Quick, Foodies and Yelpers of the world, name the restaurant who pionerred the "fast-casual" concept?! If you'd guessed Chipotle or Habit, you'd be "warm" but still miss your mark- It was Sizzler who innovated the fast-casual dining concept...where patrons would queue up, place their orders from colorful, oversized pictorial menu boards, then wait for their pre-paid order to be delivered, tableside. At its commercial peak in the early 1980s, Sizzler stood astride a $1 billion enterprise that canvassed 740 locations across 40 of the 50 United States. My much beloved Aunt, Auntie Jo, who helped raise me (your favorite Yelp correspondent) was an early and rabid lover of the restaurant she affectionately dubbed "Sizzler's." During her golden years in small town Klamath Falls, OR, a trip to Sizzler was a guaranteed and surefire way to clinch her day. Sheeeeeeit, her week! So when I heard that the Sizzler in Downey had recently reopened following an extensive renovation, it became the must-be venue for today's lunch w/ my lifelong best friend, Mick. My pal went for the AYCE salad bar and a huge strawberry lemonade. I wasn't feeling too hip (physically) so I paired the salad bar w/ a takeout Prime Rib Cheeseburger and Fries so I could eat later... While I, reeling from neck spasms, picked at a bowl of (excellent) potato cheddar broccoli soup and a bowl of fresh cut pineapple & honeydew melon, Mick incinerated a quartet of plates plus two bowls worth of buffet fare. Remember Louie Anderson, the cherub-faced, um, rotund comic who usta riff on how he'd personally shut down a trio of AYCE Chinese buffets? Well, what my buddy Mick lacks in Louie's girth, he more than matches the late, great funny man in appetite! I'd accord the spread at Sizzler 3 or 4 stars. While I may not have been overjoyed w/ today's selections, my hesitation to dive in had everything to do w/ my discomfort and nothing to do w/ the offerings. Judging from the expressions on my pal's face plus all of the other midday diners...the buffet must've been serviceable (at minimum). My takeout meal was very good. Thick pound burger composed of ground prime rib topped with velvety American cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce on a buttery Brioche and fries. Just what the doctor ordered after a long day... At this, my first visit to a Sizzler since taking my beloved Aunt there a couple months before we lost her, in the Fall of 2019, it's nice to see this old American dining hallmark reemerge from the shadows. read more

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We have been twice since Sizzler reopened and we have had great experiences both times. The food is tasty and service is excellent. Love the shrimp and the cheesebread. Thanks to Lisa for the great service! She made sure to check on us and bring us everything we needed! read more

Food: Cilantro Lime Barramundi fish was cooked perfectly that garlic mashed potatoes was a little cold rice nice flavor. Cheese burger was juice fries just normal. Salad bar was small. Service: was a little off after they bring your meal they disappeared no extra bread drinks you get it yourself like that part. Ambiance: place is clean and friendly would come back again Tip: smaller menu than a regular Sizzler and the food and prices reflect it. read more

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Under new management! This place looked so much nicer inside.... amazing what a face-lift can do. Server was very friendly and checked on us periodically. Food was ok (meat and fish overcooked) but still enjoyable. Everything looked well maintained and tables cleaned promptly. Big improvement. If food wasn't overcooked would have 4 stars. read more

Sizzler - Seafood Near Me - Downey, California

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Had very high expectations coming to eat here and it was rather disappointing. All the social media posts and reviews from the reopening of sizzler led me to believe that this place had a major revamp. The inside looks super nice and the workers were nice but the food just wasn't the best. My mom had the jumbo shrimps and she said they were good. My burger was a basic burger nothing special and my dad claimed the chicken club tasted like a frozen breast that was thawed, cooked, then served. The salad bar wasn't as great either. The options outside of the actual salad were a nice addition to see but the execution was lacking in taste and flavor. The chicken soup was salty and the clam chowder was overly fishy. I did enjoy the dessert bar with the pound cake, strawberry compote and ice cream. Overall the place was nostalgic to return to, however I will not be back again. The food needs another makeover in terms of flavor and execution in my opinion. I also thought the pricing was a bit high for the salad bar. read more

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This new location is pretty awesome. The entire restaurant has had a makeover and the ambience is outstanding. Great service and the food is definitely Nostalgic. Thank you to the hostess for the best costumer service. read more

I wanted to thank the chef for my Mother's Day dinner it was delicious thank you and short waitress was very helpful thank her also because it was a a very kaiotic day read more

Okay as a old schooler of Sizzler original Pico Rivera off Rosemead turn Asian the building and original Santa Fe Springs On Telegraph closed a few ago. My mom and I used to come to Sizzler. I would catch the Montebello 60 meet my mom to have Sizzler. I remember this establishment but never been to this exact location. I noticed the remodeling Being done and once the storage container left the parking lot I figured it was done. This evening my wife and I decided to do a dinner date. We decide to check out this establishment since we had not been to a sizzler since the Santa Fe Springs location closed. Location was definitely old school main entrance and exit at other side of the building. Walking in I was impressed with the decor modern with a touch of nostalgia. Menu was kinda old school and new combos of course the Malibu Chicken a original. Like old school as well go up to the counter and order the POS system up to grade a screen that shows you your sides for your dinner. Counter staff very friendly and knowledgeable and for a young staff member very nice to see. I order the Rib and Chicken combo my wife order steak and unlimited fried shrimp. I added salad bar to my order as well. As we were finding a table I noticed modern upgrades with a little rustic and the nostalgic pictures on the wall...nice We sat and I went to get my salad and fixins. Felt old school the set up was sizzler style everything look fresh and soups were filled and taco and wings on another counter. Dessert bar with soft serve and other treats. And fountain drink counter as well. Destiny our wait staff, she was friendly I could tell she was a new but she was still attentive and prompt. Even though I noticed a customer being a prude to her by telling that her food was waiting at the counter. Don't no what was this customers issue the came in just after us. We were served in good time Cheese bread was good. My chicken boneless and grilled and the Ribs portion could have been a little better but still tasty. Rice pelaf tasted like back in the day. My wife's streak cooked well at Med. Well and min fat. Shrimp was small but good amount and cilantro lime rice was also good. Atmosphere with old school instrumental music flowing in the air. Comfortable. Though it seem staff was limited the wait staff held up to the business. Our wait staff was done for the evenings and another wait staff Erika came and handles the existing tables. I spoke to on duty manager and this Sizzler is under new management. As of June of this year. So far they seem to be working well. Atmosphere = 8 Cleanliness = 8 Customer service = 7 Wait staff = 8 Counter staff = 7 Price to product = 7 Plating = 6 Special shout out to the young wait Staff Destiny and Erika for doing your best under pressure I will return to see this establishments progress read more

Sizzler holds quite a special place in my heart - some of my fondest memories as a kid growing-up in the 90's was going to Sizzler in our "Sunday Best" after church. Heck, I remember celebrating my older sister's Confirmation at Sizzler (where my mom + aunt unsuccessfully tried to match-make my Doctor uncle with my sister's facilitator). Anyways, I digress. Fast-forward several decades later & there's one thing that keeps coming to mind when I think of this place - nostalgia. That said, it was my first time at this location & I came here for a very specific reason - their Grand Re-Opening. So what's Sizzler like in 2025? Some of the same, but some welcome upgrades... FOOD - Classic Trio: 8.9 / 10 My go-to order whenever I'm here. It's a great "sampler of everything this place has to offer". It's nice that you have the option to upgrade your steak (but considering all the food that I'd be having -with an unlimited salad bar) I've felt the upgrade was very unnecessary. Steak was cooked exactly to my liking for medium rare. Although I generally consider steak sauce a "handicap" of sorts, here, steak as a vehicle for Sizzler's own branded steak sauce. It has quite the unique blend of zesty boldness. I would venture to say a more tomato-forward sauce than your usual A1. That said, part of me did wish that I purchased a bottle to take home. The Malibu Chicken (2nd of 3 proteins) is a breaded chicken breast with ham & melted cheese a la Chicken Cordon Bleu - which pairs nicely with their mayo-based sauce. Lastly, 4 fried shrimp round out the entrée. Fried a little crispier than at other places (which I actually prefer). All of this rounded out with a baked potato + sour cream + chives. I implore you to find a full-service restaurant that serves a steak dinner like this, especially at this price point. Unlimited Salad Bar: 8.8 / 10 Anyone who knows Sizzler knows that this place is known for it's salad bar. That said, I will say that I appreciate that all plates / soup bowls are left out for us patrons to pick-up at out pleasure. There was a time + place when we had to "hassle" our servers for fresh plates, & well, that can get tiring & low-key embarrassing for patrons like myself who prefer to pick very small portions of food so as to 1) Be able to try a variety of options; 2) Put into practice a rather healthy habit of making multiple trips to the salad bar so as to get some "extra steps" in. 3) Minimize the risk of not wasting food by "eating with our eyes" & getting more food than we can finish. One thing to note is that I appreciate new additions such as Orange Chicken & Key Lime Cheesecake. Here in Downey, this is the oldest operating location. With the Grand Re-Opening, I really noticed an effort by management to bring their A-Game. From the bold red, upholstered booth cushions, to top-tier service (I lost count with how many times my 2 waitresses checked on me to make sure everything was ok, going so far as to even bring a plastic cup filled with my choice of beverage for to-go). As a nice little bonus, I did get to spin their prize wheel (for the Grand Re-Opening Weekend only) and walk away with some nice souvenirs. Thank you so much, Sizzler Downey! read more

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We had been looking forward to the re-opening. We order ribs and the salad bar. Cheese bread is delicious. Loved the ribs. Service was excellent. Staff is friendly and attentive. We are definitely coming back. read more

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First time there with parents, Erika was very nice came several times to ask if we needed, we ordered the Salad buffet. The food taste old I didn't like it, to top it off I found a bug in the salad. Honestly I would not recommend it. read more

Sizzler - Seafood Near Me - Downey, California

Steak & the salad bar are my go to here at Sizzler's. Food will not disappoint. Cashier and all the servers are always very attentive to their guests. Kudos to our server Felipe for the awesome service. read more

Sizzler - Business sign - Seafood Near Me - Downey, California

Couldn't believe my experience today at Sizzlers, person taking our order sarcastic and trying to be funny. Rude after taking my order and he didn't even say thank you. I had to clean my own table to sit down. Salad bar was ok and that's what I only ate. Unfortunately the ribeye plate we ordered was horrible. The steak was rubbery and it was fatty. Mashed potatoes were so so. We couldn't eat that at all. I had to send it back. I'm very disappointed and of course will never go there again. I should have taken a picture to share. Hopefully the new management can much improve their customer service and food quality. read more

Food was good, place was clean and the service was very friendly ! Glad they're back for lunch special read more

Food was prepared the way i wanted it. Service was great, place was clean and always stocked. Recommend to go check it out for yourself

Not a good experience all around. To start Manuel took my order and I felt intimidated by his attitude. I think I was bothering him by trying to order. Not very friendly. No salutations. Toast was soggy and overall was not what I remembered years ago. I guess its a new age and the old family atmosphere is gone. read more

Sizzler - Seafood Near Me - Downey, California

Horrible service, take your money elsewhere. There's a reason this place is completely dead during dinner.

We were happy to see the place remodeled and under new ownership, but we will not be returning. We had visited this location a handful of times under the old ownership and the salad bar / hot bar was great, but unfortunately I can't say the same under new ownership. What should be clam chowder has no clams only potatoes, all three soups have no lids, the nacho cheese looked like watered down discolored liquid cheese, the chicken nuggets were cold. My husband said the pasta just tasted odd and pasta sauce was horrible. I don't know how to explain it, but mostly everything in the salad bar just does not look inviting, fresh, colorful, good quality ) : I honestly would not mind paying more money for an all you can eat salad bar as long as the food tastes good and is fresh. A gentleman who had just been there since the new ownership too, passing by our table, happened to ask us if we liked the food, We said no! He said he ordered steak and was very disappointed. His waiter had taken his plates before he was done eating, which coincidentally our waitress did the same. The gentleman and we were very disappointed with our experience under this new ownership. We're planning to look for a different Sizzler location. read more

Me and my girlfriends stomachs have been bubbling since we went here hours ago, we got two different things

As a person born and raised in the Midwest, who recently trans planted to California, the idea of eating at a sizzler freaked me out. However, I will say the experience was enjoyable as you would expect with most salad bar option based restaurants. The food options were basic however, the establishment was clean, and the staff were very friendly and very personable.. We arrived with a very large party to celebrate an event and everything went smoothly. The salad bar options are three different types of salad and then the option of a potato salad, a broccoli salad and a pasta salad. There is a taco bar with two meats and toppings and then of course the dessert bar. II it worth $17? Not really but is it convenient? Yes. read more

Sizzler - Seafood Near Me - Downey, California

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We had heard about this Sizzler being redone so our expectations were high. The first thing is there not technically handicap sure the parking is but we had to go through the exit because the front door has a big step and you can't exactly roll a wheelchair over it. Right when we walk in the manager or whoever he is was extremely rude. Second is the server only comes around only one time then you have to flag her down for more bread or anything else. I had ordered a 8oz steak with fries medium rare and onions. When I got the plate the onions didn't looked grilled at all was extremely white and the steak was the worst steak I have seen. When I went to cut it it was fat and had no color whatsoever looked so grey. I didn't eat it because I honestly didn't want to get food poisoned so I just ate the salad bar and even that was so messy. At the end I asked the manager if I could have a box to take my mother's food home and he seemed to have an attitude about giving my mother a to go box. I won't be returning to this location and it's disappointing that such a "new place " can't make the food right and have bad customer service. read more

I'm so happy Sizzler's is finally opened!! I've been looking forward to it and it did not disappoint at all. The food, the cheese bread, and the salad bar were AMAZING! What truly made this experience though was the staff. From the cashier to the servers -- everyone was incredible and truly made you feel comfortable and at home. They were attentive and kind, making sure you had the best experience possible while dining here. The hospitality was truly one of a kind and I cannot recommend coming here enough. Please come and show your support to the community as their grand opening is on Tuesday 6/17!!!! read more

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I Love what they've done with the place. They definitely elevated the space, service, and food. Everything we ordered was delicioso!

The salad bar has changed completely under a new owner? No tomatoes on the bar? They have some mixed with cucumbers. But what if I don't want cucumbers! Less choices of vegetables. The soup bar is weak, they have three choices, and the soup containers had no lids, who wants a cold soup Also, I tried the clamp chowder, it had a sweet flavor, I let the waitress know, her answer was (that's the way the company sends the soup). The new decoration is nice and bright, music in the background is modern and the level is good for having a conversation. read more

If you want great consistent food quality you eat here. Now if you want quality quick clean environment and excellent service, eat Sizzler Downey and make sure Lisa is your server. So thankful Sizzler Downey is back checking off all priorities in food and service making it always a desire to come back. Keep up the great job! read more

Short and sweet, SIZZLER IS BACK! Heck yeah! Service was great, very nice, "old fashion" style of service.. sharing stories, asking how our day was... the food was also of quality within price point. It's not a Morton's or Flemings, but honestly, with those prices, I'd rather do it myself. This sizzler is my new go-to spot (again since they fell off before) lol read more

Erika was an amazing great service, friendly and very attentive. The food was quick and the meal was great. Thank you read more

My siblings,In-laws and I celebrated our younger sister birthday in memory of our Dads favorite place (her choice). The place itself it's much much better, it's bright, cleaner and the atmosphere lets you have a great conversation. The food although is the same menu but somehow it taste gooood! specially the bread The cashier was very courteous and respectful. But what it really made the difference was the Alison the waitress she has what a great customer service is all about Promptness, respectful,attentive, professional and a great attitude. For sure we will go back read more

The food and service at this place are consistently excellent. The recent remodeling has added to its charm. Love our local Sizzler read more

So last night me and my daughter and daughter in law went to go have dinner.I was so excited to finally have sizzler after there grand opening, but as we were sitting waiting for our food to come I noticed something crawling along the frame the brown part of window my daughter thought it was a fly till we looked closer it was a cockroach. I than got up and went to ask for refund. The employee was really cool about it, but the manager didn't look surprised and didnt even apologize all he said was he was going to take a picture and show the pest control people. Guess it happens a lot.. but that was so gross I won't be going back.. be careful people and good luck!! They need to be closed down again. read more

Sizzler - Cockroach on the frame of window - Seafood Near Me - Downey, California

My parents had been looking forward to the reopening of the sizzlers so I decided to take them. We ordered and sat down, the place DOES look very modern, new seating and all, clean tables & self serve sodas now. Now the food was okay. everyone got a steak and while my parents was really good and cooked perfectly , mine was so hard and chewy and very fatty so i just didn't eat it. I had a salad bar so I decided to just hit that up. The selection isn't as much as before but still good! The only thing I can say that disappointed me on that is that there was no caesar dressing, the salads looked a bit sad, & there was a huge fly buzzing around. The section for the toppings for the tacos at the salad bar had ugly lettuce & no cheese. It wasn't refilled within the whole hour or so while we were there. The soda machine section was very dirty & sticky, & the ice cream section has new candy topping dispensers which let out a BUNCH of candy & it'll spill half of it around. I feel like the little tubs were better where you can scoop out what you want instead of this. Imagine how much candy you're tossing out sizz!! The jello was low and there wasn't much out like before. I will say the soft serve ice cream & the key lime fluff was soooooo good tho. Our server brought us hot toast, & checked in on us like twice but ehh, since it's all basically self serve it wasn't really needed you know. We shall be back because the food is usually good, maybe it was just a really busy day & a lot of responsibilities were falling behind. :) read more

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I went to sizzler on a whim while in a business trip. The outside was nostalgic and coming inside felt like taking a step back into the 1980's, complete with vintage sign on the wall. I give the salad bar a 5/5 for creativity and quantity, but the wings are over-breaded and hard. Service is non-existent in the modern sense of the word because you order at the counter there and then sit down. Sure they bring you the food, but modern restaurant goers will be turned off. I ordered the Fisherman's Platter, which was only $15.99 - great price! Shrimp was good. Fish was not. I didn't touch the fries as you could see the pile of grease on top. On the bright side the soft serve was some of the best I've ever eaten! read more

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Staff were amazing and sweet! Food was delicious. I had the steak and lobster. I also was treated well for my birthday

Nice Family Restaurant with great Grilled Steaks The staff were friendly and courteous. The restaurant is a little run down but, the service and quality of the food makes up for it. The salad bar was tasty sides. Overall I would recommend this spot. Mainly on customer service I received. read more

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I always loved coming to Sizzler during lunch, I always get the salad bar since they have so many yummy options. The wings are probably my least favorite item from the Sizzler salad bar I think if they added a bit more love to them they can be way better but yes this is a salad bar and not a wing bar so I guess it doesn't matter much. The are was very clean and was constantly being taken care of which is great to see. I did get some cherry tomatoes that were probably not very good so whomever picks the veggies maybe needs to weed out the bad looking ones since they are not very appealing or appetizing. The already created salads are always my go to I especially love the broccoli one, I also tried the clam chowder but I always do a little hack that I highly recommend for a cheesier soup, I get the soup bowl and go to where the wings and taco area is and get some already grated cheddar cheese and add some to the bottom of my bowl then I add the clam chowder on top and OMG it makes it extra cheesy and yumm. The deserts area was also great. I'm sure I will be back again soon. I loved the oldschool remodeled look, the place was busy with great atmosphere. My server could use a little help, I know we didn't need much help but since I was tipping at least come offer us some more napkins or clear our plates a bit faster, she was very nice but a bit slower than I would have preferred. read more

First off the service was horrible when we got there, rude older bald man was very rude! The other girl there was nice which is why we stayed, the food was not worth the price at all!!! Might have well gone to a fast food place. Honestly the food is not great sadly, I was reminded why I had not been there in 10 years and now i definitely won't be going back. read more

Visited the new and improved sizzlers in Downey. Under new management from what it looks like inside with new updated but still old fashion style. The food honestly was okay ordered salad bar with endless shrimp and steak. The salad bar could have upgraded their menu but still the old items. Stay away from chicken wings they were overly cooked tasted like cardboard. The chowder soup was just all cream. The steak I would say was the only thing great they did season a bit much but orders it medium and it delivered. The nostalgia of building is what ur paying for and the name of course. read more

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My wife and I came here and were absolutely blown away. Erika, our server, was incredible. Super attentive, always checked in on us, and did an amazing job juggling a very busy restaurant. Food was also excellent. I hadn't been to sizzler in a long time and had forgotten how good it was. Fried shrimp and steak can't be beat. Nor can the famous salad bar. They've also updated the decor to have a retro style, which was pretty cool. Highly recommend for a quick good dinner!! read more

I had not been here for at least 10 years. Let me tell you what I observed. The young girl at the register could not understand a simple request. My girlfriend had to remind me that these young people are not used to communicating. Only pushing buttons . I had to ask the girl three times what were the sides? The girl panicked like I was asking her to go way out of her way. When I did get my food 30 minutes later, baked potato was cold Malibu chicken was rubber. I asked the server for it to go container. After 20 minutes of waiting, I got up, asked her again. She reached over her shoulder and grabbed one for me. Wow.! Where exactly did those brain cells go between my table in the kitchen? Now I remember why it has been 10 years read more

One word to describe this place... terrible. The price didn't match the quality of the food. The lobster, fried shrimp, and burger tasted bland. The ambience of the restaurant is awful. The moment you step foot inside you feel uncomfortable because of how cramped, messy, and noisy everything and everyone is. Sizzlers pay first and then sit whereever you want business model is very inefficient. Dont bother coming here, go to Denny's instead. read more