Weekly Dish: Doing it again at Sam's Southern Eatery

Southeast Texans are proud of their Southern heritage, especially when it comes to the food we enjoy. With many of our diets consisting of specialties including seafood, there’s also a plethora of dining options that provide such vittles – a stop by a local Sam’s Southern Eatery is the perfect solution.

Sam’s Southern Eatery was founded on an idea of bringing great Southern cuisine to foodies to enjoy their special recipes and show patrons that you can have amazing flavor and huge portions, all at a very reasonable price.

The first Sam’s Southern Eatery was opened in 2008 in Shreveport, Louisiana, and eventually made its way to both Beaumont (2949 College St. #115) and Port Arthur (2405 Memorial Blvd.).

Starting with the fish, Sam’s Southern Eatery has perfected their recipe and technique for frying fish and offers generous portions. It’s easily one of the best you’ll come across when dining in Southeast Texas. After hearing tales of their phenomenal food, we decided to show some restraint by ordering the four-piece meal that comes with two sides. What was delivered to the table was so much more than expected – a pile of full fish fillets battered and fried to perfection. The cornmeal-based crust came out crispy and savory and the courteous staff served it up piping hot. At the table, after devouring one fillet and realizing there was no way to finish the entire plate, it was time to try the sides – coleslaw and red beans and rice. Living in Cajun country, we know our beans and rice. The best kinds are smokey and flavorful with special care taken to ensure the beans aren’t too mushy. After trying Sam’s, however, it’s been decided that it would be an insult to our taste buds to eat any other kind. The beans are soft – but firm – and carry an amazingly meaty flavor that the rice helps deliver.

There are other seafood selections at Sam’s, such as fried oysters, catfish, crab cakes and jumbo shrimp. The shrimp are plump and can even be offered on a grilled shrimp salad, for those looking to curb a few calories.

We also enjoyed the Philly cheesesteak on this visit. The meat was juicy and full of flavor, topped with a hearty helping of cheese. It had a great meat-to-cheese ratio and was served on a toasty chunk of French bread with grilled onions and peppers. The consistency of the bread managed to hold without becoming a pile of goo as other cheesesteaks often do, making this a great lunchtime meal during the workweek. This meal alone earned a spot on our list of regular rotation restaurants. It’s going to be hard-pressed to locally find another Philly cheesesteak as good as Sam’s.

For those that enjoy a taste for burgers, Sam’s has freshly cooked beefy burgers. Topped with fresh cut veggies and served with a side of French fries, it’s everything one could wish for with an amazing price There are also wings available in three to 20-count meals, guaranteeing you’ll leave content with multiple sauce choices. For the more daring Southern eaters, Sam’s also offers chicken liver and gizzards.

Sam’s is one of the of the very few places in Southeast Texas to find such a meal, proving the restaurant has something for any kind of palate preference. While you’re there, don’t forget to enjoy an order of fried okra or fried green tomatoes. The choices are endless.

Hours vary at each location. Call (409) 832-5050 for Beaumont and (409) 999-6206 for Port Arthur.