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| - Before I went to BD's Mongolian Grille in the South Side Works, I saw the commercials and watched the videos online, and I got excited. It looked like it would be a hibachi style place with cooks doing tricks and the food being really interesting. What I found was place that was a mix of Benihana and Moe's Southwest Grille, with an all you can eat buffet thrown in.
I actually got dressed up to go to BD's, but I realized quickly that I was over dressed. Again, think Moe's Southwest Grille. I was surprised by the casualness of the restaurant, being that it is in South Side Works and it seemed from what I read that this was an experience restaurant.
The way it works, is you get a bowl at the beginning, and head up to a big salad bar type set up. From there, you pick from raw ingredients like chicken, shrimp, steak, pork, mahi mahi, and others. I liked all the choices and everything looked fresh, but I have to imagine that the little kid across from me that was using the raw chicken tongs to get raw steak didn't understand what salmonella is. Then, you move on to the raw veggie section that is filled with everything from broccoli, mushrooms, bean sprouts, peppers, onions, and lots more, including a raw egg that the cooks will scramble. Finally, it's on to the sauce cart, which is where the food gets it's flavor. You can choose from a ton of sauces that are sweet, BBQ, hot and spicy, or many others. I tried the peanut sauce which had a slight kick to it but wasn't overpowering.
Next comes the part that is supposed to be fun- the cooking. You stand at a counter that encircles the round cooking surface where the cooks make your food. This is where the commercials show people throwing food around and doing tricks, but the reality is you stand there and watch the guy take your food and dump it on the grill. After about what seemed like 15 minutes, and a few turns of the ingredients you've chosen, your food is handed back to you to enjoy. Personally, I didn't like that I had to stand there for that long, and what was worse was since they were busy, I had to stand in line for 15 minutes, holding my bowl of raw meats and veggies while I waited for an opening at the counter. By the time I sat down, I spent 30 minutes making my meal and had a cramped hand to show for it.
With that said, the food was good. The ingredients and choices they offer allow for endless combinations, and since you can go up multiple times with the unlimited choice, you could try lots of combinations until you get it right. I also liked the go-withs, like the white and brown rice, tortilla shells, and lettuce leaves (for making lettuce wraps).
As for their salad bar, I wasn't that impressed. The soups were clam chowder and white bean chili when I was there (are those Mongolian?) and the salad bar seemed pretty standard. I would suggest not filling up with the salad bar and instead go right for the hot food.
In all, I wasn't impressed with BD's, but it wasn't a bad experience. I didn't like the wait time for my food, and the experience makes it hard to enjoy with someone else- you're always waiting for your next dish or building a lettuce wrap to really appreciate anyone around you. Plus, the design and attitude of the staff makes you feel like your at a casual restaurant (again, think Moe's Southwest Grille), so it doesn't feel like a special experience, but more like a gimmicky restaurant. On top of that, they do a good job of discouraging you from going up to make new bowls since there's such a wait time involved. They could have had two grills going, and there still would have been a line.
I was with a large group- some of my friends loved it, and some hated it, but for the most part the food was good and the prices aren't extravagant. Just don't expect a fancy dinner.
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