Deb Malewski
Contributing Writer
The sun is definitely out, so that means the buns are out, too! You can find Suns Out Buns Out, a new burger business for Charlotte, inside the clubhouse at Maple Brook Golf Club at 681 Lansing Street. But you don’t have to play golf to enjoy a great burger-the public is welcome to drop in and enjoy a gourmet burger or a hotdog and hand-cut fries anytime.
“It’s a good marriage of businesses,” said Moe Jackson, one of the owners of the establishment. “We now have the best burgers and fries in Charlotte, along with the best view!” Jim Cicorelli is the Managing Owner/Partner at Maple Brook, and Chris Mann is the club manager.
Derek Sandmire and his wife, Sara, are the owners of Buns Out Suns Out. They met when they were both students at Olivet College. It’s been a lifelong dream to start their own business, which they did in December of 2021 with a food truck. They now also have a Suns Out Buns Out Café in Battle Creek, which opened in May of 2022, and have their food truck parked at Eagle Auto in Olivet.
“We tried different attempts at serving our own food,” Jackson said, “but decided that we should stick with what we do best, the golf part of the business. We invited several different food trucks, and everyone really raved about Derek’s food. So, we invited him to move into our kitchen.”
You’ll live deliciously with Suns Out Buns Out. Whether they’re serving you on wheels or on solid ground, you’ll get the same taste for adventure and a commitment to quality from this family business.
Suns Out Buns Out is open every day inside the Maple Brook Golf Club from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. You can stop in for burgers and fries and enjoy a cold drink from the full-service bar. You can dine inside or step out onto the deck to enjoy your food and the view.
“You can’t get what we serve anywhere else,” Sandmire said.
Just a glance at the menu will make you crave a burger.
If you’re not feeling too adventurous, there’s always the “Lame-O” burger. It’s a basic hamburger, but even as a basic burger it has the “good” lettuce, Sandmire explained, along with red onions, a thick slice of beefsteak tomato, and their own “Sunny Sauce.”
The Georgia Peach burger is one of their most unique and most popular burgers. It has caramelized peaches, bacon, red onions, Brie, arugula, and cherry jam.
The Freshie has Brie cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and garlic aioli. If you’re a fan of olive burgers, you must try their Olive Lucy burger.
They offer a choice of steak burger or veggie for their burgers and serve them on a very buttery bun, like a big Brioche bun, which is toasted and buttered, Sandmire said. “We probably tried 30 different buns until we hit upon this particular one,” he explained.
Many say it’s the fries that they love. They are made with Kennebec potatoes that are grown specifically for French fries. They twice-fry the fries and finish them off with a sprinkle of sea salt. They can also be ordered “loaded.”
“I haven’t had a bad burger yet,” said Matt Stoken of State Farm Insurance in Charlotte, as he was taking a large order back to his staff. “And I haven’t had a burger that I didn’t get something on my shirt when eating it!” he added with a laugh.
“We do have a napkin scale for each of our burgers,” Sandmire said. “Most of them are 8 to 10 napkins needed per burger.”
Suns Out Buns Out Cafe was just named the winner of the “2022 Best Burger in Battle Creek” by EATS BC and Battle Creek area voters.
For more information about Suns Out Buns Out, you can visit their website at soboburgers.com or their Facebook page by searching for Suns Out Buns Out Café. You can email them at sunsoutbunsoutofmi@gmail.com or call (517)410-9510.
