great restaurant very personable this this restaurant puts all the others to shame. Nice portions. My new Favorite Restaurant. Price reasonable read more

Last place I saw my belongings still on the trailer was here at Sam's southern eatery. We had just passed the car that blew up on the highway, engulfed in flames, at the same time, chaos ensued on the other side, as a simi also crashed same place and it was also on Fire. Traffic was stopped on both sides of the highway so we took the exit & tried to go to Sam's Southern Eatery! Well, that location, we were told, was closed for no apparent reason. But they directed us to another location that was open, so we went immediately here to this location. Hubby went into order, I stayed in the car bc our 3 cats were in the back, along with two coolers of Fischer's texas pork & beef. We were also pulling a trailer with containers of personal "non-perishable" items. Like my workout gear, weights, roller blades, brand new sneakers, Fuchsia Pink Teva's, Palates/Alo yoga gear, my brand new motorcycle battery & spark plug. Anyway, it seemed to be taking a long time to get the food, so I got out of the car, checked the trailer, everything was still strapped down. Took a very cool photo of the outside of Sam's & walked inside, hubby had gone to the restroom & got locked inside the bathroom, bc there was no door knob. LMFAO. I don't make these things up this is what really happened. Anyway, the building is falling apart, it's very old as you can see from the photos. Also, not located in the best area of town, as you can see from the photo, this Sam's location is basically under an overpass of the highway. Anyway, we got our food & left as we had the kitties in the car. We started eating the fried shrimp driving down the highway as they were piping hot & super delicious as was the french fries, red beans & dirty rice. Then, someone suddenly drove up on my side in hubby's blind spot, on a bridge, as they missed an exit & they almost side swiped me on my side. Hubby swerved & we barely missed them. My phone went into the floorboard, along with some french fries. We got to a safe location, pulled over & put the cole slaw in the coolers bc we couldn't eat it, as there was way too much mayo in it for our taste. That was the last time I saw my belongings. When we got home later, the trailer was empty. All lost on the highway from hell. The fried Chicken & cole slaw made it home as we put it in the coolers. The Fried chicken was yuge, but it had no flavor, no seasonings. We never ate the cole slaw, it just had way too much mayo so we threw 2 large sides of it away. Would I stop here again? Yeah, sure. The fried shrimp, french fries, red beans & rice were very good. The po'boy, fried chicken & cole slaw were terrible, as was the temporary incarceration of my hubby lol Bad things always happen in 3's. 3 car crashes, 3 good dishes & 3 bad dishes. Just like traveling is a crap shoot, you win some you lose some. Next time, I know to use three straps for the trailer, stay away from the Fried Chicken, cole slaw & po'boy. But next time, I might just have to leave hubby locked in the restroom. (wink wink) Safe Travels. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - entrance.. - Seafood Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

The gal working was very friendly, that's what the star is for. The food was very sad. Establishment wasn't clean, and I can look past that sometimes, but the food was bad. Red beans and rice had barely any rice and was pretty flavorless, the okra was kinda uncooked, chicken tenders were pretty tough and dry (tasted old). Fish and shrimp wasn't too bad, but by association it was sad. Would not stop there again. Stopped due to the high rating of 4 stars but it just wasn't worth it. It was honestly kind of expensive as well. Sad. :( AC WAS ALSO OUT! The establishment should not have been making their employees work in that. It was like 90° in there. read more

Sam's is one of the best place I get my fish meal at. The food is good. My family go there every chance we get

Delicious!! Fantastic fried oyster poboy and fries. (And I consider myself an expert on what a good poboy is supposed to taste like.) My son and dad loved the cheeseburgers and my other son inhaled the chicken wings, which are huge. My husband got the grilled catfish and said it was wonderful. The service was stellar-very friendly and not a long wait. Will definitely be back. read more

Driving through Louisiana looking for authentic food and found it here at Sam's. I am in heaven with the oyster, shrimp, catfish platter. I saved my appetite for this meal and still couldn't eat it all. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Philly cheese steak and fries. Catfish, oyster, shrimp basket. - Seafood Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

Sam's is one of my favorite GO TO restaurants when visiting Monroe. I could rattle on on how delicious and ABUNDANT the food is. People assume that fried foods are greasy. NOT HERE. We ordered a fish combination and a chicken wing combination. There was not even a trace of oil on the paper inside. There had to be at least 12 fish filets and they were crunchy and perfectly seasoned. All I can say on the chicken wing combo is ..... where do they find such HUGE chicken wings. We ordered three but they gave us four. And for just $4 and change including two two delicious sides. We were really hungry, but could not finish all of it! But it reheats beautifully. I have also tried the grilled fish and it was OUTSTANDING and also perfectly seasoned. The condiments and sauces push it over the edge. The location is convenient to all areas of the Twin Cities or River Cities. I read some previous reviews on this location being a poorly refurbished Popeyes. WRONG. (no offense) It is sparking clean, has a unique and modern interior and exterior, and from the lines of people no one really cares what the building once was anyway. This is Louisiana.... they do not wastefully bulldoze popular or historic locations. This saves the customers money. Most of the evening clientele was a culturally rich balance of people from all over Monroe, waiting for to go orders. At lunch it is mostly dine in. Great location near the hospital district and civic buildings. And such a wonderful place to dine in with multiple flat screen TV's and large tables that encourage conversation, dining and people watching. I think we may have to g again tonight! Coming from a metro area of nearly eight million people (Dallas/Plano/Richardson) Sam's would meet or beat their finest based on the food and the prices! read more

Pros: hush puppies didnt have whole kernels of corn and the fish fry batter was rather tasty. Kudos!! Cons: everything else was rather flavor-less. Dirty rice had no meat of any kind, mac and cheese was bland. And the hot sauce they give with to go orders is made in Illinois. How can you do that when you located in the most flavorful hot sauce capital known to man...Louisiana?! Unsure how this had a 4 star rating on Yelp...I was not impressed with this place and will probably not be returning. read more

This place was so delicious! Perfect example of "Hole in the wall". Cooked to order and very fresh. I was skeptical until the nice Cajan lady gave me our food and I tasted the heavenly fried jumbo shrimp and catfish. If I was local, I'd be in there twice a week! read more

Wonderful service the oysters shrimp and fish were fresh & delicious. Excellent service. So glad we stopped. The red beans and rice were the best we have ever had. read more

This place is rather interesting. You are gonna get your heart clogged but at a cheap price. Whatever you order, one plate can feed two people. At $8.99 (one of the cheaper plates, although the more expensive plates are a dollar or two more, typically), I picked the 3 fish-3 shrimp combo with fries and two hush puppies. I think the more you order, you logarithmically get a ton more, hence my note of price. As far as the batter is concerned, it's weak to average. It isn't bad but it is weakest out of all restaurants I have visited in the last year. The fish? It isn't the freshest b/c it has that subtle fishy feel but nothing different from Captain D's. HOWEVER, they pile on the fish. So huge. And the shrimp? Jumbo size shrimp that I just assumed to be from China b/c you can't get that size shrimp for that cheap of a price if it ain't from China (?). So even though I wasn't impressed by the batter or freshness, you come here for the serving portions and price. It's cheap. Overall, the food is very, very average but the serving size is hellah impressive making this trip worth it. So set your expectations low on quality but still be impressed on ghettoness and quantity. Peace. read more

This place is great for what it is: great southern fried foods on the go. We ordered in for lunch, and the food was ready rom the time I left the office to the restaurant. read more

A little on the shabby side, start with cleaning those giant windows. The men's room needs a hard clean. The food: great fried catfish, fried oysters just to try them, I'm not a fan of oysters in general so I can't judge well and these oysters did not convert me, good fried shrimp, red beans and rice were ok as was the cole slaw however both of these sides were very small portions. The catfish, shrimp and oysters were huge portions. Very friendly service. read more

I ordered the chicken wing platter which comes with two sides. The portions are very large and tasty. It is a little sketchy and the inside smells really sour which is a turn off. One of the ladies who works there is extremely rude and doesn't have great customer service skills. Overall it's ok but I won't be back. read more

We are from Texas and we were looking for good Louisiana catfish for dinner. The food was hot, obviously cooked to order and very tasty. It was exactly what we were looking for and didn't break the bank. We will be back. read more

Fantastic shrimp po boy. Get the fried I promise it is worth it. Also the fries are fantastic but get the remoulade for the potential boy and fries... Nom nom nom read more

Excellent prices, the food is good, albeit fried and greasy. Always a go-to for chicken gizzards when I'm in town. The last time that I tried the fried oysters, never again!!! Still, and all, if you love fried food and big portions, Sam's fits the bill. read more

8-27-13- I picked this place based on reviews on yelp and from speaking to people in the city of Monroe. All I can say is I wish I would have gone to another place. Taste of the fish wasn't that great it was somewhat mushy. Being from Southwest Louisiana I like my food with a little spice. This was not even close to being spicy, it was bland. For those who don't mind bland then this is the place for you. On the plus side you get a lot of food at a great price. read more

I love a good Shrimp Po Boy, an they have the real deal!!!! The fried green tomatoes are to die for. This is our favorite place to eat when visiting Monroe, LA. read more

It was our favorite place to eat and drove 31 miles from my house and the portions were half of what they were and prices were double. I ask were there new owners or manager they said no. The macaroni was nasty and so was slaw the fish was precooked.paid 16.00 for 4pcs fish 4 tiny shrimp. Not coming back read more

Well I didn't get to eat here and let me tell you why. I walk in and the lady behind the counter was on the phone with a previous customer that apparently their order was wrong and the guy in front of me who already had his order was wrong also then a guy who ordered from the drive through (I'm guessing) came in and guess what, yep his order was wrong as well. I decided to leave but not before using the restroom when I made it to my truck I proceeded to bathe in hand sanitizer, it was bad. Sad because what I did see people eating looked good. Wish I could of rated the place on its food but just couldn't. read more

Great cat fish, hush puppies and shrimp!!! Large portions, its definitely a must try ..locals recommended glad we tried it.

This is a "fast food" place for Southern food, but don't let that fool you. They specialize in Southern fried seafood, but also have chicken. I got the 3 fish, 3 shrimp, 3 oyster combo with a side of dirty rice and a side of cole slaw. My husband got the 3 fish, 3 chicken, 3 shrimp combo with mac'n cheese and green beans. We also split an order of fried green tomatoes and two drinks. Our total came out to about $37. I know it seems kind of pricey for "fast food," but this ain't no ordinary fast food. First, the servings are HUGE. Second, all the fried food was fried to perfection. Now I know what people mean when they say the South knows how to fry food. Seriously! Crispy, moist, not at all greasy, and seasoned really well. The fried oysters were so good ( perhaps the best I've had) that I had to take a picture of them. (See pics). Now tell me, is that not a super sexy piece of fried oyster? Yum! The sides and fried tomatoes were good too. My favorite side was the dirty rice. If you are ever in the neighborhood and have a hankering for really good fried food, I highly recommend Sam's. read more

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Lots of locals eating there. Place was clean, prices cheap, lots of food, quality was lacking in all we ate. If you want a good Louisana Po boy go somewhere else. read more

The place is right next to the highway. At first we were suspicious about the decoration and neighborhood, but wait until you try their food! Their fried-fish was mediocre but try their fried-shrimp po-boy! It's sooooo good! read more

Every time I visit my family in Monroe I make it my mission to visit this place before I leave. The fried oysters are the best I've ever had and let me tell you... I LOVE oysters! Must try! The side orders are delicious too. read more

Place is a little pricey but not expensive...the shrimps are huge and they give u more than u order. I recommend giving it a try

Over battered, overcooked, quantity over quality food. If you want a huge portion, but don't really care about or know quality, this place is for you. Discerning diners should avoid. read more

Excellent food great customer services the best seafood I've had in a long time great red beans and rice all well

I order the 3 chicken wing plate with french fries and mac n cheese and it is soooo good. They actually give you 4 large chicken wings, the fries are my fav and really seasoned and the mac n cheese is good as well. By the way only $5.49 i might add. The establishment however is a total differenct story. It was an old Popeyes building which they didnt bother doing any cosmetic rearrangements or updates. It smells like old wet mop inside and in the bathrooms which is disgusting !! I've stopped going there so often because of the potential heart attack ill have from all the food lol but the smell and untidiness. All in all, the food is about a 3 for me. read more

When visiting the twin cities, I must always make a stop at Sam's Southern Eatery. ENORMOUS portion sizes and great food. Friendly service all around. Check it out. You won't regret it. read more

HUGE PORTIONS. I always buy the #26 (6 pc shrimp, 6 pc catfish). The shrimp are really, really big; and the catfish fillets are quite large also. Comes with 2 sides. They always give me 9 pcs of shrimp and 9 pcs of fish. The styrofoam container it comes in can not be closed because it is overflowing with food. I can always eat 3 or 4 meals from one order. All for about $15. I recently had to try something else, just to see how it stacks up to the shrimp and fish. I got the double cheeseburger meal. The meat is a pre-formed, frozen patty. They are large, but tough. Only seasoning seemed to be Tony's cajun seasoning. Ton of fries in the order. Definitely way more than I could eat. They recenltly opened a West Monroe location. read more

OUTSTANDING!!! We couldn't believe our eyes after we ordered and received our food! The portions are large and the price is right. I hope this place stays just as it is... fried chicken strips are not your mother's style, you get a whole breast fillet fried to perfection!! The seafood was done just right, the sides... let me just say, we were just surprised at how well run this place was and how fast the orders are taken and delivered. We were visiting for a week and couldn't resist going back three times! If I could change one thing, the sweet tea might need to be refreshed a little more often people from there said it was a little weak. Overall, wish we had one in California, they'd make a mint!! read more

Really good food, just kind of expensive, make sure you choose the correct phone number for the correct location.

The place was easy to get in and out. The service was cordial and the food came out in an appropriate time. I had the shrimp poboy and it was delicious. Definitely making another stop whenever I get a chance. read more

Ok. I've got to dissent. When this place first opened up a couple of years ago, it was packed with customers clamoring for the shrimp, chicken, catfish, poboys and other menu items that were deliciously rendered on the quite attractive menu displays prominently arranged over the counter. I remember that a friend of mine called me from the place and told me to come over. I wasn't very hungry but I drove over there to join him and at some samples off his plate. I was amazed at the portion size and quantities. I mean, one would order five catfish filets, for example, and get eight. An order for a roast beef poboy would result in a complimentary catfish and shrimp appetizer in your package. What's not to like. When I went back on my own however, and got my own mean, I found that I was underwhelmed. In other words, I did not enjoy my own full meal as much as I enjoyed those few morsels off of somebody else's plate. At first, I attributed my attitude to my momentary mood and assumed that it was just me. But it dawned on me after a couple of additional trips that: The food is just not that good here. I was dazzled by the crowds and the sheer quantity of food but the food is bland; meh; just plain PLAIN. I've noticed that the crowds are really down now as if it has dawned on nearly everyone else that they were dazzled. Well, I've come back to earth now. This is really not a place that I'd take someone with any kind of taste. It's just some ordinary, unseasoned filler. Sorry, Sams. PS: They had cake slices for sale at the counter (various kinds) that were great. It was obvious that they were not baked on the premises, but the cake was really very very good. Apparently they don't get them anymore. *Sigh*. read more