Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Grill

Great environment. Sat out on the patio and watched the sunset. Shared the Thai salad and new York style with my date. Delicious indeed. Definitely going back!

I had a proper appointment to apply for a job at this restaurant. When I arrived, they did not respect my appointment and basically treated me wrong. The corporate hiring staff treated me (an American) as if I was an illegal immigrant applying for a job. I think that hiring staff’s in America should give true Americans a respectful interview and Illegals should have to wait in the back of the line. I am glad they failed and closed.

Really good pizza. Great atmosphere & décor.
They were short-​staffed, but very friendly (to guests AND each other).

This is a pretty nice place to have pizza for lunch. There is second story outdoor seating, perfect for a beautiful day.
Restroom is excellent.
Parking is fairly easy, don’t forget to validate.

We came out here on a Sunday afternoon like 3pm for late lunch. Really quiet in the restaurant and they are serving happy-​hour, appetizer and drink are half-​priced.
2 stars for the pizzas, add 1 since their service and everything else was not bad.
From Unilocal check-​in, we got the Mediterranean sample platter, it was not bad, the yogurt dip was most flavorful. But the pizzas here are really not that great. We had a veggie one, which has grilled vegetables and a LOT of cheese!!! It was really bland. The dough was soggy and the topping had no flavor but a ton of cheese. The goat cheese one was better flavored, but there was just toooooooooooooooo much cheese!!! I think I’m just so used to LA pizza, this way too American pizza, not my type. We could not finish even half of them, and we did not to plan to eat them more.

Had a GNO (Girls’ Night Out) here on a Tuesday night — I know, but it was the only night we could all get together!!!
We ordered a BUNCH of things off their menu, and no one complained about any one of them. We picked this place because one of my friends is gluten intolerant, and I admit I was a bit skeptical about the taste, I was not let down!
The servers were decently attentive and friendly. I would have appreciated a few more check-​ins at the table — we were only one of 3 or 4 tables there at the time.
I don’t know if I’ll be retuning anytime soon, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it~!

Duck tapa was delicious. I appreciated that it was free from a Unilocal check in.
Waiters and entire staff including the manager and busgirl were incredibly professional, sweet, and helpful. A+ there.
But the food…
pizza tasted RUBBERY.
french fries were obviously previously frozen.
tortilla in the tacos was the kind you get at Ralphs in a package or worse, Taco Bell. didn’t taste fresh.
I saw at another table a sundae that looked well, not so great. Basically a large cup overflowing with canned whipped cream overflowing, but not in an appetizing way.
This restaurant is main stream which isn’t such a terrible thing for America but just not the type of place I personally enjoy. We only came because a family member invited us.

Went there on MLK day, the place was busy and the service was not really good, the server said that they were understaffed and we could really see that.
Food is average, nothing really made me think in coming back.

I am pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. When you know you’re trying out a new restaurant, there is a big chance that things will not go right. Thankfully, everything was in place here.
We came here for dinner. The menu has a variety of options: Mediterranean tapas, pastas, pizza, hearty American dishes and so forth. I think that’s a good idea since everyone in your party might have a preference for one type of cuisine.
For appetizers, we had the Crispy Fries (drenched in cheese, truffle style) and Lobster Mac n Cheese. There were nice chunks of lobster in the dish, which I appreciated.
For dinner, we had the Garlic Shrimp & Prosciutto pizzas and Grilled Salmon. All the flavors were in place; the pizzas are small enough to be individual or for sharing and have a thin crust. The grilled Salmon is exactly what it was supposed to be.
For dessert, we had the mini doughnuts with chocolate and raspberry sauces for dipping. The doughnuts weren’t exceptional but still tasted like a doughnut.
Service was great :)

I live close by and I must say glad i finally came in. I would always pass by but I thought it was just a pizza place but no you guys they have everything from pizza to taquitos.
I had a thin crust pizza, mini taquitos, a really good drink and a salad. I don’t remember the details because it was like a months ago but no worries I will be going back to try other stuff.
Service was good, very welcoming and the environment was great!

When in doubt, get a pizza. The garlic bread was really good too.
I will come back to check out the happy hour and the desserts look really good too. They have daily specials, we could have gotten a free sundae with dinner, but I passed on that. Now if it were the doughnuts or cotton candy, that would have been impossible to pass up!

My family of five ventured here because we were looking for a gluten free alternative for our 10 year old son. I really wanted to love this place but I am ending up generously giving it three stars.
We started off with a Caesar salad which was big enough to feed the five of us and was enjoyed by all.
I ordered the lobster Mac and Cheese; there were three good size chunks of lobster but the sauce was runny and lacked a discernible flavor. I also had the Parmesan artichokes. Frankly, they tasted like something I could have gotten from a fast food window as they were deep fried and filled with cream cheese — similar to jalapeño poppers.
Three of our party got pizzas, the spicy sausage, a pepperoni, and Hawaiian. They weren’t bad; they weren’t great. Just meh.
My youngest son ordered a gluten free cheese pizza. We’ve had a lot of GF pizzas and I’d have to say we wouldn’t return for this again. The crust was a little on the dry side and had the GF taste about it (those of you who avoid gluten know what I mean!!)
For dessert we ordered the mini doughnuts. Again, they were ok but on the too-​greasy side. The sauces were good though.
The server, while nice, was extremely slow and did not anticipate our needs. The restaurant was relatively empty so it wasn’t as if they were overworked. Twice I was brought the wrong dish so I think the kitchen staff has some communication issues.
Last but not least is my commentary on their responsiveness to allergy issues. In fairness to them they warn on the menu that they can’t guarantee cross contamination won’t occur. But, when we walked in the hostess was absolutely useless in answering questions about the menu. We told our server of our son’s food allergies and yet we were still given a salad with croutons.
Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant to friends or family. I’m glad we came and gave it a chance but we won’t be returning.

My singles group came to Sammys Woodfired Pizza yesterday for the Happy Hour. The Manager and Wait Staff were so friendly and helpful. We had nearly 30 people, and they arranged the tables into six tops for us. And then they let each person run a tab. They really went out of their way accommodate our large group.
They had a delicious cocktail called the Sunset something (since I had two of them I think I have forgotten the last part of the name). It was wonderful, and since it was Happy Hour it was $ 2 off !
Then I got the Duck Tacos, which were so good — and a large serving. And the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, which I loved. The food was really yummy ! And all the tapas were half priced during happy hour.
It was one persons birthday, and he got the Messy Sundae. Which was really messy and good, and dripping with chocolate sauce.
Other people loved the Pizzas that they ordered, and the other Tapas. Everyone was please with their food and drinks, and we all had a wonderful time at the Happy Hour.

I tried Sammy’s for the first time last year. They have a cool out door seating area that was perfect on a warm sunny day.
If you look at their menu, they have a lot more than pizza if some people don’t want that. I’ve been trying pizza places around LA in order to find a favorite spot.
The pizzas are personal size, but they are 6 slices. (Bigger than Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut). My Favorite part of the pizza was the crust actually. Both friends I’ve been there with thought the pizza was delicious as well. Give this place a try!

What an absolute treat!
I came here for lunch, beautiful day out so we sat on the patio overlooking the mountains. they have nice décor and space for their outside seating. To start we ordered the Lebni with lettuce since we are gluten free, but we found out later you can request gluten free bread with it too! We had the Red Quinoa salad and the Veggie Gluten Free Pizza, both were superb! The pizza is a personal size, but the salad was huge! Definitely enough to share and more! Our waiter Julian was extremely helpful and polite! To top it all off he recommended the delicious dessert, the Messy Sundae… I added a pic so you can see, this was insane!!! It was literally covered in chocolate fudge and caramel, SO GOOD!
Thanks to the staff and the delicious menu, I can’t wait to come back soon!!!

Desert-​wise this place is great! Huge Cottan Candy and Messy Sundae’s a special treat to bring out the inner kid in anyone. There are also Mini donuts and a Parisian imported Salted Caramel Pudding, which is my personal fav. Definitley priced right and a GREAT late night stop. Very friendly manager is always walking around making sure that everyone is satisfied. Parking is easy. Definitely a must stop for anyone who has not been here for desert!
As far as real food goes — I prefer their appetizers; mainly so that I can save more room for desert. Lettuce wraps are my fav — they reconfigure their recipe for me with more of a teriyaki sauce, over the menu-​ed black bean sauce. Hummis, Pork Dumplings, & Oak Roasted Asparagus are also yummy.

I am not a Valley girl. In fact, I’m not a big fan of the Valley. I dislike heat.
But I am now dancing again in LA, 20 plus years after studying seriously with Hama and Tracey Durbin in Santa Monica and Venice and this will be my new Monday afternoon lunch place.
Hama Jazz Dance Centre is a block or two away and this place is phenomenal.
If you don’t like pizza, they have duck tacos, the best Thai chicken salad I’ve had in years, burgers and decadent desserts.
The «manager’s special» 7 dollar wine by the glass is more than respectable. I had the Paringa Cab, 2010 and enjoyed it immensely.
I don’t eat pizza, not, at any rate the kind with sausage (yuck) or pepperoni (okay, but nothing to write home about) and so many carbs you have to spend 2 hours at the gym. But I love thin crust with goat cheese, arugula, pancetta and balsamic drizzle. There is a non-​PC way of referring to such pizza which makes New Yorkers or Chicagoans cringe.
I have been to Sammy’s only twice when in San Diego, where it is an institution both in downtown and La Jolla. I didn’t know there was one in LA until recently and I cannot say enough about the place.
The service is perfect and everyone is really nice. Also, the designer is no dummy. Ventura Blvd is unsightly, even if it is Laurel Canyon and Ventura, not far from 2 million dollar homes. The CVS sign is something out of Alice in Wonderland (on LSD).
Three weeks after the opening in this Ventura Blvd upscale strip mall with what I was told is an expensive women’s gym, the owners put in an opaque window with a dark brown plant (like a pussy willow minus the cotton part) so as to block out the sun (and I am sure, the unsightliness of Ventura Blvd.‘s proliferating signage).
Clearly the fascists who run Santa Barbara’s ABR (Architectural Board of Review) have no bureaucratic cousins in the San Fernando Valley. Anything goes here which must make it spiritually aligned with Houston, which has no zoning whatever. Hence, a strip club could be next to a carpet warehouse. (This must be why you can buy what an LA girl would consider a palace for the price of a one-​bedroom condo in WLA).
The outdoor area is unusually structured and lushly landscaped. Again, intelligently designed (not THAT kind of course) inside and out.
I like the music too – Snow Patrol, Led Zeppelin and indie rock I can’t identify.
My Monday dance class with Risa – Intermediate Lyrical Jazz – is at 6:30. I don’t like the Starbucks a block away at all. I will be very happy driving from the Palisades to Studio City on Mondays at 3PM and hanging out here before the evening class.

Makes me pine for San Diego, where I first discovered Sammy’s. The menu here is different than the ones in SD, but still very tasty.
Yes, I do realize that it is a chain but the food is reliable when I have a craving for pizza?
Oh, and HAVE to mention the desserts — they are incredibly INSANE,

Just tried this new Studio City spot. Pizza was really, really good! Loved the crust. Had glass of cabernet also, a really sweet finish that I liked but that my wife totally loved. Our bartender Sarah was really down to earth and funny.
Oh, and although that chocolate/​caramel dessert thingy served in a wine glass looks delicious, Sarah hates when it gets ordered because apparently those glasses get sent back to the bar area to be washed– by her! She was funny when talking about it. But uh, management, shouldn’t the kitchen dishwasher be handling that sticky mess since it’s actually a FOOD item and not a drink from the bar? Just sayin’. I will certainly be going back to this place.

We were there the first week they were open. Will not be going back.
Pros:
Lots of gluten free and vegetarian options, clearly marked as such on the menu.
Full bar (coming soon, currently just beer/​wine).
Cons:
Although they have lots of vegetarian options, they don’t have much in the way of vegan. ALL of their sauces contain cheese. What’s the point of that?
I ended up getting the vegetarian pizza without cheese and without sauce. Instead, they heavily smothered it in some sort of oil+garlic salt mixture. The crust otherwise looked good, but I couldn’t tell how it tasted.
The eggplant skins were really tough. Should have been charred or removed.
For an appetizer, I ordered the hummus with the gluten free option, which was supposed to come with romaine, but instead came with butter lettuce. The hummus was about 50% oil. The lettuce was dripping wet.
Only 3 beers on tap.