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.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.