgetting to put or take off some condiment.
Service - a couple of the waitstaff have been super, a couple have made me question my ever coming back to the place. I think they made other people question it as I don't see them there any more. On average it's pretty good when they're not packed to the gills.
Booze - a little slow on the booze when the place is nearing 2/3rds capacity. At that point they generally need an extra bartender, but I don't think I usually see one at that point. Generally I plan accordingly. When it's packed, I just order a drink ahead. Tis a far better fate to suffer slightly warmed beer than to suffer without.
Karaoke - kind of a bad (limited) selection and the person they have running it at the moment either needs some new disks or something is wrong with his equipment. Plenty of times I've watched as people up there struggle to read the hieroglyphics as line after line paints over the old text. Or where something is a duet and they don't have the words for the second person. Or where the song just skips and does not pick back up. That was all at one sitting. Sam's is a mid-20's bar and the karaoke as of 2 months ago was a mid-50's selection (with best of 2008 thrown in).
Crowd - varies - can be a bunch of cool people or sometimes it can get overrun by d-bags and people crying on their cell phone that their new Bentley got crapped on right after it was washed - no really... I'm afraid hearing someone crying over having to get their freakin' brand new car washed twice made me want to throttle some people. The sports crowd has generally been a nice group when I've been there. During the day time you can usually catch a more rugged crew... that's the only time I've had a bar patron tell me what to do with my life at Sam's without any word spoken by me.
Restrooms - go from OK to "I will hold it for the next 3 hours" quickly. Generally when the place is d-bag-overrun the mens room needs to be waded into. I would not wear any non-fluid-tight shoes in there. If you can fit into the bar though, chances are the bathrooms are at least ok.
Larger groups, this place is probably not for you if you want to sit at one table. A group I was with had 12 people and we managed to sort of hold down an area, but we usually had 2-3 people up.
All in all, I like the place. Their pizza is not the best, but it's still about as good the next couple of days. It's definitely something to check out. Parking can be a mess if anything's going on, and the lot is generally patrolled by someone looking for a handout when the crowd is bumping.
One thing to note, if you're on a motorcycle, your gear is not safe. Sam's and Boscos are evidently frequented by drunken kleptomaniacs. I've had gloves stolen (was doing a Christmas eve ride, so I got to ride home with no gloves in 36 degrees) have seen and stopped someone trying to pick up someone's helmet and have heard tale of completely non-valuable things stolen by drunk people out of open cars. So if you're a biker, do the uncool thing and take your gear in with you. If you're a car owner lock everything / keep stuff out of site. It's not the homeless who wander the area that are stealing, it's drunken college students.Listed in: Places you can take your…, They claim it's pizza
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Review from Ian R.
Updated - 12/1/2010
I have given Sam's a couple more chances and it is not all bad. To use an overused phrase, it is what it is. Sam's is a pretty good sports bars with a metric ton of flat screens a paint by numbers food menu and pitchers of beer.
It would not be my first choice to eat or drink, but I can't deny that there is something to be said for drinking, eating food that is bad for you and watching sports. If that's what you are after you could do a whole hell of a lot worse.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/15/2006
I guess the key thing for Sam's is that it is a "sports" bar. It is a place to watch sports. If… Read more »
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Review from Megan M.
1/22/2011
For the lunch crowd: Service is fast as it's not usually too busy during lunch hours. Although the food is technically "bar food", it's really great! Last time I had the club sandwich (which was so big I took half to go) and a generous side salad, which they top with almonds and eggs among other tasty extras. Pizzas are popular and the burgers and chicken sandwiches are very good.
For the sports and night crowd: It gets packed here at night and during any big games. Obviously being so close to several universities, this is expected. It's not my personal comfort level to be crammed in to a loud smokey bar, fighting for the attention of a server to get food and drinks. But it is what it is, and the students and many non-students seem to enjoy it a lot. There aren't a ton of choices for sports bars in the area that will show all the games, and they show most here. They also have great food and happy hour specials. -
Review from MIke J.
Nashville, TN
9/29/2011
We hit Sam's up for the Thursday night football game. On the upside, our server was friendly. On the downside, well most of everything else. The nachos were very ordinary - bag chips, velveeta cheese, fresh out of the microwave. Chicken strips were above average but not spectacular. Smoke was pretty heavy. No sound for the game. Our waitress gave us good service, but we heard other tables complaining about their service, and my girlfriend saw one waitress in the bathroom playing Angry Birds on her cellphone (maybe she was on break). So, not a "foodie" destination, nor a good place to watch a game...nor a particularly good value (they charged extra for the honey mustard dip, and added a charge for my side order even though our server told us the chicken came with a side).
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Review from Zac S.
Nashville, TN
10/21/2010
I have pretty specific criteria when it comes to evaluating a sports bar:
1. It must show or be able to show my team's games. (Full Disclosure: I am a Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots fan).
2. It must have enough TVs to put on your game, regardless of what else is going on in the sports world. That Titans game may be in overtime, but I'm sure you could find some random TV in the corner for a Lions fan, right?
3. It must show a wide variety of other games. I enjoy sports in general, and I like to see other games. I mean, I could go to Sox bar to high-five and bro-hug other patrons all night long, but it's more fun to have a diverse collection of fans.
4. It must have at least one "go-to" food item.
5. It must have a decent beer selection.
Sam's fulfills all of these criteria, and then some. They have all the sports packages, and will gladly put on your game if you ask nicely. During the football season, the manager labels the TVs so you know what matchups you'll be able to see and when you'll be able to see them. I've only been to a couple other bars that do this, and it's amazing. You can position yourself optimally for a day of sports viewing/drinking without having to bother a waiter or waitress. In addition, they have a good beer selection and decent bar food. The chicken fingers are the gold standard. I could seriously drink the honey mustard. But the chorizo dip, southwest egg rolls, and pizza are all good for what they are.
On top of all this, Sam's isn't some chain mega-bar. The service doesn't wear flair or sing songs (although they do wear referee uniforms and are unnecessarily inattentive and gruff). They have a nice "patio" area and do activities like trivia and karaoke. There is also ample parking in an otherwise very crowded Hillsboro Village area.
Sam's is a great sports bar - definitely the best I've found so far in Nashville. -
Review from Chucky T.
Nashville, TN
12/5/2011
This place has plenty of tvs and is great for game day. I wish they had more craft beer, it's mostly just bland generic light beer. There food is pretty good for pub food, but don't expect greatness. Overall this place is a pretty solid sports bar.
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Review from Alyson W.
Nashville, TN
8/13/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Those 5 stars go to Tuesday night specials at Sam's. I'm not a sport's fan, but I've watched my fair share of games on Tuesday nights here because for a long time, I was at Sam's every Tuesday night. Things I like?
Two for one draft beers. I don't know what they put in the newcastle, but its really good.
$9.99 two topping pizza. And for the price, the pizza is really good!
I few tips, Tuesdays they have 2-4-1 all day long. Get there early before the Vandy crowd rolls in. Get a booth. I am partial to the Michael Jordan booth, just because.
For not going on Tuesday nights though, I'm going to go out on a limb, put my reputation out on the line and say this...
Sam's has the best bar food in Nashville.
The prices are great. The chicken tenders... oh the chicken tenders. I think they somehow fry a little bit of heaven in them. And one of the best burgers at a bar period.
They have a great lunch special, and I really enjoy hitting up this place for lunch every now and then. -
Review from Benson C.
Nashville, TN
8/21/2010
Probably one of the best places to eat in the Village. Living nearby and their lunch specials were the greatest perks of Sam's, also the good food. The pizza and fries have always tasted good, and what goes well with pizza and fries?? A beer! I'm not sure of when their 2 for 1 specials are, but it's a good special and this definitely has a good sports bar feel. If you're a college student in the area, you'll definitely enjoy this place.
If you're new to this place, and you don't see any parking on the street, there's a nice big parking lot behind the bar. -
Review from Megan C.
One of my earliest memories of Nashville is of singing karaoke at Sam's. Another is bonding with new friends waaaay late in the evening over pitchers of Blue Moon. It's quite the neighborhood place-always a great spot to get a pitcher and hang out with friends or watch whatever game is playing. They've got several things throughout the week to keep you entertained-trivia Wednesdays and karaoke Fridays. Decor is typical sports bar (though I'm always a tad bit offended that UK, my alma mater, is not included in the college pennants that seemingly represent the entire REST of the SEC), with pennants, televisions, and waitresses clad like referees. Food is typical bar food-perfect after something like, say, an interclass flag football game. Have had many good times here and expect to have many more.
Listed in: Local Watering Holes, Best of Hillsboro Village, ROTD
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Review from Doug B.
Nashville, TN
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pizza, beer, and chicken fingers are great! Great hang!
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Review from CHRISTOPHER O.
Nashville, TN
11/17/2009
Sam's is a great place on Gameday, Not many sports bars acutally have enough tv's, Sam's does.
It is a smoking bar so be prepared,
but i also like not having to hang out with under 21 people so to me its a fair trade off. If you dont smoke sit up front by the patio doors,
The staff is cute and friendly.
Food was quality, and affordable.
I still love their Chicken n Herb pizza.
Will definatley go back.
Not to mention you seldom go to a restaurant when the owner is there.
Sam is almost always there (usually white polo, and golf shorts) so things keep running smooth. -
Review from Jamie A.
2/28/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I have to be honest. The reason for a four star as opposed to five is the ridiculous crowd on Two-for-Tuesdays. Can't help it, I'm getting up there in age and my tolerance for a bar packed with undergrads has diminished. It's the "Get off my lawn!" thing and I suffer from it. There, I admitted it.
Okay, back to the shiny happy stuff! Sam's is a kick ass sports bar. Not only do they have a great selection of tap/beer bottles, the bartenders are very skilled with the cocktails (even delicious coffee based hot drinks in the winter). Even better than the booze is the food. CHICKEN TENDERS. I'm not kidding, these are the best in town. Perfectly crunchy, beer-battered pieces of heaven! I love getting the traditional wing sauce along w/ ranch or bleu cheese for dipping. You can get them tossed in the wing sauce, but that tends to kill the crunch. Another star are the wings. Even if you think "Extra Hot" might be too much, just try it. I'm usually a strict medium - weak hot when it comes to spicy foods, but they smelled so good I had to steal one from my boyfriends plate. They aren't on the menu, but they will gladly add some extra heat to the usual hot for you. Other standouts include the rib appetizer, beer battered onion rings, cheeseburger and (when they have it) the creamy chicken artichoke soup.
So yeah, absolutely a terrible place for a dieter, though I have been known to bargain...oh, I'll have the chicken tenders but with celery instead of fries, etc. Yeah, not really a great solution but it is worth the extra time in the gym.
So yeah 2 stars food, 1 star drinks, 1 star service and 0 stars because I'm an old mean bat.
Oh, and one additional note regarding Tuesdays...while two-for-one is every Tuesday, somethings the pack is at Sportsman's instead. Our theory is that they send a mass memo/text/sky-writer out to let everyone know. One or the other is ALWAYS packed to capacity on Tuesday.Listed in: Soup's on!, Neighborhood Favorites, Favorite Watering Holes
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Review from Mike A.
Nashville, TN
5/20/2010
Sam's....I don't like Sam's. And I have no rational reason why. There's douches here, but who cares? It's a sports bar, that's who goes to sports bars. I myself am probably a complete asshole and don't even realize it. It's crowded, but so what? Crowds are good sometimes.
Their food is alright from what I've had. Their drinks are overpriced but so it goes for Hillsboro.
I think the real reason I don't like it is because cheating is so rampant at trivia here and it's so packed that there's nothing they can do about it. But again, that's kind of trivia everywhere.
Or maybe it's something more sinister. Perhaps I was abused here and repressed it. But I doubt it. Sometimes we just don't like places. -
Review from Trisha P.
Nashville, TN
6/14/2010
Adequate bar food, smokey but congenial atmosphere, fair (but not cheap) drink prices.
BUT. If you are looking to watch the World Cup -- go elsewhere. Though they advertise as being the place to see watch the games, they could not manage to get Italy vs. Paraguay on TV in English, and didn't seem especially interested in trying (they could have at least turned to the soccer channel on XM). That said, Arabic-speakers of Nashville, I may have found your World Cup viewing place. -
Review from Ben G.
Nashville, TN
7/17/2010
I went to Sam's before I even moved to Nashville, and got hooked. It is now a spot I gravitate to. I end up there twice a week at least.
I once overheard Sam say "I am a food guy that opened up a sports bar not a sports guy that tries to serve food" and it shows.
Several items on the menu are the best in town, or the best I have ever had.
Only down side: Stay away on Wednesday nights if you are not playing trivia.
Wings (Medium or Hot) - Best I have ever had
Spinach and Artichoke Dip - Best or tied for best in town
Burger - One of the best in town
Cajun Pasta - One of the best Pastas in town
**
Food aside the atmosphere keeps me coming back too. It is cozy and unique and fun. The staff are great and the fans are amazing. I think everyone should experience an NFL Sunday here. For any major sporting even plan on showing up 30 minutes to an hour early as it will be standing room only at game time. The atmosphere is always electric. I get disappointed and bored when I watch sports anywhere else (including at home).
They have great happy hours with two-for-ones, including all day on Tuesday.
Great spot. One of a Kind. Definitely in my top five places to hang out in Nashville. -
Review from Claire B.
Nashville, TN
8/16/2008
I'm not usually a huge fan of sports bars either, but I'm always surprised by how much I like Sam's. I think it's because they have a huge closed in patio where you can get away from the sportiness of the main bar area.
The drink specials are worth going for: I will be a fan of anywhere that has two for one Yazoos. It's really as simple as that. Maybe it doesn't take much to make me happy, but Sam's has more. The pizza is good, as good as many of the specialized pizza places in town. The medium will easily feed two.
The burgers are top-notch sports bar worthy and the wings are hot enough to require a ton of blue cheese, and they will give you lots if you ask for it.
The best kept secret on the menu is the ribs and fries basket, which is an appetizer, and cheap, but a great meal with really good tasting ribs.
This is my default place to go before seeing movies at the Belcourt, and the service is always quick and friendly.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from John G.
Virginia Beach, VA
7/11/2008
If you have ever been to a sports bar, and left thinking that the food was just fantastic, as were the dozens of flat screen TVs, then I suggest that you keep going back to that place. For the rest of us, I thinks Sam's will do until we find that other type of place I just mentioned.
Sam's has plenty of TV's, a good patio for people watching, and ok food. It's kind of like bar food that tried too hard to be something that it is not.
So, come here for the TV's, the people watching and the beverages, and you will not be disappointed. -
Review from Michael W.
San Diego, CA
8/25/2009
I shouldn't be doing this.
I can't count the number of times I've complained about the smokiness, the noise, the crowdedness. But God help me, I love this place.
They play decent music, they serve good drinks, with weekday discounts. The food is tasty and reasonably priced. And they have trivia on Mondays and Wednesdays. Plus, I can stumble home after.Listed in: My Neighborhood, The Places I Go Out
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Review from Shiho F.
Carmel by the Sea, CA
3/2/2008
We stopped in for a quick lunch and I was craving Fetuccini Alfredo. I ordered the closest thing to it on the menu and it was the Cajun Pasta. It was actaully pretty good. However, we foudn hair in our food. Our group expereinced hairy food at every restaurant we stopped in. No joke. I don't think hair nets are necessary in TN. They should be.
A very casualy bar/restaurant that you can get rowdy in if you want to. -
Review from Sarah M.
Nashville, TN
2/6/2010
If you go to Sam's Sportsbar, you MUST and I repeat MUST order the cheese dip and the club sandwhich. It truly is sooooo good. They also have a location in Hendersonville that is really nice-I got to check it out when it first opened.
For football games or March Maddness, it is really here or Corner Pub. The good thing about Sam's is that it does accomodate more seeting and there are more waitresses. They also have doors that open so when it gets smoky and the weather is nice, it airs out. -
Review from Robin S.
Nashville, TN
4/25/2008
My reasons for loving Sam's are threefold:
1) Location. Right in the heart of Hillsboro Village, it's convenient to pretty much everything. Downtown isn't far off, and the Vanderbilt stadium is within walking distance. This is good to know during football season!
2) They have a great patio. It actually has those garage door things, so even in the dead of winter you can sit out there and it kind of seems like you are outside. It's not one of those dreary nasty smoky sports bars--in fact, it's really the only one I like to go to if I'm watching some sporting event on TV.
3) Great people-watching. Especially if you are out on the patio--you can see prepster Vandy kids, the eclectic coffeehouse crowd, tourists with fanny packs, runners, walkers, and skateboarders, and of course the ever-present line in front of Pancake Pantry.
If you are going to eat there, I love the Cajun pepperoni pizza or the hot turkey and Swiss sandwich. Both are scrumptious! It's a bar food menu, but I feel like the food is a notch above what you would normally expect. Drinks aren't half bad either! -
Review from Kyla A.
9/13/2008
I'm not much into the sports bar thing, yet somehow circumstances have led me to spending many more nights at Sam's than I ever would have predicted. Once they added it to the Vandy card, it became an obvious choice during my student days. They do their 2 for 1 special on liquor as well as beer which I always appreciate so that has brought us in as well. I also find myself running over to Sam's for a shot between games of darts at H Cue's since they are beer only.
The food at Sam's is your standard greasy bar fare, but it's not bad. The pizza (which, by the slice, is about it for the late night menu) tastes just like what you would get in your high-school cafeteria. It's comforting and satisfying while still being a bit gross.
If you are the sports bar type then you will definitely enjoy Sam's. It gets pretty packed, but the crowd is usually attentive to the game that's on. There are TV screens everywhere - enough that they can play two different football games, a poker tournament, and a strongman contest simultaneously so everyone has something to watch. -
Review from Courtney B.
Nashville, TN
12/9/2008 1 photo
Sam's has quickly become one of my favorite haunts for Monday nights during football season. Ther crowd is great and there usually seems to be the perfect amount of people there, not too rowdy but lively enough to keep you excited. There are PLENTY of TVs set up, so no matter where you're sitting you've got a great view of something. They have local brews like Yazoo and Blackstone on tap as well which is a plus if you're like me. But don't worry there's plenty of typical sports bar beverages to be found in case you're not.
What is great about Sam's is that it's not just a sports bar. It's happy hour and two for one specials make it a great place to hang out on non-football nights as well. It's front patio makes it a lovely place to sit and relax with friends and a beer on nice days and its location in Hillsboro Village is convenient and lends to its ecclectic mixture of patrons.
The menu features your typical bar food fare - pizza, wings, burgers and sandwiches, all of which are good but what you would expect. My favorite is their chili which is amazing and their salads are surprisingly what I order the most. Don't be scared to try one! For around eight dollars you get a large super fresh salad topped with tomato, bacon, egg, almonts, red onions and my favorite - chicken tenders (which are also delicious).
Parking can be an issue just like everything else in Hillsboro Village so be prepared to walk a little ways and spend a few minutes searching for a parking spot, especially during busy hours.
