The Caprese Sandwich: local mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil pesto.ated red peppers add sweetness; balsamic vinegar adds tang.

In the fast casual restaurant space, convenience and consistency is often the goal more than transcendent eating experiences. But places that can do all three can shine.

Case in point: Mendocino Farms, an L.A.-based chain that has opened two locations in Carmel Valley and La Jolla. It calls itself a Sandwich Market, and it’s a fast casual restaurant specializing in locally sourced ingredients.

The Rescued Veggie Burger has lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and a 1000 island dressing made with beets.

Decorated in a farm theme fitting its name, the Del Mar location also has natural plants and a couple of cow statues (one on top of the restaurant). There are cornhole games and foosball on the patio.

The place is both kid and cow-friendly.

I heard about the place from my wife, who says the place she works at caters from it two to three times a week. “No one has gotten bored by it yet after nine months,” she said.

The interior strives for an indoor-outdoor feel.

My wife is vegetarian so I want to comment on Mendocino Farm’s newest offering: A Rescued Vegetable Burger ($11.95) made from the remnants of juiced vegetables. This is stuff typically thrown away that has been turned into a hamburger patty of sorts.

The Save Drake Farm's Salad has roasted chicken, beets, goat cheese, green apples, cranberries, almonds, red onions and greens topped with a citrus vinaigrette.

It sounded, frankly, not appealing — which meant I had to try it. It was better than the one at Cafe Gratitude. Part of it was because the other ingredients were first-rate: A soft brioche bun, thick pickles and tomato slices, red onions, crunchy lettuce and a beet-flavored 1000 island dressing.

The Peruvian Steak Sandwich seems more like a Mexican torta.

This vegan burger doesn’t try to imitate meat.

The Caprese Sandwich ($8.95) is another vegetarian option: local mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil pesto. Marinated red peppers add sweetness; balsamic vinegar adds tang.

Mendocino Farms isn’t just for vegans: The Peruvian Steak Sandwich ($11.25) seems more like a carne asada torta from Mexico. I’m not sure what the Peruvian connection was, since it uses Oaxacan cheese.

We enjoyed the Save Drake Farm’s Salad ($12.45), which contains roasted chicken, goat cheese, beets that seemed more like watermelon, along with green apples, dried cranberries and onions served over greens and topped with a tangy citrus vinaigrette.

As you can see, Mendocino Farms’ prices are in the $10-plus range for most of the entrees and this is without sides. I feel the quality is worth it, but it’s not a $5 footlong at Subway.

The sides they do have are exceptional, especially the Curried Couscous and the Sriracha Potato Salad ($4.50 each). Both come on smooth with a pleasant blast of heat on the back end.

Rather than going with Coke or Pepsi-brand sodas, the drinks are craft sodas from a brand called Puck’s. The black cherry was the best, the cola was the worst, but we enjoyed trying all the styles.

One thing that is bizarre about Mendocino Farms is the ordering process: The entrance has a menu at the front and two kiosks which are manned by people who answer your questions. Ian Anderson said in his review of the La Jolla location that it “feels like you’re being solicited by a petition-gatherer in front of a grocery store.”

Then you have to go to someone else to get your drinks and pay.

It was OK when we were there, but seems like it could be annoying if there’s a line and you’re behind someone indecisive.