Dunedin Restaurant Guide

I have eaten here several times it has always been a great dining experience from the greeter to cashing out. Your food is fresh and delisious everytime. My server Maria is efficient, professional and helps me enjoy my meal to the end. Sam and Phyllis are very friendly and visit with just about every customer. Eating at Sam's is as nice as eating at home with my family

Anyone that does not like and enjoy this restraunt
must be out of thier minds or just a Damn Yankee, this is great southern food at an excellent price, can't be beat.

LOUSY AND OVER-PRICED! We had not been to Sam's for several years; always a wait to get in. This time...walked right in at 6 pm on a Fri. night. We both had combo platter...fried shrimp & oysters and fried shrimp and claim strips. We each got 6 tiny fried shrimp and I had 6 very small oysters; a small pile of claim strips. French fries seemed like they were heated back up in over...dried out; we each had a side of apple sauce. It also came with corn fritters which were so dry and over-fried. Such tiny portions and high-prices. Won't go back again. Had to laugh...table next to us ordered pan-seared scallops for $17.95. When served.... big plate - 6 small scallops in center of plate. The woman looked shocked! WILL NEVER GO BACK AGAIN! What a waste of $40 bucks!

Good points-

Two dollar draft beer
Very attentive staff
Casual environment (shorts definitely OK)

I had the blackened grouper with cold slaw and a baked potato.

The fish was absolutely fresh, cooked well and very succulent. However, the seasoning was without imagination and the cold slaw uninspired.

It was 17.95 for the grouper which I thought a little high given the moderate size of the piece fish.

We just happened across this place while looking for a local place for seafood. I'm from Ohio. Great local feeling (not fancy or pretencious). The wait staff was wonderful explaining the food. We had the crab, of course. Sam still catches them himself. The food was wonderful. There were three of us in the party and all really had a good time. Highly recommended!

I went to Sam's for the first time tonight for a birthday party. Lily was our server, and she was great. That was the high point of our visit. My second biggest problem with the restaurant was disclosure. There was no indication that there were mushrooms in the stuffed flounder (I hate mushrooms), and they charge a cake fee for bringing in your own cake. I've NEVER encountered such a thing at a restaurant, and they didn't tell us about it before they just charged it to us. My BIGGEST problem was with the owners. They need to be schooled in how to deal with customer issues, because instead of a sincere apology, all we got was a confrontational "It's our policy." And don't give me the "We're trying to run a business" BS, because it costs you absolutely nothing to let us bring in our own cake, but it will cost you $150 whenever our group decides to do seafood someplace else.

Great seafood! Love the stone crab claws and of course local Florida grouper was really fresh! I love seafood and finding a place where the stone crab is caught fresh everyday really made me happy! Service was friendly and professional. I enjoyed the ambiance. You can tell that its a family business: real yet friendly, not like those restaurant chains where you feel like a stranger. I was a little wary the first time I went after reading some mixed reviews, but discovered there was nothing to worry about! I definitely recommend Sam's.

The only way this place would get 5 stars from our group would be if we were awarding them for poor service and filth. Lipstick on glasses, silverware dirty, bugs on the floor; no telling what was in the kitchen. Waiting over 10 minutes before anyone approached us at all and she just stood at the table and stared. All service personal we came in contact with were incredibly rude. We finally left without eating; will not return, to say the least.

We travel from Tampa (30 minutes) often during stone crab season. The stone crabs are the best! We also love the hushpuppies...crispy and perfectly seasoned. The owners are always there and eager to make their customers happy. Everyone we take with us also enjoy the stone crabs, fried shrimp and fried mullet. My husband use to be in the seafood business so he is VERY particular!

I recently had an experience at Sam's. It was uncomfortable to say the least. The girls that were serving seemed nice enough, but you could hear sam around the corner yelling at them like they were children in a not so acceptable tone that echoed thru out the establishment. The food was cold and not so FRESH. Had to send the soup back 2x's due to it being cold and heard the microwave go off the last time it was sent back. When we got to the register to pay the owner Phyllis was working the register and she was to say the least "old and crotchety" They have been in the business toooo long and their attitudes say they need to retire and learn how to be nice to people again..I will never eat there again. So if you are their friends you will eat at their place..If you are visiting...THERE ARE ALOT OF NICER & FRESHER SEAFOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AROUND. I live in Dunedin and their reputation is going south at a rapid rate.......your choice....you decide.....

Best fried mullet around! My kids love it. Young or old, there's something for everyone. Especially if your on a budget.

I have read several bad reviews about this restaurant, so after eating there let me say, in my opinion, the negative reviews were wrong.
In my continuous search for the quickly disappearing authentic Florida, the seafood lover will find they have struck gold in this place. The atmosphere of this place cannot be duplicated by high dollar chain restaurants.
The stone crabs were delicious and fresh. But the best part was this place made me really appreciate local seafood from Florida.

Sam and Phylis own Sam's in Dunedin,FL. They have the FRESHEST fish. MMMMMMMMM the Grouper sandwhich is the best in Pinellas County. MMM love your cole slaw too. Sunday breakfast is a real treat with real floridian specials. You ROCK!

Jodi Henderson Gandy

The fish was fresh. The salad was overpriced for the quality and quantity.

The service was abysmal. I've noted that I get poorer service when I'm alone, but please, I waited ten minutes to get a waitress, then 20 minutes for her to come back and take my order. I asked questions that she couldn't answer. She said she would come back later. NO. So I picked one of the specials. When she did come back, she brought the salad (wrong dressing) and the entree at the same time. She said something about it coming up so fast. No, she just didn't bring my salad sooner. The fish was good. I didn't see her for the rest of the meal. Then long after the meal. When the other person brought back the card for signing, I asked about the salad. I had understood the waitress to say it was $1.00 with the two sides. Turns out it was $4.00 +. Not good. And the woman snapped at me for asking.
Upshot: decent food, slightly overpriced, bad, very bad service.

Diner quality food with great service and a friendly atmosphere. The fish is GREAT! Bring the kids, or bring yourself to the weekend brunch.