Local Flavor: Sammie's Bar and Grill a fun, family-owned spot with good food, vibe

Sometimes, even in the heat of the summer, comfort food just hits the spot.

That's what I enjoyed during my first visit to Sammie's Bar and Grill in Tallmadge, where I ordered the family-owned restaurant's homemade meatloaf entree. The flavorful meatloaf ($20.99) came in four generous slices, topped with Sammie's own tomato sauce and served with fresh buttered green beans and mashed potatoes.

I'm not normally a gravy-on-your-potatoes kind of gal. But the dark gravy doused over my ample side of yellow mashed potatoes, complete with skins, made for a yummy combination.

My husband, Steve, and I visited this spacious gastropub for an early dinner on a recent Monday. The place has a warm, wood-dominated interior featuring wood booths plus stone accents around the bar and a stone fireplace. The restaurant also has a white-fenced patio out back.

That meant we arrived in time for Sammie's new happy hour, which includes food and drink specials 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays.

We shared a pound of peel-and-eat shrimp for $13.99, which included nearly two dozen nice-sized shrimp steamed in a traditional lager with Old Bay seasoning. The shrimp were delicious with fresh lemons and cocktail sauce.

I got an iced tea and Steve ordered a 22-ounce Revolution Freedom Lemonade beer on draft, which wasn't one of the specials.

Family affair

Sammie's, owned by David and Lynne DeLapa of Tallmadge for nine years, is named after their daughter, Samantha, 31, who's restaurant co-owner and manager.

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For his entree, Steve ordered the Sammie's Burg ($12.49), one of the restaurant's four "big burgs," which were also a happy hour special. It's a big, 9-ounce burger with Velveeta cheese, caramelized grilled onions, dill pickle and mayo.

The DeLapas are particularly proud of this signature burger, which won first place at Akron's National Hamburger Festival for best traditional burger.

Steve said the burger, which he ate with his hands, was enjoyably messy, considering the well-topped patty was bigger than its bun. Sammie DeLapa said the Sammie's Burg is the restaurant's No. 1-selling burger.

"It's knife-and-fork for sure," she said of the oversized Sammie's Burg. "We like that wow factor."

It's served with battered and deep-fried french fries and onion rings, both of which Steve said were "really good." I tried one of his fries, which had a delicious crunch.

Sammie's big menu features pub-style appetizers from zucchini sticks to buffalo wings as well as soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, sliders and burgers. "Sammie's Favorites" entrees feature everything from honey-glazed pork chops to pastas to seafood, including horseradish-crusted salmon and fried lake perch.

"It's kind of like a gastropub in a way but more upscale," Sammie DeLapa said of the menu, which also includes a sizable wine, beer and cocktail list.

Top sellers

The restaurant's top sellers include Dave's Mac & Cheese, the harvest salad, and the Sammie's Burg, she said. Her dad's mac and cheese is made with cavatappi pasta tossed in a five-cheese blend of cheddar, gouda, Parmesan, provolone and mozzarella. blended with smoked bacon. Grilled or crispy chicken can be added.

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The harvest salad features mixed field greens with sweet red apples, homemade candied pecans, feta cheese, dried cranberries and smoked bacon, served with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette.

The DeLapas pride themselves on their homemade soups and sauces, which include alfredo and marinara sauces, the tomato-based meatloaf sauce, gravy and beer cheese for pretzels. Sammie's also does a homemade white French dressing, which Sammie DeLapa said customers go crazy for. It's so popular, the restaurant sells it by the pint for customers to bring home for special occasions.

Family recipe

Back to that homemade meatloaf. It comes from a recipe handed down to Lynne DeLapa from her mother, and it was David DeLapa's idea to feature her family recipe at Sammie's.

Bath native David DeLapa's career has been in restaurants and hotels, starting as a dishwasher, busboy and cook at the former Little Joe's Pub in Bath.

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The restaurateur, who worked for 15 years for Longhorn Steakhouse before opening his own restaurant, said running Sammie's is a real family affair. Lynne, a Tallmadge native, enjoys tending bar. Sammie is a co-owner/manager while their other daughter, Jamie Hilyard, does payroll and additional office work.

The DeLapas, who have lived nearly four decades together in Tallmadge, have a house right around the corner from the restaurant, with daughter Sammie's nearby. Her fiance, Joey Harr, also works at the restaurant.

"I'm trying to groom her into the business," David DeLapa said of Sammie.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

Details

Restaurant: Sammie's

Address: 498 South Ave, Tallmadge 

Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday

Information: 234-678-8334, sammiesbarandgrill.com

Carryout: Yes

Social media:  Facebook SammiesBar, Instagram sammiesbarandgrill   

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Everything from peel and eat shrimp to meatloaf satisfies at Sammie's