The seafood chow mein was really good.. noodles had the perfect texture, not overcooked like a lot of places. Also noticed they redid the bar area, and it looks way better now. Prices are fair, and I really liked the Alaskan cod. Solid spot overall!! Will defo be back with some friends for karaoke read more

Sunflower Garden - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

The dangers of ordering food you know how to cook. Lately I've been trying to change my diet. Over the last couple years I've been trying to start it earlier and earlier during the holidays so that I don't feel horrible after Jan 1st. I realize Im getting older and I just want to eat more healthy meals at home in general. Because of that, I decided to stop making like 95% I used to make. Orange Chicken and Beef Chow Fun was part of that list This meal was supposed to be one of the last times I ate this meal and while it wasn't bad, I definitely felt just a tad disappointed with the quality. First off, respect for using thighs for the chicken. I feel like chicken breasts are doable but I feel like ultimately chicken thighs are the way to go for Orange Chicken. I really think that chicken breasts should just be reserved for something like Lemon Chicken. I also like that they give you a good amount of chicken too. A tiny more than I normally expect. Or at least thats how it felt. The flavor wasn't bad either but I the texture wasn't the best. Lots of the breading on the pieces were coming off easily which isn't the end of the world but it just felt like a single fried was used instead of a double fry for extra crispy. Not saying that happened but thats just what it felt like. It could have also been that it was sitting at the restaurant longer than usual. Im guessing it was the latter since I ordered DoorDash. I also ordered the Beef Chow Fun. It was fine but just overall found the sauce lacking. Same deal with the Potstickers. The texture was fine but flavor was just ok. I was really excited to try these too since it seemed like a favorite in town. But they were just ok imo. I honestly just felt like a lot of food just was rushed a little. The interesting thing though is this place also does sushi too so Im curious if their Japanese part of the menu maybe better than their Chinese side? Or Vise versa. Hard to say but I do want to try them again soon. read more

See all

There's a pretty good Chinese restaurant in Martinez, and it has the same name as a Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset. You're probably wondering who cares, and you'd be right, but the sunflower represents such a positive outlook that it makes you just want to order Asian food if you had your druthers. Well, I must've found my druthers, because I've come by twice now. It's a big space near the entrance to the regional shoreline park. There's a dining room, a separate bar lounge, and the inevitable fish tank. The menu is pretty standard but fairly extensive. On my first visit, I ordered the $11 Fried Squid, which had a surprisingly light crust on a bed of shredded iceberg (photo: https://yelp.to/n2RFfFUQcY), and this was followed by the $13 Beef Chow Fun, which was light on the oil as well as the beef but heavy on the noodles (photo: https://yelp.to/pdzJgmQrkr). It was all satisfying enough for me to come back several weeks later. I must've had a crisis in conscience because I ordered discernibly lighter this time. I went with the $12 Chicken Salad, which had a generous amount of white meat chunks and crunchy noodles over a pile of chopped romaine (photo: https://yelp.to/Mc-YdBypNH). The vinaigrette was slightly too sweet for me. The $10 Won Ton Soup was a warm chaser though a bit on the bland side with frankly not enough won tons (photo: https://yelp.to/NBcS91w4fT). Hey, Sunflower works. Isn't that enough? FOOD - 4 stars...dependable execution on familiar dishes AMBIANCE - 4 stars...spacious and not that crowded SERVICE - 3 stars...not that much interactions TOTAL - 4 stars...when you have a hankering for Chinese in Martinez RELATED - Exploring Martinez? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2x1rlsD read more

See all

Haven't been back since it changed ownership. Service was fine. Food lacked flavor and the hot and sour soup was neither hot nor sour. I came during lunch, but I don't think I'll be back. It was not bad, but it was also not good. read more

Lemon Chicken was very soggy. Spring Rolls were mushy. Hot and Sour Soup had a funny taste to it and a gelatin like texture. Terrible Chinese food. read more

Tried Sunflower twice since the new owners. The first time I went in everyone just had a look of dread in their demeanor. Food was very bland. I tried going again thinking maybe it was a fluke and they were having an "Off" day. Sad to say it happened again. Very heartbreaking... The family feeling it once had is gone. It saddens me that this place is not quite what it used to be. Food doesn't have the same "LOVE" it once contained. Making food for someone is alot more than throwing stuff together and Voila! Your Heart & Soul are ingredients that are added also and if there is no heart & soul there is no flavor and it is just bland. It was my understanding that ALL RECIPES were given to the new owner?!?!?!? Well you can definitely tell they are not using them. It's a shame this place had such potential and I don't forsee it lasting. read more

This is great place to enjoy a very good lunch special. I have only been here for lunch, so this review is based on my experiences during lunch time. Food: 5/5 Every time I have been here the food has been excellent. The portions are huge, everything is hot and fresh tasting, the sauces are great and I love the flavor and spice of the hot and sour soup. During the lunch special, it includes a good amount of food for a very reasonable price. I usually get the Kung Pao Chicken. It includes one entreé, rice (white or fried is included, or brown for $2 extra) 2 wonton chip, as well as hot and sour soup or wonton soup. The chicken is always very good and the veggies are always perfectly cooked. All that food for only 12 dollars! Service: 5/5 Every time we have been here we are seated quickly. In fact everything is very fast. Our food came out about 5 minutes after ordering and our server was ready to take our order within 2-5 minutes of sitting down. (But, they don't rush you. You have as much time as you need to look at the menu.) Ambiance/Space: 4/5 The ambiance is good, it's not anything extremely special, but it's comfortable. The restaurant is actually a pretty good size as well. They have 2 dining room areas, one of which has a bar (The room with the bar is usually closed during lunch). They also have a couple small tables on a small patio outside for nice days. Parking: 4/5 There is ample parking right in front of the restaurant. The only reason it is 4/5 is because this is a city parking lot and you have to pay to get a parking permit. Although it is very cheap. We paid like $1.50 for almost 2.5 hours! I'm sure it's very good for dinner as well. This is definitely a great little gem if you're wanting to explore the antique shops and the surrounding area in the nice little downtown of Martinez. After we eat here we usually like to check out the antique shop called Antique Corner right across the street. I will posting a review about them as well. read more

See all

Great food, everything was fresh and delicious. We had the family dinner D and ordered extra crab Rangoons and they were perfect. The crispy breading on the prawns was so good that I ate every last bit of it even eating it off the tail. The sweet and sour pork also had a crispy coating and kept its crispness even being smothered in sauce. It was my birthday so I was given some sesame balls and they were the best I have ever had, the coating on them was deliciously crispy. I will certainly go back. I was surprised that they weren't packed on a Sunday evening. read more

We go often because we enjoy the food that is carefully prepared and always fresh. The professional and friendly service is appreciated. The Lawrence family read more

Solid Chinese food. A little pricey. I haven't eaten inside in years, but I do pick up lunch often nowadays for lunch in the park with mom. ASK for silverware!! Because of its location it gets our business, as I can leave mom and dog in car, run in grab the food and hit the park. Service is not super friendly but not rude either. So more like 3.5 stars but we will round up! read more

See all

Wor Won Ton soup. They should be ashamed! Absolutely no flavor! Bland, bland, bland! The broth was nothing but water. No fish or seafood stock. The proteins and vegetables were leftover scraps and the won ton tasted like cardboard. Do not waste your time or money. read more

This is a solid B as far as Chinese restaurants go. There's nothing spectacular, but Sunflower Garden gets the job done. I like to come here for the lunch specials. They range from $12-$16 before tax, tip, and a drink. So plan on $25-$27 out-the-door for lunch. The cheapest lunch specials are $12 - these are fried rice and chow mien type dishes. The next level are the $13-$15 dishes. These are the typical Americanized Chinese dishes like sweet & sour chicken. The highest level is the $16 dishes. These are your primo items. All lunch plates come with a choice of white rice or fried rice. They also come with two small fried wonton triangles covered in a sweet red sauce. The food comes out quick, so this place is good for the rushed downtown working crowd. You can be in and out in about 20 minutes if you push it. The service is so-so. The service at lunchtime has a rushed vibe to it. Perhaps at dinner time it is a little more relaxed. read more

BBQ Pork was horrible and tasted old. The Lemon Chicken was dry and soggy and needed salt or seasoning badly. This is not the place for me. read more

I didn't eat their Chinese but when I saw that they have added a sushi bar, I jumped on it and was pleasantly surprised!! Apparently the owner also owns a Japanese restaurant and the chef was from that restaurant. Their sashimi's fresh!! Highly recommend. Ambiance - this place needs a make over for sure. read more

See all

Working in Martinez was craving some Chinese food and I had driven by this little gem a few times so I decided to try it out. My coworker and myself went for lunch. Their lunch special comes with soup either wonton or egg drop soup. Both are delicious. I got the sweet and sour chicken that comes with choice of white rice or fried rice. I got the fried rice. My coworker got the mushroom chicken with fried rice. It was a lot of food very tasty. The server was great, he was friendly and very attentive to us. The place is really nice and quiet. Would recommend it and I will definitely be back. read more

Sunflower Garden - Mushroom chicken - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

See all

My husband is an an absolute Chinese food snob. He's from DC and Iykyk. We love Sunflower. We only ever doordashed but never been disappointed. The sesame chicken is my favorite and it is REAL WHITE meat cubes instead of weird dark meat. The hot and sour soup is amazing, too. We'll continue to DD sunflower! read more

Awesome location in down town Martinez right on the corner of Escobar near plenty of parking. The staff is very courteous, friendly and attentive. The interior of the restaurant is very traditional for a Chinese restaurant with a touch of modern. The food is gourmet with a fair price. The broccoli chicken was delicious as was the chicken chow mein and egg flower soup. The spring rolls were exactly what we needed. The only thing I wouldn't get again was the salt and pepper shrimp, they had a little too much breading for my taste. Overall a very good experience and I'll be back! read more

See all

Gluten free chinese food! I haven't had chinese food since getting diagnosed with celiac. I am so happy I found this spot. The honey walnut shrimp is a must try! There's a man who always helps me and he is very nice! He is very patient if I have any questions. I brought my partner here on a date and he loved it! The whole restaurant is clean. Very well kept! If you are in the martinez area , please visit this restaurant. You won't regret it! read more

Sunflower Garden - Gluten free honey walnut shrimp with gluten free fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

Fast, friendly service. Decent lunch options. We especially liked that even though we ordered lunch specials, the food came out as if it had been ordered ala carte, making the dishes easier to share. Besides the entree, which determined the cost of your lunch, you chose between Hot & Sour Soup or Won Ton Soup. You also had a choice of Steamed Rice or Fried Rice. Brown Rice was an option for an extra $2. We, of course, got one of each so we could try both. Sweet and Pungent Shrimp sounded intriguing so I got it. It was described as being a blend of sweet and sour mixed with the heat of General Tso. She opted for the Kung Pao 3 Gem which was perfect for me because my dish didn't have any veg in it. We'd return if in the area. read more

See all

was in Martinez late in March when a Chinese food craving hit me hard. If you live in Martinez or belong to any of the Martinez Facebook groups, you know many locals love Sunflower Garden in Downtown Martinez. I wanted prawns, so I ordered sweet and pungent prawns. The prawns were plump and very tasty, with a sweet and spicy sauce. I'll definitely order these again! The lunch specials include a tasty hot and sour soup and an egg roll. I also ordered pot stickers since everyone raves about them, which were good. The service was great. I got there about 30 minutes before lunch service ended, and they were friendly and didn't rush me out. Sunflower Garden is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. They're one of the few Chinese restaurants with a full bar; from what I've heard, they make good drinks. I've included photos of the food, the interior, and the menu. read more

See all

Thank you for serving such Amazing food, I can tell you guys hired a new chef, the food is spectacular!!!!!! The service is also 5 stars thank you for such incredible restaurant in the heart of Martinez!!!!! read more

See all

We started with soups. My wife loved the won ton soup. Good hot and sour soup as well. I was very happy with the fried rice and chow mein. Our entrees were sweet and sour chicken and broccoli beef. Both were delicious and came out steaming hot. Paired it all with a cold Chinese beer. Nice and clean inside. Good service. Will be our go to Chinese food in Martinez going forward. Good job Sunflower Garden. read more

Big portions, delicious food will be back. We got fried rice, Mongolian, beef and chicken. All was delicious Owner or personal work. The front counter was really nice not too far from our home will definitely be back. read more

The food was fantastic! Egg Foo Yung was the biggest and best dish ever! Mushu Vegetables perfect! Egg fried rice was great! Service was cold and uninviting. She didn't tell us till we were done that their credit card reader was broken, so we had to find an ATM and improvise. we had heard her mention this to another table leaving as we settled in, but hoped they'd have it working by the time we were done. I'd order takeout from here but not eat in again because of the vibe. Place could use updates as well. read more

The food was amazing and the service was very good and friendly people.The Wonton soup is super good recommend to go here.

The food was amazing and the service was amazing and the place was good also the people were nice

We had the shrimp chow fun and the mixed vegetable shrimp, and they were as expected. Nothing mind-blowing but decent. The chow fun was a bit too oily but other than that pretty solid meal. We paid about $30 for the meal, and we were satisfied. It came with both pretty bland wonton soup and green tea, but we were just hoping for food. Nothing noteworthy either way from the atmosphere or service. read more

Sunflower Garden - Shrimp Chow Fun - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

See all

I was kind of in the area and wanted to try a new place. Sunflower Garden popped up. I got the general chicken and it was better than expected. Kind of reminds me of orange chicken but with bigger chunks of chicken. A bit pricey for a lunch special but comes with a veggie egg roll. Plenty of street parking and service was really nice. read more

Sunflower Garden - General Tsao's Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

Decided to give restaurant another try. Its been in Martinez for a long time. Its always just been ok. Today was the same. The Mongolian beef almost has a sweet taste to it even with all the red peppers in it. The egg fried rice is common. Nothing wow factor. The hot and sour soup also has a sweet base flavor before it tastes like typical hot and sour soup. No bean sprouts or mushrooms ended up in my container but plenty of egg and only a few pieces of tofu. The best part of the whole lunch was the complimentary egg roll. It was perfectly crunchy on the outside and full of veggies on the inside. Wasn't a pulverized mass but real ingredients. It also was not greasy after being fried. I could definitely have eaten a second egg roll. read more

Sunflower Garden - Mongolian beef with egg fried rice lunch special - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

See all

Very good food! I was looking for a new Chinese restaurant to try and I found this great place that's not too far from home and the food tastes soooo good! When I went there was a party going on in the other room so you know people come back and enjoy it! The staff were very friendly and quick with the to go service. Overall nice location and delicious food! read more

Went here for a quick lunch break yesterday and enjoyed it so much. The lady who served was quick and very attentive throughout the whole time I was seated. The lunch menu was simple yet had so many choices so whatever you might be craving you could get. Once I ordered, the food came out quickly and was delicious. I can be pretty picky when it comes to chicken dishes but no issues here. Everything was hot, delicious and served in a great time frame. I would recommend to others and come again for lunch if I was in the area again. read more

See all

Garbage since Sandy, Mike and family sold. So sad.... My experience on the one and only time I went in was horrific. Yelling between employees overcharged for meal by 28.00 (I was alone), waitress didn't understand anything I was saying, brought rice out which I did it order but charged me anyways. I've been a Sunflower fan for almost 30 Years, amazed it went to complete poop that quickly. Good luck, I'll spend my money elsewhere read more

We opted to try the local Chinese restaurant as we have had takeout from this place before & it was good, so we opted to go & try eating in. Staff is on it, you're greeted right away & seated. We started with the pot stickers - these arrived overall done, a tad on the crispy side for both hubby & I. Onto the mains: Szechuan Chicken and an order of sautéed string beans, followed by a helping of brown rice. The rice was overly sticky & done, a bit on the dry side as well. The chicken dish was okay, but it didn't really stand out. The string beans were done okay, a little lack luster. In short, I wonder where the cook was who made our take out orders during the pandemic, because this was not it. Service was really good, just wish their food matched up. read more

We live a few blocks down from this restaurant and I am so happy we started coming here. Literally some of the BEST Chinese food around. The servers treat their clientele very well and are so attentive to their every need. All of our food came out at the PERFECT time. The sweet and sour chicken was extremely fresh and crispy; the Chow Mein was perfect al dente texture and the broccoli beef was crisp and succulent. I would 1000% recommend this restaurant!!! Will definitely w coming back read more

Tried Sunflower twice since the new owners. Heartbreaking... The bar is closed down. The family feeling is gone. On any given day you could hang out and have a drink and some great food with your fellow Martinzians at the bar but that is all gone. What used to be a Martinez institution and meeting place for locals is now gone in a flash. I'm dumbfounded as to what the new owners are thinking. Best of luck to them but I'm quite certain the next incarnation of Sunflower Garden will not make it long... read more

Chinese food is my favorite food of all time. I have tried almost all Chinese restaurants in my area, and Sunflower Garden Restaurant and Bar is by far the BEST!!! I have tasted probably half of their menu, and every dish was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The chicken and beef are always tender and lightly breaded. The food is not drowned in sauces like some places we've been to. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and there is plenty of parking (metered and enforced). Give this place a try - you won't be disappointed. Note: They are checking for vaccine cards, but they have outdoor seating that is limited and not heated. read more

Every year for her birthday, my mom asks for Sunflower Garden for dinner. We order lots so that there's lots of leftovers. I'm shocked at how bad our meal is. Salt and pepper chicken is flavorless and dry. The fried prawns were inedible...so much batter and very dry inside. Combo rice and chow mein greasy. I paid $90 for an inedible meal. I'm so sad and I hope things improve...they'll just have to do it without me as a customer. read more

Amazing food and service Great servers and staff Ice cold beer Best potstickers ever. Excellent beef chowmein Huge portions. read more

Great Chinese spot. Awesome staff. Clean restroom. Great food. Large portions and fair price. Been here four times now. I like to go here. read more

Sunflower Garden - Sweat and sour pork - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

We needed a lunch stop as we were traveling south from Red Bluff CA to Santa Clara CA and decided to go back to Sunflower Garden Restaurant. We spent about 15 minutes driving around the blocks trying to find a parking space. We found one a couple of blocks away. The next challenge was how to feed the parking meter. We were seated immediately in a booth near the door to the kitchen. We ordered off the lunch menu. I ordered the Hunan Shrimp and my wife ordered Sweet and Sour Pork. The Hot and Sour Soup was excellent. I enjoyed my Hunan Shrimp; but, would not order it again because I thought it could have been more spicy. My wife's Sweet and Sour Pork was very good. If you are in Martinez CA and wanting very good Chinese food, go to Sunflower Garden Restaurant. read more