Sunflower Natural Food Restaurant
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
48 Reviews for Sunflower Natural Food Restaurant
I love this place sooooooooooooo much! I wish they had more restaurants, because it is really far from where I live.This place rocks! The nutburger is amazing and I love the chickens and roosters that roam around out front. If you like vegan food, this is the place, people!
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A co-worker and I had lunch here today. We were both Sunflower virgins. While waiting in line we commented on how quaint the roaming roosters were...............until one of them shat about a foot away from us. If the sheer quantity of fecal matter was any indication, this chicken had been well fed by Sunflower patrons. Anyway, as charming as the chickens are, chicken poop smells, so it kind of detracted from the experience.
My co-worker had a nut taco and I had a falafel. We both thought our meals were excellent and we enjoyed the choices of iced tea flavors. Our meals were so yummy that we couldn't believe they were actually healthy. There was plenty of outdoor seating, and most of it was in the shade. The wait was a little long for those of us who had to go back to work, but I can understand why, since the place was packing them in, and the food was obviously very fresh.
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So worth the drive, but I wish we had something like this downtown. Sunflower is a cute hippy veggie drive-in that is so yummy and charming. You can eat outside at picnic tables and hang out with the roosters or there's a cool park a block away. The nutburgers are stupendous and yum to the falafel, nutty tacos, peach milkshakes, chai, and carob milk. It's definately for the sprout-lover type and is vegetarian and vegan. It does make you feel all good when you eat it, not heavy. Another cool plus is that the river is nearby, it's in old Fair Oaks home of the Jerky.
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I LOVE this place!!!! I don't live in the area anymore, but whenever I'm in town, I try to come by for a nutburger and some fresh squeezed juice (carrot is my favorite). The menu has many, many delicious options!!!!
The food is amazing and the tables outside with the roosters and hens running around add such a familiar and great ambiance that is Old Fair Oaks Village.
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I have been coming to this place since I was in high school: Sunflower has been ahead of the game since before I was born! I moved away from Sacramento 10 years ago, though every time I come back to see family and friends, I make it a point to stop here. I almost always get the nutburger, but the nutty taco is GIANT and scrumptious (you DO want to add avocado, oh yes!!), their nachos will probably last you two meals, if not three, and the carrot juice is always a perfect compliment. Top it off with a lil' treat from another Sacramento-based jewel, the Sun Flour Baking Co., and you'll be one happy veggie camper, even if you do eat meat in your other (secret) life.
My only gripe is that they add a lot of ice to their smoothies, which to me doesn't constitute smoothness, and kinda waters down the otherwise tasty flavor.
The chickens are fun to watch, but don't feed them! Or eat them! ;}
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This tiny vegetarian shack in the heart of Old Fair Oaks is a jewel of Sacramento. Not only has it been around for as long as I can remember, it has managed to thrive amidst the strip malls of corporate America.
Everything on the menu is fantastic here (with the exception of the bland milk shakes which leave a little to be desired). If you are a purist, the grilled cheese sandwiches are out of this world, the nut burger is always a classic and my favorite is the mushroom millet burger. Everything is freshly made so don't expect fast service, Sunflower is infamous for its slow chefs but it's always worth the wait.
Depending on your mood, you can take a seat at the picnic benches or tables in front of the restaurant or walk over the hill and enjoy your meal on the grass of Fair Oaks Park with the wild chickens (be wary they can be aggressive).
I drag any new visitor to Sunflower, both for its great quality vegetarian fare and also because this restaurant embodies the funky colorful vibe of Fair Oaks.
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Healthy veggie and vegan? Yay. I heart super nut burgers and fallafel. The outside seating on a nice sunday morning just makes it so much more relaxing. You are full and yet you feel healthy.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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04/01/2008
Great choice if you are a vegetarian or a vegan. Not being one this is just OK. I'd expected a… Read more »
delicious nut burger with cheese (my first ever!) and nonfat froyo shake. the drawback: a hideous one-hour wait for high-brow fast food with sprouts! it set back our river tubing excursion and we had to tube in the dusk/cold. the nut burger may be dazzling enough for a second trip, but i'll be sure and bring an epic tome or deck of cards to while away the hours.
I have been in the area for two years but had never patronized Sunflower until a few weeks ago. I am not eager to go back, but I am still open to the possibility. I would recommend it with reservations. The one and one-half to two missing stars reflect the following two aspects of my visit:
1. For a take-out place, it is very slow. I know many people who eat there only if they call-in their order. Expect fifteen minutes to wait for your food, and don't be surprised if it takes longer. I don't think the fact that you order at a window, roach coach style, helps one cope any better with the wait.
2. As far as bang for my buck, I think the items are overpriced considering the small portions. I have a strong appetite and can tolerate the healthiest of healthy (even vegan) food (not talking 'fat-free' or aspartame "healthy", either) but I was totally disappointed with my falafel patty, due to its small size. Where's the beef, Sunflower-people?
The three remaining stars are because: hallelujah there is a business stubborn enough to stick around so many years to help alter the consciousnesses of junkfast foodies.
If you have a ten-dollar lunch budget (and an hour-long lunch break), treat yourself to lunch here. The food is real, honest-to-goodness "whole food," and I suspect that is why so many people give it rave reviews. You just can't buy food this 'healthy' and naturally flavorful around here. Let's face it, many people today are starved for real food.
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The nutburger is SO good here! and you have to try their grilled cheese!! mmm yummy! The only downside is the seating arrangements outside when it is scorching hot and the parking is always a pain. The food quality is always delicious. Even though I am not a vegetarian, I always come here to eat with my friends! Great place!
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This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, the age of Aquarius, Aquarius, Aquarius...
I have driven by this drive in for the 17 plus years I have been living in the Sacramento area and have never stopped until today but it had been on my list of things to do before I die. I did not know the name of the establishment as there is no obvious signage but I had romantically imagined that this was the home of THE perfect burger, fries and shake based on the number of cars and patrons at the dining tables always outside.
Today was the day. i drove up with one of my wives and daughters and was going to share this life changing experience with them. Imagine my horror and their amusement upon viewing the Sunflower Natural Food Restaurant (established in 1978) menu board of nutty tacos and vegetarian burgers.
I was so stunned that I could only order a chocolate shake (yummy) while wife # 1 and daughter # 3 ordered a Nut Burger and Grilled Cheese (2 slice) respectively. They weren't as enthused with their selections and finished with Raspberry Frozen Yogurt while I finished their sandwiches and was transported back in time to the Good Earth Restaurant, circa 1981, in the Bay Area.
I got something crossed off my list and may re-visit someday but I won't get fooled again.
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It was okay. Kind of like an Ikeda's, but more run down. I didn't see any free range chickens/roosters (maybe they got turned into a sandwhich?)
Parking blows, bench seating sucks in the hot weather (even with the umbrellas and overhang), and the nut burgers were dry. The milkshakes are delicious though.
Sunflower definitely has a following, as there were lots of people ordering at 4 in the afternoon on a Friday. Overall, I was satisfied, but I wouldn't go out of my way to seek out a burger here.
If only they had once of these in my neck of the woods, it's worth the drive, Old Fair Oaks is like a trip to the country. Get the super nut burger with cheese on a bun paired with the chocolate yogurt shake. If you think you only like meat in your burger you haven't experienced the glory of chopped nuts and carrot pulp on the fryer. Skip the chips and salsa there's nothing special about these, it's a shame they don't deep fry any veggies here. See you this summer!
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Since reading yelp reviews of the Sunflower, I'd been wanting to eat there for awhile now... but since I don't spend much time over in that neck of the woods it hadn't happened yet. One time my daughter and I did stop by when we were in the area and it was already closed, so no such luck.
Well, we were in luck yesterday! We got there around 1pm and there was no line so we were able to walk right up and order... we sat on the curb while waiting for our food and once we picked up our order we were also able to score one of the tables :)
I had the Nutburger and man oh man is it good... I like Tower's Earth Burger but I think Sunflower's Nutburger is even better... not only is it delicious but the texture and consistency is divine-- kinda crispy and crunchy while sort of soft in the middle...and it didn't fall apart like Tower's Earth Burger, another plus.
I swear, I couldn't stop thinking about how great the Nutburger was for a good 7 or 8 hours! I'm hooked and already want to go back to try the nut tacos and of course that carob shake, too... yum yum yum yum YUM!
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Why I'm sitting at work in San Francisco and dreaming of a Nut Burger and Banana Nut or Keefer Shake from Sunflower Cafe is beyond me. But golly am I cravin' one now!
My family lives near here. I used to walk over all the time as a kid, and that's what I'd always order. Still do when I'm in town. Of course it's great for the vegetarians, but I'm as much a carnivore as anyone and LOVE this place! Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever had anything else on the menu?!? You don't go to a pizza parlor for a burger. Ya know what I mean? You go to Sunflower and you get the Nut Burger. That is why you go there - for the Nut Burger. Don't even look or consider anything else. You'll thank me later...
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This is the best food I have ever eaten. Being vegan, it's sometimes hard to find a good and reasonable place to eat, especially in the suburbs. When I'm in Fair Oaks, I can typically be found at Sunflower, talking to the chickens, or at the park or bluffs with Sunflower take-out in hand.
The people who work there are really great as well! It's just a very nice environment, and even my carnivorous parents love the nutburger as much as I do!
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Caveat - my friends and I did not try the "famous" nut-taco... the items we did try (chili burger, millet mushroom sandwich, & nut-burger) were just OK. They were all filling and probably healthy options but they were not very flavorful. I was disappointed - especially after waiting close to an hour for my food (Sunday lunch-time).
I would give this place 2.5 stars if I could - .5 for the quirky free-roaming chickens!
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I am not a vegan or a vegetarian by ANY stretch of the imagination. However, they make damned fine food. I'm not really a fan of the nutburger, but their tacos.....oh my. So tasty. They also have very good milkshakes and smoothies.
I went to high school not too far away, and sometimes I get nostalgic for those warm afternoons when we would cut classes and hang out at Sunflower with a nutty taco and a milkshake, and then feed the chickens our chips. Ahhhh.....that's some fine living.
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I and two friends (see Darla M.'s review below) came here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The wait sucked - but we had a high-maintenance hippy in front of us in line, who apparently was ordering food for her entire clan, so I think the wait was more than normal.
Darla got one thing wrong though, I ordered the Grilled Cheese, not the nut-burger. The grilled cheese sandwich was just that - flavorless cheese grilled on a flavorless grainy bread. It was not great, it wasn't even cripsy. Come on SNFR- through a tomato in or something.
I also tried the chili-burger - it was ok but not nearly as satisfying as it should have been considering the level of starvation I was at by the time we got our food.
I'll be sticking with my 2 stars - since I think the chickens come with all of downtown Fair Oaks, and not just the SNFR
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How can I give this place less than one? It's crap. Overpriced and food so bland it should be served at an old folks home. Most places that are vegetarian and/or vegan know how to prepare food. This place is like visiting a grandmother who thinks that bell peppers are too spicy.
Went in with a friend and ordered a falafel and a burrito. I'm pretty sure they consider sprouts as a spice. Seriously, what's wrong with this place?
If you don't like food, you'll love this place. You can pretend you're eating something neat because of the high hippy ratio. Don't forget to wash it all back with lukewarm tap water.
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Really great nut tacos for the value. I like the nutberger too.
Please try the chai, I get it with soy because I cannot drink milk. It is so tasty and delicious.
Get there early for lunch before the crowd shows up:) YUMMY (and I am not a vegetarian)
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I grew up eating here and it spoiled me. I have yet to find a vegetarian restaurant as pleasing as Sunflower. Try the nutburger.
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Upside:
The only decent vegan food I've ever had, probably because it tries to pretend it's real food.
Downside:
Once the words "nut meat" come out of your mouth, you will never get any straight male friends to try the place.
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I think the real excellence of a place can be measured by how many people who *used* to live near it come back to yelp and write about it after they've moved away. Sunflower is one of the places so deserving of this homage.
I will always have deliciously fond memories of bike trips ending with a stop at Sunflower. This place has real, honest to goodness, home-made millet and nut burgers. You'll never want to let a garden burger in your mouth again.
Everything on the menu is delicious and relatively healthy, and even though you'll leave stuffed, it will always be the pleasant, belly-rubbing kind. If you find yourself in Fair Oaks on a warm, sunny, Sacramento day, don't look twice at the fast food on Sunrise--drive a couple extra minutes to experience a Fair Oaks original.
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At first I thought it was just gimmicky, being a cute vegetarian drive-in set in Fair Oaks. We went on a Sunday and the place was jam-packed. The nut meat used in tacos, etc, was far tastier than any 'neat loaf' that I have previously tasted but not as good as 'Soy Rizo'. The food was very fresh, and shockingly cured my hangover faster than greasy food (sprouts for a hangover? Yeah right!). The hot soy chai was divine, and you get a lot in a burrito for 5 bucks. So, all in all good. And a nice change of pace.
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I live far from Sunflower so I don't get there often, but when I do it's always excellent. Today a friend and I stopped there for lunch and it was perfect. I love the nutburger! Unlike other restaurants' "veggie burgers" made from frozen patties, Sunflower makes their own nutty concoction and the difference is obvious. Five stars for the nutburger.
Sunflower also offers fresh-squeezed juices, and I happen to love carrot juice so that hit the spot just right. My friend's taco salad was huge and she thoroughly enjoyed it, so five more stars for juice and salad.
I've heard the service can be iffy but I've never had a problem. Today a very friendly (and cute!) guy took our order. The wait was a bit long but this place is always busy so no stars off for that.
And then there's the chickens...roaming around the parking lot, loitering near the picnic tables, always ready if a crumb should fall to the ground. Gotta love the chickens - five stars for them!
All in all, Sunflower is a one-of-a-kind treasure in an out-of-the-way location.
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Every thing is good here. The food, the setting, the milkshakes!!! YUMMMMM
I can not say enough good stuff!
Calling all hippies and health nuts! I used to work less than a mile from this place and ate lunch at the Sunflower a LOT. I needed my daily intake of nutty tacos. They are good and cheap. The salsa leaves a little to be desired, but if you're smart like me, you'll take them to go, someplace where you've got a little bottle of Tapatio hiding out.
The nutty burgers are ok, but have too much stuff on them for my taste. The rest of the menu is pretty good too.
The chips you get on the side are out of a bag and not so hot, but you can go outside and entertain yourself by feeding them to the chickens that are running around, thanking their lucky stars that the Sunflower doesn't make chicken sandwiches.
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Omigosh! I thought the Sunflower had closed (Actually last time a drove by it was) Glad to see it reopen. This place was my favorite place when I was a teenager, some 15+ years ago. The Avocado Sandwich was my favorite, I'll have to stop by next time I'm in Sac!
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I love the nut burger its the best vegetarian place in town I always get the super nut burger with avocado and cream cheese.. Number one most important thing is the quality of the food and its always set at a high bar ... BUT if you would like to talk about service.. Most of the time they have a HUGE attitude... They rarely answer there phones especially when its close to closing... Only reason why i tolerate it is because i love the nut burger...
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OK Im writing this review about a place I havent been in years for several reasons....
I miss the nutty taco like a long lost lover
I have the munchies ( medicinal purposes of course)
I am dieting and a nutty taco just sounds so satisfying right now when its almost midnight....
The nutty taco is all I ever get when I have a chance to eat here.... which is like never in the last decade but there is just nothin like it anywhere! Its so much better than meat, its crazy! They also make killer shakes and smoothies and I like how there are chickens and roosters still pecking around outside. At least there were in 1997....
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The best tasting guilt-less taco you will ever eat!
This is a place I visit and wonder why I don't just give up meat! Well, not really. But the Nut meat here is wonderful. We always get the Nutty Tacos. Heaps of nutmeat (chopped and griddle fried bits of nuts) and fresh alfalfa sprouts, shredded carrots on a corn tortilla. We've also had the Nachos, chili and patty melt. All meat-less! You've also gotta try the fresh corn bread with their home-made honey butter. We always take away some for morning toast.
There is always a line here. Sometimes it may take up to 15 minutes, but worth the wait.
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Just to prove that there is no bias, I AM A CARNIVORE. I truly like vegetables and fruit, but I do not think I could willingly give up meat. I have seen, "Super Size Me" and read "Fast Food Nation", but as Marcus Tullius Cicero said, "Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide. " Now that is out of the way, let's get to the meat (pun intended :-P).
I went up there this past Saturday and ordered a Nut Taco, a Mushroom Millett burger and a Nut Burger (pictured below) to share between a compared and myself and is the only item I took real notes on. The Nut Taco and the Mushrom Millett burger were good. They both had a nice amount of flavor with out the heaviness of meat.
As you can see the Nut Burger looks like a real hamburger. Along with the alfalfa sprouts it had lettuce, tomato and I think mayo. I am not sure what kind of nuts were used in the creation, I did not taste any distinctly. The other part of the burger might have been made with some chic peas (garbanzo beans) and the spices smelled like a mixture of curry.
The alfalfa sprouts and the lettuce make a nice, crisp contrast to the patty. The one thing I am not huge fan of is the chopped lettuce, I prefer my leaves whole otherwise they kind of fall all over the place.
As far as the texture is concerned it is really close to a nice medium rare burger. Some of the patty was caramelized with a little crunch, some of it was medium firm. The other thing that would have made it better for me, would have been the toasted bread like they do with the mushroom millett burger. That would have made it better.
Overall the three items I had were good and yummy. I would recommend this place for the vegan/vegetarian or the omnivore who wants something a little healthier.
As far at rating it, it's a little tough. I have not eaten at another vegetarian restaurant so I have nothing to compare it to. I can compare it to Boca burgers which I regularly eat since red meat is not that healthy for you. I would say it is a lot better than a Boca burger in terms of texture and flavor. I would say it is a better burger than fast food places like McDonald's, but not as good as a burger from some of the better burger places; In and Out, Squeeze Inn, Red Robin, etc...(from a carnivore's perspective)
1 star = Poor. I would not eat here for free or if you paid me.
2 star = So-So. I would rather eat somewhere else.
3 star= Average. I would or would not eat here again. It would depend on my company.
4 star= Good. I would recommend eating here.
5 star= Excellent. Driving two hours to eat here, would be time well spent.
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My wife LOVES the falafel with a #6 smoothie . I am partial to the nutburger w/cheese , light on the sprouts . The patty melt is also deeelicious . I'd recommend the chips & salsa , only to feed the feral chickens (the chips are sort of cardboardy). We both enjoy meat , but never miss it when we eat here . ( on a personal note , the food here will give you a very satisfying poop the next day ! )
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The Nutburgers are out of the world. Plenty of choices. This is a dream come true for vegetarians in the city. Been there a few times already but the cravings just don't stop.
You haven't lived life until you have had the nut burgers here.
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The food is good. Even meat eaters will like it. A tad expensive for the size of some of the portions though. For example, $5 for one nutty taco, the taco is on the small side. But the burgers are a good size and worth it for the money.
I think it is kinda weird that the owner or his wife drives a white Lexus SUV. Apparently charging $5 for one small nutty taco has paid off for them.
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I was really surprise on how good the food was here. My girlfriend dragged me out to try it and boy was I shocked. I actually ordered seconds.
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Went here for lunch last Tuesday for the first time. Everything we ordered was delicious. We went about 1 PM, didn't have a long wait at all at that time.
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This place has the best food. Sunflower is a bit out of the way for me, but I try to stop by any time I'm in the area. It's a vegetarian place, but the food is so great I never miss the meat. Everything is so fresh and delicious. I always order tortilla chips so I can feed them to the chickens that are hanging around outside.
If you're ever in Fair Oaks, you should definitely stop by.
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If one day I die and am destined for heaven, it will be here.
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