I’ve lived in Anaheim Hills for over 22 years. I LOVE this town! But for some strange reasons, it is missing solid good restaurants. When Sammy’s Bar & Grill opened, I was excited to try it; especially after seeing some good feedback from residents on a Facebook community page. I also found a deal from DoubleTakeDeals.com which gets you $40 of food for $20. what better way to try a new restaurant than with a discount? At least if it turned out mediocre, I don’t feel like I’ve wasted too much money.
Upon entering the restaurant, I thought the decor and set up were quite nice. The outdoor patio was also very nice. It looked like they did a total renovation from the old restaurant that used to occupy the space. The hostess led us to our seat and said our server would be with us shortly. Well, ‘shortly’ in their dictionary meant more than 15 minutes! I almost wanted to walk out if it weren’t for the voucher I bought.
Maybe they didn’t have enough servers. Or maybe they were too busy taking care of the Happy Hour customers sitting at the bar side. We were seated at the corner in the main dining room and I wondered if we were in a blind spot that couldn’t be seen. Finally, our server came over. By then, we had looked over the menu a dozen times and were ready to order. Although our server apologized for the wait and was nice but I felt the service throughout was ‘cold’.
We had to make sure we order at least $40 of food, so we started with an appetizer – Fried Calamari (Homemade hand battered tender Calamari Strips Served with our zesty creamy chipotle sauce and sweet chili & ginger butter sauce). I appreciated the 3 different sauces served and they were all quite good. However, I thought the batter was a little too much. It felt like I was eating fried batter than fried calamari.
I enjoyed my Unsweetened Tropical Ice Tea which I really needed to wash down the fried calamari. My husband also enjoyed his draft beer (Flying Dog Doggie Style PaleAle).
The Pulled Pork Sliders (With BBQ sauce , caramelized onions on warm miniature bread crowns, served with stealth fries) were good but nothing to write home about.
The Greek Salad (Kalamata olives, feta cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes, red onions, & oregano, On a bed of crisp romaine lettuce, tossed in our house balsamic dressing) with Blacken Salmon was below average. I mostly tasted the oil and barely balsamic vinegar. It also had mostly iceberg lettuce than romaine lettuce, unlike what the menu stated. The salmon was definitely overcooked and dry. When I turned the salmons over, the other sides were very charred. I don’t think ‘blackened’ means ‘burned black’. 
We were really disappointed to say the least. Given the price of the food, I really expected better. The total bill (with taxes) came to a few pennies under $50 (before tips). That’s pretty pricey for the quality and quantities if you ask me. Thank goodness for the voucher, but even with $20 discount, I still don’t think it was worth it. If you enjoy the food, I am happy for you and I hope you’d continue to support our neighborhood eatery. As for me, I am sorry, I don’t think I’ll be coming back anytime soon.
Sammy’s Bar & Grill
5645 E La Palma Ave
Ste 170
Anaheim, CA 92807
(714) 777-1477
We were here in between breakfast and lunch. I am not much of a breakfast person, but this Chicken and Waffle dish from the breakfast menu was really tempting and my daughter ordered it. My goodness, the chicken was so tender and flavorful! Although fried, it was not at all greasy. The waffles were thick but light. Syrup and butter were also served along with gravy. The mixture of sweet and savory taste was better than good! I definitely would order this again.
Allen and I decided to go for the lunch menu. I had the Blackened Halibut Sandwich, served with crunchy cabbage, tomato, firestick onions and house made tarter sauce on brioche buns. It was stacked really high! I thought the halibut was just a tiny bit overcooked. Because it was thick, if you were to just eat the fish by itself, it was a little bland but together with everything, it was really good. I loved the brioche buns! For the side, I asked for Thai Peanut Coleslaw. Wow! This was the BEST Asian Coleslaw I’ve ever had. The dressing was not too sweet, not to tart, and with a bit of spiciness. Well done!
Allen had the Ribeye Melt with Mac & Cheese. They don’t just use sourdough bread, they use cheesy sourdough bread!! The Mac & Cheese was good enough to make a meal itself. You have to try it next time. Allen said it was one of the best Mac & Cheese he’s had in a restaurant.
There are many shops around and the beach is right across the street. It’s a great area for a weekend outing for families or couples. With the weather warming up, get out here and have some fun. And stop by Nick’s for some grub. Let me know what your favorite dish is.
After checking out its menu online, we decided to dine in the lounge to take advantage of its Happy Hour menu. On Sunday, it’s all day. I love happy hour, especially for first time dining. It gives you an opportunity to try a few items at very reasonable price. Allen got a draft beer for $1 cheaper and I got the Platinum Mojito for only $5. I am such a light weight, after 3 sips, I was already feeling light headed so I had to give it up. While other place might make it weak for the HH, this one was mighty strong here.
The complimentary Chips and Salsas were really good. The chips didn’t taste like store bought and the salsas had just a small amount of spiciness.
The calamari was excellent. It was seasoned with spices and coated with corn meal (instead of just flour) and lightly fried, served with lime-cilantro aioli. They were crispy but not oily. Be careful of the fried jalapano peppers. They were hot!
The Chicken Flautas (Fresh chicken, roasted corn, gaujillo chile, Oaxacan cheese, in crisp flour tortillas; served with mango-hbanero salsa) were filled with lots of chicken and stuff. They don’t skimp like some other places. Although the mango sauce was made with habanero, I didn’t find it that spicy.
We also got 2 tacos. The Fresh Mahi Mahi Fish Taco was flavorful and tender.
The Tacos came with rice and beans. I must say, these were much better than most restaurant. I normally don’t eat the rice and beans because they are just boring, but these were really tasty.
I was intrigued by the Purple Palmer – Pomegrate juice and Hibiscus/Cranberry Iced Tea topped with our fresh lemonade. It was a bit sweeter than I thought would be and not exactly purple, but I liked it. The lemonade was also refreshing.
Allen had the Patty Melt but it really looked more like a regular burger. The carmelized onion added even more zest to the already well flavored patty. Oozing with melted cheese, it was good bite after bite. Mick’s beef burgers, according to its website, are made from the finest 100% premium Angus Sirloin, ground in store daily, all natural without hormones or antibiotics. Just look at how beautifully grilled the patty was!
I had to try the Fish Taco that my good friend, Anita (
One unique feature of the restaurant is the display screens on the ceiling. I thought it was very cool!
Now, the restaurant is among the many Korean BBQ restaurants lined on Garden Grove Blvd. You will find many offer AYCE (All You Can Eat) options around $17/pp. You won’t find that here and prices are a little more expensive . But that’s because the meat here is superb! One of the BEST quality meat I’ve had and I’ve eaten in many KBBQ restaurants!
Refills were never a problem.
Our meal also included a Soft Tofu Soup and Steam Egg, both were yummy!
Oh but the meats were the stars! Not fatty and oh so tender!!! The server also came by to cook for you constantly so you can enjoy the food without having to worry about cooking.
See the big tray of meat? Yeah, the 4 of us ate it all!
Quality over quantity is what Morangak is famous for. But it’s totally worth the extra dollars and trust me, you won’t go home hungry! Try it and let me know what you think.
1 comment