After all, the Maryvale Sizzler, located on Indian School Road and 51st Avenue, served customers for at least 40 years. Its salad bar and affordable steaks were part of family celebrations, graduations and birthday dinners for generations.
The Sizzler chain began in 1958 when Del and Helen Johnson opened the first restaurant in Culver City, California. Over the years, the chain grew to include 270 restaurants around the country. Arizona locations began to spring up in the 1960s.
In Maryvale, the Sizzler franchise was most recently stewarded by the McDaniel family, who took over in 1996. Wayne McDaniel estimated the location had been open since 1985.
Recently, the building's doors were locked. A sign thanking customers was stuck to the glass, and a metal fence went up around the recognizable restaurant. With this location closed, the chain says goodbye to metro Phoenix. Only one Sizzler remains in the entire state, serving steaks in Flagstaff.
Online, some fans shared plans to make a pilgrimage up north. Others paid their respects, shared their memories and looked to the future. Here's what our readers were feeling after digesting the shocking news.
Francisco reminisced about frequent visits:
More than a few Sundays in the '90s were wake up, go to church and then go to this exact Sizzler.Ana shared a unique memory:
That sucks!! My first husband and I had our first date there in 1987.Sandra had a real connection to the space. She shared:
Awee the Sizzler... That was the 1st job I ever had back in the 80s!!Gena said:
Went there a lot as a child with my grandparents.Troy had similar memories:
That was my childhood Sizzler.Alexis shared gratitude:
Thanks for the good memories.As did Samantha:
Thank you for serving Sizzla' - we love you!While most commenters were sad to see the last Valley Sizzler go, not everyone loved the restaurant.
Jessica said:
It was the worst food ever.Don said:
That place was never good I don't get it.Maybe they never went as a kid, or enjoyed the same dishes as Nicolina. She said:
"The Malibu chicken and cheese bread was my jam."Robert joked about the restaurant's 40-plus-year lifespan. He said:
Restaurants don't last in the phx market.Alondra gave props for its longevity:
Wow! We were just talking about how this place had survived even through the pandemic! Definitely had a good run.Eleeza, Jacob and Christopher were fans. They shared their sadness with varying amounts of O's:
"Noooooooo."Did you ever eat at the Valley's last Sizzler? Share your memories in the comments or send us a line at [email protected].
