Sizzle Korean Barbecue — Restaurant in Phoenix

For Valentine's day, we really wanted Korean BBQ. Our favorite place (Takamatsu) wasn't open on Mondays so we decided to try Sizzle. Overall, it was not a great experience. It wasn't just service either, but the food. We've tried many places all around Phoenix and I rarely leave bad reviews. Here is why I'm giving this 2 stars.

The food was mostly bland. We got the large beef combo and most of it really wasn't tasty. Their side dishes were sub par. I will say their soy bean stew was very delicious, but that's it.

Portions... There were 4 of us so we ordered the Large beef combo. It was definitely not enough. They gave us 4 different meats but honestly, barely enough of each. We had gotten a large for a reason and usually when you get the BBQ, each meat has a decent portion. The marinated short rib (the only meat with good flavor) was only one small piece for the 4 of us to share. My friends ended up leaving hungry and making a pizza at home. ..... Now the sides, again, there were 4 of us so I was expecting a bit more sides. I had to ask for more kimchi a few times because she would bring it and it would have 1-2 pieces each time! We couldn't even share one helping.

Prices. I've never been to a Korean bbq that was that expensive. I've been to places in Phoenix, new york, Pennsylvania, Idaho, California and even Korea itself (lived their for 3 years) I wouldn't have minded if it had been worth it, since I'm always craving good Korean food, but with the portions and taste of everything, I was definitely disappointed. I'd recommend going elsewhere.

Service. When we first got there, we waited about 10 min, ate all the sides while we waited for someone to come and ask for drinks or meal options. We figured it was just a busy day but then 3 other groups came in and we're seated AND spoken to before us. We thought, maybe we were accidentally missed so we asked a busser to find who our waitress is. We didn't wait much longer, and we did see she was cooking the meats so we understood missing us, we were also in the corner. When she did come though, she was not very pleasant. Didn't smile and, she asked if we knew what drinks we wanted. I told her we did and we'd like to put in our order as well and she seemed annoyed by that. Long story short, she forgot our appetizer, never refilled our water, even after we asked. She seemed really annoyed anytime I asked for things (garlic, bean paste... Which are normally already given to you at most Korean bbq), she never gave us the lettuce leaves and honestly gave us a pretty cold shoulder. She didn't look at us, smile or conversate which it seemed she did with other tables. We usually end up making great friends with our waiters/waitresses so I don't know if she just had a bad feeling since we asked the busser in the beginning, but it was pretty harsh. When we left the restaurant, we all shared the same feeling about her resentment toward us all night.

All in all, All four of us were extremely unsatisfied. We all agreed that we'd never go back, that it wasn't worth it. Which is honestly a crazy thought since all four of us usually love everything we eat and usually I love to leave great reviews with food recommendations and pics. Unfortunately, this time wasn't the case :/

Skip this place and try somewhere worth your money and pleasing to the taste buds.

Side note: What Korean bbq doesn't automatically come with a side of rice?! Lol I mean, it was only $2 but still when a combo is $150... You...

TLDR:

-Pros Meat was delicious Our waitress was amazing Waitress cut the meats smaller to make it easier for someone with braces She also cooked them so they could be as tender as possible and helped us select the most tender cuts. Steamed egg was amazing Didn't seem like we waited as long as we were told to be seated 2 person combo was more than enough for two people.

-Cons Pricey. 40 bucks a person not including drinks. Wait times for seating. Its popular what do you expect. Paying extra for rice. 2 dollars per serving Can be a bit cramped for larger parties or larger people Not quiet or intimate, due to loud music.

We arrived and where told it would be a 45 minute wait. We got handed a pager and were instructed of the range and its limitations. The hostess said the pager would work between the AMC and the Dave and Buster's but not inside them. Our pager went off inside of the Hot Topic. When we arrived we were seated promptly. All the standard things you expect were done quickly and the waitress was not rude nor rushed when explaining food items and or making recommendations. The music was loud, but not so loud that it hurt my ears. I didn't necessarily feel like I had to shout either. We at the meat combo and the waitress helped us choose the softest meats as my partner has braces. She also cut the meat into smaller pieces than normal for my partner which was really nice. The wait staff here cook for multiple tables, however I didn't realize this until she finished cooking the second dish. Our waitress was always their almost as soon as we'd completed one of the meats. She was also helpful in explaining which items to pair with the various meat dishes. The meat combo for two is a lot of food, and we both felt like we over ate. My partner was particularly taken with the steamed egg. I could see how some people might be bothered by the wait staff doing the cooking. I didn't really see it as an issue personally. Perhaps this just depends on who one gets as a waiter/waitress. Our's appeared to be the youngest one there and she also spoke English with native fluency. I did notice two off putting things. At one point one of the other wait staff shoved our waitress out of the way by sticking her arm out and walking through while our waitress was explaining something to us. In true professional form the tiniest micro expression flashed on her face before she was right back to finishing her food explanation to us as if it never happened. The floor manager shoved a dish into one of the bus boys because their cart was obstructing her path to bring a dish to another table. Again like a true pro he took it like a champ, took the dish and placed it on the table it needed to go to. Price wise yes this place is really expensive. However we were stuffed, so perhaps with more experience we could bring the price down by sharing entrees and sides, however it would still be pricey. Expect to spend forty dollars a person on food alone. To speak to some of the reviews of pagers not going off, when we arrived at Sizzle their did appear to be an upset couple stating that their pager had not gone off. The hostess was not rude and was barely able to get a word in edgewise before the couple left. It's possible that the range of the pagers is more limited. Perhaps they could make that part of their routine opening or closing to verify each one and maybe at some point test their efficacy within each shop that is in the...

Allow me to preface this review with the fact that I travel a lot for work and have been to dozens of Korean BBQ restaurants along the west coast, especially California and AZ. I am a classically trained and certified Chef with over 20 years experience in the Foodservice industry. The meal I just had at Sizzle Korean BBQ located in Desert Ridge may be the worst value of any meal I have ever paid for. To add to the feeling of being ripped off, I feel like my family and I were taken advantage of considering you don't see the menu (QR code menu only visible from your phone) or prices until you sit down and all of the typical Korean BBQ side dishes are placed in front of you before you order anything, my guess is they want to trap you into feeling bad about leaving once you see the crazy-high menu prices. Be prepared to pay 3-4 times the price for the same quality and amount of food you'd find at at any other KBBQ, but for no good reason. To add insult to injury, the server cooks the food for you without asking, which in my book is considered "hibachi" -ie. Benihana. The menu claims the "large" beef combo feeds 3-4 people and costs $145. 4 of us ate this along with several appetizers and are still very hungry afterwards. At $40-60 for an additional side of meat, we decided to cut our losses and go get the rest of our dinner somewhere else.

Need more reasons not to go here? -Beef and pork are the only options. No seafood, no poultry, and no vegetable sides to grill !?!?! -You get a bowl of soup with the combo, not a cup for each person, but one medium sized bowl of BOILING, mediocre tasting soup, with no good way to share it with everyone at the table. -Sides, like pickled vegetables, are very skimpy. For the money this place charges for entrees, the least they can do is semi-fill the metal ramekins they come in.

I understand that COVID related supply chain and labor issues continue to drive up prices everywhere nationwide, and I expect to pay more money for a nice meal. But the owners/managers of this place seem to have either little to no understanding of determining menu prices based on food costs, if they are just outright highway robbers. I give this place 6 months top, and they'll only last that long because of the ridiculous revenue they bring in by suckering fools like me that trust they will get a reasonable value for their meal wherever they go.

Stay away, you'll...