First look: Sam's No. 3 (the third) opens its garage doors in Glendale

The first Sam's No. 3, a popular diner frequented by everyone from politicians and pipsqueaks, opened in 1969 in Aurora. Decades later, owner Sam Armatas opened a second location in the heart of downtown, where poser Guy Fieri swaggered in to film a segment for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and...

By Lori Midson

March 14, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The first Sam's No. 3, a popular diner frequented by everyone from politicians and pipsqueaks, opened in 1969 in Aurora. Decades later, owner Sam Armatas opened a second location in the heart of downtown, where poser Guy Fieri swaggered in to film a segment for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and last week, Armatas finally made it a trifecta, unleashing a third outpost in Glendale, in the former space that was occupied by Sam Taylor's, a barbecue joint.

Any resemblance to Sam Taylor's is long gone, thanks to a major gutting that now reveals shiny chrome and tile, exposed red brick, upholstered booths, a duo of retro counters, a wraparound bar that stretches across two rooms, and a domino line of garage doors, all of which open to the outdoor air. It's not what you would call fancy, but it's definitely sleek, especially for a diner. What remains similar to the other locations is the menu -- a laminated novel of endless breakfast dishes, Mexican staples, sandwiches and burgers, salads, desserts and shakes, the ice cream of which comes from Lik's.

Here's a first look at the new space.

Sam's is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more info, call 303-333-4403.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.