David N.
Yelp
I remember walking by Susie's Rise & Dine months ago and marveling at the crowd standing outside. And indeed, when we returned this afternoon with a reservation, there were a couple of groups in front of us that were told the wait would be quite long.
We were immediately shown to a cozy booth near the back and I began perusing the menu. Our server indicated that the Tuna Melt was a popular choice, so we went with that and The Big Trouble Breakfast Sandwich.
The Tuna Melt ("japanese tartar sauce, malt vinegar pickled celery, sour cream & onion kettle chips, american cheese, served on griddled rye bread") showed up first and it's amazing. All the components work really well together and it's obviously been assembled with a lot of care. It's easily one of the best tuna melts I can remember eating, that's for sure.
The Big Trouble Breakfast Sandwich ("soft scramble, char siu glazed sausage, crispy hash brown patty, cheese, scallion milk bun") arrived next and it's good but not quite as mind-blowing as the tuna melt. The individual components are all well above average but taken as a whole it's a bit disappointing. I got one or two bites of a very tasty sauce; had more of that been present, I think the concoction would've been a whole lot better (I.e. the sandwich is just lacking in flavor).
(I should also note that both sandwiches suffered from the inclusion of American cheese, as it's such a distinct taste that is, for me, mostly a distraction. My dining companion didn't have any issues, so this could just be a me thing.)
The service was great, and the old-school diner ambiance was fun. I'll definitely be returning.