The Story of Sam’s Town

by Linda Hanf

It would be an understatement to say Sam’s Town was a “fun place.” Fact is, it was more like an “overthe-moon FUN place!”

Sam’s Town in Cameron Park once entertained and fed millions of people over 37 years from 1967 to 2000. It wasn’t just a local hot spot; it was known far and wide. Sam’s was an icon.

Patrons were attracted by the Old West atmosphere and activities. Road weary travelers along Hwy 50 stopped to replenish with food and drink on their way to Tahoe. Locals loved to go there too, treating their relatives and visitors to a couple hours of “time travel” back to the Old West.

When Sam’s Town closed in 2000, it left behind a treasure trove of memories stored in the collective minds of employees, teens who worked there or hung out there, as well as visitors, travelers and local residents.

Sam’s Town had superb exposure. About a quarter mile of Sam’s property ran along Hwy 50. Plus, the large attention-getting building caught people’s eyes.

Sam’s sat right off Hwy 50 and Cameron Park Drive, easy to see by highway passersby. The exterior facade was ornate, a colorful depiction of an Old West town. It was bright with lights and sported the old-fashioned “gas” street lamps near the entry. A huge marquee sign ringed with dazzling bulbs announced “Sam’s Town, the family fun place,” signaling “this is a place not to miss folks.” on page 11

At the entrance, patrons could feel the excitement starting with the raggedy sounds of honkytonk music. Once inside and when patrons’ eyes adjusted to the low light, pockets of bright color came into view. Glowing lights, illuminated signs and 1800 glitz could be seen everywhere; a maze of rooms beckoning people’s curiosity.

Sam’s Town

continued from page 10 first made his claim to fame starting Sam’s Hof Brau in Sacramento in 1959. You may have heard Sam referred to as the “Hof Brau King of Sacramento.”

“To the extreme left was the Gunfighter room where Old West guns are displayed in glass cases on the walls,” notes Mike Arkus, former employee. The Gunfighter room provided extra seating near the snack bar.

Mike was employed many years at Sam’s. He started working different jobs and was promoted to manager, working there from 1978 to 1982 and, as if he couldn’t get enough, from 1984 to 1992. Today, Mike’s feet tread the same geographic space. When the Sam’s Town property was sold, it became a strip of local shop franchises and a Food For Less, now a Forklift grocery store where Mike currently works.

He sold the hof brau and his several restaurants to Denny’s Corp. Sam’s Hof Brau — in Sacramento on Watt at El Camino Ave. — is again owned by Sam Gordon’s family. In 1968, the restaurateur put his name to a new venture: Sam’s Town.

The Red Coach Inn was vital to the parcel Sam bought. He turned it into what became Sam’s Town’s Honky-Tonk room. He expanded grandly from there to 30,000 square feet.

At its peak in the 1980s, Sam’s Town had a huge parking lot to accommodate not only many cars but also the many charter buses that made their pit stop on the way to Tahoe. At one time a Calistoga wagon sat on the lot; another time, a stage coach; another time the wagon cage that trapped actor Charlton Heston in the movie “Planet of the Apes.” continued on page 23

Just inside Sam’s was the snack bar, where bus drivers guided their passengers for quick sandwiches and beverages. “We had a 3040 minute hustle,” Mike Arkus remembers, “to get all the people taken care of so they could keep to the bus schedule and get to Tahoe.” If there is one thing people remember most about Sam’s Town, it is the saw dust and scattered peanut shells on the floors, especially in the Honky Tonk room.