I love Hot Bunz overall, but my experiences in 2026 have been very hit or miss.
Several years ago, when I was still living in the government housing projects, I read an article about this new restaurant Hot Bunz, who was coming in hot as direct competition to In N Out.
They were being advertised as like, a more "hood" version of In N Out. The food would be saucier, the fries would be stacked higher, and, most importantly, bacon and jalapeños would be available options.
When I saw a location in Elk Grove, I assumed it was the original. I tried it, loved it, tried it again, and loved it again.
This pattern went on for a while. Overall, my experiences have been mostly positive. Overall, I like Hot Bunz better than the competition. They are a little pricier, but it's *usually* worth it.
Recently, I noticed this location on Sunrise, found out that it was in fact the *original* location, and decided to give it a try.
The burger was good. I would never want to discourage anyone from trying this small business. I mostly want to hype them up.
But I also want to be honest that if either of my last two experiences with Hot Bunz had been my first, they would have also been my last.
A few weeks ago, I had a less than stellar experience at the Elk Grove location. My food was good, but did not nearly live up to the brand expectations.
I thought, surely this was just a fluke incidence. Surely the OG location will be even better.
Upon entering the Sunrise location, I was immediately impressed with the artwork on the walls. The murals themselves are like a slap in the face to all the major competitors.
I loved that there was no line. I had actually been on my way to my favorite In N Out location, but came here instead due to an obscene line.
Someone from the back yelled out, "I'll be right with you!" I could hear him washing dishes for a few minutes before he came out.
It felt clear that I had arrived during a break in the storm, and he was trying to catch up.
I asked him what came on the OG, and either he was extremely stoned, or he has a speech impediment that is so severe that maybe he shouldn't be working the front counter (but what I'm saying is: he was high AF).
Look, it's no secret that virtually all restauranteurs are high virtually all the time. I'm not trying to be a Karen, I'm just saying that literally the only two words I could make out were "patties" and "grilled onions."
I said, "let me just try that."
"No fries or drink?"
"No, just the burger."
"Nine seventy. HEY! IT'S JUST AN OG!" He began yelling to the back before turning his body, resulting in him yelling in my face.
Of course, I would never expect the burger I receive to look exactly like the burger in the picture-- but this didn't even look like the same burger that was being advertised on the promotional signage.
The burger in the promo was stacked high with some kind of slaw, pickles, and sauce. My actual burger had barely any toppings.
As someone who worked at McDonald's for a few years as a teenager, I felt that this burger had exactly the same amount of rizz as regular cheeseburger from Ronald.
I came here for an "extra" burger, but (as evidenced by the picture I uploaded) received a burger that could have come from any public country club kitchen. And, while these onions may have graced the grill, the onions I received are not what most people would refer to as "grilled onions."
I'm not sure if Hot Bunz is going downhill, or if I just had two fluke bad experiences in a row. read more