I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I live less than 3 miles from Sammy’s, have driven by it likely hundreds of times, but had not stepped foot inside until just recently. Perhaps I should have known something tasty was going down at Sammy’s – the parking lot is always full, but it’s an unassuming little place and I never gave it much thought. Then a buzz began, “Have you been to Sammy’s?” they’d say. Hmm, I thought, sounds like we should give it a try.
It was just past 6:00pm and we were worried there would be a long wait, so I gave Sammy’s a call. Their recording indicated they take reservations, so I asked if they could put us down for 6:30. They still had a couple of tables open they kindly obliged. Upon arriving I hopped out of the car and entered Sammy’s to find it packed; people were crowded by the door waiting for a table. There was one empty booth with a menu standing up on it. That was our table – they held it for us – score one for Sammy’s.
Sammy’s has a local bar atmosphere, but with definite a family friendly suburban feel. I remarked that I was surprised we didn’t see anyone we knew, and then my 3rd grade daughter spotted a friend from her soccer team. The walls are filled with televisions tuned to the game as well as jerseys from local schools. The volume is jovial but not overwhelming.
Burgers are kind of like pizza – even when they aren’t great they are still pretty good. It’s not until you have a really fantastic burger that you recognize the difference quality makes. Sammy’s has a nice selection of gourmet hamburger options. There is the “Sammy” with a fried egg, bacon and mozzarella; Tex-Mex with ranchero cilantro dressing, green & red peppers, onion and “Mexican melting cheese;” and the Blue Cheese with Heinz 57, blue cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomato and an onion ring, to name just a few. I went with the Classic, which comes with the standard lettuce, tomato and pickle in addition to “Sammy’s Dressing” which was described by our waitress as being similar to a Big Mac sauce. It was delicious, all elements coming together creating what very well may be the perfect burger. From the pillowy bun, to the juicy, perfectly cooked (medium, as I requested) burger patty, to the fresh firm slice of tomato; I enjoyed every bite and was sad, yet satisfied, when I realized I was almost finished. The fries were your standard steak fries, but they were cooked just right – each one a lightly browned crunch of potatoey goodness.
There is no shortage of places to get a burger these days, but I have not been to another restaurant in Cincinnati that makes a burger the caliber of Sammy’s. The atmosphere is fun, the game is on and did I mention the food? I can’t believe it took me so long to wander into Sammy’s, but I am glad that I did. This is definitely a case of better late than never. If you are looking for a great burger, look no further than Sammy’s.