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This place really fell off. I remember when I used to come here all the time when it first opened. Parking can be hard. The parking lot is kind of small and there's a lot of stores people want to go too. But some times you get lucky because people are always coming and going. This place had two other parties when we arrived and it looked like one party had been sitting there waiting for their check for a while. First, I got the double delicacy lo mein.. but it didn't come with lo mein noodles. The noodles were also pretty bland. I ended up putting some sauce from my sisters diced beef filet. We also got a Seafood Shrimp fried rice that came out pretty bland. I also had to put a whole bunch of hot sauce in it. Before anyone comes for me, my parents who thinks everything is salty, also said it was bland LOL My sister got a French Style diced beef filet which was probably the best dish we got.. but they took almost 10 minutes to take our order and it was past the 6 pm time that they serve with steam rice so we had to order an extra side of rice... That was pretty annoying. They give free rice with your entree before 6 pm. Lastly, we got the beef chow fun and that was also just okay after all the other disappointing dishes. The lo mein also came with a side of soup that was... bland..... Anyway probably won't come back
Came here for dinner on Sunday night and there was no wait. The Chinese BBQ here is legit. I love the roast duck and the roast pork best. Very good flavor, crispy skin. We got the dumpling noodle soup, which was pretty decent. The garlic stir-fry ong choy needed a bit more garlic and the Mongolian beef was okay. The meat quality was good but the flavor was average and felt like it needed a bit more heat. Portion size is decent and prices were fair. Great fast casual restaurant.
Sam Woo is always my go-to when I'm craving Chinese BBQ. They display a wide variety of items, and you can choose exactly what you want. I usually get the BBQ pork, and it's consistently pretty good. I asked for leaner cuts with less fat, and they had no problem accommodating that. $20 for 1.5 pounds of meat wasn't bad at all! I also got some string beans for $10, which were decent, and the chow mein was simple yet tasty. Overall, it's a great bang for your buck for some solid food.
It's a typical Chinese BBQ with Sam Woo brand located on Rosemead over a decade and had been a several ownership... Surprisingly they sell their self-made Vietnamese coffee blend per pound per bag that it's pretty good!! And the price is very economy for $13 per pound!!! And I had typical roast duck n pork with white rice, the meats was BBQ enough and tasted tenderness. But the marinated pork n duck meat were kind of too sweetened...
My go to spot when I'm craving for some roasted duck, barbecue pork or roasted duck! You don't need to know the language to order. Universal language of pointing to what you want does the trick although they do speak English. They have your traditional BBQ takeout but there's also a dine in area. There is parking available but can be limited during special holidays/season. They do take card and will give you sauces. Additional charge if you want extra sauces.
January 16, 2026 Sam Woo BBQ in San Gabriel will always be one of those places we return to for comfort, familiarity, and classic Cantonese BBQ flavors. This visit was no different...our family came hungry and craving food that feels like home. We ordered two of the #11 Three Delicacies, choosing BBQ pork, BBQ intestine, and duck, along with another plate of duck, sausage, and crispy pork (with the additional $3 charge). To round things out, we also ordered walnut shrimp, deep-fried sole fish, and of course, a bowl of rice...just in case. When the order came out, I noticed the intestine had been replaced with sausage. I let the waitress know, and she immediately checked and came back to explain they were out of intestine (around 7 p.m. on a Friday night...understandable). She kindly asked if I was okay with sausage or wanted to substitute another meat. Honestly, I really wanted the intestine... but I do love their sausage, so no harm done in the end. The food itself hit the spot. The roasted duck was flavorful and comforting as always, the BBQ meats were satisfying, the walnut shrimp was crispy and sweet, and the fried sole fish was a solid addition to the table. Most importantly, the kids were happy and the parents were happy...which says a lot. That said, I can't help but miss the olden days, when it felt like there was more meat than rice. I also miss that deep sense of familiarity from when I was a little girl, sitting in a booth with my mom and siblings, sharing plates and memories. Things change, but the nostalgia still lingers. All that said, Sam Woo BBQ will always have a place in my heart. I'll still keep coming back and ordering their roasted duck, sausage, intestine (when available), and roasted pork...because some traditions are just hard to let go of.
The worst BBQ place that I won't come back! - Food: Roasted pork is fine, prices more expensive than other BBQ places - Service: 0 star if I could, one of the rudest service a restaurant could give, they required $15 minimum payment on credit card and prioritize Chinese customers over others though I was there first, I even tried to tell her but she shut me down. The cashier didn't bother to say hello or welcome, just pure annoyance and rude - Atmosphere: It doesn't look much like a restaurant but a cafeteria where most people just buy to go food.
I was craving roasted duck. What better place to get a whole roasted duck than Sam Woo? Don't let the exterior of this restaurant fool you - the interior actually looks 100x better & much more modern. The place is so clean!!!!! Service? 10000x better than the interior. Our server was so attentive. Loved her! We ordered a duck for $39, HK style Lemon ice tea ($2/each), small Fish Maw soup, and a side of bean curb Ong Choi (Veggie), all for under $80! I also love how they have two sizes of their family style dishes available (small for about $14 / large for about $18) - perfect for families with small kids or people like myself who usually loves to try a million things at the same time. I love this place so much that I'm already thinking about what to order when I come by next week. Thumbs up!
The traditional Hong King breakfast special served til 1:30pm is a good bargain. Regarding taste, this is a simple nostalgia dish. So nothing ground breaking here. Fun to order if you're curious but keep your expectations low. Parking is a bit challenging here, be patience and you'll get one.
Would come here in my childhood but this place has fallen off. Food here is below average and was not good. Charge for rice after certain hours. Good service though and accommodated the kids. Started off with the minced beef with fried egg over rice but the sauce had way too much cornstarch. The sauce was very sticky and wouldn't slide off the spoon. The orange chicken was also on the stickier side. The chef cornstarch flurries too hard here. The honey walnut shrimp wasn't bad, but the walnuts weren't candied and was just walnuts. The deep-fried whole fish had a thick batter causing it to have a soggy layer between the batter and fish. Salt and pepper fish filet was crispy and has nice aromatics. Busy plaza and parking lot. Would not come back here. Plenty of better Chinese restaurants.
I was so ecstatic to find out that this joint was open to dine in! This was a staple for our family growing up and now as an adult, the nostalgia it brought eating the delicious food. They really put in work to open back up again and the service was phenomenal. The waitress was very attentive and nice. The food came out fresh and hot. We will definitely be visiting again very soon. The space inside was nice and clean!
I loved San Woo when they had one in Rowland Heights Then it closed. This is the first time I try at this place. First of all, the restaurant is clean, well lit and moderately spacious. They closed off about 25% of the area and use it as storage. Service is great. Friendly, efficient and helpful. Foods are almost the same as the other Sam Woo. But not as complete. I was looking for MEI CAI KOU ROU - STEAMED PORK BELLY W/ PRESERVED VEGETABLES ; they do not have it. Fried oysters, they do not have it too. The one that they do have, all taste delicious. The Cteamy corn soup with fish maws has too much corn starch. Almost gluey. Gluey is not the same as creamy. Otherwise, everything is great.
While out here visiting family, we decided to try this place for HK breakfast at the recommendation of a family member. Once we arrived, we were immediately greeted by our waitress and seated. This is a small-medium sized location that offers freshly cooked Chinese bbq items like duck, pork, etc. for takeout. The place was clean and fairly empty as they just opened. But it did fill up quickly with customers. We each opted for the different kinds of congee/porridge. I had the chicken porridge and each order comes with 1/2 of a Chinese donut, noodle dish, rice noodle with special sauce (generally peanut sauce & hoisin sauce) and a drink of your choice. The serving is a very generous portion and you won't go away hungry. The waitress was very attentive and professional. read more
9 months ago
I only came here for the deli. Picked up some roast pork belly and cuttlefish. The cuttlefish had a nice texture, but didn't have much flavor to it. Would have been nice if they added some of the char siu gravy on top. The roast pork belly was really good. No bones to deal with and skin nice and crispy. I noticed hint of sweetness on the skin. Not sure if they brushed it with sugar water or not. I found it to be a little too salty, but goes well if you are eating rice with it. I prefer this location as it's usually the area I am in when I am in the SGV. I did notice that they close the restaurant after lunch until dinner time. Kind of a shame, I wished they were open all day. Parking wasn't an issue for me on a Saturday because I guess since they are closed after lunch that there were quite a few parking spots available. read more
This Sam Woo just opened for breakfast. The breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The taste is on the bar with other breakfast places. The great thing is this place comes with three items and it is a very good deal. The service is attentive. I will come back to try other items. read more
4 years ago
This spot is my quick BBQ go-to spot for any occasion when I'm east of Del Mar. I always get the ROAST PORK (skin sometimes is too thick and becomes hard to chew when not so crispy), BBQ PORK, and SAUSAGE. They are my go to if I don't want to cook and want to pair them with rice and veggies. Enter through the door on the far right and exit on the left. They take CREDIT CARDS and CASH. Prices have obviously gone up but it's still fairly on par with rest of BBQ places around SGV. They still have a working hand sanitizer dispenser at the cashier and their pandemic set up is still present in the clear plastic dividers between you and the food. PARKING: small lot and hard to get in and out -- pretty difficult when it's very busy like holidays, peak hours and weekends. read more
We frequent this location b/c it is near home. Never dined in, always to go. Great to bring home for dinner with family, just make some rice. Everybody likes it since it's meat with neutral flavor and dipping sauce on the side. We usually gets half of the chicken or duck or pork depending on the mood. The roasted pork is the hubby's favorite, crinkly crispy top. Line may look long sometimes but they move fast. Just make sure you know what to say (or just point) and tell them half or full. They'll grab and cut them for you so fast. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
6 years ago
Lol at an article my friend sent me about Sam Woo owner evading taxes...this place still poppin' though! PSA: there is an older Sam Woo nearby that probably is a health hazard...come to this location because parking is better, and much cleaner! A smaller crowd too. My family only comes here for 2 things: roast pork belly and roast duck. Just like most Cantonese style BBQ places, you pay per lb. FYI that the employees here don't speak English or Mandarin...so good luck with Cantonese and miming lol! Overall, would come here again! And yes- they take credit cards! read more
4 years ago
This place puts customers last! I came in trying to buy 1/2 a duck and a pound of roasted pork belly for my wife and I to enjoy at home. I saw a beautiful golden brown duck and pointed it out to gentleman A to give me 1/2 of that one. He said if you want half you get these and he pointed to the bottoms ones that were charcoal black! I told him I don't want a burnt duck, give me this golden brown one. He said, no if you want that you have to buy the whole... whatever I tell him to chop up the one i picked so he scurried off to chop away. Gentleman B asks me if I wanted anything else. I tell him yes while pointing to the 2 new pork bellies hanging and said I want 1 pound. This guy grabs a small piece that on a bottom pan and said this one is better. I ask him are you sure? He said yes it is beautiful! I said OK i'll trust you. When i got home and bit into it the pork skin was chewy and the meat was cold! My advice to customers is don't trust the employees and make sure you pick your food or they will pick the worse for you. read more
4 years ago
Sam Woo has been a household name for good take out food and bbq/roasted items, such as pork, chicken and duck. This Sam Woo is located on the corner of Valley Blvd and Walnut Grove in Rosemead. If you're coming north from Walnut Ave Sam Woo is pretty hidden from rows of other restaurants and shops. Luckily parking is plentiful here. Due to the current pandemic, the restaurant is open to only take out orders. The had a variety of ducks, chicken and pork left to choose from. Make sure to check the menu to see if they are priced by pound or by each individual item. You can also order other dishes, like chow mein, noodles, tofu...etc. Highly recommend calling in the order beforehand, so you can stop in and pick up easily. Of all the times I've been here, it's always getting, roast pork, chicken or a duck, this time tried getting a single dish. Since my neighborhood to go restaurant was closed, decided to try Sam Woo's rendition of braised tofu with vegetables. It was a bit of a let down. For the price and the amount of food, it was not worth it. The box was partially filled and was probably good for serving one person. For the price of a dish there you can basically get like almost half a duck or chicken. Also, this Sam Woo is a bit pricier than the other Sam Woos in the area. Down the street on San Gabriel, that Sam Woo cost slightly less. The only difference with this Sam Woo is that it's in a newer building and location. The interior is more updated as well as a newer looking menu board. I still prefer to have good food and decent portions than how the restaurant really looks. If you're shopping around for some roasted or bbq meat, this Sam Woo has it all. read more
Your typical Sam Woo place. Affordable prices and typical customer service compared to other Asian restaurants. This place is cash only. FOOD I've been here twice: one time for dinner with a big party and recently for brunch. Dinner was inexpensive, roughly $100+tip and tax for about 7 dishes. We also had leftovers. In my recent visit, we tried their brunch on a Sunday morning around 10:15am. I ordered the beef stew lo mein, and the dish came out very quickly after we placed the order. The soup was okay, a little weird for me so I didn't really drink much of it. I'm used to the broth being a bit clearer and having green onions in them. The dish was nothing special nor any different from any other places. The beef was tender. My boyfriend got the chicken steak western breakfast, and oh boy, that dish took 40 minutes to come out! We asked 3 times on the status, and the waitress said that the chef might be backed up due to the volume of orders. We finally gave up and told them if it's not made yet, we want to cancel it. Miraculously, it came out in less than 1 minute. I did notice that the western dishes took a long time to come out for other customers. There was a family of 4 who placed their orders while we got seated, and only 2 dishes came out for them when we hit the 30 minute mark. The dish itself was okay. The chicken was thankfully cooked really nicely, which is why they got the 3 stars instead of 2. However, it's not worth the 40 minute wait and had we known, we would have ordered something else. Tip: if you want the western breakfast, come early before the restaurant is full to ensure you avoid a 40+ minute wait just for the food. SERVICE There was a table not too far from us that made a ruckus. The husband pounded on the table and yelled at his wife, whom left the restaurant. He continued eating and with food in his mouth also yelled at his mother (or mother in law) too. I felt the restaurant went quiet. The manager came over to ask if the food was okay and/or if they needed anything. I appreciated that the restaurant didn't ignore his behavior and came over to check in on them. PARKING Located in the same Plaza as McDonald's and a few other eateries. Parking will be tough during peak lunch and dinner hours so come prepared. WOULD I COME BACK AGAIN? Depends on who I am going with. I would probably opt to go somewhere else with quicker service even if it means paying a $1 or $2 more. read more
3 years ago
Came here twice now to try out their breakfast menu. Gotta say it's a good value for your money. The food tastes good and you get a good variety of items. read more
Pre COVID-19 post. Parking: This establishment is located in a plaza with a lot of other restaurants and a supermarket. Do not come here during peak hours unless you don't mind circling a bit for a parking spot. There are some underground parking, but it's a bit of a walk from the underground parking to get to this restaurant. I usually come here right when they open or one hour before they close to find parking super easily. Staff: I am giving this place only three stars because the staff never check up on you. You have to walk up to them or wave very close to their face to get their attention. We asked for more hot tea and it took them over 20 minutes to get it to us. The staff were impatient and rude to us. Food: Even though the staff were terrible, my family and I love the food. That's their only redeeming factor for me. They give pretty big portions of food, so the prices are worth it. Overall, as long as you don't mind the bad service, you'll enjoy the food. :) read more
5 years ago
This is what we actually get, lets share the quality of food that you will buy here. Terrific, pig is roasted to the darkest...and with hair. Server charge with incorrect amount as well. So, definitely no come back. read more
4 years ago
Sam Woo has long been one of the best places to get Cantonese food across the greater LA area. And with a multitude of locations, it would seem to be accessible to everyone! I've personally have had Sam Woo at the Cerritos location as well as the previously open Irvine and San Gabriel locations and have had no issues with the food there. But is it possible that each individual location differs in quality? That was my question to answer as I decided to give the Rosemead location a try. After a long road trip on a Friday around noon, I decided to order a simple Beef Broccoli which cost around $13.50 before tax at the time of this review. A side note: The parking lot is somewhat small, which made entering the lot, parking, and backing out difficult. After picking up my takeout in a good 20 minute timeframe, I took it home to open it up. Upon taking the box out of the bag, I was very happy with the size! Not only was there an abundance of beef and broccoli inside in equal ratio, but each piece of beef and broccoli was of good size too! With the beef and the broccoli came onions, ginger, and carrots which were a decent pairing for the dish. For $13.50 in a post-COVID world, the price to portion ratio was great! That's mainly where the three stars come from as the taste of the dish was a little on the lackluster side. Now I will give the benefit of the doubt to Sam Woo as Beef Broccoli technically isn't a "Chinese" dish in the first place. However, beef broccoli is one of the Americanized dishes that most Chinese restaurants DO make. Because of this, it is fair game. The first thing I noticed about the entire dish is that it had a layer of what seemed like corn starch on top. This did provide a light savory taste and a thicker texture, but made the dish taste a bit on the soggy side. The ginger gave the dish a hint of sharpness which explains why it was added, but the carrots and the onions did not really add anything extra flavor-wise. The broccoli was fresh for the most part, but had a few black spots on the top. This made me conscious to check for the freshness of every item I was putting in my mouth. Lastly, the beef was just okay. The beef was sort of rubbery with the only flavor coming from the starch on top. Some pieces were a little pink too which meant that it the beef was a little undercooked too. In all, the dish didn't taste spectacular, but it wasn't terrible..... For this experience, I think Sam Woo in Rosemead gets a three stars out of five for their beef broccoli. Though flavor wasn't the highlight, I was sure happy to see large quantity! The dish ended up lasting for a meal and a half, which to me says that the portion size was pretty great! Though I would say the food wasn't as good as the other Sam Woo locations I've had, I would definitely want to give other menu items a try! read more
3 years ago
Excellent service, food hot and very flavorful. Big shrimp in yeung chow fried rice. Quiet, relaxing place. Cleaner than other Sam Woos. I'll be back! read more
I came here to get a 2 item combo which consists of roast duck, roast pig and veggies over rice. Wow all this was only $10.50! Also as I walked in the restaurant my eyes did more shopping. I got half a pound of the sausages which was like 5 dollars. They also have ready made dishes and I got small string beans for 3.75 and large eggplant for 8 dollars. This restaurant is considerably clean compared to other bbq restaurants. The food was delicious and all worth the price. I always come to this location because the flavors are great for their bbq. read more
3 years ago
The one less star is for the not enough parking spaces there and the cashier who was not patient to explain to 1st Tim's customers where to order at(1 for in house dining and 1 for ordering out. Other than that the duck was really good and even ordered 1/2 a duck for dinner next day. read more
3 years ago
Great place to eat. The order line and wait time was a little long. I understand it was busy. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
raised prives and my $13 beef westlake soup only had beef, tofu, and egg. The beef in my beef chow fun was not fully cooked. I ordered 6 dishes and costed me $78 and somr change. horrible food! read more
Date of visit: 08-17-2019 What can I say...it's Sam Woo. It's been around forever and it had had its day in the past. When I first got to US some 20 years ago, I thought Sam Woo was the best Chinese food that I've ever tasted in LA! Now, it's just so-so to me. It not bad, but it's definitely not the best. Anyways, these were the 4 things I ordered here: - Cantonese dry noodle with crispy pork: 2.5/5. Cantonese dry noodle is never my thing so my opinion could be biased here. - filet mignon: I don't eat beef but hubby & kids said just ok. 3.5/5 - walnut shrimp: 3/5 - orange chicken: 4/5 read more
This Sam Woo restaurant is located in the same plaza as McDonald's and Bay Island Cafe where parking can be a challenge, especially on a weekend. I came to this restaurant with my mother and my husband on a Sunday night, a little after 7 pm. Haven't had Sam Woo in such a long time, thought it would be nice to have it for dinner. We didn't wait too long for a table and was seated at a booth. After looking over the menu, we ended up ordering: Kumquat Lemon Green Tea, Large, $1.99 with meal purchase, prior to tax- Major disappointment, this tea was over steeped and so all you could taste is the bitter taste. Wintermelon Black Tea, Large, $1.99 with meal purchase, prior to tax- Just like the other tea, same problem with over steeped tea. I only had a few sips and tossed it. I should have known better to order tea at a non tea house (oh well, lesson learn for you and me). Yang Chow Fried Rice, $9.99 prior to tax- My husband really wanted fried rice so he ordered this but it was rather salty. This fried rice has plenty pieces of shrimp, barbecue pork and ham. A good portion for a party of 4. Braised Tofu With Brown Sauce, $11.25 prior to tax- Loved the texture of the tofu, the sauce was savory and went well with the steamed rice. This entree comes with broccoli, mushrooms and snow peas. Chinese Broccoli With Sauce Requested On The Side, $11.25 prior to tax- My mom and I both wanted some type of vegetable that isn't fried or sauteed so we thought we would get the gai lan and request for the sauce to be placed on the side. I liked that the vegetables were tender and it was nice to eat it plain (I really don't like vegetables that are sitting in so much oil and sauce, defeats the whole point of eating vegetables). Szechuan Style Eggplant, $11.25 prior to tax- This dish is definitely pretty oily but we decided to get this since my family likes eggplant. The sauce itself is a little spicy. Please note that this entree is not vegetarian, as it is made with ground pork. The sauce was savory and again, great with steamed rice. Pork Belly With Dried Vegetables, $11.50 prior to tax- My husband thought this would be a great entree to order. This dish was definitely oily dish but had plenty of flavor from the pork belly and onions. Steamed white rice ----------------------------- (Total= $65.93 after tax, prior to tip) Service from our main server was fine. He was good at refilling our rice container. The other employees were fine when asked for things. There was just one employee that was kind of rude, so my mom and I just avoided asking him for things. My mom spoke in Cantonese when she made our order and asked an employee for things, but I had asked in English when I asked for a water refill for the table and so forth. So if you don't speak Chinese, you shouldn't have trouble dining here for the most part. Most of the employees were nice and pleasant during our dining experience. The food was good and we had plenty of leftovers. I would come back here. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
I really love this place, great food and excellent customer service. I got Sampan porridge today for my brunch. One order came with so many side dishes. Yummy . read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
First time at this location and I think I'll stick to the other locations. Came here on a Sunday night to have dinner with my mom and her boyfriend. Service was SLOWWWWW from start to finish. Definitely did not have enough wait staff on the floor because the surrounding tables were just as antsy as we were to get attention from ANY of the staff. Food took quite some time, could be from the staff not ringing in our order in a sufficient amount of time or the cooks were reallllly slow. After receiving our dishes, they were just okay...tastes better from the other locations... read more
Not all Sam Woo's are the same. This location is the newest one to come up in the SGV area. They are big and flashy compared to the OG locations. Hate this plaza. Small, cramped, and terrible parking. Take out only for COVID. Siu Yuk, crispy pork bello - $15 a pound - A small tray is about 2.75 lbs, so roughly $40 bucks. It was not as crispy as it should be. Meat was salty and a little dry. Salty Chicken - $4.50 a pound - Chicken was decent. A tad salty. Some pieces were tender and juicy and some were dry. Pan Fried String Beans - $11.25 - Veggies were crisp but very bland. Prices seem a little higher then other Sam Woo's. read more
2 years ago
Best Yang chow fried rice and wonton noodle soup!! Wontons tasted yummy! Good service too! read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
First visit to this location. Only went to the take out section. Friendly and fast service. Lots of choices. But I just feel Sam Woo is not as great as 20 years ago when I first tried it. Still affordable and decent though. And good for to go. read more
3 years ago
More info about Sam Woo BBQ
8526 Valley Blvd
Ste A101
Rosemead, CA 91770
Directions
(626) 927-9848
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This place has been accepting credit cards for months. The usual MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. No Discovery. The ATM is gone though.
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