Running a restaurant that offers top-quality seafood and steak can be a demanding endeavor, but with hard work, dedication and a hardy time commitment, Sam and Linda Sok are making it work.

The husband and wife duo opened Sam’s Seafood and Steak on Grant Road in Cypress in March 2016.

“Hard work is the key to everything,” Linda said. “If you want everything to be as fresh as possible, you’re going to have to put the work in.”

Fresh, quality food is priority No. 1 at Sam’s. Shrimp are peeled at least once per day and then hand-battered. Baked potatoes are cooked fresh multiple times per day, and even sides and sauces, such as coleslaw, cocktail sauce and tartar sauce, are made in-house, Linda said.

Sam, who serves as the restaurant’s head chef, is mostly self-taught. He said he likes to travel to other Greater Houston area restaurants for inspiration.

Owners aim to have something on the menu to please every customer, from fried shrimp to steak to gumbo, burgers and fried rice. The top sellers are the fried catfish and shrimp combo meal and steaks starting from $16.99, Sam said. Several items introduced this spring as off-the-menu specials have proven popular as well.

The menu is constantly being updated with new dishes that incorporate fresh seasonal items, Linda said. New specials are cycled in about every two weeks and include everything from mini crab ball appetizers served in a remoulade sauce to a blackened redfish entree served with dirty rice and etouffee.

The restaurant cannot serve alcohol because of its proximity to Hamilton Middle School, but customers can bring their own beer, liquor and wine, Linda said. A setup fee of $3.25 applies per wine bottle.

Since opening in Cy-Fair, the Soks said they have been welcomed by the community and believe they have found a new home.

“Sam is a perfectionist, and he doesn’t settle for anything,” Linda said. “We feel very blessed.”