Sammy's Deluxe

One of my very few five star reviews. Spectacular place. Went for my birthday, as I wasn't impressed with Primos last year. The recommendation came from Luce's Distillery next door. We ate crab claws, melon bisque with eel, smoked haddock, local greens, and three of us had the roasted hake dinner, one the skirt steak, and one chicken and chanterelles. Everything was top notch, especially the melon bisque and the roasted hake. What Primos wishes it were: local seafood and foraged greens cooked to perfection with imagination and skill, and no kitsch. We will be going back every summer we're in Owl's Headn

Stellar food, great wine list, you can tell everything on the menu is well thought out and selected with care. A must visit!

Delicious surprise, most restaurant in Maine taste amazing but Sammy’s Deluxe had really unique flavor. Mushroom is asta and halibut dish with dandelion were out of expectation but so delicious. Smoke haddock and alewife is also recommended.

What a gem. My partner and I have been eating all over mid-coast Maine on vacation, including “fancier” places like aragosta and primo, and we had our favorite meal here at Sammy’s. The menu was refreshingly original and we were pleasantly surprised. Oysters were local, small, and special, presented simply (just lemon) which was all they needed. Haddock snacks (smoked cured fish with saltines, mustard, lemon, onions) were delicious and supposedly famous (makes sense after trying). Halibut in minestrone broth was possibly the best thing I have ever put in my mouth; the fish was perfectly cooked, flaked beautifully, and sat in a glorious green broth of the freshest summer vegetables and pesto. My partner had the burger and he says he isn’t sure what to say, sometimes less is more, it isn’t over the top or fancy. It was obvious that the burger has been perfected to be just what Sam wants it to be, and he was glad to try. Dessert was basque cheesecake with perfectly sweet, tiny blueberries in a little juice. Decadent and perfect. We had a good experience forgoing a mixed drink and choosing a glass of wine. Offerings were (in my partner’s words) “not your dad’s wine list.” He suggests you take a chance and try a glass of any of the evening’s offerings. Blackberry ginger lime agua fresca was refreshing, summery and a treat. We look forward to returning in the colder months for a totally different menu.

Fate sent us here when the two places we had previously visited and considered eating at were already on 2 hour waits. Sammy’s may actually have been the only meal in Rockland worth waiting for. We enjoyed a number of traditional Jewish dishes on the fourth day of Hanukkah. While I am no authority on the subject, my Jewish husband described the food as “correct”. The latkes were crispy and flavorful, the pastrami was tender with deep complexity and complimented by a strong mustard and steamed brussel sprouts. The matzo ball soup blew us both away. Simple dishes with quality ingredients treated well. It simultaneously felt like dining in my best friend’s living room, a NYC hole-in-the-wall, and a fancy restaurant. Make this your destination.

My husband said that Sammy’s Deluxe was a must stop on our trip from NC to Steuben, ME and it did not disappoint. He’d been once before while living in the area and said that it was one of the best meals he’d ever had. We went out of our way to stop through Rockland with our pup and enjoyed some fresh beautifully prepared boujee meets comfort food on the picnic tables outside. The concept is cool and clearly the food is made with heart. I loved everything I ate. As a chef, my husband can be judgy, but he said that the burger was one of the best he’d ever had. Next time we are in the area I plan to ditch the dog, so we can enjoy the cool ambiance inside.

Run, don't walk, to Sammy's Deluxe! This is my favorite restaurant in the entire U.S. and I consider myself to be quite a cultured and worldly woman. First, the food: I don't even know how to put into words the dishes I ate. The flavor combinations, insane. The freshness, unparalleled. The way Chef Sam is able to prepare a meal that is so simple but has so much depth is beyond me. On my first visit, I ordered (and ate) every single item on the menu. That is not a lie! I can't really describe the meals and do them justice so please do yourself a favor and look at their Instagram page for photos and prepare to drool. Second, the ambiance: I felt at home. It's like visiting your cool young Aunt's apartment in New York City but with a hint of Paris and a lot of Maine mixed in. Cozy, a bit of this, a bit of that, and most importantly, unpretentious. An upright piano in one corner, a neon sign in the front window, mismatched but cute tables and chairs, and a cute bar area you'll never want to leave. Lastly, the service: You will basically want to hang out and become friends with every person who works there because they are warm, inviting, funny, and kind. If I could eat here every night of the week I would, but unfortunately I live in California so please go enjoy a meal for me.

This is a rare restaurant in that it is so adamant about expressing itself -that it cannot help but find the appropriate audience. If that’s not you, about 99% of the market is geared towards serving you in just the manner you dictate, so don’t fret. Just keep it moving. I like restaurants. I like Sammy’s Deluxe more than that. Reviews are subjective so let me make the big call I’m repeating in private to friends and colleagues . Sammys Deluxe was my favorite dining experience of the last two years- I’ve travelled quite a lot and tasted just about every little gem my home town New York offers up again and again in the last two years, so from where I’m standing, that’s a high rating. Sammy’s is naturally quaint. The food has a singular vision and tells a story but doesn’t feel overbearing or self important. That’s a wild line to walk , but this is a very fun restaurant dishing out its sophisticated offerings as matter of simple fact. It felt like a kind of home cooked meal, more than is possible- but one we imagine anyway. The many courses helped me feel good, deep down. I also learned a few things about Maine food history. When I was feeling stuffed warm and whimsical I suffered these threads into greater meaning with my patient dinner date. Then we danced right out the door, because we felt like we were dreaming and Sammy’s had , I guess, given us the example that we should be ourselves for one night.... And maybe tomorrow too.