Frequently Asked Questions
Dharma Buns Sandwich Co. is a new gourmet sandwich shop in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. We make just about everything on our menu from scratch; grinding our own beef for burgers, cutting our own Belgian fries, even making our own soup stocks. We offer counter service, pick-up orders and we do deliveries. We're also open late night and offer homemade milkshakes, a wide selection of energy and health drinks, rare caffeinated candies, about 60 different varieties of bottled beer as well as some wines, plus an excellent selection of magazines, books and T-shirts.
Absolutely not! Because we make everything ourselves we actually have a relatively low overhead, and we pass those savings on to our customers. Our most expensive sandwich, the steak (which we make using a real cut of rib eye, not cheap shavings) is only $8.95. You could get a complete meal for just under $15. Sure, we might cost a little more than some fast food franchise, but the difference is in the quality.
Yes! At Dharma Buns we actually make our own veggie burgers, experimenting with all kinds of different recipes from black bean to falafel. These aren't those frozen cardboard patties you'd find in the supermarket. They're tasty, healthy burgers even meat-eaters would approve of. We also offer several different salad options, all of which we prepare ourselves. However, we are not a vegan restaurant and currently we make no claim that any of our menu items are 100% animal product or byproduct-free. Then again, we are always on the hunt for great recipes, vegan included! Got one? Let us know!
Currently we do not have any plans to install beer taps at our counter. Despite carrying about 60 different beers ranging from Pale Lagers to premium Belgian Ales, we do not consider ourselves to be a bar or pub. The reason we carry so many is simply because we love great, premium beers, we also love variety and carrying stuff no one else around has, and we honestly think they go great with our handcrafted sandwiches.
Awesome! You should let us know about that right away through our contact page. Thanks for the tip!
The name "Dharma Buns" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the novella The Dharma Bums, Lowell-native Jack Kerouac's sequel to the landmark beat novel On the Road. We're great admirers of Kerouac and beat culture (really all kinds of subculture). Also Kerouac Park is only blocks away from our location. By the way, "Dharma" is a term associated with several Eastern philosophies which translates as, "the one true way."
No, Dharma Buns is a new, independent restaurant with its first and currently only location in Lowell, Massachusetts. It's managed by the same team of Creative Buffets, a small family-operated catering company that has been serving the Merrimack Valley for the past 25 years. John Capriole is the sole owner and general manager of both businesses.
While we are big fans of Lost, our logo is actually a modified version of the Ba gua ("the eight symbols"), an ancient icon related to the I Ching and Feng Shui, as well as Dharma itself. Our particular modification of the Ba gua is our own trademark, not a direct copy of any of the Dharma Initiative's on Lost. Besides this, any pop culture references we happen to make are purely out of homage and are not meant to be malicious or plagiary.
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