Susie’s Diner

We were in the area visiting our daughter and her family that were staying there for the weekend. When we headed back to the Bay Area, we wanted to find somewhere to eat that served something more that burgers. We just about missed the place because Susie’s Diner sits off Hwy 4, but we found it. It was Friday evening and we were the only guest (3 adults, 2 toddlers and an infant). Our waitress was Leslie and she was great. She greeted us, walked us through the back dining area to the main dining room and as she handed us menus told us that she would be right back with what they were out of!
My wife and daughter both had the french dip which they enjoyed, I had the chicken taco salad which while wasn’t huge had great flavor. Our grandson had a ¼ pound cheese burger and he ate the whole thing. Our granddaughter ordered the mac and cheese, and it was definitely NOT Kraft Mac and Cheese! Since it wasn’t she didn’t hardly even try it, but my wife did and said it was great (and she generally does not like mac and cheese). We did bring it home, the granddaughter won’t eat it, but someone will definitely enjoy it!
We will stop by again if we are in the area.
Yes, service was a might slow, but everything was prepared to order and enjoyable.

I’ve been eating semi-​regularly at Susie’s since the place opened, and have always had good basic food and friendly service. Even after moving away from the immediate area, when I come back to Arnold this is my first choice for breakfast or lunch.
This place has no pretensions, it is a diner. But the food is cooked fresh, they do an especially good job with breakfasts and lunches, and the family that runs it works hard to make customers enjoy their visits.
I normally east one of the standard breakfasts, and they are always cooked and served properly. The sandwich menu meets my needs, (Today I had a BLT, cooked and served just as I requested.)
It is a family run operation, and the only problems I have ever observed is when they get very busy at peak tourists season, the place fills up and it takes a little longer, which is to be expected.
I suspect the perceived problems some other reviewers mention come from what I would call a Bay Area Expectation arriving in a Mountain Town. The pace is a bit slower here, and the food a bit plainer. It also does not cost an arm and a leg.
I like it.

My family and I have eaten here quite a few times because they will serve breakfast until a little later. Every time we have eaten here the food has been good and the service has been prompt!

This place was great — friendly service — fried chicken was super yummy! the berry pie also was off the chart! We will definitely be back :)

Best breakfast in town for sure. Great locals feel with great locals enjoying great food.
Did I mention this place is great?

We stopped by here on our way up to go boarding and decided to give it a try from a friends recommendation.
I’m a little confused about the bad reviews of this place, but it is easy to miss if your not really looking for it since it sits a little back from the highway, but that’s the only negative thing I would say but then again it wasn’t enough to affect this review.
I would say the service was about normal as any place and if not better than your typical Denny’s/iHop. There were only 2 waitresses and our drinks were always topped off before we could finish them and checked on regularly so service was definitely a 4 – 5 stars.
I ordered the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict and had a biscuit on the side and I was really impressed with the quality of taste of the food and it reminded me of some good ol home cooked meals.
I would definitely come back here to try a plate of something else.

Love this spot. Came in with 2 small kids, one waitress on duty, but she can handle business. Food was good! Big portion sizes. Although full, I was seated within 5 minutes, food came quickly too. My kids are picky, even with a standard breakfast, but they cleaned their plates. Looking forward to coming back

This is a neat local establishment. We went during Thanksgiving week on our way to Big Trees State Park. We ordered burgers and breakfast. It had a steady stream of customers as we were eating. Our waitress wasn’t super talkative but was friendly. She brought us our food and gave my kids a couple of extra mozzarella sticks which my kids loved. The kids wanted hot chocolate and was excited when they received their mugs. There was a fire going and I felt that it gave a cozy, small town feel. A friend of ours recommended this place and we’re glad we found it and came!

We had the sampler appetizer, which was huge. The chicken fingers and onion rings were fantastic. The mozzarella sticks, zucchini sticks, and tacos were also very good. Our waitress was incredibly nice. It seemed like a whole in the wall from outside. We weren’t expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. Definitely recommend.

Foods good for a diner, service is slow. The indoor flies are beyond ridiculous. Place defiantly needs a facelift and some vacuuming and dusting.

I am from out of town for work and was craving some breakfast. It’s a nice little diner with all typical small town diner décor. I ordered the Sausage Jack with country potatoes. The food was not spiced and I typically never salt and pepper my food but after a few bites proceeded to spice it up. All in all it was an ok breakfast. I asked for a side of salsa, which was good, but very garlicky. I love garlic.

Can’t really understand all the bad reviews here, so here’s mine. :)
We got a tip from a local to eat here and I am glad we did! At first, we were a bit hesitant since the place looked a bit run down. But we decided to try it anyway.
We sat outside in the shade and got to order quite quickly from a smiling and nice waitress. I asked for lemonade but she said they were out, so I ordered water instead. When she came back with everyone’s drink, she put the biggest glass of lemonade I’ve seen in front of me. «We had some», she said smiling. And ayayay, sooo god! Far the best lemonade I had on a 3 week road trip through California.
Well then, the food. We were 5 of us and we all ordered different things and they arrived after a little while. I had the Jalapeño Burger with fries. Totally amazing. Juicy patty, fresh vegetables, crispy fries. Everything was delicious and so thought everyone else as well.
This was a lunch to remember! Delicious food, friendly staff, tables outside. Just perfect.
Recommend!

I’m not sure what the below reviews are about but after walking out of another diner nearby we were treated to excellent service and a great Belgium waffle!

I really have nothing good to say about Susie’s diner, I would give them less than one star. We walked in and instead of the waitress coming over to our table with menu’s, she handed them off
to my husband as we walked to a table. 15 minutes later we were offered something to drink. It took about 45 minutes from start to finish to get our food.
I’m talking sandwiches, not one of their dinner plates. Apparently there are a lot of problems with people’s orders, because the servers apologized to each
and every table (3) over and over including ours. I odered a well I done hamburger, blood was driping from it. It was replaced, no seasoning, bun was right out of
the package, cold and dry, greasy greasy french fries. Needless to say we didn’t eat much. The place was pretty empty, now I know why. I walked to the register to pay, didn’t want to be there any
longer than we had to. l gave the young lady my credit card, she handed it back with the receipt to sign, not my card or the right tag to sign. lf every thing is this
messed up on a slow dinner service night, what happens when they do get busy. We will never never go back to Susie’s.

Wow, what an amazing breakfast experience we had at this restaurant, one that I’m sure will burn indelibly in our brains. I knew we were in for a special treat as we climbed the two duct-​taped stairs and entered the main dining room. I wasn’t sure what hit me first: the faint body odor fragrance of the clientele, the fine décor, or the mammoth TV screen broadcasting Fox News. Yes, the washed-​out screen was in clear view of all patrons so they could enjoy fine journalism at its best. What a bonus! I almost forgot to ask for seconds of their crappy coffee, for the waitress sure wasn’t going to offer any, she was too busy serenading the restaurant with her door slamming to the outside. I’m sorry, did I say crappy coffee? I meant burning hot coffee that scolded my lip and lap on first sip — an excellent way to wake up! I’m sure I’ll be back soon should I need another bout of home-​spun torture served with a bill at the end (the only thing that came quickly here).

The food was excellent, great menu and well priced. Very cozy restaurant with a fireplace. I tried their eggs Benedict and it was amazing.
Went with 3 friends and we all enjoyed the food and environment.

I compare the breakfast food to be like eating at your house or a friend’s house who isn’t a chef. Their food was pretty basic and tasted average. Nothing that would lure me back. The place is pretty run down and service was so-​so. The staff was somewhat friendly but didn’t seem happy to be there.

If you want good ol’ American grub that will excite your tastes buds and clog your arteries. .. then you may want to hunt down Susie’s Diner. But be warned, it’s hard to find.
Because of its location, it can almost be Locals Only. You cannot see it from Highway 4. So here are directions: From Angels Camp driving toward Lake Alpine, watch for Eldorado Savings Bank on the left, then turn left at the next street (Oak Circle). When you get to the strip mall on the left, turn left there. Susie’s Diner is in a small orange building on the other side of the mall.
The food is pretty good. The hunny had a roast beef sandwich, I had the club sandwich. We both liked ours, and the fries were also better than normal (I’ve had few fries that I like, and this is one of the few). Pictures from several generations ago (including Ricky Nelson, «teen idol of the century» — I kid you not).
Service is just what you would expect in a small town. Waitresses know the locals and the regulars. Along with the cute girl, we had a strappin’ young man and a 4’10″ grandma either asking how we were or helping with the order. Closed early because they were short-​staffed. Not very professional, but they were trying to be friendly and put you at ease, and they succeeded at that.
I don’t know how Susie’s Diner compares to Giant Burger, any comments?
Worth a stop in, if you’re there at the right time.

This place is horrible. The food was poor, the help was even worse, and overall the atmosphere feels like a rundown shanty in the woods. There are other fantastic places in Arnold that we highly recommend you try. Bristol’s café for one is a great place to have dinner, lunch, or breakfast with your family and friends.
I would even recommend the deli in the Chevron station before eating at Suzies Diner.

We are not from Arnold, only passing through, but decided to get breakfast early one Sunday morning. When we arrived they were clearly open and busy– lots of tables full with patrons. We asked if we could be seated. The hostes quickly looked at us and said, «we’re very busy right now it’s going to be a long wait.»
I said to the family «okay let’s wait.» We were hungry and in no rush. They said sure dad, let’s wait. I asked the host how long do you think it’ll be? She said, «I don’t know, 5 to 10 minutes.» But it wasn’t the fact that she said 5 to 10 minutes, it was the attitude and demeanor that came along with it. She had an ugly look on her face, and in fact, I felt that feeling I get when someone’s being racist.
It was obvious to me, my wife, and even my 10-​year-​old daughter that they had no interest in serving us. We then looked at the hours of operation on the door it clearly stated that they were open till 7 PM. Mind you, this is only 1 PM in the afternoon. So we waited there for a few minutes as they walked around and helped other patrons and sat other guests. And then, another waitress came by and said «hey this is going to be a very long wait.»
Well at this point, we knew they just had no desire to serve us. So we drove down the road to Bristol’s café and had a wonderful breakfast.
I highly recommend Bristol’s — they are fantastic.