Sam’s Chowder Mobile

Had the shorty (smaller version) lobster roll at this truck this past weekend at la nebbia winery in half moon bay. Very impressed with the amount of lobster meat but nothing else was impressive about this roll. The bread wasn’t very fresh and the lobster was not flavorful. This does not hold a candle to Boston lobster rolls! For almost $ 11, I definitely expected better especially given the popularity of the restaurant. Unfortunately I didn’t try anything else. After this experience, am a bit skeptical about getting anything else from the food truck but am looking forward to eating at one of their physical locations.

First cup of chowder I had since arriving in SF. They were parked across from the Japanese Tea Gardens. My girlfriend and I got 2 cups of chowder and a bottle of coke to share for $ 13. Good price, and chowder was really good. I’m not an expert on chowder but I did add some sriracha to mine (I’d recommend it!) and I enjoyed it alot.

This this is the best food truck food, I’ve ever had. The lobster roll was great. Haven’t had a good lobster roll since I was in Connecticut. Nom

Time Visited: 12noon
Time in Line: 5 – 10 minutes
How Long I Waited for Food: 10 – 15 minutes
Seated: Food Truck
Traffic: Moderate (Private Event @ MidPen Housing — Foster City)
Spent: $ 53
What I Ordered:
2 — Lobster Roll $ 17.50
1 — 2 Piece Fish and Chips $ 12.75
1 — Key Lime Pie $ 5.50
How Was The Food?:
LOBSTER ROLL: I got the regular size as I knew the «shortie» would not be enough to satisfy my hunger. For the price, I felt the larger one would be the better value. The bread was really good. Nicely toasted. I wish that it was toasted on the inside as well to keep the bread from getting too soggy (personal preference I guess). Compared to walking along the SF Pier and getting a Lobster Roll from a street vendor, this is definitely a better value because you get more. For what I paid for the regular size, I would have gotten something much smaller from an SF Pier street vendor. TASTE… So here is where the dish was lacking. If it were lightly TOSSED in butter, maybe they should start using SALTED BUTTER. It tasted bland to me. They should add a lemon wedge with their roll, along with some salt and pepper packets. Something this expensive should come out with a BANG! With a taste that I would want to eat OVER and OVER. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
Best Lobster Roll I ever had was at Luke’s Lobster (
) in the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
FISH AND CHIPS: The fries were probably the best part of this dish. The fish itself was cooked good, but the batter was more brown than golden, and tasted a little burnt. This either means the heat was too high, or the oil needed to be changed.
CONCLUSION: For the price, I was expecting MORE. This food truck does NOT live up to the hype. I give it a GENEROUS 2 stars because the quality is there. But, being as they’re are so successful, I don’t see them changing their ways. I will not be visiting this food truck again, even though there are things on the menu that I would love to try (the Poboy). If it were FREE, yes I would eat here again. But, only then.
— — — — —
ADDITION: BEST KEY LIME PIE I HAVE EVER HAD! I would go back to the truck just for the pie, if the line weren’t long.

Actually a 4.5 if I could. First time customer– at the treasure island party today. Ordered the lobster roll and the popcorn shrimp. The lobster roll was delicious– it came on brioche roll and was accompanied with slaw. Great flavor– moist and fresh. The popcorn shrimp was just OK– fresh and crispy but lacked flavor. It was not worth the calories. The chowder looked great and so did the fish and chips– next time…
The lines for this truck were very long– but that does say something… Food worth the wait! Also– 17.75 $ for a lobster roll is up there… but you do get a good portion. The shrimp was $ 8.00– which was reasonable.
A great truck– give these guys a shot —

Great truck for a quick bite at Golden Gate Park.
The Po’ Boy and seafood seasoned shoestring fries were tasty. A good size sandwich served in a lightly toasted butter bun stuffed with crispy popcorn shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, and a tad of mayo sauce.
The fish and chips were just as good if not better. The batter was light and perfectly crisp.
I need to try the lobster roll.

Nothing says San Francisco quite like eating a $ 17.75 lobster roll from a bougie food truck in a plaza filled with residentially-​challenged folks camping out! No judgment for either the homeless or the yuppies/​muppies, just observing an interesting and very present dichotomy. Not quite the picturesque fish shacks by the ocean I’d enjoy warm buttery lobster rolls from while growing up in Connecticut, but ambiance doesn’t deter me from trying to get a taste of my homeland.
Lobster Roll: This is Connecticut-​ish style. The lobster is warm and tossed in butter, though they could have been a little more generous with the butter. It is served on a nicely toasted split bun which is almost authentic, except it’s a tad too thick skewing the bread-​to-​lobster ratio. The lobster portion is respectable, so it’s just that the bun has more bread than a typical frankfurter split bun. I’m not sure why they added celery; thankfully it was sautéed or something, so it wasn’t too potent a distraction. Overall, it was a valiant attempt for California. Just serving it warm with butter and no mayo is a big accomplishment, so their split bun (albeit a bit too thick) definitely gives them bonus points!
Old Bay Fries: These were oddly addictive. Granted, I’ve had fries with Old Bay seasoning before, but there was something about these. They were thin and crispy like McDonald’s. There was a generous covering of Old Bay, not just a weak sprinkle. And I think there was a fair amount of salt, adding to the goodness.
Coleslaw: I generally don’t like coleslaw and this one didn’t manage to convert me. I’ll acknowledge that the veggies were fresh and crunchy, but just not my thing.

2 cups of Cowdah n a Shortie was Fabulous.

I tried the lobster roll regular size. It was the best lobster roll I’ve ever had! The roll was toasted just right with butter. The lobster was juicy and delish. I’ve had lobster roll before and I’ve been disappointed. Theirs was definitely the best I’ve ever had. I’d recommend that you try. I’d definitely come here again and recommend to my family and friends. I rate their lobster roll 4 ½ stars!

The shortie lobster roll gives you a decent amount of lobster, but it is so incredibly under seasoned. Give me some salt or spice or anything with flavor, really. All you taste is the buttered bread. The side of Cole slaw had more flavor than the roll itself. The clam chowder is acceptable, but I wouldn’t spend $ 12 on a buttery roll of nothingness again.

First off let me start by saying people in SF and the surrounding area are lucky to have so many food truck options.
My encounter with Sams was in front of the Emeryville
building. I was bit skeptical due to my lack of experience with food truck and like eatieries. Options on the menu consist of clam chowder, fish and chips, po boys, tacos and the well known lobster sandwich. Doing like most people I purchased the lobster sandwich…17.00 dollars. It is kind of a hefty price, but lobster is not cheap, and they are generous with the portions. The lobster is stuffed into a buttery, soft, but crispy on the outside bread roll. You get a nice crunch, but easy to bite through right into the delicious lobster. This sandwich would be noting without its buttery bread… Overall very good.

OMG! I went to the city yesterday with some friends and we got hungry and tried to decide where to eat. It just so happened that «Off The Grid» was there!
I ordered the shrimp po boy with fries and was my mouth fell in LOVE! My friends also each took a bite of this awesome burger and said that I had ordered the best meal hands down!
I soo low ratings and I wonder why that is the case. The only reason this place is not getting a fifth star from me is because I have only tried one dish and I want to be fair.
ps. my friend even knocked my food out my hand as soon as I got it and the chef was extremely nice about making it again.

Not sure what everybody is complaining about.
I got a shortie lobster roll because it was supposed on the list for top 5 best sandwiches in the US for GMA? I was impressed by how much lobster they jam packed into it, so much that it was just falling out of my sandwich. The bun was nicely toasted and soft inside, and the only thing i could taste was butter overall. However, when I put some of the cole slaw on top– omg, DELICIOUS! It’s pricey, but not too bad.
I also tried the baja style tacos, which I thought was pretty price at $ 5, but omg, no, this thing is HUGE! The tortilla is the size of almost my hand. Had some mango, battered fish, lettuce, and sauce on it. Tasty, but the lobster roll was better for me!

I’m a Fried Calamari addict. Every time and everywhere I get the chance to order it… I most definitely order a plate. Sam’s Chowder Mobile is no exception.
Surprisingly, they didn’t have a line. Since I loved the restaurant last time I visited… I decided to try their truck. It didn’t disappoint!
The calamari was crisp but had a light batter! Not too thick but very crispy! And you definitely can taste the squid… no hidden seasonings.
I liked how it was served piping hot with lemon, tartar sauce, & cocktail sauce. Honestly, it only needed some lemon! No need for the sauces… it’s good on its own!
I will pay a visit again in the near future. I want to try their other items such as the fish tacos and the chowder. I haven’t been to the east coast but if it tastes like Sam’s Chowder Mobile then I might have to think about relocating lol!

Well Sam, you’ve finally priced me out of your lobster rolls. Way to go! Was craving one today, walked by the truck. $ 17.70! Decided I wasn’t craving it that bad, walked away. Yes, I know the shorty is a little bit cheaper, it’s also too small for the price at this point.
I’ll miss that delicious buttery sandwich, but I can only take knowingly being ripped off up to a certain point, and you have officially passed that point my friend. Let me know when you’re prices drop out of the stratosphere and I’ll gladly give you some more money.

What I ate: Shrimp po’ boy and fries, clementine Pellegrino
Visit date: July 27, 2014
First time? Yes.
A nice deep fried indulgence! I visited Sam’s during the Treasure Island Flea. The line was significantly faster than other trucks — major plus! My fiancé and I enjoyed the shrimp po’boy and fries. The shrimp were fried to a golden perfection. The batter wasn’t thick so it gave the shrimp a slight crunch, which paired nicely with the succulent shrimp inside. The mayo sauce was rich. Half a sandwich was good enough for me. The fries –ah, well they reminded me of my childhood. Sam’s tops their fries with a seafood seasoning that I used to flavor my popcorn with. They are a definite must-​try.
Bonus — If you’re a Pellegrino fan, here’s where you can try clementine Pellegrino! I had never heard of the flavor before. Thanks for the intro, Sam!

This truck is a moving blob of lobster and seafood goodness. Found this truck by chance at Off the Grid SF in Civic Center. I sometimes deploy the long line method whereby I pick the longest line without regard to the type of food. This truck had the longest line. Like 20 people deep.
A few items on the menu, but they all sounded pretty good. Highlights were the $ 17 lobster roll, fish n chips, truffle taters, and chowder. Went with the lobster roll, shortie since I read that it was voted one of the top 5 sandwiches in america by the today show.
Came out quick. Lobster meat to bread ratio was adequate. The roll was buttered and grilled, and tasted like a Kings Hawaiian sweet roll. The dish was really good, although at $ 11 for about 5 bites, it was a little on the pricey side.
I say try it. But clear some space on the Amex.

Visited this place while I was in the Japanese Tea Garden, and I must say this place is very much overrated!
Maybe it used to be great in the past, but right now it definitely failed to meet expectations. I ordered the shortie lobster roll, and was pretty excited to see all the lobster meat packed into the roll, with large portions of claw meat. Unfortunately, once you start eating it you’ll realize the lobster meat is NO-​where near fresh – it tastes really stale, like dried lumps of meat. They tried to mix in bits of celery into the lobster meat to try to make it «feel» fresh, but it was no use.
Compared to Prime Dip, this place definitely sucks. For a $ 11 sandwich that I order from a food truck, I would expect the sandwich to be at least as good as what I can get from and actual sit down place like Prime Dip, and that is simply not even a close comparison!
Y IS THERE NO LIQUID BUTTER?! :)
Would definitely not visit again.

Being on vacation can breed some general unawareness about the surrounding food options when inside Golden Gate Park and completely starving. It seemed like a present from above — a mobile venue affording us the opportunity to stay inside of the park, put what looked to be good food into our pie holes, and then continue our trek. We took the day after Christmas present and hit Sam’s Chowder Mobile.
When you have been to Maine and had true lobster rolls, you should know better than to have a lobster roll anywhere else, especially at a food truck in San Fran touting Maine lobsters. Instead of eating lobster fresh out of the water, you know you are eating something that has been frozen for a substantial amount of time. So, this is on me and my stupid stomach begging me to eat something. The lobster roll at close to $ 18 was way too expensive. The flavor and texture of the lobster was decent and the bun was buttered up as it should be, but it was just that — a decent attempt at recreating something that melts in your mouth in Maine. They don’t skimp on the lobster, but it still doesn’t justify the price.
Our other option was one fish taco at $ 5.50, again overpriced for a food truck and for one taco, but they try to make it sound better by saying it comes with two tortillas — yay. The fish taco was decent as well, not too small and pretty flavorful, but again nothing to pen a letter home to your mom about.
Sam’s Chowder Mobile is an option if you are hungry. I doubt you will be horribly disappointed, even with the price, but I also doubt you will be tracking the GPS of the truck for a return visit. It served its purpose and it’s on me for not looking for more when the truck was staring at me in between visits to the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden.

Had this truck when it made a stop in Belmont and I finished indoor rock climbing so I was starving.
I ordered the shortie lobster roll (I guess I was eating the baby of a regular lobster roll) and their clam chowder.
Lots of lobster. I even saw a claw, so I knew it was legit lobster meat. The only thing was even the butter couldn’t mask the bland taste.
The clam chowder is white and really thick. It held my spoon while I finished my shortie. Pretty good, but I’ve had better down at Fisherman’s wharf.