Some of you may remember a restaurant called Sizzler. I use the word remember because if you’re from the Midwest, they no longer exist around these parts. When we drove to Arizona in November 2002, we happened to accidentally stumble upon one in Gallup, New Mexico when we stopped for lunch. At first I wasn’t even sure if it was the same establishment because I didn’t recognize their new logo, nor did I realize they hadn’t gone out of business entirely. I was so excited, I called my mom from our table to brag. She used to take my brothers and myself to the Sizzler on a regular basis. She’d always order the steak and malibu chicken; I’d eat the chicken, she’d have the steak, and we’d both get salad bars too.
When I got back from our Arizona trip, I found Sizzler’s website and emailed them to ask whether they planned on returning to the area. They responded with a firm no and that was that. I don’t know why they weren’t successful here, I just remember the one by the mall being turned into a Boston Market. I hated that place for taking away my Sizzler and didn’t eat there for many years. I finally got over that, thank god, because their garlic chicken is so tasty! Only about five years ago the last Sizzler in nearby Indiana went out of business.
Now whenever we travel, I make it a point to see if there’s one in the city we’re visiting. When we went to Branson, Missouri I checked their site, but the closest one was still an additional two hour drive, so we didn’t bother (and that one is gone now too according to their site). It’s been too long since my last visit, so you can only imagine how pleased I am to learn that there are five in the Orlando area, one of them not 2 minutes from the first hotel we’ll be staying at on our trip in October. Screw Mickey Mouse, I want some malibu chicken!