Susie's Rise & Dine — Restaurant in Toronto

Warm vibes, cool design, but not without flaws.

Susie’s Rise & Dine is one of the most talked-about new diners right now — and there’s a lot to like. Warm, welcoming service and a visually striking interior that clearly nods to classic diner nostalgia, but with a cleaner, more curated twist. The space, designed by North Office Architects, absolutely nails the aesthetic — it looks fantastic.

That said, a few issues made the experience feel rough around the edges.

Right off the bat, our side plate came out greasy, and the replacement still had leftover food on it — a surprising miss for such a buzzy spot.

FOOD:

$15 MAPO FRITO PIE Dry-aged beef chili, Pixian chili bean, sansho pepper, Frito corn chips. Bold flavors, heavy on salt. Using dry-aged beef in this and the chopped cheese feels unnecessary — it gets completely masked under sauces and toppings.

$15 GENERAL TSO’S BUFFALO WINGS Half dozen crispy wings, tangy General Tso’s glaze, chili. Super crispy even when sauced, which is impressive. The glaze is tangy but lacks the heat or complexity you’d expect from a General Tso-inspired dish.

$12 TOKYO CAESAR SALAD Miso sesame citrus dressing, furikake, parmesan. A solid, well-balanced salad. The furikake adds a savory depth that works nicely with the citrus.

$15 PANCAKES Two-stack, lemon zest, burnt honey maple syrup. The standout dish of the meal. Pancakes have a crisp, shallow-fried crust that gives them real texture, and the burnt honey maple syrup with lemon zest lifts everything.

TUNA MELT Japanese tartar sauce, pickled celery, sour cream & onion kettle chips, American cheese, griddled rye. Fun textures, especially with the chips. That said, unclear what makes the tartar “Japanese” — maybe just a Kewpie swap. Still, it’s a solid spin on a diner classic.

BODEGA CHOPPED CHEESE Dry-aged beef, fire-roasted pepper relish, toasted hero. Disappointing. The dry-aged beef adds little, and the sandwich feels over-sauced and unmemorable.

Coffee & Atmosphere:

Only coffee option seems to be a French press, which feels like a miss for a diner where you’d expect a steady drip or bottomless cup.

Acoustically, the space is very loud — hard surfaces everywhere (tile, metal, etc.), so it’s difficult to hear people even at your own table. Could be a design oversight, especially for a restaurant crafted by an architecture firm. Adds to the diner “buzz,” sure, but it gets in the way of actual conversation.

Bathrooms are spotless and well-lit, which is always worth mentioning.

Final Thoughts:

Susie’s is full of promise — some clever dishes, friendly staff, and a killer design — but a few execution and experience issues hold it back. Still, it’s a fun visit if you’re nearby and curious. Just don’t expect to linger over deep conversation or be wowed...

I’ve been wanting to check out Susie’s Rise & Dine ever since I saw their pancakes on social media. My boyfriend and I got there about 15mins before they opened and they already had a line. It was noted that the tables that are available are primarily saved for those who made a reservation, so we were seated at the bar.

We did end up going on Mother’s Day, which is maybe why it was really busy and the reservations were booked up. I’m just happy we were able to get seated almost right away.

Service was really friendly! It was great to hear the back story of how Susie’s Rose & Dine got established.

We ended up ordering:

Pancakes with a side of their berry compote - I think this dish was probably my favourite. I do love pancakes and these were definitely top notch. Adding the berry compote is a must.

Pigs in a blanket - really enjoyed these! I think the star of the show was the miso yuzu cool ranch dip. That dip was stellar, really made the dish come together. I’d definitely want a side of that with the hash browns.

Crispy chicken sandwich - the chicken itself was really tender and crispy. The coleslaw was also a really nice addition to the sandwich, all the flavours worked well together.

Hash browns - These were really good! Just came out a little late. I would have like to enjoy these with the pigs in the blanket, but it ended up coming out a little before the banana pudding when we were done our meals.

Banana pudding - so everyone knows that Toronto has a banana pudding competition going on. This banana pudding has now become my #1. The speculoos chocolate crumble is such a nice addition. I think it’s very light and not too sweet compared to the other banana puddings I’ve tried. There’s also a good amount of sliced bananas in there. This is a must try if you’re dining here.

There’s definitely other dishes I’m wanting to try, so I’m going to be back soon enough. It’s such a great addition to the neighbourhood. Add this place to your must try’s for the summer! They will be opening a patio in the back soon, which is great because it allows for more seating. 10/10...

the menu is small but everything on it was something i wanted to order so in reality the menu was huge if you really think about it ! we sat on the back patio and it was SOOOO beautiful and relaxing and cool under the shade of the leaves, and the music playing in the background also added to the ambiance. all the staff was also super friendly and warm, but i will say the dishes are quite expensive for the small portion.

we tried a bunch of stuff, and i think the most notable for me were the milkshake (which was thick and had a nostalgic ovaltine taste), the big trouble breakfast sandwich, the pancakes, and the banana pudding.

the big trouble breakfast sandwich had such a soft, pillowy bun with an aromatic scallion. sandwiched between was a crispy hashbrown, thick and fluffy and warm scrambled eggs, creamy and salty cheese, and a light-tasting slice of sausage that was glazed with a salty, umami sauce. the sandwich did have quite a light taste, so i think it could’ve used a bit more of that sauce to make it stand out more.

the pancakes were soooo fresh and warm and had an AMAZING texture — the outside was crispy, and the interior was so fluffy and moist. there was a strong citrusy lemon taste, as well as a hint of butteriness from the melted slice on top. the syrup however was light, not too sweet, and not very prominent.

make sure you get the banana pudding as well !!! the biscoff crumble was SUCH A GREAT ADDITION — it was crunchy and its earthiness balanced out the sweetness of the creamy banana pudding so harmoniously.

other things we got: hashbrowns - super crispy and hot and fresh, with a surprisingly light and creamy potato filling. needed more salt though , no taste otherwise ! fillet-o-shrimp - distinct, sharp, tangy pickle flavour, a refreshing and saucy bed of slaw, and a crispy fried shrimp patty (although shrimp didn’t have a strong flavour) apple hand pie - super warm, flaky, and crispy, with a generous, tart apple filling. wish it was sweeter, especially the vanilla creme (subtle, light, and milky, but...