A good sized portion & great flavor options. The staff were super friendly and helpful about what to get since we were undecided. He encouraged us to try different flavors for a colorful plate & wide range of taste and so glad he did!! Matsuri was a cream sauce with a hint of ginger, spicy garlic had just the right amount of kick (red pepper flake/sriracha) , Teri Garlic was a standard teriyaki sauce. Atmosphere was calm on a Thursday night. Cool outdoor setting. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Spicy garlic shrimp, Matsuri Shrimp, da plate side, a la carte steak Teri garlic. - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

No, I don't have any pictures of my food from Sam's... because it never lasts long enough!! That's the truth! First time to Oahu 2 years ago, my gf and I stumbled across Sam's Kitchen due to it being the couple few places still open at that hour. We are from the city so it was nice to find a place operating at our back-home hours. Simple menu but some of the BEST and AUTHENTIC tastes you'll find around the island. This place started my quest to find the best garlic shrimp. The 5-stars is for that dish of theirs alone! If you are a fan of garlic, butter, and shrimp... then this is exactly what you have been missing when coming to this absolute dream of a place. Thank me later, but if you're here late night... be sure to check out the grilled cheese spot next door as well! read more

Garlic steak was so good (and made me full again haha) Big portions for 6 bucks?! Say lesssss The cashier was so friendly and goofy and made the food taste better. Choose your meat, then sauce, then your portion, overall very juicy teriyaki garlic steak and a whole lot of rice and Mac salad!! Spicy garlic shrimp was also devoured. Sitting outside made Waikiki night life super entertaining and chill to watch, you'll be surprised by how deli shoes this small, local place is. Def befriend the cashier, had me cackling the whole time :) read more

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Was looking for a good shrimp spot near my hotel in Waikiki and luckily stumbled upon Sam's! The spicy shrimp was delicious and hit the spot! To top it all off, the service was great. I will definitely be back. read more

Came here to grab some food after a few drinks. It was one of the only places open (even McDonald's was closed). We got their garlic shrimp plate. For about $20 - it was just alright. It tasted solid but nothing like Giovanni's and definitely on the pricier side. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The bar service from rock Star Donny is the best in all of Hawai'i. The food is pretty good too, but definitely drop in and say hi to Donny. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Rock Star Donny the bar tender at Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Love love! Amazing food! Amazing service! Cute location. The garlic shrimp is off the charts friggin deeeeelicios! Don't miss this spot when visiting Waikiki. All employees go over and above to welcome you. Love love this hidden gem! Located just a couple of blocks from the action. read more

The tofu was cooked and seasoned well. Nice indoor and outdoor seating. Great late night food. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Teriyaki Garlic Tofu - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love their spicy garlic shrimp and plantation iced tea. My second time eating there. Would also having gelato a few doors down afterwards for dessert read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Located in Waikiki, I love this place. You order thru a window, but they do offer indoor and outdoor seating as well. Their shrimp and steak are amazing. You pretty much choose your protein and then one of their amazing sauces. For the price, so worth it, food is oozing out of the box from how much they fill it. I've been a returning customer for sometime, and will continue to be. The staff is amazing as well, you definitely feel the 'Aloha' here. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Steak plate (rare) with their spiciest sauce... mmmm - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Sooooo gooooddddd. Hawaii is really with their garlic shrimp and steak and sams kitchen is no exception. First off all, the fries were super crispy. The shrimp itself was really nice and juicy. I literally fell in love with seafood because of my time in Waikiki. Next, the steak was really tender and filling. I'm really glad I got to try both the shrimp and steak as both were really good and unique experiences. Also, the portions were super generous and sooo worth the price. Overall, we loved the food and it was definitely worth the price!!! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

All four of us got sick from the food. First place we ate in Waikiki and it was disappointing. We couldn't eat for the rest of the day and part of the next day. It was instant too. We spent $100 and it wasn't good. It looks pretty and the shrimp were a good size. My husband was the only one who liked his flavor. First and last time of us. Also the lady wasn't very informative or very friendly. The seating area is not very appealing either. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Looks good but made me sick. - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

As we're looking at the menu outside the food stand, the owner comes out to us and starts telling us all about the menu. We didn't expect him to educate us about all the flavors and combinations, and it was quite an experience listening to him. We eventually picked out the cajun chicken and shrimp with the whole platter. The food was very filling and I can't wait to be back! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Mediocre. There were better places for shrimp like Giovanni's in the north shore. Not sure why their original garlic was so popular, couldn't taste the garlic at all. read more

I've been eating at Sam's for years. It's a simple menu, steak, chicken, shrimp, pick from a variety of sauces, served with rice, Mac salad, potato salad and green salad. It's always good, the service is great and it's a good value. I order steak with spicy garlic sauce, and extra Mac salad. It never disappoints. read more

The cashier guy seems nice without the extra sweet talk. Extremely uncomfortable to order. Food looks nothing like the photos. The steak is cheap, dry and grey. Didn't include salad in our orders. Only star is for being open late and walking distance from our hotel. Wouldn't eat here again. read more

We were so tired and wanted something we could bring back to the hotel. The sauces got me and we went for the Teriyaki/garlic combo. Both hubby and I agree that this is hands down one of the best places we have eaten in Waikiki! Definitely a silent sleeper. We weren't expecting anything more than a standard shrimp dinner but everything was amazing. The salad with the papaya vinaigrette was very delicate. The rice was cooked perfectly (rice is rice but some places can really mess it up). The potato salad (and hubby usually hates potato salad) was on point. The shrimp was plump, juicy and seasoned perfectly!!! I ate myself to beyond full. We loved it so much that we had it again the second night. Since we ordered online there wasn't much to the service, but I will say when we picked up the food we were always greeted with a smile. There are some picnic tables outside and in a little alcove, but we never ate there. If I could give more stars I would. If I could take this back home I would! Absolutely a must try! I hope they are still here when we come back. read more

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Came late one night when there were barely any other customers. Ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl togo but later when we were about to eat, there was literally no chicken. Just rice. Given that it was late at night without a crowd, not sure how this could have happened. Definitely check your take out orders before you leave! read more

I think about my meal here at least once a day. It was my first meal in Hawaii and it was so good we went back the next day. The chicken was so juicy and the sauce was so Would recommend to any tourist or local near Waikiki. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Tummy ache after. But could also be related to eating three shrimp plates in a day, so I can't truly confirm! Buuuuttt that makes me uniquely qualified to review Sam's, Giovanni's, and Ono's. Sam's was too salty, light on garlic, and definitely too oily. However shrimps were definitely the largest! Kinda a "dirty" experience to be honest - sitting in this alley way, with graffitied walls, just off Main Street of Kuhio. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Garlic shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

10/5 stars. Ahi tuna bowl was....beautiful The potato mac salad seemed odd. Turned out to be Some of the most perfectly crispy fries I've ever had. You're missing out if you don't try this spot. read more

Every time I'm in Honolulu I come here! The food is fresh, delicious, huge portions, the flavor is amazing, and it's BYOB! I dream of the shrimp! Don't pass this up! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Found this spot as it was right around the corner from our hotel. The guy who took my order was super nice and brought the food out to us when it was ready. We sat in their separate covered dining area. Very clean. I ordered the garlic shrimp which came with rice, green salad and Mac salad. Wish they added the sauce to the rice but the flavor was great. I liked it better than Giovanni's in the North shore. Good portion. read more

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Hawaiian style "pick your plate". Pick your protein from sirloin steak, chicken (white), tofu, large shrimp, the pick your sauce from teriyaki garlic, or garlic, spicy garlic, Fuji curry or Matsuri. Get a plate with rice, green salad and potato Mac salad. Portions are large, we shared ours and got the chicken with pineapple teriyaki sauce, delicious, hubs chowed down the potato Mac salad, do's it must've been good, green salad fresh and dressing was onolishous! Drinks consist of bottled water and canned soda, eat outside on shaded benches and watch the tourists stroll by. Only complaint are the dozens of nasty pigeons that walk and poop on the tables - so gross! read more

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We checked this place out mainly based on the high rating (4.1) and good photos. Big mistake. The food is mediocre at best and overpriced ($20 for a small serving of poke). I would not recommend this place. Other reviewers mention potentially "fake reviews" and I agree 100%. read more

Not the same as it was a couple years ago. Portions were small for the amount I use to pay.. the food is delicious, but not worth the uprate in costs. Might as well go to a restaurant and pay the same price but for bigger portions. Outdoor seating is abundant and clean. Place is comfortable for kids and parking is on the street. Do your self a favor and pass on this. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Steak and shrimp.. does not look like the photo, for $30. - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Oh sweet Sammy! This review is way past due. I was craving garlic shrimp kind of late at night and stumbled on Sam's kitchen. I placed the order for pickup and the auntie who helped me called me to let me know there wasn't any parking so she would run it out to my car The food is a good bang for your buck and would definitely recommend to everyone read more

Came back after our first trip in 2013! When we went years ago, we had the pleasure of meeting Sam! Really cool down to earth guy and he had given us some of his personally taken photos that we still have!!! Feb we went (before this madness) and the menu doesn't seem to have changed too much. 1. Check in on app to get a FREE pineapple tea, this stuff is sweet but so good. 2. Garlic shrimp: honesty I love sauce, and to me this is lacking that 3. SPICY GARLIC SHRIMP is where it is at! Garlicky, tons of sauce that just soaks up into the rice, pure heaven. Hoping to see everyone come out of this even stronger! Stay safe all read more

Sam's Kitchen - Spicy garlic shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We just happened to stumble on this place while figuring out what was for dinner. We saw a line, so we decided to check it out. We just had garlic shrimp at the North Shore and Poke today. We decided to pick another protein and paired it with spicy garlic. We ordered a combo of white rice, potato salad, and fresh spinach. The verdict: The (medium) steak was a bit too chewy, but I liked the flavor with a hint of spiciness. The food came out fast within 10 min. Might give it another try though with another protein. read more

Absolutely not worth the money. I paid $30 for stale rice, 9 pieces of Ahi and 4 small shrimp? If you look at the photo, you'll see they've obviously scooped Ahi back off of the rice and still served it to me. The staff said, "you can walk back to the kitchen and ask why they've served it like that and ask for new rice." I eat poke everyday. This rice was stale and had no flavor. The Ahi was bland and flavorless. The shrimp was ok, but I will not be back ever again. I 100% do not recommend. There's a million other amazing places on the island with better quality for much less money. read more

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1 hour wait. Wrong order. Most people we talked to also got the wrong order, one person waited 1.5 hours. Woulda been okay if the food was at least good, but it was gross. Ordered matsuri, and all I got was mayo shrimp. You can look through their pictures, and definitely does not look like matsuri. Btw, lady taking orders is rude Tried to get refund, but the wrong food came out. Definitely do not recommend. Most people tonight waited minimum an hour, and a few got wrong orders. Especially with a limited menu, saying no more garlic. Unfortunate that the food ended up this way, because if it was at least good, the wait would be not as horrendous. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Wrong order, 1 hour wait. Food sucks, tried to get a refund, but the wrong food came out as I asked. Don't recommend. No one got the food - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Easy to miss, unassuming food spot. You order at the counter and they have some seats in front and back of the order counter. You pick your protein (shrimp, steak, tofu etc.), sauce of choice, and whether you want it half of full plate. You can make anything a meal which will come with salad, mac salad and rice. We ordered full steak teri garlic and spicy shrimp plate. The flavors are BOMB!! We can on a friday night at 11:30 pm and came back the next day at 1:30 pm. Definitely stop by. The flavor bomb is well worth it. read more

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Service Boyfriend and I ordered our food today 5/11/24 around 4ish and I've been hella waiting to try this out from the pictures and from all the great reviews plus the star rating. This lady who was on her phone and didn't notice us till I said hello through the window at the cashier's area. After giving her my order she asks me, do you want it in a bowl or a plate, I told her we're ordering to go, upon which she responds with a condescending smirk and begins to talk slowly to me and re-asks do you want it in a bowl or a plate and points to, "to go boxes". Like hunny, maybe they didn't teach you in school the difference between what is a bowl, what is a plate, and what is a to go box. LOL, I just laughed it off, coz obviously this was her first day on the job. I then ask her, what fresh juices do you have, and instead of informing me what it is, since it's not labeled on the menu, she gives me a free sample of this hella sweet ass "fresh" pineapple juice thing, that tasted like Dole pineapple juice from a box mixed with POG. It was cold, so I guess that's how they can say that this is fresh juice? She also described the difference between the "bowl" and the "plate" by telling me, one has rice only, one has rice, or salad. So I asked which one, and she gives her smirk and condescending slow toned explanation of "which one it is". Hope she picks things up soon, coz 4pm on a Saturday and no one is in restaurant while the Italian restaurant next to you is packed with people, doesn't look so promising, maybe it's the service? Food I ordered the garlic steak, medium rare..... it was well done, and rubbery fams. Like a leather boot, and the garlic sauce or whatever they call that hoisin sauce with Costco pre-minced garlic concoction was... I think my 12 year old niece who watches Iron Chef can cook a better piece of meat. Boyfriend had the shrimp with their pineapple sauce, didn't try it myself, but he said it was good. Potato+macaroni salad was decent. Poke bowl with rice, man, absolutely never again. Had no taste, fish didn't look or taste fresh. Had one bite, didn't swallow it. All in all, mine and my boyfriend's trash can had a great time, coz it ate their food more than we did. God bless this restaurant and the food and the people who enjoy eating there. I wish you all well (= read more

We ordered a plate with shrimp in the spicy garlic sauce and the chicken in teriyaki garlic. This sauce was nonexistent it was so bland. The chicken was dry and the shrimp was over cooked. The Mac salad tasted just like mayo. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A little pricy for a shrimp plate but the shrimps were so good. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and texture and flavor of the garlic sauce was on point. The teriyaki garlic sauce had a nice sweetness to it but I preferred the original garlic shrimp (both were good). The lunch plates came with rice, mac salad, and a butter lettuce salad. In my opinion, ordering the shrimp ala carts is probably more worth it. Overall pleased with Sam's kitchen! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Teri-Garlic Sauce and Original Garlic Sauce shrimp plates - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We tried Sam's Kitchen during one of our first nights in Waikiki, because we didn't have reservations elsewhere and didn't want to wait in a long line for food. My wife has a gluten allergy, so we were trying to figure out a "good" order to accommodate her allergy, and it was a bit challenging for some reason. The hostess didn't seem super enthusiastic to help us figure stuff out and seemed to get annoyed by our questions regarding what was in the different sauces. We ordered the 8 oz top sirloin steak with sauce in the side and proceeded to wait about 20-25 minutes or so for our food. I had enough time to walk to another restaurant, order food, and come back before the ordered was finished. Ultimately, we found the steak to be over-cooked. We wanted medium-rare and it was more closer to well-done than it was to medium-rare, like many of the pictures. Because of this, the steak lacked flavor and was overly chewy. At $20 a plate, it was fairly disappointing. I have heard the shrimp is good, so maybe we'll try that next time. As for steak, there are better options elsewhere (in my opinion). read more

We could not believe it but it was so hard to find a place open for a late dinner while walking around Waikiki on a Wednesday night in the summer! All down Kalakaua was closed, so I searched for restaurants open near me and this one popped up so we headed to Sam's. Thankfully we were not disappointed! One of our group always craves fries and for National French Fry Day we wanted to come through. Sam's is a great plate lunch place hidden in the middle of busy Waikiki. You have your choice of protein (I chose shrimp; it's tail on shell off so easy to eat), sauce (I got spicy garlic which was quite spicy but not overly so), sides (you can make it a plate with rice, salad, and potato mac salad, or you can just add one or more sides like fries; I just chose to add potato mac salad since I don't need rice). They also had other sides like the vegan spring rolls with sweet thai chili sauce (pretty good), fries, or onion rings (breaded so pass, I'll keep the roof of my mouth in tact thank you very much). Great seating area with picnic tables in the front, and clean restroom in the back. When you're in need of late night grinds in Waikiki this is a good pick! read more

Sam's Kitchen - spicy garlic shrimp, potato mac salad, vegan spring rolls with sweet thai chili sauce - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Was just randomly walking around Waikiki and I stubble upon a long line at Sam's Kitchen so I wondered how come its so busy. I checked this place on yelp and they're known for their garlic steak/shrimp plates. So okay, I will try this out! They have FREE Pineapple Plantation Ice Tea when you check in on Yelp! Not sure how long the offer its going to last but don't forget! *How to order* Pick your meats: -Chicken -Shrimp -Beef -Poke $10 charge if you want an extra meat choice in your plate Pick your flavor: -Garlic -Spicy garlic -Pineapple teriyaki -Matsuri -Dry curry Included sides potato salad, tossed salad (oriental sauce), and rice. I picked the garlic beef and pineapple teriyaki shrimp plate with only rice and salad. I'd say the pineapple teriyaki shrimp was pretty good! The pineapple plantation ice tea was refreshingly sweet but they don't have a lid to cover it :\ just a heads up! The garlic beef was cooked well done so if you don't want that, please let them know how you want it cooked lol. It can be very busy so expect to wait 10-20 minutes in line. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Pineapple teriyaki shrimp and garlic beef. No potato salad, just tossed salad and pineapple plantation iced tea. - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First, I have been here numerous times in numerous trips. It is always at the top of my list for a quick quality bite. Service - everyone is always helpful and great. I did meet Mo on this last trip and he is wonderful; he will take good care of you. Food - simple menu, everything is fantastic; I have tried everything on the menu. Favorite protein for me are the shrimp, fish, or steak. Lol that probably doesn't help but it's all good. Ambiance- Has a few tables to dine at. It's outdoor. Order at the window and they will drop it to your table. Can't wait for the next round. read more

Doesn't look like much, just looks like a hole-in-the-wall joint as you walk by. We had just put our name down on a waitlist to try Ramen Nakamura but since the wait-time was forever we decided to go somewhere else while waiting. My husband was dying of hunger so we decided to give this place a try. TIP: You can BYOB! So that was awesome. In hindsight, we probably should have ordered one entree to share but we weren't thinking with our brains and thought with our stomachs....we ended up ordering an entree with 1/2 beef & 1/2 shrimp that was extra spicy garlic for me and another entree with garlic shrimp, not spicy for my husband. The food was delicious, sprinkled with that Hawaiian magic, and a little bit of Aloha. Definitely give this joint a try! read more

Sam's Kitchen - YUMMY! BYOB too - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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