El Sizzling Chorizo

I feel bad for giving this place such a low rating because I had a bite of my partner’s ribs and they were tasty. Alas my Sirloin was not the best. It wasn’t disgusting but when you are eating from a BBQ place you would expect they knew how to cook meat better. I have cooked better Sirloin at home, on less than perfect cooking areas, they have the BBQ. It was chewy, I ordered Medium Rare and it was closer to a Medium, and some of the meat I had to choke down. I loved the BBQ potatoes though and the atmosphere is nice, though just looking at how grumpy the head chef looked the whole time, he might want to remember he is working in an open kitchen, grumpy looking chefs are a put off for some.
Please work on you meat quality.

I’m so sorry to give this place only 3 stars, but the server totally forgot about our wine with our main entrée … Food and amount of food it’s good…
We had a beer before our meal and everything was okay, we ordered empanadas along with some beers, and our entrée was supposed to be steak with a glass of wine because we ordered like that !! we eat the whole meal almost and nobody seemed to be around with our wine, so then we stopped this employee and asked him to take off the wine … Because it was pointless for us to have wine without our meals … And he just asked us what did we wanted to do? Pay or not drink it ???
I said politely, just take it off the bill because we didn’t drink it … And he was like lost or something but just took our wines off with we didn’t drink… Coming back? No !

Hands down the best Argentinian place in Auckland, scratch that — hands down the best meat place in Auckland. I came here as a group of 7, which is not the best given that the place is very small. But we squeezed next to each other, hitting elbows as we came down on the food. To start off, the empanadas are a must, one because they are a traditional Argentinian snack and two because this place really knows how to make a good one. For the rest of the meal I had the Savannah Sirloin which was cooked medium rare and it was fantastic. The table also shared the Orejano Platter, the Parrillada and the Grilled Provolone. From the chorizo to the pork belly everything was a juicy meaty goodness. My only wish is that this place expands into a proper restaurant so it has a bit more space.

This is a really fun place with a great vibe. I wish there was a 3.5 star rating. I will get to the reason I am giving this 3 Stars — the beef and pork are cooked in a way that makes them very chewy and tough and I don’t think this is supposed to be the case.
I don’t want to turn people off from the decent place but some of the BBQ needs to improve. Could it be the selection of beef that is making it tough?

This. Place. Is. BANGING. Can’t fault it. Took my dad here for lunch. Great service, amazing food. Quality over quantity but still decent portions. We had the platter to share. Every element was great. The pastry of the empanadas was amazing. The pork belly was moist and crackling was tasty. Steak was awesome and lamb saussie was nom nom. Potatoes yum! Pesto, yum! Bread, mmmm yum! Meat sweats on. They have a simple menu but they do it exceptionally well. Good selection of beverages too. Highly recommend this place. Will be back again before I leave the country !

I am absolutely in LOVE with El Sizzling Chorizo. The food has never failed me and I have visited multiple times. Unfortunately I wsa over charged one time, but they were so quick to process a refund and they took full responsibility for it which I found very professional. Perfect for a nice dinner or lunch with a group of 2 or 3 friends :)

Being from Argentina this food is horrible, the Chorizo were sausages from the supermarket and the empanadas were deep fried, and the meat inside was fatty! We arrived and were told there was a 45 min wait. I was expecting good food. Even the bread was doughy inside and not cooked all the way through. The water was warm. The salad was tasty but that is about it. I suggest you pass on this place highly overrated. I’m nauseous now like I just ate a spoon full of grease.

EL SIZZLING «HELL YEAH» CHORIZO!!! Bring a date or eat alone, but EAT HERE!!! You won’t be disappointed. Once you grab a seat, you’ll stop, look around, and probably imagine Anthony Bourdain cruising through Ponsonby Central and dining here with a glass of wine. Being an optimist, I expected him to walk by, but he never showed up. Oh well!
Anyways, back to El Sizzling and why I love this place…
~ Dining: Well, indoors, you can sit around the grill as there are bar stools all around the bar. They’ve got a couple of tables by the windows, that’s really made for only two people. And there’s a patio that seems to be shared with the other restaurants, but enough room for a small party.
~ Service: No issue. We met the manager, Gustavo, who was welcoming. He explained a bit about the menu, and made some good suggestions. Told us a little bit about how he was exposed to various cuisines when he was younger, and how this little grill was born.
~ Now for the MEAT, I mean FOOD, mmm!!! Sorry my fellow vegan Unilocal friends, but you can stop reading here :) Although they do offer grilled veggies. But that’s not why I’m here. So, I had to try the two most expensive items. I don’t know why, I just had to. But believe me, both meat plates were SO WORTH IT!!! We shared the Orejano Platter ($ 38) and the Parrillada ($ 34.50). Here’s what they’re all about:
~~~~ Spring mix salad with a simple salad dressing consisting of olive oil, lemon, some rock-​salt and pepper taste. Very stimulating… But let’s get down to business!
~~~~ Flank steak — Topped with their home made chutney dressing. Smokey and not really seasoned. Just it’s natural tasting goodness. Grilled just right with some bloodiness in the center. And damn, this was steak that just melted with that wine. Wow, what a bunch of lovely detailed run-​on sentences.
~~~~ Lamb steak — Marinated to perfection! Loved the tenderness too, and didn’t have that lingering lamb smell. Both steaks paired up well with the recommended Septima Obra 2013 Malbec. Bite after bite and sip after sip, my comfort level went from relaxing to soothing in my seat.
~~~~ Pork belly — Just a long thick cut of pork belly. It basically seemed like a fat cut of bacon. All salted up, and went well with their house chili sauce.
~~~~ Chicken thigh — Now this had a nice smokiness to it that I really didn’t expect. T’was an excellent thigh.
~~~~ Chorizo sausage — Spicy good, and it better be if you’re gonna have «chorizo» in your name. I’m pretty sure I saved my last sip of wine with that last piece of chorizo. Unforgettable!
~~~~ Empanada — That lamb meat was so juicy good. Also bigger than average piece of empanada too. Can’t go wrong ordering the Empanadas entrée.
~~~~ Freshly made bread too. Kind of like a naan, but I’m not sure if they call theirs naan. But still, you can’t hate fresh bread! Add some butter or chutney and you’re golden.
BUT to top it all off… Presentation presentation presentation!!! All this meat sits on top of a cutting board. It’s all about those little unique touches that confirms that fifth star!

Nothing beats charcoal BBQ’d meat! Short Rib was good, Chorizo was a nice appetiser and the Salsa Verde is awesome!

Omg, the best things were not the meat — our potatoes and empanadas provided a welcome relief from the dry, overcooked and in-​seasoned meats, some of which were so chewy that they had to be spit out or choked down.
May have been a bad night? But not a good one for us. 2 stars for ambiance and decent service.

Move over Bahn Mie, I feel a new quest coming on and that is for the best empanadas Auckland has to offer !
These morsels of delight are soo good chock filled with a spiced beef filling, with spices I couldn’t quite figure out. And a slightly flakey pastry delicately turned at the edges to keep all that mind blowing filling inside. My dear Argentinians what is your secret ?
A side of fries, a glass of rośe and what a better time to pass an afternoon .
El Sizzling Chorizo is what I think is a well kept secret, grab a booth style table and your set .
Nice service and what I thought is not too expensive. I think I’ll be going back to eat a steak I saw at my neighbours table.

Argentinian food is definitely not common and if you feel like a carnivorous meal– this is the place to go. Real fan of the open kitchen when you can see the grillers hard at work cooking your meat over the slow-​burning red coals for great flavour.
My friends shared the Parrillada which was a selection of various meats– perfect for two or if you want a taste of the different offerings. Came with mesclun salad and the green chimichurri sauce. I got the Lamb chorizo which also came with mesclun and sliced almond salad and the cutest wee freshly baked bread bun. Love the wooden chopping boards that act as plates for the meat.
If you want BBQ and you’re in Ponsonby, this is the place to go

Wow, this was amazing food, if you have ever been to Wildfire or another Brazilian Barbecue then this is the place to go. I warn you in advance, on weekend nights there is a high wait time (1.5 hours or more)
Service wasn’t great, but possibly understandable given how busy it was.
the location is cramped but the food makes up for it.

A real meat extravaganza and really good.
We had the mixed plate between us and it was plenty.
The meat was well cooked and I particularly enjoyed the sirloin and the empanadas. The sirloin was cooked to perfection and the empanadas are some of the best I’ve tasted. The potatoes in mustard sauce are also a must.
This is a small place and shortly after we arrived there was a queue to get a table.
Really enjoyed the food and will be back.

I think it is quite nice place for eating steak! But the place is a bit small and they don’t take reservations, we had to share table with other guests, but the taste is good and price is reasonable!

In one word, this place is HOT… Especially if you sit on front of the BBQ, the heat is fierce! Vegetarians head elsewhere, chances are you won’t be able to eat the vegetarian meal surrounded by all this meat. Big slabs of beef and lamb are being tossed around the BBQ and huge pieces of pork belly are sliced to order. It’s a good idea to get a selection, there’s also spicy chorizo and chicken, plus some really good empanadas. Weirdly, the standout for me was the potatoes, all crunchy on the outside and smothered in this mustardy sauce, delish!

Argentinians know their meat. From great steaks to lamb, chicken, chorizo and even pork belly, El Sizzling Chorizo in the heart of Ponsonby Central proves its authenticity with its menu. The smoky interior masks the hardworking, sweaty kitchen staff and a weathered barbecue grill from which prime cuts are tossed onto a sideboard and sprayed with salt water or lemon juice before being served. Their empanadas are crisp pastry shells filled with succulent minced meat and onion. Their platters, such as the Orejana combo ($ 37, worth it) save you having to choose between the range of grilled cuts. Sides of mustard aioli fries and vinegretted salad offer light relief from the carnivorous paradise. Should you be unlucky enough to be vegetarian, they do have one or two non-​meat options, but this probably isn’t the place for you. Buen Appetito!

I’m a «no frills» eater, if I’m going to shove meat in my face, I like it straight up! I feel as though meat that is GOOD is juicy all by itself, creating it’s own sauce if you will…
Ah ha ha ha! But seriously, it’s the truth.
Well El Sizzling Chorizo is quite confident that their meats do just that and I have to say, I agree! I got the juicy chicken thighs and I could have sat there sucking on those bones for hours!
It’s too bad this place doesn’t have a «branch» in the states… And I’m sure you all know why?

I’m new to the world of Argentinian BBQ and this was my first visit to El Sizzling Chorizo but I’m a big appreciator of meat so I felt like I was ready for what was to come. I went with a large group of Argentinians who all swore that El Sizzling Chorizo was the real deal when it came to Argentinian BBQ. We arrived at 8pm on a Tuesday but they were full. I hear they are always full, so be prepared to wait. It’s definitely worth it though. We popped down to Bedford Soda for a drink while we waited, about 45 minutes.
There wasn’t much variety in the ordering as most of got the Parrillada which is a mix of the different meats, to share between two. The smells coming out of the kitchen were fantastic and it was interesting to watch the meat cooking over the coals. Parrillada is served on a wooden board with a side salad and chimichurri. There was two types of pork belly, chicken thighs, sirloin and short ribs. I was warned in the car ride that Argentinians cook meat well-​done, not medium-​rare as is standard in New Zealand however the meat was cooked to perfection. While it was well done, it wasn’t tough or chewy at all. For $ 30 it was a lot of meat, too much for my partner and I to finish so we took the rest home. I will definitely be going back to El Sizzling Chorizo, it was well worth the wait.
Apologies for the poor quality of the photo, I was too excited to taste it.

What I love about El Sizzling Chorizo is there is no other place in Auckland like it. It was a great to experience a real Argentinian meal — BBQ style! I had never tried food like this, so was really looking forward to it. My older sister and I had a late lunch here one Sunday afternoon. There was only one other small group in the restaurant — I think we had just missed the lunch rush!
We shared the Empanadas ($ 12) with mesclun and the Chorizo sausages ($ 12) also served with mesclun. These two dishes are both starters; however they were nice satisfying small meals. The Empanadas had the most delicious fillings inside (juicy beef and onions) and the pastry was cooked well. However, the Chorizo sausages were the stand out dish. Perfectly cooked and served with homemade bread straight out of the oven — yummy!
For drinks, they have a small wine and beer list and non-​alcoholic drinks too — Antipodes water and Phoenix drinks. We love the ginger beer flavour from the Phoenix drinks range! I love that the restaurant is quite compact — if you are sitting inside, you can watch the chefs preparing the Argentinian BBQ right in front of you. It is an exciting experience and I recommend coming here!
Next time, I will definitely try a main meal, possibly the ‘Short Ribs’ ($ 20) or the ‘Orejano Platter’ ($ 35) looks delicious too! If you are ever in Ponsonby Central, make sure you walk past El Sizzling Chorizo. Even if you do not go in, the smell and sights are heavenly!