Very charming restaurant, BYOB with ABCs at every corner. We had the poke and shrimp dishes. Both were excellent and the price is impossible to beat. The atmosphere was very nice and local. Under an awning, cozy and colourful. We will definitely go back!
The garlic spicy shrimp and garlic steak are great. The plantation iced tea goes well with any dish. Friendly staff
Best deal I've found in Waikiki. Mix Bento with spicy garlic shrimp and ahi poke for less than $10. Garlic shrimp was good and poke was excellent.
The matsuri shrimp is so 'ono. Kids liked the garlic chicken and teriyaki chicken. Portions are generous. Small space, so you might have to wait, but it's worth it.
The Spicy Poke is awesome, the garlic shrimp is fabulous. What more do you need?
Great local food. We ordered take out for dinner and order the Poke Bento and the spicy garlic shrimp. Both were very good but for the price and selection you can't beat the Poke Bento box. My wife loves ahi poke and she's really enjoyed the dish. Quick service, good food and right across the street from the Duty Free Shop.
Worth the trip!
One word. Outstanding. Avoid the high dollar rip offs in Waikiki! Paid $24 for food and drinks at Sam's and it was better than Yard House and Roy's! (both places are pretty pricey.) we'll be back soon!!!
Garlic steak and the beef bowl are my favorites
Aloha Served Daily!. Aloha,
I really enjoy the servers at Sam`s Kitchen as they are full of aloha. The food is absolutely wonderful. The Garlic Shrimp is by far the best I have ever tasted (and I don`t normally eat shrimp). The Basil Pesto sauce was outta this world!! I was lucky to get the last order of fish with the pesto. The Basil Pesto and the Japanese style Matsuri sauce are not on the menu because they sell out so often. So, try asking when you are there about those two excellent sauces. Ono-licious! Really broke da mouth! As it is BYOB I brought some champagne (and a couple of beers for the chef) and was provided with a two nice wine glasses! Perfect! This was certainly 5 star dining on a paper plate! For visitors, I suggest eating here once at the beginning of your stay, it is a restaurant the raises the bar on simple dining! Bon Apetit!
PreacherDAWG from Georgia. Great experience and good food! Enjoying chatting with the server, who is from Philadelphia, PA
Since we live close by we decided to take it back home to enjoy. The org garlic shrimp is the bomb! Their fries are so so crispy (it's so addicting I had to get one more order before flying home) the spicy garlic sauce wasn't that good though. Their website pricing is outdated, so to know the true pricing try ordering online first. After you finished paying , keep the receipt because the receipt comes in two parts. When your food is ready they come and rip the top part of your receipt as proof the order is for you so don't throw away your receipt!!
We love this place so much we had to hit it up 2 times on our trip. We had the Garlic Shrimp and Garlic Steak. Both were great, but we couldn't get enough of the Garlic Shrimp. The portions are good.
You have to order at the booth first and they give you a number. Go find an open table and then they'll deliver the food to you.
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5/5!
After not being satisfied with Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, I had to get my Spicy Garlic Shrimp fix somewhere. I stumbled upon Sam's Kitchen as it was near my hotel and decided to give it a try. Here's the verdict.
The Food: Since I was craving some spicy garlic shrimp, I had to get that. It came with two side, so I opted for the Mac salad and salad. The garlic shrimp was absolutely delicious! The flavor from the spices and garlic just blended well with the shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the size was generous. Mac salad was decent, so nothing to rave home about, but the main player here was for sure the shrimp.
The Service: Service was good. Staff was friendly and got my order out in a timely manner. It's more of a take out spot so not much service was needed. You order at a kiosk basically.
The Atmosphere: It's located on the side of a building near the main streets of Waikiki, so it's convenient to walk too. There's some seating in the back of the restaurant and some tables nearby in front as well.
Overall, a 5/5! Definitely recommend giving Sam's Kitchen a try. Quick eat and delicious food.
We got the steak with the garlic sauce, white rice, Mac salad,🥬leafy green salad. The other entree was the shrimp with spicy garlic sauce and white rice. Both were sooo delicious! We spoke to the assistant about the cuisine and she stated it was a Japanese Hawaiian influence. Sam's is a great choice if staying in Waikiki and a budget friendly one too.
Food was amazing, we got the spicy garlic prawns which were soooo surprisingly good. we enjoyed every bite and would say it lived up to the hype.
Only complaint (hence the 4⭐️) is the service from the aunty at the cashier who snapped at us for having 1 question about the menu. But looking at the reviews it looks like it’s nothing new. 🤷🏻♀️
Fries were amazing, super crispy. I also really liked the vinegrette on the salad. Proteins were good.
The closest local plates and experience you can get within Waikiki. Great food (garlic shrimp, fresh fish poke, steak, and pineapple teriyaki chicken). Great vibe. Great owner (Sam!).
We are staying at the Royal Hawaiian for the week, we have eaten everywhere. This is a true hole in the wall, not much ambiance, and no alcohol, so not the typical place we would land on… we had spicy garlic shrimp and rice the last time we were here at a shrimp shack on the North Shore when we were on a bus tour and so we decided to Google best shrimp to see if we could find something comparable in the area. I must share that this was the best meal any of us enjoyed all week, it pretty much tied with our favorite $100 pp Sunday Brunch at Orchid’s. The spicy shrimp and rice is exceptional!!! Just like the authentic dishes you will find on the North Shore. Just get it. You will thank me. Just amazing.
Spicy garlic shrimp and raw fresh fish (poke) were amazing. Spicy garlic shrimp is a must have. Outdoor picnic tables. A few pesky pigeons. Ordering ahead is a good idea during peak times.
Wow what a shocking hidden gem to fill a serious need for good shrimp & late night food in Waikiki! Everyone knows some of the best shrimp is located on the north shore, but you’d be missing out on some phenomenal shrimp here at Sam’s kitchen if you didn’t give them a try!
The shrimps themselves were massive, fresh, cooked perfectly and the best quality that I had on the trip. I got the spicy and the garlic versions which were both good. I wish the garlic version had a bit more garlic on it, but that’s just a preference thing. Asking for hot sauce really brought the dishes together. I’d suggest getting the plate option that comes with rice and salad, and trying the Mac salad too.
To be able to eat fresh seafood, late at night in a tourist spot, at a reasonable price is truly a gift. Mohammad who took our order was super nice too and kept thanking us for visiting the restaurant. There’s lots of seating too, don’t sleep on this spot it’s fantastic!
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