After seeing a commercial on TV, John announced we should go to the Sizzler down in Colma for our weekly date night. The Sizzler is located in your standard low-budget strip mall with a super sized Target. A few months back at this very same location we saw a morbidly obese woman making her way from her car to Sizzler almost tip over. It was one of those moments you can't believe you just witnessed with your own eyes. I knew we were up for an adventure, but I was excited too as I have very fond memories of Sizzler from my childhood. To me (although I knew it wasn't true) Sizzler is a good restaurant and perfect for kids with the all-you-can-eat salad bar, self-service ice cream and endless fried shrimp. Plus I went to a Sizzler with my brother in Bangkok, Thailand and it was a four-star dining establishment with waiters, white table clothes and actual menus. Sadly, this may only exist in Asia because the Sizzler in Colma was a sad excuse for a cafeteria.
From the moment we walked in we knew Sizzler had seen better days, even though the place was full of young families. I don't know when the change happened but you now make your selection from an oversized wall menu and order at a walk-up cashier like McDonalds. It really cheapens up the place. We ordered fried shrimp and salad bar for me, and steak and shrimp with the salad bar added on for John. The salad bar advertises "hot appetizers" as well but they are really just dried out chicken wings and fried foods, some too overcooked to identify. The salad bar had deteriorated over the years too. The chopped up ham I remember so fondly was no longer available and the pre-mixed salads merely globs of mayo with random vegetables. Not five minutes after ordering, our food arrived. Clearly everything is pre-made cafeteria style and tasted that way too. Before we left John already had indigestion from his steak and shrimp. I made a point to hit the best part of the place, the self-service ice cream bar. Although all the toppings were gone, the ice cream machine was still going strong. As I enjoyed my extra large bowl of ice cream I knew this was the last time I'd step foot in a Sizzler. Over the years, the place has just gone down hill, it doesn't even have that random fun vibe that makes places like Denny's still entertaining.
Funny thing is a few days later John saw a commercial for Red Lobster and admitted he got confused. He meant Red Lobster and not Sizzler.
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