Today for lunch we went to Sammy’s pancake house for the first time. The dining area was large with both booths and tables. The chairs at the table not only rolled but they had a thick cushion which made them very comfortable. They serve breakfast all day but I chose to have a burger instead. I did not love my burger. It tasted like a frozen patty with no seasoning. It was better after I added salt and pepper to it. The fries were very good though. My partner got the southern skillet and it was delicious! A great balance of potatoes, bacon, sausage, gravy, egg and cheese. When we return I will definitely get a breakfast item as I think it’s what they are more known for. Price was reasonable and our waitress, Rachel was very personable and attentive. Also side note, you MUST get their cinnamon bread. Wow! It was amazing!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 3
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Toast
Came in, was seated pretty quickly, was briefly overwhelmed by the breadth of menu options, settled on a Mexican inspired potato skillet with pancakes on the side.
The food was SO good actually, like, surprisingly so. Typically with a diner the food can be pretty hit or miss, y'know? Sammy's seems to serve freshly prepped peppers and onions (huge plus for me) and the meat and eggs were well-executed.
My server, despite seeming spread thin by her volume of tables, was very good about checking up on me throughout the experience and was ALL smiles. Very pleasant interacting with her.
The interior is bright, if basically brought in untouched from the 80s/90s' standards for restaurant aesthetics. The place doesn't come off as modern, but like, that's fine because it's comfortable.
I'll have to go back sometime and go over the menu again, as there really were a lot of options that sounded good and I sort of made my choice out of a "the waitress is here, choose NOW" desperation. Thankfully what I settled on was excellent!
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Homemade Potato Pancakes
This is a wonderful breakfast spot in Champaign. Service is always friendly and fast. You are always greeted when you walk in. The food comes out quickly and hot. Serving sizes are big but not overwhelming. I've had a number of dishes here over the years and they are always great. This visit I had the blueberry pancakes 🥞 cooked with blueberry sauce and whipped cream with regular syrup. Delicious.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Side of Sausage Gravy
Good decent food and good people. Looks like a family run restaurant.
Nice atmosphere and decoration in the restaurant.
And ... As they say, if you want to know what happens in the kitchen, look in the bathroom. So I did 😊. Pretty clean.
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Based off a Saturday morning visit for take out:
Large portions and a decent price, even with the price hike. I received a gift certificate from a friend and it was most definitely worth it. I ordered the ‘build your omelette’ plate and the chorizo w/jalapeño omelette. The only down side to it was the hash browns—they were undercooked. Everything else—like the pancakes, the bacon, the FRESH tortillas, and house salsa—were in point.
And when I tell you it was busy, I mean it. I almost didn’t find a parking spot. I’ll definitely come back here.
Service
Take out
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 2
Recommended dishes
Salsa
Stopped here on our travels. It was just ok. We did feel uncomfortable and judged for not being locals or regulars. Our server pretty much chased us out the store. She wanted us to be done as quickly as possible so she can pay more attention and laugh with the customers she already knew. Left dirty plates on the tables all around us for the same reason. The food was ok, biscuits and gravy were a little dry for my taste but it tasted good.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Food: 3
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 3
Great service. I had the rancheros omelette with refried beans and rice (they offer tortillas with it, but I didn't want them). BEST OMELETTE EVER. Very fluffy and buttery flavored. Coffee is also good
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
It was my first time eating breakfast at Sammy's Pancake House in Champaign. It was very busy at 9:30am on a Friday but the service was great and the waitress was very attentive. I had the Greek Skillet that was made with potatoes, onions, feta cheese, gyro meat, and scrambled eggs over the top along with pancakes. It was so good that I ate every bit of it and I was so stuffed that I skipped lunch.
The menu at Sammy's is huge with a variety of delicious selections for every taste bud. This was the toughest part about eating at Sammy's since everything looked so good that it took me awhile to pick what I wanted.
I can see why Sammy's was so busy that Friday morning. I definitely recommend it.
Service
Take out
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
10/10 would recommend. The banana crunch waffle is absolutely amazing! My fiance had the biscuits and gravy and he devoured it within minutes! On top of the food being amazing the service was even better!
We’re definitely coming back here. :)
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
This place is just fabulous! Can't believe I've been here five years and missed it. Nestled in what is typically considered a less desirable neighborhood, this old fashioned breakfast Eatery is the absolute bomb. Impeccably clean, the decor is straight out of the sixties but has been kept up so well you think it was yesterday. No rips or tears in the upholstery, Etc. Generous bowls.of coffee cream and alternatives are readily available to you, no more begging the waitress for a few more creamers! A jug of water for your table, and the mugs and water cups are thoughtfully placed down on paper doilies upon your arrival, keeping the Rim Clean. We both ordered the Champaign special which was supposed to be two eggs, but they gave me four! No idea why, but they were the best poached eggs I've ever had. Maybe they felt like two of them just look too diminutive? We have now discovered our favorite breakfast haunt and intend to be there regularly!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
