Ruth M.
Yelp
We researched a good place to eat and found Sammy's highly recommended, including being listed as one of the top 10 restaurants in Maine by Down East magazine. But we were disappointed.
The vibe when we walked in was warm and inviting. It was cold outside, and the flickering candles and mismatched tables and chairs (and lots of plants) made us happy. The waitress wasn't the most welcoming, and scanning the qr code for the menu was different, but we were ok.
We ordered the Scallop Aguachile Negro, Cheeseburger, and Braised Overnight Beef Shank & Polenta. The scallop dish (more like an onion-beet salad) had flavor from cilantro and a bit of soy sauce, but so little scallop chopped up that we are wondering if there was even one whole scallop in it? And the flavors just weren't rounded out. For $17 we felt let down. We decided to order the bread, just to make the course more satisfying. It came after we were done with the scallop, and it was very delicious: one slice cut in half, toasted just right, but with barely enough butter for us each to cover our half. I just can't quite get over paying $3.50 for one slice of bread.
The burger was wonderful. Lots of warm oozy sauce, very delicious. It came with a whole pickle on the plate, which was actually inedible to both of us. At $19, the cheeseburger, with nothing else on the plate but a pickle (and a bad one at that), seems unreasonable.
The braised beef shank was ok, but I requested salt and pepper (something I rarely do) because it was bland. Very little polenta, even though I expected the bottom of the dish to be filled with it. Again, a disappointing portion for $31.
I wanted to love this place, and while I'd like to give it another shot, I don't think we'll drive the 50 minutes to do so again. Clearly people love Sammy's, and we're happy for them. But for us, the portions and flavors were lacking and the prices high for what we got.