Sam's Chowder House

4210 North Cabrillo Hwy
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
650.712.0245
samschowderhouse.com/index

 Sam's usually has a truck going around the Peninsula selling chowder and sandwiches for those who doesn't want to travel to Half Moon Bay. I came to Sam's Chowder House on a foggy day, which was perfect for a bowl of warm soup. But for me, who doesn't like tracking the truck down, I decided to go to the restaurant instead.

I ordered a bowl of Sam's special clam chowder.

The clam chowder was creamy and filled with clams. It wasn't overly salty either like most clam chowders I had. Delicious!

This was my first ever lobster roll, so I might sound bias, but I'm not. This thing is delcious! The bread was butter yet light and fluffy. The lobster salad was lightly dressed and it wasn't heavy at all. There was loads of lobsters and generous amounts of veggies like celery with it. It was quite delightful staring at the bay while eating this very refreshing roll. The slaw was also tasty and not drenched in heavy dressing either.

So every time when I'm at a seafood restuarant, I have to order a cioppino by default. It's like ordering a red velvet cupcake at a cupcake shop you never tried before. It is the main dish that I use to compare one seafood restaurant from another. Even though the chowder and the lobster roll were delicious, the cioppino was not as good as I thought. Sam's served the lighter kind of cioppino in which the seafood was cooked in a lighter and not as chunky tomato broth. The flavor was definitely there but I could also taste a mouthful of salt. And for some reasons, the seafood didn't really absorb the flavor of the broth either. I think I'll skip on this next time unless I really want an assortment of seafood in a non-fried dish.

Overall, Sam's was a very nice restuarant to dine in. With its gorgeous view and friendly staff and environment, I can totally see myself come back for a nice brunch or dinner before the sunset (so I can glance at the view).