Today, Denver Insider Tours had the pleasure of trying a true Denver staple – Sam’s No. 3 at the corner of 15th of Curtis in Downtown with friends TJ and Shelly. This was one place we were excited to try and has been on our list for quite a while. This spot was featured on the Food Network’s Diner’s, Drive-Ins, and Dives and we now know why. While we just stopped in for breakfast, I quickly spotted a number of items that I wanted to come back and try just by looking through the menu. Before diving too far into the review of our experience, let’s look into some of the history of this Denver eatery.
Sam’s No. 3 was the third of 5 Coney Island-style restaurants opened up by Sam Armatas in the Denver area back in the 1920s. Sam’s son, Spero, took over the family business and helped Sam’s No. 3 last all the way into the 1960s (the longest lasting 1 of the 5 original restaurants). In 1998, Spero and his sons – Patrick, Alex, and Sam – reopened Sam’s No. 3 in Aurora serving up traditional American diner food, authentic Greek food, and local Mexican fare. The mix of food styles allows for a unique mix and wide array of choices for all clientele that walk through the door. Some of the recipes are the exact same as the recipes used back in the 1920s and others have been updated to reflect the new menu choices. The Armatas family now have 3 locations in the Denver area, with the Downtown location not too far from the original Sam’s No. 3.
Now onto our experience today. Having walked by Sam’s many times, I knew that there is often a line and a wait and today was no exception. There were so many people waiting that it took us a few minutes just to get in and get our name on the list. There were 3 in our party and we were told the wait time would be up to an hour and a half. We had just gotten done with a tour, so we were hungry and were almost deterred from eating at Sam’s, but we decided to wait it out. Lucky for us, a number of people got tired of waiting and didn’t show when their name was called, so our wait was only about 30 minutes and we were shown to our booth looking out at 15th street.
It took a few minutes our server, Sean, to get over and take our order, but after that he was on the ball the rest of our stay. We had all decided on our meals, so we were ready order right away. We ordered a couple omelets (the Denver and the Aurora, for those keeping track), Mr. Sam’s Big Breakfast, a side of bacon, a mango mimosa, and a couple coffees. You can imagine how packed our table was when all this food showed up. If you are wondering how good the food was, I’ll let you know that there was not one morsel left when we were done. In fact, the only thing that wasn’t finished was the mimosa, which had a slightly odd taste with the mix of the strong champagne and the mild tasting mango. We all tried it and all agreed it wasn’t the best adult breakfast drink we have had. As for the food, we all left with fully bellies and happy taste buds. In case you’re wondering what the damage was at the close of this adventure we had a $50 bill (before tip), which was very reasonable considering the amount of food we ordered and how pleased we were at the end.
In short, Sam’s No. 3 is definitely a recommendation for tourists and locals alike. Check out their website at samsno3.com and check out one of their 3 locations in the Denver area. You may need to wait a little bit to get in, but it will be well worth the wait once you get in.
Check back on our blog for the next fun spot that we will be exploring around the Denver area. We can now say we’ve been to Sam’s No. 3. Where have you been?
