This place doesn't look like much but there is a reason it seems always to be busy: the sushi is amazing. Go for it with omakase (chef's choice) and you will be completely blown away. I went twice during my two week stay and was so sad I couldn't fit in a third visit.

It is somewhat old and run down looking, but the food is excellent. They made a custom roll at my request and was not expensive. Service was good. They were just really busy. It is obviously a favorite of locals.

There are a lot of sushi places between San Francsico and San Jose. Some exceptional ones, like Sakea, which are at the highest level. In general, SF sushi is considered slightly inferior to LA and somewhat inferior to NYC, so maybe the third best in the states. Of SF sushi places, sushi sam's is one of the bright lights -... More

Not cheap, but not overpriced either. Get the chilidog, awesome. Ask them what's fresh and they wlll tell you. Not the most fancy place your going to sit down in, but man they have very good and authentic sushi.

excellent quality sushi - every mouthful was a deligh! service was slow (they lost half our order)and reservations a must!

I cannot recommend this place enough. The service is always good, and the sushi melts in your mouth! For a small restaurant they have a large variety of sushi and it changes daily, depending on the catch-of-the-day. They know sushi here!

I've been going to Sushi Sams for a few years now and absolutely love it. You often have to queue and it's usually crowded and noisy, but the sushi is fantastic. The omakase in particular is always delicious. It's quite a bit more expensive, but it really is worth every cent. They don't normally take reservations, but if there's a... More

I've been going to Sam's since 1997 and have not had a bad meal there. It's always crowded, especially on weekends. The menu is diverse so that you can have your average sushi for around $20-$25 pp or you can order exotic things from the black board, have an amazing meal and easily pay $100+ pp. Most of Sam's staff... More

I drive 30 minutes down from SF to eat here in San Mateo, and SF is full of great sushi places. This restaurant has all the ambiance of a couple of folding chairs in your kitchen, but the food is over the top. I'm not sure how, but the owner seems to have better connections to fish wholesalers than anyone... More