Today I finally visited a place that I’ve heard about off and on for years, Sunflower Drive In. This is a vegetarian/vegan joint located in Fair Oaks at the corner of Main and Fair Oaks. Whenever this place came up in some conversation it was always a rave review, unfortunately I’d just forget about it shortly after until it came up again months (or years) later. The most recent occurrence was last December and I made a point to write it down that time. Specifically, the item that was recommended to me was a Super Nutburger.
I arrived a little after noon and parked in the smallish lot. The place looked quiet for the most part. There were a handful of people sitting at the various patio tables and picnic benches around the building, but most were finishing up and heading out. I Looked over the menu for a few minutes and picked out the Super Nutburger, as suggested and, to drink, a small pineapple juice. By the time I had paid and turned around there was a decent line behind me. A steady stream of people continued to arrive after this, but at least half seemed to take their orders to go.
The Super Nutburger [$6.49] is basically the same as the regular nutburger [$5.69] but with a larger patty and on pocket bread instead of a whole wheat bun. The regular is described as a “nutmeat patty served with sauce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, romain and sprouts.” I added cheese($0.99) and avocado($1.55) to it. The Pineapple juice was $2.29, and my grand total with tax was $13.15. I was handed a little paper slip with a number on it and I took a seat at one of the picnic tables to the right.
It was a little chilly in the shade there, but I bet it’s a really nice place to eat when it’s warm out. I could hear the local roosters calling out all around the area. My food was ready in about 7 minutes and I retrieved it from the window when my number was called out. My burger was wrapped up in paper on a plastic tray / paper plate. Once I got the front open I could see lots of greens waiting to spill out. I carefully unwrapped the rest and took some photos. I couldn’t see the patty itself quite yet. The pocket bread was thin but large in diameter and they stuffed it full of the toppings. I did see some big slices of avocado already sneaking out the side.
As soon as I attempted to get my hands around this thing and pick it up I realized that this was going to be messy. When I read “pocket” bread I was envisioning something more like a pita pocket, closed on one end. Instead it was more like a couple round pieces of flat bread. I dug into it and mostly got romain, sprouts and a pickle. The sauce was creamy, not quite a thousand island type but something kind of in that direction. All the veggies were nice and fresh. Finally after a few bites around the front I made it to the nutmeat patty. It was mostly brown, with a bit of orange to it here and there from (I guess) carrots. It was still warm, despite the cool air and breeze (I should mention that there is a small amount of indoor seating). Texture-wise it was surprisingly enjoyable. While not at all like a beef patty from a place that serves quality burgers, it was not that much different from some fast food beef patties (I wasn’t to be clear that I don’t mean it’s bad, rather that it’s not weird). As far as the taste went it was delicious! It had just more than a hint of cumin to it, making it the most prominent flavor outside of the other toppings.
I have to admit that I came here with the thought in my mind that maybe this had been oversold to me over time and that I would leave disappointed. I’m glad to say that was incorrect. I really enjoyed my food, Oh! And I almost forgot to mention the pineapple juice! Very flavorful and delicious, like someone grabbed a whole pineapple with both hands and wrung it out over a cup. I’m also happy that this is within driving distance for lunch from work, I have a feeling I’ll be adding this into my usual rotation soon!
If you ever get the opportunity, the Falafel patty is served similar to your nut burger and is to die for.
I agree with Lisa D. We have had both and love going there when in the area.