Genghis Grill

Absolutely gross. Place smelled horrible, food was bad, service was bad. Stand in a cafeteria line to take your slop back to a table. Pass. I don’t get this plea at all.

First of all, let me point out, I have been invited by others to go to this restaurant but I would make excuses not to go. Not because I do not like Mongolian Grill but because I was afraid I would look stupid and not know what do do. It sounded a bit too complicated to me. I mean how do I know what to put in my bowl, pick the sauce, seasonings, etc. I got up the courage to go. The hostess and the waitress was very helpful, even going to the bar to show me what to do and I watched others too. I do not think I did bad for a first timer. I got plenty of meat and veggies. The sauces had tasting spoons so I could taste what its cooked in and not ruin my whole meal which I took advantage of. The medium bowl was more than enough for me! I had a leftover to go box. Well, my son, who is 6“8″ ate the large bowl with ease. It was very tasty and as the concept goes, how can you not get something good when you are the one picking out all your favorite foods from the bar… just get a good mix. It was tasty, fun, and I cannot wait to do it again! Only thing I would change is that I would go at a less busy time so I would not be feeling rushed by people who act like they have never eaten… lol

It’s been awhile since I’ve been here and for good reason.
I was thinking about getting lunch here today but I figured I would wait until the lunch rush had died to come.
Now I understand lunch rush can be… chaotic but this was at 3 well after lunch rush ended.
There were probably about 5 – 6 other patrons in there while I was waiting for my food.
Don’t leave your arms on the table.
Don’t trip on the floor… though that may be difficult as it is sticky
In other words the place isn’t sanitized well enough… it can be hard during lunch rush but… they had plenty of time to do so before rebuilding before dinner.
Now to the reason of my disappointment, well the time before this, I went and got the wrong order… guess what, this time as well. I didn’t notice it until I saw the pepperoni.
So to whoever got my bowl, I’m sorry I put so much cayenne and all those other spices and I sincerely hope you have no shellfish allergies (although the ingredient quality isn’t that high anyway so who knows… it could be some other multilegged creature.

Mongolian BBQ places all have the same general menu — pick your stuff and then they cook it up for you. GG’s take includes flavors I don’t often find in this kind of place — BBQ sauce, Southwest spices and the like. They do it all pretty well and have pretty good service on top of it all.

It’s been quite a while, so the boyfriend and I stopped in here on a recent Saturday afternoon to get our stir-​fry fix. We were promptly seated at the worst table in the house, by the wait station and the restrooms, went through the line, and then waited what seemed like quite a while considering that it was not exactly peak lunch time and the restaurant was half empty. When our food finally turned up, we requested to move to a different table where people wouldn’t walk into us (thanks, random employee) and the light wasn’t shining into our eyes.
And the food… not that great. Much of my bowl was burned, and not just «should’ve taken it off a minute sooner» burned, but scorched black with loose bits burned. It also didn’t have much flavor, which I guess is my fault for not putting in extra sauce… but still. This is exactly what bugs me about the do-​it-​yourself thing.
Also, they have discontinued their «all you can eat» option, apparently due to people gaming the no take-​out rule, which is too bad. Instead of trying a little of this and a little of that, you’re stuck with what you get the first time around, and that’s it. At $ 8.49 for the lunch bowl, that’s not a terrible deal, but since they don’t exactly have menus, we only found out when my boyfriend wanted to try something else and flagged down our server.
So unfortunately at this point I cannot find any redeeming qualities at Genghis Grill, so I won’t be back. For good this time.

Ok, here’s the thing. Everything about this place is a solid three stars. The food is not particularly filling, but it’s kind of cool that you get to make your own mix. There are tons of options for veggies and meat and sauce and spices. It’s cooked right there in front of you so you know exactly what you’re getting.
My only complaint is thus: they put my stir fry on top of my rice. I know some people like this, but this isn’t curry, it’s stir fry… It was just gross. It turned me off so much. If I had any idea they’d do that, I would have told them not to. The sauce from the stir fry ran all into the rice and the rice lost any hope it once had of that gorgeous sticky sushi rice sort of texture.
The taste of any of the food is, to my mind, nothing spectacular. I’d rather have Asian from people who know what they’re doing better than I do like at Osaka or Bangkok Alley or even East. But if a group of friends asked me to go to Genghis, I would go. It isn’t my first choice for a stunning culinary experience, but it’s decent enough.

I really like this restaurant. We went with a friend for her birthday, and were pleasantly surprised by the service– someone was always refilling a drink or checking on us. We were there around seven on a weekday night, and it wasn’t particularly crowded– the food was good… although you can’t go wrong with the build-​your-​own-​meal type places. I’d eat there again.

Let me preface this review with an aside: I can’t eat out at a lot of places. I’m on a very restricted diet — no soy, no starches, no wheat, no corn, no rice, no oats, no sugar, no sweeteners, no preservatives, etc. I’m usually stuck with a measly salad (hold the croutons, oil and vinegar on the side). It’s not fun. Needless to say, I was skeptical when my friend invited me to lunch here. Hoping this was not a cruel trick, I got the Genghis Bowl and made my way to the buffet counter. Lo and behold… things I could eat!
I loaded up on the meats and veggies (a huge selection… name it, they have it) and skipped the starch portion (noodles, etc.). I chose my seasonings carefully, and the waiter was kind enough to tell me what sauces I could have based on my diet. At the end of the buffet there was another surprise: eggs! Grab one (or three…) and have it scrambled in with your stir fry.
I was so excited that my bowl was literally overflowing by the time I was done. A few shrimp did a nosedive off the top before I could reach the grill. The cooks were excellent and had it ready within 10 minutes. I’ve read online that they’ll clean the grill surface if you request it (for food allergies, etc.), but I didn’t ask and it didn’t affect me.
I’ve not always been on this diet, so I’m no dummy when it comes to food. Genghis Grill was just as good (if not better) than any of the more expensive Mongolian grill places in town. Everyone was more than accommodating to my dietary needs… something you unfortunately don’t find everywhere. Definitely going back, definitely with a big appetite.

Tried Genghis Grill for lunch and… I don’t get it.
I arrived at 12:30. It was a good thing I’d intended to order my food to go, because there wasn’t a single place to sit in the dining room. The tables are all very close together, and it’s loud and chaotic like a middle-​school cafeteria.
Since it was my first time, the bartender (who was quite nice) explained the process to me and handed me my bowl.
For those not familiar with the concept, Genghis Grill is similar to a build-​your-​own burrito place, except the ingredients are all raw. So there’s only a sneeze guard between hundreds of people and these heaps of raw meat.
You’re handed a bowl which you then fill with a protein, vegetables, toppings, sauce, etc. You’re also expected to season the contents of this bowl yourself. Then you approach the open kitchen, where you tell the cook what starch you want (rice or noodles) and hand him or her your bowl. He or she gives you a number, and the contents of your bowl are prepared teppanyaki-​style on a flat top that looks a little like the wheel on Wheel of Fortune.
Meanwhile you wait and pray that your concoction will be at least palatable.
You can get cards with lists of ingredients to guide you through the process of making, say, sesame chicken or Mongolian beef or something. But of course I didn’t even notice them until I was already in the line with some ravenous businessman breathing down my neck and rushing my decisions.
After all that, I had to wait about 40 minutes for my order. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I didn’t say anything, and the bartender apologized. He even offered me a glass of sangria that had been rung in incorrectly. When I got home, the food was just OK. I guess I didn’t put enough fixin’s in my bowl, because they disappeared in all the noodles and had almost no flavor.
Maybe I did it all wrong, but Genghis Grill is just too much work and stress for such an underwhelming meal.

There’s a place in Chicago just like Genghis. It’s called Flat Top Grill, and while I adore it, I seriously had a panic attack on my first trip. Luckily for me, I had already done the panic mode and found myself right at home in Genghis.
I am a weird eater, and most often have to ask them to leave out items that reside in my menu ordered food. At Genghis, I get to choose what goes in my bowl. Just me– no one else! I choose my protein, season my protein, pick my veggies, then my sauce and then my starch. It’s like making stir fry at home without all the hassle. I love stir fry, and it never fails that my husband and I always butt heads on what veggies we want and whether we should go for noodles or rice.
This is a much cheaper way to do stir fry, and it is also great for those watching their waistline. It is a pretty healthy option and no one has to know you’re dieting. As an added bonus, this place is super cheap. It’s about $ 10 bucks for an unlimited bowl option. I’ve spent way more than that comprising my own stir fry to make at home.

Yuck, yuck and more yuck.

I can’t put into words how much I like this place. I like being able to make my own bowl.

I thoroughly enjoyed the food. The staff was very friendly. Very good experience!

This is usually pretty good. let’s see how my combo turn out today!
Unilocal it was good. they offered a nice array of veggies and meats and the food came hot and quick.
if you like it get on their birthday list for the benefits.

Can’t believe y’all haven’t discovered this one!
Two serving lines and lots of cooks making it happen on the grill. The staff is very courteous and friendly so even if you’re solo like me, it’s a good hang out place.
Don’t forget about the rewards programs… after getting 10 points, you get a free bowl. You get 2 points per bowl on Mondays (hint hint).