My friend and his girl took me here for breakfast one morning as I was passing through and it was delicious. Perfectly sized portions and great prices. Wished I had tried more than just the perfect omelette I got but there's always another time.
(5)
Frank J.
Great breakfast food, family atmosphere, good service , very well priced. Food inspection report= 100!
(5)
Chastity P.
Great cafe! Friendly atmosphere, I had the pimento cheese sand on white bread, it was grilled to perfection and a great helping of pimento! The bread and butter pickles was amazing too.. I will be back. .. 100 on health inspection as well :)
(5)
Courtney G.
We come here pretty regularly for breakfast on the weekend. I enjoy the food (get the grits!), but I wish the wait-list system was better organized. It can be kind of confusing to figure out who showed up when, who is next, etc.
(4)
Jamie C.
I went back and forth about the star rating for about 15m before I wrote this. I raised it to 4 stars because good diner breakfast food is hard to find in Knoxville. There's one other place I like enough to give it a 5 star, but that's it. I was a little aggravated they ran out of the biscuits and gravy toward the end of the breakfast rush, but I got the western omelette and it was delicious!!! It was the great thing kind, that uses mostly bulk bought veggies... It's weird. We cook w/ almost all fresh veggies, nothing from a can, but diners are just the opposite. And they make it work. Good ones, like Sami's, do at least. My hubby ventured into the chicken sandwich realm and was not impressed. It wasn't bad, it was just...not overly flavorful. The coffee stayed hot, and my cup never got below half full. I highly recommend coming really early or toward the end of the breakfast run b/c it is busy!!
(4)
Virginia T.
It's not that the place is bad, it's pretty good, but they try to do too many things well and their food falls short on some dishes. My husband and I went there today for lunch with mixed success. I ordered a black coffee, Patty Melt on rye and fries. Hubby ordered a diet coke, Gyros and onion rings. The tale of two lunches: My coffee was good, but they offered only one refill of small cup during my meal and only seemed to remember to offer another when we were leaving. The menu describes the patty melt on rye with grilled onions and cheese. Luckily, the waitress warned my that the 'He' (the owner? the chef?) puts lettuce, tomato and mayo on it and 'Is that okay?' I said 'No, please, just grilled onions and cheese.' The melt was good but not the best ever. The onions were grilled in super thin strands and a little stringy and hard to eat. The fries were hot but just standard frozen crinkle cut bagged fries. Good lunch? Yes. Great lunch? No. My husband had a lesser experience with his lunch. First, the Diet Coke came flat and strangely super sweet. When he asked for a new one he was told that's how the machine is set up and the mix cannot be changed. The waitress offered him a different beverage but since Diet Coke is their only diet soda he had to choose water. The Gyros sandwich was not worth getting. There were 3 super thin strips of Gyros meat on a pita with lettuce, tomato, and onion. There was also a sauce that was supposed to be Tzatziki sauce but was really just a Greek yogurt with a little garlic powder. The was no evidence of any cucumber, mint or lemon to give it that rich Mediterranean flavor. The onion rings, however were fabulous. They were battered, hot and fresh. Definitely worth the price to upgrade from the fries. All in all, the food was okay. We will probably give them another try and order something different to see if the have anything outstanding in their lunch menu. I hope they do. I really hope they do.
(3)
Eric H.
I really like that there is a locally owned restaurant available - these are getting harder and harder to find. The staff is always friendly, and everything I've had was great. Occasionally stop in on the weekend for breakfast, but normally come by for lunch to get a Chicken Philly.
(4)
Ashley Z.
Delicious simple breakfast, the biscuits are amazing. Great, friendly service and cheap prices.
(4)
Rick W.
I've eaten here probably 6-7 times now, so that alone probably tells you something! If you're one of those people that says "Gee, I'm so sick of eating at chain restaurants", then this place is probably just what you're looking for. It's small and it's busy and the prices are really low, so sometimes you have to wait a little bit. Same with the food - once or twice I've had to wait longer than expected for the food to show up; but when you order the specials, the food comes much faster. I am in the Guiness Book of World Records as the "Pickiest Eater Ever", but I've found many items on the menu that I like. I've never had a bad meal here! Also - if you are in the mood for "foo-foo" food, this is NOT your kind of place. If you like "comfort food" - this IS your kind of place. Atmosphere - it's very bright - lots of big windows and natural lighting coming in. Personally, I love this. I do wish they'd put up a couple of TVs, so there would be something to watch while you wait. BTW - this is a perfect place to go at lunch, if you work nearby. By Rick Wingender
(5)
Channa P.
I'm with Peggy. I wanted to LOVE this place, but I liked it instead. I arrived around 10 on a Saturday and the place was full, but not packed. Many guests chose to sit outside. The room is pretty quaint and on a beautiful day sitting outside is perfect. I ordered the western omelette and it was fine, but it took forever to arrive. I think the owner Sami is the only cook. The table next to me was pretty annoyed by the delay as well. This place is worth checking out, but I'm not going to lie. If you want a good diner for breakfast just go downtown to Pete's.
(3)
Al J.
Great breakfast selection, freshly made, reasonable prices, good service, not fast food but food served fast; tucked away in Franklin Square on Kingston Pike just west of Chik-Fil-A. Meat-n-3 lunches, deli-style sandwiches & salads served until 3 ... be prepared to wait if you get there about noon. A fave!
(5)
Susan C.
Still on the lookout for a local, independently-owned breakfast/brunch eatery that serves everything from tasty biscuits and gravy to omelets to deli sandwiches, soup and creative salads, we spotted Sami's on the way to our bank in The Shops at Franklin Square. Most every table was full when we entered, yet a booth in the back by the cashier had just been cleared, so it opened just in time for us to be seated. Friendly wait staff immediately greeted us and offered to take a drink order. Though Sami's only serves breakfast till noon Saturdays and we arrived as the clock struck 12:00, our cheery server said the cook would be happy to prepare a breakfast meal, however, they were out of biscuits -- the very food my husband was craving. So, he eventually settled on a Gyro sandwich with onion, lettuce, tomato, tzatziki sauce and onion rings ($8.25), and I decided on a Reuben with corned beef, sauerkraut on marbled rye with mustard and french fries ($7.25). Both came to the table about 15 minutes later pipping hot and full of flavor. The husband said his Gyro was good, though the meat was a tad dry, which he pepped-up with "Gunshot Sauce," a mixture of vinegar, sugar, horseradish root and citrus juices. The sauce, incidentally, is manufactured in Knoxville. Another unique condiment on the table was "Tennessee Sunshine Sauce" (made in New Orleans of red peppers, vinegar, salt, water and vegetable gum - whatever that is). The corned beef on my Reuben was moist and tender, and both the spouse's onion rings and my French fries were crispy. The sandwiches came with generous slices of cold, sweet pickles, a rather nice addition. What I found rather intriguing were the M-F Lunch Specials. Roast Beef with Gravy, Meat Loaf, Fried Flounder, Chicken & Dumplings, Salmon Patties and Chicken Livers are just a few of the meet offerings with sides like turnip greens, mashed potatoes, peas, beans, and fried okra. A meat and 2 veggies with roll or corn muffin is $6.50, 3 sides with roll or muffin, $5.25; and 2 sides with roll or muffin, $3.95. "Hot Soups," the menu claims, are "homemade in Sami's kitchen" for $4.50 a bowl and served with corn muffins. Sami also serves Chili "(in season)." When is Chili not in season? -- although it decidedly tastes better when the weather is cooler. As a quick aside, the restaurant was clean, including the women's restroom. We do plan to return, next time a bit earlier so we can sample the breakfast menu to determine whether this will become a regular breakfast stop for us. We're still on the hunt for that breakfast eatery with variety and good eats.
(3)
Lance C.
They have decent to good food at a very reasonable price here. be sure to get in early to beat the weekend crowds!
(3)
Peggy O.
Cute place and I wanted to love it but I liked it. Service pretty good. Biscuits nice. Just too much salt on both the eggs and the biscuit. Would I come back? Questionable.
(3)
L S.
Sami's is a great addition to Knoxville, helping to fill an until-recently rather empty niche: a good breakfast place! The interior looks much the same as it did when Ham and Goody's was still there, and for those of us who remember Ham and Goody's when they had their west location, there's something comfortingly familiar about that. It's got a very casual, comfortable feel. The service was good. I was there around noon on a Saturday but Sami's was still serving the breakfast menu in addition to their lunch menu. I'm not sure if they do that everyday or just on weekends. My party took advantage of it though, and we all opted for breakfast options. I had the french toast, which they were very willing to do with wheat bread instead of the usual texas toast. It was well-coated with egg batter and really delicious. My mom had the blueberry pancakes with eggs, and her date had scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage. The blueberry pancakes were not unique but solidly prepared and good. Both she and her date thought the scrambled eggs had a particularly good flavor (aka superior eggs!). His hash browns were also exceptional - thick cut, crispy, and very "real," if you will. Clearly not out of the freezer case. Though we didn't order anything from the lunch menu, we noticed they had some very nice sounding sandwiches, as well as a fairly extensive list of classic desserts, including red velvet cake and german chocolate cake. Overall, we were very happy with our new laid back breakfast option. A return trip is likely.
(4)
GLEN K.
Sam's is a great place to eat and relax. Family atmosphere with his parents and nephews helping make this restaurant. I'm their every Saturday and look forward to seeing everyone. Home cooking that can't be beat.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Doug R.
My friend and his girl took me here for breakfast one morning as I was passing through and it was delicious. Perfectly sized portions and great prices. Wished I had tried more than just the perfect omelette I got but there's always another time.
(5)Frank J.
Great breakfast food, family atmosphere, good service , very well priced. Food inspection report= 100!
(5)Chastity P.
Great cafe! Friendly atmosphere, I had the pimento cheese sand on white bread, it was grilled to perfection and a great helping of pimento! The bread and butter pickles was amazing too.. I will be back. .. 100 on health inspection as well :)
(5)Courtney G.
We come here pretty regularly for breakfast on the weekend. I enjoy the food (get the grits!), but I wish the wait-list system was better organized. It can be kind of confusing to figure out who showed up when, who is next, etc.
(4)Jamie C.
I went back and forth about the star rating for about 15m before I wrote this. I raised it to 4 stars because good diner breakfast food is hard to find in Knoxville. There's one other place I like enough to give it a 5 star, but that's it. I was a little aggravated they ran out of the biscuits and gravy toward the end of the breakfast rush, but I got the western omelette and it was delicious!!! It was the great thing kind, that uses mostly bulk bought veggies... It's weird. We cook w/ almost all fresh veggies, nothing from a can, but diners are just the opposite. And they make it work. Good ones, like Sami's, do at least. My hubby ventured into the chicken sandwich realm and was not impressed. It wasn't bad, it was just...not overly flavorful. The coffee stayed hot, and my cup never got below half full. I highly recommend coming really early or toward the end of the breakfast run b/c it is busy!!
(4)Virginia T.
It's not that the place is bad, it's pretty good, but they try to do too many things well and their food falls short on some dishes. My husband and I went there today for lunch with mixed success. I ordered a black coffee, Patty Melt on rye and fries. Hubby ordered a diet coke, Gyros and onion rings. The tale of two lunches: My coffee was good, but they offered only one refill of small cup during my meal and only seemed to remember to offer another when we were leaving. The menu describes the patty melt on rye with grilled onions and cheese. Luckily, the waitress warned my that the 'He' (the owner? the chef?) puts lettuce, tomato and mayo on it and 'Is that okay?' I said 'No, please, just grilled onions and cheese.' The melt was good but not the best ever. The onions were grilled in super thin strands and a little stringy and hard to eat. The fries were hot but just standard frozen crinkle cut bagged fries. Good lunch? Yes. Great lunch? No. My husband had a lesser experience with his lunch. First, the Diet Coke came flat and strangely super sweet. When he asked for a new one he was told that's how the machine is set up and the mix cannot be changed. The waitress offered him a different beverage but since Diet Coke is their only diet soda he had to choose water. The Gyros sandwich was not worth getting. There were 3 super thin strips of Gyros meat on a pita with lettuce, tomato, and onion. There was also a sauce that was supposed to be Tzatziki sauce but was really just a Greek yogurt with a little garlic powder. The was no evidence of any cucumber, mint or lemon to give it that rich Mediterranean flavor. The onion rings, however were fabulous. They were battered, hot and fresh. Definitely worth the price to upgrade from the fries. All in all, the food was okay. We will probably give them another try and order something different to see if the have anything outstanding in their lunch menu. I hope they do. I really hope they do.
(3)Eric H.
I really like that there is a locally owned restaurant available - these are getting harder and harder to find. The staff is always friendly, and everything I've had was great. Occasionally stop in on the weekend for breakfast, but normally come by for lunch to get a Chicken Philly.
(4)Ashley Z.
Delicious simple breakfast, the biscuits are amazing. Great, friendly service and cheap prices.
(4)Rick W.
I've eaten here probably 6-7 times now, so that alone probably tells you something! If you're one of those people that says "Gee, I'm so sick of eating at chain restaurants", then this place is probably just what you're looking for. It's small and it's busy and the prices are really low, so sometimes you have to wait a little bit. Same with the food - once or twice I've had to wait longer than expected for the food to show up; but when you order the specials, the food comes much faster. I am in the Guiness Book of World Records as the "Pickiest Eater Ever", but I've found many items on the menu that I like. I've never had a bad meal here! Also - if you are in the mood for "foo-foo" food, this is NOT your kind of place. If you like "comfort food" - this IS your kind of place. Atmosphere - it's very bright - lots of big windows and natural lighting coming in. Personally, I love this. I do wish they'd put up a couple of TVs, so there would be something to watch while you wait. BTW - this is a perfect place to go at lunch, if you work nearby. By Rick Wingender
(5)Channa P.
I'm with Peggy. I wanted to LOVE this place, but I liked it instead. I arrived around 10 on a Saturday and the place was full, but not packed. Many guests chose to sit outside. The room is pretty quaint and on a beautiful day sitting outside is perfect. I ordered the western omelette and it was fine, but it took forever to arrive. I think the owner Sami is the only cook. The table next to me was pretty annoyed by the delay as well. This place is worth checking out, but I'm not going to lie. If you want a good diner for breakfast just go downtown to Pete's.
(3)Al J.
Great breakfast selection, freshly made, reasonable prices, good service, not fast food but food served fast; tucked away in Franklin Square on Kingston Pike just west of Chik-Fil-A. Meat-n-3 lunches, deli-style sandwiches & salads served until 3 ... be prepared to wait if you get there about noon. A fave!
(5)Susan C.
Still on the lookout for a local, independently-owned breakfast/brunch eatery that serves everything from tasty biscuits and gravy to omelets to deli sandwiches, soup and creative salads, we spotted Sami's on the way to our bank in The Shops at Franklin Square. Most every table was full when we entered, yet a booth in the back by the cashier had just been cleared, so it opened just in time for us to be seated. Friendly wait staff immediately greeted us and offered to take a drink order. Though Sami's only serves breakfast till noon Saturdays and we arrived as the clock struck 12:00, our cheery server said the cook would be happy to prepare a breakfast meal, however, they were out of biscuits -- the very food my husband was craving. So, he eventually settled on a Gyro sandwich with onion, lettuce, tomato, tzatziki sauce and onion rings ($8.25), and I decided on a Reuben with corned beef, sauerkraut on marbled rye with mustard and french fries ($7.25). Both came to the table about 15 minutes later pipping hot and full of flavor. The husband said his Gyro was good, though the meat was a tad dry, which he pepped-up with "Gunshot Sauce," a mixture of vinegar, sugar, horseradish root and citrus juices. The sauce, incidentally, is manufactured in Knoxville. Another unique condiment on the table was "Tennessee Sunshine Sauce" (made in New Orleans of red peppers, vinegar, salt, water and vegetable gum - whatever that is). The corned beef on my Reuben was moist and tender, and both the spouse's onion rings and my French fries were crispy. The sandwiches came with generous slices of cold, sweet pickles, a rather nice addition. What I found rather intriguing were the M-F Lunch Specials. Roast Beef with Gravy, Meat Loaf, Fried Flounder, Chicken & Dumplings, Salmon Patties and Chicken Livers are just a few of the meet offerings with sides like turnip greens, mashed potatoes, peas, beans, and fried okra. A meat and 2 veggies with roll or corn muffin is $6.50, 3 sides with roll or muffin, $5.25; and 2 sides with roll or muffin, $3.95. "Hot Soups," the menu claims, are "homemade in Sami's kitchen" for $4.50 a bowl and served with corn muffins. Sami also serves Chili "(in season)." When is Chili not in season? -- although it decidedly tastes better when the weather is cooler. As a quick aside, the restaurant was clean, including the women's restroom. We do plan to return, next time a bit earlier so we can sample the breakfast menu to determine whether this will become a regular breakfast stop for us. We're still on the hunt for that breakfast eatery with variety and good eats.
(3)Lance C.
They have decent to good food at a very reasonable price here. be sure to get in early to beat the weekend crowds!
(3)Peggy O.
Cute place and I wanted to love it but I liked it. Service pretty good. Biscuits nice. Just too much salt on both the eggs and the biscuit. Would I come back? Questionable.
(3)L S.
Sami's is a great addition to Knoxville, helping to fill an until-recently rather empty niche: a good breakfast place! The interior looks much the same as it did when Ham and Goody's was still there, and for those of us who remember Ham and Goody's when they had their west location, there's something comfortingly familiar about that. It's got a very casual, comfortable feel. The service was good. I was there around noon on a Saturday but Sami's was still serving the breakfast menu in addition to their lunch menu. I'm not sure if they do that everyday or just on weekends. My party took advantage of it though, and we all opted for breakfast options. I had the french toast, which they were very willing to do with wheat bread instead of the usual texas toast. It was well-coated with egg batter and really delicious. My mom had the blueberry pancakes with eggs, and her date had scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage. The blueberry pancakes were not unique but solidly prepared and good. Both she and her date thought the scrambled eggs had a particularly good flavor (aka superior eggs!). His hash browns were also exceptional - thick cut, crispy, and very "real," if you will. Clearly not out of the freezer case. Though we didn't order anything from the lunch menu, we noticed they had some very nice sounding sandwiches, as well as a fairly extensive list of classic desserts, including red velvet cake and german chocolate cake. Overall, we were very happy with our new laid back breakfast option. A return trip is likely.
(4)GLEN K.
Sam's is a great place to eat and relax. Family atmosphere with his parents and nephews helping make this restaurant. I'm their every Saturday and look forward to seeing everyone. Home cooking that can't be beat.
(5)