There's a small but prominent list of restaurants in Lubbock that are considered premium or "fancy." Before my girlfriend graduates with her master's and moves out, I want to say that we've been to most of them. On top of that, I can be the expert of all the places to eat in Lubbock on Yelp. Who knows, maybe you'll see my reviews for all these different places as you are exploring your night-out options. Chez Sami is a French-inspired restaurant located in the midst of downtown Lubbock. There's plenty of parking in the downtown district, and it's a little more secluded from busier areas of downtown, so it was not a problem. We had a reservation for 7:00 and arrived a little behind schedule. We had a little wait to be seated. Once we were seated at a table, we were given our menus, where we were told it was currently a prix fixe menu for $75 a person. This prix fixe included an appetizer (apéritif, because they are French), a main course (plat principal, because they are French), and a dessert. On the back side of the menu was listed their drink offerings. Chez Sami has a full bar but doesn't have any specialty cocktails shown. My girlfriend opted for a glass of wine while I chose the Good Line offering they had on draft. That is their only draft beer offering, as they also serve Michelob Ultra by the can. It was Good Line's Helles, which is a great pour in my opinion. As for the wines, they only offer, believe it or not, French wines. It's a French restaurant, what do you expect? My girlfriend sampled both the Matthieu de Brully Chardonnay and the Calvet Touraine Sauvignon Blanc and ultimately opted for the sauv, which had a nice, crisp citrus taste. As we placed our order, our atmospheric soundstage was accompanied by Derwyn Flewellyn, a solo acoustic guitarist playing on the stage. He has this beautiful, soft-spoken voice when he performs that, to me, felt reminiscent of my favorite singer-songwriter John Martyn. A live musician at a restaurant like Chez Sami really makes the experience worthwhile. Before going into the food itself, I want to share a caveat about the entire experience. The wait we had over this meal was a little intense. I understand European culture can have this slow-dining experience, but I don't think that was the case here, as they warned us that they were understaffed and our waitress was managing half the tables in the restaurant and the bar at points too. We were seated at 7:20 pm, got our drinks around 7:50 pm, got our appetizers at 8:20, our mains at 8:50 pm, and our desserts around 9:20 pm. If you're ever in a rush for something, this is not the place for you, compared to our experience with other reviews I've seen. The service was great when available, but just slightly slow and spotty at points. For our appetizers, I got their Fried Calamari served with a lemon and their house mayonnaise. The calamari was impressively flavorful and lightly breaded. The mayonnaise mixed with peppercorn really added another layer to the dish and balanced with the squid quite nicely. My girlfriend got the Escargot topped with garlic and parsley butter and a few soft baguette pieces. I've only had escargot a few times personally, so the texture is still a little unique to me, but the parsley butter on top was delightful. My girlfriend, an escargot aficionado herself, said that it was a really amazing escargot. We were on a mission to try a few of their main courses next. I ordered the Beef Wellington, the dish Chez Sami is especially known for, and my girlfriend got the Lobster Thermidor. The Beef Wellington is recommended medium rare, so that's how I ordered it. The Wellington arrived beautifully plated in three large slices laid over demi-glaze mashed potatoes and some Brussels sprouts. The Wellington was wrapped in prosciutto and duxelles, as well as this puffed pastry crust. It was cooked incredibly well and had such a great flavor to it. However, it was nothing in comparison to a creamy delight that was their Lobster Thermidor. I have never been the biggest lobster guy in the world, but this thing converted me. Each bite was delightful and savory while sweet and decadent at the same time. It was so incredible it felt like a dessert. It was obviously my girlfriend's dish, so I couldn't indulge too deep, but I would've destroyed it myself if I had no manners. My girlfriend said it was some of the best she had ever had. For dessert, I ordered the Peach Melba, which was a sweet and melty conclusion to the dining experience with raspberries and peaches. My girlfriend got their Crème Brûlée, a nicely caramelized custard topped with raspberries. I know my caveat about the delays is strong, but I still can't give this place anything but a 5, because the food was absolutely sensational, so much so that I would've waited another hour to eat that Wellington or Thermidor. If that's the only thing they need to clean up, they got a nice thing going for them. RIYL: Turning Lubbock into Lubbaux read more

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Wow!! Food, Service and Ambiance. The food was exceptional, presentation, portions and TASTE! I highly recommend. If you didn't know you were in Lubbock- you'd swear you're in Paris eating at a sidewalk cafe. Limited wine selection, but cork fee was reasonable. read more

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We had a delicious Valentines and Anniversary dinner! Bailey was an amazing server. The valentines vibes were immaculate. read more

Chez Sami - Downtown - Lobster Thermadore - French Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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it was a very beautiful restaurant with a very eclectic feel to it. the food was great, i had the beef wellington and mashed potatoes, highly recommend along with the lobster thermador. the service was good, and the chef did come out and talk to us which was a nice unique thing. we also had to catch a show and they made sure to have us ready to leave by the time we told them. read more

When I first walk in, for lunch, the ambience is beautiful, romantic, and peaceful. Sofia greeted me the second I walked in and was so friendly, attentive, and really just a delight. I sat down at the bar and this classy, extremely friendly lady visited with me like I was family. Turns out she was the owners Chef John Walter's mom. Chef John was so friendly without being obligated, genuine kindness. I look for "foodie" experiences, but basically what I mean is I look for unique food, simple food that is surprisingly incredible, food that's different from anything else and food that makes me want to come back. The food was amazing. Added it was timely thus can be visited on a lunch hour. It's on the level with Michelin starred restaurants at a fraction of the price. Chef John has worldly experience thus the food reflects refinement and simplicity with amazing flavor yet not pretentious. My new favorite!! I am taking my husband BACK tomorrow night for dinner. read more

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(This visit was from November 21, 2023) We came in during the soft opening, and it was amazing! The short rib was tender and flavorful, but the mashed potatoes were buttery and truly stole the show. Some complimentary wine from llano estacado and a delicious bread appetizer were deeply appreciated. We were surprised there were not more people at this time, given how good the food was. They even have rarer food options (like their original Wolfforth Location) like Beef Wellington ! Mat was phenomenal!! Make sure to come in to support this place-- Hidden gem read more

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Paul is an excellent steward of service and the food coupled with this elegant ambiance is a wonderful treat in Lubbock Texas. Please keep up the great work, as I look forward to many more dining experiences in the future. read more

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We tried this place on a whim while visiting from out of town. It seemed like a cute spot to have brunch. We were wrong. My mom ordered the avocado toast. The waitress came back to let us know that they were out of avocado (so why that is on the limited menu is beyond me) and they replaced it with tomato. The croissant was definitely not fresh. I asked for a mimosa and was told that they only sell champagne by the bottle. Towards the end of our meal, the man who is presumably the owner came over and was very awkward and not really friendly and just asked that we give him a good review. We rarely saw our waitress and honestly, the poor girl looked nervous around her boss. The whole meal and interaction was incredibly uncomfortable and subpar! read more

I was really hopeful about having a French place back in Lubbock and thrilled when they started offering lunch. I gave the place several tries and had a mixed experience: first time was good, second ok, third had a waitress that had to be brand new. But today took the cake. Stopped by right after 1pm and the doors were locked. I checked the owners Facebook page to make sure there wasn't some sort of emergency, knocked, waited in the parking space for a while. I then posted on the post about today's special and while no comment or private message was offered, my comment was immediately deleted. Note to owner: this is not how you run a restaurant. I hope you get some front of house help soon read more

We enjoyed the lunch service! Everything from the charcuterie to the sandwiches tasted great. It offered a refreshing, relaxing, intimate, eclectic atmosphere in an upscale way without even a tinge of pretentiousness. I would highly recommend stopping in and enjoying a thoughtfully prepared lunch. The service was exceptional FYI. read more

Chez Sami - Downtown - French Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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From the moment we walked into Chez Sami we were in love. The atmosphere is great, the food is delicious and the staff is the best!! Highly recommend!! read more

Chez Sami - Downtown - Avocado toast, omelette and crêpes - French Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Honestly, we could not have been more pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. We were traveling between Santa Fe and Austin, spending the nite in Lubbock. This place popped up on my search as a highly-rated French restaurant. So we took a leap and reserved a table for that evening. When we arrived to the location my husband was like "uhhh" are you sure about this? Well let me tell you his attitude changed the minute we walked in. So charming!! The waiter was amazing, the bread service, the salad, the Lamb Wellington and scallops all great. The bread pudding and coffee...ditto. We will definitely return the next time we are in Lubbock. read more

No frills, all business when it comes to the food. Loved the simplicity of the menu, but was impressed by the execution of the dishes. The portion sizes? Ample. You really will have to go out of your way to have a bad experience here. It's BYOB for now - which I find more charming and communal. The head chef swings by tables frequently, often running out food himself. It's clear they're just getting things up and going but if you want to let go of your obsession with time and enjoy good food (as the French do) then Chez Sami is your place. read more

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Same great food at a new beautiful space. We tried the Duck Confit and Lobster special tonight. As always, the food was awesome and did not disappoint. We will come more often now that there is a beautiful larger location in Lubbock. You should come by and try this place if you have not. Wonderful and nice staff. read more

Chez Sami - Downtown - French Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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The restaurant has a fun elegant type feel to it. Lots of cool antique fixtures and art around a mismatch of tables and furniture that was a fun break from tradition. The food was a fun experience as well. We ordered the hors d' oeuvres and the spreads appetizers which was a generous starter for no more than it cost. We followed that with the lobster gnocchi and rack of lamb and ended with two great desserts. It's BYOB so we brought in a bottle of wine and the cork fee was only $10 which is certainly reasonable (let's be honest most places charge at least $60 for a $20 bottle of wine, we enjoyed that bottle for only $30!) We will certainly visit again. read more

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2hr for a ham sandwich...something is wrong in the kitchen! Egg was cold Wait person was helpful Ambience is delightful So sad the food service was ridiculously slow. read more

Atmosphere is amazing! Very high class feel in downtown area. It's all byob, which is interesting but don't knock them too much for that. Service is very good! Waitress was very polite and knowledgeable about the whole menu. Hors d'oeuvres were delicious! Ordered the lobster and beef Wellington. Wellington is the most tender steak you will ever eat! Came with brussel sprouts that were honestly, burnt. The lobster was ok. Too much lemon and not much food. It's still new so I assume it has better days ahead. We definitely be back! read more

Chez Sami - Downtown - French Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Beyond enjoyable! The food, the service and the atmosphere all made for an absolutely enjoyable dining experience! Don't pass up a chance to enjoy this local treasure. read more

if I could leave no stars I would. we waited over an hour for our food when the restaurant was at 40% capacity. the Owner/ Chef came and introduced himself after he sat with another table for 20+ minutes to have a glass of wine and chat. I would ever recommend to anyone or go back. read more