Sam’s Texas Sub Shop

Reviews

• Eric S.

  star star star star star 26 October 2026

  I must stop if you're in Norfolk. Super chill area with plenty of bars around. It's honestly probably the only place you can still get a home made sub. Would give it 10 stars if I could. They have an awesome little bar with some beers as well. My favorite go to!

• Dennis C.

  star star star star star_border 17 October 2026

  Sam's Texas Sub Shop first opened in 2009 on North Colley Avenue, in a spot now tightly squeezed in a small space between Hank's Filling Station and Cogan's North.
  
  It is under the same ownership of the former San Antonio Sam's, a popular dining spot that closed in 2011. It was located along the Ghent side of Colley Avenue, where both Chipotle and Fruitive are stationed today.
  
  It was only a couple of weeks ago when I visited this sub shop for the first time, along with a couple of friends. As you enter through a wooden gate, a pleasant scent of smokiness hits your nose. Three wooden tables are stationed in a dog friendly patio outside their front entrance.
  
  An extensive rack of hot sauces for sale is erected inside at the wall to your immediate left. Their selection of hot sauces for diner use is located on a counter further down on the right, just past their self-serve drink machine and the main counter where you place your order.
  
  Framed photos featuring loyal patrons and other memorabilia line the wall along the left hand side to give the place a personal vibe and a feel for its history.
  
  I ordered the following:
  
  FOUR HORSEMAN: Slow Roasted Brisket with Hot Pepper Relish, Hot Sauce, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Onions. I chose it with the wheat bread in the 6-inch size.
  
  Shades of Ric Flair! I couldn't resist ordering a sub named after my all time favorite team in pro wrestling history. I also liked its spicy description.
  
  Unfortunately, this one was a long way from Space Mountain. A few of the brisket pieces exhibited a rubbery texture and lacked the smokiness I expected. An overly large clump of coarsely cut lettuce was dumped atop the other ingredients, I prefer my lettuce to be more finely shredded and blended in with the other ingredients. Overall, its flavors fell flat, and the heat level didn't come through for me.
  
  Its saving grace was the outstanding quality of the wheat bread. It was rich with flavor and texture, both firm and fluffy. It was further rescued by dousing it with some of their hot sauces to liven up its flavor. Otherwise, this one did not live up to Horseman standards. My Rating: 3 Stars.
  
  One of my friends ordered their daily special, which was a PORK BBQ SUB, along with two sides. She enjoyed her sub and raved about the flavor and smokiness of the pork. But she also said it was a tad dry and needed more sauce. Her Rating: 4 Stars.
  
  One of her two sides was their house made Potato Salad, which she loved and described as "crisp and eggy with traces of celery". Her Rating: 5 Stars.
  
  Her other side was their Cole Slaw, which she described as" fresh, crispy, and light." Her Rating: 4.5 Stars. She docked it half a star for a smaller than desired portion size.
  
  My other friend ordered the following:
  
  BLACK & BLUE: Slow Roasted Brisket, Blackened Seasoning, Blue Cheese, Onions, Mushrooms, and Mayo. She has been a regular since they opened, and this one is her long time favorite. Her Rating: 5 Stars.
  
  With an incredible composite 5-Star rating, I decided to make a return visit to find out what I was missing. I wound up coming back three more times and ordered the following:
  
  TRADITIONAL ITALIAN: Capicola Ham, Pepperoni, Salami, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Salt & Pepper, Oregano, Oil & Vinegar. This time I asked for my wheat bread to be toasted and for some Jalapenos as an additional topping.
  
  Once again, I felt they overdid it with the coarsely cut lettuce. Otherwise, I loved the crunchy texture of the toasted wheat bread, and the flavors of the ingredients came through this time around. The ham, salami, and pepperoni were top notch. My Rating: 4 Stars.
  
  OUR FAMOUS ALMOST 2LB MEATBALL SUB:  Giant Meatballs, Marinara Sauce, and Provolone. Ordered with wheat bread in a 6-inch size.
  
  This was a very solid yet basic meatball sub. The flavors of this one came through nicely. The meatballs, marinara sauce, and provolone were most flavorful and satisfying.
  
  Once again, the wheat bread was exceptional. I praised the quality of their bread to one of the owners and asked where they were sourced. "New York," she said. "It must be the water."
  
  If I could tweak this one a bit, I would add some green peppers for some added crunch, texture, color, and flavor, My Rating: 4.5 Stars.
  
  Finally, I ordered a selection from the Create Your Own section to their menu:
  
  Spinach Wrap with Roast Beef, Pepper Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, Green Peppers, Banana Peppers, Hot Pepper Relish, Jalapenos, and Guacamole.
  
  This one hit all the right notes. The ingredients were well proportioned, and their flavors sang to my taste buds. My hot tooth was happy, and it didn't need any extra hot sauce. The roast beef was of high quality. My Rating: 5 Stars.
  
  The owners are very friendly and accommodating. Although my first visit was a disappointment, my follow-up visits were most satisfying, enough so that I have designated this place as my go-to sub shop. I look forward to my future visits.

• Lynne P.

  star star star star star 15 October 2026

  Did you know Sam's made the Top 10 of Travel + Leisure's list of Top 25 places to get BBQ in the US? With that kind of honor I had to see for myself.
  
  Sam's has been on my bookmark list for years as its within walking distance of our friend's house. Just never found the time to stop in. After seeing this distinction, we decided Saturday after the movies (Jurassic World-meh. Wait for on disc) was as good a time as any. I was presently surprised to find the shop with only 2 other couples dining in. Because the shop is so small and parking so tight you might be dissuaded from stopping in thinking they're busy but summer is a great time to stop by because the kids are gone til fall. Find parking on the street if you have to, but do make this a place to discover.
  
  Hubby and I both had 2 of the specials: brisket chili and a brisket slider each. The chili was chock full of brisket chunks and heat. It was both sweet and spicy. It was very good, despite my aversion to anything hot (spicy). The chunks of brisket were a nice surprise and the flavor pretty on point for me. The special was 6 or 8 oz and we both went with the 6. It was so filling!
  
  As for our sliders, I like my BBQ sweet but hubby is more of a vinegar based BBQ fan so he wasn't in love with the slider as I was. That's not to say he didn't enjoy it because he found it very good. So good he would order it again. The slider had that same bit of heat to it but the slaw cut some of that and I found myself in BBQ heaven. I wish I hadn't eaten any popcorn at the movies because I could ate a foot long of that slider. Or 12 of them. The bread (I went with white) was perfect. Both moist and crunchy on the sides. I would eat just the bread. I couldn't eat my chili because my slider took a tummy space precedent but I brought it home with me.
  
  We had a very nice and lovely chat with the owners. They were super awesome. Both concerned about our dining experience and in general, we felt they wanted to know us as consumers. It's hard to find that anymore. I brought home a brownie (she let me chose which one I wanted) that was full of nuts and chocolatey goodness and the man came home with some hard to find hot sauce and a t-shirt.
  
  This is a shop that we will make more than one trek to. They do a great carry out business and really have a great rapport with their customers. We saw pics of their grandpup, gorgeous English Cocoa Lab and their own furbabies, a Cockapoo and a rescue. Not only do they make supreme sandwiches, but they rescued a pup. That makes them high up on my list of local shops that will see more of my money.
  
  Brave the Colley parking. They're worth it!

• Alicia H.

  star star star star star 1 October 2026

  After reading a few of my fellow yelper reviews, my husband and I decided to take a chance. And boy, are we glad we did!  
  We actually drove by the restaurant twice because it's small and it's nestled between two larger buildings. As we walked in, everyone greeted us with a smile...even the customers seated outside.
  Jennifer took the time to explain the signature sandwiches and recommended a few to try. The black and blue brisket sandwich was amazingly good. And I'm guessing my husbands homemade bbq brisket must have been good because it was gone in 2.5 mins. Lol. Every time I looked at him, he was taking another bite. Kudos to the chef!
  Before we left, we were invited to see "how it's made". It was such an honor for the chef to take the time to show us how the brisket magic happens. Great customer service, great food!  We will be returning and I recommend stopping by for a bite if you haven't already.

• Steph W.

  star star star star star 30 September 2026

  I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!
  
  My boyfriend introduced it to me. Him and his friends have been frequenting Sam's Sub Shop every Thursday for a number of years. This is an adorable establishment ran by the sweetest family. The wall is littered with photos of memories and people around the country wearing their t-shirt. At the bar there's a longggg row of different hot sauces and I've been trying a different one each time. It's a small place, but there's outdoor seating too.
  
  I have tried two subs so far: The California Reuben and the Carolina style barbecue. The reuben was on rye and you can get subs on either white or wheat: I got white bread. Both are absolutely delicious. It may be a little bit more than Subway or something but it is ABSOLUTELY worth it. When you get a meal you get a drink and chips, macaroni salad, or coleslaw.
  
  Friendly family-ran establishment, delicious fresh sandwiches, and a staple in the ODU neighborhood.