In 2007 the Today Show named Sam's lobster roll one of the best sandwiches in America, and the line out the door has barely shortened since. Paul and Julie Shenkman opened Sam's Chowder House in 2006 on Cabrillo Highway, looking over Pillar Point Harbor, with Lewis Rossman as executive chef. The roll comes naked (warm, with drawn butter) or dressed (chilled, with mayo) in a buttered brioche bun with slaw and house chips. The clam chowder is the other reason to drive out. Mains run roughly $24 to $48.
The Kitchen
Sam's was built by people who already knew the Coastside. Co-founder Paul Shenkman opened Half Moon Bay's Pasta Moon and cooked there for years; Julie Shenkman left a technology career and co-founded Cetrella in town before the couple opened Sam's in 2006. Executive chef Lewis Rossman came up through Cetrella and was chef de cuisine at Acquerello in San Francisco, working alongside Suzette Gresham, so the New England template here is executed with a fine-dining hand.
The signature is the lobster roll, the dish that put Sam's on national television: a generous pile of Maine lobster in a split, buttered brioche bun, served naked (warm, drawn butter) or dressed (chilled, light mayo) with coleslaw and house-made potato chips. The New England clam chowder is the second pillar and the namesake. Around them runs a full raw bar, cioppino, fish and chips, grilled catch of the day, and a respectable wine and local-beer list. Reckon on roughly $24 to $48 for a main, with the lobster roll near the top of that range, and more if you work the raw bar.
The Room
Sam's sits right on the water at Pillar Point, and the heated, covered back deck over the harbour is the seat to ask for. Inside is a big, warm, wood-and-nautical room that runs loud and busy, especially at weekend lunch; the deck is calmer and gives you the boats, the breakwater and, often, sea lions. Lighting is bright by day and warm at night, tables are well spaced, and the dress code is fully casual — this is a flip-flops-and-fleece coast. Seating runs to a couple of hundred across the room and deck. Reservations are taken and strongly advised for the deck; walk-in waits at weekends can run long.
Best for Birthday
Go for a casual celebration. Sam's is the Coastside's default birthday and milestone room for three reasons: the harbour deck turns an ordinary dinner into an occasion without anyone dressing up; the menu is broad enough that the lobster-roll devotee, the chowder loyalist and the kid who only wants fish and chips are all happy; and the kitchen handles big tables well, so a group of ten celebrating a birthday slots onto the deck without drama. Ask for a heated deck table at sunset and let the staff bring out a candle. For a team lunch after a Coastside offsite, the same deck works at midday with the boats coming in.
Not For
Not for a quiet, refined date night or a bargain meal: the room is loud and family-packed at peak, and the raw bar adds up fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sam's Chowder House worth it?
Yes, for the setting and the signature plates. The lobster roll earned national attention from the Today Show in 2007 and still delivers, the clam chowder is genuinely good, and the heated harbour deck is one of the best casual seafood seats on the San Mateo coast. It is busy and not cheap once the raw bar is involved, so book the deck and keep the order focused.
How much does Sam's Chowder House cost?
Plan on roughly $24 to $48 per main, with the lobster roll near the top of that band and chowder, fish and chips and sandwiches lower. A couple sharing the raw bar with wine can clear $120 to $160 before tip. It sits in the mid-range $$ bracket for Coastside seafood; the value is in the lobster roll and the harbour view rather than bargain pricing.
Do I need a reservation at Sam's Chowder House?
Reservations are taken and strongly recommended, especially for the covered, heated back deck, which is the seat worth having. Weekend lunch and sunset are the busiest windows, and walk-in waits then can run from thirty minutes to over an hour. Book online ahead of a weekend visit and request the deck; mid-week and early evenings are easier for a same-day table.
What should I order at Sam's Chowder House?
Order the lobster roll first — ask for it naked (warm, drawn butter) if you want the lobster to lead, dressed (chilled, mayo) for the classic. Add a cup of the New England clam chowder, the namesake dish. From there, the cioppino and the daily grilled catch are the strongest plates, and the raw bar is worth a half-dozen oysters while you wait.
Is Sam's Chowder House good for kids and groups?
Very. The menu spans fish and chips, chowder and simple grilled fish that suit children, the room is loud enough that nobody worries about noise, and the kitchen handles large tables well. The harbour deck makes a birthday or a post-offsite team lunch feel like an event without any formality. Book ahead for groups and request the deck so everyone shares the water view.