Drive along Venice Boulevard just west of Inglewood Boulevard and it's difficult to miss , with its bright blue sign claiming to serve "fresher, healthier, tastier" food.
Run by a Greek family since opening in 1982, this restaurant does indeed live up to its claims, turning out tasty classics with a healthy spin, and serving them up quickly and at affordable prices.
Sunny Grill sells a variety of sandwiches, burgers and salads as well as Mexican and, of course, Greek food. Popular items include the charbroiled chicken breast sandwich, turkey burger, and beef and lamb gyro. There are also plenty of vegetarian options including three types of garden burgers (including a spicy Santa Fe one), burritos, quesadillas, Greek salad and grilled cheese.
I often come here for the excellent breakfasts. However, this time I opted to stray from my usual order of the breakfast burrito with avocado and ordered the garden burger deluxe.
The vegetarian patty sandwich came with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, jack cheese and Thousand Island dressing on a soft wheat bun. All of the flavors worked well together and this could very well be my new favorite item here. I also ordered the zucchini fries served with a Ranch dipping sauce. These “fries” are truly addictive and a tad healthier than the potato version.
My friend ordered the beef and lamb gyro sandwich, which he said was one of the best he’s ever had. The thick pita bread was very soft and fresh and the meat inside was juicy and flavorful, topped with tomatoes, red onions, parsley and tzatziki (Greek yogurt sauce). He also liked the slight bitterness of the parsley, which added an extra layer of flavor.
My daughter enjoyed her usual order: a breakfast muffin sandwich (two scrambled eggs with cheese on an English muffin) and French fries. The sandwich tasted homemade and a million times better than a generic fast-food version. She also liked the thin and crispy fries. I let her indulge in a strawberry shake, but she would probably skip it next time since it was a bit on the sweet side.
Kids meal combos include a junior-sized burger, grilled cheese, hot dog, corn dog or chicken fingers with fries, a drink and a lollipop.
We sat outside on the back patio and waited only a few minutes for our food to arrive. There is a drive-thru, but since each item is made fresh you’ll have to wait a bit and turn off your engine. The wait is totally worth it, but you might as well park, take a seat inside, or on the patio and relax while your food is being made.
, 12035 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066, 310-390-8989
Hours: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
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