- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Hula's Chinese Bar-B Q
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Mongolian Chinese, Mongolian [Edit]
1937 E 20th StChico, CA 95928
(530) 342-6304
- 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:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
31 reviews for Hula's Chinese Bar-B Q
Review Highlights
"...only get to make one bowl of deliciousness, so make it well."
(in 3 reviews)
"One of the best foods to choose from are the tasty noodles."
(in 12 reviews)
"I love noodles & stir fry, so to me, it is very tasty."
(in 5 reviews)
Loading...
31 reviews in English
-
Review from Lyla M.
Chico, CA
12/7/2011
IF YOU DONT LIKE HULAS...YOUR MAKING IT WRONG.
im writing this because of the one star review I saw and wanted to clear some things up.....
first off, for all the people complaining about the Frozen meat, you have to have it frozen if its going to be out like it is. otherwise the meat would get warm and go bad...common sense people come on. also the veggies are fresh, the refrigerators right in front of YOUR face, shows them its magic, actually looking around what a concept! Veggies they aren't frozen! and the sauces, they have everything from cooking wine to teriyaki and back they are not all "olive oil based" are you kidding me???!!!! if you cant stand all there sauce's (which are typical stir-fry sauces) then maybe you don't like stir fry..could that be the problem...then it wouldnt be hulas that had the one star it would be YOUR taste buds..
my main point being saying its greasy or gross are so stupid, you put the sauce on so if its greasy..um change the sauce you use!!! also if your a vegitarian they will clean the grill off and ask if you want just your bowl on the grill, and you CAN request that too if the others people food on the grill pisses you off..BUT hate to break it to ya EVERY other restaurant you go to cooks more than just your food at the same time. its funny if you think otherwise. and to the person who gave them a young star and made a crack at how much food was in each persons bowl... the reason people pile up there bowls is because it cooks down majorly when you have a bowl filled to the top and piled high, it cooks down to a normal bowl. Also lunch isn't all you can eat, and we all like getting left overs...COLD HULAS IS ALMOST BETTER THAN HOT HULAS! I have a friend who fills up on won tons, rice, soup, and a little of his bowl just to take it home and put it in the fridge for the next day. its epic!!!
now that we got that out of the way..
I've never once been to Hulas and didn't throughly enjoy what I was eating (duh cause you make it! if you don't like it who's to blame?) its really scrumptious and the meats always juicy (despite the ice crystals it is fresh) the veggies are so great I love the mushroom and broccoli, talk about flavor yum! and the service is great, I much prefer the one on the esplanade, because its far less busy but after reading that review I had to 5 star this place! its amazing, seriously go here. if your a foodie, or in chico this is a must try. all the locals eat here! -
Review from Julia L.
10/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
LOVE HULAS!
I've been going here since I was a youngon annd it never gets old.
First: You get to choose what you want, it's a buffet so get as much as you desire
Second: It's all RAW!!! wait... What?! RAW!? YEAh... its' Raw food... wait for the third
Third: They cook it in front of you!!!
yeah it's that awesome. Mongolian BBQ is quite scrumptious at this place. I've always been a fan. I don't suggest eating there on the daily as it is a bit fattening (if you're trying to watch your figure like i sometimes try to) but it's definitely good for a treat to yourself.
TIP: Get 2 bowls when you run through the line.. .then you can squish them and make more room for more delicious food and sauces.
TIP #2: Get a lot of sauce.. trust me, the flavor will be AMAZING.
ENJOY! -
Review from Ange B.
Forest Ranch, CA
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really, people!?!?! 3.5 stars??? That's outrageous, way too generous, and incorrect. You must have taste buds similar to that of a corpse.
I digress. I first tried Hula's at Taste of Chico and the sample I had was some pretty tasty morsels. It was a chicken lo mein dish, which one assumes to be standard. After this, I was convinced that my partner in crime and I should head on down to the store to have a better look (taste, really).
First impression upon walking in the door: what the hell? We should leave.
Service: I wish there were individual stars for this, cause they would totes get a five, but since they don't, this is my one nice comment about Hula's; the servers are polite and attentive.
Food: meat is all frozen, veggies aren't fresh at all, sauces are minimal and pretty much all a lame olive oil base. Not to mention, they lack in the clean department. (Also, what the hell, people? It's all you can eat, but that doesn't mean you have to treat each bowl like you are creating the last supper for your entire family! SLOW DOWN and think about the food you are wasting. SICK!).
Cooking/presentation: also gross. The cooks manage put three bowls of food on the grill at once and instead of remaining in once place to cook it, they rotate around. So, you are getting everyone else's sauce, juice, meat flavorings, etc. on your food. Also, they use wooden sticks to fry the food instead of metal.
Taste: meh, it was less than good. And don't say it was "my fault", Debbie Downers. You can't make a turd taste good.
Hula's ultimately gets many thumbs down from me. I'm from a large city where we have much classier BBQs. Hula's lacks cleanliness, freshness, a spice bar, eggs, and a fair price. -
Review from Stephanie R.
Orange, CA
7/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wish Hula's wasn't only in Chico, CA. At lunch time you only get to make one bowl of deliciousness, so make it well. Watch any local (or Chico State kid) walk down the build your bowl line and you'll quickly learn the "two bowl method." This is the best way to get the most meat/veggies/noodles/sauce in your bowl. The food bar features your pick of 4-5 meats, then onto noodles and veggies, and finally the sauces. They have a few suggestions for sauce combos, but feel free to follow your nose and taste buds and get crazy with the sauces.
Then you'll take you empty bowl over to the circular grill. This is where the cooks will promenade around the grill sashaying your food this way and that with two large wooden sticks, until it is cooked to perfection. You're served up your bowl and then consumption begins!
At dinner time it's all you can eat, so the price reflects that.
This place is as casual as it gets. But don't think that means it's not delicious, because I assure you, IT IS! -
Review from Pamela D.
Paradise, CA
8/11/2011
If you don't like the food you get at Hulas- you made it wrong. The huge line of people who are willing to wait at any peak hour should speak to that.
Your picking out your own stuff here, and I have yet to get a bowl back that I wasn't pleased with. I've great bowls and passible bowls, but never bad. Go heavy on the sauces, and combine them. They have a few recommended methods on a board- use more than they suggest. Don't worry if it seems like it'll be too much, it will cook off or run off the grill.
I go on lunch, I stack my bowl high- I don't use the push down the food with another bowl method you'll see people doing there- I really don't think the entire bowl needs to be meat AND- you can use carrot slices or zuchini slices to extend the height of your bowl- thats the real trick people! :) Use the grabber and toss them on top of your noodles, then use your hands to build a retaining wall. Put larger chunks like broccoli towards the outer end of your bowl leaving it lower in the center, so small staff like the mini corns don't roll off your giant bowl O food. Oh yes, there is a method for the veteran Hulas customer.
The food cooks down, so you do want to pile it high. I use carrot slices to fill my bowl probably about an inch higher than I should, and it cooks down to a perfect fit. I don't want or need a super filled bowl that I'll probably spill all the way back to the table, I just like it full to the top. Thats what about an inch of extra space will do for you.
I can eat until I'm stuffed, and then put the rest in a to-go box which always ends up full. It reheats well in a wok at home. Thats why when people whine about this not being cheap, they are being ridiculous. You are probably getting at least two meals for $8, often times for me it's more like 3.
I typically skip the soup, it's usually pork based- but occasionally I've had them, most of the time they are just OK. The soup, rice & wontons are built into your price, so take them if you like them.
My biggest complaint is they deliver the wontons to your table even if your in line already, and it will be cold before you get back, so the sweet & sour sauce will take on sort of a jello quality. I like them when whey are hot, but I wish they would serve them after you get back from making your bowl. Your bowl will be too hot to heat for a solid 5 minutes, so you'll be left considering whether or not to eat those cold wontons.
My 2nd biggest complaint is that my bowl burns my fingers when I walk back to my table. I'd like it if they kept some clean trays where they deliver the finished product, so those of us with sensitive fingers don't have to run back to our table saying "ouch ouch ouch".
For those who whine about cleaning the grill between dishes- when your BBQ grill is hot the whole time, do you clean it between each burger? I don't. It is flaming hot the entire time no bacteria is growing on that thing! They do clean the grill every once in awhile, I usually see them do it every time I am there so I would guess it's about once per hour. Don't quote me on that.
I think you can request that they do it, but prepare to wait extra time and piss off people behind you who don't want to wait the 10 minutes it takes to scrape that grill.
If your a person with severe food allergies, or a Vegan who can't handle your food touching the same surface as a meat product- skip the place. People are putting peanuts in their food, and it probably will be cooked on the same grill at the same time as someone eating peanuts. You will definitely end up with someone's bowl of meat cooking at the same time as your dish. If your a vegan as an ethical issue and don't mind that it may bump into a surface contaminated with someone else's choice- well then you can probably make a passable bowl at Hulas! -
Review from Julee M.
Chico, CA
10/8/2011 6 Check-ins Here
One of my favorite places to eat. Ever. I almost always just get it to go. Hulas is definitely a very specific food- type of restaurant, no msg, or unnatural tasting food here. Every kind of stir fry veggie, and they're always fresh. The large egg noodles are amazing and you can't find them anywhere else around town. Make sure to use a LOT of the sauce, as they tend to burn out when the cooks cook your food. And I always put soy or vinegar on it from my house right before I eat it. I always seem to get at least a few meals out of it, too.
-
Review from F L.
Chico, CA
4/10/2011
Oh Hulas, I love thee.
Great food of course, you can make your bowl as healthy (or not) as you want. The cooks are cool if you ask them to clean the grill-I had a guy in front of me put 8 (I counted!) ladles of Mongolian fire sauce on his bowl, there was no way I was about to have mine cooked on there! I was half expecting the guy to have steam coming out of his ears while eating...
I love getting the Hula Coola to drink, its just a bubbly fruit drink-with your own dragon!! Gotta love the wantons too, I could eat those for forever.
It's a little pricey but you always have leftovers.
The wait at this location can be foreverrrrrr though-it was honest to god an hour and a half between arriving and eating when I was there last. The location across town is less busy, go there during peak hours if you must. -
Review from DIANE S.
5/27/2011
lunch is like $8.00 you make your food and assemble your bowl. They cook it for you the way you want them too. Lame thing is that you only get one bowl. Lunch is all you can eat. Stuff is pretty good. But for a college student this $8.00 you can take to panda and get the same dish for cheaper. Near the mall, it's a good experience since its kinda like habachi.
-
Review from Heather C.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The best Chinese Bar-B Q!! This place is always packed, no matter the day or if the time is in between lunch or dinner.
Great selection of items. Meals come with soup and fried wonton's. Every other place I've been to just doesn't compare. This is a favorite place to frequent when we are in town. -
Review from Natalie G.
Napa, CA
10/18/2010
Hula's (both locations) has been my best Mongolian barbecue experience, bar none. It's a combination of waiter service and buffet, as you get seated and served beverages and appetizers by a waiter, but create your own bowl of deliciousness. That being said, anyone who has commented that the food isn't that good really has no one to blame but themselves for their poor choice of ingredients and sauces.
The portions are absolutely huge and make great leftovers. A variety of meats (and tofu), veggies, and sauces are available to mix and match, as well as their phenomenal noodles. I'd recommend Hula's to anyone! -
Review from K D.
Crescent City, CA
7/14/2011
Fill your bowl with as much as you can at lunch and you can take the rest to go. Huge udon noodles and their special sauce make it delectable. Make sure to add twice or three times as much sauce as the sign says. Not a romantic spot. I think they could really spice up the ambiance ...not a pretty place but nice and big.
-
Review from Kris M.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/2/2009
Hula's is a buffet style Mongolian BBQ. I've been coming here periodically for years. It is very reasonably priced and with your noodle bowl, includes soup, white rice and fried won tons w/dipping sauce. You go through a "Salad bar" type set up and pick out whatever you want to go on your stir fry. They have a few different types of meat, tofu, noodles, lots of veggies and you can pick out your sauce which could be teriyaki, soy sauce, Mongolian fire oil for heat, garlic, ginger and others I can't remember. It is then cooked on a large grill in front of you.
I really like being able to pick out what I want on my noodles rather than having to order pre set dishes and ask for substitutions or omissions. For the price and the fact that you can be in & out rather quickly it is a great place. I love noodles & stir fry, so to me, it is very tasty!Listed in: The O
-
Review from Umilia M.
San Francisco, CA
10/23/2007
This place is a must for college students -- it's cheap, and a big hit for even the pickiest eater, since each person chooses what to put in their own stir fry.
Hula's has tons of noodles, different kinds of meats, veggies, extras and sauces to put in your bowl, then the experts cook it up quickly while you watch. Add more sauce then you'll think you want, since a lot of it just evaporates when it hits the big skillet, and your concoction will be so much better with enough teriyaki, soy sauce, garlic and hot sauce.
Every time I've been there everything looks fresh, and the buffet-choosing area is sparkling clean.
Each meal comes with rice, a fried wonton or something, and the nastiest soup you'll ever get. Just pretend it's not there, or tell the waitress "no thanks". Believe me, you don't want the soup.
Tons of food for close to nothing, and if you come for lunch you can take your leftovers home. Dinner's more expensive, and you can go through the line as many times as you like, but can't take anything home.
There's also another location on East, if that's more in your neighborhood of Chico.Listed in: Chico...
-
Review from Kat A.
San Diego, CA
2/1/2007
I don't understand how I can live in San Diego and not have a single Mongolian barbecue that measures up to this place. It's amazing! I miss it like crazy! My parents love Hula's too, this was the spot we always met at for lunch when they came down from Redding.
Cram as much food in your bowl as you can if you go for lunch -- great leftovers for us collegy-types. The secret is also in the sauces... although they give you recipes for recommended sauces, I'd experiment a little, especially if you like more kick to your food. Their "spicy" recipe needs to be taken up a notch if you're not a NoCal native.Listed in: Home away from home
-
Review from Nikole E.
Chico, CA
5/27/2011
Great lunch or dinner spot. Yummy, create your own stir fry.
-
Review from Christina H.
Chico, CA
4/25/2011 8 Check-ins Here
The food is pretty legit here. You have to wait pretty long to actually eat it but usually it's worth it. I like getting it to take home, I never can finish a full bowl and the left overs are just as good or better then when it's fresh!
-
Review from Meg S.
San Luis Obispo, CA
2/2/2009
So the way this works is, you walk in and wait for someone to seat you and bring you drinks (coke for my boyfriend, water for me). You're then given a plate of wontons with some sweet 'n sour dipping sauce. They kind of reminded me of the cinnamon twists from Taco Bell for some reason; they're alright, but not great. I guess you can also get an appetizer, but we didn't really want any, so we didn't ask what they were. We passed on the soup.
You then walk over to the BBQ buffet line, grab a bowl, and go to town. I was kind of surprised and disappointed that the meats were all frozen ice shavings, but they must do that on purpose so you can't load up on meat (stuffing your bowl full of frozen solid meat shavings is hard!). They have lamb, beef, chicken, and pork-- and despite being frozen, they all taste surprisingly delicious once cooked.
Once you're satisfied with your pile 'o food, you hand it over to a guy who cooks it on this giant hot plate for you. In less than five minutes, you have a steaming bowl of deliciousness. Before you leave the counter you can toss on some pineapple or crispy rice noodles, and grab a pair of chopsticks.
Overall, the meal was yummy and left me quite satisfied. The rice I got on the side was old and crunchy (grrrr, why do I always get the crunchy rice??), so I don't recommend it at all. Lunch is not all-you-can-eat. You get one BBQ bowl and one chinese take-out box, so stuff your bowl well and you'll be fine. Dinner is all-you-can-eat and you can have one bowl to-go as long as it fits in the box with the lid closed.
+3 stars for the amount of food and customization you can get in one little bowl.
-2 stars for the crunchy rice and slightly unsanitary feeling I got while being inside the place.
Probably won't be back. For the price you have to pay, there are much better eats in Chico. -
Review from Nosniv X.
San Francisco, CA
7/5/2006
**Update*** I've dropped a star since the prices here for dinner have gotten too high for what should be cheap college eats.
The secret to Hula's is using a second bowl to cram as much food into your first bowl so you will leave the restaurant full and satisfied that you got a good deal on lunch. For a reasonable price you get a bowl of rice, and one go through the line to get as much food as you can into a bowl before the stir fry guys proceed to cook up your concoction.
If you aren't skilled at cramming the food into a bowl, go for dinner where you get all you can eat for a couple dollars more. -
Review from Doug E.
Elk Grove, CA
7/10/2010
I have been there twice now and enjoyed it both times. The first time was a few years ago. Great service, all three of us really enjoyed it again this trip. Many choices and several sauces. The soup and rice were good as well. Will be back for sure!
-
Review from Bryn T.
Chico, CA
9/6/2008
My wife grew up in Chico and she was really excited about taking me to Hula's a few days ago. After so much hype, I have to say that I was really disappointed. The fried wontons were good, but everything after that was downhill. The service left quite a bit to be desired. It also seemed very unsanitary. The ingredients are not fresh as they are frozen, and when the "chefs" cook the food, the grill is not cleaned off.
I guess it would be good for starving college students, but if you are looking for authentic mongolian food don't go here. -
Review from Melinda R.
Chico, CA
1/24/2011
One of my favorite restaurants! Great food and ambiance. Reasonably priced. You can go there with family and friends...even a date The food is healthy with lots of veggies to choose from. They also have beef, pork, chicken, lamb and sausage to add to your bowl. One of the best foods to choose from are the tasty noodles! I love it!!!!
-
Review from Olin S.
Northern, CA
7/9/2010
OVERRATED. if its crowded it takes forever to get your bowl made. Not very tasty.
-
Review from Stephanie L.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2009
This place grosses me out. There are always pieces of food scattered all over the buffet and the ingredients are pretty poor quality. I really don't understand the appeal of the fat slimy noodles they use either. It doesn't matter what sauces you use... It just tastes like dirty flat top grill at the end. Yes, it's cheap, but I think it's worth "splurging" on some real Chinese food made by a real cook (not a guy that gets tips for scooting stuff along with giant chopsticks) and where you can actually keep your leftovers.
-
Review from John G.
Chico, CA
7/27/2008
Great mongolean style BBQ. If you've got a family and are on a tight budget, get one bowl to go (make a pot of rice at home) and ask for extra soup instead of rice. At around $8 it can feed mom, dad and a couple of kids. They lose one point for sucky egg rolls and undercooked rice.
-
Review from Mick E.
Paradise, CA
Updated - 7/6/2010
The following is an expanded review of Hulas. I don't usually post such a brief reviw. I am sorry for any inconvenience that it might have caused.
The vegetables looked as if they had been there far past their experation date. The (mystery) meat was sliced so thin it was unidentifiable. The sauces were absolutely tasteless. For the price charged, we would have been better off going to an upscale Chinese restaurant.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/1/2010
The Good: Friendly Staff
The Bad: The Food
The Ugly $31.00 w/tip for dinner
… Read more »
-
-
Review from Brian A.
San Francisco, CA
2/10/2010
This place is all about watching overweight people compact as much food as possible into their bowl like it's the last meal they will have for a week. Everyone has some kind of strategy on how to maximize the amount of cheap food they can cram into their face while at Hulas and still have lunch for the next day. I feel like some Hulas customers may be training for an eating contest or attempting a slow suicide by way of over-consumption. Having said that, this can be a fun place to go once in a while because of the novelty of the whole big hot plate thingy.
-
Review from Minnie L.
Chico, CA
7/28/2008
It's "Chico's must see", as I've been told. I really like the appetizers, the fried wanton. The food isn't that special, it is a good deal though. The waitress forgot our appetizers while we were getting our food using the cafeteria style like manner. Everything is frozen and dumped into little metal trays periodically. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who's looking for a nice sit-down meal, but it's a good deal for anyone on a budget.
-
Review from Charlene D.
Indianapolis, IN
4/4/2010
Hula's is beyond amazing. Once we tried it, we became addicted. It is a great atmosphere (although I'd avoid it on Sundays due to long lines, and I usually hit the place at 3pm when it is dead). Locals know the secret of picking up a second bowl to smash down the first one so there'd be plenty of room for more food. Also the key is a lot of sauce! (I usually put in 4 kung pao, 4 terriyaki, 1 soy, 1 ginger, 2 garlic and 1 fire oil). The flavor is amazing and you'll start finding yourself craving it.
-
Review from Anne N.
Oakley, CA
8/19/2008
This place is THE PLACE TO BE after a long night of hitting the Chico bars. The place is set up buffet style, and then they cook your food on these large cooktops. I usually overstuff my plate with the shanghai noodles, tofu and veggies. They have meat there too. Then I add the Hula Kung Pao recipe ingredients, but I add a little more heat. Your meal comes with soup and wontons (and if you want eggrolls). I usually don't eat the soup because it's way, way, way TOO SALTY.
-
Review from Louise D.
Chico, CA
4/4/2010
Love the concept; what could be better than selecting your own meat, veggie, noodles and sauce and having it grilled up before your own eyes! But I will not be returning. The restaurant was dirty and completely uninviting. When we arrived we were ushered over to the far corner where the only other guests were sitting. Everyone else who arrived was crowded into the same corner, while the rest of the floor remained open. The silverware on our table was dirty, the bowls at the service line were questionable. The soap dispenser in the women's restroom had been torn off the wall and was laying on the ground, in the men's room it had been duct-taped back to the wall. A quick reminder to myself that this is the same restroom where the staff washes their hands mad me feel slightly ill. And yes, shortly after leaving, both my husband and myself began to feel ill. We won't be back. Besides neither one of us is really all that into "all you can eat" anything. Which I might add is more than I can say for the crowd at Hula's.
-
Review from Spencer R.
Chico, CA
9/8/2010
Hulas is a family favorite. The menu never changes but the food is always fresh and tasty. Service is great too.
