Chose this place based on previous reviews and because Catfish is my fav, I was easily interested. Ordering was a bit confusing due to 3 menu boards not consistent with the others. Wording makes a huge difference to a first-timer! For it to be made-to-order, our food came out really fast-kudos! I was pleasantly surprised to be served a whole (beheaded) catfish...which I haven't had in years & thus, didn't have to question its authenticity...though it was over fried-smh. My Fiancée had fillets & shrimp-the fillets unfortunately taste & had the consistency of Swai (bummer) The shrimp was a weird yellow-ish batter color-she sd it taste like a mustard base. The red beans & rice was just OK..lacking flavor. The coleslaw was avg. All in all, it was alright, but I sincerely appreciate the whole catfish option. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Whole Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Once again this is the best catfish in Waco. The shrimp are huge. Never tried the burgers but they look HUGE. This is where the locals eat. read more

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I only ever get the fried fish when I go, but every time I do it's consistently good. From the fish to the hush puppies to the tartar sauce. I usually only go through the drive thru and sometimes it takes a while but the staff is nice and well worth the price as the serving sizes are worth it' read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

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small restaurant with a brisk business! cajun style seafood was what my group opted for. everyone raved over their food. huge juicy shrimp and tasty crispy fried fish. several dessert choices too - all looked yummy! friend had strawberry cake and said it was very moist. walk up service with lots of to go business. service was surprisingly fast especially given how busy they were. read more

Not fancy but the food is good! Staff is helpful! Try the catfish and shrimp! Also order the red beans and rice. Delicious!!

Service was top tier. The restaurant was clean. The food was fresh and abundant. Definitely bang for the buck. We had leftovers. We will definitely be going back. read more

We were wanting fried chicken then Yelp lead us the way but upon entering the smell of the fried catfish is annoyingly (in a good way) messing up with our head. Haha. Ended up getting a basket of 3 catfish, 3 shrimp, and 3 oysters with fries and red beans and rice to share. This combo is good for 2 people already you can probably add another side, a la carte for more food but this is enough for us. Our order came out piping hot, fresh out of the fryer. No frills spot, upon entering you will be greeted by a nice lady to take your order and she will pleasantly wait for you to decide which one to get. Yes, it's chicken, and fried seafood but the combo is extensive. You can also asked for your basked to be grilled if you'd like for an extra. The place is what yours expect from a southern, catfish place. Open sitting and patrons hanging out just gossiping. They also have a drive thru window for the convenience of not having to get out of your car. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - We had another basket for the rest of the food. 3 fish, 3 shrimps, and 3 oysters with fries, red beans & rice. - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

We had the fried chicken salad and my partner had the grilled chicken salad, and let me just say the chicken was soooo tender. Best I've ever had. Honestly want to know the secret. Anyhow, for desert we had the fried Oreos and they came out soooo good and sweet, and for $2 more you can add ice cream. Def worth the stop. read more

This was a referral from my next door neighbors . They went down and picked up dinner . I got the fried fish basket and it was excellent . It was smoking hot even when driven 20 blocks after picking it up. It was so hot I couldn't eat it . They gave plenty of food excellent large portions and there was nothing to to complain about it all . read more

They food is delicious and the price is so cheap for the amount of food that is given to you. The service is amazing, they don't have many workers but they are prompt. read more

Soooo much food and very good. We split the shrimp and fish platter and the fries and mac and cheese. We got the green fried tomatoes appetizer also very good. We could have just had those by themselves and still probably couldn't have eaten it all. Service was quick and very friendly. read more

This place is okay, the food is great but i get sick every time i eat here. Staff is really nice though

First time here for me and hubby. We ordered the #36 to share (see pics). Was a lot of food for us. Everything was delicious. I'll definitely save this place as a favorite in Waco. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - 3 chicken tenders, corn & red beans & rice - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

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I joined Yelp just to brag on Sam's Southern Eatery! Simply WONDERFUL! Great Food! We go to Waco to visit the Silos at least twice each year & now have a FAVORITE place to eat, Sam's Southern Eatery!!! read more

My first time ordering here. I live in Gatesville and I like to come to Waco to try different places. I will definitely order from here again. The building is old and nothing to look at, but the food is great and the serving sizes are definitely a lot for your dollar read more

Food was good! Service is straightforward and friendly. Cozy hole in the wall vibe. Only complaint was that the po boy was a little too small, but overall would highly recommend! read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Catfish po 9. Fried Fish Po' Boy - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

We chose this spot at the last minute since craving some seafood and it was a great choice! The ladies working the front were so kind and very attentive. The food was amazing. Huge portions, great prices, and tasted fantastic. We came with our 1 year old and it was a very laid back and friendly atmosphere. We will definitely be back! read more

Great Food Amazing Service And Even Some Beautiful Faces Working There Too. Definitely twice or more a week type of establishment

No. I say no. Take your coins to another location for food. I say yes for one star to the beautiful smiling face that took our drive thru order and delivered the food safely to our car. The sign out front reads Shuun??? I don't know what to think... read more

We really enjoyed our meal here! We wanted takeout and had been wanting some fried fish, but the place where we used to go wasn't open anymore. So we looked online and found this place instead. We ordered fried tilapia, catfish, and chicken nuggets; along with cole slaw, french fries, and red beans and rice. The flavor was delicious, it was done quickly, and the staff was really friendly. We'd definitely eat here again. read more

Staff was friendly and the food was very tasty. Besides the great taste, the portions are larger than what you get anywhere else. Always surprised that more people have not discovered this great hole in the wall. Drive thru business does seem to do well. read more

Tried the whole catfish. It was cooked well and seasoned to perfection. Priced right for the large portion. I'll definitely try it again! read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Got the whole catfish. Cooked and seasoned to perfection. Priced right for the portion. Definitely will try it again! - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

Good food and service. Loved the fried fish, tarter sauce and grilled shrimp. Good sides too.

I went to Sam's Eatery after church and ordered the whole catfish and red beans and rice. I got the order to go. It was still good and hot when I got home. The fish was perfectly seasoned. It was big enough for me 2 meals. A good portion for the cost! read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - I tried the whole fried catfish and the red beans and rice it was delicious. It was seasoned just right. - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

First time patronizing this establishment. On the menu, it states very clear what is on the sandwiches. However, they mix the onions with the lettuce and I had an allergic reaction. The lady I spoke with was very polite and apologetic, however, I was told that next time my order can be replaced. I blew $12 on my lunch. I don't want a "next time" sandwich, I feel that should've been replaced due to them adding an ingredient that clearly wasn't listed on the menu. read more

Good food. I had a 32. With fries and red beans n rice . Everything was fresh . Thumbs up.

Great prices and the food was on point Fried shrimp was cool to perfection and The kids fish plate was pretty big! read more

This place is in the ghetto and it is a little scary, don't let the falling down house that looks like it is a crackheads paradise across the street deter you either....or the sassy cashier that can roll her eyes like no other. But she warms up to you eventually, especially when you leave her a tip. You order at the counter and then they send you your food, condiments are strictly rationed and if you want more tartar sauce then you gotta pay for it homie! Anyways we got a bunch of fried stuff - giant fried shrimp, stuffed shrimp, fried oysters, fried fish, fried hush puppies, french fries, mac and cheese, cole slaw, fried okra and red beans and rice. I think my poor stomach revolted after all of that grease because I felt quite ill the next day. It is a great value for the price and the seafood seemed clean (not sure about the oil they fry it in). Portions are gigantic, we boxed it up and had some for brunch the next day. Loved the shrimp though and their hush puppies. Could leave their mac and cheese though it wasn't the best. Overall it was good but not sure if I would go out of my way again to return, they do a lot of take out orders though and seem to be very busy...they deserve to be supported and checked out at least once. People in Waco need to yelp more! read more

Wow this place was fantastic. It's not the prettiest place but dang these guys know how to fry. I got the shrimp basket with Mac n cheese and a side of red beans and rice, for about $10 I got about 6 large shrimp and two tasty crispy hush puppies. The food isn't gourmet but it's tasty and well done. My husband got a combo basket for about $13 that had fish, shrimp, chicken strips and two sides and hush puppies. We honestly weren't expecting the huge servings they provided. One thing that impressed me was that each protein as battered differently. Sides were good and solid. I'm not a fan of red beans and rice so my son gobbled it up and according to him and my husband they were really really good. This is seriously a spot for my family to consider next time were in the area and hungry as an alternate to the basic chain restaurants along the highway. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - #36 - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

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I ate here recently and this spot is great for fried food...a lot of it at bargain prices. I'm not from the area, but I came here during the day and like previous reviewers stated this is far from Beverley Hills, but yet again far from a place where you feel you're going to get robbed. I'm from Brooklyn this is regular far, in other words no worries about safety. The food was okay, my complaint is just the obvious..it was very greasy, but that's to be expected. It wasn't my cup of tea for that reasons. I ordered the jumbo fried shrimp, which came with fried and a drink and my brother had a burger which he enjoyed a lot. The hushpuppies were really good. There's noting unique here but definitely support this local business. This is a good deal especially if you're in the mood for shrimp! read more

We were driving through from Ft. Worth on our way to Temple. I did a restaurant search for our map area and Sam's was one of the choices. After reading the reviews we decided to try this place out. I agree with others that you CANNOT judge this place by the appearance! It is an old fast food building that has seen better days. They have done a good job painting the outside to hide the age of the building. Inside the age shows. They have done what they can to make it their own place! There are only a few tables so they probably wouldn't be able to accommodate a big crowd. The menu was easy to read and easy to understand. It was broken down into sections so there was no confusion. My only complaint was that I had wanted to try the oysters but they were out. They were also out of Mac n cheese and almost all drinks in the fountain. (They must have been out of CO2 because all soda was what they didn't have.) However, the cashier informed us of the items they were out of BEFORE we had our heart settled on them or even attempted to order them. As for the soda, they did offer canned soda as a replacement. The wait was about normal for what we ordered. Both of us ordered the number 34 (3 stuffed shrimp, 3 fried shrimp, and 3 fish with 2 sides. We both ended up ordering the red beans and rice and okra also.) We shared a drink. Our total was about $44. That sounds like a lot, but considering the portion size, it is a deal! Everything was hot and fresh when it came to us. Someone else had mentioned that all of the proteins were battered differently and we found that to be true also. The batter complimented each different protein! The red beans and rice had just the right amount of spice and were wonderful! We could have made a meal on just those! We had enough food leftover that we will both have at least one more meal out of it! The bathrooms were also clean and decently stocked. The woman who brought our food out was very sweet and attentive. She seemed very friendly and helpful. The cashier could use a little customer service training. Several times she left her register to go into the back and customers needed something but she wasn't there. Once she came out of the back and was texting on her cell phone. That is a no no in my book. By no means was she rude! She was very friendly, but just needed a little more customer service skills. If you cannot handle the "hole in the wall" or "dive" restaurants, Sam's is not the place for you. If you are expecting a fine dining establishment, Sam's is not for you. However, if you want good fried food with a Cajun/creole style spice, then Sam's is for you! We both left so full that we are ready to take a nap! All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend going to Sam's! I know that we will go back when we have the chance! read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - The red beans and rice! AWESOME! - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

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I am obsessed with the food here! The stuffed shrimp are to die for and the prices aren't bad for the amount of yummy food you get with each meal. I'm also a huge fan of the gumbo and red beans & rice. It isn't the nicest place to dine-in as it's in a "not-so-great" part of town. It also doesn't look too inviting on the inside but still looks clean so I trust where my food was cooked. It's GREAT for take-out though and would be perfect if they had a drive-thru. Also, you may want to call your order in if you don't want to awkwardly stand in people's way for 20 minutes while you're waiting on your order. I eat here almost weekly and I'm so glad Waco finally got a place to get Cajun seafood that's actually good & isn't overpriced and hot or miss like Buzzard Billy's always seems. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Stuffed Shrimp, Fried Shrimp, Hush Puppies, Red Beans & Rice x 2 --delicious! - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

Let me start by saying the portion size was incredible. The largest wings I have ever seen served. I ordered the grilled read more

Great "hole in the wall!" Excellent fried fish, shrimp, oysters, and even some excellent healthy options (salads, grilled fish and chicken, etc.) Definitely a re-do! read more

Went today for some fried fish and I wasn't disappointed. The fried fish was perfect and the sides were "good". They were not great, I had the Mac and cheese and fried okra. The Mac and cheese was bland and the fried okra was gummy but the fish made up for it. The reason I rank it higher even with the slightly bad sides is because of the price. The price can't be beat. I got 5 huge pieces of fish with two sides for only 8$, that would have been a 13$-15$ meal any where else. Cheap good food is what they have going on, I am going to recommend it to all my friends. It's a go to for me now if I'm looking for seafood. Note: they have really really good tarter sauce, it's the best I have had in a long time. read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - 4 piece meal with Mac and cheese and fried okra - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

We ordered top selling stuffed shrimp, fried oysters and fried catfish with beans/rice, Mac n cheese and fried okra. The shrimp was tasteless, the oysters were huge which gives them a weird texture. The fish was ok. The Mac n cheese was watery with a short hair in it, the okra and beans were ok. The place smelled like the sewer had backed up. We only ate a few bites and left. read more

This place is a HOLE IN THE WALL. With that being said that is what makes this place so great. Small little hood spot,serving up great seafood that put a lot of big name chains to shame. The staff was friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious and more than a bargain. I am often in Waco, so every time I drive through Waco this is a must stop. Their $ jumbo shrimp really impressed and tasted good. Do yourself a favor and check out the place if you love seafood read more

Sam's Southern Eatery - Fish and wings rice&beans mac&cheese - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Now named Shaans Southern Eatery. My Shrimp Po' Boy was a bit too spicy for me. Heavy on the Tony Chachere sp? The person taking our order didn't even ring up my husband's so after the long wait to get mine, they had to start on his. Way too long in the kitchen and there were only two other people in the place. Needless to say we weren't impressed. read more

Great catfish and lunch specials, glad to find open for dine in. Drive thru and To-go looked busy.

I had driven by this former Mexican restaurant a few times before I decided to give it a try. The increasing number of cars parked in front was a tip off that something was right about this new offering in Waco. Keeping my expectations low (as I always do in Waco) I gambled on a late lunch. I was not disappointed in the tasty southern style seafood. A second visit with my picky spouse was also a success! Don't be put off by the lack of atmosphere or the mismatched look of the interior. I have been in Jiffy Lube's that had better ambiance. Stand inline. Read the menu board. Order the fish, shrimp or the oysters and sit down and wait. This ain't fast food but they are not incredibly slow either. In a few minutes, they will yell your name (or pseudonym if you are the cautious type) and bring to your table a plate full of professionally fried goodness. The portions are large. Take home is likely. Any credible seafood restaurant can fry shrimp or catfish and Sam's is that -- but not all of them can produce oysters that have a golden crispy exterior and a warm/hot interior. These large specimens remain plump not shriveled or burned. Nice seafood and tarter sauce. Unusual giant chicken (turkey?) wings on the menu as well. This is a welcome addition to Waco and may already be the best seafood shop in town. read more