Samuel's

Spectacular and attentive service by Michael, and wonderful drinks and food. My lobster and mushroom crepe was filled with lobster and tasted so good. We loved the atmosphere and were so happy we chose this restaurant for lunch.

I enjoy the way they do brunch here. We have been in two occasions. You start off brunch with a buffet style first course and then order a second course off the menu. Available at the buffet; scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, muffins, bagels, lox, cream cheese, fruit platters etc. The second course menu has about nine items, some more breakfast oriented and some more lunch oriented. These include bananas foster french toast (excellent), lobster eggs benedict (solid traditional benedict with Canadian bacon and lobster, but not a lot of lobster), catch of the day (today was salmon with lemon beurre blanc and mushroom risotto), braised short ribs, cobb salad, hamburger, and others. They also offer dessert and today they had creme brulee with a chocolate bottom, chocolate cake, or cheese cake with berries.

Samuel's offers mimosas and bloody Mary's during brunch and they have a full bar if something else strikes your fancy.

The server's attitude was pleasant and they were professional enough, but service is on the slow side and unfortunately the meals did not all come out at the same time which of course would be an issue for most people. We joked that they braised the short ribs to order, considering they came out quite a while after the rest of the food (which also came in waves) but you'd expect short ribs which are cooked in advance to be the easiest thing to get out quickly.

This upscale brunch venue had great food and is very good value. And if course good coffee is a must :) However the service was a bit confused. Maybe they just had an off day. The location has a historic feel to it, going with the renowned campus right next door. It was kick to watch all the high schoolers having informational interviews with a bunch of top colleges while we waited for our table.

Some might consider this old school, I however consider this place more of a "classicly awesome experience". Food is great and the atmosphere is far quieter and more adult than at many restaurant chains nearby. So, if you're more interested in being able to hear the conversation of the party you're with, versus simply being seen or staring at a flat screen, try Samuels. Food service and atmosphere rate an A-.

Samuel's is a consistently lovely restaurant, especially for Andover. Although there are several restaurants in the town that are good, Samuel's is by far my favorite. The atmosphere is quite nice, the service is pleasant and the food is wonderful. There are times when I choose to eat at Samuel's rather than various restaurants in Boston because it is just that good (and convenient). I have trouble understanding the low reviews it's been given here, especially because of the way it compares to other restaurants both nearby and far away. I highly recommend Samuel's to anyone looking for a higher end dining experience!