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B.D.'s Mongolian Barbeque
Category: Restaurants Barbeque Barbeque [Edit]
619 E Boughton RdBolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 972-0450
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
41 reviews for B.D.'s Mongolian Barbeque
Review Highlights
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"Love build-your-own stir fry." In 4 reviews -
"First time having Mongolian BBQ in Chitown and I was not..." In 5 reviews -
"A great place to come to with a great group of friends if..." In 3 reviews
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41 reviews in English
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Review from Luna H.
Willow Springs, IL
4/17/2012
I just went there and it was so awesome they didn't seem to forget you like most restaurants the waitress checked on us every few minutes to make sure we were fine. They got right to business and gave us our bowls and asked us rice or tortilla which people don't get but you get the tortilla if you want to make tacos or whatever with your meat and stuff. they call it Mongolian i think cause when you get your stuff back it looks Chinese or in other words Mongolian. But Evan if it looks Mongolian or says Mongolian after in the name it says GRILL or BBQ so it makes sense to have more than one type of food which is good for picky people theres even an vegetarian buffet so its great. people complain there food isn't good but the thing about the restaurant is that you make your own dish so its mean when people say there food was horrible. I don't care what other people say about the Mongolian grill I LOVE IT.
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Review from Cristie B.
Roselle, IL
2/4/2012
Ewww. Can I just leave it at that??
Time after time, BD's has been nothing but a major disappointment. I have countless friends who enjoy dining here and I've yet to figure out why. Is it fun to make your own dish? Yes. Is it fun to watch somewhat cook it? Yes. It is fun when it tastes horrendous and you just paid 13 bucks for one bowl of crap? Not so much.
BD's reminds me of a confused Flattop Grill or Stir Crazy. When I think of stir-fry, I think of Asian flavors and ingredients. So you'll have to excuse my confusion when I see Italian style meatballs and sausage chillin' in the meat selection. Oh, let us not for get the spaghetti or rotini noodes. No worries, you still have your standard brown or white rice, rice noodles, veggies, a wide variety of meats and seafood.You have your traditional Kung Pao, Teriyaki, and Pad Thai sauce. And then you get confused again when you see Marinara and Spicy Buffalo sauce. Ok, so is this stir-fry buffalo? Stir-fry Italian? I don't know and I give up.
So after packing your bowl with meats and veggies, you bring it to the cook. Every single time my meat is overcooked and the dish has a film of that burnt, char-like substance that cooking on a dirty grill leaves on your food. Maybe I've just had bad luck or maybe I just have higher expectations.
So you sit back down, and the waitress offers you rice or tortillas. Yes, tortillas. This one threw me for the biggest loop. You look at your dish and wish you had made something else...but you can't redo it now. Nearly every time I choke down my meal and wish I had just gone for the unlimited soup and salad bar. At least I know what the end result will be.
Do I recommend BD's? Hells to the no. If you want a make your own stir-fry experience, hit up Flattop Grill or Stir Crazy. In my book, that's where you find true stir-fry. -
Review from Liz K.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for lunch with coworkers during a day we had an extra long lunch time. I didn't know it was a make your own stir fry place! We came in a large group so the waitress took our drink order and also gave us rice and tortillas (weird?) with our food.
Reminded me of a cheaper flat top grill. I was nervous at first because I have no idea how to make my own stir fry...what if it tastes gross? I ended up just grabbing tons of veggies, noodles, curry , sauce, and herbs. In the end my food was delicious (the best part is watching them cook your stir fry)...and not only that but this place was really inexpensive...I was very surprised with the price. -
Review from Lauren T.
12/17/2011
This whole chain of restaurants is extremely overrated. Sure the food is good, but are you really getting what you pay for? At dinnertime you pay 15$ for a little bowl of stir fry and a tiny bowl of rice. If you wanted any more food you have to pay another 2$ to fill up your bowl again and have teenage boys cook it for you.
When we came in last night we opted to sit in the bar area so we wouldn't have to wait, but even the bar tables were reserved, which was weird. So we sat at the actual bar and probably received the best service we ever have here. Normally at the tables you have to flag down a server for anything, especially if you aren't having the stir fry. Servers really neglect you here. I am not a big stir fry person but they just bring you your bowls without asking what you want. It is super annoying. Bartenders are trapped behind the bar so they are right there when you need something. Perfect!
There is a full bar here and they do have some specials. Friday night had 3$ pints of domestics and a couple alcohols as well. Not too bad. I just had the spicy fried shrimp appetizer. It was fantastic and served in a margarita glass, which was fun. It is also served though with chopsticks sticking straight out of it, and from what I understand is a bit of a snafu.
I will probably be back, but this place is super blah. -
Review from Jennifer L.
New Lenox, IL
5/16/2012
Sat outside. Was told my server would be right with me but ended up going in to tell someone I needed service and caught her at the door. After that the waitress/service was fine
Nice food but slightly overcooked the seafood, not the first time it's happened here. Fun place though, I'd come back with friend's. -
Review from J L.
Chicago, IL
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
My mom wanted to go here because she said she went somewhere similar when she was on vacation & that it was really good. Well.... -___- i didnt like it. It was not all that and felt like I was at a buffett which I hate. Server was very blah. Food was very average. Would not come back again. I shouldve listened to the reviews on here but i said ah what the heck. Theres better places to eat at the Promenade.
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Review from Sarah R.
9/27/2011
I love this place! The hubby, who is the ultimate picky eater, loves this place. But this place is kind of perfect for picky eaters. You choose what you eat and if it doesn't turn out good then go back up and try again.
You can order prepared food from the menu, but I have never done that so I don't have anything to tell you there. The real appeal is the stir-fry.
After you're seated your waiter/waitress will take your drink order and ask if you would rice or tortillas to go with your meal. We always opt out of both because there is so much food in the stir-fry. Then you go up and choose your food. You grab a bowl and start with a few kinds of noodles. Then on to meat or fish which you can mix and match (they suggest not mixing fish with anything like beef or chicken, only mix with other fish). Then you choose from a large variety of veggies. Lastly sauces and spices. You choose your sauce (if you know what you're doing you can mix here too) and put it in a little cup. Then there are some seasonings you can add as well. Then you take your concoction up to the grill where they have a few kind of hot sauces you can either before or after your food is cooked.
Somewhere along the way you can also pick up raw eggs which they will mix up with food. It will help your food stick together and make eating with chopsticks a bit easier if that's your thing. I'm clumsy with chopsticks and I find that egg takes some of the spice away that I always try so hard to achieve.
At the round grill you give your food to some very entertaining grillers that somehow keep track of who belongs to what even though you and the food are usually constantly moving. If you tip, they will hit the gong.
They do have a small, less entertaining side grill for those of you with allergies. Anyone with allergies should use this because with the regular grill it is very possible to pick up a stray piece from your neighbor's meal.
Once you're done cooking, return to your seat and enjoy one hell of a good meal. If you're up for it, you can do it all again once you're finished.
Another note for someone on a diet and specifically Weight Watchers, this is a great place to come. A very filling meal for next to no points. And I did get the point value from the WW dining out book so it was specific to this restaurant. -
Review from Christine G.
Brooklyn, NY
9/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was so confused by this place. It feels like they were a stirfry place but maybe that wasn't working out so they kept adding stuff on...Like burgers, nachos, quesadillas, wings, salad bar, etc. It's like going to a fusion of fusion restaurants with all of them being kinda half-assed.
The stir fry part was entertaining. The guys cooking up the stirfry are loud, a little wacky and probably high, but it adds to the ambiance as they bang the loud gong for every first time comforter. They also have a magician that does card tricks for the kids. A little creepy but the kids seemed interested and not crying, so great for everyone else in the restaurant.
The food itself isn't awesome. The salad bar sucks. Not much to it especially for the added $6.
The stirfry offers a ton of choices. They give you a bowl to put your meat (no sauce or it'll burn), then you add all the ingredients at the bar. They should really make suggestions or give you ideas since I think the options are almost too much. I saw a lot of really terrible looking and tasting dishes made, then subsequently going to waste. But it is interesting that you can do Asian-influenced with rotini noodles or marinara with rice noodles. But in reality, perhaps some things were just really not meant to be.
They have a new appetizers menu which basically was a bar-food kind of menu--- wings, quesadillas, potstickers, nachos, etc. We had the chicken wings which were decent in the BBQ and ginger flavors. They were served kinda cold after our waitress kept telling us they weren't ready yet when I could see them sitting under the heat lights in the kitchen window.
No one at our table partook in the burger bar so can't really comment on that.
The food isn't awesome here, but this gets an A-OK since the variety makes it pretty easy for most people to be happy-ish with something on the menu, especially with large groups. It's great if you want Mexican, Asian and burgers all at the same time.
PLUS: only 2 dollars for kids under 11 to eat on Tuesday and Wednesday. Great for families with little kids. -
Review from Jerry W.
7/7/2011
Well my wife, oldest son, his girlfriend and I all went out for a nice weekday lunch. We were celebrating her Independence Day birthday. Finally had a day when we could all get together. Our family likes this style of restaurant, select your meats, veggies and sauces and have everything stir fried up together. We usually like Flat Top or Stir Crazy more but there is nothing wrong with Mongolian.
Well with 4 one bowl buffets, a shrimp fried rice and four drinks our total bill came to roughly $58 dollars. The selections are varied, meats, fish, etc. Also with quite a variety of veggies and sauces you have to be able to find something you like. The place is clean and the service is friendly. The pricing maybe a bit high but we usually leave feeling full in that sort of healthy way.
If you haven't stop over at Mongolian Grill BD at the Promenade in Bolingbrook give it a try. You should at least once and as I said you have to be able to find something you like stir fried up with the vast variety of choices on the buffet line. -
Review from George G.
Homer Glen, IL
9/7/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Just ok Mongolian BBQ - the cooking staff make it fun, but the service stinks.
Spring for theunlimited refills for an extra $2 - worth the effort. -
Review from Steven L.
River Forest, IL
1/10/2011
First time having Mongolian BBQ in Chitown and I was not disappointed. The hour and a half wait on a Saturday night, so I was told, is typical. I can see why.
It's like Korean BBQ minus the Banchan. Instead of grilling it yourself you go up buffet style, pick out your meats, veggies, spices, etc and they grill it up for you.
They have taken traditional Mongolian BBQ a step further at BD's and added some rather gluttonous desserts (cheesecake as big as your head...no lie) which further cements the US's reputation as the most jiggly nation on Earth. However, methinks Genghis Khan would have been pleased with the mile high sundae...
Recommend you get here after 9 if you want to avoid the crowds. Can't go wrong with the prices ($11-$14 a plate sans drinks) and the fruity drinks are potent if not diabetic coma-inducingly sweet. -
Review from Kathleen M.
Frankfort, IL
2/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty good food, lots of flexibility and great service.
Is it a destination restaurant? No, but if you are at the Promenade and want something a bit healthier, give it a try.
I met a friend here today and they let us talk and talk plus recommended a better way for my friend to use her coupon and save even more money.
I would go again!Listed in: Out and about
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Review from Michelle G.
Lisle, IL
1/17/2011
This place is kind of like a lower-class Stir Crazy. Here's my two cents: stick to Stir Crazy.
As someone else pointed out, the meat and seafood are sitting out in the open. The serving utensils for the meat and seafood were sticky - and I do mean really sticky. Oh, and did I mention that the place was swarming with kids who were picking out their own meats? Yeah, there's not enough hand sanitizer in the world.
This place seems to be pretty darn popular, and I must be missing something because I just don't get it. It's like going to Subway when there's a Jersey Mike's a block away.
Oh, and my husband was sicker than a dog after eating there. Never again. -
Review from Manfred K.
Stickney, IL
11/8/2011
my family drug me here on a saturday afternoon for lunch. interesting place, different......kids love it, kind of fun to build your won sitr fry.
but. the bowls are tiny, and the kids that work the steel plate (grill) are a cross between obnoxious / embarassing and entertaining. although, you can get additional bowls for like 2 bucks each. and you don't have to stand there and watch them cook your food.
it's also kind of a lot of work to basically to feed yourself.....and then they try to make you feel obligated to tip both the waiter and the kids at the grill.
also, the hygiene of the buffet was a concern. bunch of tongs, raw meat, kids diggin in it...etc.
overall, a good place to take kids for something interactive and noisy. -
Review from Meg S.
Crest Hill, IL
7/5/2011
I love BD's! We always go as a double date with another couple who are also big fans.
If you don't like it, you only have yourself to blame because you make up your dish!
The best part of our last visit was what they called a cervezarita- a frozen margarita with a Dos Equis beer bottle placed upside down.
The service always leaves something to be desired, which makes me sad. The food is always great! -
Review from Patrick C.
Brookfield, IL
Updated - 3/12/2011
When this location gets some adult supervision, I might be back. Last night we went there and were seated immediately. After ten minutes of being ignored by the wait staff, we walked out. Interestingly enough, the greeter who seated us, wished us a good evening -- in between her chit chat with at least four servers. I walked my 6'4" into her space and reminded her that she had seated us ten minutes before and no one bothered to serve us. We were leaving.
Unfortunately, whoever owns this franchise doesn't bother to keep an eye on the staff on their busy nights.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/9/2009
I've been to all three Chicago-area locations. Vernon Hills closed several years ago, the Naperville… Read more »
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Review from Matthew R.
Santa Monica, CA
1/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
My mouth savors at the thought of this place. I know there are many others like it, but I love them all the same. Very great selection of vegetables, meats, sauces...pretty much everything. A great place to come to with a great group of friends if you're looking for an amazing feast. Really have no complaints. Fantastic service with a smile is always a plus.
Prices are great, I think. Well, I suppose if you eat enough. It's worth it though, regardless. Mongolian BBQ is amazing!
So EPIC. -
Review from Dave S.
10/6/2007
I am usually very good at mixing and matching ingredients to make a pretty good dish. That is why I like this place. I also like all you can eat which is why I also liked this place. This place is solid and when I am in the area I will stop in again to eat my fill.
The place was packed and they did a good job of keeping the ingredients full. It was a little messy but nothing that would deter me from coming back. The selection of ingredients is not as large as some similar places. Everything tasted really good though.
The service was nothing to brag about. Our waitress was very flighty but she kept up adequately with us. She did give me a bit of crap when I disputed the bill, but she finally gave in in when I proved that she was wrong.
This is a decent place if you are in the area. I would go on a day that is a little slower during the week maybe -
Review from j. d.
Brooklyn, NY
10/14/2007
Alright, so here's the thing...
I love stir-fry, & I'm a huge fan of any kind of create-your-own type of dish (I fancy myself quite the chef), but this place just did not do it for me.
My bf & I went to dinner here several weeks ago, based on the suggestion of a guy that he works with. Although the whole concept of this place is great, the execution is, well, not so great...
So, my major complaint is that it is completely NOT vegetarian friendly. (Not that I expect every place to be, mind you.) I called them ahead of time to make sure they could "do it veggie style" & that some of the sauces were vegetarian. Although some of them were, they way that they cook everything is, uh...not.
My vegetarian food had a "special" section of the grill that had lots of meat cooked on it right before my food was placed there, which was bothersome on its own. However, when the "chef" proceeded to cook my food with a long pair of utensils that were covered with meat, I had to question their idea of what it means to be "veg friendly."
Ugh.
Oh, & while you might think it's safe to assume that a meat eater would've dug it, my boyfriend's meal was pretty sub-standard as well. Although he actually put together an awesome combo of stuff, it all ended up really overcooked & not very flavorful...
Sorry, but I'll stick with Flat Top Grill. -
Review from Ray T.
Westmont, IL
9/13/2011
I am a picky eater -- mainly, I do not like many types of foods. Yet, I found a good variety of foods that I liked and filled my bowl to overflowing. Watching the food being cooked is fun, although I noticed that sometimes a piece of food from a neighboring customer may get mixed into your own meal. If that piece of food is something that you do not like, that could make you meal inedible. Fortunately that did not happen to my wondurful and very tasty meal.
The salad bar was just okay, nothing great, but satisfying. Service was pretty good; the waitress attentive and friendly. The restaurant is a bit noisy, but fun. The gong rang a few times - once for someones birthday.
Overall, a fun place, decent food, and a place to come back to. -
Review from Christina B.
Chicago, IL
6/1/2010
First time here..never heard of the place. Basic stir-fry concept (think Big Bowl or Stir Crazy or Flat Top) but right off the bat I was HORRIFIED.
THE RAW MEAT IS SITTING OUT IN THE BUFFET TABLE ALSO!!!
Seriously, I was assured there is ice from below but it made me dig to the bottom to get the most refrigerated meats.
The food was good--I liked that you could include an egg in your stir-fry unlike the other chains. The waiter was attentive and explained everything for us.
Fine enough food but because I've never seen this chain before it's not like I'm going to seek it out. -
Review from Michael N.
Chicago, IL
5/29/2011
First off, I love the concept, execution and result of a Mongolian grill. I've never disliked the food I've eaten at any Mongolian grill, so let that skew my review.
(1) Pick any meat or veggies you want (well, that they offer - I don't think you can BYOM&V)
(2) Throw 'em in a bowl with a sauce of your choosing
(3) Someone else cooks it for you
A big problem here, as many reviewers note, is that all the ingredients are just sitting out in the open all the time. I'm sure they are all refreshed fairly regularly, and this place kept everything on top of ice. I felt perfectly fine afterwards, but I'd bet some people have had incidents... The other problem is choice. YOU make your meal and YOU can be a real moron, admit it. I stuck with onions, mushrooms, sprouts, green peppers, shrimp and beef, with a savory shiitake mushroom sauce. Delicious. My lady-friend chose chicken and veggies but went a little wonky on the sauce. All Asian ingredients with a sauce super-heavy on Cilantro. Good in theory, but tasted funny. The main complaint I had was that, unlike most Mongolian places I've been to that hand you bowl with some depth, they handed us your typical smallish cafeteria cereal bowl (for $11?!). I agree America needs to teach itself portion control, but I won't be leading the charge when I take myself out to dinner. It was such an obvious flaw that the waitress had a pre-prepared speech with tips on how people start with veggies and pile the sticky meat on top, because they can get more that way. Bless you, Cindy - it worked like a charm.
Aside from the do-it-youself, this place also offers appetizers: Pot stickers, egg rolls, fried shrimp and, uh, quesadillas. Hmph. I only had the pot stickers and shrimp. The stickers had a good pork flavor, but a little too tough on the outside. The shrimp was actually pretty awesome. Thick, fried outside, but with so much sauce that it was soft, not crunchy. Awesome. Unfortunately, this stuff is pricier. $5 plates are fine, but $2 per small egg roll is dumb.
So, food-wise, I'm talking a 4-5 star, if you know what you're doing and know what you like. The star off came from the absurdly-contrived family-friendly Disney atmosphere of the place. I know it's part of a shopping center, but Jesus - just make the place nice and train the staff to clean it and smile. I don't need cutesy names on the menu, or signs around the place to tell me to "GO MONGO!!!" It was very amusement park, very Vegas. Do not make the mistake that you've experienced Venice by staying at the Venetian. Also, the place was damn LOUD. The high-ceiling and materials were flawed to echo every sound around and, since the cooking is done in the dining area it's a bad place to get to know someone. The service here was good though. Good enough. The HR model seemed to be to hire cute, young suburban girls for waitresses and hat-backwards frat boys for grillers/cooks. This is a very strict policy. I heard some gems ("Dude, this was totally my jam, back in the day" - from a 19-yr old, referring to "Sister Christian"). Whatever, everyone was very nice and helpful and the grillers were lively. The bad taste in my mouth came later when I found out why.
Along with our check (which I had to pay -1 star) came a fancy electronic survey tablet, with some proudly advertised instant WiFi connection. Because we shouldn't settle for Bluetooth in our survey tablets. Out of some 10 questions, 3-4 jumped out at me:
Q) Were you greeted in a warm and friendly manner?
A) Yes, the hostess smiled, took our party number, then immediately walked away to bus a table. Another hostess creepily appeared in like 4 seconds and used the exact same phrasing as the first, useless girl.
Q) Did you see the manager interacting with the patrons?
A) NO! And I demand to see the manager because of i-.... oh, wait, Self-fulfilling Prophecy. Actually, "Megan" came up to the table and insisted that we know she was the manager, right when I was about to bite into a pot sticker, which was really f**king annoying. Go away. Genghis hungry.
Q) Were your grillers lively and entertaining?
A) Gagh! Really? Can't I pay $6 for a bowl of food instead of $11 and forgo the "entertainment? Yes, they sang along to "Hot Blooded" while I watched them cook, and they insisted that EVERY child who walked by had to bang the gong (LOUD). It was, I admit, simple fun, but soured when I realized there was a gun to their heads.
Long review short:
If you run by one of these, you'll probably enjoy the food, but with an ample helping of corporate fun-factory. Don't look behind the curtain - that's where the suit sits collating survey tablets and cleaning his Glock. -
Review from Christina B.
Chicago, IL
2/14/2010
I like the concept, but this place just didn't do it for me. Basically, it's a create-your-own-stir-fry buffet place. Normally, buffet is all I need to keep a smile plastered across my face. But this was just blah.
The service was poor. Our waitress took forever, there weren't any bowls for the soup, oh, and no spoons. Sorry, they're being washed. Because we didn't expect any....customers?? Anyway, move past the soup and salad to the main attraction: choose your meat and veggies and then lop on some sauce and spices. Then you bring it up to a big stir-fry hub and enjoy your creation.
I mean, it was ok. There were just too many things going on, too few silverware, too many dirty dishes on the table. To be honest, I felt like I was at a sort of Mongolian Chuck E. Cheese. But people seem to love this place--there was a line to get in. So, whatever floats your boat! -
Review from Mokena R.
Mokena, IL
8/20/2011 1 photo
I always love BD's Mongolian. I've visited both Naperville's and Bolingbrook's locations many times.
Last visit to Bolingbrook was horrible. This will be our last time at this location.
The waitress told us that "corporate" took over that location and now the waitress needs to provide us with our plates. So for our second trip up, we had to ask the waitress to give us a clean plate. Not a big deal, but took 10 minutes to come back with our plates.
Also, when we asked for refills, it took over 10 minutes to come back. In the meantime, the manager would walk through the dining area, glance at our empty glasses and not do anything about it.
After our 1 1/2 hour meal (due to our slow waitress), we visited the bathroom which looked like a bomb went off in there. Tissues and toilet paper all over the floor, no soap in the dispensers and water everywhere. The bathroom was disgusting!!!
We told the manager who had a "OH WELL" attitude.
Take the extra 10 minute drive and go to the Naperville's location. -
Review from Patricia K.
Chicago, IL
7/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'm a sucker for a Mongolian BBQ joint. And BD is no exception. However, I have a minor gripe to get out of the way.
I have been to a couple locations in the BD chain and they have been the same setup where you pull together your ingredients and drop it off at the grill. However, BD is the only make-your-own-stir-fry type place that forces you to stand at the grill while they make your food. I think this is pointless. I'd much rather go back to the table and enjoy conversation with my friends/family. On this particular visit, I was standing trying to balance four bowls - an ingredient and sauce bowl each for me and my son. My hands got shaky and it was just a waste of my time.
When it comes to ingredients, BD has it down. They had ALL my favorites and I was thrilled with the final product! I also enjoy the option of brown or white rice and I'm a sucker for a tortilla any day of the week.
Our waitress wasn't very memorable but in a place like that, its to be expected. She really was only responsible for replenishing rice, drinks and tortillas. I don't remember a shortage so in theory she must have done a good job. -
Review from Ramone B.
1/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
I have to say I do like the one in Naperville better, but sometimes it is just way to crowded. They just are not as attentive or personable at the Bolingbrook location. Our waitress forgot to bring out the rice and tortilla's. The grill guys don't pay much attention to you, and I don't add the egg because they always wind up letting it burn into the grill. They just seem more on top of it in Naperville.....
Anyhow, that does not stop me from going there. The food is awesome. I love the lamb and shrimp. The ingredients are always nice and fresh. One day I will have to try a salad, I always stuff my bowl full, and then I am done. -
Review from Jessica M.
Brookfield, IL
4/15/2010
Love build-your-own stir fry! I come here for lunch sometimes because it's not far from work and I'm always pleased with the freshness of the food and the service. I love that they have lots of veggies to choose from and they switch up some of the foods sometimes so there's always something new to try. Make sure you join their Mongo club and you'll get a free birthday meal - totally redeemed mine yesterday!
I prefer this location over the one in Naperville because Naperville is just too crowded plus it's super loud in there. This BD's seems bigger.
Plus they have $1 light beers if you're into the liquid lunch thing... -
Review from Sheldon L.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2011
Overall experience left a bad taste in my mouth, literally. I frequently enjoy Flat Top Grill and Big Bowl in Chicago, when my friend and I found ourselves in the suburbs we thought we would give this a try. Unfortunately both of us agreed, we won't be going back. Similar concept to Flat Top and Big Bowl but the quality of the food was very poor and as one earlier reviewer described it as a "circus", I have to agree. We overheard another customer complaining that her mahi mahi was "slimy". Our food lacked any real taste even though we both selected one of the supposedly spicy sauces. I gave two stars instead of three as the service was very friendly and at the end of the meal they do bring you an electronic device to complete a survey, so perhaps the restaurant is doing what it can to improve.
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Review from Jennifer C.
La Costa, CA
6/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Okay place. I think they were new? The selection seemed light but sparse.
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Review from Jazmin S.
Joliet, IL
8/30/2010
I love this restaurant. The food is great (of course, you mix and match your choices yourself), and I love that they have an allergy zone where they cook your food separate (my daughter has a severe peanut allergy).
The only thing that turns me off is the group of teenage boys doing the cooking. They are so loud and annoying. On this particular night they were making lists of movies and they were so distracted they grabbed the person's sauce next to me and put it on my food. I tried to stop him but it was too late, I was already juggling my kids plates and trying to hold hands, so I had to walk back and make my stir fry again!! By then there was a crowd, so my table was all eating and I had to wait in line for a mistake I did not make!!! I did get an apology, but I was pissed!! -
Review from Kim J.
Downers Grove, IL
8/29/2007
This was the first time I'd tried B.D.'s and it was very good. I've gone to Stir Crazy in the past, but I found this one a little more casual, although it was busy the day we were there(Sunday afternoon).
Both my husband and I created our "lunch" and it prolly took about 10-15 minutes for us to this. Everything I chose was fresh and there was chopped garlic/ginger on the day I was there.
Our waitstaff was good, attentive. We had a desert(and I can't remember what I had but it was very good) and were stuffed when we left.
The downside? It is casual/family, there are kids and there were a lot of parents there on the day we went that thought it was very cute to let their children run around and scream. I really had to control myself because the evil me wanted to trip the brat that kept running around our table!!! -
Review from Melinda R.
Atlanta, GA
4/16/2009
Basically, there is a giant grill that the cooks stand around and cook your meal right in front of you. You go to the stations and fill up a bowl with all the meat, veggies, and noodles you can cram into it, and then pick out your sauce and seasonings and take it over to the grill to be cooked.
It's a great experience and I recommend trying it at least once. If you're good a cramming food into the bowl that they give you (which i totally am) you will only need to visit the grill once. If you're a REALLY big eater though, I would recommend getting unlimited trips for only a couple dollars more.
I used to go to the location in Naperville a lot when I lived in IL. I have been to the Bolingbrook location twice since moving to GA, and I really don't like it as much as the Naperville location. It's not as fun and it doesn't have the same type of environment. I would recommend going to the Naperville location if you can! -
Review from Kelli A.
Chicago, IL
7/25/2009 1 Check-in Here
My fiance and I met our friend here who had also never been to this type of restaurant, and all of us had a great experience.
The mango margaritas were fantastic. The waiter was nice and explained the basics pretty well.
They had a nice selection of meats, vegetables and sauces.
The cooking station was a little confusing at first since the person in charge of directing customers to step forward was slacking.
The salad bar was decent, but they didn't have a large enough selection of dressings. They didn't have ceasar and I'm pretty sure a few of the dressings were mislabeled. They only had 1 soup and it was not labeled. -
Review from Ryvre H.
Chicago, IL
3/25/2009
I love the bajeezus out of this restaurant. I love the entire chain, and I'm not normally a fan of chain restaurants. You get to pick from a wide variety of meats (including lamb and squid) for your dish. I'm automatically a fan of any place with squid. The quality of your dish is very defendant on your ability to pick ingredients that taste good together. (I've had a few missteps. Peanut sauce with ginger- what was I thinking?!)
The drinks are good too. I'm a huge fan of the Mongolian Sunrise.
On Friday and Saturday nights this place is packed. You have to wait in a long line to get your food cooked, which sucks a lot if you want to go back to the grill more than once. It's better to go for lunch (cheaper too) or on a week night. -
Review from Ron M.
Plainfield, IL
4/15/2008
Okay, so someone is going to have to explain to me these restaurants where you have to do all the work and then pay extra for it. This place is right up there with "Fuddruckers", where you have to put all the toppings on your own burger and then pay 8 bucks for it!? What exactly am I paying extra for, for some High School kid to supervise me?
So I walk in this place and it's a 3-ring circus. The lobby area where you are supposed to wait for your table is about the size of a Mazda Miata. After waiting about 30 minutes, (which I'm told is pretty good for this place) they take us to our table in the middle of the room so close, you can rub elbows with the table next to you...or eat off their plate.
The noise in this place is equivalent to a rave on the tarmac at Midway airport. So as I'm yelling to my date, we get the menu and see that for the low, low price of $14 you can get one bowl of stir fry and one trip to the salad bar. Okay, these must be some big portions, right? So imagine my surprise when I grab the bowl for the entree and it's roughly the same size as a cereal bowl...but what the hell its almost bikini season. I will say that there are more choices than you could imagine, which made it all the more frustrating when trying to cram them all into one little bowl.
They even have "taste spoons" for all the sauces, what an idea! Until I saw some filthy animal use the same spoon to try 3 different sauces, are you kidding? I opted for one that he didn't sample and tried to pretend that no one else would do that, for the love of God has no one ever heard of double dipping? I was looking around for the hidden camera and someone to tell me I got "Punked".
Desperately trying to repress my memory, I bring my bowl up to the giant ring of stir fry. And there I see 5 dudes that look like they should be working the tilt-a-whirl at a county fair, complete with neck tattoos and a daily visit from their parole officer. I'm staring in amazement as two of these guys are talking about how wasted they were last night, while they point out the "Milfs" walking by. Here's the best part, they have a tip jar! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not cheap and I'm a bartender so I understand the importance of tips. But what the hell am I tipping for, when I go to restaurant and order food I don't see anyone going into the kitchen and tipping the chef and he's doing all the work! So after I put all the ingredients in a bowl myself and hand it to some dude who was on "Cops" last week, to throw on a grill and hand back to me, I am expected to tip him and further support his crystal meth habit?
I can't complain about the food, it was pretty good. But I would bring your appetite and get the "all you can eat" option, its a better deal. I don't see myself going back here, but it gets 2 stars for not screwing up the stir fry. -
Review from Roy S.
Bella Vista, AR
5/12/2010
Great food and service.
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Review from Justin B.
Johnston, IA
10/30/2010 3 Check-ins Here
It is hard to complain about food at this restaurant when you choose it yourself, all the employees do is fry it on a flat iron. The choices for your meal are fresh, healthy, and pleanty, which is great. The salad bar was also very fresh and had many choices. The restaurant itself was very clean and well kept up. The wait staff was quick and friendly.
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Review from Samantha K.
Downers Grove, IL
1/23/2009
Recently, I wrote a review about Flat Top Grill. This place has the same concept as that restaurant and I hate it. I think this place has better choices for sauces though (so it makes it easier for me to make something that actually tastes good). My food was over cooked or something because the meat I got had a rubbery texture. It was weird.
The service is alright. Not the greatest. I understand that the customers have to create their own dishes but whats the harm in stopping by to check up on drink orders and stuff? The last time I went there was my first time going there, along with a few other friends so we didn't really understand how to actually eat here. We sat at the table for maybe 20 minutes waiting for a waiter to come explain what the hell we were supposed to do. The host was awesome though.
The waiter never even came back to check up on us afterwards.
The place itself is nice. The booths looked comfy. :]
I probably won't be coming back here for a loooooong time. Maybe when I become a better cook..?
D-. -
Review from Natalie Tasha G.
Chicago, IL
7/6/2010
My husband and I walked in looking for something to eat before going to the movies. We did not know what to expect. The server was friendly and told us how to use each stations. There's the protein, veggie, and sauce/spice station. I was a little overwhelmed so the cards with ingredients suggestions was very helpful. I loved that I could pick what I was in the mood for. I got shrimp and chicken then loaded up veggies then my sauce and some spices. The table side choice of white or brown rice as well as tortillas was the right finishing touch. The food was really good and it should be I picked it. This is a great concept. Getting fresh protein, choosing what veggies, condiments, and making it as spicy as I want it. I will be back for sure.
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Review from Kelsey N.
Bolingbrook, IL
8/25/2007
I wanted to dance when I heard they were building a Mongolian BBQ in the mall right next to my apartments. I liked the one in naperville but can't stand the yuppie downtown area. And it was always packed. I always seem to max out on all the seafood. And I like making a little fajita plate for the tortillas they bring out. (had to ask the bimbo waitress twice for the rice/tortillas) Its a good deal if you do the unlimited plates. The teen boy grill guys are kind of obnoxious. And my boyfriend almost had a hissy fit cuz one kept staring at my chest. But it's nice because it's not that crowded and I can pick my own stuff, get it cooked, and sit down fairly quickly.
