Sam’s Place

What a shame this used to be a great neighborhood coffee shop. However, I think it’s under new ownership; Sam. And he’s just not a very friendly or nice person. More than once I have heard him make reference to violence to express his manly hood. Not exactly the atmosphere I want in a coffee shop.

I feel like I missed the prime of this place, because I got amazing reviews from a friend who lived in West Philly back in 2000 or so. Since I’m always on the lookout for good coffee and breakfast places (and I too have tired of the green line), and options are limited in West Philly past 43^rd st, I gave it a shot. Ugh …
First the good (all places have good aspects, even if some peeps won’t admit it.) The coffee was pretty tasty, without a doubt. They have a lot of imported blends with varying roasts and strengths, and multiple options most of the time, which is nice. I’m not a fan of vegan goods, but they had a wide assortment of vegan pastries and breads, which is a plus. They also have some outdoor seating which is clutch on a nice West Philly day.
As far as the bad, honestly, I’ll just sum it up by telling this story. I went in one morning, and the place looked disheveled, to say the least. They only had one pot of coffee going. I went for it, and then asked the woman behind the counter if they had any milk, because I didn’t see it out on the counter. Her exact response was, «Well, there’s some skim in the little fridge there. It’s way past date, but people are still using it so…» Um … if I wanted to play russian roulette with dated milk, Id still be in my apartment! I go out to avoid these exact situations! Sam’s, at times, is just nasty! It needs to be cleaned up, reorganized, get some more dedicated staff, put in some new goddamn light bulbs! I don’t know if it is in a gradual decline, if ownership has moved on to something else, or what, but this place is just plain gross. Pity too, cause it has great potential. That was the last time I ever went there, especially since I discovered Café Pier One right around the corner. Unless you are looking for vegan stuff (which might be Sam’s only saving grace) do yourself a favor and pass this by on the way to the Green Line.