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    Sam's Cafe

    4.1 (237 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, American
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Sam's Cafe Photos

    SAM'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Sam's Cafe

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    Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs, with Hashbrowns and a  Waffle

    The food here was good, and so was the service. I felt that this was an average experience. I would say the prices were decent for the amount of food you get.

    Menu December 2022
    Kyle B.

    I thought this "Sam's Cafe" was similar to the one in Ceres CA which is a staple of my hometown but unfortunately it was not. Portion sizes were very small but the food was decent. The Asian American boasted restaurant feels extremely plain and the service feels "forced" versus "welcoming"

    Corned beef...
    Lydia T.

    Good for a quick breakfast. Servers were nice. Service: 9/10 Food: 5/10 Their corned beef was very salty, i would not order it again. My husband said their iced tea didnt taste good too.

    Tanya T.

    Love the nostalgic feel and friendly, efficient service. I also love the rice option. The food was decent with veggies and I added my own seasoning and salt. I did not however enjoy the biscuits and gravy. I did not enjoy the serving plate used to serve my salad nor was I too fond of the price. I wont be coming back anytime soon but so happy to see the community flock to it in droves to support and enjoy.

    Store front
    Jonnita W.

    This was a great choice to have breakfast this morning. We were able to sit outside and have the scenery amongst us. All of the ladies working here were great! Our food was tasty and cooked to our requests. You can tell the food is good here based on the customers that showed up. Some seem to be regulars Located in the east of Stockton on Miracle Mile

    David L.

    Sam's Cafe has been a fixture at the North end of the Miracle Mile (Pacific Ave) for as long as I remember. If we are in town, we make it our Sunday morning go to for an early breakfast. There are a lot of regulars who come weekly as well. The decor is pretty simple, there are three booths, counter seating and six to seven tables down the side. The owners/staff are friendly and will stop to talk, if they are not running their backsides off serving folks. The food is your simple breakfast fare (I've not been here for lunch), I usually order a omelette and my wife gets the veggie scramble. Comes with potatoes, hashed browns or country style and toast. Coffee, water, iced tea, hot tea and orange juice are some of the standard drinks offered. One day I have to take a picture. Meals for two run in the $35-$45 including tip. Can be a little noisy when full.

    Menu
    VJ M.

    This cafe has outdoor seating. Family owned and operated by the owner. As soon as you walk in they seat you right away. The food comes out right away. This is the best place to get a waffle it's delicious.

    Pam K.

    What a friendly, little cafe. The owners are so sweet and old but full of energy. I ordered a simple plate of corned beef hash with rice and eggs over easy and that came with biscuits and gravy. This place is super mom n pop, I loved it. It's pretty small inside so it probably gets very busy. They even had a sign up saying to come in twos when it's busy.

    Wendy B.

    Sam's has been around for quite some time, and is not as American a cuisine as the name implies. More like Chinese-American. Mr. B grew up in South Stockton, and this little dive of a place was where he wanted to go and drum up some sweet memories from better than 50 years ago. I no longer recall the name of where he is from, but the chef is the real deal; he comes from a region of China known for their really good cuisine. We decided it would be breakfast on a Sunday. Surprisingly, it was not busy, but the majority of dishes flying out of the kitchen were typical American fare. We needed good, old fashioned, 1960's vintage, Cantonese food for breakfast, so we asked if we could order off the dinner menu. Of course, she said. So there it was...Black Bean Spare Ribs and a plate of Chinese fried chicken. And one salad, consisting of iceberg lettuce and some tomato chunks (lousy salad dressing choices). Oh yes, and a serving of rice for the Filipino guy. Not your typical breakfast, and not your typical Chinese meal. But it suited us quite well, and both entrees were great. The black bean spareribs tasted as good as the day he remembered so long ago. Delicious. The chicken, not greasy and still moist, with just a touch of a Chinese-flavored marinade, reminded us this was not a KFC wannabe. Better. The leftovers the next day were still sensational. This tiny cafe consists of 3 booths, 6 tables. There is seating for 5 at the counter and 3 small tables outside on the Pacific Ave. sidewalk. We were happy with our two dishes and will mark that down as a place to revisit and reminisce.

    So good

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    3 months ago

    Sam's Cafe is warm and welcoming. I like the waffles and the pancakes too. Give them a try.

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    1 year ago

    Great service very friendly family that owns this place. Food was amazing.! The place was tiny, but perfect! Definitely recommend this place

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    11 months ago

    Food is delicious and service is awesome. Ambiance is homey and Sam takes every opportunity to come greet and talk his patrons.

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    great place. cozy little establishment and May is the sweetest and loves to interact with the customers. Recommend and will return again.

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    3 years ago

    Friendly, great customer service and good food. You can tell they have regular customers. We will definitely be back.

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Yen Du Restaurant

    4.4
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    2.5 mi
    $$

    Wow! This is hands down the best Chinese food we have ever had. Tried this as something different…read moreand at the advice of a friend who has been going since they were a child. Friendly service and very efficient! They have the system down, from ordering to serving, filling waters and boxing up the leftovers! Beautiful ceiling and clean restaurant. Lots of people but it didn't feel cramped, tables are laid out to still feel like you can have conversations without neighbors hearing every word. Food was hot, flavorful and plentiful! We wanted an overall tasting of some of the most popular items so we got a family meal and our waiter helped us tailor/sub a couple choices. Trust their recommendations! We already want to go back and bring family/friends with us!

    A truly satisfying meal. This used to be a regular spot for us when we visited our daughter in…read morecollege. They always served up a wonderful meal. Turn the clock forward a decade and guess what, the food is still outstanding and the service is still attentive and kind. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive for us so we were good and hungry when we got into town. The owner greeted us warmly and a friendly server (her son), came by to help us. We decided to order: Hot & sour soup - heaven in a big bowl. Savory broth filled with delicious ingredients. It was well flavored, not too spicy or tangy Mu shu chicken - 4 pancakes with hoisin sauce. Our server wrapped our first ones for us. The dish contained the typical scrambled egg, sliced cabbage, protein, etc and it was fresh and tasty Beef with asparagus -noted in the entry that asparagus was in season so we had to order it. Meat was tender and the asparagus was cooked beautifully House chow mein - Fried perfectly and not doused in a bunch of sauce or oil. The protein on this dish was plentiful and it was simple and delicious. I loved how they didn't add chives/green onion to these dishes. The hot & sour soup had a few little green onions for color but this is the first time I've been to a Chinese restaurant that doesn't overfill the dishes with onions (as I don't like onions). Maybe that's the reason I enjoyed everything so much. Portions are very generous! We had lots of yummy leftovers. Our server told us that two of his brothers were the chefs. My kudos to them; they certainly know how to cook!

    Photos
    Ceiling Tile
    Ceiling Tile
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    Prawns in lobster sauce. Loved all the added veggies--delicious!
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    4.2
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    1.0 mi
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    Hands down my favorite Chinese restaurant in Stockton! Whether it's takeout or dine-in, my family…read morehas ordered from China Village since I was a kid and we keep coming back because the quality and prices have remained consistently great over the years. Their entire menu is incredibly affordable (a la carte dishes are ~$12 and lunch special combination plates are ~$11 on average) with generous portion sizes. The general chicken is a MUST! Such a flavorful sauce. My order is not complete without this dish, there's really just nothing like it. I also highly recommend their spicy pepper ribs and mongolian beef. I'm pretty picky about chow mein and theirs is unmatched; I love the flavor and especially the thicker noodles they use. Service is always really quick, the staff truly treats customers like family, and the food comes out hot and fresh every time. It's an unassuming hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but such a gem! They have a loyal customer for life in me.

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    Photos
    China Village
    General Chicken lunch with fried rice
    General Chicken lunch with fried rice
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    Chicken Chow Mein, Sweet and Sour Pork
    M Kitchen Buffet

    M Kitchen Buffet

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    Photos
    Buffet
    Buffet
    M Kitchen Buffet
    Dining area and front door.

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    Dining area and front door.
    Wild Chinese Buffet

    Wild Chinese Buffet

    4.4
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    11.9 mi

    Wild Chinese Buffet did NOT disappoint! The service is…read moreamazing, and the couple running the place are always so nice when we come in! I loaded my container up with spicy Szechuan chicken, garlic chicken, Mongolian beef, and white rice. Everything was fresh, hot, and seriously flavorful. You can tell the food isn't just sitting there, it actually tastes like it was just made. It helps when you actually see the cooks changing out the food regularly! And let's talk about portions... they PACK those containers to the point they barely close definitely got my money's worth and then some. For the price, if you're anywhere near this spot, this is the move. Big Back verified I'll definitely be coming back again!

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    Photos
    Party trays. Small and large (double)
    Party trays. Small and large (double)
    Wild Chinese Buffet
    Wild Chinese Buffet

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    Chow To Go Chinese Restaurant

    Chow To Go Chinese Restaurant

    4.1
    (143 reviews)
    4.6 mi
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    I visited Chow To Go Chinese Restaurant in Stockton, CA [3255 W Hammer Ln] on Sunday, 05/03/26,…read morearound 7:50 PM, approaching the closing time of 8:00 PM. Thankfully, I was able to place a takeout order over the phone successfully at 7:30 PM. I had the following for dinner: * Beef & Broccoli with White Rice * Hot & Sour Soup What I truly loved the most about this restaurant was the authentic flavor and taste of the Chinese food. The execution of both dishes was extraordinarily superb. On top of that, the price points were extremely reasonable. I'd say this to-go-only restaurant is a hidden gem; an incredible hole-in-the-wall spot. I love and adore supporting local mom + pop restaurants such as this one. I highly recommend stopping by for delectable Chinese cuisine, with pleasant service and affordable prices.

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    Photos
    Chow To Go Chinese Restaurant
    Dried Fried Ribs
    Dried Fried Ribs
    Inside

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    Inside

    Sam's Cafe - chinese - Updated August 2026

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