Grilled Cheese and Perfect Burgers at Lunch Box in Sebastopol

Burger pop-up becomes a full service restaurant.


The recent, much-anticipated opening of Sebastopol’s new burger and hoagie cafe went so well the restaurant had to close briefly during its first week to catch up with demand.

Lunch Box officially opened Thursday, Oct. 20, with classic burgers, fries, grilled cheese melts and hoagies. We grabbed a quick bite on opening day.

The Burger Harn ($18), with cheddar, “fancy sauce,” onion butter, red onion and shredded iceberg, gets our nod for the ultimate bun-and-meat combination. (We like our burgers with all the fixings, a squishy bun, shredded lettuce and plenty of juicy goodness.)

Meatball sub from Lunch Box in Sebastopol. (Lunch Box)
Meatball sub from Lunch Box in Sebastopol. (Lunch Box)

Kimchee Grilled Cheese ($16) is a proper bit of sandwichery, with melted Highway 1 Fontina, jack and cheddar cheese and toppings of homemade kimchee and garlic-chile aioli on two slices of Red Bird sourdough Pullman loaf.

As the weather cools, a thick tomato soup is a perfect side dish. Stay tuned for more tastiness as the menu continues to roll out.

128 N. Main St., Sebastopol, lunchboxsonomacounty.com

More openings and closings

After being closed for nearly three months, Healdsburg’s favorite hot dog and sausage cafe, The Wurst, has reopened. Water damage closed the restaurant in late summer, but now the space has dried out, been spiffed up and is ready to welcome diners again. 22 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707-395-0214, thewurst.com

Meanwhile, the William Tell House in Tomales has closed for the winter. Its owners decided to let staff take a break and recharge after a busy summer season.

“We based our decision on many factors, most important of which is to give our staff a much-needed break during the holiday season,” read a statement about the temporary closure on the restaurant’s Instagram page.