Great food, great staff. Sam is a character that we so enjoyed. Treats his customers well both old and new. No wonder my niece who just graduated from UC Davis loves this place. I'm quite far from this place, but I'll go back for the food and the good vibes. God Bless Sam Thank you read more

I didn't want to resort to a bad review, but here's the deal: they have the best dolmas, which I have been craving for MONTHS. But they always seem to close early. Sometimes as much as an HOUR early. Today as we were walking up, they closed their curtains and turned off the open sign 20 minutes early. We have tried to call in advance, but they don't answer their phone. This may be the 5th or 6th attempt, and I guess I should give up at this point. What a shame! read more

We came here on a local recommendation because apparently everyone in Davis LOVES Sam's. Like... say it with conviction. So of course we had to see what the hype was about. And I get the charm. It's in a converted house, super casual, quirky decor, very "we've been here forever and we know it." Order at the counter, find a seat, go with the flow. But for our first time... it didn't quite land. Service was great, no complaints there. Friendly, quick, efficient. But everything came out full takeout mode... styrofoam boxes, plastic forks that could not handle lettuce let alone falafel, and those tiny plastic water cups that make you question your hydration strategy. Meanwhile we're sitting inside like... are we dining or on a field trip? We got rice plates and nothing was bad, just nothing had that wow moment. It was all... fine. Steady. No pause mid bite. No "oh this is GOOD." I will say, places like this become staples for a reason. They're consistent, familiar, and part of the local routine. You can tell this is one of those spots people grow up on and keep coming back to without overthinking it. For me, I wanted a little more flavor and a little less takeout energy while actually eating there. Also parking is... optimistic. Plan accordingly. Would I go back? Maybe. Would I bring a real fork next time? Absolutely. read more

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Sam's has a warm, authentic vibe from the moment you walk in. The music and friendly staff was great. I ordered the falafel pita, and I was impressed with the size. It was generously filled with falafel, and the pita and vegetables were fresh. My favorite part of the entire sandwich was actually the pickle, which tasted homemade and was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, the falafel itself was the weak point. It lacked the bold seasoning and flavor I was expecting, and I could noticeably taste the cooking oil, which took away from the overall experience. Overall, the meal was edible and the atmosphere was enjoyable, but the food didn't quite live up to what I've had at other places. While I'm glad I gave it a try, it wasn't memorable enough for me to return. read more

It's been a while since I've come to Sam's. I was downtown and craving something filling and delicious. I ordered beef over salad (a very generous portion) and it was enough food to last me the rest of the day. Service was very quick. Ambiance is that of a really old Davis house, but decorated in Middle Eastern vibes. I don't mind it. I appreciate that it is so close to campus. Rent on the place can't be cheap. Anyway, the meal was delicious and filling, so I was happy. Maybe a bit too rich (meat is juicy and flavorful and probably 1000 calories), but it hit the spot. I'll be back to try their pitas a read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef Shawarma Over Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

I tried the mix (beef/lamb/chicken) meat over rice and it came packed with rice, meat, grilled onion, cucumber tomato salad, and sauce. The ratio of all of the components was perfect although the rice and salad were a little oil-heavy for my preferences. The meat had nice crispy edges while the inside was succulent. Very reasonably priced meal and good quality of food. The lady that took our order was very sweet. Excited to try the falafel and dolmas next. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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Have been driving past this place for years always wanting to try. My brother called and asked if I wanted to try them out as he did. Why have I been driving past!!!?!?!? This place is phenomenal ! Great portions , great flavor and great service . They're actually happy to serve you food ! Went on Saturday close to 4 not very packed but I hope they get good business because it's well deserved. Would've liked a tad more sauce but hey you can ask for it. I HATE tomatoes but their salad was so fresh and tasty that I had to down a few(: , Great place I will be back and if YOU haven't been , what are you waiting for ?! P.s. almost forgot to mention , the Dolmas were great (: thank you very much to the owner and employees read more

Tried this a while back and absolutely loved the spot though it's been years since I tried it so can't wait to go back. I tried their beef shawarma which was pretty delicious, would definitely go back! Definitely recommend!! read more

Favorite place in downtown Davis. Great fresh ingredients, hearty food, cute ambiance inside and fast service. Never crowded, cannot believe its not more busy. I usually get a chicken plate but ypu cannot really go wrong with anything. read more

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Food was sooo good. We ordered takeout beef platter. The beef will melt in your mouth. The rice was so fluffy. We also ordered chicken schawarma and it is amazing as well. Service was excellent. Restaurant is nice and cozy but hard to find parking. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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Very good service, the employee was very friendly and helpful to us. The indoor decor was also very cool. This was the best, tastiest mediterranean cuisine I have tried out of about three or four places in the Sacramento area. It was also the best value for the amount of food. I am looking forward to coming back to this place in the future. read more

Sam's Cuisine - the avengers were here - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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Sam's Cuisine is a staple in Davis. I've been going here since I attended UCD for my undergrad, and I still continue to visit whenever I'm in Davis. The atmosphere is cozy and homey and the service is always amazing! I always get their beef or mix shawarma over rice and it is the best! The meat is nicely seasoned. Since it's mixed with the rice, you get a good meat to rice ratio in each bite. This mixed with their yogurt sauce is chef's kiss! The added salad provides a refreshing taste to the mix as well. Truly, Sam's will forever be a favorite of mine. Maybe it's partially nostalgia, but the service, portion sizes, and taste really are memorable! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef Shawarma over rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

I always order the chicken shawarma over rice because the meat is tender and seasoned perfectly. The portion sizes are huge and will leave you feeling completely satisfied. read more

Sam's has been around for a long time and you can definitely see why when you dine here! The food is delicious, we ordered a beef shawarma over rice and a mixed shawarma over rice. The portions were large, I ate half at the restaurant and brought the remainder with me to the airport. I successfully brought it through TSA and enjoyed it at my gate while everyone else ate bland, overpriced airport food. The service was excellent, after our meal we were given a complimentary baklava type dessert! There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and it's located right by Central Park for prime people watching. read more

Sam's Cuisine - mixed shawarma over rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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First time here. Came in for lunch on a Saturday. I've walked by this place so many times and finally stopped in. It wasn't super busy. Cute restaurant. Staff quickly greeted us with a smile. I ordered the shawarma with chicken over salad. It was a good size. It had thinly sliced chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, a few olives, purple onions, & pickles. I've never had chicken like this. It's very different from any chicken I've ever had. Texture was interesting. It was ok or maybe I just wish I knew how the chicken was cooked because it was so thin I almost wondered if it was real. I should've asked but was on a time crunch. I like the salad very fresh & enjoyed the dressing more. Love the pickle. I didn't wait long for my order. The young lady who took my order & greeted us was so friendly. Great customer service. I ate outdoors as it was a beautiful day but indoor seating had home feel to it. Loved the decor. read more

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Sam's shawarma shall always have a special spot in my heart. I've been a patron ever since undergrad when they were at their original location before moving to their current spot (#ciocolat). I got to spend almost 12 years in Davis for either school or work. I know during or around Covid they were closed for awhile, but I'm so glad they are open again and the food is still fire! Most recent visit I got a mixed (beef and chicken) shawarma on pita, and a side of falafels was plenty! Make sure to get both sauces (tahini and yogurt) and hot sauce if you want. The meat is so tender and tasty. I didn't see if they still offer lamb though. It maintains its homey feel/charm, order at the counter and your food is brought out to you. Indoor and outdoor seating, otherwise take it to go and enjoy it at Central Park. Can't wait for an excuse to come back soon. read more

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Lots of shawarma, salad/pita/rice were great, super nice host service, interior is clean and homely, dolma is not for me but everything was not too expensive overall! read more

Sam's Cuisine - beef shawarma platter and dolma side - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Meh. Seriously surprised at all the high reviews for this place. We were en route back from Sacramento to the Sonoma coast and we wanted a fast casual meal. Saw the high ratings and stopped by. My wife and I ordered two mixed plates in lettuce and it was supposed to include lamb/beef and chicken shawarma and when the lovely young lady working the counter asked if we wanted it "hot and spicy" we said yes for both. What arrived was a big salad but oddly a weirdly mushy and oddly colored precut and highly processed looking mystery type protein. Both the two colors of band aide size pieces of "meat" were buried underneath what was a passable salad lacking any suggestion of this being shawarma or gyro or even anything of middle eastern origin. We picked around the mystery mushy meats and did our best to make a meal out of what was essentially a below average salad in a plastic bowl and drenched in what seemed like Italian dressing ?! Nothing hot or spicy and not even any hummus or any salads you'd expect on a middle eastern style bowl ? WTF ? Odd, awful texturally and taste wise and for $20X 2 =$40.00 for the two of us just for those mystery meat salads a big bowl of disappointment. Nice folks working at the counter and seemingly a lovely family run business in what looks to be an older home converted into a restaurant - not a meal or place we could recommend to anyone. Seriously. This place sucked. Are there no other options in town for this place to appear to have so many high ratings ? What gives ?! I can't imagine that there aren't plenty of better salads in town if that's what you're looking for. Meh. Really really awful meals x2 We won't be back. Wish the YELP reviews hadn't steered us here. Bad food featuring overly processed mystery meat. Bleech !! Hard pass. read more

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In town for a work trip and was looking for something fresh, and it was some of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had! Staff was extremely friendly. Could not believe the amount of food we got for the price too, looking forward to the next time I'm in Davis, definitely coming back! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Chicken Shawarma Over Rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Friendly staff! It feels very homey inside the restaurant. Got the beef shawarma and chicken. Both were good. Appears to be a local favorite. read more

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This shawarma plate here was nothing like I've ever had before! They mix the meat with the rice, and this honestly makes a lot of sense. Everything is mixed together and the flavors mend together perfectly. The shawarma is seasoned so well! I absolutely loved the onions they give on top, and we asked for our plates spicy which I highly recommend. The salad on the side was fresh and the tomatoes were so sweet & juicy! I'm only not giving 5 stars because on our visit, they were out of the shawarma platter (one of their main dishes) and it was only around 5PM. My card also got charged double for my order but they were quick to refund me in cash. We walked in and all the workers where sitting down; looked like they were in break. We were helped at the register promptly. The restaurant is really small. Looks like the downstairs floor of a house! Waters are self serve & food is served in takeout containers. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mix Shawarma Over Rice ($14.99) - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

The service was quick! Jenna at the front took our order and she was friendly and welcomed our family with warmth. While our family was eating, one of the cooks in the back asked how the food was and we told him it was all delicious. This is a Palestinian family-owned restaurant & I will support this spot over and over again. The mixed meat shawarma was delightful! So savory, meat was tender and there were no chewy parts. The sauce was perfect and the baklava... delicious! It was chill and relaxed inside. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Baklava - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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This is a great place to eat delicious food and be left alone to contemplate life. There are tables indoors amid a muraled dining room and then tables on the porch. The chicken shawarma plate came with chicken, delicious rice, a salad and pita. All yummy. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Chicken shawarma plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Still so amazing. We ordered the same things we ordered last time. Corina was with us this time and she ordered the mixed shawarma and loved it! We also ordered a side of hummus and a side of tzatziki and delicious! Great customer service, too. read more

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We spied Sam's while visiting UC-Davis, and had lunch. The large volume of the servings was as expected for a restaurant targeting college students, and was a good value. The quality of the food and service was better than we expected; we had a Chicken Shawarma on Salad, and Hummus on Pita. Indoor and outdoor seating available. (Cool decor in the single restroom.) read more

Sam's Cuisine - Chicken Shawarma on salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Hella good amazing service and spicy shawarma was super super tasty totally recommend

Been wanting to try this place since I came to Davis two years ago and thought now is a better time than ever. I dropped by early evening for a take out order of chicken shawarma over rice. The women at the register was super nice and quickly took my order and after a short wait in their seating area, I got my piping hot order of food and thanked them before heading out. Back at home, I opened the box and was surprised by the amount of food! Given the portion, I do think it's worth the price especially if you're a college student wanting a quick meal. By itself, I think the rice with the chicken was alright but with the addition of the sauce they included, it definitely gave it more flavor and a nice slight tang. I appreciated the freshness of the veggies and it had a nice dressing that was both sweet and tart. If I were to go back, I'd probably ask if they had something spicy to add in addition to the creamy, tangy sauce because as someone who enjoys spice, I think some additional heat would've really elevated the meal! Nonetheless, I think the food was filling and maybe not my favorite but I would considering trying their other menu items! Would recommend if you're in the area and are craving Mediterranean. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Chicken Shawarma rice plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

One of my favorites during my Davis day and got to take my family back this trip! Still just as delicious as I remember. Still great value. Love the larger space. Service was quick and friendly. read more

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Service was excellent, food was quick and delicious and I appreciated the indoor and outdoor dining and decor. If you want a quick trip to the Middle East in Davis this is your spot! read more

The service was good, and the restaurant interior was charmingly decorated. I ordered the mixed shawarma to go, and ate outside in the park. Food came out fast. They had a really fun variety of soft drinks to choose from, as well. The problem is that the shawarma was really bad. The wrap was very mushy and sticky even though I ate it very soon after receiving the order. Both meats, the chicken and ???, looked watery and were broken into little bits. The texture was mushy and the flavor was bad. Neither meat was pleasant to eat. There wasn't a lot of it either. The majority of the shawarma was lettuce and vegetable, with some dressing. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive so I wonder if I just had bad luck. Really disappointing. read more

Great food and great service. The best shawarmas ever. It doesn't get any better than Sam's!

This is the best Mediterranean/middle eastern food I've ever had. The sauce is rich, the veggies are fresh, the meat is tender, juicy, and well seasoned without being salty. Prices are good, portion size is good. I wish there was a location in my city Sacramento. read more

Stopped in last minute after seeing some reviews. This place did not disappoint! I got the lamb platter and a side salad. Very reasonably priced, large portions and came out fast! Excellent service!! I've spent a lot of time in the Middle East and this reminded me a lot of the food there. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Lamb platter and a side salad. - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

There are so many great things to say about this place! For starters, I really like this cute little restaurant, the inside gives off a very cozy atmosphere, and I found myself really enjoying being in it. So quick, we got our food really quickly and that was great because we were cold and hungry, and it was just the best thing my brother kept mentioning practically with every bite how fresh everything was! He got a mix Shawarma on pita and I got the mix on salad, their baklava and Dolma are both really good! Every time I come to Davis, I will definitely make a stop here. It's that good! The staff were really really nice and everyone treated me with a smile and enthusiasm, thank you for a great experience! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Ah Sam's my beloved... I recently went for the first time this quarter and fell to my knees after trying the platter because I can't believe I've missed out on this for so long. This is def my #1 spot in Davis. Service is great, food comes out quickly, and quality is very very consistent. Platter 5/5 Everything is so perfect and compliments each other well. Just the right amount of sauce and dressing as I feel like nothing is overwhelming. Their salad is something else. Something out of this world.... I dream about those tomatoes in my sleep. Also portion size is large as usually I can not finish in 1 go.. Pita wrap 5/5 I have tried every protein and all are great,, but the texture of the chicken kabob overshadows all. As everything else on the menu there is a perfect ratio of all ingredients in the wrap. I love you Sam's Mediterranean Cuisine. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Beef shawarma on pita - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

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8 years later, this is still my version of Disney Land. Truly a magical place. Sam is the most genuine and lovely person who is absolutely a pillar of the community. Any chance I have to go back to Davis, I make it a priority to visit and get a spicy mixed over rice. 10000000000000000000000/10, my number one recommendation anywhere. read more

Sam's Cuisine - Spicy mixed over rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California

Great food and service. Had a beef schwarma pita sandwich. Just heaping with meat and veggies. Good value for the price. Friendly service. read more

Yuck w place was disapointing anyone that choose to eat here better have a strong stomach . All the customer service ppl were rude

Sam's is the gold standard for shawarma and falafel in Davis. I've been going there since I was a student at UC Davis, and now it's my family's go to many years later. We often get two Shawarma plates for all four of us, and it's more than enough. But we will still get fries because they're delicious with the spice mix sprinkled on top and always perfectly fried. But if you have little ones, be careful because the fries often come out fresh out the fryer! More and more we also get falafel on the side as our kids are growing, but really that's an excuse. Truth is we all just love them. Overall it's Great: great food, great people, and a great friendly ambience. Don't miss out. read more

We stopped by this place on our roadtrip it and it is located near UCD Campus. The service was friendly and extremely fast and the pricing were fairly low. I ordered the lamb kebab with rice and it came with yogurt side and salad. The servicing size was fairly large and is definitely something you can share with a friend. It was a perfect roadtrip meal with nice picnic tables sitting outside! read more

Sam's Cuisine - Lamb kebab with rice. - Mediterranean Near Me - Davis, California