Sama Zama

Great place for a quick and delicious bite to eat.
I had the pulled pork sandwich on one occasion and I am currently eating the tri-​tip sandwich while sitting at the bar watching the chef and his two assistants pump out some gourmet looking Sliders, sandwiches, salads and soups.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ I highly recommend

First off I’ve heard good thinks about this place, especially from one of my co workers. I have yet to try the sandwiches. But today I ordered a combo of the caesar salad and the seafood chowder. The salad was no more than a handful, and was heavy dosed in dressing. and the chowder was TOO salty. I’m a pro at making crab, and shelling it, and I can honestly say that the soup tasted like the crab was thrown in straight from the ocean. I tried to pepper it after the first taste. But the salt was just overwhelming.
Very disappointed, the price I paid did not match with the quality of the food. Wish I waited for the food trucks rather than spend my money there.

There are few times when we experience a very rude owner or worker or janitorial service worker at a restaurant. Whatever he was. I wouldn’t call the restaurant a restaurant, though. Watch out. The bald guy is a complete fool. He treated us like we were not good enough to eat his crap. Don’t eat this crap. Ever. Gave it a one star but it’s a negative. Remember us. Giants win in 18. Yes. You’ll remember. You are officially boycotted.

I had the roasted root veggies salad:
Pros: the roots and veggies are delicious, the vinaigrette was light and complemented the flavors, the ingredients were fresh.
Cons: there was too much lettuce, a weird qualm I know. Just seemed disproportional to the jicama and veggies. Also, I got a little dirt grit from the onions.
Haven’t been able to try anything else. It was good overall, but not great.

The way the older man speaks to his employees is disgusting. So degrading and rude. When asked a simple question about taking something out he said «ABSOLUTELY NOT». I’m sorry last time I checked you could have just said no I’m sorry. I will never eat here again and I feel bad for the other employees.

Was ok – the food looked much better than it tasted. I originally wanted the chicken sandwich but they were out of chicken (!). Had pork instead, but wasn’t thrilled by it. My wife had the avocado crab salad, but didn’t think much of the crab. Avocados were fresh at least.

Stopped in for a quick lunch and discovered this place while looking for the healthiest option around. I ordered a caesar salad with anchovies, and is was great! Long hearts of romaine, with a delightful lemony zesty caesar dressing.

I ordered the root salad because I LOVE root vegetables and was looking forward to a filling salad. Unfortunately, what I received was just sort of sad. It seemed more like a side salad and for $ 10 I was disappointed. It had 2 carrots on it and 2 small pieces of beet. The rest was lettuce. REALLY? I was sad. This salad could be awesome but was majorly lacking. I was offered a piece of bread with my salad and it was really 2 – 3 pieces of bread, maybe he knew that the salad was just not enough?

Ok, revisited the place and always I forget how delicious it is!
$ 12 for half roasted chicken sandwich and root veg salad. Chicken was cooked perfectly (not dry).
This place always rewards me with good healthy food when I eat here. Definitely my new goto lunch at San Pedro.

SWEET: Their tri-​tip sandwich is fantastic.
SAVORY: This place offers standard fare — soups, salad, sandwiches, but they really emphasize the freshness of their ingredients. I got the tri tip sandwich w/​side salad for myself, and the tomato soup for my sick coworker (and a Vitamin water, because, you know. hydration). Though it took a little longer, I really appreciate the fact that they made everything in my sandwich from scratch, and the salad was extremely fresh with just enough vinagrette to make it sweet. Awesome.
BITTER: Soup could use some work though. According to their website it’s «finished to order,» which means it’s sitting on top of a double boiler all day. Unfortunately, you can’t really dress up tomato soup, so I just got a piece of (while tasty) toast. Word of caution: their tomato-​pesto soup is more like pesto-​pesto-​tomato soup. And while I love pesto as much as the next person, overpowering amounts of it, especially in tomato soup, are not welcome.
Plus, it’s pretty pricey here. I guess that’s the premium you pay for when you get everything produce-​fresh.
I haven’t been back to Sama Zama, though I haven’t really been back to any places in the Market for awhile. Still, if I want a sandwich, there are better options, and if I wanted soup, then there are definitely better options.

Went to lunch today here only because my pops wanted his tri-​tip sandwich. I decided to get the blue crab salad. Then my pops ordered and he said they ran out of bread! This was at 1:15pm. My pops was disappointed (lol) and decided to grab food elsewhere and since I already ordered I just went with my order. $ 11 for my lunch crab salad served on a paper plate. Not much to it but lettuce blue crab and avocado. 3 stars for being healthy!!!

Ahh! Sooo good!
I’ve been getting my friends and coworkers addicted to this place!
I am a huge burger, and meat type of guy– but this place kills it on the Salads! I also love there sliders!
Nothing about this place is bad– 6 sliders 13 $, seems perfectly priced! A salad to die for — 11 $? In a time when everything is getting more expensive and taste is getting worse– these guys are actually thinking shot quality and cost– love it! It’s the only place I eat here at the San Pedro Market! Other then the cookie shop. Haha.
I literally drive out from Campbell at least twice a month for lunch at Sama Zama!
Good food is great, but great people serving good food is even better! Please try this place– just so you know what quality is!
Man– I should get a discount for this review! Haha. Jkjk.
Keep up the good work guys! (and get some horse radish sauce for the sliders. if you dare! ;)

This place was way too pricey for what you get.
I believe it is a small family owned business, that tries very hard, but the amount of food you get is not worth it, unfortunately.
It took about 15 minutes to craft my salad and 3 crab sliders. I ordered the avocado crab salad and the sliders, totaled almost $ 20 after a bottle of water and a Izze.
I think they’d do much better if they either lowered their prices slightly, or increased the amount of food they gave. The salad wasn’t enough and I ended up getting some garbage from somewhere else after I ditched the buns on the sliders.

Usually I feel guilty for giving low star rating to a place that just opened up, but this place was asking for it.
Overpriced, small portion, bland, and definitely left me feeling hungry! For $ 10 salad, got nothing more than lettuce, beets, and a little pieces of fish. It was drenched in balsamic vinaigrette that made the salad soggy. Was not expecting how one can specialized in salads, yet can’t even make them correctly. Absolutely disappointing!!!

We had been at San Pedro a few hours hanging out with friends when we got hungry after a few beers from the local beer market. I wanted something light that wouldn’t weigh me down so after perusing the menu at Sama, decided to give it a try.
I ordered the half chicken sandwich with a half order of the root salad combo which was delicious. The chicken was flavorful and had a spread that tasted of cumin, roasted red peppers, and various other herbs. The bread was a fresh french baguette. I love my foods simple and not overly sauced or seasoned. The flavors worked well together. Now the salad was also delicious. I love loveeee beets and root vegetables and they did not skimp on the vegetables.
Husband got the full order of the tri tip sandwich which also came with a regular mixed green salad which looked appetizing but I did not try it. Friend ordered the crab avocado salad which looked quite appetizing. He did comment that it was on the smaller side for the price.
Prices are a bit high for the portion/​quantity but for my taste buds, I did enjoy my food and would eat here again. $ 8 for a whole sandwich. $ 10.50 for the half sandwich/​salad combo. I bought bottled green tea and the total with 15% tip was about $ 25.
4 stars

I ordered a half salad with a bowl of soup for about $ 10. My food was so-​so. There are much better options in the market, so I would recommend to keep moving. The line is short for a reason.
The root vegetable salad was a delicious mixture of cooked root vegetables on a bed of mixed greens with minimal dressing.
The minestrone soup was bland at best. It was a bowl of beans in water. Ick! The soup was accompanied by a tasty piece of a baguette.

I was very happy with the crab and avocado salad that I ordered here today. It came with a hearty serving of fresh real crab with avocado. The dressing was not too heavy, and was served with fresh vegetables. Solid salad.

Just putting a disclaimer out there before you guys continue reading my review!
I am not saying this place sucks, nor am I saying this place is amazing! HENCE 3 stars!
I like this place, I really do.
THE BAD:
The food tastes great, the salad that they serve with the sandwiches seems like it was just… bleh. And that’s it! If you order the chicken sandwich, which costs like 10 bucks, you get that sandwich and a salad which in my opinion, was half-​assed. I mean, for 10 bucks, I honestly expected something better to compliment the sandwich, or just have the sandwich be infinitely better than I had received. And seriously though, don’t go here if you’re really hungry… it won’t fill you up at all.
THE GOOD:
But anyways, I hate talking about a place where I focus too much on the negative… let’s get to the actual good stuff. Okay, that sandwich was bomb. It tasted amazing, and the chicken didn’t taste like it was burnt… thank god!
The service was friendly, and hey, that’s ALWAYS A PLUS.
So I’ll definitely be back, I will try more things on their menu and I’m hoping to bump this place up in the rankings.

The guys here made me blush :-)
As you might have noticed, San Pedro Market is my watering hole. I congregate here with my fellow mates to eat, drink, and socialize. So I have to try each and every restaurant. This place is brand spanking new.
Their menu is pretty unique and emphasizes on seasonal ingredients. I believe the menu was mostly sandwiches and tapas. Correct me if I am wrong.
So the roasted chicken sandwich appealed to me. I placed my order with the guy at the counter, who in return asked me for my name so they can call out my order. I said my name is «Angel», cause it is, kinda.
The guys in the back preparing food overheard this and said something about me being an angel and I had an sweet innocent face. Haha … while some people might find that a little obtrusive, I didn’t. I laughed inside and thought, «OH MAN, IF THEY ONLY KNEW».
So I received my sandwich and I liked it! The roasted chicken was moist and the veggies were fresh and added a lightness to the sandwich. It hit the spot because I was craving something light and not heavy. The only thing is that I wish the bread was toast but really this shouldn’t be held against them, because I didn’t ask. The side salad had a nice acidic dressing that messed well with the greens they were on. I did wish the dressing had a tad more sweetness or salt, but it was good.
Overall, great service and great sandwich. Keep on truckin’ boys. FYI, even though this face looks innocent, my friends can attest the shenanigans I have been through.

I always attempt to try a new eatery every time I come here. I’ve been to Little Chef Counter, Pizza Bocca Lupo, Robee’s Falafel, and Cre Paris. I came here last Friday to meet w/​friends I haven’t seen in months (I saw Angel C. last Sunday but I haven’t seen Lora M. since her birthday dinner in Dublin as well as Liza [non-​Yelper] awhile back) so I was pretty excited and the fact that I had the intention to try Cali Dog.
The weather was perfect despite the gloomy sky and little did I know live entertainment was set to happen. My friends got there first and grabbed seats where B2 Coffee is. It’s a huge dining area and what’s great was that servers from San Pedro Square Market Bar patrols the vicinity to fulfill your alcoholic thirst. I don’t drink so I passed but it is a great option rather than walking to get a drink because seats and tables fill up quick.
I never crave Asian food so On a Roll and Phonomenal Noodle House was out of the question. Cali Dog was closed for some reason. I really wanted to try their Sriracha fries. I looked to my right and noticed a new joint. Liza and I walked over to view the menu… I did not see any paper menus but the board was pretty clear on items and price but lacked description of the items. I love sandwiches and saw a roasted chicken sandwich w/​something-​something but spending a little over $ 10 (or $ 11) on a sandwich that I can make at home did not strike me as something I wanted to try. I looked to the right of the board and saw sliders… very reasonable price and since I was so hungry I can eat a cow and because I couldn’t make up my mind, I ordered the tri tip sliders and the crab cake sliders.
Beware though because when I expressed my interests in the sliders, they had to check to see if they have sliders available. Maybe it is because they are new but please, Sama-​Zama make your website w/​the menu available as well as a paper menu. They accept cards and ordering was a breeze. iPad ordering and signing on the iPad is such a cool concept to me, They can text you once your order is done but this was a fail because I never received a text. I walked over when Liza received a text that her order was done. Did I come way too early? Only the tri tip sliders were done by the time I got there. who knows but either ways, I was pretty excited as soon as I placed both plates on the tray to walk over to our table. There is a water dispenser w/​cups so if you wish, you do not have to spend $ 1 on a water bottle.
Both sliders comes w/​mixed greens tossed w/​a light vinaigrette dressing… very fresh and very delicious and this is coming from someone that never eat vegetables. I tried the tri tip sliders first and I just love that it was a little on the rare side. The beef was tender but wasn’t flavorful however, it came together greatly w/​the buns and condiments that were on the slider. The crab cake sliders were the bomb dot com. The crab cake was flaky, moist, and dense… their version of tartar sauce on the sliders made this dish awesome. Liza tried a piece of the crab cake and admitted it was good as well.
At the end of my meal, I cleared the mixed greens on both plates and a total of 4 sliders (2 per order) and did not feel full. I wanted desserts afterwards but somehow refrained due to financial restrictions. For my 2 sliders, I paid $ 13 and very happy w/​the product, price, and service. Speed is a little on the slow side but hey, it’s Friday… why the rush? I hella enjoyed myself.