Tortilla Sams

was in the other night; same as last time i was there, surly worker behind the counter, can’t even say hello.
i see they announced today that they are OUT OF BUSINESS. no surprise.
tip to the employees — look for a job without customer interaction. maybe you’ll be happier.

Pros: BYOB. vegetarians/​vegans LOVE this place. They have fried ice cream. Technically it is Mexican food and is near work/​home…
Cons: Two things that are deal breakers for me are: lack of cleanliness, and lack of business sense. T-Sam’s excels in both of these categories.
I will add another half star because if you get their takeout lunch box it is a really good value, and the food is decent.

Going downhill fast. I’ve frequented Tortilla Sams quite often in the past, and every time I give them a chance I get even more disappointed. This time cuts the cake. It’s been freezing out lately and you wouldn’t expect a restaurant to be cold, I had to wear my jacket while eating my barely warm burrito. And my toes were frozen. The cheese wasn’t even melted in my burrito! So long TS. Oh and the poor waitress (singular), she was running around by herself left to fend off the soon TP be disappointed diners. You will be waiting a while for you cold meal. Worth it? Not anymore.

Hailing from Chicago, I was craving some good mexican or tex-​mex cuisine, and I was hoping to find something great at Tortilla Sam’s. Usually, you can’t go wrong with Mexican food, but Tortilla Sam’s really changed my thoughts on that. I ordered the enchiladas, but when I got them they were pretty cold and the tortillas were pretty coarse (yes I know corn tortillas aren’t supposed to be really soft but they were pretty rigid for being enchilada tortillas). The salsa was like water, and the beans and rice were horribly dry without much flavor. Though they’ve got the nice sign outside with a cool logo, I’ve had better Mexican food at tiny taco joints in Chicago that don’t even have a formal name for their restaurant, or they’ve only got a few menu items.
I think the presence of vegan and vegetarian options are more of a gimmick to attract people to their restaurant. Not the worst meal I’ve eaten, but I’ll pass on Tortilla Sam’s in the future.

The food is decent, though you get more bang for your buck if you order take-​out.
The quality of the food depends highly on who’s working. One night you’ll get a great burrito, the next night it might be 90% lettuce and smushed into the counter. Beware of the kid with long, dark hair who appears to spend every free moment smoking dope and destroying your food before treating you like a jerk for bothering him to ring you up.
The portions are good for the money and, overall, I do recommend the place. As noted before, it’s BYOB and there’s a liquor store a short walk away. Have desert at the Bean Counter a couple doors down.

Absolutely no reason to go here unless you just want a restaurant that you can byob. In no way does it resemble mexican food. I had not gone there in years and gave it another chance because we had friends in town that wanted to go there. We got a chicken quesadilla and it tasted like soy sauce and teriyaki. Why would those flavors be in a mexican dish? There are many better options for mexican food around

Went for lunch. I hadn’t been to «T Sam’s» in years, so I was curious what it would be like now…
Since we were the only ones there, first thing we did was to ask the waitress if she could turn off the TV, which was blaring advertisements. To our delight she honored that request cheerfully and promptly. Unfortunately what we didn’t realize was that the TV in the next room was playing some sort of horror movie. Blood-​curdling screams aren’t so great for atmosphere as it turns out. Oh well.
The chips were so-​so, and there wasn’t enough salsa to last (nor any option for hot salsa instead of mild).
The menu was bewildering — so… many… choices. Finally settled on two very-​not-​Mexican-​sounding choices (bbq chicken burrito, pesto & veggies quesadilla). They didn’t have lemonade and they were out of tofu wings so that was it for me.
Here’s the roundup:
bbq chicken burrito: quite tasty, and larger than I was expecting
pesto & veggie quesadilla: decadent and delicious, if not exactly loaded with veggies
black beans and rice that came with: pretty good
sour cream: a disappointingly small spoonful
some sort of salad or salsa or something: uh, buried under my burrito was a small heap of chopped pepper and onion and some other vegetabley looking stuff that I didn’t bother inspecting because I don’t care for either raw onion or green bell pepper. Couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be.
service: fine
Despite only getting the «2 item» combo and not getting the appetizer I was hoping for, I left quite full. Very full. In fact about a half hour later I was OMG-​what-​have-​I-​done full. Neither the boyfriend (who had a steak burrito of some kind) or I were hungry for dinner. In fact lunch ended about eight hours ago and we’re still not hungry.
I was thinking at first that it was a little pricey for lunch, but given the amount of food we got, I think it was just fine. Just don’t go too crazy with your order.

I love Tortilla Sam’s!
It’s not the BEST mexican food in the world, and the guac kinda sucks.
But that is IT for the negatives.
I love the enchiladas. LOVE. I love the veggie chili. I love the BYOB.
I love it there.
I love the waitress (the only one that ever seems to work when im there). She is so good.
I think its a fun time. It’s a great price. Usually my boyfriend I can get out of there for $ 20 including tax and 20% tip.
When we get apps and stuff its over that, but still.

I experienced Tortilla Sams this past Saturday with a friend; we stopped in for a bite to eat before we were off to a show at a local Worcester pub.
The food: not good. I ordered chicken quesadillas. When the plate arrived, there were about 12 triangle quesadillas, and ¾ of them weren’t filled with anything but a bit of cheese. I had initially asked if sour cream was served with the meal and I was told yes; well there was sour cream… about a teaspoon of it. The black beans had an odd taste; I can’t even describe it. The rice was way too bland.
Needless to say I didn’t eat much of anything. The waitress asked if I wanted a box to take it home. Well, I did and I happily fed it to my dog.
I can’t say I’d ever come back here again, NOR would I recommend this place to friends. I’ve just been spoiled by the great Mexican restaurants in Providence.
The only saving grace is that it’s BYOB.
Better luck next time, Tortilla Sams. Sorry buddy.

I went here a few weeks back for the first time. This place was horrible all around. We went there because they had vegan and vegetarian options or so we thought!
Although there was no wait and plenty of empty tables they had me and my friend wait over 20 minutes to be sat. Then we were left there for another 15 minutes before they came to take our orders. We never got our waters or utensils. Never.
Our food came quickly and unsanitary. My friend ordered desert and there was a lovely fruit fly walking around stuck in the whipped cream. EVEN worse my vegetarian burrito had a gross chicken bone in it!!! Not very vegan friendly, the first meat I consumed in over 19 years!!!
I finally received my bill after the girl stopped talking with her boyfriend for long enough to come and let us finally get the hell out of there.
I would never ever let a friend of mine go there again.

Sam’s re-​opened after a shutdown for a couple of weeks to do a remodel and it’s much improved. The remodel was mostly washing the walls, throwing up some paint and putting in a new ceiling– but most of all they pulled out the carpeting– and that’s ALWAYS a good thing.
The food is very good– and this is a great place to come for cheap eats. The boneless buffalo wings are really top notch and probably my favorite outside of Buffalo.
I also highly recommend the Mango Lime Chicken and the Grilled Chicken Burritos.
Skip the free chips though– they are heavy and will fill you up. While it can sometimes get a bit loud with the dopey college kids but if you go during the week it’s usually pretty quiet.
Good value, solid food, nothing fancy but it’s like eating at an old friends place.

I used to go here often when i was a student, they had plenty of vegetarian options. Good food near college. Most students will hang out here and eat. Food is not amazing but cheap and good for students.

I’ve been to T Sams a few different times and each time I leave happy, full and buzzed.
Really I wanted to give them 5 stars just because I love having a place to go to before going to a show that I can pregame at and eat. So just based on the BYOB aspect, I give them 5 stars because that’s just an awesome policy.
The food there is okay, its not amazing Mexican food. It is about what you would expect and it isn’t that expensive either so I don’t feel angry about it.
So next time you’re heading to Worcester stop by the package store down the road from T Sams and then get some cheap Mexican food and pregame for your night’s festivities.

Horrible food, sketchy service. This. Place. Sucks.
First impressions: Dingy. Building in disrepair. Ceiling might fall in. FREEZING COLD.
As we entered: Host kept running in and out of front area, making indiscernible comments to no one in particular, barely looked us in the eye. I smiled at the skinny, bearded cook, he looked away without acknowledgement and retreated to the kitchen.
In the seating area: Bad bright lighting. Big, heavy CRT televisions on rickety wooden platforms suspended by chains above the bathroom doors. Paint can’t hide the decrepit construction of the entire place.
Food experience: Ordered the sizzling fajita platter. Waitress was friendly but either she or the cook screwed up my order: someone forgot the tofu and it took her a while to bring it out. The entire platter was absolutely doused in oil, then fried to a blackened, colorless mass. Everything from the platter was oil-​soaked, shapeless and tasted like charcoal. The meal was inedible.
Price and conclusion: Two entrees, an appetizer and two fountain drinks came to like 30 bucks. And they had signs out that said NO DEBIT CARDS and ONLY ONE CREDIT CARD PER TABLE (they won’t split checks to two cards).
The Boynton, around the corner, did us right, sent us home with full bellies and a smile on our faces for just over $ 20, great food and friendly service. After visiting the craphole known as Tortilla Sam’s, I feel sick, my wallet’s empty, and I’m still hungry! If you’re hungry and in that area, I recommend the Boynton, but anywhere would be better than Diarrhea Sam’s.

I had fond memories of how Tortilla Sams was when the previous owner was in charge. I remember it being bright and vibrant with good, fresh food.
Admittedly, I have been spoiled by Bueno y Sano, in Northampton, a sort of health conscious taco place where one can order fresh spinach sauteed in garlic with a capital G as an addition to their taco or burrito. But, Tortilla Sams is a ghost of its former self.
How bad was the food on my last visit this spring? I didn’t finish it and I did not ask for a doggie bag.

Writing this review makes me sad. I used to love Tortilla Sam’s. I’m hoping the new owner reads this and changes things, ’cause it’s now terrible.
Once upon a time, I went there every Friday with some friends. It was fabulous. Everything was fresh and delicious. We were friendly with the owner and the kitchen staff and it was really excellent. That owner sold it off and it is AWFUL now. I wish it would go back to what it used to be.

T-​Sams tends to be my go-​to place when I’m in Worcester. Their prices are good, their selection is good, and they have a lot of vegan options.
I really like how they have an option to buy a small burrito — the big ones are huge and come with beans/​rice I think — and it costs less than 5 $, whereas the big one costs probably closer to 10 $. So T-​Sams is great if you want a snack or a big meal.
The establishment is also BYOB, which is awesome if you want to drink but not break the bank.

T Sams is is a convient location, it’s decorated well inside and has some hipster menu items like barbecue sauce tofu with celery sticks, and deep fried ice cream. It’s also open late so it tends to draw a younger crowd. This is by no means authentic Mexican food. The salsa is hearty, but is extreamly mild. They use healthy black beans instead of traditional refried, and the chilli rellenos are not stuffed. Just a flattened pepper with a layer of cheese on-​top of it, deep fried.
As long as you’re not looking for the real deal, you won’t be dissapointed by this place. Yummy, cheap and rad atmosphere.

Tortilla Sams has ruined me for proper mexican food for life. God I love these hippies and their tofu tacos, byob policy, and yummy thick and crunchy tortilla chips.
I still dream of you from afar Tortilla Sams, everytime I pass through Worcester part of me wants to pull off of the highway, stop at State Liquors and buy a six-​pack and eat two soft-​shell tortilla sams tacos. Or a chile relano.
I’m making myself too hungry, must… stop…reviewing…now.

I’m giving this place 2 stars just based on a fond memory or two due to the BYOB
The prices have gone up and the quality down since I started going to this bad bad bad bad Mexican place.