Samantha’s Filipino & American Diner

I like the chicken adobo. Family owned business very friendly owners and staff good service fast and they do take out

Back in town and we got to come here. Service is extremely friendly. They treat you like family. I loved my lechon kawali

After eating food from PI and eating other Filipino places in Korean… I would say they place is ok. It’s really good have a Filipino restaurant in Lompoc. I got the mixed chicken adobo plate. Pretty good flavor… now I will eat here again update the review. I believe the owners are very nice people very friendly and down to earth.

I feel a bit sad writing this review because I absolutely love love LOVE filipino food.
So I looked at this 2 sides.
1. If you know how to cook filipino food and you have the ingredients for it (usually quite a hassle when you live in Central Coast) I would recommend that you just cook your own. Nothing beats homemade filipino food made to your liking.
2. There isn’t a lot of Filipino Food places around Central Coast. This place is nice to try if you’re just crave for it really bad.
The Good: The owners are really nice and friendly.
The Bad: The Sinigang was underseasoned and the meat wasn’t as fresh as I would’ve liked it. There was also an obvious lack of vegetables in it. The Pancit noodles were dry and it was just bland overall. The Lumpia, at least what I had was greasy.
The Ugly: Pretty overpriced for Filipino Food. And the overall taste was just, not there.

Maybe I shouldn’t expect too much from Central Coast, or maybe I just don’t know enough about Filipino food, but I don’t think I got the food the other reviews had me hoping for. The service, as everybody will have you know, is phenomenal, but no matter how you look at it, it’s two star food, even with the lovely couple that owns this restaurant. The meats were gamey, so much so that the smell and flavor permeated every dish. As the first sign of stale, ill-​prepared meat, it was an instant turn-​off for me. We had the Adobo, Bangus, Nilaga, Lumpia, and Pancit — everything was greasy, thick, overdone, and infused with the taste of unadulterated game.

*********I’m updating this after finding the hair cooked in my Lumpia! Everytime I think about going back I’m reminded of that. I wish restaurants had to cover their hair like medical professionals do before surgery.
Downgraded to 3 stars — the hair makes me want to give 1 but the service, and everything else is good. I realize these things happen — - and they usually happen to me!
**********
Oh my goodness after the Atlanta food truck «version of Filipino» it’s so awesome to eat REAL authentic filipino food!
The owners are amazing and friendly you feel like you just walked into family friends.
Others have said how good the food is and I have to agree. Everything from the Lumpia and adobo to the Flan were great.
The Man was so impressed he ordered breakfast to go for the morning.
Maybe 5 stars is overdoing but after all the really crappy food we’ve had in Middle GA
I guess I’m being very generous when we get good food and good service.
The pic was taken on a return visit. I love the Food. The people are great. And if there is something going to be found in food it will always be mine. Just ask The Man! I could write a book about things I’ve found in my food. (sigh) will I go back —- stay tuned for check in to find out if we go back.

I made my first foray into Lompoc for something other than great Thai food today. I was greeted by Lida, shown great encouragement in my desire to try a new-​to-​me cuisine, and given her heart-​felt recommendations. Her «better half,» as he called himself and I talked Alaskan fishing and football. (It was Sunday after all.) Needless to say, I felt like I’d been invited into their home for an authentic Filipino meal.
Upon Lida’s recommendation, I had the Adobo Combination plate. It was everything that I’d hoped it would be and then some. The chicken was well seasoned and delicious. The lumpia were equally tasty.
For dessert, Lida steered me to the Leche Flan. Filipino flan tends more towards a denser, almost cheesecake, texture, reminiscent of cajeta. Amazing experience.

This update is long over-​due. My apologies to the Unilocal community! Upon reading my two-​star review a few years ago, Lida contacted to) first convey her condolences over the recent loss of my mom, 2) apologize for my disappointment in their food and 3) invite back for a renewed experience.
A year later, I took her up on her invitation, and this time brought my gang of friends from the charity cycling event – many of whom were Filipino. Lida and her husband, Warren opened their restaurant with open arms, as I expected. As promised the food was remarkably better! Apparently, Warren had been practicing his culinary skills! Still a little greasy for my palate, BUT that to me is authentic of home-​cooked Filipino cuisine. Still, that’s what you get at Samantha’s diner – authenticity plus genuine, honest-​to-​goodness warmth, and hospitality, with no pretensions whatsoever. My Filipino friends who I took with me like Enda F. agreed. They also say, «Leave room for halo-​halo dessert, and for long easy conversations with Lida & Warren!»
Nice job Lida, Warren, Samantha, and the city of Lompoc. We’ll be seeing you again in about nine months.

good spot for food when they are on top of things. I’ve had a few iffy experiences… Get the pork or chicken adobo combo. Awesome when it’s done right.
my wife and I stopped coming here for political reasons that don’t need to be put on Unilocal.glad to see this place in town though.

Hiding in Lompoc you can get a Filipino Food Fix on the Central Coast.
This modest Mom & Pop operation does a fairly good job of making a good & tasty Filipino /​Hawaiian Style plate lunch.
You have your Lumpia, your Pansit, & your Adobo… what more do you need?
Yes it is a bit of a drive from the Pismo Beach/​SLO area… but if you are already in Santa Maria for some odd reason…
like me as a pre-​Colonoscopy evaluation, then it is worth the drive.
BTW– It is far easier to find an MD or DDS open appointment in Santa Maria than in the SLO area. Apparently the rents are far cheaper in SM than in SLO.
Anyway, back to Samatha’s. Since we were there on an off time we had the pleasure to meet both owners. Hubby is the chef. They are both charming & personable nice people.
The food is your basic, stick-​to-​your ribs type of Filipino food.
It was worth a side trip.
The cool high security Vandenberg US Air Force base is right nearby… but we did not see any cool new «UFO’s» nor rockets flying around… I wish they had tours of the cool secret stuff.

Got my food to go. I had the «lumpia» and pancit combo. The pancit was good, but lacked meat. I think there were maybe 3 pieces. Good flavor though. The «lumpia» on the other hand was more like a veggie spring roll, which is not what I wanted at all. I expect lumpia to be mostly meat and this just wasn’t. If I had ordered a veggie spring roll I would have been ok with this, but still nothing impressive.
The owners are very nice though and were so welcoming.

Great traditional Filipino food! Comfort food. «Mom and Pop» style restaurant with friendly staff and owners.
Small menu, good beer (San Miguel and Red Horse). A must visit.

They serve Red Horse beer here! That alone should be enough to justify the five stars.
No? Ok, then let me explain some more. Samantha’s gets five stars because it is as authentic it gets. This isn’t Filipino-​ish food, it’s not Filipino-​for-​Americans food; it’s Pinoy/​Pinay food, and in Lompoc of all places. So if you like Filipino food, then Samantha’s is the place for you; if you’re unsure, then this is the place to find out.
Not only do the dishes here taste just like the ones you would have in the Philippines, but they offer the full range of Filipino cuisine too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and beer –all Filipino style. The only thing I haven’t seen here is the actual pig on a stick for lechón, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do that too.
Additionally the atmosphere is relaxed, the people are friendly, the interior’s been cleaned up and tidied, and their new wine bar in the back looks really nice too. I’ve been coming here for years and have consistently had good experiences. Lastly, they are active in the community which if nothing else is something more Lompoc business should be doing.