Sam's Chowder House

We were lucky to celebrate my birthday at Sam’s just before They were temporarily closed down in compliance for the Coronavirus. It was fabulous and as they’re pet friendly we brought or Golden and enjoyed some playtime on the beach afterward. Loved every minute!

The service was excellent as was the ambiance. The crab cakes excellent. The fish and chips was bland and soggy. A big disappointment. I wod have thought it would have been great.

We enjoyed the tuna sushi special and I had the clams. It started to rain and the staff quickly moved the tables and added umbrellas to keep everyone dry. And, BTW, you cannot beat the view!

Lived in San Mateo for 6 years and this was my first trip to Sam's. Definitely not the last!

Classic Old School Chowder house on the water overlooking Mavericks and the harbor. Being in San Mateo County...outdoor dining is open!

Service was slow, had to ask more than once for bread and butter and water, which in the past was automatic. Portions have also become smaller

Great food and excellent service !

My husband and I decided to just do a feta way date!

one of the best options that are open during pandemic.

We were seated almost right the way of the reservation time. The staffs are friendly and courteous. I ordered the shrimp and blue crab louie and found the butter lettuces are fresh layered by the salad shrimp and crab meat bordered by thinly sliced apple and radishes. However, there was no avocado and only half an egg. For almost $30.00 an order, I did not think this order was a good value.

Great food, great weather, great service!
Will def be back very soon!

Great place for delicious seafood. Extremely cautious during covid. Felt very safe and comfortable with protocol they have in place and good and view were great!!!

Wonderful safe place for cocktails at sunset followed by a terrific meal.

The food and service was exceptional though we ordered the clam chowder to take home and it was mediocre at best so I rated the food 3 stars. We do go often and encourage all to go,

Great outdoor seating

Oysters Rockefeller were outstanding!

We had a wonderful lunchtime birthday celebration (party of 3) on the patio!
Highlights were the server's attention to detail (we required gluten free), and the 2 fish dishes we ordered (salmon and halibut) Both amazing!
The tart for dessert was gluten free. It was a fabulous experience - we will be back!

Seafood was good, view nice and server was attentive.

I had a reservation and was seated right on time, all service people practiced good Covid protocols, and overall experience was fantastic on a beautiful Half Moon Bay day!

Sam's is doing a terrific job with outdoor, social distanced dining. The rules are clear abd enforced about mask wearing. Other steps they've taken: server comes less often, entire order is taken at once including dessert, table is bussed at the end, menus and instruction sheet are single use paper, hand sanitizer is at check in and in the table area, restrooms are also outdoor in nice portables with sinks. It's the only restaurant we feel completely safe eating at.

It is cold outdoors; they have a lot of heaters, but wear layers. We ate a late lunch at 3pm on a sunny, but windy, day. Not sure how dinner would be.

Great food and great service! Going to Sams is always a nice treat.

This place already has amazing outdoor seating. During Covid, it's 100x more impressive. What a privilege to have a dine-out meal that is not take-out. Sam's Chowder House feels safe and comfortable. Tables are far enough apart. There are ample heaters to keep guests warm. The VIEW is incredible. Servers are cheerful and attentive. I would definitely return, and recommend to others.

Amazing food! We sat outside right on the water it was beautiful!

With Covid the menu is scaled down. My family drove over an hour to have oysters (as they normally have several different types) and were disappointed they they only had Oyster Rockefeller and my son doesn't like sour cream which is on them so he had to miss out. Other than that we had a nice time.

This is during the COVID review. Always a fan of Sam's Chowder House, and have been wanting to go back. Must say with new COVID protocols, I feel great about my experience back. They were clear and professional about expectations and protocols. The food was yummy as ever and the views were excellent. Tables were definitely spaced apart an appropriate distance. Only thing, if you want your kids to draw on the kids menu, BYOcrayons!

We made reservations with the hope that we might experience a fantastic sunset experience...that did not pan out as it became too overcast. We were not disappointed though as we had a lovely view of Pillar Point harbor, the service was superb, and the meals were delicious. Our waitress and bus people were cheerful, efficient, and helpful - Sam's should be proud of their staff at all levels.

One of our few outings during the pandemic. It was definitely worth it. We felt very safe and properly socially distanced but also had very good and personal service. The food was great!

Jesus was excellent in every way. Knowledgeable with menu questions and charming and efficient. We were seated immediately and the check in folks were cheerful and glad to see us. The whole experience in this COVID period was exceptional and we will surely return!

This was our first time at Sam's. The restaurant had lots of space for outside diners
due to Covid rules. There were lots of heaters about all the tables so it was very comfortable for evening dining. The food was delicious. We had lobster roll sandwhiches which were super filled with large pieces of lobster and salad as well as a crab cake appetizer. The crab cake was also filled with crab and was seasoned well and large enough for 2 to share. Also loved the desserts, key lime pie and flourless chocolate cake. Our waitress was very friendly and very efficient. We never had to wait long or ask for anything because the staff was very available. We were seated around back where it was very quiet. It was a wonderful meal and very nice staff.

They have done a great job with dealing with Covid requirements for outdoor dining

Great job with COVID protocols, and the lobster roll (I got the naked one) was delicious!

Great service and ambiance. Food was so so this time for the amount you pay.

Excellent! We love this place and we’re so thankful for the many Covid precautions they are taking. Staff was extra upbeat and helpful - kudos to Noah and Bianca! We had a perfect lunch overlooking the ocean.

Lunch was very good and of course, the setting is unparalleled! I had the dressed Lobster roll and it was delicious! My husband had the New England clam chowder and the fried shrimp lunch. Although he enjoyed the shrimp, the soup was not very good. I tasted it and I agreed.
We will be back, but next time we’ll skip the chowder.

Beautiful views, friendly service, and good food! We had mostly appetizers - the steamed clams and oyster Rockefeller were especially delicious!

If the weather is nice, their outdoor seating can’t be beat.

My favorite outdoor seating restaurant with fresh and well prepared seafood. Service always prompt and with a smile. My favorite place is by the ocean and this restaurant is situated perfectly overlooking Half Moon Bay.

with a reservation, entrance and seating was easy, our table had a fantastic view of the harbor and it was a beautiful day with minimal wind. Chowder was great, popcorn shrimp perfect. it was a great lunch!!!

We went here for my hubby's birthday and it didn't disappoint. I had requested a quiet table away from others with a nice view of the Pacific. When we arrived, we were escorted to our table outside as requested with an amazing view. The weather was perfect! The service and food was amazing. And, yes, we splurged since we hadn't been out to a restaurant since February. It was worth every penny. Love this place!

We celebrated our anniversary with a delicious meal on the terrace of Sam's Chowder House. We were so happy to dine there again! We started with Oysters Rockefeller which were succulent. I had a whole lobster with cole slaw and my husband had cioppino. We ate every last bit of both, along with Sam's tasty bread and butter. Although we were kind of full, we decided to splurge and shared a sundae which hit the spot. Our waiter, whose name I don't know, couldn't have been more accommodating and friendly. We're so glad Sam's is up and running again. They've extended the outdoor dining area to the parking lot on the side of the building to provide seating for more people. We always recommend Sam's!