Sunrise Restaurant & Grill

I was looking for Gordon Ramsay’s cameras to come popping in any moment, because the food was just that bad. But unfortunately no, this was no episode of Kitchen Nightmares, it was just my dining companions and I in a restaurant all amongst our lonely selves. This was the kind of southern food I was hoping to avoid in New York, but was presented in the very same subpar quality that I’ve become all too familiar with.
Initially the defunct Argentine Floresta (
), Sunrise is by all means a great concept just executed poorly in a hood that could use something that isn’t Latin or Asian. Chicken and waffles along Greenpoint Ave? Southern style ribs in Sunnyside? You get the idea. Given the lack of competition, this place was to either going to blow up or go down trying.
The restaurant was lovely for its bright and open space. Plenty of tables for a restaurant that would’ve dominated with brunch had they gotten their act together. A modern bar area, clean bathrooms, and high ceilings. With prices being solid as well, this place looked as if it had lots of potential. But every time I strolled by, the place was depressingly empty. I wanted to do my part and help them with my patronage so much so that I unknowingly became the Duke.
Service was pleasant, despite being error proned every time. Wrong orders, uncleaned tables, a generally sloppy execution that reflected even more significantly in the food. And my, the food, it was nothing like I imagined it would be. The «Juicy Lucy» was a stuffed burger patty of a duo of cheeses — which was often under-​cooked and unappetizing. For the limited hope that was breakfast, I was pretty underwhelmed by their chicken and waffles, omelettes, and scrambles. The boneless «buffalo wings» seemed like frozen chunks doused in a flurry of sauces. Mac and cheese? Unilocala please. These babies tasted pre-​made and unthawed. Even something like a corn on the cob side seemed stale, unbuttered, and was most likely brought to life by Mic (Mike), the microwave god.
I gave into the recommendation that was baby ribs, which despite its ghastly presentation, was surprisingly decent. Chunks of ribby flesh with a blotchy BBQ sauce paint job, made for some okay food in comparison to the rest of the mediocre variety. That said, I am not about to jump back on this bandwagon anytime soon. I hope things pan out with a new chef or competent wait staff, but given the history of this ugly stretch of Greenpoint, I’m not too optimistic.

Newly open, nice décor, but you can tell it still got some settling in to do.
Food is amazing. A little over priced.
But the waitress was great (since she was the one serving that whole place that night) when we went around 9ish.
Chicken and ribs are wonderful… they could use some help with the fries …

Good wings… friendly atmosphere.
When I saw this place and then got a flyer a few months ago with the menu for Sunrise Restaurant and Grill, I flipped… a Southern restaurant in Sunnyside. Woo hoo!
We had some friends in from Virginia back in August. Went there and they and we thoroughly enjoyed it, but there were some kinks… waitress barely knowing the menu and difficulty understanding the variety of accents at the table (New York, Southern and Puerto Rican).
But food was good… enough to say. I’ll be back.
Last week was our third time having food there (I had some take out wings before that).
The chicken and waffles is what I finally had on the last visit and it was very very good. I LOVED the waffle. I compare this to Cafeteria, the Chelsea eatery that also serves this dish. The waffle was better at Sunrise and I give a slight nod to Cafeteria on the chicken. But overall, Sunrise wins!
I look forward to them getting their liquor license. I can see this being a good hang out joint on a Sunday. Getting good wings, a beer or two, while watching the games.

Not certain how long the sun will rise for this new establishment.
When I first saw the new sign for the restaurant go up, I was extremely excited to see some life added back to what has been a dead street block. After learning that they had a mix bag of menu items, one including chicken and waffles, I immediately made time to eat-​in. My first visit was for a late dinner on their opening weekend. I left disappointed. My second visit was for an early dinner at the end of their first week open. I left knowing I would not return again.
Summary of what I ordered:
Boneless chicken wings (split order of thai chili sauce and jerk sauce): The chicken was so dry and completely drowned-​out in sauce. Celery sticks were added as a side, but I had to ask for blue cheese dip.
Corn on the cob: Two small halves delivered to my table were warm on the outside and cold at the core. They tasted like frozen corn that had been zapped in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Chicken and waffles: Do not be fooled by the presentation of this plate (see attached photo). The waffle was too doughy, served at room temperature and dry. A semi-​moist, but overly salty fried chicken thigh-​leg that was slightly pink in the center. The chicken was not terrible, but the point of a chicken and waffle plate is the ability to have that combination of a sweet and savory bite all at once. The waffle was so unappealing that I ended up only eating the chicken by itself.
Sweet potato fries: Every single fry on my plate was soggy/​limp. Even the ones that looked crispy fell apart the minute I picked it up.
The one dim star is for the friendliness of the staff and cleanliness of the space. Both times I ate-​in, the staff were pleasant and willing to help; however, I did have to ask for my water to be re-​filled and the menu items had not been memorized when the orders were taken. This place had a lot of potential but if you are in the mood for chicken, head two doors down to La Pollera Colorada.

A new BBQ joint opened up on Greenpoint Avenue to bring the neighborhood just a bit more diversity when it comes to comfort food. While the area has stellar rotisserie-​style restaurants including Pio Pio Riko and La Pollera Colorada, Sunrise promises a focus on barbeque-​style preparation. As an empty back bar and a disconnected flat screen TV would suggest, they are still ironing out the kinks since opening last week.
The lunch/​dinner menu offers the full gamut from chicken, ribs to buffalo wings, pork chops, and shrimp. The Chicken and Baby Back Rib Combo, which comes with corn bread and a choice of potato/​fries/​rice/​, can be had for $ 11.99. (All major credit cards are accepted.) I ordered this combo for takeout, and the portion is definitely on the smaller side when compared to the likes of Dallas BBQ. The ¼ chicken left a lot to be desired in terms of texture and size. The baby back ribs were a saving grace as it was tender, chewy, and comes right off the bone. The BBQ sauce pleasantly mild and will not leave you feeling over-​salted or thirsty.
While the first experience was average, there is certainly promise. Once the bar is fully furnished, a sit down dinner would be in order. As Jando S. astutely pointed out, the website still under construction and the menu isn’t accessible yet. Therefore, delivery is probably not an option at this point. Takeout is the way to go. A breakfast menu is also available with a choice selection of waffles, eggs, and pancakes, I’ll stick with the signature items for the time being.