Samuel’s Bar & Grill

Loved it! This was one of the only places open after driving over 9 hours from Maryland to Maine. Food was great and affordable. (Get the wings) they have a few local breweries on tap and the service was quick and friendly!

We don’t give elite stars to just anyone, but if we could, we would give Samuel’s 4 and ½ stars.
The specials are untouched. Phenomenal wings, great pizza, and awesome deals on both. You could die eating here and have no regrets. Service is great, the tap list is serviceable, there are fun vegetarian selections, and you can eat late!
Samuel’s is a dive bar that you can dive into.

I walked in and realized that this is last frontier for the Portland townies… complete with Aerosmith blaring through the speakers. I’m glad they have a spot to go to since the foodie/​yuppie/​gluten free/​snowflake/​hipster/​Masshole invasion took over Portland.

I used to love this place (see my previous 5-​star review) and I once considered this one of my Top 3 Places in Portland, but this place has truly gone downhill in my book over the past 2 years. Imagine you’re an unpopular kid in high school (or maybe you don’t have to imagine). You meet Samuel who is also not very popular, but a solid character. You don’t get why he’s not popular. You two hang out a lot and become really good friends. Then Samuel meets new friends and starts hanging out with you less. Eventually, it comes to a point where its almost like you two weren’t even friends at all.
My main problem with this place is service has gone south big-​time. The waitresses used to know my friends and I by name, and we’d get taken care of without problems. The place was always packed, as it is now, but our service wasn’t compromised as a result. But as of late, I’ve experienced long wait times, rude remarks, and an instance where a waitress accused me of giving her the wrong order (I said «burger,» she heard «wings,» she asked what sauce I wanted, I asked «for a burger?» and she screamed «NO, YOU SAID WINGS!»). I can’t speak for the whole serving staff, but none of the servers I have encountered seem to care about their job or the quality or their service. The older servers we used to have (when it was in my Top 3) are no longer there.
The food is still solid, the drinks are great, and the prices are still right (Wing Wednesday is still good sans service), but the horrendous services brings this place from a Top 3 to a place I dread going to now, solely based on service. It’s sad, but Samuel’s has found new friends, and sometimes in life, you have to let old friends go.

What’s not to love about this place? It is small, and that can be difficult if you arrive after all the regulars, but we love coming here and do at least once a week, either with Co workers or friends. Boneless wings and the buy 1 get 1 free pizza deals are really unbeatable and yummy for bar food. I was hesitant the first time I came here because it looks like a dive bar, but it is not like that at all! One of my go to spots.

A relaxed, friendly neighborhood joint. Have only been here do breakfast on Sunday and it’s easily my favorite place to get away for a couple hours. Excellent food and friendly service and cheap beers & drinks. Love it.

Local Deering area pub with standard fare. It’s a salt of the earth type bar, with plenty of local character. For me, it’s really not my style of place. First, the parking lot is always a cluster… too many cars for too few spaces. On the inside, it’s really not a sports bar… the tv’s are small and awkwardly located, making viewing difficult. The bar is always full, but I’ve always found service a struggle. This last visit, I sat at the bar to get takeout wings… they took 50 mins, which is poor by any food establishments standards. I tried getting a cocktail while I waited, accomplished, but with a ten minute wait. Some of the food is decent, I’m a fan of the dirt wings, which are always amply portioned, and juicy and flavorful. The dinner entrees are below average in my book, I wouldn’t serve the prime rib special to one of my enemies, fatty, and choice cut quality.
In sum, I’m just a three star fan of this place. It’s got a rough style to it, but the service and food quality, don’t support the gendre… parking and sports bar appeal are not up to par. That said, I can eat the dirt wings anytime.

Based on the great reviews, especially the ones for the wings, I couldn’t wait to try Sammy’s. It sucked that I had no choice since it was so crowded, but I figured that was only a good sign.
Me and some buddies stopped by after hitting some golf balls and each settled for standing in the corner with a Bud Light as we waited for some seats to open up. I ordered mine without a problem, but the bartender accused my buddy of shorting him on his two Bud Lights. We know my friend handed him the Lincoln the bartender claimed he never received, because I saw him count out $ 7 beforehand. The bartender claimed he only got $ 2. I don’t know where the hell it got lost in the exchange, but my friend chalked it up to a mistake on the bartender’s end and handed him another 5. Even though the bartender got what he wanted, he continued to sarcastically deride my friend from behind the bar («I’m sure you’re a GREAT GUY, I mean you’re definitely an AWESOME GUY,» etc.) Then, two of the presumed regulars got in on it and started talking crap. My friend is pretty docile, so it’s not as if he fanned any flames. So pretty unwarranted and unprofessional on the bartender’s end.
Whatever. We just kind of looked at each other and tried to figure out what just happened and awkwardly laughed it off. A really weird situation. We saw a table open up outside, so we went ahead and grabbed it.
20 minutes go by and not a single waitress looks in our direction. One of them takes the order of a table that arrived 10 minutes after us. We’re easy-​going guys, so we don’t make a big deal out of it, but it was impossible to flag down a server. And while we’re not «conspiracy theorists,» we couldn’t help but wonder if the bartender said anything to the servers about us «shorting» him. Probably not, but considering how weird the situation was, you never know.
We eventually decide to get up and leave when we see one of the servers blindly run into the table next to us, knocking over their beers, as well as their phone/​wallet. It would’ve been one thing if she showed any remorse, but instead, she hurriedly picked up the beer bottle rolling down toward the street and went inside without even giving them eye contact.
We went down the street to a place that always shows the opposite treatment to their customers: The Great Lost Bear.

Hubs and I stopped into Samuel’s two weeks ago for date night. After reading the great reviews, I was excited to try it. This place is small, but quaint. Nothing fancy but there seemed to be quite a few regulars, which gave it a Cheers vibe. The haddock sandwich and fish and chips we ordered weren’t great, but the half plate of loaded nachos were fantastic! They also have jello shots, which was a fun addition to our meal. Samuel’s is located right next door to Almost Famous tattoo parlor, so I recommend stopping in for a cold beer, nachos, then getting some ink… which is exactly what my husband and I did!

Samuel’s is one of those rare places in Portland where you can listen to REO Speedwagon while simultaneously downing a $ 2 Jell-​O shot and watching NASCAR. It’s a special kind of place.
Whenever I walk through the door I feel like I’ve time traveled to the early 80s; pine paneling and tile ceiling adorn the place and it feels very lived in and comfortable. ALL the regular patrons know ALL the affable bartenders names, which certainly gives Cheers a run for its money. It really is the perfect neighborhood bar.
The food menu is diverse and affordable, and they have ridiculously amazing specials each night to keep you coming in every day of the week. .50 (award winning?) wings, $ 5 pizzas, etc.
And they have trivia! Every Sunday.
The only thing they don’t have is space. It’s tough to pop in between 5−9pm and expect to easily get a seat at the bar. It’s hard to be a regular if you can’t get a regular seat at the bar. You’ve been warned! Plan accordingly.

My favorite part of Samuels is the buy one mimosa, get one for 5 cents deal that they offer for Sunday brunch until 2:00pm. Samuels has great specials, such as the buy one get one free pizzas, also on Sundays. The food is okay, it’s you’re typical pub style food. They have a strong local following, which also means that the place is often packed. Many times I’ve come in and there’s been no where to sit at the bar and no tables available. It’s not hard to fill up the place. There’s a very small bar and they do not have many tables. Many times I’ve hand to stand amongst plenty of people standing shoulder to shoulder milling around the door waiting to be seated. I’ve decided that it’s not worth the wait. If I drive by and see that the place is packed, I don’t bother stopping. I also wish that the tables weren’t pushed so close together. I always seem to bump into somebody who’s trying to eat their meal whenever I try to squeeze into a chair at a table.
The parking situation is another story. Sometimes I get lucky and I’m able to find a spot in their small lot adjacent to the building. Other times, I have to drive around the block a couple of times to try to find a spot on the street. When that fails, I sneak a spot in the business across the street and hope that I’m not yelled at when I cross the street to go into Samuels. (Also praying to God that my car is still out there and not towed away when I leave). The waitresses have always been pleasant, I have no complaints with the service. Overall, Samuels is your typical local neighborhood watering hole. It would be great if they could get a bigger building.

While this is, in general, your basic local watering hole, Samuel’s boasts an out-​of-​control-​delicious French Dip. It is always perfect. Their pub fare is not bad, but this sandwich is a citywide standout.

I just found my new favorite spot! Better believe you’ll find me here on a Wednesday or Thursday night for their wings special. Ordered 10 wings and a draft beer for $ 10.50… you just can’t beat that!!! Their Dirty Wings have me salivating just thinking about them.
It’s a small place, so don’t be alarmed if you show up having to wait for a table.

Great specials! Love wing night (on Wednesdays and Thursdays.) A lot of locals go here and always have to wait an hour to get a table but totally worth it. Definitely a casual bar

Here’s the deal: This place is a little small but has a great local vibe to it.
«Dirty» wings are probably the best thing that could have ever been invented in the history of man kind. I could care less if the wheel came after the invention of dirt wings if every place would serve these.
Wings are delicate and unique and very hard to cook to a state of perfection.
Effortlessly executed at Samuels.
Huge wing fan and critic, and I left completely content with the wings from here. Top 3 wings I’ve ever had.

Okay, who wanted to be the funny person and make this a «two dollar signs location»? Sunday nights half off pizza $ 6.50 for a 10 inch pie. $ 1.50 Coors Light, $ 2.25 PBR. The specials go on and on.
As my friend said this past Sunday at Samuel’s we need to start using the word «Preach!» more often. So let me Preach. This is a great locals spot, it is small bar and it can become packed quickly. They have a hell of a happy hour with Allagash White at one of the cheapest spots in town (Preach!) and once you are seen there a few times the waitresses will begin to remember your face and your favorite drink. (Preach!) The wings are to pretty damn good and will most likely come out still crackling (Preach!).
The worst part about Sam’s is the tiny parking lot that is going to be full, so that requires either a trip across the street at the meineke or trying to find some on street parking.
This place is my local bar so maybe I just view it with my rose colored glasses on but I love it here.

Casual, relaxed environment with an eclectic mix of food on the menu.
It doesn’t look like much from the outside and the parking situation can be difficult at times given the location, but don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s a small bar/​restaurant with a ton of tables crammed in and many TVs. When it’s packed, it can be so loud that it’s hard to hear the music or have a conversation.
The food and drink specials are pretty amazing. Come in for half price wings, 2 for 1 pizzas or cheap, cheap beer. The pizza is really amazing and is perfect as a meal for 1 person. They have some options or you can make your own with a mix of some very interesting toppings including roast beef. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for the Samburger pizza which has ketchup, mustard and dill pickles on it. It’s probably got 10,000 calories and you probably won’t finish the whole thing but it’s an experience you have to try.
I like going on Sunday nights for Trivia. It’s probably some of the most difficult trivia I’ve ever encountered. The questions are totally random and if you’re under the age of 55, they can be quite challenging. The beer specials on Sunday nights are pretty sweet if you don’t mind drinking cheap beer. I prefer cans of Miller High Life for $ 1.75 a piece. You can’t beat that price.
i highly recommend this place. The bar has plenty of seats and the waitstaff has always been attentive and friendly every time I’ve been there.

Solid neighborhood bar and eatery! Food is actually pretty good and cheap! Service is friendly and attentive! $ 2 Jell-​O shots and $ 1.50 select drafts… a rare find! Not for everyone but they seem to have a loyal following!

A great place to go for a casual meal or to grab a drink and watch a game and from what I’ve noticed a favorite among locals. I’ve never had a bad meal here and I highly recommend the wings, especially the dirty ones. Also, buy one get one for 5 cents mimosas on the weekend til 11 goes great with their breakfast menu. This place always has solid specials going on, including free pizza on select days. My only complaint, is that more often than not the service although friendly is usually pretty slow.

Samuels is a neighborhood classic for the Deering area. It has traded ownership a couple of times over the years, had a chef who was too ambitious, and pricey, for this bar (JP of JP’s Bistro) and has finally settled into its own.
Contrary to the view of some others, I think this is a terrible place to watch a sports game. The biggest tv is 32″ and none of them are positioned in great places. I would go across the street to Brunos for that. But it is a place to get full and drunk for under $ 20 after tip, while enjoying every minute of it.
Food is served until 1 am and Samuels specials are some of the best around. Most nights have half off certain beers, bringing the price to a whopping $ 1.50. Monday, Tuesdays and every night after 11 pm brings half off pizzas. For $ 5 you get the most delicious Buffalo Chicken or Cheeseburger 10″ pizza that I’ve had in recent memory. The 50 cent wings on Wednesdays are giant and meaty. The dirt wings, which are double fried, are the most popular. I’ll take the buffalo, with their aggressively spicy kick, instead.
Some other reviews complained about service, which was an issue in the past. Not anymore. The latest crop of servers do a pretty amazing job considering the constant crowds. This is not a quiet, relaxing bar. It’s loud and playfully rowdy with an outdoor patio in the summer. It attracts doctors, bikers, and basically anyone in between. It’s not really divey, even if it wants to be.
Mostly, Samuels is a great time. It’s just a nice bonus that it won’t even cost you an Andrew Jackson.