In all my decades of driving between Houston and Dallas, I had never stopped here. Determined to finally try something new - and to not hit up the usual Buc-ee's or Woody's and the like - we stopped at Sam's last Friday. And I'm glad we did! If you're seeking something quick, gourmet, trendy, or unique, Sam's is NOT it. But if you have time to sit down at a classic Texas comfort food joint and enjoy a buffet with items such as southern fried chicken, fried catfish, brisket w. BBQ sauce, fried okra, corn, mashed potatoes, and a whole lot more, then Sam's is worth checking out. They also have an ala carte menu of southern classics. Oh, and if you opt to do the buffet as I did, you can help yourself to a few different freshly made warm desserts or ice cream, and at no extra charge. $19.99 was more than fair for buffet and that's more than fair for what you get. There is also a fruit and salad bar which I didn't partake from and I couldn't even try all the hot food. Oh well...there will be a next time! read more

Yummy...This buffet may be on the smaller side, but it's full of comfort food that hits the spot. The fried chicken was super crispy, and the mashed potatoes with white gravy were perfect alongside the brisket and corn. They also have banana pudding, cakes, pie, and jello for dessert, plus salad and punch options. What really stood out to me was the atmosphere--everyone, from the waiters to the guests, seemed to know each other. It gave the place such a warm, welcoming vibe that made the whole experience even better. I'm a picky eater, but I still found plenty to enjoy here read more

Sam's Original Restaurant - Fruit - Barbeque Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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Most mid buffet food I have ever had in my life. No seasoning, stale food, and didn't refill the brisket the whole time we were there. I was recommended this place but would not eat here again. I enjoyed the gift shop though. read more

If you're cruising up or down I-45, Sam's Original Restaurant is an absolute must-stop in Fairfield! Friendly, down-home service - and if you can, ask for Jacki. She's a fantastic server with a big personality and even better stories (the kind that make you want to linger a little longer). The food? Classic comfort food done right at very reasonable prices, plus a hot and cold buffet right in the center of the restaurant - perfect for picky eaters, big appetites, or just wanting a little bit of everything. Bonus: there's a charming general store attached, making it a fun stretch-your-legs stop with snacks and goodies to browse. Whether you're heading to or from Dallas, this spot is a feel-good break that's worth the exit every time. Updated feel with down-home comforts! Big screen, TV and bar adds to the ambience! read more

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Food is amazing. Hard to find places like this anymore. Beautiful place, clean inside is nice country home town atmosphere. Restrooms clean. The buffet is best spot from Dallas to Houston this is a must stop. You you not leave disappointed. At least I don't. Truly A++++. Ooh breastfeeding on Saturday morning and Sunday morning the best that is any where. No one else does this. read more

Sam's Original Restaurant - Buffet fit for everyone - Barbeque Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Adding the green truck in the front really gave Sam's a new feel! Not only is it really cute out there but I love seeing all the people come and take pictures with it! The service is always the best, you get the best company, from the hostess to the waitress to cashier... they will not disappoint! read more

Always good to stop at Sam's. This time my husband had the AYCE buffet and I had a patty melt. We bought a whole pecan pie to take to our family, was not at all like a regular pecan pie. Very eggy and hardly any pecans in a frozen crust. Won't make that mistake again. read more

I used to really like Sam's but it has gone way downhill. They need to change the grease or something the chicken fried steak was off. Most of the other stuff seemed straight out of a can. read more

They have buffet, yet menu has options. I had the grilled chicken caesar wrap... it was delicious. My family had BBQ and the works, and they loved it. Service was good and the ambiance friendly and busy. All good at Sam's read more

Great food. Friendly staff. The fried chicken is great. I really enjoyed. I work nearby, and when I'm in the mood for great food, I come here in Fairfield. read more

Sam's Original Restaurant is the hidden gem every Texan wants to find! My friend Jeff recommended Sam's as we were driving back from a road trip to an A&M game. Little did I know I would have one of the best American buffets in Texas! The food was wonderfully made, delicious to the bone, and packed with flavor. The salad bar was freshly prepared; I loved how they also served fresh fruit to go along with it! The service was a prime example of Southern hospitality - every single waitress so kind and greeted us with a gentle demeanor. The desserts you were definitely the best part of the buffet. There was a variety of pies, peach cobbler, and ice cream. My personal favorite was the Coconut Crean Pie - it was astronomically delicious Sam's was a wonderful conclusion to our trip! I recommend everyone traveling along I-45 to try it at least once in their lifetimes! read more

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Sam's is a buffet that focuses on meat but does offer sides, salad, and a variety of home made desserts. The staff is courteous and well trained to be attentive to your needs. You can get food to go even if you can't eat it all!! Today I enjoyed the chicken salad sandwich and homemade onion rings it was DELICIOUS!! Yesterday heading to Houston we stopped for the buffet and I loved everything I tried.... Chicken fried steak and gravy, sliced brisket, polish sausage, smoked ham steak, Mac n cheese... even the beef noodle soup was delicious per my boyfriend. We will def be back after I lose about 20 lbs! read more

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Great delicious food! Great Service! Great Pies and Cakes! Nice Little Souvenir Shop! read more

Food was cold. Waitress never came back when we complained the manager didn't even have the decency to come out just gave tiny discount. Then they wanted to charge 3% fee on debit card! read more

Today I had the wonderful experience of meeting the sweetest people at this Sams Buffet in Fairfield TX. Our waitress was a young lady by the name of Laney and was introduced to her sister and mother who were as lovely as she was.. I would like to give them all an outstanding review for their thougtfulness and courteous, and friendly actions that you just don't see in these times. I will definitely be going back there just to visit with Laney, Ariana, and Casandra. Adrienne from Oklahoma City, OK read more

The hostess is definitely not very engaging, she showed us to our table and set the menus down and quickly left before we were able to even make it to the table( good thing we actually watched where she sat the menus down at!) The restaurant was somewhat busy and the vibe was kind of like a Cracker Barrel ( in the sense of a lot of knickknacks) The food was mostly canned items, and not very good. The best take away from the experience was our server ( Nate Turner) He was very warm and welcoming with a side of quinine down home honest country man. I won't be going back but thank you Nate for the great hospitality! read more

I really like their soup and salad bar but usually choose the buffet because I live in Washington State and can appreciate some good bar-b-que Texas style! read more

Always a calm place to relax and enjoy. Foods pretty normal cafe home style cooking kinda bland but in Buffett form. Every day is a new theme and we enjoy the change up! People have always been friendly and service good. Cute little shop in the entrance that's amazing also! read more

Food was great, Selection was great, Gift Shop was great. Well worth the stop. You will have a full belly after you leave here, if ya don't, it's your own fault. Now when you look as these photos, keep in mind these are the small plate size. I can't even imagine a full size meal or having the all you eat buffet. Service was great and the ambiance was family style. read more

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Glad we stopped here for dinner, while driving from Dallas to Houston. Charming place with a country feel, like cracker barrel. We had the buffet and the food was very good with friendly service. Would highly recommend this place for any road trips stop. You will be glad you did! read more

Super cute restaurant! Had a cool old car out front. Very clean place with a relaxed atmosphere. It was pretty empty which for me is a plus (probably due to the weird time and day we came, a Thursday at 3pm.) Service - We were seated nearly instantly. We were asked if we wanted menus, and we opted for menus. When seated, a nice older lady came and took our drinks. She offered us fresh warm bread and cornbread. Our drinks were always full. At the end, she offered fountain drinks to go which is always a plus in my mind :) COVID - This was my first time being back at a buffet since COVID, but thankfully they were being extremely clean. They had someone consistently cleaning the buffet. Food - The fresh bread and cornbread that was offered was super good. My husband and I looked at the menu as well. It has lots of sandwiches, a few proper meals. The main draw of the place is the definitely the buffet, but I am glad they offer other options (including small portions.) We both ended up opting for the buffet. The buffet food is probably best described as Thanksgiving fare, minus the turkey and stuffing. Very "American homestyle buffet" food. I grabbed some of pretty much everything on the non salad side, so if you look at my pics, you'll see what I mean. I don't eat salad, but my husband told me the salad side was very good as well. Some of the buffet food: fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, sausage, brisket, corn, two types of beans, mashed potatoes, soup and salad bar, and a few other things I think I didn't grab. If you are looking for a buffet that has 1,000 options, this isn't the place. However, what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. Every single thing in the buffet was super good. I definitely prefer when a restaurant has a more limited menu, especially when it means they have perfected the stuff they do have. They also have homemade pie and desserts that you can buy for $5 a piece, or they come with the buffet. I had coconut cream pie. My husband had a vanilla cupcake and peach cobbler. This was my personal favorite part of the meal, but I'm also a big dessert guy. Price - $18 per person for the buffet. The other standalone dishes were similarly priced except for a few things like the smaller portion meals and some of the sandwiches. Definitely more on the pricey side, but not terribly so. I think it's a fair price for the quality of food and to support a local business. Gift shop - This is worth mentioning on its own because it's very cute. They had a surprisingly wide variety of things in there. Clothes, toys, jewelry, locally made goods like soap, their own homemade jellies and canned goods, and even geodes you can take home to break open yourself. It was fun to go after dinner and have a nice little shop to browse. All in all, glad to have come and will definitely be back. I would recommend anyone who is in the area to stop by, especially if they are a fan of American buffets. read more

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Breakfast buffet was delicious (eggs, bacon, biscuits, pancakes, chicken fried steak with gravy... and more) and our waitress was wonderful. Clean restaurant and bathrooms. Great stop for families. read more

Buffet is consistently amazing. Everything from meats, vegetables, salads, soups and desserts. Plus, everything on the menu is great including fried shrimp and all bbq items plus bread is remarkable! Service is quick and friendly. Even when they are busy it's not too noisy and you can have a conversation with your party. read more

We had Easter lunch there, and the food and service were excellent. They had the crowd but enough servers on the floor--there was no shortage of the buffet. The salad and fruit bar were plentiful. read more

Food was very bland. I ordered brisket, macaroni, and green beans very disappointed in my meal. The mini bread loaf was only thing eatable. read more

Sam's Original Restaurant - Brisket and green beans - Barbeque Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Great service. Even better food. Loved the down home atmosphere. We try to make a point of stopping here on our way to Ft. Worth. read more

Absolutely ridiculous... Drove 100 miles for some pie, but unfortunately after spending $109 on 4 adult and 1 kids buffet we find out that we can't get a piece of pie with meringue without paying an extra dollar for a piece of pie.. Been coming here for the pie for over 30 years, guess from now on I'll be going 100 miles the other direction to Koffee Kup Restaurant in Hico for my pie fix read more

Sam's Original Restaurant - $109 for 4 adult and 1 kids buffet... They wanted us to pay an additional $1 per piece for a piece of pie with meringue - Barbeque Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

If you like delicious home cooking that you don't have to do yourself, Sam's is the place to go. There was so much delicious food and I didn't have to cook all those items in my own kitchen. My entire family found tons of food to get full on. We enjoyed the fried fish, fried shrimp, sausage, fried chicken, brisket, macaroni and cheese from heaven, and so much more. The only thing I was sad about was the fact that they were running out of pie before 9 o'clock on a Saturday evening. (I should have grabbed dessert first! ) The wait staff was pleasant and readily available. The restrooms were very clean. And there is a large parking area as well. read more

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Had a table of 3 young men sitting behind my husband and I. There were 2 other tables next to us that had children at their tables. One of the young men was very loud vocally, telling a story, generally appearing like he wanted to be heard by all. And we did. Not a big deal except every other word was eff this, eff that etc. Very unpleasant to dine in that environment. I walked over, asked the young man to be mindful of the children when speaking. He said I was rude and it was none of my business. I requested to speak to a manager on my way out. Tammy was on duty. Apparently I interfered with her dinner because she had zero time to listen to my complaint. Guess she was afraid her dinner would get cold. She said what do you want me to do, I can't control people talking. No Tammy, you can control noise level and maybe act on a customer complaint. Nope, cannot. About that time the offender walks out to leave. Looks like Tammy can go back to her dinner, I don't ever have to return for more burnt fried chicken off the buffet and the offender MAYBE took what I said to heart for his next restaurant invasion. read more

I'm sitting at Sam's, smitten, imagining a life with a waitress, not necessarily my waitress here at Sam's, but one in general, how it would be so different for the both of us. A big city guy, a small town waitress, a simple life away from post-modern indoctrination, away from theaters and bookstores and bakeries decorating their pastries with political messaging... away from a lot of things. God knows I should get further from the city and closer to Sam's Original Restaurant, where the hamburger steak and apple pie don't seem to care about my sexual orientation or pronouns or oil-to-paint ratio. I should paint still life's of buffets and rolls of bread and steak knives and cutting boards. Rustic fare. All the good people at Sam's taking refuge at wooden tables, there limbs laden with slacks or cargo pants for their fishing gear. I saw a gun in a truck in the parking lot and a cooler with neat stickers on it. Outdoor stuff is so foreign to me. I'm as city and as decorative as they come. On a mission to be more practical and utilitarian. Muscle bound. Honor bound. Less licentious. More biblical. More like Sam's Original. I want to be 'pay at the counter'. I yearn to be draped in beef gravy cloaks and grilled onion necklaces. I strive to be mashed and spun, thrown on a hot plate, and devoured by moral people. No longer used by devious ones. When Mr. King calls to tell me that I need to play nice with the heads of museums, the ones I am diametrically opposed to with fourth wave 'isms' shrouding their institutions, I will be a force. A stove flame. A mallet pounding cutlets. They shall be breaded and drenched in my oil and framed and sold just as they continue to try to do with me! And all the lay people who have morals shall not be left behind. They shall feast just as they are doing here at Sam's Original. I pray over my hamburger steak that this waitress and the do-gooders across this solemn land have many children. It's time to flood the circus with gravy and charity and above all, moral sanity. read more

Sam's Original Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Stopped in for a late lunch, very friendly staff, clean restaurant, fast service, good quality food, good prices. Had the chicken fried steak which was great, the cole slaw was good, fried okra was just ok. They asked if I wanted bread and brought me a big loaf lol. Thanks for a nice meal! read more

Sam's. I've been here a number of times throughout the years, on different occasions. This is the place, especially after a couple of hours of driving along I-45. If you like classic, American food and ambiance, you can't go wrong. The buffet has something for everyone. They also have those mile-high pies. I imagine a lot of locals come here, as I've typically seen a lot of nice, older folks in the dining room. They also have a nice little curio shop. As for service, well Haley is a rockstar! I stopped in and wasn't feeling super great so I probably seemed like a stick in the mud, but she treated me great, just the same. I plan on making it a regular Sunday evening stop, as work has me traveling frequently along the Interstate. read more

Pleeeeeease start making your chocolate cake again. It was my favorite treat when coming to Sam's. The country food is good! Service is alway great. Can't think of her name but the lady that's been there 48 years now should have her own bronze statue out front. We just love her! read more