Sam’s Home Cooking

Great mom and pop shop. This is your typical city diner with home made food and good prices. Sam is a great conversationalist. This is an authentic place for real food made by real people, not overpriced swanky stuff. Of course, décor isn’t the greatest, but you come to a place like this for the food.

Sam, I’m so sorry. I’m sure your food is great, but the water alone doesn’t cut it. It looks like you pulled it out of a creek. I’m all about supporting the local businesses but please work on the hygiene of your cups, ice, or whatever made the water dirty. I took a big gulp before I saw what I was drinking. I may be back to see if it was just a bad day.

At first glance, Sams’s Home Cooking doesn’t look like much. There’s a very old fashioned counter and a kitchen in the back. When I walked in one customer was at the counter, and an older man was sitting at the kitchen. There were two ancient, gas heated coffee urns, a cash register straight out of «The Waltons» and a Kelvinator refrigerator with an old ice cream company logo on the door.
A few seconds after I sat down, the man sitting at the kitchen walked over and took my order. When I asked for Splenda or similar with my coffee (I’m a diabetic) he looked around and very nicely told me he was out. He was so nice and apologetic that I dropped a couple of bucks on sweetener at a small grocery two doors down and came back.
The coffee was excellent, the ham and cheese omelet was better than most I’ve had and the home fries were great. Coffee, three egg omelet (or two ginormous eggs) and home fries for $ 7.
But the conversations with the regulars there was the best part. I heard stories ranging back to the Korean War era all the way to last week. After 45 minutes of conversation and food I felt I’d made new friends of the customers and owner.
Definitely not fancy, but one of my new favorites.

The best thing about Sam’s Home Cooking is the conversation. The food is a great value for the price and the interior is less than desirable, but I don’t stroll into Sam’s for either of those things. I go into Sam’s to eavesdrop on the old guys as they banter back and forth about business and the state of the city.
I recommend the ham, egg and cheese on a bun with a side of home fries. I also suggest striking up a conversation with Sam.

Sam’s Home Cooking is a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I think the character of the joint and it’s proprietor can be summed up by a sign on the wall that reads, «Helen Waite is Sam’s credit manager; if you want credit, go to Helen Waite!»
The place is easy to miss as it’s signage isn’t the brightest on Lark Street, which has kept it my secret hangout place for years. It’s an old-​fashioned breakfast/​lunch counter, complete with a working mechanical cash register and gas fired coffee percolators. The clientele on a typical day consists of an odd mix of retired old guys and college students.
Sam serves up your typical greasy-​spoon comfort food, which is usually what I want the morning after a pub crawl. He makes what any of us could probably whip up at home, but don’t want to. You will get good food here, for very little money.
High on my list are the following, the French Toast with a side of ham. The french toast is piled high, and topped with sugar and cinnamon. The ham slices are thick cut and seasoned with cracked pepper. The 2-​eggs, toast, bacon and home fries platter always hits the spot. And I find that the BLT satiates afternoon hunger. I highly recommend the coffee, which is always replenished.
Honestly, the place is kind of a dump, but a good old-​fashioned dump with good food and great character. If you’re looking for a good, quick, no frills, breakfast or lunch experience, I suggest you give Sam’s a go.