Mongolian? Not really... Tasty? Heck yes!
Written: Jun 22 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fun, friendly, lots of options, personalized
Cons: a bit loud
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| Clairysse's Full Review: BD's Mongolian Barbeque |
When I moved to Ann Arbor to go off to school, I had no idea what kind of culinary smorgadsbord I had entered. In Ann Arbor, you are guaranteed to find something you like: whether it be vegan or the continental or *real* Indian.
However, sometimes when you are given so many choices, your palate goes into overload, and you need something to bring you back down to Earth. For this, I chose Mongolian Barbeque time and time again, and for many reasons.
Atmosphere
When you're a college kid, it's all about having fun! And there is nothing like a Mongolian Barbeque for a great time. The grillers are upbeat (which can be hard when you're stationed near a grill that size that stays that hot!), friendly, and engaging. When someone gives a griller a tip, they smack a gong and yell. They perform tricks using their grilling sticks and pieces of veggies, flipping them into the small white bowls that hold your dinner or back onto the sticks themselves. Free desserts have been known to be given to the customer who is the best sport; one time when my friends and I went, a woman had to go sit at another table (of people she didn't know), and bark like a dog whenever they looked at her - she had to do this for a full minute!!! If you are in a bad mood, and need to be cheered up, this is the place to be! My only complaint is that it can get very loud in the one in Ann Arbor (they need to install a few more sound dampening devices) and as a result conversation can be hard to hear.
Wait Staff
The wait staff aren't as impressive as the grillers - there are good ones, and there are bad ones. However, if you get a good one, you are sure to have a fantastic experience. When we went to Mongo for my birthday, our waiter was nuts! He whistled one of those crowd whistles that stops everything, stood up on a spare chair, and led the whole place in a resounding round of 'Happy Birthday to You'. Needless to say, I was red from my hair to my toes, but it was a blast. Refills are free at Mongo, and if your waiter is good, you'll get them often.
Food!
Food! Its the stuff that makes or breaks most restaurants. And Mongo's is really what you make of it, so it can be a little dicey at times. At Mongo, you go to a salad bar-like island which they keep full of meats (chicken, beef, sausage, lamb, and turkey to name a few), seafood (shrimp, scallops, etc), veggies, seasonings and sauces to be used in your creations. You grab a small, cereal size bowl, and fill it with all the things you want in your self-designed stir-fry. Afterwards you walk (actually, you're kind of coralled... there's no making mistakes here) over to a massive circular grill where the grillers make their magic. Some mixes work, some don't, which is why I recommend getting the all you can eat rather than the one bowl (The all you can eat ends up being approx. $12 in our area, I'd imagine areas may vary). Still, they do everything they can to make it as easy as possible for you to create a spectacular culinary masterpiece. They have recipe cards with descriptions at the beginning of the bar, in case you aren't confident in your own ability. There is also a substantial liquor/beer selection, but as I don't drink, I can't comment as to its quality. :)
Overall, for a good time, I'd definitely say try Mongolian Barbeque. It's great for a dinner with friends, to just kick back and relax.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Clairysse
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Location: Ridgefield, CT
Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
Sassy: its not just an attitude, its a way of life.
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