<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-07-18</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000930686</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>WESTERN SIZZLIN CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>WSZZ</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001166432</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SONKIN PAUL D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>460 PARK AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>12TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>see footnote #1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001101758</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HUMMINGBIRD VALUE FUND LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>460 PARK AVENUE, 12TH FL</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>see footnote #1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001243818</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HUMMINGBIRD MICROCAP VALUE FUND LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>460 PARK AVENUE, 12TH FL</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>see footnote #1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001164073</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HUMMINGBIRD MANAGEMENT LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>460 PARK AVENUE, 12TH FL</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>see footnote #1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001249876</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HUMMINGBIRD CAPITAL LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>460 PARK AVENUE, 12TH FL</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>see footnote #1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common stock $.01 par value</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-07-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7500</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.83</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1899600</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common stock $.01 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-07-19</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.85</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1949600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common stock $.01 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-07-20</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>14000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.83</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1952600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F7"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This Form 4 is filed jointly by Paul D. Sonkin, The Hummingbird Value Fund, L.P. (&quot;HVF&quot;), The Hummingbird Microcap Value Fund, L.P.(&quot;Microcap&quot;),The Tarsier Nanocap Vaue Fund, L.P. (&quot;Tarsier&quot;),Hummingbird Capital, LLC, and Hummingbird Management, LLC. Paul D. Sonkin is the Managing Member of (a) Hummingbird Capital, LLC, the general partner of HVF, Microcap, and Tarsier, and (b) Hummingbird Management, LLC, the investment manager to HVF, Microcap, and Tarsier. Accordingly, each of Paul D. Sonkin, Hummingbird Capital, LLC, and Hummingbird Management, LLC may be deemed to beneficially own the securities owned by HVF, Microcap, and Tarsier reported herein. The Reporting Persons are members of a Section 13(d) group that owns more than 10% of the Issuer's outstanding Common Stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Acquired by The Tarsier Nanocap Value Fund, LP. Tarsier is a member of the filing group. It is in the process of acquiring a CIK.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">7,500 shares are owned directly by Tarsier, 962,025 directly by HVF, 930,075 by directly by Microcap, and all indirectly by Paul D. Sonkin, Hummingbird Capital, LLC, and Hummingbird Management, LLC, each of which disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities owned by Tarsier, HVF, and Microcap, except to the extent that each such party has an interest, if any, Tarsier, HVF, and Microcap.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Acquired by The Tarsier Nanocap Value Fund, LP. Tarsier is a member of the filing group. It is in the process of acquiring a CIK.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">32,500 shares are owned directly by Tarsier, 962,025 directly by HVF, 930,075 by directly by Microcap, and all indirectly by Paul D. Sonkin, Hummingbird Capital, LLC, and Hummingbird Management, LLC, each of which disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities owned by Tarsier, HVF, and Microcap, except to the extent that each such party has an interest, if any, Tarsier, HVF, and Microcap.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">Acquired by The Tarsier Nanocap Value Fund, LP. Tarsier is a member of the filing group. It is in the process of acquiring a CIK.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">46,500 shares are owned directly by Tarsier, 962,025 directly by HVF, 930,075 by directly by Microcap, and all indirectly by Paul D. Sonkin, Hummingbird Capital, LLC, and Hummingbird Management, LLC, each of which disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities owned by Tarsier, HVF, and Microcap, except to the extent that each such party has an interest, if any, Tarsier, HVF, and Microcap.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Paul D. Sonkin</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-07-20</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>The Hummingbird Value Fund, LP</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-07-20</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>The Hummingbird Microcap Fund, LP</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-07-20</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Hummingbird Management, LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-07-20</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Hummingbird Capital, LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-07-20</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
