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<\/a><\/div>\n\nSam's was easy to find, and parking was plentiful on this early weekend afternoon. The place looked clean and inviting, and when we entered we were surprised by the size of the dining room, with a long, linear open kitchen tucked behind a low counter.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n \nClearly, the place does some business, even if it was nearly empty. We placed our order, and waited for the food to arrive.<\/p>\n The first attempt at my burger was wrong - I requested \"dry, no tomatoes\" as is my habit, and what came out was neither dry (it was slathered with mayo) nor tomato-free. This was surprising, since the room was essentially empty. The lack of attention on the part of the cook didn't bode well for the burger, but I returned it to the counter, and waited for the replacement to appear.<\/p>\n What came out was perhaps the saddest burger to ever come out of the kitchen from one of Houston's famed burger joints.<\/p>\n \nThe grey, overcooked, machine-formed patty was dry and ooze-free. The cheese was slightly melted; more attached to the bun than to the beef. And the tired looking veggies were huddled under the patty, trying their best to avoid the prying eyes of a hungry patron.<\/p>\n I bit into the burger, hoping that the flavor would be the saving grace. It wasn't. I've had better burgers at McDonald's, and I didn't finish this one.<\/p>\n I've heard uniformly great things about Sam's, and I'm hoping I caught them on an off day. It happens. But one mark of a great restaurant is the ability to always deliver a quality product, and what was served today showed me that it is certainly possible to get a lousy burger at Sam's Deli Diner.<\/p>\n Update: Katharine Shilcutt visits Sam's Deli Diner and shares her experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Update: Another opinion, from The Mighty Rib<\/a>.<\/div>\n \nSam's Deli Diner - 11637 Katy Freeway - 281-497-8088<\/i><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n