This was my first time in Sam's and ordered a chicken salad cheese melt sandwich. It was extraordinary! Brought to the table in a hogie roll easily big enough for two people. Topped with lettuce, tomato and mayo - it was fresh and delicious. Service was fast and personable. I'd recommend Sam's to all - I'll be back!! read more

Great food, great price! I would love more low or no carb options! The quality is fantastic and I really recommend their potatoes! Both their bacon and sausage are terrific! I can never decide which one is better, often resulting in me ordering a side of one or the other! One of these days I might even make it for lunch! read more

Sami's is a great addition to Knoxville, helping to fill an until-recently rather empty niche: a good breakfast place! The interior looks much the same as it did when Ham and Goody's was still there, and for those of us who remember Ham and Goody's when they had their west location, there's something comfortingly familiar about that. It's got a very casual, comfortable feel. The service was good. I was there around noon on a Saturday but Sami's was still serving the breakfast menu in addition to their lunch menu. I'm not sure if they do that everyday or just on weekends. My party took advantage of it though, and we all opted for breakfast options. I had the french toast, which they were very willing to do with wheat bread instead of the usual texas toast. It was well-coated with egg batter and really delicious. My mom had the blueberry pancakes with eggs, and her date had scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage. The blueberry pancakes were not unique but solidly prepared and good. Both she and her date thought the scrambled eggs had a particularly good flavor (aka superior eggs!). His hash browns were also exceptional - thick cut, crispy, and very "real," if you will. Clearly not out of the freezer case. Though we didn't order anything from the lunch menu, we noticed they had some very nice sounding sandwiches, as well as a fairly extensive list of classic desserts, including red velvet cake and german chocolate cake. Overall, we were very happy with our new laid back breakfast option. A return trip is likely. read more

Just about our favorite breakfast place. The omelettes are delicious, and the breakfast potatoes are the best I've ever had. Everyone is very nice and helpful. I can be busy at times, but it's worth the wait. read more

Great place! Found it by accident. It's a 25 min ride from me but definitely worth visiting. Chill atmosphere, delicious food and nice staff! Would definitely recommend. read more

Good breakfast spot in the heart of generic chain breakfast restaurants. Service is good here, they work together to make sure you don't want for anything. Seat yourself cafe which can get ridiculously busy so come early, or if church isn't your thing come during. The one time anyone has been unhappy with an item was with the mushrooms in the spinach omelette, they looked and tasted canned. read more

Sami's Cafe - Bacon or sausage, why not both? - Cafes Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Soooo delicious! Cute little mom and pop cafe! I had the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes! I can't wait to try other stuff! So affordable too! It was crowded so that's always a good sign. We came at the right time and didn't have to wait for a table. Can't wait to come back! read more

I'm with Peggy. I wanted to LOVE this place, but I liked it instead. I arrived around 10 on a Saturday and the place was full, but not packed. Many guests chose to sit outside. The room is pretty quaint and on a beautiful day sitting outside is perfect. I ordered the western omelette and it was fine, but it took forever to arrive. I think the owner Sami is the only cook. The table next to me was pretty annoyed by the delay as well. This place is worth checking out, but I'm not going to lie. If you want a good diner for breakfast just go downtown to Pete's. read more

Cute place and I wanted to love it but I liked it. Service pretty good. Biscuits nice. Just too much salt on both the eggs and the biscuit. Would I come back? Questionable. read more

The food was great and so was the service. I personally wish they had flavored creamer options for coffee, but besides that everything was great. Would definitely eat there again! read more

The best small homey feel diner. They're breakfast and lunch are delicious and are resonantly priced! The service is always excellent and I never feel rushed to finish my meal. My only complaint is that there isn't any changing tables for parents, it seems it's geared towards an older clientele. It doesn't bother us anymore since our daughter has started daycare. Regardless it's still a great place to eat! read more

We came here for breakfast this morning and were not disappointed. We each had an omelette with a biscuit and gravy. Food was very good and service was great. We will be coming back often. read more

Great breakfast food, family atmosphere, good service , very well priced. Food inspection report= 100! read more

Sami's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I went back and forth about the star rating for about 15m before I wrote this. I raised it to 4 stars because good diner breakfast food is hard to find in Knoxville. There's one other place I like enough to give it a 5 star, but that's it. I was a little aggravated they ran out of the biscuits and gravy toward the end of the breakfast rush, but I got the western omelette and it was delicious!!! It was the great thing kind, that uses mostly bulk bought veggies... It's weird. We cook w/ almost all fresh veggies, nothing from a can, but diners are just the opposite. And they make it work. Good ones, like Sami's, do at least. My hubby ventured into the chicken sandwich realm and was not impressed. It wasn't bad, it was just...not overly flavorful. The coffee stayed hot, and my cup never got below half full. I highly recommend coming really early or toward the end of the breakfast run b/c it is busy!! read more

It's not that the place is bad, it's pretty good, but they try to do too many things well and their food falls short on some dishes. My husband and I went there today for lunch with mixed success. I ordered a black coffee, Patty Melt on rye and fries. Hubby ordered a diet coke, Gyros and onion rings. The tale of two lunches: My coffee was good, but they offered only one refill of small cup during my meal and only seemed to remember to offer another when we were leaving. The menu describes the patty melt on rye with grilled onions and cheese. Luckily, the waitress warned my that the 'He' (the owner? the chef?) puts lettuce, tomato and mayo on it and 'Is that okay?' I said 'No, please, just grilled onions and cheese.' The melt was good but not the best ever. The onions were grilled in super thin strands and a little stringy and hard to eat. The fries were hot but just standard frozen crinkle cut bagged fries. Good lunch? Yes. Great lunch? No. My husband had a lesser experience with his lunch. First, the Diet Coke came flat and strangely super sweet. When he asked for a new one he was told that's how the machine is set up and the mix cannot be changed. The waitress offered him a different beverage but since Diet Coke is their only diet soda he had to choose water. The Gyros sandwich was not worth getting. There were 3 super thin strips of Gyros meat on a pita with lettuce, tomato, and onion. There was also a sauce that was supposed to be Tzatziki sauce but was really just a Greek yogurt with a little garlic powder. The was no evidence of any cucumber, mint or lemon to give it that rich Mediterranean flavor. The onion rings, however were fabulous. They were battered, hot and fresh. Definitely worth the price to upgrade from the fries. All in all, the food was okay. We will probably give them another try and order something different to see if the have anything outstanding in their lunch menu. I hope they do. I really hope they do. read more

Stopped in for lunch just before noon. Very good meat-n-two's. Great service, very attentive. Shortly after noon, the place filled up quickly. Never a disappointment! read more

Super traditional american place. Food was ok, nothing much there for a vegan person. I was so restricted to fries and fried okra. But their fried okra was pretty good. read more

This is our go to breakfast place after an early work out (we earned it, right)? This is not fancy food, but is always fresh and hot. Their fried potatoes are the best in town, perfect balance of crispy and fluffy. Also, they know how to make a real over medium egg. Not slimy and not over cooked. The service is fast, friendly and they have has the same staff as long as we have been going there (which says a lot about how Sami treats his team). read more

This place is quaint. Plenty of parking. I missed breakfast, over at noon. The chicken melt was good, portion was extra large. Coffee was good. Service was perfect. Prices are very fair. Seems super clean. Comfy atmosphere. I will be visiting this place again, for breakfast. read more

Sami's is so good! If you're familiar with Pete's, you know this menu already. I'm happy to have a diner style (not to be confused with "country" style) spot in West Knoxville where I can get a good, cheap breakfast or a sandwich at lunch. This spot stays packed even during the week, at mid-morning. Staff is friendly, service is prompt, restaurant is clean and the food is consistently good. read more

Service was excellent! I had the Greek Omelet which has some cooked, sweet tasting onions, spinach and feta cheese. This is not something I would ever get again because of the onions. My husband had a fried chicken biscuit and it was good. Biscuit were delicious. read more

Home style cafe with breakfast omelets and daily lunch specials like a meat and three. I love Sammy's! The food is always really good but the service is always great. I really appreciate a locally owned restaurant where the owner is always present- it just seems like a better experience altogether. read more

We stopped here on our way to Nashville for a quick bite, and the food was great! Service was super fast, would definitely come back again!

Hands down this is absolutely the best breakfast place in Knoxville. My wife and I always opt for the Sami's breakfast special. The bacon is awesome. Be sure to ask for a small bowl of grits to get the full southern experience. It is included at no extra charge but you need to ask for it. It gets a little busy on the weekend but they have ample seating and any wait is worth it. There's also plenty of free parking. read more

Great breakfast and great prices. It's nothing fancy, just a good diner. It was packed on a Thursday morning at 9:30, it seems like everyone was a regular. We'll definitely be back! read more

Office party for take-out order. Food was ready at time requested. Very disappointed in the quality of chicken salad sandwiches and order was incorrect on 2 items. Cheese on burger and sandwiches were cheap quality. Maybe try other items if you are going to try but I will not be back. read more

Had three western omelet with gravy and biscuit. The eggs were flat and greasy. The onion and green pepper were a bit over done. The green peppers were more brown than green. The cheese was American, no adventure there. The ham was very good a little salty and good flavor. The biscuit and gravy were from a "can". Would not recommend unless you are a real city slicker. The staff was very friendly and efficient. Very pleasant atmosphere. Would eat here again. Cant completely judge a restaurant by one meal. read more

Excellent breakfast place. Wheat toast is the most flavorful. Prices are great. Only negative thing is the coffee cooks too hot, tastes a little burnt. Otherwise our go-to breakfast place. read more

Best breakfast/ brunch place in town. Sami's offers your good old down home cooking. And in my opinion is the best place to eat in Knoxville for breakfast read more

Great cafe! Friendly atmosphere, I had the pimento cheese sand on white bread, it was grilled to perfection and a great helping of pimento! The bread and butter pickles was amazing too.. I will be back. .. 100 on health inspection as well :) read more

I really have nothing negative to say about this place. The food is exceptional, hot and FAST. The biscuits are the bees knees. The staff is amazin, in this day an age it takes a real skill to assemble a "team" , and a team is what you will find at sami's. Everyone is exceptionally friendly and all the staff pitch in to make your dinning experience as good as possible. read more

Hidden little cafe with serving breakfast and lunch. Cute atmosphere, lots of older folks and families. Fairly priced. Tried lunch, may try breakfast sometime but not a restaurant I would too as one of my go-tos. read more

Excellent breakfast spot. Reminds me of home. Plenty of options at a great price. Not enough seating but well worth the wait.

Wanting to try somewhere for breakfast we found Sami's. Cute seat yourself place that has breakfast ending and lunch beginning at 11. My husband and I each got a special eggs, bacon or sausage and hash browns he got a biscuit and gravy. The only complaint was the gravy wasn't that good. The food came out fast, the service was good and the prices were fair read more

My friend and his girl took me here for breakfast one morning as I was passing through and it was delicious. Perfectly sized portions and great prices. Wished I had tried more than just the perfect omelette I got but there's always another time. read more

Excellent food! You can find Sami himself working in the kitchen or helping check people out! The family and I will definitely be back for more!! read more

They have decent to good food at a very reasonable price here. be sure to get in early to beat the weekend crowds!

Sam's is a great place to eat and relax. Family atmosphere with his parents and nephews helping make this restaurant. I'm their every Saturday and look forward to seeing everyone. Home cooking that can't be beat. read more

Great little cafe, looks like lots of local yocals frequent this joint

I've eaten here probably 6-7 times now, so that alone probably tells you something! If you're one of those people that says "Gee, I'm so sick of eating at chain restaurants", then this place is probably just what you're looking for. It's small and it's busy and the prices are really low, so sometimes you have to wait a little bit. Same with the food - once or twice I've had to wait longer than expected for the food to show up; but when you order the specials, the food comes much faster. I am in the Guiness Book of World Records as the "Pickiest Eater Ever", but I've found many items on the menu that I like. I've never had a bad meal here! Also - if you are in the mood for "foo-foo" food, this is NOT your kind of place. If you like "comfort food" - this IS your kind of place. Atmosphere - it's very bright - lots of big windows and natural lighting coming in. Personally, I love this. I do wish they'd put up a couple of TVs, so there would be something to watch while you wait. BTW - this is a perfect place to go at lunch, if you work nearby. By Rick Wingender read more