Sunflower Garden is located within the old Le Beau's. The front room (with the cool dark wood bar) looks pretty much the same, and this area works well as a separate thirst parlour. There's good draft beer available and I'll take my friend Ivy's word for it that the custom cocktail menu is worth a stop, and whether you want Chinese Food or not. The back room is perhaps a bit smaller and the old interior connector to the old Amato's (now Royal Thai) appears to be long gone. Me and several work friends stopped in yesterday for Lunch and that room was bustling. And when you see a least 2 full tables of happy Cops, that's a good sign. I swear that several fish in the tank looked over when a few seafood orders were placed. The Lunch menu itself is extensive and inexpensive, and the ample servings of food were on the table quickly and with a smile. However, I found the food to be just OK and unremarkable overall. I like my Kung Pao Chicken light and spicy, while the Sunflower Garden version was relatively bland and weighted down in a heavy brown sauce. I knew early into the meal that I wasn't going to finish my serving, and what I ended up eating was too much (half) and with an aftertaste that lingered too long into the afternoon. My Martinez Asian Dining advice? Stop here for pre- or post-dinner drinks and enjoy Dinner at Royal Thai or Lemongrass. read more

This place has been sold. The previous owners had stayed for a month to teach the recipes. Nothing taste good. The potstickers were gooey and very little meat. General chicken was white meat and very dry, the sauce tasted burned.beef and broccoli was very dry, sauce tasted of smoke. We will miss Sandy and David. This place will not be open long. read more

Believe the hype! Ok, so here's the deal - there's people who have chinese food every now and then, and there's people like me - for whom the chinese meal at a family owned local dive is a truly mystical experience. We are loyal TO THE BONE, but are always up for a new place with plastic carnations in cheap vases on the tables, salt shakers filled with rice, stained white tablecloths, and huge wonderful menus that always contain at least one typo (my all-time favorite: the place that misspelled every reference to 'pork' as 'dork'). I was lucky enough to sample Sunflower Garden's fare at the 2012 Restaurant Tour, and they won my vote for favorite joint. I visited them towards the end of the tour, so full I was ready to pop, but still sampled their General's Chicken, Salt & Pepper Shrimp and Chicken Chow Mein - and almost asked for seconds. EPIC. Super happy to return for a full meal! 3 of us went and ordered their lunch deal, which is a great deal in terms of amount of food and variety for a VERY reasonable cost. We sampled the Won Ton Soup, Hot & Sour Soup, Egg Rolls, Pot Stickers, General's Chicken, Hunan Chicken, Prawns with Black Bean Sauce, steamed rice and fried rice, all for $30! I haven't enjoyed a chinese meal like that in YEARS. Soups were delicious, and not drowning in salt like so many other joints. Egg rolls tasted delicious and fresh with great veggie flavor, and the sweet n' sour sauce was thin and nice, not syrupy or sugary. General's Chicken was as good as I remembered. Prawns with Black Bean Sauce was DELICIOUS, with fresh veggies, perfectly cooked shrimp and wonderful richly flavored sauce. The best: The Hunan Chicken was SO DELICIOUS. It isn't so much about being blown away by a dish's creativity, but about well cooked meat, beautifully fresh veggies, and sauces OBVIOUSLY crafted with love. With great deep flavors and a bit of spice, I could have guzzled that sauce. And, of course: Potsticker score: 10/10! Delicious flavorful pork and veggie filling, well cooked dough, steamed well and crisped up on the bottom PERFECTLY. AND - my favorite part - served with a delicious sauce with a hint of sweetness, NOT your typical soy or gyoza sauce! Seriously, when you cut into them, juice pours out. Don't let any of it go to waste - DELICIOUS! Two other points that totally won me over: their steamed rice and fried rice was basmati rice. That is a simple and brilliant improvement over basically EVERY chinese joint I've ever set foot in. And even with the lunch specials, the meat dishes were served on their own small plates as opposed to single dishes for each customer. So even with ordering a 'meal' per se, we were able to share family style. I cannot wait to return!! read more

Wor Won-ton retribution. Should have never trusted my taste buds to those other guys. Sunflower NEVER disappoints. It is truly bomb-ass Chinese on a budget. Today, I tried the Wor Won-ton Soup (minus shrimp) for the first time. If you've been paying attention, you know "Wor" means "everything" and you recall that I was thoroughly disappointed when I ignored my first thought to go to Sunflower, and instead went to some less than mediocre place for won-ton soup, yesterday. *reliving my disdain at the thought of the other guy's mushy, flavorless bowl of yuck* Sunflower's soup, however, is super-de-dooper-scrumptous! With perfect flavor and mounds of won-tons, BBQ pork and chicken making Chinese music with the veggies in a piping hot bowl of broth, there was a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy!... as Yo Gabba Gabba would sing. And, with hot tea for $8.10, I was wishing I was stamped #MADE IN CHINA# ... briefly. I love you, Sunflower. read more

Sunflower Garden - Wor won-ton minus shrimp= yummo! - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

Some of the best Chinese food I've had in the Bay Area! So food and full of Flavor! Love the lunch and dinner specials! Honey walnut prawns are my Favorite! read more

These folks know their stuff. Chow Fun, Lemon Chicken, Mu Shoo Pork, General Chicken, mixed vegetables, Beef & Broccoli, Mongonlian Beef. I have a hard time deciding. Their lunch specials are a great deal. I miss working downtown. Sunflower is just a little too far to me to drive on a half hour lunch now. I still have their menu and sometimes I look through it and pout. :( read more

I have to admit, I was a bit weary coming to a place that my country music listening, nascar loving, truck driving friend had to recommend. However he swore by their pot stickers so I agreed to come here for lunch. Oh man, those pot stickers were good! They're very similar to the Sheng Jian Bao's I've had elsewhere, juiciness and all! Their lunch specials are a good deal, and their honey walnut prawns were really good and not too saucy. Next time I'm out this way, I'll have to give it another go! read more

Even under new management its still one of the best Chinese restaurants some of y'all tripn

I've only been here for lunch so I'm not sure what it's like for dinner over here. The lunch special is a great value for what you get. For about $6-8 (depending on which entree you pick) you get to choose an entree and it comes with an eggroll, bowl of soup (wonton or hot and sour) and rice (white or fried). I've tried a few different entrees: mongolian beef, general chicken, beef with black bean sauce, honey walnut chicken, and beef brocolli! They were all delicious! The service is good and they serve up the best water! It's so cold and crisp and the lemon just adds that exta zing. A few things I don't like about this place is when it gets busy the servers are less attentive. Many times I've gone without a refill on my empty glass of water. Also at the end of the meal I've never gotten orange slices! Other times I've been there I've seen other tables get it. I'm not sure how they choose who they want to give it to. I'm a little offended by it, but other than that everything else is good! read more

Sunflower Garden - Mongolian Beef - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

See all

If it were an option, Sunflower Garden would get 1/2 star from me. Waaaaaay overpriced.... Subpar food! If their Wor Won Ton soup had been the first of its kind that I had eaten, I would never have eaten it again. Breaded Chinese prawns?!?! read more

I have eaten here twice and both times not been that impressed. We ordered hot and sour soup, chicken chow mein, general chicken and hot tea. Hot tea, one you have to pay for it, which fine, it is what it is. But it was undrinkable. It taste how I would imagine taking dirt and brewing it would taste like. A waste of money. The hot and sour soup, was ok. Could have been a little warmer. Also, I like to add vinegar to my soup. Most places have a little vinegar bottle, but here after asking two people, I finally received a little bowl, that maybe held two tablespoons. Since my husband also likes to use the vinegar we had to ask for more... just have a bottle ready, it's so much less frustrating. The general chicken and chow mein, while nothing was wrong with them, nothing was good either. The service was ok, they aren't friendly or attentive, to be fair it was a busy night. Overall, I won't go back. But it's not the worst place to go. The value for cost just isn't there. read more

I love this place. They just recently moved to a new location that is bigger and nicer. Also, I think their new site may be more earthquake safe than the last location. They have great lunch specials that range from $5.25 to$8.00 including rice steamed or fried, choice of soup, and an egg roll. Note: they now charge for tea $1.25 for a pot big enough for two. some of my favorite dishes there are: general chicken, sweet and pungent chicken, sweet and pungent shrimp, and Mongolian beef. They also offer a new happy hour and a full bar. This is a Governmental spot ie: cops, lawyers, social service workers, sheriffs, people serving jury duty, and judges after all it is conveniently located near the Contra Costa County Court. Also, their service is quick and friendly. On the busiest day you can easily eat and have your check in 20min or less. read more

Sunflower Garden - Chinese Near Me - Martinez, California

Under new ownership.. the food was still good but man has the service gone WAY down. The man waiting on us you can tell he was just irritated to be there. It was a very uncomfortable environment. I'm very sad to say this because I've been coming here for many years with friends and family but I won't be returning. read more

The food has gone downhill since COVID-19. They use to have really good flavors, but you can tell a few shortcuts are being used in their food. Today I ordered sweet and sour chicken lunch special with wonton soup. My chicken wasn't as good and crispy instead I got weird cuts of chicken and unfortunately it was burnt. However the soup was the same from what I remember. Overall I will not be back for any dish besides the soups. read more

My new favorite spot! Today was the first day I tried Sunflower and I ordered and picked up TWICE today lol I ordered the lunch special - broccoli beef w fried rice, Mongolian beef with White rice, and the sesame chicken is SOOOO DELICIOUS!! Reasonable price and excellent customer service: I noticed they have quite the following. Customers picking up were greeted and treated like family. It's nice to see. I know I'm going to demand to pick up something from here when my water breaks and I'm about to give birth. read more

Hands down best Chinese food. You can tell it's homemade with love, and we love that this is a family run business! The cocktails are great, the gyoza is the best I've ever had, and the service is phenomenal. read more

Today my husband came home and said "this should be interesting" He was referring to the Chinese food we ordered from Sunflower Garden. We weren't aware Sandy's family no longer owned the restaurant. Needless to say the food was awful and the man working there was terribly rude. The pot stickers weren't cooked. No pot sticker sauce was with the order. The general chicken was like rubber(old) and everything was gross. We won't be back. Ever! read more

Frankly, I am a bad judge of Chinese food. American Chinese is not my favorite food and I love dim sum so much that it has to be seriously sub-par not to get less than a 4 star review. According to a couple of Martinez natives, this is the best Chinese place in town. And it was definitely good. However, not good enough that I can even remember the details of what we ordered (several dishes to feed about eight people). I do clearly remember the hot and sour soup, which had a very nice bite and tang. Other than that, it will do to satisfy my once-in-awhile American Chinese food cravings. read more

My wife and I were both craving Chinese food on Friday, so we decided to check out Sunflower Garden in downtown Martinez. The last time we had been there was several years ago. We were dining with a group and didn't really get to select the dishes we wanted. As a result, we weren't super impressed and hadn't gone back. We decided to give them another try though, and we are glad we did. Even though it was just the two of us dining this time, we ordered way more food than we knew we could eat, so that we would have leftovers for the next day. We started our meal with an order of Hot and Sour Soup and an order of Potstickers. The soup was served piping hot and had just the right amount of spice to it. I appreciated that they actually cut the bamboo, pork, and tofu into small enough pieces to fit on a spoon. I always find it annoying when Hot and Sour Soup is served with really long bamboo shoots that just slides straight off your spoon. The Potstickers were gigantic and packed with flavor. By the time our main dishes arrived, we were basically both stuffed but our appetites increased once we saw the food. We ordered the General's Chicken and Chicken Lo Mein. The General's chicken was spicy and had a decent amount of meat relative to the breading. The Lo Mein noodles were soft and chewy and the sauce tasted great. Overall, this was a very satisfying meal, and we will definitely be back to the Sunflower Garden sometime soon. read more

Delicious! It's so hard to find a good Chinese food restaurant anymore and they were a hit with the family!

Best Chinese food I have ever eaten, and I wasn't the only one at the table to say so. Showed up just after 6 pm and were seated at a booth without having to wait. Centered in the back of the dining room sits a 100 gallon fish tank. Our server was happy to share the history of l the fish in the tank. We ordered drinks, some of which were not on the menu, and had no issues. Espresso martini was wonderful! Wonton soup was full of fresh ingredients. Potstickers were largest I've ever had, and must have been made on site. Salt and pepper chicken was moist and seasoned to perfection. Mongolian beef was cooked to order, just the right amount of spice, best ever! Honey walnut prawns had a delicate crust and light glaze. The staff were all courteous, friendly and professional. How I spent most my life in the Bay Area and had not eaten here until tonight is beyond me. Best kept secret in the East Bay! Will definitely be back. read more

Our fave Chinese restaurant hands down! I'm very picky when it comes to Chinese food and will make the 20 min drive which is out of my way just to get it! Food and service is top quality! read more

The sizzling rice soup is excellent! mushu pork is amazing! service is great! will come back again!

Husband, baby and myself came here to have a late lunch on Saturday. The place was pretty empty and got sat right away. We both got the lunch special which came with a choice of soup, and an egg roll. All was delicious. We ordered the broccoli beef and Mongolian beef. Again both delicious. Broccoli beef had a lot of garlic in the sauce, but I'm down with lots of garlic . The portions were the perfect size, so we left perfectly satisfied. Service was quick and friendly. Environment was clean and comfortable. We will be back! read more

I like to thank sunflower restaurants for accommodation tonight myself and a friend who we just met we order combo chow main. BBQ ribs and potstikers. Food was great service for excellent. We got treated like millionaires even my new friend was a local homeles.. I will never forget this day..so a like to thank all your what you did I will keep sponsor. Your business.. read more

Great food! I haven't sat inside for dinner, we usually just order for pick up. But the food is really good and fresh.

Before ordering I called to ask a TON of questions about their food to find out which dishes are vegan. The staff member was very helpful and friendly! My go to is the tofu and vegetables. So nice to have a good local Chinese food option for take out. read more

Delicious and consistently good. Every time I have eaten at or ordered from Sun Flower Garden it has been great. Good Size portions, great food and service, just a really good Restaurant. We always order their house Fried Rice, Mongolian Beef, and Szechuan Beef. read more

This is my favorite Chinese food place ever!! I went there yesterday for take out and I am so happy I did! The orange flavored beef is soooo bomb!! The chicken and string beans are so yummy and fresh!! The beef chow fun is on point with tons of food!! The cream cheese wontons are delicious!!! The people are genuinely nice and upbeat! I will never go to another Chinese food place again because this place has what I need!! Nom nom nom!!! read more

The staff are so sweet and polite, food comes out quickly and super yummy! Highly recommend the cashew chicken and the egg flower soup!

Sunflower garden is the best Chinese food around, and that's coming from someone who isn't the biggest Chinese food lover! Their dumplings are hand made and you can taste the love in every bite! Their chow fun is fire and so is the honey walnut prawns - can't go wrong with anything in the menu! The staff is also A1! Don't sleep on this place!! read more

Delicious and never disappointed. Even my kids eat it! My favorite is the honey walnut prawns. But I've never ordered anything I didn't like! I'm picky about texture too. read more

I've been a quest to find good ol Chinese food. The authentic, fresh, flavorful Chinese food I remember having in the Bay Area in my youth. I don't know where those places have gone. I've worked my way through more than a few since settling in this area, with unfortunate results. Then we stumbled on Sunflower. I love a good egg foo young so I got there version with a mix of proteins. It's was tasty, maybe fresh, but definitely, well, good. We got the other staples of Chinese food, hot n sour soup, sweet n' sour pork, fried rice. They were all fine, really close to good, but definitely the best we've had in the area. Willing to go back to try some of their specials. This really should be a 3.5 stars. read more

Fresh ingredients, great staff. Willing to customize to meet needs. One of our faves!

Reading the other Sunflower Garden review, let me say that I never, ever order beef in a Chinese restaurant. Never. That said, I love Sunflower Garden. Best Chinese in downtown Martinez. Everything I've ordered has been copasetic, some things are better than others, but nothing has been inedible. Because I don't order beef from Chinese restaurants. read more

True story, best Chinese food in the bay area. Family run with stellar customer service. Great full bar and awesome booths. Perfect location with plenty of parking. MTZ lucky to have this wok. OMW The End read more

Best Chinese food you will ever taste it has the best service and the best environment in the whole wide world

Each of the food within each of the categories is worth ordering. Everything we have order has been excellent. So we keep trying new things listed on their menu. Our take out is still warm after a 10 min drive home. read more

This place is the BEST! Food is always fresh and they have the best egg rolls and hot n sour soup. I have nothing bad to say about Sunflower Garden. If you want good chinese this place is the spot! They also have a full bar. read more

Sunflower Garden might possibly be the best restaurant in town. The family that owns the restaurant are great people; they are always friendly and kind. The food is just as excellent as the service they provide. I often order the sweet and sour pork, but also have ordered many of the other dishes, all of which have been very tasty. read more