Artistan Bread You Say?

Sammy J’s Grill & Bar only uses bread that has been certified by the Culinary Institute of America as  "True Artisan”. Time-honoured baking techniques go into every loaf. Hearth oven baked on natural stone, hand scored, long Fermentation (16+ hours), all natural dough starter, no dough conditioners or preservatives. Only True Artisan Bread delivers a crisp crust, open inner crumb and complex flavor.
We found a great article that explains the difference between Artisan Bread.

What's The Dish Du Jour?

We feature many different menu items, and wanted to take you through a course run of some of our highlighted menu items featured through the past years.

Starting with the Boss Burger! Some picture a boss to be mean, scary, and intimidating. Well at-least this one you can control, and call the shots with. 

The Boss Burger- $15.99
Block patty topped with slow roasted short rib medallions, aged cheddar, horseradish dijon mayo, drunken onions, and arugula on a pretzel bun.


Steak Bites- $10.99
Sterling Silver steak cubes fried then tossed in our “Classic” garlic, pepper & coarse salt blend.  


Twisted Tails- $14.99
Seasoned Atlantic lobster tails coated in crisp panko breading served with a habenero cream.


Blackjack Strips- $10.49
Strips of chicken coated in hot Cajun spices & seared in a cast iron pan. Our 
spiciest dish!


Chicken Caesar - $13.99 
Romaine, roasted garlic dressing, parmesan, grilled chicken breast & 
toasted garlic baguette.

J’S Smothered chicken- $23.99 
Grilled BBQ chicken breasts, aged cheeses, smoked bacon & wild 
mushrooms baked to perfection. Served with seasonal vegetables & white cheddar mashed potato. 
Add 1/2 lb ribs for 7.99.

Indian Jambalaya- $17.99 
Curried zucchini, red onion and sweet peppers with tandoori chicken, salmon & prawns in a panang curry cream served with basmati rice. Mint yogurt garnish & pampadam.

Spaghetti With Sterling Silver Meatballs- $16.99 
Handmade Sterling Silver beef meatballs, basil, marinara, spaghetti & parmesan. Extra meatballs- 1.99.


Lobster Mac n Cheese- $17.49
Atlantic lobster meat, shell noodles, garlic, shallot, white onion, scallion, gruyere, havarti, aged white cheddar, parmesan and panko.

The Lobster Grilled Cheese- $14.99
Artisan Romano loaf, Atlantic lobster, scallions, 4cheese mornay sauce 
and havarti. 


Apple Mango Grilled Chicken Panini- $13.99
Grilled chicken breast, melted havarti, roasted apple, mango jam, garlic aioli and spinach pressed between 7 grain bread.


“The Best Food In Town!”

Reviewed November 17, 2011

"Unbelievable food and great service! We started with the steak bites and twisted tails, both where to die for. My wife had J's Smothered Chicken, which she loved! and I had the Stuffed Pork Chop, Which i normally wouldnt order but gave it a try, and it was the best tasting dish i have ever eaten.
we will be back, the next time we are in town!"

Cooking with Cilantro

Cilantro's flavour is beautifully distinct

Cilantro is a wonderful herb that has been used in cuisine for thousands of years. Its odor and taste are quite distinct and produce a very "fresh" impact on the palate. Many people experience a "soapy" taste and prefer to omit cilantro from dishes due to its potency. It's kind of a 'love it or hate it' thing.

Did you know that Coriander and Cilantro both in fact refer to the exact same plant? In North American culture, Cilantro generally alludes to the leaves of the herb, while the fruits of the plant are called Coriander seeds. Heard of "Chinese Parsley"? Again, same thing 

Cilantro is rich in vitamin A and C, easily grown in pots and quite common in recipes around the world. The herb is especially popular in Indian, Mediterranean, Spanish and Latin American cuisine. Cilantro leaves are used fresh and are often added raw, as a garnish to the individual plate itself rather than as an ingredient to cooked. The heating process actually reduces the flavour of the plant, and therefore is not the preferred method of introduction.

Indian Curry sprinkled with chopped cilantro

The fresh taste of cilantro works very well with spicy foods. It helps to balance the heat of curries and chili pepper dishes. You don't need much to make an impact. Try experimenting with it the next time you cook. Think of a meal that is usually accompanied by hot sauce, and use cilantro as a garnish. We may have dropped the word "Peppers" from our name, but here at Sammy J's Grill & Bar, we certainly still know a thing or two about working with spicy foods!

The Chef Takes The Cake.

Chef Jay with David Adjey

Sammy J's Grill & Bar  Executive Chef Jay Baker doesn’t just pop food in the microwave and press a button. He creates inspiring dishes that leave you wanting more.Jay is an award-winning Chef that brings 17 years experience to the table.
He has an unsurpassed passion for creating great food.

How does he make his food so amazing? Well, only he has that information, and a Chef never tells!

We encourage you to come in and try some of Jay’s signature items. Make a night out of it!  We think of food as an enjoyment, and a movement.Food has been bringing cultures and family together for years.

Striploin and Clam vinaigrette by Chef Jay Baker
Photo Credit: Robyn Hanson

We would like to take the time to thank Jay for his talent, exquisite food, and keeping Sammy J's customers happy and satisfied for many years. We strive to keep our menu interesting and fresh, so please share your dish ideas with us and Chef Jay.  Comment on our blog with any questions or ideas you may have!

West Coast Cooking

Living on the West Coast, we are extremely fortunate to have great access to fantastic ingredients and amazing seafood that is native to our region. Wonderfully fresh meals are a luxury that many of us enjoy.

While we love the atmosphere at Sammy J's, its nice to enjoy local flavours and even do some outdoor cooking of our own. Explore the "Bounty of the Pacific" with this West Coast Cooking video.

Visit us Sammy J's on Twitter and connect with us: @sammyjgrill

Does your restroom say a lot about your business?

At Sammy J's, we're hot in the process of our second restaurant renovation in the last 6 months. Our Coquitlam location is currently closed, but is looking to re-open this coming Saturday in time for the Super Bowl. One of the exciting aspects of the revamp is a new look to the restrooms. Many guests, especially women, make at least one trip to this room during a visit to the restaurant, so it's important that they be kept nice. We found some stats online that shed light on just how much a restroom experience can impact the customer experience. What do you think?

* * * * *

As the economy has been in a slump these past few years, businesses have tried just about everything they can think of to keep bringing customers and clients in their doors. With 2012 being considered the year for a rise in sustainability and customer service efforts, the same type of push is causing businesses to look at their buildings, inside and out, to see where they can make their business more appealing, more green. Perhaps the most often overlooked area that coincidentally also happens to be a key area to customers is the restroom. And the rumours are true: your restroom says a lot about your business.

If you’re as curious as we were, you would probably be interested to know the top 10 restroom factors that prevented those customers mentioned above from returning. Here they are:

• Overflowing toilets – 58%
• Unpleasant odours – 57%
• Slippery/dirty floors w/ buildup, gum, other residue – 49%
• Dirty partitions, doors, doorknobs, walls, fixtures – 38%
• Dirty and wet sinks and counter tops – 38%
• Insufficient toilet paper – 33%
• Overflowing trashcans – 31%
• Insufficient liquid soap – 28%
• Non-working toilet paper dispenser – 22%
• Mgmt/employees unavailable for reporting problems – 19%

Read the rest of the article here on the Green in Hygiene Blog.

Dancing with OUR Stars

Event Poster

On Saturday, October 8th, the Red Robinson Show Theatre hosted a benefit show for the Crossroads Hospice Society. Local business people, city councillors and community activists joined a talented team of local dancers to put on "Dancing with Our Stars".

Sammy J's Grill & Bar was proud to support the event, donating fabulous servers and delicious appetizers for the charity event. All proceeds from the event went to providing palliative and comfort care to individuals living with a terminal illness. 

The event was a great success and lots of fun was had by all who attended. We have yet to hear back from the organizing committee about the final dollar total, but we do know that last year's event raised over $16,000.

Here is a pic with local news champion Steve Darling from Global TV news, our co-owner Steve Gardner, and our Corporate Service Manager, Nita. We were getting ready to serve a great selection of appetizers during the intermission of the show. We had our Spinach Dip on pita chips, miniature versions of our House-Made Meatballs and a great selection of our Artisan Cheeses, included in many of our recipes.

Steve, Steve and Nita

Did you know all of our cheese are cut right from the block in house?

You won't find any processed cheese in our kitchens, baby!

Below is a photo taken of our Executive Chef Jay Bake, Steve Darling and Steve Gardner
at the after-party inside Sammy J's Coquitlam.

Jay, Steve & Steve
(So many Steves...)

 Thanks to everyone who came out!