It was my first trip to Seattle and Sam's Tavern offered me exactly what I was looking for at that moment. A non pretentious establishment that offered great drinks and good bar food. Sam's met that need and then some! Not only was the waitress SUPER Friendly, she just kept offering great food suggestions and drinks. She was not wrong. To be honest, this was the first time that anyone stroked up a conversation with us. I ordered the Sam Tavern Bloody Mary, topped with all kinds of bar goodies. LOL! I think the cheeseburger slider was the best! My friend all ordered beer that was both cold and refreshing. We ordered the wings, the sliders and I think I ordered cheese fries! Everything was good and not burnt nor nasty like you get at some places. Thank you Sam's Tavern for just being so good to us. We will be back! read more

Chelsea (Chelsay? Sorry girl) is my new favorite bartender. As someone with experience and knowledge of industry, I'm in awe of how she handled a lively crew of private partiers this evening. So, I'm a fan. She made me a couple delicious drinks and suggested the *delightful* combo of Gouda and pepper jack for my grilled cheese. (AND all the additions were correct; amazing). Basically, keeping up a great attitude and having a smile for everyone while serving a corporate party is not an easy task but she made it look easy. Huzzah! One hundred and thumbs up emojis. read more

My boyfriend came here & let me just say i would 1000% recommend coming here. This spot is super relaxed, $2 local beers and Isaiah was the bomb! Super personable and friendly. One of my favorite bartenders to date! Thanks for the hospitality and showing us a good time in Seattle as we were visiting from California! read more

Sam’s Tavern - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Slaying it even during COVID szn. The burger was absolutely amazing (50s burger). We were on the hunt for a food burger and our first choice was closed so we did some googlin' and stumbled upon this gem. Best burger I've ever had Brianna - Our waitress / bartender was awesome! read more

Sam’s Tavern - Sam's 50 Burger - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Sam's was just what I was looking for one afternoon when strolling around. I wanted to sit down and get some bar food, and that's exactly what you get. I will say the bartender was attentive and friendly. I got some chicken and fries, pretty simple, and it came out looking really good. Sadly it didn't taste as good as it looked, though I can't blame anything in particular. The chicken strips were not real chicken and that's mostly what turned me off. Some of the fries weren't done all the way, but fries tend to be hit or miss most places. I enjoyed my time here and would go back, it was affordable and a chill place, just wish the food quality was a bit better. read more

Came here during a work happy hour, mostly due to one of my coworkers finding out about the bloody Mary here. The blood Mary was a good advertised and if you are looking for a good dive bar to hang out in, this is one of the better ones in Seattle. Our group got here around 7:30 so it wasn't packed, it was a fairly big group of 10 and this place on the smaller side, so we couldn't really hang out on the first floor, we did find a table on the second floor that fitted our group for the most part. There was also a beer pong table up on the second floor so there was a lot of retrieving of ping pong balls through out the night. The service was pretty good, with us buying drinks and food at the bar, and the food getting delivered to us. The place has all of the normal drinks, and the bloody Mary was really good even with out the sliders and other things on top. The drink wasn't as strong of a tomato flavor as I expected, with a lot of good spice flavor with it. The food was pretty good for a bar, and the atmosphere was great. read more

Sam’s Tavern - The famous bloody Mary with the slider on top - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great drinks, great service, great music, friendly bouncer. Much better than the Comet. This is the place for easy foood and good priced drinks! read more

The burgers were bland and flavorless, plus way overpriced! It was so expensive for such a basic burger that didn't even taste good. Fries were greasy. Beer selection must be lacking because when I asked for recommendation they brought me a generic bottle. Honestly this is the first time I've been thoroughly disappointed eating out in Capitol Hill. There's so many amazing restaurants in this area, do yourself a favor and skip this one. read more

I've been coming here for quite a while and haven't had a single bad experience. The bartenders/waiters are always kind and welcoming. It definitely has the tavern aesthetic, which I neither like nor dislike. Their burgers are juicy, their nachos are loaded, their wedge salad is well-balanced and I bet the rest of the menu is good as well. read more

This bar is very straightforward: tvs, sports fans, alcohol and bar food. The best thing was service. We walked by with our dog and they allowed us in! They're dog friendly! Instant points in my books. They were also very quick with everything. We got Rainier beer for $2 a can, which is a great deal. They had 50 cent gameday wings, which we overordered, but it's okay, we ate it. We also got nachos. The food was average, wings were good and mostly drumsticks, which is actually my favorite. Overall we had a great experience on a Sunday gameday. read more

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Extremely rude and unjust. After one of my friends waited in line for at least 20 mins she politely asked if she could be served. One of the bartenders snapped back at her calling her "entitled". He eventually called security on her and had him escort us out. I am not sure in what world such a small altercation results in being kicked out, especially kicking out my friend who just simply wanted to be served. We will never be back, restaurants that lack normal decency and employ people with such power ego trips deserve to be shut down. read more

I went here on a Saturday night with some friends. My only real complaint is the staff is so rude compared to any other bar in the area. They called for "last call" and my friends and I couldn't even get a water. They literally said "get out." We were seated in a booth the whole time here and the drinks and apps were pretty good. The staff is definitely busy so maybe that's why, but they were so rude I couldn't believe it. read more

The service was slow. The mushroom burger was supposed to be loaded with shrooms, it came out with 5 or 6 slices of shrooms. $19.50 for that? Waited 15 min for marinara for cheese sticks.we were told it was taking so long beacause they had to warm it up,it came out refrigerator temp. read more

Came here with some friends on a Friday night. We waited at the bar patiently, never said a word for 15 minutes. I noticed that everyone else was getting served except for my group. People were cycling out of the bar around us, so I asked if we can go next. Bar manager gave me the side eye, so I didn't say anything else. Next thing you know he kicked us all out. Even the guys behind us asked why they weren't serving us, didn't think much of it until they kicked us out for asking to go next... very rude staff. Security was super nice though! read more

Centrally located in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, it's a a really good source for Tavern food and beer. Came here on a Friday night around 8:45 pm. This is right around the time they transition from table service to full on bar service/night scene so things felt a bit in transition mode. If you have yet to check in here on Yelp, I highly recommended it as first time check ins are rewarded with a free can of Rainier with a purchase of any burger. Speaking of burgers, I had mine chimichanga style and it was definitely the right choice. Burger was delicious and a bit sloppy as you start to eat but trust me, that's a positive. Service was good. We were checked in on but not to the point of being annoyed by it. The only thing I wish differently for my experience was coming in a little bit earlier in the night. We were coming for dinner and wanted more of a dinner scene/crowd but that's to be expected given our arrival time (to no fault of Sam's Tavern). I definitely will be coming back. read more

Great customer service great food with unlimited fries when order a burger. Great deal on a rainier from 12pm-6pm

My friends and I came here for dinner the other day. Two burgers jumped right off the menu and my boyfriend and I decided we just HAD to order them -- Sammy's 50/50 burger and the Juicy Lucy. It was about 8pm and there was a good crowd downstairs so one of my friends suggested we order our food at the bar, since they were so busy. After, we proceeded to make our way upstairs to wait for our food. I was so excited about the burgers, but unfortunately, both of them were highly disappointing. The bacon on my burger was fine but the Pepper Jack and Buttermilk Bacon Ranch provided none of the flavor that the burger's description promised. Further, DON'T BE FOOLED: the Juicy Lucy here is not even close to the famous Jucy Lucy (no, I didn't forget the "i") out of Minnesota. Totally my fault -- I should have read the description before I got overly excited by the name. Instead, it was served with a huge "slice" of cream cheese which over-powered the rest of the burger. Not to mention, the patties were completely under-seasoned. If I wanted mediocre burgers, I would have gone to their chain, Red Robin's. At least then, we would have had a server and clean tables and parking wouldn't have been so difficult to find. The only [food] saving grace here was their Specialty Bloody Mary, which was really tasty and served with a mini slider. Surprisingly, it wasn't just a "throw-away" garnish, but actually an edible/decent slider. On top of that, I've never encountered a friendlier doorman, checking ID's, and the girls behind the counter were also friendly and helpful. I'd come back for the atmosphere and the drinks, but probably not the food. read more

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"And who the hell is the guy in the picture? Put a shirt on and stop trying so hard! I bet it's a shame down there." Keisha I had heard that I should visit Sam's from a dear friend. Hard to understand why she would ever recommend it. It smelled terrible inside... like fried food and dirty mop water. Since my friend and I had walked prior to this stop, I needed to use the restroom. When I entered it had roughly the same odor as the rest of the bar (mixed with cheap air freshener), the floor was sticky, and the paper towel dispenser was out of supplies. Surely this happens at most restaurants so I can understand . Ordering food was easy and quick. The waitress has a warm smile to go with her pleasant demeanor. I ordered a burger and fries while my friend got the nachos. We talked a bit and then decided to try the famous Bloody Mary. The presentation is surely the high point of this drink. It was fun to look at, but mediocre in taste. The slider on top reminded me of a burned Costco sample. Not nearly work the price. I think it's a gimmick more than anything. For sports bar Bloody Mary's, Rookies is your spot. I would rate my burger somewhere between Red Robin and McDonald's. Below average and not worth 15 dollars 4/10. My friend compared her nachos to those at 7-11. They were smothered in stadium cheese (queso).....and as she ate, she found what looked like a chunk of charred taco meat hiding under the chips at the bottom. It was actually funny, as if it had been a joke or the cook trying to hide his mistake The music was a mix of 90's songs (which we both liked). The decor and atmosphere seemed funky and fun, but awkward; like it was meant for younger people but designed by a 60 year old man. As we got ready to leave the friendly waitress told us a story of how "wasted" she got the night before. I believe she was trying to connect and have a laugh, but it felt sad more than anything. Price was as to be expected in Seattle. My guess is that it's the pet project of a few trust fund kids... or a rich, out of touch tech worker. Support local business but not this one. read more

This place was ehhhhh.. Needless to say, i was not overly impressed. The ambiance was alright but the food I was super disappointed. I got a 50/50 .. It was way too juicy and I mean, when you hear juicy, you expect it to be bursting with flavor.. It was not bursting with flavor it just ended up as a big ass mess all over my hands. The grease and oil, which I somewhat usually enjoy, just killed it for me. Made me super disappointed. The fries I got were over cooked and old for my first batch and the second batch was undercooked. Fail. The waitress was somewhat of a beezy when asking if we needed anything else but oddly enough she came back to check in more times than I expected. Probably won't willingly come back to this place but always gotta try new places. I expected more from you first edition red robins. So sad. read more

Sam’s Tavern - One 50/50 burg - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My friend and I sat at the long table located when you walk right in. 2 other guys sat on the far end of the table. I ordered a Bloody Mary along with nachos. My friend ordered the Sam's Cheese Burger. My drink came out first. One of the guys at the end of the table saw my drink with the slider on top and I heard him say, "Whoa." The nachos were okay. I tried my friend's cheeseburger and that was pretty good. I've learned that if you need to request something such as a to-go box or a check, then you have to holler as a server passes by or get a server's attention at the bar. Some servers check in and some don't. read more

Not a place for grown ups. Asking ID for adults 3 times the drinking age. As a senior, there is more PII on an ID, than age and should never be shared just to be allowed entry. If a business cannot trust a customer who is clearly in their 60s, why should the customer trust the business with the additional personal identifiable information on the ID? And it if the establishment blames the law, then clearly there is a problem with underage drinking there which emphasizes my advice that this is not a place for grown ups. Boo. read more

Overall: Do you like sloppy burgers, fries, drinks, & beers in a divey, laid back atmosphere without kids? If yes, then this is a place for you. 21 and over only, but dogs permitted everywhere, inside and out on their patio. We will return. Food: Considering the establishment, we were impressed by the food. The chicken strips were cooked perfectly, hot, crispy, & tender (not dry) - my wife said they were the best she has experienced in years. The chili cheeseburger was served open face and sloppy, but that is how it should be! The bacon-infused patty was tasty, the chili reminded me of good homemade chili, and the fries were hot and crispy. Beers: Not an overwhelming selection, they just added a few taps bringing the total to 6? Mostly IPAs, but the freshly-tapped Hop Valley Blonde was tasty and refreshing, reminiscent of a pilsner. Service: Friendly, laid back - no rush, but not slow. At times it was difficult to get our waitress' attention due to her workload, but both our beer and food orders arrived at our tables quickly. Outdoor Patios: We decided to check out Sam's on an unexpected warm, sunny day in Spring. It wasn't our first choice, but both Prime and Tipsy Cow were not yet serving on their patios this Spring. Kudos for opening your patios, though the motivation might have been to please smokers. The patios are on the East side of the building, so don't expect much sun in the late afternoon, but that can be a good thing in late Summer. read more

Sam’s Tavern - Chili Cheeseburger and fries, this is how it arrives, sloppy and delicious! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have never done a food challenge before, ever. I heard about the burger challenge and knew I wanted to attempt it. I talked a big talk and unfortunately didn't finish the 1/2lb fries or Bloody Mary but I did pack away 4 of the speciality burgers in a half hour. The first two were delicious, I think it was the juicy Lucy and the jalapeño one. The 50/50 killed me, over salty and just unfortunate in my opinion. The pulled pork burger was so soggy when I finally got to it that I didn't enjoy any of it. The fries were pretty tasty though. Also, I am pretty sure I am the first girl to attempt the burger challenge! The service was great, the owner was super nice and the atmosphere of Sams (at least on a Friday afternoon) was stellar. read more

Sam's Tavern has the kind of burgers you miss after moving away from a place. Their magic mushroom burger was amazing, but they make my all time favorite version of the Jucy Lucy burger. Would definitely go again, next time I'm in town. read more

This place wasn't exactly what I expected it to be but the decor and ambiance just isn't my kind of scene. Despite that - the service was friendly, kind of slow but it seemed there was only 2 servers at the time and it was kind of busy. What I came here for was their Bloody Mary and boyyyy maybe I'm sensitive to alcohol but it was strong but the their tomato juice blend balanced it out really well! I love the spice! The accompaniments that came with it paired wonderfully with each sip! Of course the slider is the most unique snack that came with it and I was surprised on how juicy and flavorful the patty was! Tasting the slider made me want to come back and try their actual full-sized burgers on the menu. But if you're ever in cap hill stop in Sam's, the Bloody Mary is a drink you should try! read more

Sam’s Tavern - Bloody Mary with a kick - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I ordered UberEats from here and got Sams Nachos. Honestly best nachos I've ever had! Chili, cheese, and chicken were all amazing and there was also tons of it. Which always makes it worth the price. Thank you so much I was super satisfied read more

Sam’s Tavern - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The comfortable hangout Capitol Hill needs! A couple other reviewers have compared this place to Linda's places, but I think it's better... Staff is WAY nicer, food is much better, better prices, and it's not so dark. It manages to strike a nice balance between cozy and open (not so dingy). I've lived on the hill 15 years and although I love Smith and Linda's, this is my new favorite place. (Also, the Bloody Mary's are insanely good!) read more

Sam’s Tavern - Insane Bakon Vodka Bloody Mary. Build your own Bloody Mary on Sundays! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've only been here for drinking and some random bar foods. First, can I say that their bloody Mary's are great! wow. It does take a while to order but you know why? there's a slider that comes with it and its a great slider. Juicy and moist in the center. YUMMMMMMMMMY!! and they make their own bloody mary mix which is great! it does have a kick to it so if you are a wuss, do not pass go, do not collect your bloody mary. I went when it was bloody mary hh which means they are $7. what a great deal! they also have $1 Rainier. As for the food, again, the slider was great. I've gotten fries from here before, they remind me of red robin's fries which are yummy. Service could be a bit better but they were nice and it was pretty busy when I went. I will be back for another bloody mary read more

Sam’s Tavern - Yes! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The Bloody Mary with the slider super good! Bloody Mary itself so delish, just the right amount of everything was everything. Service is friendly! Awesome place for a refreshing delicious drinks. Must try there Bloody Mary! read more

Sam’s Tavern - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's a Red Robin for adults. The place is really casual, with a bunch of random garage-sale artwork on the walls, much like what you'd find at RR. The food is even spot-on; the burgers aren't bad but they're not that special. In my most recent visit, my friend and I ordered the $14 bloody mary that everyone seems to love here. The slider was legit, but the bloody mary drink wasn't as strong or spicy as we would've liked. Also note that it takes 15 minutes to make, with all its fixin's. Get it once, say you drank it, and never get it again. read more

We stumbled across this little gem during our self created pub crawl , It was trivia night and sitting at the bar playing with my hubby was a hoot. We watched the bartender make ridiculous Bloody Marys adorned with asparagus, celery, and mini cheeseburgers.. YES PLEASE ! The place just has a great vibe , we felt welcome and it was jam packed for a Tuesday night. We stuck with vodka sodas and had already filled up at the other pit stops but, we will definitely be back to try that Bloody Mary! read more

Sam’s Tavern - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The BEST burgers and fries hands down, cocktails yummy too. The Bloody Mary is absolutely delish too! Had a great time, thank you Rachel..we will be back read more

Drinks and food good 1st time in Seattle and went here to end the night after a day of exploring.. would definitely go back if i were to visit Seattle again. read more

First impressions are important. The security guy was super nice. And good looking. We sat ourselves in a booth. There was only 1 person sitting at the bar. Good music vibes going on. The waitress (Abbey with an E) came over right away and handed out menus. She was super nice. We got our drinks very quickly (rainier and a gin and juice). Her energy and attitude was amaze-balls. Ordered the onion rings, Sam's cheese burger and the aloha burger. I was informed by the waitress that the tavern was usually busier, but because the hawks lost to the bears it was dead. The onion rings took maybe 5 minutes and were delicious. The mustard that came with it had a kick but was so worth it. Could have done without the mayo but to each their own. The burgers came out about 10 minutes later and were so good. Lots of teriyaki sauce just the way I like it and the Vermont white cheddar on the cheese burger was delicious. The meat on both burgers was cooked to perfection. Not cheap meat. I definitely enjoyed my experience. Abbey was my favorite thing about this place. She knows what she's doing and could probably run this place blindfolded with one hand tied behind her back. read more

Ordered through UberEats, & the menu was filled with pictures looked DELICIOUS. It arrives... my $14 "Magic Mushroom Burger" described as "A mushroom freak's delight. A gargantuan amount of mushrooms "smothering" one of our juicy burgers, covered with melted swiss cheese and garlic aioli" is the size of a $6 Big Mac, not fully loaded with anything.... My boyfriend ordered the wings, which were dry and sauceless and came with a failed attempt at bluecheese dressing. We also asked for extra napkins and didn't receive any, with wings and a "juicy burger" - no napkins... NEVER AGAIN. read more

Sam’s Tavern - FAIL - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My order was canceled well over :30 after confirming and accepting it. I'm understanding about Covid but my order was placed well before cut off, terrible. read more

At first, I thought this might be one of those neighbourhood local bars where only locals are welcomed. But I was wrong! The bouncer was welcoming and friendly. The bartender was also super friendly and attentive. The bar had a local feel & it was nice. The food was surprisingly good! I got chicken tenders and fries. Perfectly crisp and not oily at all. I'd actually go back just to eat! Anyways, I've lived in the hood for almost a year but haven't explored much. I'm looking forward to coming back. read more

Isaiah literally made my week. Yes it was a case of the Mondays. The entire block was with out internet every other bar was negative nancy about it. He was not... the experience that he provided and the energy he made with out music or a normal "vibe" was the best. He might be the #1 bartender in the area TBH. Also talk about a good drink. Sam's never disappoints but when Isaiah is working is the time to go!! read more

Absolutely loved the bloody Mary's. Glad I found this spot on Yelp while visiting Seattle. I'll definitely return when I go back to Seattle. Oh and their chili is great too! read more

Sam’s Tavern - I was so excited to try this. It didn't disappoint either! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Wow! Have you ever had a cheeseburger slider, cheese plate and pickled veggie condiments on your Bloody Mary? Well you will if you get one here! And have a slamming burger with endless steak fries! Oh yeah, here! Too! Then you can top that off with Saturday afternoon reggae beats! We had a good burger, awesome Bloody Mary, amongst groovy peeps as our first meal in Seattle! read more

Sam’s Tavern - Bloody Mary! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington