Samurai Sam’s

good food fast and tasty

It seemed a little overpriced and mediocre, but I need to go back to try it again sometime. It’s in an awkward spot, kinda hidden.

Someone suggested to me last week that I try this place out. So Saturday I was looking for something new to try for lunch while running errands. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bowl with all white meat (extra $). I also added one of their «Grilled» egg rolls. The combo came with a salad and a drink. I was off and running for around $ 9. The food came out quick. –too quick. But it was definitely hot. It was a plastic bowl with steamed white rice in the bottom with some steamed vegetables, mostly cabbage and bean pods, and a fairly generous portion of chicken. It was all covered lightly in teriyaki sauce. The chicken was tender but the dish itself lacked flavor and seasoning. I would best compare it to one of those steamer bowls that you can buy in the frozen food isle. The «grilled» egg roll had grill marks on it but obviously had been microwaved or pre-​heated due to it’s soggy-​ness. The side salad consisted of iceberg lettuce and one grape tomato. The place seemed clean and the owner/​cashier/​cook seemed nice enough. I was just completely underwhelmed. I don’t have high expectation for under $ 10, but with some effort they could do better than some steamed frozen vegetables. There’s just too many other options out there and frankly tired of feeling ripped off.

I was pretty skeptical about this place but had a BOGO coupon and decided to give it a shot. I went with a chicken and beef bowl and thought the beef was better than the chicken… chicken was a bit dry but they have extra teriyaki sauce sitting on the condiment counter so you can help yourself to more.
Counter service, friendly cashier, and some interesting iced tea flavors.

The «meh» heard around the world. Chicken dry enough to dust your living room with. Vegetables praying to be taken out of their generic misery. The brown rice: hanging tough through rough times. Edible, in a way.
Getting a Groupon for this place made sense because it’s close to the house and, having eaten there a few years ago for lunch, I recalled it was a decent healthy joint. However, our dinner was a bit on the atrocious side. When both bowls were ready 2 minutes after ordering, I realized what was wrong: there hadn’t been any cooking done. Zero. Our rice, chicken, and vegetables had been cooked long ago, in a dry land far, far away. But our meal did not go, as they say, happily ever after.
While we commiserated over our sad meals, we saw a line of 3 or 4 customers form. Color me pissed when the counter dudes actually whipped out the wok and got to cooking — or, at least, re-​frying.
Would I eat there if I got a coupon to go back? No.
Would I eat there if someone else was paying? No.
Would I eat there if it was the last place on Earth with food? No.
Would I eat there if it was the last place on Earth, and there was a zombie apocalypse, and I just don’t want the Undead to win? Ok.

When I was a member of Golds Gym, I used to eat here a lot. Since I switched gyms, I kind of forgot about this place, but I’m glad I went back. There’s a short list of places to eat which are both healthy and tasty. The service is great, the food is always cooked fresh and hot, and the prices are reasonable. I generally get the salmon bowl, and I recommend it. The hours are shorter than most places, though, so check before you head over.

Tried the place today for the first time. Guy behind the counter was polite and quick, so no complaints there. The food was prompt. The restaurant was clean and neat, but with a distinct fast-​food feel. There are tables where you can eat, but I wouldn’t really call it a «sit-​down» restaurant.
I chose the chicken teriyaki bowl and was *thoroughly* underwhelmed. The chicken wasn’t bad, with just enough teriyaki sauce to have some flavor, but there was so little sauce for the rest of the meal that everything else was pretty much just eaten plain. Plain white rice, plain cabbage, zucchini and broccoli. Zero spice, zero zip, totally bland. No pineapples, which surprised me for a teriyaki dish. The price wasn’t bad, but it was only a dollar or two cheaper than Fire Bowl Café a couple miles down 183 in the Arboretum area, and their asian bowls — in my opinion — blow Samurai Sam’s out of the water in terms of flavor, portion size and variety.
Giving Samurai Sam’s 3 stars instead of two because I’ve only had one dish there, and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt… but I honestly doubt I’ll go back to try anything else when there are better options close by.

Excellent Japanese teriyaki fast food that is full of customization options, although usually at a higher charge. I’ve had excellent luck getting my usual lunch of a large teriyaki bowl with no veggies, add pineapple, brown rice, and spicy sauce. The upcharges can get a bit rinky-​dink, but the food is cooked to order and the staff is more than friendly. The iced tea is also excellent and there are nice large slices of lemon for the tea, which is by no means typical for a fast food place.
They seem to attract an unusually large crowd of bodybuilders being between a gym and a dietary supplement store, which makes the ordinarily bland décor a bit surreal.
All in all, a good option if you’re looking to eat healthy, especially quickly.

I’ll up it to 4 stars — maybe about a 3.5 really. I like the food, I love that there is a «half the rice, more veggies» option, and I really like the spicy sauce/​spicy shaker of goodness. Seems weird about the upcharges though — I guess I understand for white meat chicken, but for spicy sauce? Really?
Always fast and friendly and a good lunch.

Food is really good. Looks pretty healthy. We stop by here most of the time before rehearsals since we rehearsed next door. Like the wraps they have. I always get the Chicken teriyaki. Close at 6pm I think which sucks!

A very quick, cheap and easy way to eat healthfully. I get the all white meat chicken either with only veggies or with brown rice.
Comes out in about 2 minutes and I am good to go post workout.

I tried to go here for lunch one day, seeing online that their menu had some low-​carb accommodations. Two steps inside the door and the place REEKS of frying oil. Think if you shoved a McDonald’s, Burger King, and Whataburger all into a 500 sq. ft. space. That’s what it smelled like.
My stomach turned and so did I… walking right back out the door.

This place has the friendliest people in town. They know me when I walk in the door and quick to get my order ready. The food here is geared toward those who choose to eat a healthier fare. The teriyaki chicken bowls are full of fresh vegetables and are easily customizable to your liking. The egg rolls here are grilled and not deep fried and have a wonderful flavor. If you want a quick healthy low calorie meal you want to check out this place.

This place is in a decent location. And the food is heap. However, it’s just there. I ate it and it wasn’t disgusting, it just wasn’t anything else, either. No frills. My mouth didn’t crave more. I was satiated. The sauce lacked zing.
Eh, I don’t think I’d go back when there are so many other options in Austin.

I like, you, Sam! I have tried your teriyaki, your vegetables, and all of the things that make you Samurai!
I don’t get to see you as much because you used to be walking distance to where I used to work, but when I was there, the food was consistently good, hot, fresh, and delicious!
Keep up the good work, Sam! You are affordable and a much better alternative to fast food any day! :)

I did not click any stars for this review but it wouldn’t let me post with zero stars. What’s that about?
The food is not fit for a bad dog. Take the worst teriyaki bowl in all of southern California, make it even worse, and you’ll be close to the culinary experience that awaits you at Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Thrill…
It’s relatively expensive, too. And beware, they keep some strange hours so call before you go (if you still want to go). They don’t post their prices on their website, either, probably because they’re so unreasonable.

Well, if there were an alternative to Panda Express that was slightly more mediocre, this would be it. I ordered the vegetarian yaki soba bowl and added pineapple — which notably does NOT use actual soba noodles — and got a plastic bowl filled with thicker ramen noodles, obviously frozen veggies, and a cheap teriyaki sauce. The «grilled vegetables» are not grilled (they’re clearly steamed in a microwave bag), and there’s barely any of them — cabbage, a few carrot slices, threes pieces of zucchini, and two broccoli florets. Tiny florets. First thing that comes to mind? «This place would do GREAT in Dallas, where there are tons of idiots who would believe that this is good food because they’re told it is!»
I asked for the «hot and spicy», and it just tastes like there’s a few spots in the bowl someone spilled mild chili powder on. The pineapple is clearly canned.
Frankly, it’s a waste at nearly $ 8 for the bowl and a medium Dr. Pepper.
Avoid this place like the plague.
UPDATE: About thirty minutes now since I’ve eaten, and I feel sick to my stomach and vaguely naseous. Rating dropped to one star.
UPDATE: I am informed that Yaki Soba is not normally made with soba noodles. I stand corrected.

Oh H*LL NO! I will never eat here again! I got sick as hell from the food here.
The other day I stopped in here to get a quick dinner for my husband and I. I ordered the regular low carb meal (stirfy vegetables and chicken), yaki soba (I think) for my husband, and two eggrolls.
Immediately after finishing my meal, my stomach began to bloat and hurt like hell! It hurt from 7PM — 2 AM when I finally was able to fall asleep. At one point, I became nauseous and hung my head in the toilet for awhile. At this point, I was really okay with throwing up. I just wanted that poison out of my system. I never did, though. I just lay there miserable, on the cold bathroom floor clutching my stomach and the toilet. Oh the agony!
I will never eat here again.

My thinking: where can I go for a healthy-​ish lunch on the fly?
Cut to me running into Samurai Sam’s for what I thought would be a safe alternative to the greasier joints in the vicinity. I liked that they had an all white meat option for their Teriyaki chicken bowls and I even ordered mine with brown rice. I like a place with options.
My name gets called, I walk up to the counter, and lock eyes with the server midpass. First, I notice the huge hickey on the server’s neck. I’ve never really been keen on the idea of the hickey, but I’m not so much bothered when I see them either. However, I did get a little skeeved out when I look two centimeters left of the hickey to see the bandaid that was supposed to be disguising said hickey flapping away in the wind.
I decide to play it cool and point to my neck and make a flapping motion. He looks at me, complete confusion on his face. Okay, different tactic, this time I just point to my neck then point flagrantly at his. Nothin’.
«Your hickey’s really big and your bandaid’s about to fall in my food!»
«Oh… … …»
I combed my food for bandaids, all clear. Still, no amount of Teriyaki sauce could make the so so food and the scary bandaid experience any better.

This review is based on the new restaurant at the Hillcountry Galleria.
I have been twice. The first time the staff seemed utterly clueless and very young. My husband ordered a rice bowl with all white chicken and no veggies. I tried the noodle bowl with chicken and veggies. Both our orders had no veggies. The quality was nothing compared to what I have experienced at Zen.
Second time, they got my veggies, which were limp and lifeless. Both the husband’s and my bowls of rice had hard, uncooked rice. The only other people in there were the surly looking off– duty Beecave police officer and his equally unhappy looking wife.
Not sure we will be back. The store is just strange as they also have some other menu featuring wraps and smoothies, so it’s three concepts rolled into one and it just doesn’t work.