Sam'S Mexican & American Grill

[avidflyer]

My credentials are that I was raised in South Texas, lived my adult life in Southern California and did eat Mexican food at least 3 times a week before moving to Thailand. Generally, I think the best Mexican food in the US is in the Mid West and other areas with a strong, recent Mexican immigrant population.

But the point I want make is that at all my favorite Mexican/American taco stands in So Cal and Texas, rice and beans are NEVER put in a meat burrito. Bean burritos, fine. Bean and rice burritos, fine. Carne asada with guacamole, great. But with RICE? No way, Jose.

[Ohyesuare]

No way, Jose.

Pun intended?

[Jingthing]

My credentials are that I was raised in South Texas, lived my adult life in Southern California and did eat Mexican food at least 3 times a week before moving to Thailand. Generally, I think the best Mexican food in the US is in the Mid West and other areas with a strong, recent Mexican immigrant population.

But the point I want make is that at all my favorite Mexican/American taco stands in So Cal and Texas, rice and beans are NEVER put in a meat burrito. Bean burritos, fine. Bean and rice burritos, fine. Carne asada with guacamole, great. But with RICE? No way, Jose.

The world famous San Francisco style burritos which are the style adopted by the mass market chains in the U.S. such as Chipotle and Qdoba (the best flavored chain) definitely use rice, beans, and meat as standard. Nothing wrong or right about your tastes. But no way for you, for the mass market, always way. The conventions aren't debatable, they are facts. Sunrise's burritos are clearly inspired by this tradition. My personal preference, BTW, is rice/beans/meat/salsa/guac and no cheese or sour cream. Anyway, like or not, the San Francisco burrito style, which is like the Philly cheese steak/New York slice of pizza/Chicago Italian beef/Miami Cubano sandwich populist people's food there, has become the defacto national U.S. style. Obviously, southwestern regions will not always follow the national style as much.

Of course at Sunrise you can customize your burrito anyway you like but their generic ones off the menu are rice/beans/meat S.F. style, except the veggie with no meat.

I have noticed more traditional old style Mexican restaurants if they have burritos at all which they usually don't, tend to serve burritos with meat only (again that is the roots of Northern Mex burritos), and I reckon this is also more common in Texas, etc, which I wouldn't really know about (or frankly really care). I'm prejudiced against everything Texas ... so sue me. The truth is in many ways Mexican food is now American food, and there ain't nothing wrong with that!

BTW, before I called them California style burritos, but I see it would be more precise to say S.F style or even S.F. Mission District style. But the reality is the majority of people in the world eating a lot of burritos these days are eating S.F. style burritos and don't ever think of them that way, they are just American burritos now, even if people call them Mexican food. Confusing? Not so much.

The basic ingredients of the San Francisco burrito include the large flour tortilla, Spanish rice, beans (frijoles, usually with a choice of refried, pinto or black), a choice of a single main filling, and the customer's choice of salsa, ranging from hot to mild. Most taquerias also offer a "super" burrito which includes a choice of meat and all of the available non-meat burrito ingredients. This usually includes sliced fresh avocado or guacamole, cheese (queso), and sour cream (crema).

http://en.wikipedia....ancisco_burrito Edited April 6, 2012 by Jingthing

[bob4you]

I never intentionally go to a ++ restaurant, fortunately I was warned off of ST before I had the opportunity. I never go back to a ++ restaurant if I got caught. First time shame on you, 2nd time shame on me.

++ restaurants are for the unwary tourist who does not know better, residents know to avoid those places.

[Jingthing]

I never intentionally go to a ++ restaurant, fortunately I was warned off of ST before I had the opportunity. I never go back to a ++ restaurant if I got caught. First time shame on you, 2nd time shame on me.

++ restaurants are for the unwary tourist who does not know better, residents know to avoid those places.

How very dogmatic. I can't imagine caring more about that issue than getting to the food that I want! Obviously, if two places serve the same thing and one doesn't have plus plus, you go to the no plus plus. But your policy sounds overly rigid. Bocca Pizza, many are calling the best pizza in town, has a service charge. Believe me, many residents are going there REGULARLY. The food trumps all to those who care about the food. You're missing out, dude!

Also consider, recently the Thai supreme court ruled that restaurants collecting a service charge MUST give at least 78 percent to their staff. If they do follow the law, think of that part as a tip and maybe it can go down easier. I hope people more outgoing than me start to speak to the management of places that do charge a service charge and CONFIRM they are now following Thai law in this matter as the idea that the service charge isn't going to staff is not nice.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Jingthing

[stailmanki]

I never intentionally go to a ++ restaurant, fortunately I was warned off of ST before I had the opportunity. I never go back to a ++ restaurant if I got caught. First time shame on you, 2nd time shame on me.

++ restaurants are for the unwary tourist who does not know better, residents know to avoid those places.

I know of many many residents like me who don't care if a restaurant is ++ or not.

What realy matters is the quality of the food & the bottom line.

[FOODLOVER]

I like food posts! Thanks! Will give SR another chance. Had Mikes the other day, dissapointed. Will try Sams as well. Do they make their own flour tortillas, either place?

[Ulysses G.]

I am not going to completely avoid a place with the added tax and service charge, but I will try to limit how much I go there unless the food is so much better than other places that I just can not justify being a cheap-skate.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[FOODLOVER]

Hi Jing, I think the problem with SR is the staff cant get the orders right. Always problem with staff here, I for one had a quesadilla with no cheese and my other guests had issues with the salsa bar not being fresh while staff stood around doing nothing but making themselves lovely. You know, the norm here. If you could get decent staff it would take care of the issues themselves. Does the staff know the menu? Are they tested weekly with incentives for a score of 90 or above? Things of that nature. I for one know that the salsa bar should not have almost empty containers with leftover salsas but everyone has a bad day so will try again. Perhaps today.

[PattayaParent]

Hi Jing, I think the problem with SR is the staff cant get the orders right. Always problem with staff here, I for one had a quesadilla with no cheese and my other guests had issues with the salsa bar not being fresh while staff stood around doing nothing but making themselves lovely. You know, the norm here. If you could get decent staff it would take care of the issues themselves. Does the staff know the menu? Are they tested weekly with incentives for a score of 90 or above? Things of that nature. I for one know that the salsa bar should not have almost empty containers with leftover salsas but everyone has a bad day so will try again. Perhaps today.

Was in ST last night and the 2 girls waiting table were pretty useless but the guy behind the bar was excellent.

There were free chips and dip provided when we sat down but the chips were not nice.

I don't particularly care that it has the only salsa bar in town when it is full of salsas that I don't want, and wonder how many of them JT uses when he eats there seeing as he's always touting it as a selling point for ST and professes to like spicy salsa?

I had the Tacos Al Pastor and didn't like them. Not the restaurants fault as it's the first time I ever had them and didn't like the corn tortillas or that they had pineapple in them. I'd never order them again.

Wife had the chimichanga which was nice but not as good as at Mike's (can't compare to Sam's as I've never eaten there).

The bill was more expensive than we usually pay at Mike's and it's like eating in a US diner or McD's rather than having a restaurant feel.

[FOODLOVER]

Hi Jing, I think the problem with SR is the staff cant get the orders right. Always problem with staff here, I for one had a quesadilla with no cheese and my other guests had issues with the salsa bar not being fresh while staff stood around doing nothing but making themselves lovely. You know, the norm here. If you could get decent staff it would take care of the issues themselves. Does the staff know the menu? Are they tested weekly with incentives for a score of 90 or above? Things of that nature. I for one know that the salsa bar should not have almost empty containers with leftover salsas but everyone has a bad day so will try again. Perhaps today.

Was in ST last night and the 2 girls waiting table were pretty useless but the guy behind the bar was excellent.

There were free chips and dip provided when we sat down but the chips were not nice.

I don't particularly care that it has the only salsa bar in town when it is full of salsas that I don't want, and wonder how many of them JT uses when he eats there seeing as he's always touting it as a selling point for ST and professes to like spicy salsa?

I had the Tacos Al Pastor and didn't like them. Not the restaurants fault as it's the first time I ever had them and didn't like the corn tortillas or that they had pineapple in them. I'd never order them again.

Wife had the chimichanga which was nice but not as good as at Mike's (can't compare to Sam's as I've never eaten there).

The bill was more expensive than we usually pay at Mike's and it's like eating in a US diner or McD's rather than having a restaurant feel.

Yes, the ambiance as well. Very cold and uninviting.

[Gone]

So the Sam's burrito in the pic. Did that order include rice and beans in the burrito, or not? Burritos without rice or beans and just meat are more Northern Mexican roots burrito than standard California style burritos (which is the dominant U.S. burrito style). Keep in mind burritos are huge in the USA and a very minor food type in Mexico. Just asking, not judging ...

No, there were no rice or beans in it. I am from Canada and yes they are different from USA however I also spent years in Mexico and of course you cannot compare.

I have never eaten at SR or any other Mexican food place in Pattaya so I am not comparing. Just a simple post to let those who do not know about this place that it seemed ok for me. It was tasty and more then enough to fill me up. He did offere other sauces etc but all I wanted was the Burrito so I just declined. Beef Burritos can be tasty really if cooked with the correct spices or herbs and for the price it's worth a try I think.

PS: Timekeeper please stop trolling as I always see you do. If you do not want to contribute to the topic wether positive or negative then please just move onto a topic that interests you. Either that or go eat at Sam's, come back here and tell what you think. Please do not just come into a topic to just troll or start useless arguments and yes JT has several worth while postings on food and restaurants that are just GREAT for us who are curious.

PPS: I also have never had rice inside a burrito even in mexico. Always on the side. I say a bean burrito is just that and a beef burrito is just that.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Gone

[hotandhumid]

I for one am happy for the complexity of Sunrise's menu, especially the customizing options, as it lets you tailor your order to your tastes. I have had little trouble doing that and getting exactly what I want. A few times there were surprises which I was able to ask for and get corrections on the spot, with no pushback at all. That's the sign of a good restaurant with good service. That said, I can imagine how things could wrong with it. I would suggest, if something went wrong, assuming you otherwise like the food, think about what went wrong and how you can order differently in future to fix it. Also keep in mind if you want to order generic items as detailed on the menu, you can do that too. So you can choose your level of complexity. What more could you ask for except free food, ha ha? Also Sunrise is a chain, a proven concept, with multiple locations, with basically the SAME menu. It is clearly a successful chain so there must be something not so bad about their menu design (although of course not perfect).

You are one very weird dude.

[yermanee]

Leave Jingthing alone. He writes very worthwhile restaurant reviews and is one of the few members who does.

I do not agree. JT is a food dictator who thinks that only his tastebuds are the real thing.

Every and each of his reviews contains suggestions how it should be done according to him.

OK got this of my chest now.

Yermanee

[PattayaParent]

Hi Jing, I think the problem with SR is the staff cant get the orders right. Always problem with staff here, I for one had a quesadilla with no cheese and my other guests had issues with the salsa bar not being fresh while staff stood around doing nothing but making themselves lovely. You know, the norm here. If you could get decent staff it would take care of the issues themselves. Does the staff know the menu? Are they tested weekly with incentives for a score of 90 or above? Things of that nature. I for one know that the salsa bar should not have almost empty containers with leftover salsas but everyone has a bad day so will try again. Perhaps today.

Was in ST last night and the 2 girls waiting table were pretty useless but the guy behind the bar was excellent.

There were free chips and dip provided when we sat down but the chips were not nice.

I don't particularly care that it has the only salsa bar in town when it is full of salsas that I don't want, and wonder how many of them JT uses when he eats there seeing as he's always touting it as a selling point for ST and professes to like spicy salsa?

I had the Tacos Al Pastor and didn't like them. Not the restaurants fault as it's the first time I ever had them and didn't like the corn tortillas or that they had pineapple in them. I'd never order them again.

Wife had the chimichanga which was nice but not as good as at Mike's (can't compare to Sam's as I've never eaten there).

The bill was more expensive than we usually pay at Mike's and it's like eating in a US diner or McD's rather than having a restaurant feel.

And I just remembered, too much garlic in the rice.

[Jingthing]

Mexican style rice contains garlic. Some people don't like garlic!

I think most people like Sunrise's chips. Like them A LOT, actually. In any case, they are a distinctive style and worth trying for sure.

I still have issues with their soft corn tortillas. They don't usually hold together.

The Al Pastor doesn't really taste authentic to me but never had authentic tasting Al Pastor in Thailand anywhere and it's even hard to get good Al Pastor in U.S. cities with lots of Mexicans. Is it from a meat wheel? I doubt it. Traditionally in Mexico, Al Pastor tacos are served with a portion of fresh pineapple that was cooked on top of the meat wheel to the taco (as opposed to fruit salsa). Not knocking the salsa pairing. Also keep in mind there is a CUSTOM taco menu, you can design your tacos anyway you like so people who whine that they don't like the ingredients in the set menu items have no grounds really to complain -- order intelligently.

Tip: try their beef barbacoa.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Leave Jingthing alone. He writes very worthwhile restaurant reviews and is one of the few members who does.

I do not agree. JT is a food dictator who thinks that only his tastebuds are the real thing.

Every and each of his reviews contains suggestions how it should be done according to him.

OK got this of my chest now.

Yermanee

Did I make you eat something or make you not eat something? Edited April 7, 2012 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

...

PPS: I also have never had rice inside a burrito even in mexico. Always on the side. I say a bean burrito is just that and a beef burrito is just that.

That's because burritos in Mexico (when they are on menus which they usually aren't) are Northern Mexico roots burritos. Burritos would NEVER have become the global food sensation they have become without the burrito revolution that started in good old San Francisco. (Some people maintain that is part of the United States.)

Edited April 7, 2012 by Jingthing

[timekeeper]

So the Sam's burrito in the pic. Did that order include rice and beans in the burrito, or not? Burritos without rice or beans and just meat are more Northern Mexican roots burrito than standard California style burritos (which is the dominant U.S. burrito style). Keep in mind burritos are huge in the USA and a very minor food type in Mexico. Just asking, not judging ...

No, there were no rice or beans in it. I am from Canada and yes they are different from USA however I also spent years in Mexico and of course you cannot compare.

I have never eaten at SR or any other Mexican food place in Pattaya so I am not comparing. Just a simple post to let those who do not know about this place that it seemed ok for me. It was tasty and more then enough to fill me up. He did offere other sauces etc but all I wanted was the Burrito so I just declined. Beef Burritos can be tasty really if cooked with the correct spices or herbs and for the price it's worth a try I think.

PS: Timekeeper please stop trolling as I always see you do. If you do not want to contribute to the topic wether positive or negative then please just move onto a topic that interests you. Either that or go eat at Sam's, come back here and tell what you think. Please do not just come into a topic to just troll or start useless arguments and yes JT has several worth while postings on food and restaurants that are just GREAT for us who are curious.

PPS: I also have never had rice inside a burrito even in mexico. Always on the side. I say a bean burrito is just that and a beef burrito is just that.

Trolling ?

as i always do ?

that's a rich, broad stroke from someone who has been on TV all of 3 months!

how would you know where i have been or not been or what i have always done on TV?

have you meandered through my 3,795 posts to find out if ''trolling as I always see you do''

no i didn't think so

in Fact you do not even know that i have been to Sams when it very first opened and have already reported it on briefly on TV many moons ago (yes there was life on TV before Gone appeared to instruct us)

i even conferred with our famous TV food critic about it by PM (no names now, you know who you are or who you think you are)

that was before you even found Thai Visa and started spending your time opening thoroughly boring topics and trying to became a little bit of an expert on everything and master of none

maybe you should do some research before you come here pointing fingers at others who have already been there and done it, way before you were even thought of ......

i for one have eaten at ALL the major Mexican offerings in town including ST (Sunrise Tacos NOT SR as you call it ) and although there are many more restaurants of note now in Pattaya since i took up residence some 12 years ago, i have still eaten at most of them with good and bad results and paid ++ before it became an issue for anyone

however, personally, i would rather consume the food than be consumed by writing about it

i would rather tell the owner face to face if its bad news than whinge and whine about it on here

maybe some of you shrinking violets should try it, its so much more satisfying telling someone the foods shit face to face

so off to bed now little man, Barneys on TV and your mum says your Alphabetti Spaghetti is ready .......

Edited April 7, 2012 by timekeeper

[yermanee]

Leave Jingthing alone. He writes very worthwhile restaurant reviews and is one of the few members who does.

I do not agree. JT is a food dictator who thinks that only his tastebuds are the real thing.

Every and each of his reviews contains suggestions how it should be done according to him.

OK got this of my chest now.

Yermanee

Did I make you eat something or make you not eat something?

No fortunately not, since we have very different preferences, something which you don't seem to understand.

My biggest objection is however that we cannot have a restaurant review without you barging in telling us how it should be done.

Yermanee

[Jingthing]

Yermanee: PM me if you need to learn how to use the Ignore feature.

Next ...

[timekeeper]

Yermanee: PM me if you need to learn how to use the Ignore feature.

Next ...

i can show her.......

[yermanee]

Yermanee: PM me if you need to learn how to use the Ignore feature.

Next ...

How childish.

Can't stand criticism don't you ?

Yermanee

Edited April 7, 2012 by yermanee

[Jingthing]

Please folks back to talking about FOOD rather than gossip about posters.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Jingthing

[PattayaParent]

Mexican style rice contains garlic. Some people don't like garlic!

I think most people like Sunrise's chips. Like them A LOT, actually. In any case, they are a distinctive style and worth trying for sure.

I still have issues with their soft corn tortillas. They don't usually hold together.

The Al Pastor doesn't really taste authentic to me but never had authentic tasting Al Pastor in Thailand anywhere and it's even hard to get good Al Pastor in U.S. cities with lots of Mexicans. Is it from a meat wheel? I doubt it. Traditionally in Mexico, Al Pastor tacos are served with a portion of fresh pineapple that was cooked on top of the meat wheel to the taco (as opposed to fruit salsa). Not knocking the salsa pairing. Also keep in mind there is a CUSTOM taco menu, you can design your tacos anyway you like so people who whine that they don't like the ingredients in the set menu items have no grounds really to complain -- order intelligently.

Tip: try their beef barbacoa.

I wanted to try something that I hadn't had before and didn't want to mess around with the standard menu item and make it something different than it was suppposed to be.

Like I'd said not the restaurants fault with the taco although TOO much garlic in the rice was.

As for the chips I've never had that 'distinctive style' before anywhere and didn't like them so was glad that I never ordered a nacho based dish and will remember not to in future.

Edited April 7, 2012 by PattayaParent

[Jingthing]

Good points, PP. Anyway, really if you follow the comments here over the months, most people seem to really like ST's chips but they are definitely not standard issue. I personally never even tasted garlic in their rice. Glad to hear your sensitive palate has determined there is some garlic there!

Edited April 7, 2012 by Jingthing

[PattayaParent]

Good points, PP. Anyway, really if you follow the comments here over the months, most people seem to really like ST's chips but they are definitely not standard issue. I personally never even tasted garlic in their rice either. Glad to hear your sensitive palate has determined there is some garlic there!

Really didn't need a sensitive palate to taste the garlic JT it was just too much, maybe just a bad batch of chips also so I'll have to taste a sampler agin before ordering a full on nacho dish in future.

Edited April 7, 2012 by PattayaParent

[Jingthing]

Good points, PP. Anyway, really if you follow the comments here over the months, most people seem to really like ST's chips but they are definitely not standard issue. I personally never even tasted garlic in their rice either. Glad to hear your sensitive palate has determined there is some garlic there!

Really didn't need a sensitive palate to taste it JT it was just too much.

Next time I get something with rice there, I'll try to see what you're talking about. Maybe a kitchen mistake one off, could be their recipe, or again, could be your palate. Realistically a kitchen can't tailor rice for all preferences. Too much garlic might be a little more subjective than something like too much salt, which is pretty universal. Edited April 7, 2012 by Jingthing

[Gone]

WOW, WW3 and all I did was post something that I thought was some pretty tasty food at a fair price. I didn't really want it to twist into a thread about comparasins with other places but oh well. lol

[pauljones]

I never intentionally go to a ++ restaurant, fortunately I was warned off of ST before I had the opportunity. I never go back to a ++ restaurant if I got caught. First time shame on you, 2nd time shame on me.

++ restaurants are for the unwary tourist who does not know better, residents know to avoid those places.

I know of many many residents like me who don't care if a restaurant is ++ or not.

What realy matters is the quality of the food & the bottom line.

Exactly.

I mean, how hard is it to add 10% in your head?