Sizzlers Flame Grills, Johannesburg

Updated: 17-01-2024

UPDATE

Sizzlers has closed down their restaurant and are continuing to trade as a Food Truck and catering service that can be booked for private events.

HOUSE REVIEW

You know those days when you’re craving a braai, but it’s just too much work to get the coals out or just too hot to light a fire? But the neighbour’s got their braai going and the smell is driving you crazy… I’ve had those days too, so when Sizzlers Flame Grills opened up nearby in Benoni I had to go and check them out.

Sizzlers is a well known and popular home-based pop-up that have transitioned to a permanent restaurant. They are located at Atlas Junction, a little hub of halaal eateries with secure parking. We popped in around midday, and they were fairly quiet, with maybe 2 other tables occupied, and a few people coming to collect their orders. This is not always the case. On a previous occasion when I called on a Friday night they were fully booked.

It’s a bright and casual setup but not in a Mcdonald’s kind of way. The decor is contemporary and easy, not cheap. The big windows let in a lot of light which is great for taking those Instagrammable shots. We took a table close to the window. The tables are mostly large to allow for families or groups which is what you would typically do for a braai, with a few smaller ones here and there.

The menu was unexpected. I was expecting a steakhouse type of menu. But their menu was true to theme, with proper braai sides like potato salad, pasta salad, pap & chutney, green salad or garlic bread. We ordered the Steak Roll for him, T-bone steak for me and a Sausage roll and chips for Taufeeq. While we waited they brought a deliciously buttery garlic bread starter to whet our appetites. A nice surprise as casual restaurants don’t normally offer a complimentary appetiser. It was delicious but I just had a taste of it so it would not spoil my appetite. We had also ordered their Braaloumi (haloumi) starter which I was keener to try.

The Braailoumi was nicely done, smokey and charred with chilli flakes and served with a sweet chilli sauce. It’s good for sharing but too filling to order for one person who is also having a main meal. Unless you’re really, really hungry. The Sausage roll was made with sweet chilli sausage, not a vienna which you’d normally get on a kids meal. It was really cute and served as 2 mini rolls in cocktail buns. There was attention to presentation for kids which is not often the case. I really liked this touch.

The steak roll was substantial with sirloin steak done in their Sizzlers marinade, greens, crispy fried onion rings and finished with their secret sauce. I could hardly get a word out of Zulfi during his meal, and this spoke volumes. I’m not even sure that I even tasted it as I normally would. He didn’t even offer to share… The fries that came with the 2 meals were chunky thick cut and perfectly crisp.

My T-Bone meal was a whopper. With 2 T-Bones at 450g. I did not notice how big the meal was when I ordered it. But no matter, leftovers are always great. It’s also done in their signature marinade with a drizzle of their lemon butter sauce and comes with a garlic pita and a choice of side. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The steak was perfectly cooked and the taste hot and tangy. It could have been less lemony so if you’re not a fan ask them to omit it.

I had ordered a Falooda milkshake to drink which I wasn’t too mad about. It was a bottled pre-mix which tasted ok, but was thin for a milkshake and too frozen to drink properly. They have the usual suspects for drinks as well as a range of Fehms mocktails. Taufeeq had the Cherry Fizz which I also enjoy. All the drinks are bottled. I guess this helps with faster service.

The only out of character part of the menu are the desserts. Though to be fair I’m not sure what constitutes suitable braai desserts… toasted marshmallows or smores maybe? Desserts included Ras Malai, Kunafa, Malva Pudding and Cheesecake among others. We decided to give the Kunafa a try. It was tasty but not made with the proper cheese for this dessert, so it did not have that signature cheese pull of kunafa. And presentation in the foil baking shell did not live up to the presentation of the other dishes.

Our meal came to R500. For all we had this was not a bad spend. And I took 1 whole T-Bone home. We got the full braai experience without the fuss of having to do it ourselves. I would definitely go again.

If you prefer doing your own braai, you can also buy pre-marinaded meat from them and braai at home. Just remember you’ll have to wash your own dishes…

Reviewed: October 2021