After starting with Warner Robins restaurant, family expands to new butcher shop, grocery

Becky Purser
·2 min read

Within two years of opening their small restaurant serving authentic Mexican food in Warner Robins, Samuel “Sammy” Naranjo and Jenny Ramirez relocated down the street into a much larger space.

Now, they’ve expanded again with a new, related business.

Taqueria Don Sammy, which loosely translates to Sammy’s Taco Shop, opened March 9, 2022, at 1431 Watson Blvd. The spot only had enough room for a few tables, and it was “too small and always got filled up quickly,” Naranjo said.

Earlier this year, the restaurant reopened in its larger space just down the road at 1754 Watson Blvd.

Recently, the family turned its former restaurant location into a Mexican butcher shop and grocery store. Their new business celebrated its grand opening Sept. 14.

Abraham Naranjo is the butcher at Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a new Mexican butcher shop and grocery store in Warner Robins.
Abraham Naranjo is the butcher at Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a new Mexican butcher shop and grocery store in Warner Robins.

The butcher shop

Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, which loosely translates to Sammy’s Trendy Butcher Shop, offers hand-sliced pork, beef, chicken, fish and shrimp.

Sammy Naranjo’s elsdest son, Samuel Naranjo Jr., helps operate the store.

Sammy Naranjo’s brother, Abraham Naranjo, is the butcher, and Abraham Naranjo’s daughter, Cristal Castro, works alongside him.

Cristal Castro holds up house-made beef jerky at Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a new Mexican butcher shop and grocery store in Warner Robins from the same family behind the authentic Mexican restaurant Taqueria Don Sammy.
Cristal Castro holds up house-made beef jerky at Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a new Mexican butcher shop and grocery store in Warner Robins from the same family behind the authentic Mexican restaurant Taqueria Don Sammy.

The butcher shop features the family’s own beef jerky, with fried pork expected to be the next item added.

Grocery shelves are stocked with large bags of beans, rice and dried red chili peppers, staples such as Maseca traditional corn masa flour and Zulka Morena pure gain sugar, as well as Mexican candy.

The store also offers frozen Mexican treats and Jarritos bottled sodas. Fresh produce includes onions, jalapenos, avocados, cilantro, potatoes and tomatoes.

The butcher shop and grocery store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The number is 478-236-2475.

Taqueria Don Sammy owner Samuel “Sammy” Naranjo, right, and his eldest son, Samuel, joke around in the family restaurant at 1754 Watson Blvd. in Warner Roibns. The son works at Caniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a Mexican butcher shop and grocery store that the family recently opened in their former restaurant location at 1431 Watson Blvd.
Taqueria Don Sammy owner Samuel “Sammy” Naranjo, right, and his eldest son, Samuel, joke around in the family restaurant at 1754 Watson Blvd. in Warner Roibns. The son works at Caniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a Mexican butcher shop and grocery store that the family recently opened in their former restaurant location at 1431 Watson Blvd.

The restaurant

Taqueria Don Sammy offers an assortment of authentic Mexican tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, torts and burritos.

The expanded menu also includes flautas, pambazos, chilaquiles and chori-poll and other dishes.

Everything is made fresh and cooked-to-order. The restaurant is known for its handmade tortillas.

Desserts include house-made flan and a variety of flavored jello. Other desserts include churros and lime sherbet.

A serving of tacos from Taqueria Don Sammy. From left to right, al pastor (barbecue pork), asada (grilled steak), chorizo (sausage) and barbacoa (shredded beef), with jalapenos and grilled onions along with tomatillo, chili arbol and avocado sauces, sliced radishes and limes.
A serving of tacos from Taqueria Don Sammy. From left to right, al pastor (barbecue pork), asada (grilled steak), chorizo (sausage) and barbacoa (shredded beef), with jalapenos and grilled onions along with tomatillo, chili arbol and avocado sauces, sliced radishes and limes.

“What I’d like to say to our Hispanic community is that it’s almost like being at home,” Sammy Naranjo said.

He’s the head cook, while his wife helps prepare the food.

“She’s the one who puts most of the flavor into the food,” he said.

Her sister, Candy Ramirez, also works in the kitchen. She was busy making the tortillas on a recent visit.

The restaurant also features a salsa bar.

An asada torta, a Mexican grilled steak sandwich with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno and avocado from Taqueria Don Sammy at 1754 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins.
An asada torta, a Mexican grilled steak sandwich with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno and avocado from Taqueria Don Sammy at 1754 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins.

The most popular menu items are tacos, burritos and tortas.

Also offered are naturally-flavored waters made on site using fresh ingredients. Rotating flavors include coco, pineapple, horchata, melon, papaya, watermelon, glava, strawberry, tamarind and hibiscus.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except Sunday when it closes an hour earlier at 8 p.m. The number is 478-236-2760. Online ordering and delivery via Doordash are available.

Taqueria Don Sammy owner Samuel “Sammy” Naranjo is the main cook at he and his wife’s family restaurant in Warner Robins.
Taqueria Don Sammy owner Samuel “Sammy” Naranjo is the main cook at he and his wife’s family restaurant in Warner Robins.
Taqueria Don Sammy, a family owned restaurant offering authentic Mexican food, relocated earlier this year to a larger space at 1754 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins. The family recently opened a butcher shop and grocery store at their former location.
Taqueria Don Sammy, a family owned restaurant offering authentic Mexican food, relocated earlier this year to a larger space at 1754 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins. The family recently opened a butcher shop and grocery store at their former location.
Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a new Mexican butcher shop and grocery store in Warner Robins, celebrated its grand opening Sept. 14 at 1431 Watson Blvd. in the former Taqueria Don Sammy restaurant space. The restaurant previously relocated to 1754 Watson Blvd. The same family owns both.
Carniceria Tienda Don Sammy, a new Mexican butcher shop and grocery store in Warner Robins, celebrated its grand opening Sept. 14 at 1431 Watson Blvd. in the former Taqueria Don Sammy restaurant space. The restaurant previously relocated to 1754 Watson Blvd. The same family owns both.

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