Sugar n' Spice Diner

The Sugar n' Spice Diner is an amazingly clean and cheerful place to enter. We had to wait a while on this Sunday afternoon because they were pretty busy and we needed a table to fit 6 plus a high chair. The dining room has happy and bright pastel colors and the furnishings are in good repair. There are two seating areas: in the front it looks more like a classic diner, and in the back or side dining area, there is a fanciful mural on the ceiling and there is a little more space.

Back or side room dining area at the Sugar n' Spice Diner, Cincinnati, OH

I ordered the Reuben and was a little disappointed that it didn’t come with any side items, although fries could be added for $2.50. Even though the menu description indicated that there were pickles included, none of us received them.

They offer four different meat options for the Reuben, but our party solidly stood behind the traditional corned beef and only tried out that variety.

The first thing I noticed about the bread is that while it is supposed to be grilled, it really tasted more like it was toasted, and then the ingredients put inside the toasted bread, rather than all grilled together. Perhaps they did grill it, but it didn’t taste the way I would expect for being grilled.

Eating Reubens together at the Sugar n' Spice Diner, Cincinnati, OH

Our party did order five Reubens, so I seemed to get the "short" end of the bread, with pieces that looked like quite near the end of the loaf where they started to angle quite a bit and diminish in size. So I actually took the photo of someone else’s plate, since mine looked so sad.

The Reuben overall had a much “spicier” flavor than you typically encounter on a Reuben. Perhaps it's some seasoning in their house-made corned beef, or something in their “deck” sauce. A couple of us did note that there was something that seemed like grilled green pepper in the sauce, which is highly unusual for a Reuben. Overall, the sauce didn’t seem to measure up to Thousand Island or Russian dressing, and had overall a flavor that had too much of a mayonnaise flavor.

The sandwich was quite poorly assembled and uneven. It was cut diagonally, and one piece had none of the sauerkraut and sauce on it. The sauerkraut wasn't crisp, but quite soft and smooshy.

The good news is that our server, Joseph F, was quite accommodating and courteous. He was awesome and the restaurant was beautiful. However, Reubens are not really their “thing.” I recommend coming to the Sugar n' Spice, but recommend that you stay away from the Reuben. Actually, I should have known that since they tipped us off quite clearly by labeling their sandwich the "Not So Reuben Reuben." I guess I am pleased that there is truth in advertising. So if you’re looking for a Reuben that’s “Not So Reuben,” then this may be the place for you.