Sizzlerz is situated in Deepdale Pavilions, nestled beside a dental practice and one of Preston’s numerous Home Bargains.
Walking inside, I was quickly greeted by a member of staff who walked me to a corner of the restaurant and allowed me to pick a table I preferred. I sat down and listened to the music playing over the sound system that was set to an ideal volume, loud enough to enjoy it, but not so loud that I couldn’t speak to someone else.
I also noticed that just left of the entrance, there was a small nook filled with games and other small items intended for families to loan out during their visit to play games together and keep the kids entertained, which I think is a lovely touch, and absolutely delivers on the restaurant’s claim to be “perfect for families” as stated on their website.
Flipping through the menu, the options are divided into a few sections. There are starters, which range from a Manchow soup for £7.95 to a sharing platter, the Sizzlerz special mix grill for £18.95, with a good variety to satisfy all diets, including vegetarian options, and even a plate of slider burgers.
Following on from the starters, there is a wide range of signature dishes for which the restaurant is named, Sizzlerz. These dishes are the ones primarily advertised on the restaurant’s TikTok page, and with their presentation, plentiful portions, and sizzling hot plates, it’s no wonder why.
The Sizzlerz all come with chips, rice, grilled vegetables, peppercorn sauce, and garlic sauce as standard. In addition to that, you can choose either noodles or pasta to round out the dish. Of course, topping off this feast, there is a wide range of proteins, including chicken, lamb, prawns, beef, and another mixed grill option.
If you aren’t in the mood for a mountain of food, that is the Sizzlerz; however, you can also order traditional curries, burgers, pizzas, and noodles.
I approached the bar to place my order, opting for the mixed grill sizzler for £22.95, and then settled in at my table while I waited. I was the first person to arrive at the restaurant, so I understand that it may have taken a moment to fire up the kitchens, but from the time of ordering to the food arriving at my table, it was no less than 30 minutes, which isn’t ideal.
However, I was very pleased when my food arrived, and had managed to only sip at my Zanti Cola, meaning I had plenty left to enjoy along with the meal.
The sizzler came out absolutely steaming, being served on a hot plate that is placed carefully into a large wooden serving tray. The noise and visuals are positively tantalising, and I immediately jumped in, having worked up quite the appetite during that prolonged wait. A moment later, the peppercorn sauce and garlic sauce arrived at my table, which I had admittedly forgotten in my ravenous state, but I should also say that the mixed grill was itself covered in a mildly spiced sauce that added a great deal of depth of flavour.
Regardless, I took to dipping the chips in the sauces individually to give them a fair shake. The peppercorn sauce was slightly runny and watery, with the taste of the pepper being slightly muted, but the garlic sauce was the opposite. Clearly, freshly made with entire garlic cloves, the flavour was explosive. However, I did struggle to see where exactly all this sauce fit in with my particular meal, and felt that these additions might make more sense with less saucey Sizzlerz than the one sitting in front of me. Although it would be ideal for a group ordering a few extra sides, as these could have easily fed a small family’s sauce needs.
Back to the mixed grill, with so many components to attack, I decided to try each piece individually. First up, the lamb seekh kebab. This was absolutely delicious, herbaceous, tender, and incredibly juicy. Easy to bite through, and well seasoned to allow all of the flavours of the meat and herbs to shine through together.
The chicken tikka is also cooked on skewers; unfortunately, the high temperatures treated the chicken less kindly than the lamb. Despite the sauce and deep red exterior of the chicken, the meat was completely dried out.
The lamb chop was cooked to perfection, separating from the bone easily and once again boasting a juicy, rich flavour. And all of these meats were coated in a non-descript sauce that had medium spice, and worked well with the proteins on the plate.
As for the sides, the chips were cooked to perfection, with a masala seasoning shaken over the top, which added a nice little kick. The basmati rice lacked any distinct flavour, but the egg noodles were the highlight of the side dishes.
All together, the mixed grill sizzler boasts a generous portion size, with a great deal of variety, and a fair amount of spectacle. While not every element on the plate was perfect, the dish as a whole was hearty, warming, and flavourful. I was still a little overwhelmed by all the sauce, but with both the peppercorn and garlic sauces served in separate dishes, you can take as much or as little as you like.
For dessert, I was hoping to order the Matka Kulfi, a traditional Asian dish that features a particularly thick and creamy ice cream, which is generally mixed with pistachios and almonds. Unfortunately, the restaurant was out of the Kulfi, so I had to pick something else from the menu.
With the rest of the dessert options playing more into TikTok trends, with options like the Matilda chocolate cake, and the aptly named Dubai viral dream cake, I ultimately made a much more boring choice to order the Dough Delite, which is a milk chocolate cookie dough with chocolate sauce, a scoop of vanilla ice cream for £7.95.
Once again, the dish took nearly thirty minutes to arrive from the time of ordering, but business was beginning to pick up, and I guess the staff were starting to get into a groove serving mains to the other tables.
When the cookie dough did eventually arrive, it was presented on a small skillet set into a wooden tray, similar to the sizzler. While visually the cookie dough was certainly appetising, I was surprised to find that the cookie dough was incredibly wet beneath the crisped-up top. I don’t mean gooey, the way that many warm cookie doughs in restaurants tend to be, but actually seeming to be wet. On top of that, despite the chocolate sauce on top, the dish was surprisingly lacking in chocolate flavour. Throughout the entire dough, there were only a few chocolate chips, and the sauce appeared to add no chocolate flavour whatsoever.
As far as dessert goes, I was disappointed that the Kulfi wasn’t on the menu, but overall, Sizzlers did deliver the spectacle that it shouts about, along with a hearty meal for a reasonable price. Sure, some areas could be improved, but as far as a warm, friendly atmosphere that offers fun and a place to be together, it’s a solid choice. Just don’t order the cookie dough.
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