Chicken fried rice was horrible and could not eat it ! Prices ok but food should be better after being open awhile! Need to make changes in recipes! Won't go back. read more

The place had good spicy chicken and some great pad Thai with prawns. It's very open and clean when I went, the waitress was funny and nice, the only real issue that would stop me from going back is the Thai iced coffees was a little off and the serving size could use a boost. Overall a great experience though. read more

Sam and Christian truly make you feel like family when you come to this restaurant. Not only do they have great customer service but they have excellent food! I am a big fan of the pho as that is what I usually get. My husband, however, gets something new every time. Since their menu is so large we have had a lot of different tasty items. read more

Great Asian fusion food, if you want traditional Pho go to Viet Nam, but if you want an amazing take on the traditional version give this a try. Very clean flavor profiles and fresh ingredients make for a unique experience. They have a really nice mix of dishes to choose from. If your looking for a nice place for lunch or dinner give them a try. read more

I LOVE Sam City! I was first introduced to pho in upstate New York and was disappointed that there were no restaurants serving it anywhere near my home in northeastern Pennsylvania. I moved to Albany this past fall and I was thrilled to find Sam City just a short drive from home. The pho is phenomenal - I usually get the seafood lover's and it's a good portion. My husband isn't a soup man, but loves the Mongolian beef, which is huge. There are also several tasty appetizers... we often order the summer rolls and the fried mushrooms (so good, I could eat a big pile of them for dinner). Service is always good and fast at Sam City, even on a busy weekend night. Appetizers are usually on the table within five minutes ordering (cooked appetizers take slightly longer than the summer rolls, though), and our entrees are almost always ready within a few minutes of us finishing our appetizers. We've never had issues with getting drink refills. Occasionally we get takeout... sometimes it takes a while for someone to answer the phone. However, the takeout is always ready in 20 minutes and they package it really well, especially the pho. read more

Too bad , came for dinner last night and waited a long time , waitress are sluppy super slow dude u dot know what u doing the worst place ever, slow slow slow forever . Do not come read more

This is my favorite place to get chicken pad Thai in Albany! It has been a little off a few times but overall it's been good! I always ask for super spicy, it's not too spicy tho it's perfect! Their house salad dressing is very good also. read more

This is one of my fave places to eat in Albany. Teriyaki chicken and chicken fried rice is my faves

We went when it was busy and waited about 10 mins. Super nice staff moving things along nicely. My dish roide rage...I think it was called. ..was delish. I asked for a little more spice then normal and it came perfect. Husband got pho...which he inhaled quickly. Sauces we great and quality was spot on. read more

Great food, but terrible service. My girlfriend and I would come in at least every other week with a group of coworkers, and you could have definitely considered us regulars. The last time we came in our server seemed to have forgotten who we were entirely after ordering our food, as we were ignored until 12:45PM when I asked that we have our food boxed up so we could get back to work on time. Not only were we already running late, but he forgot my face not 5 minutes after our conversation, boxed up the table behind us, and brought out our food on plates anyways.. Our server then played it off as a joke and said that we could do his job for him and box up our own food.. we looked up in disbelief at him, as it was now well past 1PM, and our food wasn't even ready to go. We didn't receive any sort of apology for their idiocy. I say this with regret, as I truly loved their food, but after you have received terrible service such as this, AND Fried Rice with stray fruit flies literally cooked into your food, you start to lose interest anyways... This is completely unacceptable behavior from a service based business such as this, and we have not returned since. P.S. Their sense of humor needs work.. the constant jokes (borderline insults directed at the customers) have struck a bad chord with friends and coworkers who will also not be returning in the near future. --- Update: The owner responded to me directly with the following: "Lol...you know hospitality business really. You have what it takes, open a restaurant and I'll work on my sense of humor. Thanks." Focus more on keeping the customers that are still willing to show up to your restaurant, rather than berating the customers you've chased away a second time. Addressing only one of my concerns, nothing about insulting his customers and my friends, nothing about the bugs in my food, and no remorse, or apology again. I suggest he take a business class if he thinks that maintaining a good relationship with your customers isn't hospitality, or basic customer service practices. Customers pay to be welcomed to an inviting atmosphere where they are treated well, and fed food that they enjoy in the company of others.. they do not pay to be insulted by the owner (his staff were always wonderful to us however), and they do not pay to be inconvenienced by the establishment they are attending. We all have personal lives, and if owning a restaurant really affects you so drastically that it affects your customer service, you should look for a new line of work; obviously you don't have what it takes either. It's Business 101. read more

The dish I ordered was soaked in oil, the chicken grilled to blackness and completely dried out....the manager refused to take the charge off the bill and argued with me for at least 10 minutes. The dish was only $10 and inedible. Very poor business practice and I will never be back. read more

Left Sam City's tonight after talking to the police because the owner was going to have me arrested for not paying for a meal that one of us did not eat. We paid $71 out of an $85 ticket. A group of seven of us went out, one of us got burnt spring rolls returned them and got less burnt new ones, another got a meal with meat and noodles and got a tiny handful of cold noodles, one of us ordered the pork and egg rolls that are literally 1 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch big. So when one of us got the Mongolian beef and asked for it to be triple extra spicy and got it and it had no spice to it at all, was just done with the whole experience and asked for the food to be taken away owner insisted (in a truly obnoxious manner) of making it a second time though she refused it, when they brought it out, she returned it. When I went to pay the bill the owner insisted that we pay for food they had been taking back to the kitchen. She said that if she didn't know what she likes she shouldn't have ordered it. I said she been eating Mongolian beef for 40 years, the owner said but she never tried mine before. It was the worst experience I've ever had or seen or been a apart of and I have been in the restaurant business for over 30 years. She was actually going to have me arrested but I relented because I refuse to go to jail for $15. So the police officer was kind enough to go back into the restaurant and give her my money, I hope it was worth it to her. read more

Worst service I have ever received at a pho place. Waited 20 minutes before the waitress showed up to take our order. At least 20 minutes before my pho a arrived. Additionally because we had a group of 20, she took a table of 5's order before us even though they arrived 15 minutes after us. Food was good, but terrible service. You should never have to wait 1 hour before your food arrives read more

Very disappointed with Sam City. We called in a larger order to pick up. We were told it would be ready, we gave it an hour. My wife and I went in and were told they couldn't find it and need 30 minutes more. We cancelled our order and left. We used to love this place, seems like the service and quality has dropped over the last year. read more

The last several times I've been there the food was not fresh. I tolerated the horrible service, but not unfresh shrimp. Be careful when eating here. read more

Had fried rice with prawns and a 22 ounce Sapporo, all for $16. I asked them to kick the spice up just a bit, it was delicious. The service was very friendly as well. Next time I will order it without the peas (I hate peas, yuck) or try the pho. read more

Been there three times and it gets worse each time. Smelled very bad as soon as we walked in restaurant today - heard another table ask what the smell was as well. After 45 minutes of waiting for our food after we ordered I asked if it would be out soon and was told they would check. It finally came out 50-55 mins after we ordered and I was given the wrong order. The pho had a very off flavor. Lumber jack was good, but would not eat there again. read more

Fantastic and friendly service. I visited with my parents; mom does not typically eat "ethnic foods" and dad has OCD and Tourette Syndrome so ordering anything for him can be difficult and tiresome. But the waitress was so patient and kind and helped them find exactly what they would like on the menu. I had meatball pho, as usual. Mom had a pork dish that was delicious. Dad devoured a spicy chicken dish AND a veggie pho. Excellent little restaurant and we will be back next time I visit. read more

Honestly its great food big portions. Kinda expensive tho. Grear service! I moved from wa were theres one on every corner. But this ones one of the top 5 food wise ive had! Just wish it was a few dollars cheaper! The staff is really funny and kind. read more

This is probably the only restaurant in Albany that is worth writing a review for. Okay maybe not but it's really really good. Sam is awesome and hilarious, doesn't take crap from anyone and really laid back and cool. The food is so good that I used to drive from Corvallis monthly to get it. The prices are great, the food is great, the service is great. The back large group room has a horrible god-awful speaker playing music but who cares. Sam's is one of the best in the Valley. read more

Not great flavor. They messed up the order then when i called to let them know they were very rude and tried to tell me that it was ordered the way they gave it to us. Aparently no tripe here means tripe. Then i got told well what do you expect me to do about it....um here is a crazy idea, make it right or maybe at the very least say sorry? Will not go here again i would rather drive out of town and get better customer service. read more

The sign said gluten free lifestyle welcome. When I asked the waiter what gluten free options they had he didn't know. Worse yet when he asked kitchen the told him that they thought that only one item on the menu was gluten free but they weren't positive. So basically if your gluten free they welcome you to come in and watch your friends eat lunch. read more

Place was happening. Food was good but not great... I'm coming back because I love pho. And this place has decent pho. The rice was amazing! But The wait was looooong. Service was ok. read more

Ok, i LOVE pho.......i am a pho connoisseur. I have had pho in a lot of places. I was very excited when Sam city came to Albany. FINALLY i could get pho locally. Well, sadly their pho is not that great. Let me explain further: The good- Their broth is really good, the meat is always tasty, and the staff is very nice. The bad- The pho costs at least a third more than any other place i've had it, they only give you about half the normal amount of meat, they do not have chili oil (even though i have requested it multiple times), they do not have mini bowls for dipping your noodles, and i had the worst Vietnamese coffee ever there today! I felt inundated by advertisements and pictures of their food. and i witnessed the worst coupon i have ever seen. Buy 5 lunches, get one free.......within 45 days, WITH the purchase of a lunch!! I doubt anyone has successfully used one. So, all in all? The pho is disappointing, their fried rice is really great, and the teriyaki is ok. The atmosphere is lacking, and the service is great. #corvSMB read more

This is my favorite local Pho joint! The staff is SUPER friendly and the Pho is tasty. They have a variety of options like beef, chicken, veggie, tofu and prawn pho. My favorite is Christian;s delight with beef and veggies! You have to try their spring rolls with peanut sauce too and treat yourself to some Thai iced coffee. Overall, great price, portions and staff! read more

Terrible service. Called for a take out order at 5:30, was told it'd be ready in 30 minutes so we showed up at 6. We then were told to wait because our food wasn't quite ready, so we waited and then finally got our food at 6:30. The staff wasn't very friendly and when we finally got our food my chicken yakisoba had literally 3 pieces of chicken in it. read more

Hands down our favorite place to eat in Albany. The summer rolls are the absolute BEST. I could live off of them! The pho is always the best. I get it just for the fresh basil. But the house salad dressing beats them all. Yum, yum, yum! read more

My husband and I (along with our 3 month old daughter) when here the night before Mother's Day. We wanted to avoid the Mother's day traffic since we have a young baby. Needless to say, the service was fast and the food was delicious. I have had really good pho before, both in Southern California and in Portland, so I can say i am a pho connoisseur. It may not have been the best pho I've ever had, but for Albany, it was pretty good. The meat was very tasty, and it seemed fresh. The broth and veggies were good as well. I would have liked it to be a little more spicy, but then again, I did not order the spicy pho. We will certainly return to Sam City to try their other dishes (like the vermicelli). read more

Spicy chicken pad Thai is what I have always ordered! It's the best. Do not dine in if it's busy the service is terrible. I'm not sure what is going on with the management team but it's VERY frustrating when you get such terrible service. If you order take out from here CHECK YOUR FOOD. I live 30 minutes away from here and got my food and everything was wrong even after I repeated myself and she read it back to me. Only reason I go back now is because I know to stay away when it's busy and because the pad Thai is so good. read more

This place is amazing. Simple food but strangely alluring. I recommend the cabbage. I love that they serve the local community

We have followed the Kim's from Sweet Home to here in Albany and the food is fantastic and the service is spot on. Wish they were back home in Sweet Home. read more

Not very impressive. Food was bland and it took a while to get. We were waiting 45 minutes before we were waited on. The server acted as if we were an inconvenience to her cigarette break. Place wasn't very clean. I have had pho before and usually it is full of flavor. This was like airplane food. Not worth your money or your time. Maybe it was just my bad luck but the party of 10 that I was with were not impressed either. read more

If it wasn't for how good the food is, I would've rated this one star. I was first "greeted" at the door behind another couple where the seater asked "how many" the couple in front said two, and the greeter said "how about you in the back" when I replied one. He said "you all follow me" so we walked down, he threw one menu on a table and said "here's for one" and continued walking with the couple to seat them and ask for drinks. I was asked by the hostess for my drink order and let her know I was ready. The "waiter" who was the man who sat me, took my order quickly and left. Another woman brought out my soup and just say it on the table and left, not asking if I needed anything else or to enjoy my meal or anything. I sucked down my drink and had to ask for a refill, which I got back and tasted just like carbonation so I flagged someone down to get another refill and never got it. The man who sat me then asked if I wanted a refill and he went to get me my Diet Pepsi, brought back my cup half full and left it on the table. It still tasted like just carbonation so I waved another girl down who said the diet was all out, so I just asked for water instead. Not only was my service bad, I noticed the older couple next to me had to wait for their food for an extremely long time as well, I was sat after them and they didn't get theirs until I was almost finished. Not happy with this service at all. read more

This is a great Place for Pho and everything else they serve here. Great service very friendly and prices a good to very clean I always come here when I am in Albany. I have only been here for lunch but can't wait to try Dinner here. read more

I was told for a good Pho King, go to Albany. I did. The food was ok but the Pho King service was not too Pho King good. That is a Pho Kinhg shame! read more

This place is ok. The waiter was prompt but not attentive. No refills on water, had to ask for napkin & eating utensils. The fresh rolls were really good as was the peanut sauce but the Pho was mediocre. The fresh veggies with it consisted of bean sprouts, jalapenos, and basil. Not a bold flavor to the broth. The noodle dish we shared was also just ok. read more

Excellent food! The waiting staff was very professional. The food is very good and has a unique taste. Will go here again.

Went back last week and tried the Pho. The waitress was very helpful with suggestions and I ended up with the basic beef brisket and steak pho. It was my first time with pho and it was pretty tasty. I had the large, which was WAY too big to finish, but shared it with my 3 and 2 year olds and they loved the noodles and broth. Just one more thing that I enjoy about Sam City! read more

If I could give this less than one star I would. Service is garbage. Took my family for what should have been a nice meal. An hour and twenty minutes later we walked out having been served water and a salad. There was almost no one else in the dining room when we got there, when we left it was full and everyone was eating. If they seat you in the back you will be forgotten. We have been here before and things were fine, seems like the people working here now do not care. We will not be going back. read more

Sam city is fun! The big bowls of steamy pho are inviting with all the fresh chunky veggies, noodles and herbs. I've never had pho before but the waitress was super sweet in explaining what it was and how to eat it, although my soup spoon fell in my bowl and I never saw it again until I gobbled up my noodles. I asked the waitress what was gluten free when I sat down, and she had many choices available. I got the #19, and I would get it again. Warm and steamy inside on a chilly day. I really enjoyed my lunch and the people around me must like it there too, they told me they go just about every day for lunch! read more