Sam's Chop House image

Sam's Chop House

Restaurant Chophouse restaurant

Restaurant with a 140-year history, once frequented by artist LS Lowry, of whom there's a statue. People often mention restaurant, good, service, great, beef, asked, flavour, friendly, staff, visit,


Address

Back Pool Fold, Manchester M2 1HN, United Kingdom

Website

www.samschophouse.com

Contact

+44 161 834 3210

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (1.6K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Friday: 12 pm to 12 am
  • Saturday: 12 pm to 12 am
  • Sunday: 12 to 10 pm
  • Monday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Tuesday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Wednesday: 12 to 11 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: restaurant (22) good (19) service (16) great (15) beef (12) asked (12) flavour (11) friendly (11) staff (11) visit (9)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 mark m. 11 months ago on Google
    Love this bar and chop house. Great location and it was very well laid out. Staff were great also. The food here was amazing the best corned beef hash in the world yummy 🤤
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ben M. 8 months ago on Google
    Recent visit to Manchester and stumbled on this little gem. For all I know it might be one of the most famous bars / restaurants in Manchester! If so it's rightfully deserved. I had the sirloin pork steak. I have eaten chops before but never a pork steak. Was divine, so full of flavour and went down very well. Prior to the main I had their Pork Scratchings which were out of this world, warm, salty (!) and again full of flavour. They were a treat. Definitely going to visit again when there for my next gig and going to try a steak. My wife had the Sam's Famous Cornbeef Hash which she found delicious.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Adrian L. 1 year ago on Google
    (Detailed review below) Food ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ambiance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Accessibility ⭐⭐ Cost ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Service ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The bar area is great. Can get super busy (packed shoulder to shoulder) but it just goes to show how popular this place is. I'm a social drinker so my standards are pretty low but I was happy with the options available. Staff was attentive and friendly. The restaurant section is located just around from the bar and is a nice cosy place. It may feel like a tight space as well when all areas are fully seated but that may just add to the atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised by the rump steak that I had; perfectly seasoned and tasty although it was more medium than medium-rare that I had ordered (minor quibble). The beef gravy had a nice golden sheen and delicious. The peppercorn sauce was good but could have been a tad more pepperish. Although the restaurant wasn't full it did feel like it took a while for the kitchen to finally serve the food, so perhaps you may want to order some nibbles whilst you wait. Do note that the portions of the main meal are pretty generous so you may want to skip a course or two. Again, just minor issues and I would certainly come back again just for the steaks!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Cheska 6 months ago on Google
    Came in with a reservation and they sat us in a small table in the corner while there was plenty of empty space and better seats in the restaurant. When we ordered, we asked for the starter to come with our mains and the waiter said no problem but they still served the starter first and not with the mains. When we had questions about the food, the waiter was not familiar with the menu or ingredients at all, he could not answer any of our questions. The crab cake was nice, it was a good choice to have as a side. We had steak which was £32 but was not impressed with the flavour and texture. We felt like it was overpriced for the quality. Then lastly we had their cheese burger, but surprisingly it did not have any burger sauce which made the burger felt so dry. We did ask the waiter if there were any burger sauce, he said he doesn’t know and just smiled and walked away. Also most of the time, there weren’t any waiter/waitress around, which felt like there was no service at all. By the time we got our bill, they charged us extra for items we did not order. We had to wait around 10 minutes for a staff to walk in the restaurant then correct the bill for us. We did come here before and it was delightful. But that was a year ago and maybe the management has worsened on the staff and food. Overall, with the price of £30-40 per person, it was not a pleasant experience due to the food quality, staff management and customer service. Yet, they do have 10% service charge. I don’t mind the cost. But just really hope the staffs will be better trained and be the steakhouse it once was. Unfortunately with this experience, I won’t be returning here anytime soon.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ciro R. 1 year ago on Google
    A charming little establishment, seemingly having seen various types of pub or eatery over the many years it has been open. The current landlords are doing a fine job with their Chop House. We had a (limited) 3 course menu to choose from, a la Wowcher, and the food was both tasty and plentiful. Neither of us could finish our mains or dessert, as delicious as they were. I'd definitely go back and try something from their full menu. Special shout out to the staff, inviting and friendly, they couldn't do enough to help and please.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Christine D. 1 year ago on Google
    Lovely staff, Lenny and Rose were attentive and efficient. Food delicious Service very good indeed 👌 Starters delightful and very generous portions. Corned Beef Hash a real hearty treat. Fish and chips good too. We couldn't manage to eat our mains so Lenny wrapped them to takeaway. The chef brought the dessert to our table. Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream. Scrumptious 😋
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jonathon M. 1 year ago on Google
    Went out for a family meal, the reviews for the food were mixed among my family. The staff were great very friendly and pleasant and did try and correct the issues we had in regard to frozen butter, dirty cutlery and long wait times for our drinks and food. My starter of the haddock scotch egg was very nice. Well seasoned, runny egg, if slightly on the luke warm side of temperatures. The corned beef Hash was lovely as always except this time my egg was hard and over done. The most disappointing aspect of the evening was the fact that we were told they had run out of sticky toffee pudding by 6pm.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Alice D. 11 months ago on Google
    Quirky venue that I imagine has a good atmosphere when it's busy. Had the corned beef hash here which seems to be one of the signature offerings. Half our party enjoyed it where others really found it far too salty - perhaps just a matter of taste. Also had awkward encounter bar staff when they got my order wrong, customer service not the best.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Matthew V. 11 months ago on Google
    Not really a good review as I never went in when it was busy but so many people have been telling me how good it is. I've said we're going to go in, in the very near future. They did allow me in to take some photos and were very welcoming. It does look quite inviting, so I've given four stars and will update this review after I've experienced the establishment for myself 😁 There are some iconic Manchester alleyways next to it and nearby, see photos posted 😁
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Juan Pedro V. 6 months ago on Google
    Excellent Sunday roast! We got the chicken and beef one, and both were very tasty. When you come in, you have the feeling to be in a typical old pub. Service was very friendly, professional and fast. Nice selection of beers.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Armin Narimanzadeh (. 5 years ago on Google
    I was after a good fish and chips and this place was recommended and I have to say it delivered! Great food. The fish was so fresh and the chips was really hand made, so no frozen garbage! So you can expect to see the effect on the taste. My wife was not that hungry so she ordered a side salad and the restaurant was nice enough to bring a huge salad at the same price. This is what I call customer service!! Well done.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Camille D. 3 months ago on Google New
    Great bar. Always a warm friendly welcome. Nice to have a drink with Mr Lowry at the bar. Decent price and good choice of drinks within the city centre. We didn't eat here but the food looked and smelt gorgeous!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Christine R. 6 months ago on Google
    I have dined at Sam's a good number of time's over the years, but my last visit left me feeling underwhelmed. We stood near the restaurant waiting around 5 mins to be acknowledged, the waitress took us to a small table for 2 left side that felt cramped and boxed in, even though there was plenty of empty tables. We'd no sooner looked at the menu she was back asking was we ready to order we asked for a little more time. We both ordered the same pudding chips and peas, over priced for what it was. Took us a good while to attract someones attention for the bill with a 10 % service charge, for what as far as I'm concerned the service was sub standard we paid it but won't be in a rush to return anytime soon. Wouldn't mind it was a week day and quite.

  • 5/5 Ivan T. 3 months ago on Google New
    Dining Experience @ Sam's Chop House. . Established by Samuel Studd in 1868, now operated by the owner of The Victorian Chop House Company, Roger Ward. The concept of Sam's Chop House is a sit-down restaurant. . Loved their Scotch Egg (GBP £6.50) rendition. The exterior is coated with crisp breadcrumbs, wrapped with tender sausage meat, while the soft boiled egg within is bouncy soft. Has bready meaty savoury salty eggy sweet flavour. Served over a fresh salad of crisp rocket leaves / arugula, crunchy cucumber, juicy sun-dried cherry tomato, and crisp red onions, combining for vegetal earthy bitter herbal sweet flavour. . The 10-Ounce Grilled Sirloin With Chips (GBP £27) features a large succulent cut of beef sirloin steak, tender chewy juicy as a result of the marbling running through it and around it. Grilled till perfectly medium-rare, with robust smoky meaty savoury flavour. Accompanied with thick-cut English potato chips, these are crisp outside fluffy inside, carrying good starchy salty savoury flavour. I chose a gravy boat of peppercorn, thick with savoury salty peppery spice flavour, really punchy. . Novel experience with the Black Treacle Sponge Pudding (GBP £7.50). The thick sticky black treacle carries smoky salty bitter sweet flavour, contrasting the sponge pudding with its spongy soft moist texture and grainy floral earthy sweet flavour. The creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream and its floral earthy sweet milky flavour served to alleviate the depth of taste in this dessert.

  • 4/5 Alec H. 6 months ago on Google
    The bar is lovely and cosy, and the staff were very friendly. Had the "famous" beef hash. Food was great, but expensive for the portioning at £19.00.

  • 3/5 Santo C. 7 months ago on Google
    I visit there second time because it was good in the first time. The crab cake was good and rabbit pie was nice. I hosted a meetup with my friend there but we had bad experience. You must expect the service there is slow and delayed. We ordered desserts but it took around 30 mins to come. Also, when we asked for checking the bill, it also took 20~30 mins to come. It is hard to find the service during dinner. We tried to find them but they were busy at bar or in kitchen. Although the first visit amused me, the second visit was a little bit unexpected and disappointing.

  • 5/5 S T. 9 months ago on Google
    First time here and was extremely impressed. Steak was cooked perfectly and the red wine gravy was to die for. Lovely atmosphere, good ambient music and friendly staff.

  • 5/5 Martin F. 7 months ago on Google
    Dropped into Sam's Chop house following an event we had been attending. Twas excellent, drinks, food and the service. Indeed even "Nick" who I believe is normally playing with an abacus on the first floor , mucked in and served two excellent gin and tonics as the other staff where busy. The place somehow had a family run feel and I would highly recommend. Feel free to contact for verification.

  • 2/5 L B. 5 months ago on Google
    Very poor experience overall. We’ve drank a few times in the pub which is great and classic and one day we dared to try the restaurant. We were extremely disappointed, the waitress seemed incompetent and made a lot of mistakes, although her service was friendly. We ended up getting the wrong dishes brought over and sent them back, overall we waited at least 40 minutes for a couple of burgers. When they did arrive they were pretty lack lustre and not worth the overpriced menu, we began to laugh at how bad they actually were, bland ‘meat’, stale bread, unmelted cheese and anaemic chips. All in all a disaster for this overpriced weatherspoons. One saving grace was the management, we didn’t kick up a fuss but they recognised their shortcomings and gave us 50% off without even mentioning it which was a nice touch. Sadly I wouldn’t recommend and there are far far nicer restaurants in Manchester for a lot less money! This one is a miss and I wouldn’t recommend

  • 5/5 Dragana C. 4 months ago on Google
    If you are looking for traditional English pub/restaurant , with traditional English food, look no further. This is the place!!! The best food we had during our stay in Manchester was in this restaurant. Service was fantastic, which, I might say, was not the case everywhere we ate, unfortunately. I highly recommend it. P.S. appetizers didn’t make the photo 😅

  • 4/5 Joseph C. 11 months ago on Google
    Great food, great service. Seemed a bit quiet when we visited which I thought was unusual for a Saturday evening 🤔. Also the room was a little cold,other than that a great place to meet friends for dinner

  • 5/5 Casper V. 1 year ago on Google
    We came here on a Sunday looking for a typically traditional English dinner, we left after having had the best Sunday roast ever. The food was magnificent and the unlimited gravy was definetly a plus ;) the personnel was very helpful and friendly! Would definitely come here again.

  • 3/5 Rachael H. 9 months ago on Google
    Went for the Sunday Roast which was nice but nothing particularly special. Was seated in the corner and found the venue quite dim, dusty and musty. Perhaps sitting away from the old curtains and closer to the lighting would change my view.

  • 3/5 Chris H. 9 months ago on Google
    Nice, old, cosy pub tucked away in the town centre - apparently it was a haunt of LS Lowry. Set below ground, there’s a big brass statue of Lowry at the bar! Went in for a quick pint but decided to stay for dinner. Big menu which, I’m never sure is a good sign - how can a kitchen keep enough fresh ingredients? - but went for a house classic, the Corn Beef Hash with a poached egg on top. Delicious. Other half had a starter only - crab cakes - which, were a little dry. Luckily the wine lubricated us! This would be a nice place to come on a cold winters day. So, we will.

  • 5/5 Kurper (. 1 year ago on Google
    The best beef hash I ever had! Absolutely a great treasure box in Manchester. The restaurant is hidden behind the Back Pool Fold. Every tiny front door but it do have great space inside! I have ordered one pork scratching, one special soup, and one beef hash served with mashed potato. As I said, nothing can complain. I knew this place because it's the oldest restaurant in the city of Manchester. But the fact is they do have great dishes to support their old sense.

  • 4/5 Segev H. 1 year ago on Google
    Great spot for traditional northern/british food. The corned beef hash is legendary. Lancashire hot pot used to be better. They changed something in the meat and it is not what it used to be, hence the -1 star. Staff is helpful. Place is designed beautifully. Gravy is 🔝

  • 3/5 Brian 1 year ago on Google
    I usually love Sam's Chop house but the past few visits haven't been great, and recently it didn't live up to our expectations. The starters were really lovely, as was the wine. But the mains were a massive let down. The beef cheek was just OK, the mash potatoes were sloppy and not very much of it, it blended with the gravy. My other half had pie, the small amount of mushy peas he received was bearly noticeable as it too was blended with the gravy which was odd. Certainly not worth what we paid sadly.

  • 5/5 Sam W. 1 year ago on Google
    It's good to be back. Stunning (un)traditional pub grub in charming surroundings. Corned beef hash is highly recommended.

  • 4/5 Christine M. 1 year ago on Google
    Lovely. Delicious food. Efficient and friendly service. Rose and Lenny took good care of us on Friday 9th September. We'll see you again, hopefully soon 😊

  • 5/5 Tracy H. 1 year ago on Google
    Unpretentious pub favourites done very, very well! Corned Beef Hash was delicious, and the Steak & Kidney pudding generously filled with large chunks of steak. Gravy was amazing and the most perfect, crisp but fluffy chips I think I've ever had in a pub. Sticky Toffee Pudding was the ideal size, beautifully presented and not at all stodgy (as can so often be the case). Creamy vanilla custard was the ideal accompaniment.

  • 5/5 Sheena S. 2 years ago on Google
    Absolutely amazing food and drinks. Staff are lovely. Been a couple of times now and would go again

  • 5/5 Sabah K. 4 years ago on Google
    Happen to passby and saw this restaurant. Very lucky to dine in this restaurant without reservation. We got our table within minutes and when we go in, all tables are fulled. The food is delicious and the beer is fresh. The staffs here very friendly. We really enjoy our dinner here.

  • 1/5 Keith C. 1 year ago on Google
    Appalling attitude from the so called management. I’ve been eating at Sam’s for years before lockdown and looked forward to it re-opening. As the website didn’t work I eventually got through on the phone and made an evening booking, I was asked did I want to sit in the restaurant or the bar. I prefer the casual atmosphere of the bar so asked to be seated there. After buying drinks at the bar no one came up with menus so I approached the bar to ask for some to be told they do t have any and to look at the chalk bar, which was hidden behind other customers who were reluctant to move. I couldn’t make out which were starters or mains and when I asked was told everything served in the bar were small plates. I was then told they now only serve full meals in the restaurant not in the bar. The restaurant was half empty and no one was eating in the bar at all so I asked the maitre d if we could be served in the bar, nope and we couldn’t be accommodated in the restaurant. The so called manager sent over a waitress to apologise and eventually she came back over to say they would serve us in the bar, not surprisingly we’d had enough of the debacle and left. Appalling attitude from the maitre d and manager, I wasn’t told of the limited menu in the bar when I booked, it would have been so easy for them to have apologised and served us in the bar.

  • 1/5 P E. 1 year ago on Google
    Incredibly disappointed and left feeling ripped off by this once loved restaurant. Booked for a family meal on a Sunday, having visited many times pre-lockdown. We also used their delivery service in lockdown but were incredibly disappointed on this visit today. We were told they were only offering a fixed Sunday Roast menu, which was absolutely fine. Myself and my wife ordered the lamb roast and at £16 I was looking forward to a great meal. However we were given a different wine than the one we requested. The waitress didn't show us the label, just poured it out for taste test and put it on the table. Turns out it was £6 more expensive than the wine we ordered. It also seemed that this "mistake" had occured on 3 other tables. As we waited for our food I saw the table next door receive what I thought was their yorkshire and gravy appetiser....I was wrong...turns out it was a main course on a tiny plate. Now I'm not someone that judges a restaurant solely on the size of their portions...so I thought, well it will probably be of the usual great quality Sam's used to have a reputation for. Sadly I was even more disappointed when my plate arrived. 3 tiny slivers of overly fatty lamb arrived on a luke warm plate. My wife asked for hers to be re-heated...and to be fair....it came back on a very hot plate...but with the same cold food on it. I'd asked for the sage and onion stuffing balls as a side dish and these turned out to be 4 sizeable balls, but at £4 a go I was expecting something more than just deep fried Paxo stuffing that they were made of. We went to the restaurant for a family occasion and when the waitress came over to clear our plates. She asked was everything ok, after sorting out the cold plate. I said that the plate had been warmed but the food was cold, and the meal had been very disappointing and not upto the usual standard. "Oh sorry" was the reply and she asked me if I wanted to order any more drinks or desserts. I asked for the bill and got the additional shock of being charged more for the wine than we wanted, and a "discretionary" service charge of £8.40. When I queried this with them they took the £6 difference in wine cost off the bill, but I had to ask twice for them to take the service charge off the bill. What should have been a lovely family meal ended with us leaving with a half finished bottle of wine as the indifference of the staff and poor quality food had left us feeling uncomfortable in a restaurant that had previously had so many great memories. This will be the last occasion I use Sam's chop house and I'm really disappointed that one of Manchester's great food institutions has reached such a low ebb.

  • 5/5 Fiona R. 1 year ago on Google
    Why does no-one ever buy Lowry a pint? Cosy pub. Incredibly quiet on a Sunday night. We were the only people in.

  • 5/5 Carolann W. 2 years ago on Google
    Called in for a little drink ☺️ first time visiting, the food looked good but it was only a flying visit, will be sure to visit again for a bite to eat.


Call +44 161 834 3210 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Organic dishes
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Free water refills
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Assistive hearing loop
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Counter service
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✗ Takeaway

Trends



Last updated:

Similar places



Similar Restaurants nearby

Turtle Bay Manchester Northern Quarter image
1
Turtle Bay Manchester Northern Quarter
Caribbean restaurant
👍👍 I was craving curry during my stay in Manchester. And Google suggested this place to me. It's in the centre, almost 6 minutes away from my hotel. The interior design is very hip and it has a great vibe. The music that is being played is modern. The curry was amazing. And the prices were perfect for...
$$ $$
4.80 (9.9K reviews)
Turtle Bay Manchester Oxford Rd image
2
Turtle Bay Manchester Oxford Rd
Caribbean restaurant
Caribbean cuisine and cocktails served in contemporary bar-restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows.
$$ $$
4.70 (9.7K reviews)
Merzee image
3
Merzee
Indian restaurant
Elegant, modern restaurant serving sophisticated Indian & Pakistani halal dishes.
$$ $$
4.10 (8.8K reviews)
MyLahore Manchester image
4
MyLahore Manchester
Asian fusion restaurant
Colourful decor in a bustling modern cafe/diner with a globally-inspired menu, with halal meats.
$$ $$
4.50 (8K reviews)
Wetherspoons image
5
Wetherspoons
Pub
Child-friendly chain pub, serving real ale and food all day, with subtitled TV news in background.
$ $$$
3.90 (7.4K reviews)
Last updated:
()