Farrah A.
Yelp
Shopping around the area with family, we always talked about going to the London Sizzler but never quite made it because we're more about the "whole in the wall" places. Thanks to Dolph W and his genius idea to do a "mystery dinner," I finally had the opportunity to sample the menue.
Quite the gentleman, Dolph made a reservation for our group of 15 -- yes, I said 15 -- and upon arrival, our table was ready. As we awaited others to trickle in, our kind waiter started us off with bevs, ranging from beer to water. I'm thrilled to know that the London Sizzler has a full bar. Alas, when the 15th person arrived, our grumbling tummies were ready to order. Fortunately, with such a large group, we were able to sample various dishes on the menu, as our kind group shard family style ... awww.
My first impression of the goat biryani was that it was good, yet had way too much sauce ... more than I've ever been accustomed to, so I had to add a lot of white rice to balance that off. Maybe that is more of an Indian way of preparing the meal, but that's something you wouldn't find at a traditional Pakistani restaurant. On to the saag paneer which everyone really enjoyed. I gave it a thumbs up my first few bites, but I noticed it had a sweet taste to it. Once again, something I'm not used to, yet still one of my favorites. The naan was fresh from the oven, and sopping up my yogurt was another highlight of the meal. Also trying Jaire Q's chicken tikka, I found that to be right on target. Gretchen P ordered a spiced up potato plate of some sort and that too was worth a few oohs and ahhs.
Aside from my mango lassi, which you can never go wrong with at an Indian/Pakistani restaurant, dessert was a disappointment. In all my life, anytime I ordered gulab jamun from a restaurant or my dad brought some home, they all tasted the same: like rich, doughy pancake balls smothered in honey. My instant thought after taking half a bite into one? A feeling of nostalgia from when I was a kid at ... a petting zoo. Yes, it tasted like a petting zoo. Laugh if you will, but when Gretchen P and Eva L tasted it and I described my taste, I got an instant "you're so right!"
From what I tasted, and trust me, there is plenty more on the menu to taste, I think the food deserves 3 stars. The service however, deserves far greater. With such a great party, our server was on top of our drinks and even remembered the brews that a few people were drinking. When it came to providing proper setups and extra plates for sharing, that too was excellent.
Overall, I'd give them 3.5 stars, but feel a bit off rounding it up to four. I will b back, though, and I recommend others to check it out too. The fare, service and open bar will make for a great night. And come hungry because you will overeat!