Summing Up Sam's Supper Club

Sitting down to review Sam's Supper Club for this issue resulted in strong opinions from longtime Glasgow residents and recent transplants alike. The following is the straight scoop from the Courier's trio of critics.

Georgie Kulczyk: I remember when Sam's was Sam's. Every Wednesday night was prime rib night. Each table in the dining room had a relish tray for diners to enjoy while waiting for their meal, and they served breadsticks that were made at the Glasgow Bakery. The blue cheese dressing was homemade, and the customers were waited on by seasoned servers. The walls in the bar were covered in signatures from patrons who may or may not remember leaving their mark. As a kid, I remember thinking that the corner booth was the place to be, and I remember my dad ordering Buffalo Bangers to drink.

Sam's has changed quite a bit since those days, and although some may be disappointed in the loss of the "Sam's" we all remember, things are good there. The atmosphere is casual, but not sloppy, and the bar still has some of its old charm. The staff are friendly and accommodating every time I'm there.

For our Tasters Trio, I ordered shrimp linguine alfredo. Pasta is always a good choice, and shrimp only makes it better. My meal began with a blue-cheese dressed salad. It was good, but homemade would have been better. Despite several tables of customers, our meals were delivered quickly. So quickly that I asked our waitress, "Did the cook already know what we were going to order?" The alfredo sauce in my dish was homemade, and the pasta was cooked al dente. The shrimp was perfect, although I was irritated that I had to take the tails off. I'm told that shrimp actually tastes better when the tails are left on, so the cook knew what he was doing. The dish was rich, but that's exactly what a person should expect when ordering alfredo. Although the portion wasn't huge, I wasn't able to finish what was served to me.

James Walling: I've been noticing a funny thing about Sam's for some time now: Lots of people don't seem to know how good it is. Which is odd because the place is a Glasgow icon. The neon sign at the heart of Glasgow's highway-facing business district is well known and generally admired. Still, compared to other dining staples here in town, this perfectly pleasant eatery with great service and loads of history gets practically no love at all. It's a mystery. Under present ownership, the food is consistently good and fairly priced. And yet, the only person in Valley County who has ever actually invited me to Sam's is Mayor Becky Erickson. Of course she'd know.

I've personally invited at least a half dozen people to join me at Sam's in recent months and nobody ever hesitates to join me twice. They've got booths, good drinks (I'm told), smiling faces and friendly clientele. It seems like a no-brainer. The place should be slammed all the time.

For this Tasters, I ordered a burger. Pretty simple (and hard to beat), the Sam's version involves ample amounts of meat, a variety of fries options and quality condiments and toppings. My only gripe about the burgers at Sam's is that it's pretty difficult to get one cooked rare. The good news: Nobody in Glasgow seems to like their burgers rare in the first place. And anyway, from where I'm sitting, they can cook the patties as long as they want; the meal will still be worth every penny.

Ginevra Kirkland: Almost everything I've had at Sam's has been delicious, and the servers are always friendly and warm. The lunchtime sandwiches and burgers are made to order, and the larger entrees come with generously-sized sides. The fish and chips and the southwest chicken are my two favorites, and the curly fries are a nice change from the regular fries. Overall, I think Sam's is one of the best places to eat in Glasgow.

During our official visit, I tried Sam's taco salad, which is on the regular lunch menu. The ingredients were fresh, and while nobody was trying to reinvent the wheel here (why would they?), their crispy bowl of taco goodness was just what I'd had in mind. Expectations met: par for the course. Thank you, Sam's!

Sam's Supper Club is located at 307 Klein Ave., along Hwy. 2 in Glasgow. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays. According to Brandy, the bar stays open as long as there are customers. They can be reached at 406-228-4614.