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    Sam Woo BBQ

    3.6 (867 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, Cantonese
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Sam Woo BBQ Takeout or Delivery

    Sam Woo BBQ Photos

    Business Info

    SAM WOO BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Sam Woo BBQ

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    Roast Duck Kimchi Taco
    Daisy L.

    Got to try the Kogi - Sam Woo collaboration today. Shout out to my cousin RY who stood in line for 2 and 1/2 hours and delivered the food. This is what I tried: - Roast Duck Kimchi Taco - Char Siu Blackjack Quesadilla I've been coming to Sam Woo in Alhambra for years. But this collaboration was worth a try. The roast duck taco had the perfect balance of flavors. The quesadilla was a bit too saucy for my taste. I felt the sauce overpowered the char siu. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. I hope Kogi and Sam Woo continue this collaboration. Maybe with the classic Sam Woo roast pig...

    3/26/26 Onchoy w/ garlic
    Jennifer W.

    3/26/26 CASH ONLY, found out when we're there, in small writing. ATM available inside the restaurant. Good food, great fast service, good portions, small shop, clean & bright. Met up with long time friends for dinner, ended up here. See our choices of food, pictured-- very quick & piping hot. Our server, Johnson is pleasant funny gentleman, charming & efficient. Dedicated parking, free. Will surely return.

    Sweet Hot and Sour Soup/ 酸辣湯
    Elizabeth S.

    This was our first time to try Sam Woo in Alhambra. Was surprised located in a Main Street. It was a small restaurant and offered take out also. The place was very casual Chinese place busy and lots of take out order . The food was freshly cooked as you order. We got Deep fried sole, seafood fried rice set and sour soup, sautéed green beans, spicy pork salted . Servings were enough for 6 people. Prices were reasonable. Parking was very limited

    Bbq duck
    Jenn J.

    There are so many Sam Woo locations that have popped up over the years, I just assume they are interchangeable. Today, not so much. Is it the original? I don't know but it sure feels like an ancient artifact. Hole in the wall with a capital H. This Sam Woo location is very old, very aged. Tiny standalone building. Hand written Chinese shorthand menus taped up the walls, glass displays, peeling on the edges from age and wear. Fried rice was burnt. Chaw siu pork noodles were flavorless. Not much to write home about. I would go to other Sam Woo locations. Will skip this one in the future.

    Inside
    Lawrence H.

    I happened to be in MP picking up some dim sum and I needed to get a soy sauce chicken for my mom. Got a 1/2 Soy Sauce Salty Brown Chicken ($13.50). My mom said it was delicious. SWBBQ also has a section for dining. However, today's review is only for their deli section. There's limited amount of parking directly outside and some additional parking down the alley before you hit the street.

    Judy G.

    I am glad to have read the reviews here on yelp because this place is cash only. I never been to any sam woo's in san gabriel and finally decided to check this location out. Time stands still here as it looks like the space is from the 90s. It's small but the service is good and we got the beef brisket wonton noodle soup and their golden chicken skin soy sauce chicken. Loved every bite!

    Didn't get to take photos of all the yummy meats we ordered...but I got the duck
    Diana H.

    Sam Woo BBQ is our go-to spot, and honestly, this location is the only one our family comes to when we're craving BBQ meats. We've tried others, but nothing hits quite the same. The roast duck is consistently flavorful and juicy, with perfectly tender meat and just the right amount of richness in every bite. The BBQ pork is another solid favorite...its sweet, savory, and cooked just right without being dry. But the real MVP for us? The sausages. Hands down our ultimate favorite. They're packed with flavor, slightly sweet, and ridiculously satisfying. Pair that with their signature sauce, and it's game over. That sauce is everything...its just wo good that the kids love pouring it over their rice and eating every last grain. This place is all about comfort, familiarity, and dependable quality. When it comes to BBQ meats, Sam Woo BBQ has earned our loyalty, and we'll keep coming back for the flavors that never disappoint.

    Ivan M.

    got takeout from Sam Woo BBQ on Valley Blvd and mannnn... the duck was juicy, flavorful, and packed with that classic roasted goodness. skin had the perfect bite and the fried intestines were straight fire, crispy, savory, and insanely addicting. one of those meals where you keep saying "okay one more bite" till the whole box is gone definitely hit the spot. 5 stars easy.

    Big Shrimp Fried Rice $16 (8-26-2025)
    Truman W.

    Picked up a Big Shrimp Fried Rice yesterday. Big Shrimp (lots of it), Big Flavor, Small Price ($16) This is probably my single most favorite menu item from this Sam Woo, apart from their BBQ meats. Don't get the regular shrimp fried rice. Get the BIG shrimp fried rice :-P

    Exterior
    Robin C.

    I stopped by this OG spot after a recommendation from someone I met a while back. He told me this was the BEST Cantonese food in SGV. Upon arriving, this small unassuming building offers the beautiful sight of roast duck hanging for customers to see. One of the more unique aspects to Sam Woo is that carry-out is carry-out and dining in is dining in. If you prefer carry out, you can NOT eat in the dining room. I was here to try one thing. The Char Siu (BBQ pork). I ended up ordering a two meat combo on rice, I'm addition to the char siu I ordered roast pork. Ordering was easy and there are so many different protein options. The total for this packed plate was only $15. Starting with the roast pork, it was SOOO flavorful and tender with the perfect amount of crispy skin. Despite coming in the evening the pork was still very juicy. The char siu was tender, savory and sweet. The perfect balance of flavor! I can't wait to come back and bring others to try the dining side. The menu is huge. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

    Christy Q.

    Amazing dishes! Sam Woo is nostalgic for me. The wok hay is still strong. The char on the beef chow fun is still immaculate. They have a lot of lunch special deals. Don't expect top of the line service. It's a casual Chinese restaurant. Would recommend!

    Regan W.

    A classic. Anyone who knows quality Cantonese food knows Sam Woo. It's a shame the franchise has lessened of late especially post pandemic. But this place is still the classical no nonsense traditional authentic Cantonese cuisine. Outsiders will always lament about abrupt no frills service and simple dining room but that's a staple of authentic Chinese restaurants and how you know the food'll be good. And it's good over here. The portions are ample, classically flavored, and scrumptious. This is the food of my childhood. I just wish the parking was better (had to circle around 3x til a spot opened up) and that they aren't cash only.

    Steam rice

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    3 months ago

    THEIR SHRIMPS ARE SO SWEET!!! The duck is so juicy and plump. All the bbq here is just mhmmmmmmm. 100% recommend!!!!

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    Sam Woo BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sam Woo BBQ

    Yelp stated its open till midnight but it's closed now . Please update accordingly z!!!! 10 pm when I call no one answered and voice mail has not been set up yet?

    After they sold out, they closed unfortunately

    Can we order from the lunch special section of the menu for takeaway?

    Due to Covid-19, I would assume so, but I would suggest that you call the restaurant, and ask whether or not, lunch specials are only available during the week, or during certain hours.

    Do they have cutler fish or squib for sale?

    They definitely have cuttlefish. I have never seen squid.

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    Henry's Cuisine

    Henry's Cuisine

    3.9
    (927 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    I wish yelp had half stars because I'd give Henry's cuisine a solid 3.5 stars. The restaurant…read morelayout and decor is a little tacky, with spray painted crab shells decorating the walls and plastic partitions between the tables. The partitions reminded me a lot of Covid times, but it did create this semi intimate space for each table to have better conversation with each other. We came with 5 people and ordered 4 dishes to share. The average of each dish was about 30 dollars but the portions are extremely generous. The fish maw, shrimp paste, dried shrimp, mustard greens hot pot came out first. They were out of fish maw and wouldn't replace the ingredient with anything else or give us a discount, so we just had shrimp and greens in the soup. The soup had a good balance of fish and seafood flavours and went well with the slightly bitter mustard greens. The fried black tiger prawn with dried fish and garlic came next alongside the dried scallop and egg white fried rice. The prawns were such a visually stunning dish and the aroma was incredible! The prawns were huge, slightly juicy and packed a ton of flavour, it paired well with the egg white fried rice. The chestnut chicken hotpot came out last. It was a nice, hearty, umami dish. The chestnut and green onions melted in your mouth, which was great, but the chicken itself was a little dry and had lots of bones in it. Overall everything was well cooked and tasty, but nothing was a particular standout. It just felt a bit expensive for what you get. Lobster was $40/lb and minimum of 4lbs so we didn't try it, but it looked great from peeking at other tables. I'd recommend coming with a large group of people so you can split a variety of seafood to try.

    Henry's Cuisine is technically a Cantonese restaurant, but there are many dishes on the menu which…read moreare a fusion of Cantonese Chinese and Vietnamese cooking styles. We had a family get-together and were able to order a variety of dishes. Our table ordered chestnut and chicken in a clay pot, bean curd in brown sauce, water spinach with spicy beans, Vietnamese-style deep-fried fish, sautéed clams with black bean, and the House Special Vietnamese-style sautéed lobster with braised soft noodles. The first five dishes were delivered quickly, giving us time to enjoy them before the lobster and noodles arrived. I think the lobster came last because of the prep time--and because it was the meal's grand finale. When you order as many dishes as we did, it wouldn't be unusual to prefer some items over others. But on this occasion, I couldn't find fault with a single dish. I also suspect that this restaurant is geared toward group meals, as the serving size of each plate is quite large.

    Photos
    Outside
    Outside
    House special lobster on top of yee noodles
    House special lobster on top of yee noodles
    Ordered longevity noodle to go with the lobster - delicious

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    Ordered longevity noodle to go with the lobster - delicious
    Seafood Palace

    Seafood Palace

    3.6
    (215 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$$

    Hidden gem. Lunch prices are awesome starting at only $11.99. On the day we went the food was very…read moretasty and generous. From the outside it's a hole in the wall, but inside is pretty spacious for larger families to dine. My husband's aunt reserved a few tables for her birthday, so we sat in the corner area. The tea is not fragrant like other restaurants, but it'll do. I like that they give you disposable plastic cups for water too. Soup and rice was complimentary. Thought it was herbal soup, but it was some kind of seaweed soup. I was hungry, so everything tasted good, except for the fried fish (a bit dry). Parking sucks, so you'll have to park across the street.

    They didn't have a lot of stuff here that we wanted to eat. We came on a Thursday night and we…read morewanted to try a bunch of stuff on the menu and we were able to order a lot too because we had 7 people at our table. However, most of the items on the menu were not available.. strange. My aunts friend wanted to take us here specifically for the fried garlic crab. However, personally, I was not a fan because it's just too much work to break down the crab just for a little bit of meat. My favorite that night was probably the fried tofu. They definitely did that very well. We also got a lot of other dishes like the clay pot rice, chicken, clams, seafood crispy noodles, and other foods I can't remember. Overall, just okay for me. I don't think I would necessarily come back.

    Photos
    Seafood Palace
    Fried squid (salt and pepper)
    Fried squid (salt and pepper)
    Seafood Palace

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    JJ Hong Kong Cafe

    JJ Hong Kong Cafe

    3.5
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    JJ Cafe has been around for many years and has been a Monterey staple for affordable Hong Kong…read morecomfort food They're open daily 7am-2am Parking can be tough but there is nearby street parking and there is a parking lot in the back. Inside was spacious and had plenty of seating. Service could use some improvement in terms of friendliness and attentiveness. Lunch special was such a good deal! All the dishes are under $20 and there was a good variety of dishes. It's nice that it's daily 11am-5pm and it comes with either rice or spaghetti and coffee or tea (with one refill!). Got the Grilled Pork Chop & Chicken Steak ($14.25) with mushroom sauce. Love that there are a nice variety of sauces to choose from - black pepper, mushroom, onion, garlic, spicy garlic, or teriyaki! The pork chop and chicken steak were huge and very crispy. It was packed with flavor and not too salty or greasy. The meat was very tender and juicy. I was very impressed with the portion and how delicious it was! The complimentary Iced Tea was very refreshing but slightly too sweet but it was nice that it came with a free refill! Overall, I really enjoyed the food and would definitely recommend and return!

    JJ Hong Kong Cafe is one of the long-standing (20+ years) Hong Kong cafés in the San Gabriel Valley…read more(SGV) area with other places like Garden Cafe / Baccali Cafe / Sunday Bistro on Valley Blvd and Tasty Choice on San Gabriel Blvd. [Parking]: There are limited free designated parking spots for the café behind the building. Additional parking spots are available in the underground garage. [Atmosphere]: Upon entry, our party could smell a lingering cigarette odor. Eventually, my nose got used to it. The overall ambiance is not quite as modern as other Hong Kong cafés like HK Macau Bistro in San Gabriel or Hong Kong Cafe in Atlantic Times Square. One TV was playing America's Funniest Home Videos while another one at the bar was showing a NBA game. [Menu]: Yelp's top highlighted items are Indo Fried Rice, Baked Pork Chop, Grilled Chicken Steak, and Beef Chow Fun. Our party actually did not order the correct chow fun on our first visit as it turned out to be a wet (aka saucy) chow fun. For the dry version, the correct order = Beef Chow Fun with Dark Soy Sauce. *** Indo Fried Rice ($13.75): S-tier flavor and definitely recommend this dish. Beef Chow Fun Black Bean Sauce ($16.20): It was basically a wet chow fun rather than a dry chow fun our party was expecting. The flavor was on point, but not as good as the dry version (aka dark soy sauce). Beef Chow Fun with Dark Soy Sauce ($16.20): This was the correct dry chow fun our party was looking for. Savory and delicious noodles, but tasted slightly greasy. Baked Pork Chop ($14.20): Very heavy on the tomato sauce with scrambled egg and cheese. The flavor profile was not bad at all. It had a solid portion and large enough to split into two smaller meals. *** A-tier or 4-star for the food especially Indo Fried Rice and Beef Chow Fun with Dark Soy Sauce (aka dry beef chow fun), but I had to bump down to 3-star due to the minor cigarette smell.

    Photos
    Dining hall
    Dining hall
    JJ Hong Kong Cafe
    JJ Hong Kong Cafe

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    Steam Fresh

    Steam Fresh

    4.4
    (79 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Came in on the weekend. Parking lot was packed but we still found parking. You can order dim sum…read morehere almost any time of the day. They have a new menu and we ordered the Minced Pork & Egg Rice. This is the non-gravy/sauce version like some local restaurants are starting to do. Break the runny egg yolk and mix everything together. It was pretty good. We also ordered the pan fried turnip cake which is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's better than many dim sum restaurant versions. Also got their beef rice roll again. Their rice rolls are always a hit. Don't forget to order their HK lemon iced tea on the side. It pairs well with everything especially on a hot summer day. Good air conditioning. Lots of indoor seating. Great service. Highly recommend!

    Yummy food from an unassuming restaurant on Garvey Ave, a street in Monterey Park sprawling with…read morevarious Asian cuisines. Staff were welcoming and helpful. Interior is hardly decorated but has statement black and red tables and chairs haha. No one was dining in, but it seemed like Steam Fresh was popular for takeout. For us, a black sesame roll (could be a snack or dessert), four orders of steamed pork siu mai, two orders of juicy pork dumplings (soup dumplings), and a beef chow fun with soy sauce dish totaled to a little over $55. Everything came out piping hot and packaged well for takeout. We only waited about 15min, which was not bad at all. We really liked the siu mai and chow fun. Both were savory and addicting. Siu mai were especially juicy and meaty; they definitely satisfied our dim sum cravings. Soup dumplings were ok - I found the wrapper to be doughy and the filling kinda plain. The black sesame roll had an interesting rolled look and a sticky, chewy, jelly-like texture. It tasted like lightly sweetened black sesame paste mixed into what seemed like a combination of mochi and agar. The small parking lot in the back is free. We got lucky finding a spot in the late morning, but when we were ready to back out after getting our food, cars were either circling the lot or waiting for someone to leave.

    Photos
    Small kitchen and counter to place order
    Small kitchen and counter to place order
    Pork Siu Mai
    Pork Siu Mai
    HK Style Minced Pork Lo Mein

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    HK Style Minced Pork Lo Mein

    Sam Woo BBQ - bbq - Updated July 2026

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