This Iconic Steakhouse Chain And Buffet Took Over In The '80s — Now You'd Be Lucky To Find One

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Before Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse, there was Western Sizzlin. Americans who dined out from the 1960s to '80s may remember this affordable, Old West-themed steakhouse for its cheap steak, chicken, and seafood meals and all-you-can-eat buffet — but in 2026, you'd be hard pressed to find one near you. This declining steakhouse chain now has only 33 restaurants under its rodeo belt, and the story of its rise and fall is almost as wild as the West itself.

The Western Sizzlin saga began in 1962. Founder Nick Pascarella had been scouting locations for a steakhouse when he got stranded in Augusta, Georgia, due to a flat tire. Locals convinced Pascarella that the town was prime steak territory, and it became home to the first Western Sizzlin Steak & More Restaurant. Pascarella built his reputation on his trademarked "FlameKist" steaks, flame-seared on both sides and flavored with "Gold Dust," a secret recipe seasoning mix. WS began franchising locations in 1966, and it grew into one of the most popular restaurant chains of the 1980s, with 585 stores in 1988 (via Los Angeles Times).

Western Sizzlin's steak dinners sported fun names like Six Shooter (filet mignon), Gunsmoke (sirloin strip), and Big Tex (ground hamburger steak). However, countless nostalgic customers name the chain's steak sandwich as its best beefy meal. WS's expansive buffet included topping bars centered around salads, fresh fruit, ice cream, and even its famously giant baked potatoes. But after three decades as a go-to Friday night dining spot, trouble began brewing for Western Sizzlin.

In 1988, Nick Pascarella passed away, which marked the end of Western Sizzlin's golden era. In subsequent years, the steakhouse was passed around by many different owners. Californian company Intermark first tossed its ten-gallon hat into the ring, purchasing Western Sizzlin for a whopping $95 million in '88. Pizza Hut co-founder Frank Carney presided over WS's new management, and he temporarily boosted the steakhouse's sales. But competition from similar restaurant chains stifled WS's profits and growth, and its number of locations gradually dropped.

The real killing blow came in 1992, when Western Sizzlin filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This type of bankruptcy is common among restaurants as it allows the eatery to keep operating while it deals with outstanding debts, and Western Sizzlin functioned throughout 1993 in its bankrupt state. At the end of that year, businessman David Wachtel bought the chain for $10 million.

In 1994, Western Sizzlin finally escaped bankruptcy, only to undergo a leadership crisis a year later, when Wachtel was fired by the board of Western Sizzlin, Corp. over conflicts about the restaurant's approach to growth strategy. Wachtel subsequently sued WS Corp. over the incident, but he was ultimately replaced by Victor Foti of Roanoke, Virginia. By then, the chain had been cut down to just 279 locations (via The Roanoke Times). Western Sizzlin HQ moved to Roanoke, where it remains today – but that didn't end its struggles. The steakhouse underwent a final purchase in the 2010s, yet never truly recovered from its setbacks.

In 2010, Western Sizzlin was purchased for $39 million by its current owner Sardar Biglari, who also owns the burger chain Steak 'N Shake. Once again, a change of hands proved temporarily beneficial. According to Fortune, Biglari more than doubled the restaurant's annual profits by 2011, though the chain had dropped to 94 locations.

Western Sizzlin has managed to survive since then, but as of this writing, only 25 of the steakhouses are still standing in states like Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. Its sister restaurants, Great American Buffet and Wood Grill Buffet, mostly make up the seven other restaurants owned by Western Sizzlin. At one point, a fast-casual spinoff called Western Sizzlin Express opened in Texas, but is now permanently closed.

Today, Western Sizzlin still offers FlameKist steaks, chicken, seafood, sandwiches, and buffets, including dessert, salad, and potato bars. But the restaurant has garnered severely mixed reviews, making it a middling all-you-can-eat buffet chain at best, and customers also miss its amazingly affordable prices. A vintage menu posted to Facebook shows steak diners priced under $3, and a former customer on Reddit described their order circa 1982: "A 12-ounce ribeye, baked potato, salad bar and a drink for $8.99 ... What more could you ask for?". Ironically, today's Western Sizzlin seems to leave some customers with a lot to ask for. It may have escaped the list of steakhouse chains that closed their doors, but the Western Sizzlin that most people remember has rode off into the sunset.