Sushi Sam’s Edomata

10/2/2014

Always a line out the door, but that means they're doing something right, right?

Got the letter C, wonderful variety of different rolls.  Always order "Sam's Special" (it's a tempura roll) very yummy.  The fish is always fresh. They also do something special called the chef's special in which Sam picks 4 seafood/sushi dishes for you to try.  Baby lobster was the last plate to come out for me.  AMAZING

Service is very attentive.  Calvin was very helpful.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the area.  I drive out of San Francisco to come to San Mateo.  

Sam first started at Isobune in Japan town (the one with the floating boats).  He opened his store here and was even able to expand to what used to be an old barbers place.  If you can imagine, the restaurant  used to be a lot smaller.  

Be ready to wait outside, no sitting area.  But while waiting there's lots to do in the area.

• 

  The letter C

  The letter C

10/5/2014

**3.5**

Finally got to try Sushi Sam's a few weeks ago and I was not disappointed. It's a no frills kind of joint and you're basically there if you want to enjoy some good sushi. Very casual, really friendly service (he gave me a free half glass of beer!). Not sure my review can add to anything that hasn't already been said... glad I got to try it out!

9/25/2014

For the longest time, I couldnt quite figure out if this is a Chinese owned sushi place. Because all the waiters seem to have a rather strong cantonese accent. But either way, they are doing a bang up job!
I came here for lunch right when it is open. So there was no wait. But I saw the line after about 15 mins, that tells you how busy and popular this place gets.
Orders: sweet shrimp, eel hand roll, sam's special roll, spider roll, and cartapilla roll.
Love love love the sweet shrimp, the eel hand roll. So fresh and so tasty. The sauce they use to go with their rolls are amazing.
I will definitely go back to try their dinner menus. I will probably order the baby lobster since everyone is going crazy about it.

9/20/2014

Fresh & delicious sashimi but for a cost. My boyfriend and purchased a few additional plates and I went with the Omakase Sashimi. The seared toro was undoubtedly the highlight of the meal, although the majority of the sashimi in the omakase was tasty. JUST AWESOME buttery, it melts in your mouth. This really is most likely the most effective toro I've had the in bay area. We also adored the baby lobster nigiri.

I believe just a few of the items in the menu which are special actually deserve the exorbitant price tag. Service is fast but you may feel a bit dashed as the restaurant is always packed, be sure to phone come early or to make a booking, there's almost always a very long line out the doorway.

9/23/2014

I visited this place with a friend over the weekend and the fish we had was INCREDIBLE. I was treated, so I cannot speak to the price, but the omakase just blew my mind right out the door.

I cannot recall everything that was served as it was Saturday night, which apparently means bring your earplugs 'cause it was NOISY, but the fish! Oh! Everything we tried did not not just melt in the mouth, it utterly dissolved. The char, butterfish, amberjack, baby lobster... God, I just ate lunch and I am suddenly starving for sushi from Sam's.

I cannot wait to cross the bay and visit again.

9/12/2014

Delicious, fresh, and melt in your mouth sushi! I can see why people wait hours for this place, it is well worth the wait! Personally, I don't mind long waits, and you can look into the restaurant to see the sushi chefs at work to pass the time. Making sushi is really an art, the chefs' hands were constantly moving! I think each sushi was touched, pressed, and flavored about 20 times.
I ordered the omakase sushi for two and all of them were great but my favorites were the butterfish and the white king salmon. You really can't go wrong with the omakase, which also comes with dessert! I love matcha so I got the green tea tiramisu and the boyfriend got the almond honey pudding. Both dishes were a great way to end the meal!
Downsides were that it can be hard to find parking and the location is really crowded. They need to expand or open a new location!

9/6/2014

Sashimi was the bomb! Very fresh and not too much of the fishy smell or taste you get at smaller sushi places. It's the most recommended.

Hand rolls were delicious.  The seaweed didn't get soggy like at sushi buffets. It was easy to eat and not like you're struggling to open your mouth to eat an open-ended burrito.

The rainbow roll had fresh sashimi on top of California rolls. It was decent.

We arrived around 7 on a Friday night and didn't get seated until an hour later. Expect to spend around $35 per person to get full (with a mixture of sashimi and rolls)!

Edit: I forgot to add the wasabi is made from the real plant! It has a distinct sweetness in the beginning and then the kick.

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  Combination sashimi- most delicious and fresh.

  Combination sashimi- most delicious and fresh.

9/3/2014

Sushi Sam a.k.a. sort of expensive yet delicious at the same time. Ugh. My wallet hurts.

This place gets insanely crowded. It's busy. It's popular. There's probably going to be a long wait here unless you come right when they open. Parking is all located on the streets and they're metered till 6pm. This place is also located right next to ABC Bakery if you know where that is.

The inside of this place is kind of cramped. There's about 6-7 seats at the bar area to the left and then a few tables all around. Bathrooms are located on the right side towards the back.

I'm not kidding when I say that this place can get cramped. There's a huge chance that when you come here, your table might be really close to the next table, and a group of 3 might get stuck sitting at a table meant for 2 people so you're just going to have to endure.

The food here is definitely good. Very fresh. A tad bit expensive, but you're going to have to splurge if you want delicious sushi and this is the place to do it.

Service is okay. Kind of rushed, but I guess they just want people to eat then pay and leave so they can keep seating people at a reasonable pace.

Overall, would come again after saving money first.

• 

  amaebi, tobiko, and uni

  amaebi, tobiko, and uni
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  oysters

  oysters
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  deep fried calamari legs

  deep fried calamari legs

8/25/2014

SS's was recommended by trusted friends and dragged a gf out on a Friday night. Big mistake and never coming back again. Wait was 2 hours and staff was very unapologetic about the wait once we got seated. The food is decent but nothing worth a 2 hour wait. My biggest disappointment was how poorly the sushi was presented. The fish was cut too thick and texture was horrible since the fish wasn't fresh. We had the following:

Asari Miso - great
Fatty Tuna - horrible
Yellowtail - decent
Albacore - decent
Sweet Shrimp - mediocre, fried shrimp heads - mediocre
Toro - mediocre
Salmon - decent
Rainbow Roll - horrible
Sea Urchin - disgusting
Amberjack - decent
Sashimi Special - mediocre
Tuna - mediocre  

They had several items which they ran out of such as the cod and oysters.

8/28/2014

Ups: The sushi itself is rather good. It's the reason I will go if family and friends initiate it. Specials that grab your eye, and chef recommendations are rarely a disappointment.

Downs: The restaurant is very crowded, always full and loud.
The sevice is upbrupt and pushy. Order eveything at once. Order now. Order fast. If you order a la carte, everything comes to the table as ready. There is no order or pacing. Appetizers after fried rolls, sashimi at the end, etc. If the table is already full, they'll just pile more on. Waiters commonly ask if you want to order more, or have the check, in the same sentance. They are not hestitant to throw down the bill while you are still eating.
Ordering a "lunch" or "dinner" isn't as bad, but still rushed.
Sitting at the bar is a better experience, but you need to go on the offensive to get orders in to the chefs.

Go for the food. The atmosphere is not my style.

8/24/2014

Not memorable & pricey!

This placed is always packed! Last few times we tried to eat here, the wait was over an hour, so we'd eat elsewhere.  The food was good, but not anything to rave about.  

This place is wayyy to small with tiny tables (the dishes don't fit and they will still cram all the dishes in front of you).  The service is extremely SLOW, 10-15 for them to take an order, 15-20 to get your food. If something is missing, you'll have to ask for it repeatedly -- and hope you get it. Your elbows and chairs will be touching each other's so watch out!  Definitely not a good experience for dinner especially if you're hungry. The quality of the food is just "eh"- really a two star.

We ended up with dinner combinations mostly - cooked right, but I've had better in the Japanese restaurants right around the corner.  Again -- nothing memorable.  The prices were a little higher than their Japanese counterparts just a block away.   So there isn't a lot to persuade me to come back here to try it again.

I'd rather be eating at Kitcho just around the corner for REAL Japanese food, personally.  
For cooked Japanese dishes, Fuji Sukiyaki just up the street is so much better!

Seems like this place just has a lot of hype and is short on the quality of the actual food delivered. Or maybe once upon a time it was actually good, but recently it falls short.

Return factor: 0

• 

  Miso soup, salad, and Edamame

  Miso soup, salad, and Edamame
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  Hamachi sushi & salmon rolls- excellent!

  Hamachi sushi & salmon rolls- excellent!
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  Agedashi Tofu- excellent!

  Agedashi Tofu- excellent!
• See all photos from Carol D.

8/24/2014

Both the partner and I are feeling so sick after eating here tonight. Not sure what it was but we both have Delhi Belly from eating here. If it was just one of us I would understand but both of us? Ughh

The crab didn't seem so fresh, places that have stale crab will mask it with a sauce and that's what they do here with their rainbow roll.

The spicy scallops were more like a chopped scallop with glass noodles and/or shredded green papaya.

The baby lobster nigiri comes on a bed of rice with a sweet cream and chopped almonds....what are we trying to hide here?

It's not clean, no host, nobody looks at you even while taking your order.

I know CA is suffering a drought but are we supposed to share 1 glass of water amongst everyone at the table??

Not going back and scratching my head/stomach trying to figure out why so many people are standing outside.

8/16/2014

"I'd like the black cod.
The black cod.
No. I said COD.
... with a 'D'.
It's a fish.
Oh, you're out?
Well then let's just forget this whole awkward exchange and I'll go with the baby lobster and toro toro. Thanks."

Today I learned, first and foremost, that I need to work on my annunciation. I also learned that South Bay sushi is pretty hard to beat. I've only had two sushi stops in my short time here in Silicon Valley, but so far they've been the best I've ever had and not too terribly out of my comfort zone price-wise.

I saw what Yelpers had said about the Baby Lobster nigiri and took their words to heart (and mouth) and had no regrets.

I got to Sushi Sam's about 20 minutes before they opened for their evening changeover. I was 3rd in line but by the time 5pm hit and they actually opened, the line wrapped around the block. It was just me so I grabbed a quaint spot at the sushi bar and was quickly brought water, pickled ginger, wasabi, chopsticks, and the rest of the standard fixins. I think it's typical that people wait in line so long that they already know what they want by the time they site down. Even with this being my first time here, I quickly got the gist that I needed to be ready with my foodstuffs order sooner than later.

Since they were out of the black cod, my pics for food were:
** Baby Lobster // outstanding
** Toro Toro // unreal how meaty and phenomenal this was
** Butterfish // honestly, kind of had a plastic taste to it
** Arctic Char // good, but not my fave after the baby lobster and the toro toro
** Spicy Tuna Roll // roll was good- no complaints, but nigiri is really the way to go
** Tuna Potstickers // a little too charred for my liking

For how busy they were right at opening, I got wonderful service. That would probably vary if you had a large group or if you were sitting in the dining room as opposed to the sushi bar, but my spot was fantastic. My server was funny and got a good laugh after my attempt to order the Black Cod. He told me had the last Black Cod last night and that it was fantastic. Good to know, buddy. Good to know.

I loved sitting by the sushi chefs. They work at lightning speed and while sometimes the older head chef's noises scared me (they def sounded like the sounds I heard this one time a guy had a heart attack right in front of me), when I went to leave (24 minutes after I sat down to eat - told you they were speedy) every single person who worked her stopped as I got up, looked me in the eye, and said 'Thank You' in the sweetest tone with the biggest smiles and said 'Come back again.' I honestly felt like I was getting a standing ovation for eating there and I'd come back just for the send-off... though you won't find me leaving without a few servings of baby lobster and toro toro in my belly.

• 

  Amber Jack

  Amber Jack
• 

  Amber Jack

  Amber Jack
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  Chefs + side-eye

  Chefs + side-eye
• See all photos from Candice G.

8/21/2014

Let me preface this review by saying that I am not at all a sushi expert. I've only recently discovered the wondrous world of this decadent cuisine and let me just say I am obsessed. I have not yet stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant that has the quality of fish that Sushi Sam's has and because of this I give this place the maximum stars possible!!!

-Butterfish
-Bluefin tuna
-Ebi (shrimp)
-Otoro (fatty tuna)
-Uni (sea urchin)
-Char
-Yellowtail
-Baby lobster

And the list goes on.....i come here strictly for their sushi. Sorry folks, but don't come here for their bentos or anything with spicy mayo, it's pricey and you should spend your money on the good stuff... You won't be disappointed!!

• 

  Fat piece of mouth watering fatty tuna...

  Fat piece of mouth watering fatty tuna...
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  Monkfish liver..

  Monkfish liver..
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  Top left: baby lobster, yellowtail, char, uni, butterfish, bluefin tuna, otoro and ebi..drool to the maximum density!

  Top left: baby lobster, yellowtail, char, uni, butterfish, bluefin tuna, otoro and ebi..drool to the maximum density!

8/20/2014

Came here with my friend who is as big of a sushi lover as I am and we had both heard so much about this place. They take reservations and there can be a wait so I would recommend calling in.

We had already decided we would each get an omakase, and you can choose between a sasahimi or sushi omakase. Both come with 8 pieces of fish of the chef's choice and are each paired with sauce flavors that perfectly complement each individual fish, so soy sauce and wasabi was not necessary.

The sushi was brought out 4 pieces at a time, then ended with a dessert of your choice. Some of the notable ones were baby lobster, toro (fatty tuna), fatty hamachi, scallop, and salmon belly. All were really good, but nothing that blew me away and I would say I'm a reasonably picky sushi-eater. The toro was actually a little underwhelming. For dessert, we both went with the green tea tiramisu, but it was more of just a green tea cake. Not bad for a palette cleanser.

TL;DR: Heard the hype, came here, got the Omakase, enjoyed it but wasn't mind-blown.

9/11/2014

We were quickly sat down and our fish was still flopping when they put it down!! J/k! Lol. Much needed nourishment after a long day of driving and wine tasting! Just what we needed!

Just realized this is the same restaurant that what featured on Anthony Bordain's show Layover!!! OMG!!! So good!

• 

  Like buttda

  Like buttda
• 

  So great!!

  So great!!

10/13/2014

The absolute best nigiri sushi and sashimi!  The Hamachi, salmon, and scallops are always so good.  I cannot tell you if the fancy rolls are good since I never eat fake sushi.  If you want your spicy-fried-avocado-mayonnaise-shrimp roll, I suggest you go to some Korean sushi bar.

9/28/2014

Great food super fresh fish . In my opinion the best sushi restaurant in San Mateo get there early as long as you don't mind waiting cuz there will be a line

10/2/2014

I tried to like this place, however definitely not in my list of favorites. I don't really understand how they have 4 stars.

8/17/2014

Hands down the best sushi I ever had around the Bay Area but not the best in my entire life. Sushi Yasuda in NYC is the best!

Three simple steps:
1. Make reservations and try to sit at the bar (Omakase only).
2. Order seared toro, baby lobster, Uni(freshest uni I ever had), Arctic char, and butter fish.
3. Then ask the chef what's fresh today.  Order like 5 more. I had 10 pieces and it was a perfect amount.

Oh the chef and all the employees were extremely friendly!

8/13/2014

No more chances Sushi Sam's....our sushi relationship is over.

I went here a year ago for my birthday and had the omakase, which I thought was good, but i expected so much more since it's not cheap.

I went back again yesterday with my friend and let's just say.....we're both never coming back.

Sashimi - it lacked color, which is not a good sign. The salmon looked cooked. We both grabbed a salmon piece and were expecting silky yumminess, but we both looked at each other in horror. The sashimi had an old fishy taste and the texture felt like it was cooked on the edges and it was SO SALTY (like it had been soaking in a salt bath)!!! We asked why the salmon was so salty and the waiter said "it's put in salt to preserve it"....say what? JUST HOW OLD IS THIS FISH?!?!?

The hamachi & tuna were not much better. This is the first time I have ever left sashimi untouched.

Nigiri (ebi, uni, butterfish, spicy scallops): out of all the nigiri, the uni was the best, but that's not saying much. I've had butterfish before and Sushi Sam's was definitely serving me subpar butterfish. The spicy scallops were oily.....

I do not mind paying insane amounts for food...mostly sushi....but it better be worth my money. The fish better be fresh, the nigiri better not be sloppy and i better not leave still hungry. I am truly dissapointed in Sushi Sam's.

• 

  The nigiri was so sloppy :(

  The nigiri was so sloppy :(
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  Eww...not fresh at all

  Eww...not fresh at all
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  Unfiltered Sake

  Unfiltered Sake

9/29/2014

This is the lowest rating I will give and still write a review. My recomendation would be to sit at the sushi bar, as the sushi chef's seem friendly and engaging. The last time I had dinner here we sat at the sushi bar and it was a better experience. My brother and I sat at a table and the service was terrible. Almost as bad as a good chinese restaurant.

8/1/2014

Definitely the best sushi I've had in the Bay Area! They don't take reservations so I recommend to go there early and expect to wait. I have a couple friends that work there and they took me here to eat one day for dinner. We got there pretty late and by then a lot of the fish selection was out. So definitely go early so you can try everything on the menu. People raved about the uni, and unfortunately they ran out that day :(, actually half their menu ran out by the time we were seated, around 8:30 pm.

We ordered the omakase (chef's selection of sushi). I loved EVERYTHING that came out. I'm very picky about my sweet raw shrimp (amaebi), but it was DELICIOUS. The fish/seafood was very fresh. We also ordered this deep fried shrimp head dish, which was very good.

We had their green tea tiramisu for dessert. It's homemade and made daily. DELICIOUS.

Sam, the owner, walked by every table and greeted his customers and chatted with them, which I think is a nice touch.

I'm definitely going to come back when I want some good quality fresh sushi.

Now I noticed it was 2 $$ signs, if you order omakase and some other sushi as well, it's going to make a noticeable dent in your wallet. For a party of 5, we paid about $100 each. I thought it was definitely worth it though.

• 

  Fatty tuna

  Fatty tuna
• 
• 
• See all photos from Stephanie L.

10/1/2014

I'd definitely be back for good food. This place is solid! Came here with two couples and tried a bunch of different nigiri, two rolls, and an appetizer. Most everything was 5 starts, a few items were just average, but overall more wows than just okays. The standouts were bluefin tuna, hamachi, sea trout and white king salmon. Anago was pretty good. Butterfish and bonito were okay. Salmon was interesting, but coming from Seattle I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to salmon. We also tried monkfish liver appetizer, and it's not my thing, too fatty. :) The rainbow roll was delicious. Tea tasted great. It was super busy, as usual in that place, and service was a bit hurried, but we didn't come for service, but for food. They forgot our orders of miso soup and edamame, but I made sure to mention it when the check arrived, and the guys apologized profusely and removed them from the bill immediately.
I'd say it's definitely worth it to check it out, even with insane wait times! I don't believe they take reservations.

8/8/2014

This place gets busy w/a wait.  This is a pretty decent place for good sushi locally, next stop is SF.  Cost of sushi is a little above moderate.    

Sushi Nigri: (some of the below sushi already had dressing and toppings on it.  Normally, I really do not want all the extras on my sushi, only because I wanted to be able to taste the fish.  With them doing this, I actually didn't really mind it because it was not overwhelming)
Aji
Black Cod (seared and topped w/slices of kiwi)
Toro
Amaebi
Uni
Blue Fin Tuna
Saba

Sashimi Appetizer platter (Tai, Maguro, Sake and Hamachi)

I will definitely come back again for their special sushi

8/11/2014

I want to give Sushi Sam's one star so only locals know about it. It would really make getting a table at 7:30 on a Friday much easier :)

Sushi Sam's is the best sushi in northern CA. Their fish is the freshest, their food is inventive and they know sushi.

This isn't a place to go if you only eat rolls, or if you need lots of sauces. This is the place you go when you want fresh sushi and sashimi. I always order their omakase, which is phenomenal. The baby lobster, to die for. The beef, fantastic. I love that it always changes and I get to try new things that I wouldn't normally order off the menu.

Make reservations, this place gets busy busy. And try to sit at the sushi bar if possible. I wouldn't recommend this place for large groups, I would keep it parties of four or less.

Did I mention the baby lobster - delicious.

I never use wasabi or soy sauce here. The food comes already dressed and ready to eat. This is truly the way sushi was meant to be eaten.

7/22/2014

If you want excellent omakase without the outrageous cost then look no further than Sushi Sam's! Located in downtown San Mateo where you can walk around as you wait for a table (there is ALWAYS a wait).  The fish is so fresh and so perfectly marinated and seasoned. These are my go to items when not getting omakase (chef's choice):

Baby lobster nigiri
Seared toro nigiri
Salmon skin salad
Uni
Salmon
Agedashitofu tofu

7/16/2014

Maybe I ordered wrong??

I judge restaurants based on their fish quality and theirs was highly disappointing for such a raved about spot.

It was lunchtime (and PACKKKED) and I ordered their nigiri combo to check out how they did on the staples.

Tako: Extremely dry and dehydrated.
Sake: Mediocre. Not fresh but it also wasn't mushy, old or fishy.
Hamachi: Good not great.
Maguro: Poor cut not a high quality akami.
Unagi: Typicay.
Kani/mayo crab mix: Actually pretty good, especially considering the whole seafood mayo thing isn't my style.
Cali roll: Again, surprisingly good but very very sloppy and packed with rice.

Also ordered their ama ebi which was fresh and the heads we nicely battered and fried (albeit a bit oily).

I have seem some amazing photos from friends who go here for dinner on a regular basis so I definitely will be back to give them another chance.

Side note: Service was horrendous. They neglected us even after we waved them down several times and forgot to give us our check for literally 25 mins. This was AFTER the lunch crowd already left. Good thing I had my Candy Crush to keep me company!

8/15/2014

A great place to treat out-of-town guests for a buttery omakase (you leave it to the chef to bring you what's best in the house).  They will ask if you have food restrictions.

You should definitely make a reservation although they don't accept reservations for more than 4 or 5 people (I couldn't get a reservation for 6 people).

8/3/2014

I've always seen ridiculous waits for this place, and I've even seen waits outside the door before the restaurant opens for dinner around 5 ish. So of course the wife and I had to see what's up with this place.

We waltz in on a Saturday late afternoon and got seated right away. Really surprised that we didn't have to wait. We order our standard fare - usually some nigiri like salmon and hamachi and maguro, and a rice plate with bbq chicken or beef, so that we can feed our little duckling.

Looking over the menu, we noticed that the prices were steeper than we expected. It was at a level befitting a more upscale sushi restaurant, not some tiny casual looking restaurant. And trust me, this place will never be mistaken for a date night restaurant. Too loud, too chaotic, too simple.

In all fairness, the price of the fish was directly related to the freshness of the sushi. The sake salmon was super buttery, but it was a small piece, and pay for it. It really wasn't the fish that gave it an average rating, it was the rice dish. We ordered up a rice plate with bulgogi and I think it was something like $20. We definitely did not get $20 worth. I guess we are just so used to the servings at Old Town Sushi.

Service was okay, but like I said, was really chaotic inside, and it made it even more pronounced because of the small space. And I know Cali has a drought going on, so you have to ask your server for water. So i did. Dude comes back with a small glass that's halfway full of tepid water. And it was a hot day for the Peninsula. So I literally take a shot of the water. I ask for a refill. He fills it half way again. what the! Me is thirsty...get the hint? Anyway....

Pass on this place. Head to Old Town to fill your belly without emptying your wallet.

9/21/2014

Omakase is a must! The chef here is so friendly and funny. It isn't the cleanest and quietest place, but the fish here is so fresh and is the best around town, I guarantee it. If you're gonna eat here, it is a bit expensive, but go with the Okamase (chef's choice) nigiri. You will not be disappointed!

9/10/2014

Best Sushi on the peninsula. Believe that.

8/11/2014

Been here many times, but never got around to a review. Most recent visit was last Thursday for dinner with my girlfriend. Highlights:

Salmon Sashimi: very soft and fresh.
Albacore Tataki: good texture and a variety of flavor from the seared portions.
Saba Shioyaki : Three pieces all grilled to perfection and very savory! Moist as well.

Service was good and everything came out pretty fast from the kitchen. Definitely recommend this as one of the top sushi spots in the area. This place fills up fast even on a weekday.

8/14/2014

Best place in downtown San Mateo for sushi.  The restaurant decor and ambiance is not too impressive, but the sushi bar, great fish quality and Sam's skills make a memorable fish lover's experience.
Be prepared to wait a while during normal dining hours.
Strictly speaking sushi/sashimi, the best sushi in the Peninsula is Higuma Redwood City, Main Street Sushi Half Moon Bay, and Sushi Sam's San Mateo.

7/5/2014

Sushi Sam's was one of the places I frequent when I used to live around the area.  So, when Mr. J and I were in the neighborhood on Saturday, we thought we'll go there for an early dinner at 5 pm before heading back to the city.

We didn't think there will be a problem in getting seats since we arrived 10 minutes before they open.  Boy, were we so wrong and what were we thinking?!  The line was so long and it just happens that we got cut off for the first round of seating.  We wanted to wait for the sushi bar and were told that the wait is going to be about 45 minutes.  Because of some senseless people seating at the bar, we didn't get our seats an hour and a half later!

After we placed our order, everything came out fast, a little too fast.  We were lucky since all our nigiri were prepared by Chef Sam.  Their asari sakamushi is still a favorite of mine.  There's no doubt that their ingredients were fresh.  But, I feel the preparation and everything else were rushed because they were so busy.  Mr. J and I were out of our seats in 30 minutes.

I am glad to see them doing so well still.  It's definitely one of the best sushi places in the area!

• 

  2014.06.28 - green tea tiramisu

  2014.06.28 - green tea tiramisu
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  2014.06.28 - anago

  2014.06.28 - anago
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  2014.06.28 - kanpachi

  2014.06.28 - kanpachi
• See all photos from Kay Y.

7/20/2014

I had a client lunch here as this was their choice. I made a reservation for 12:30 which minimized the chaos of waiting. I'm not sure why more people wouldn't just make a reservation. I see many people on here complaining about the wait. It's a popular restaurant that's rated highly on Yelp, Zagat, etc.

We each had the Omakase which was delicious. It's as if the food didn't stop coming and I was able to try all sorts of different kinda of nigiri that I haven't tried before. My favorite was the baby lobster. At the end of the meal, we each had a choice of dessert. I chose the green tea tiramisu.

If you love sushi, come here! I highly recommend it! I can't wait to take more people I know here!

9/22/2014

Have known Sam since he worked at Isobune over 30 years ago.  Sushi Sam's is always my go to local restaurant for a solid sushi meal.  It's not cheap, but definitely not over priced.  Always fresh fish and good selection.  I sometimes order other menu items, but mostly the chirashi sushi.

8/22/2014

Sam's is a good choice for the price. It is not super fancy and the food is good, but no great. It is kind of like fast food sushi. They pack the place and turn tables quickly, but if money is the main object of your meal then this is a good choice. However, if you can get there for happy hour before six, go around the corner to pacific catch and you can get far better sushi for the same price.

9/20/2014

The best sushi I ever had. Highly recommend. The fish is always super fresh.
Green tea tiramisu is out of this world

8/2/2014

Came here earlier today. I had the chirarshi with a side of toro, butterfish and hotate nirgiri. She had the Spider and cucumber roll.

We were seated within 15 minutes of arrival although there were at least 5 groups of 2 or more ahead of us. Service was OK, but did feel just a bit lacking. The rolls and chirarshi took a bit longer to come out. I was unimpressed with the chirarshi, but it wasn't bad. The toro and hotate were awesome! Toro was definitely pricey (as well as the decent chirarshi), but worth a try. I was unimpressed with the butterfish, just like the chirarshi. I didn't expect it to be seared, and it wasn't as flavorful as I've experienced at other places. I'm not a huge fan of rolls, but the spider and cucumber seemed fine.

I would come here again.