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Capitol Hill food+drink | Sam’s Tavern goes pink, grows to Eastside

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(Images: Sam’s Tavern)

Sam’s Tavern is about to mark its fourth year in the Pike/Pine nightlife scene. Owner James Snyder has had a busy couple years. He’s a father with a two and a half year old son and twin little girls. There’s the Canterbury, a Sam’s SLU — and soon, a Sam’s Redmond. Meanwhile, the E Pike original has gone fully pink.

“Everyone that I have ever met has been touched by cancer,” Snyder tells CHS. This month, his Sam’s Taverns on Capitol Hill and in South Lake Union feature a special drink menu with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the Susan G. Komen foundation. As for the pink paint job, Snyder says he doesn’t know if it will say beyond Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It has been nearly four years since Sam’s opened on E Pike with a New Year’s debut. The Pike/Pine burger bar’s name is an homage to the original Sam’s Tavern on Eastlake that became Sam’s Red Robin before the Snyder family expansion. To cut his teeth in the burger business, James operated fast-food chain restaurants across the state.

In 2014, Snyder also partnered with Neumos co-owner Mike Meckling to open the reincarnated Canterbury Ale House on 15th Ave E.

After opening a second Sam’s earlier this year in Amazonville’s new restaurant row, Snyder is now beginning work on taking over a former Redmond Way chain restaurant space for a new Eastside Sam’s.

With 50 employees across three bars plus the busy brood of new Snyders at home, the burger bar master is trying to keep things on the positive.

“I’m just trying to have fun,” Snyder said.

Capitol Hill food+drink notes

  • 161001_fj_frankiesbrownsugar_frontPlant-based ice cream shop Frankie and Jo’s is rounding out for a November opening on E Union. In the meantime, you can now buy the creations from Autumn Martin of Hot Cakes and Kari Brunson of Juicebox Cafe online at frankieandjos.com.
  •  “Here’s What Happened When I Opened a Restaurant in Portland” —
    Meanwhile, everything under the skin of the charming little building was in shambles. The electrical was an expensive mess, but that was nothing compared to bringing the plumbing up to code. $20,000 later we had a huge pit, filled with the gigantic, state-of-the-art grease trap the city now requires—all of which now benefit not us, but the landlord and his next tenant.
  • Also to be filed under “Good Advice”…

 

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