Cafe Sam

Cafe Sam's atmosphere is non-existent while its decor is totally uninspiring. From the pink feux-leather booth seating to its dingy drop ceilings and fake floral arrangements dominating the room, Cafe Sam misses the mark. The decor from the Ritter's 24 hr Diner across the street is probably more in style and up to date than Sam's. Sam offers ""italian"" food that is quite un-italian to say the least. The pastas are dredged in cheese and butter and over sauced, flavored, and spiced beyond belief. The Gnocchi with Tiger Prawn I sampled was swimming in butter, contained maybe 3 shrimp that were anything but Tiger prawns and the Gnocchi seemed to be fried due to their charred and tough outer sides. My date and I were served ?salads? consisting of browning wilted lettuce covered in cheese and bacon to disguise this fact. The calamari appeared to be Ms. Pauls from the nearby grocer?s freezer section, which the staff proceeded to singe beyond recognition and edibility. The wine list is about as uninspiring as the atmosphere, containing very few wines and even fewer good wines. The staff although enthusiastic appeared to step right from a high school musical. Mean while the majority of clientele appeared to have all experienced the great depression. So if you're under 80, looking for good italian cuisine and a romantic and hip atmosphere in Pittsburgh........steer clear of Cafe Sam's pink nightmare of a restaurant. Pros: Non-existent ambiance with horrid decor Cons: Service was acceptable more

What a wonderful time! My family has been visiting here for the last four years, but let me pick where to go for graduation. Wow, everyone was so happy when I said let's celebrate at Cafe Sam because it is number one with them, too! As usual, the specials all sounded so amazing that it was nearly impossible to choose. I don't know how the chefs came prepare so many dishes with so much diversity. I had the Indian Chicken Tikki Masala, and my brother had a Bison Shepard's Pie. My Dad picked the big Strip Steak, and my mother had Gnocci with Tiger Shrimp. There were eight of us all together, we had two servers, and it was quite the special occassion. We all got a free sample of slush margaritas, and I got a graduation toast with that! I am sorry to be leaving Pittsburgh, and will miss a lot of things, including Cafe Sam. I know the restaurant has been there for many years, and it's good to know I will be able to come back to it when I visit. How about a Cafe Sam for Philly! more

Service was fair - it can be difficult to attract your wait-person's attention at times, especially when they are also manning the front desk, seating patrons and folding linens. more

We moved to Pittsburgh two years ago from New York, and continue to enjoy the outstanding restaurant choices in the Shadyside/Squirrel Hill area. That said, Cafe Sam is the best of the best in consideration of price, quality, service, and atmosphere. Last time we were there, we both selected choices from the monthly four course ""prix fix"" menu that is amazingly priced at $16.95. We started with portobella mushroom soup, the then a hearts of romaine salad with french roquefort dressing. My wife had the lemon chicken entree and I had the 10.oz New York Strip steak. For dessert - cheesecake. Every dish was absolutely outstanding. more

Cafe Sam is across from the Shadyside hospital and I've eaten there twice while visiting a sick relative. It has the trappings of a nice, fun restaurant and looks like it should be good. The first time I ate there I ordered the potato latkes and their chicken special. The latkes were nothing special and the chicken was dry and over cooked. Pros: Only sit down restaurant near local hospital Cons: terrible food, defensive and rude management more

A clean, attractive white building with upstairs patio seating Cafe Sam looks out of place on a street of car dealers and fast food joints. More than once I drove past and wondered if the food matched the exterior appearence. I'm happy to say that it does. There is a nice bar when you enter, the inside seating is attractive and well spaced. I ate on the patio which was surprisingly quiet considering the volume of traffic on Baum Blvd. Appitizer was fresh tomato and mozzerella topped with a tangy 1000 island dressing. Very tasty. Entre was duck with orange/raspberry glaze. The duck was fork tender and the sauce complimented but did not overpower the duck. The potatoes were good, I wished there were more. Decided to have the double chocolate cake for dessert which was also good. Only minor negative was the bread which was non-descript. Service was attentive without being over bearing. All in all very good experience. Total tab with two glasses of wine and tip was $50 which is right in line. I will go back with my wife and try them for lunch. They also have sandwiches and burgers on the menu. Pros: Good food, service and a wide menu Cons: You have to go here on purpose. more

After treating my mom to Mother's Day dinner at Cafe Sam and falling in love with the food, my husband and I decided to have our wedding rehearsal dinner here. It was a dream of an experience. The food was excellent, with options to suit everyone. The upstairs room provided the perfect atmosphere for our families and friends to meet and mingle -- many were meeting for the first time, and most importantly, Mary and the other staff handled several curveballs and all requests with a smile. Most brides are on pins and needles the night before the wedding, but I found myself so relaxed halfway through dinner, that I almost forgot what the occasion was. Excellent value for the price, too. Pros: Delicious Food, Great Prices, Service Cons: Location is somewhat ""hidden"" more

My girlfriend and I just went to Cafe Sam's for our anniversary, and it was one of the top three restaurant experiences of my life. The ambiance was terrific, with a piano bar, nice decoration, and a good use of space. Our waitress was sensational. She knew the menu very well, never tried to push us to buy anything more expensive than we wanted, and always brought out the courses at the perfect time. The food was fantastic. I had angel hair with sun dried tomatoes and roasted almond garlic, my girlfriend had penne with blue crab. Both of the meals were prepared excellently, with fresh ingredients that outweighed the pasta. We shared a decadent chocolate cake for dessert that was very good, but almost a letdown after the near-perfect dinner. The final bill for everything came out to 24$, and was accompanied by fresh baked cookies. I wouldn't have felt cheated if I'd paid double for the menu (the owner also came around with samples of a new buffalo chicken salad which is also delicious). Honestly, there is nothing about Cafe Sam that I could even nitpick about. Highly, highly recommended more

Eating at this restaurant is like being on the inside of a diamond. Lovely mannequin. My grandpa was like ""I don't like this one bit"" and I had to prove it to him, and you know how I did that? I smiled through the whole thing. ""It's gonna happen!"" And it did. more

My family and I went here when I first moved to Pittsburgh. While I found my meal to be good, other family members did not seem to think that their food was up to standard. The most striking example of this was my aunt, who ordered a fajita. The fajita was served cold, on a bed of lettuce. As you should know, one of the things that makes a fajita a fajita is that it is served warm. When this was pointed out to the server, they took it away, microwaved the fajita part, and put it back on the bed of lettuce. The result was a gooey mess sitting on mushy, wilted lettuce. Needless to say, I don't want to go back. more

Fun unpretentious eatery in what appears to be an old Pgh house. Simple and elegant atmosphere. Great price fix during the week. The food is good and plentiful, if traditional. Would like to try the roof dining. Pros: atmosphere, food , value Cons: not real adventurous more

My husband and I celebrated New Year's Eve here last year and it was an experience to remember! The menu was at a fixed price, and a very reasonable price at that! There were several choices for each course. The hardest part of the evening was deciding what to choose because everything looked amazing! We enjoyed a five-course meal that included to-die-for wild mushrooms in a French cream sauce, a seafood bisque, filet mignon cooked and seasoned to perfection, and fresh strawberry sorbet! The food was served at a leisurely pace and the service was excellent. One more charming aspect of the evening were the little hors d'oeuvres served throughout the course of the meal. Delicious! We will be back again this year! Pros: Amazing Food, Great Service, Charming Location more

We had pasta and the best part was we were able to choose two pasta dishes and have them both as our entree. You dont have to choose one, you choose two appetizer size pastas and have them both split in the same bowl! It was absolutely delicious! I definitly say go there- we tend to be very choosey and we were very pleased. Also we dont have a very large budget but we were able to make it work. The main course was so big we didnt need an appetizer. Pros: pasta, menu choices, waiter Cons: decor a little more

excellent service with a flare....the four course special a delight at a price one can't believe! The atmosphere charming. more