Monday, April 14, 2014

Sunrise Cafe Food Review


I couldn't wait to get back to Sunrise Cafe after a promising breakfast two days ago. Unfortunately, today's visit didn't produce the same type of "culinary fireworks" as before. My order looked great, and service was still amazing; but it barely made up for a lack of good taste.

I dropped by for a Cheeseburger Value Meal (burger, fries & a soda for $7.25) just before noon, and was able to sit at the same outdoor table from last Saturday. Like before, I received a warm welcome; and the owner was nice enough to bring my order outside. They truly appear to care about their customers.

That care and concern continues in the presentation of the food, which was surprisingly nice. My burger looked gorgeous, tucked inside a big sesame seed bun that was literally stuffed with fresh toppings. When I say stuffed, I'm not kidding... Try three pickles, two thick slices of tomato, lots of raw onions and a big leaf of lettuce, with a layer of mayo for added flavor. Sadly, the meat had zero zest... it was clearly frozen, and never saw a touch of salt or pepper during the cooking process. Great looks and no seasoning make for a disappointing burger. What a shame.

The fries on the other hand, were even worse. Sunrise Cafe bakes 'em instead of frying; and it takes half a bite to notice. No crisp, no crunch... just blah. No seasoning either. To be frank, these may be the worst fries I've had in a long time. Note to Sunrise: Get some fryers fast.

I managed to finish the burger, but only ate three or four fries. I still had the great view and another nice day; but without good food, it didn't seem to matter. Undaunted, I'll be back to try their pita pizza; and hopefully reaffirm Saturday's positive breakfast.

Atmosphere: B+ (It was hot inside, but beautiful out.)
Burger: C- (It looked great, but no salt or pepper = no taste.)
Toppings: B (What a shame to pair them with a flavorless, frozen burger.)
Fries: F (Baked fries? No thank you.)
Value: B- (Still a good deal, but not quite as good as breakfast.)
Overall: C- (Great service, but terrible fries and a subpar burger left me hungry at the end.)