Disclaimer: We received a free meal, including dessert, as part of BD’s Mongolian Grill’s preview night. Our total bill was approximately $35.
Even though I had absolutely no plans on reviewing BD’s Mongolian Grill because it’s a chain, after reviewing Molly Cool’s Seafood Tavern in Lakeville the other day and taking an inordinate amount of flak for my very constructive criticism, I figured it would only make sense to do it for BD’s as well. While BD’s itself is a bit larger than the Molly Cool’s chain, they are both regional chains and both companies have numerous stores under their control.
We had reservations (thanks to reader “Scott” who gave me a heads up via e-mail) for 7:30 on Saturday night. We had to move plans to attend Mr. and Mrs. Marcos’ annual Halloween party to a bit later to accommodate this but she graciously accepted knowing that I need to appease my readership ;) We arrived and I dropped my wife off at the front entrance while I searched for a parking spot. Outside a live band was playing to the few people hanging around the entrance. They were asking the people walking in if they had any requests but they didn’t seem to hear me when I jokingly suggested “Light My Fire” by The Doors (fitting due to the chill in the air and the fact that we were all near the door, har har).
After having our reservation checked in the foyer we were permitted into the main entrance and were immediately accosted by a very enthusiastic young pre-hostess who asked us, “are you ready to mongo?!” When I countered with a blank stare and a non-committal response she said that we definitely would be after we tried the food. She then asked what I was expecting and I replied that I assumed that it would be just like all of the other BD’s I have been to (Ann Arbor and one outside of Kansas City)–something which seemed to surprise her greatly. We headed up to the main hostess podium and were told that it was a 15 to 20 minute wait. We were 15 minutes early so I didn’t see any issues with this and being that the restaurant was completely fucking packed, including the bar, at least it wasn’t because they were farting around with empty tables. During our wait the pre-hostess came over to chat, annoying my wife, and wanted to know where these other BD’s were. I answered politely but was also getting a little aggravated which I think had more to do with the fact that I was ravenous than anything else.
Right on time our buzzer went off and we were seated. I hadn’t been in Macaroni Grill in years and was only there once (god it was awful from what I remember) so I can’t tell if much has changed aside from the addition of buffet lines for salad and BBQ meats, veggies and toppings and the BBQ grill in the back corner of the restaurant. Our waiter brought us menus and asked if we needed any help with how things worked. He was also quite surprised that we had both eaten at BD’s but didn’t bother us again (although my wife did mention that our friendly pre-hostess did stop by again later to attempt to chat her up).
We eventually went up and grabbed a salad at the salad bar. While not as good as what you’d find at Ruby Tuesday’s, it’s pretty decent although if you’re really into Mongolian BBQ I suggest you just skip it–just like you would if you went to Fogo de Chao. They had your typical toppings (mostly from the BBQ side of things) with a variety of salad dressings to go with it. Everything appeared fresh and crisp and the salad I ended up making was perfectly fine for me.
After the salad we went up to the BBQ bar and started piling shit into our bowls. Several staff members were hovering around the buffet lines and were always asking if you needed any help or suggestions. They also offer cards of suggested recipes that you can recreate yourself. Me? I like to dabble and just put on whatever I want so while my wife chose to go the card route, I just did whatever felt good. I started with a seafood stir fry that included scallops, shrimp, and calamari but for those of you interested in those offerings they had tilapia and imitation crab as well. I moved on to the vegetable line and was again asked if I needed help but piled on numerous veggies and then dry spices, oils, and sauces of my own choosing (I believe their garlic chili sauce, extra garlic, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and whatever else I saw that was spicy). After smashing my bowl down to fit everything in I headed up to the grill and was directed to an open spot by one of the staffers. I have been to plenty of Mongolian BBQ places and this was the first time that I have not had to wait in line for a spot at the grill.
The grillers were a lot of fun and were singing, chanting, and even juggling their sticks. While this is no different than what I have seen at BD’s before, it was still nice to see the grillers doing that even though this was one of the first times they were open. The only issue that occurred was that the guy doing my plate almost forgot to add my sauces to the grill after the meat was cooked but before he plated my food another griller brought this to his attention and it was quickly rectified. After delivering my seafood stir fry plate to me I doused it with tons of Sriracha (they also have Tabasco, A1, Lea and Perrins, and some other stuff available if you so desire) before bringing it back to my table. The food was great. While this restaurant doesn’t really have to do anything but cook your own prepared meals I was pleased that everything was done properly and that the sauces and spices tasted nice. I was pleased with my creation and even though I was pretty fucking stuffed I just had to go back up for one more.
My second trip was for a steak bowl. BD’s had both NY Strip and Ribeye meat and I went with both. Onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, black pepper, garlic, soy, and teriyaki were selected by me and again no wait at the grill. After plating I chose both L&P and A1 and went back to taste the food. The steak was overcooked for my liking but I suppose that’s just how it works there. The meat was still tender and flavorful. Another one that I liked a lot.
After dinner my wife ordered a dessert (we didn’t expect that to be free but it was) and chose their ice cream sundae with fudge (sans peanuts) and also added some caramel to it for good measure. For the first time all evening no one was waiting on us hand and foot and after nearly 30 minutes our dessert finally arrived. When my wife asked for no peanuts the waiter reminded us that if we have any specific allergies that they are happy to cook your food in the back away from everyone else’s, nice. The dessert was fine, nothing fancy but it was a good size for what I believe would have been $4.
Overall the food was great and the service was a little too good. I enjoyed the experience and will definitely be returning as this is a nostalgic restaurant for my wife and I being that it was there that we had our first real date in Ann Arbor, MI. Ahh, memories. It was also nice to see a restaurant, newly opened, that had nearly no issues during the preview night. My only suggestions are these:
1. A little less on the staff hovering. It was actually a bit much–especially if you are familiar with Mongolian BBQ.
2. The only MN beer on tap at the bar was Summit. While I realize that BD’s just moved their HQ to Burnsville recently, I think that they should really try and embrace some of the other great beers that could go along with their stir fry offerings.
3. Turn down the music. Between the noise of the patrons and the music, it was a bit loud inside.
So that’s all I have but I’m wondering what you think. Have you eaten at BD’s Mongolian BBQ in Burnsville (or anywhere else)? What did you think of it? Do you believe that their meat and vegetable offerings are superior to that of other local places (like Khan’s–I do)? Whatever you have to say about BD’s go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
BD’s Mongolian Grill
1025 County Road 42 W
Burnsville MN 55306
Phone:
952-435-0032
Vegetarian:
Yes
See all the pictures from BD’s Mongolian BBQ in Burnsville on Flickr here.
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October 26th, 2009 at 9:45 am
BD’s Mongolian Grill: Burnsville, MN (http://tinyurl.com/yfezj8p)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
October 26th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Would love to go back right now for some more calamari RT @SouthMetroNews: BD’s Mongolian Grill: Burnsville, MN (http://tinyurl.com/yfezj8p)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
October 26th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I totally agree with your assessment. The staff was a bit overbearing, but the food was very good. My drink, the Mongo Rita, was delicious and quite reasonably priced ($5.25 for top shelf liquor – comparable drinks are often in the $8-$12 range at other places), but my husband was disappointed by the beer list.
I think that there was a lot of pressure put on the staff for the preview – hopefully they’ll mellow out now! All in all, we had a great time!
October 26th, 2009 at 11:28 am
The woman im seeing picks on me for my burger and fries approach to eating. Until meeting her Taco Bell was real mexican food. We have been trying to get into the Minnesota Room after Bill’s review but they have been booked and getting through to make a reservation has not been easy.
But this review brings back a lot of memories and im excited to go here. I lived in Alaska for a while where I was a rock climbing instructor at a camp. Each week we would get about a day and a half off. Often we would drive almost 3.5 hours JUST to go to this amazing Mongolian BBQ in Anchorage (dont remember the name)
In the years back i have not gone to any Mongolian BBQ but I am excited to go to this one. Especially since now Burnsville is a lot closer then Anchorage.
So I thank you Bill for this review and im sure she thanks you since it forces me to mix up my eating comfort zone
October 26th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Greg,
It’s pretty easy to fall back into your comfort zone because you’re able to put whatever you want on it. Hell, if you hate veggies (or meat for that matter) just go all veggies or all proteins and a few sauces and spices. Mmm.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:41 am
It actually brings back fun memories from My Alaska days. It sounds close to the same where you pile up all kinds of food and you have to add more then you think you can eat because it cooks down in size.
The fun thing about this one was the cooks were like those bartenders who show off . these cooks use to cook your food then take your plate and hold it as far as the could away from the grill and then basically slap stick your food from the grill into the air and onto the plate.
So it brings back good memories. Some times you need those little triggers of things that bring back good memories.
Now if we can just get into to Minnesota room.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I’ve only been to BD’s in Michigan (Ann Arbor and a few other locations). When I first moved here, I and my Michigan expat friends were pretty excited to go to Khan’s and were actually really disappointed because, well, it wasn’t BD’s.
That said, I wouldn’t have high expectations for the food or the experience, and I certainly wouldn’t expect something so fancy as a good local beer selection. It’s a serviceable dinner for a decent price (although, for what you had and what you got free, $35 seems a bit high), assuming you don’t have to wait too long.
*shrug*
October 26th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Greg,
Re: Minnesota Room. That’s pretty crazy as I had absolutely no problems getting in. I called on a Monday and went that Friday.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Bill do you remember what asian beers they had, if any? I’m a big fan.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:54 am
I believe it’s $12.99 for the one-trip bowl or $14.99 for unlimited. I don’t remember what Khan’s was a few years ago when I visited (and the offer appetizers as part of your fee) but it was similarly priced IIRC.
Yeah, $15 for a meal is a bit pricey but it’s all you can eat as fast as they can cook it and you can wolf it down. I guess I thought it was worth the price for what I got but YMMV.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:56 am
coz,
If they had any they would have been in bottles which wasn’t something that I could see very well from my vantage point.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Just came back from Lunch as I felt like I should go back after my Saturday night free visit. There is definitely an over abundance of trainers as well as actual employees still there for grand opening day and we had someone coming by way too often to ask if everything was okay. We did just the one trip of food plus salad and soup which is $8.99 with just stir fry or $9.99 with also a one trip of salad bar/soup. food was great again as Bill has said. what I also like compared to Khans is it actually is real meat you see on the bar line versus what looks like shaved slices of meat when you go to Khan’s. After eating at Bd’s many times in Ohio I can tell you that they did a great job at both getting these new people up to speed in both hospitality and the culture they built around the grill. I highly recommend. and the best part is I totally agree with all of Bill’s comments.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
One additional thing which I thought was interesting is they do give you complimentary white or brown Rice with your meal (you can get fried rice for $5). In addition they give you the option of also getting tortillas or lettuce wraps if you want to make a sandwich out of your creations (Buffalo Chicken Wraps are on of the recipe options)
October 26th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Called a few times to make a reservation at the MN room after your review. Kept getting a machine saying leave your reservation info but its not official unless we call you back. Never got called over a few days so I kept trying. Finally got ahold of someone last Mon and they said they were booked all week. It sounds worth it so we will keep trying. I think such a good deal for the month of October has contributed to it.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
So I have to wonder if it’s fair for me to give a glowing review to a restaurant on its preview night. I would think that I’d get just as much grief for doing that as I would for raping them–even if they deserved it.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I think if they can get it right on preview with little practice, it can only get better from there once they get more comfortable. so I say yes!!
October 26th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
might be worthwhile to go back in a few months after the newness has worn off to see if things are still as good. chains often send in their best people to open these restaurants, particularly when they are new to the market, as these guys are.
October 26th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I am not a big fan of this style of cooking, but if the ingredients are fresh and well prepared , as it sounds, it would appear a successful opening. Midwesterners (especially visiting Iowegians) love “all you can eat” deals so I suspect they will be successful. The key again will be how they do at lunch and on evenings from Monday -Wednesday. What eventually killed Romano’s was that there simply was not a profitable lunch crowd in Burnsville , they did well on evenings from Thursday thru Sunday.
I had visions of that place as an Irish Pub, which I also think would work well in that location.
October 26th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I’m a Summit guy, through and through, so the beer list sounds just fine to me. Seafood, Sriracha and Summit. Sounds like the perfect meal…
October 26th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
You asked me to drop it, and I did. If you would rather I continue to revisit it I can.
October 26th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
What’s the Minnesota Room?
October 26th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
http://www.lazylightning.org/the-minnesota-room-mendota-heights-mn
October 26th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Thankful for the review (as always).. curious if there were any little ones there? 8-12 year olds..
October 26th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Yeah, it’s family friendly.
October 26th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Ha ha..ok. Thought the Minnesota Room was some special section of BD’s. Thanks.
October 27th, 2009 at 7:47 am
[...] So, the Butcher Block has pared down its ambitious wing selection and hours, Bill Roehl digs his BD’s Mongolian Grill preview meal, East Lake concurs with this writer’s unpopular opinion that the Jucy at the Nook trumps any [...]
November 11th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
did you have to throw the f-bomb in there….that just ruined all credibility for me! Disappointing!
December 31st, 2009 at 8:39 am
[...] Perrons Sul Lago 2. BD’s Mongolian Grill 3. Ramy’s Pizza 4. Roasted Pear 5. Taqueria La Hacienda #3 6. Taste of Thaiyai 7. Tacolmeca [...]
January 18th, 2010 at 10:40 am
[...] event. Now, while I still don’t see the value in paying $40 to eat Buca, Med Cruise Cafe, or bd’s Mongolian Grill while listening to the horrendously boring comedysportz group (BTW, I’ve seen those people [...]
February 21st, 2010 at 1:45 pm
We didn’t like this place at all…loud cafeteria feel….our waitress was practically non existent and there were way to many choices for sauces…..if I ever eat Mongolian again I’ll return to Khan’s in Bloomington.
February 26th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Just reading through your post before I go visit bd’s myself tonight (courtesy of Risdall). I love that you were able to eat 2 bowls worth. I’ll be lucky if I get through one although I might end up trying 2 and eating half of each. We’ll see…
October 2nd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Never again will I eat at this joint.
I bought a certificate to eat there thinking my husband would enjoy it. We had eaten at a similar one in Eagan and it was okay. The BD Mongolian in Burnsville was mediocre at best. Even with the certificate we still paid quite a bit for, in my mind, a pile of mush.
The soup and salad bar was a joke. The “beer cheese soup” tasted nothing like any beer cheese soup I’ve ever had. Normally, beer cheese is one of my favs.
Their business model of having you season your own food is quite clever in that the customer is to blame for the food’s mediocrity.
The inattentive waitress was sweet. We were seated way in the back by the chef’s in a somewhat noisy area. Adding to that put on ruckus was the creaky noise that the movement of the chairs on the concrete floor.
There were quite a few people there. Obviously, people who aren’t as cost conscientious as I am are willing to pay up for a pile of scrap.
Perhaps the $3-4 appetizers would have been a better choice.
October 28th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Ate there tonight for the first (and last) time and it was just awful! Lettuce in salad bar was sitting in a bath of water. Pureed clam chowder (I think) was nasty. Waiter was largely absent, but friendly when he was around. Worst part. . . the food was charred and burnt – all 5 of our bowls – and everyone else’s that I could see around us. My kids who LOVE this type of restaurant and food woudn’t eat theirs.
If you are looking for a better south metro mongolian grill, try Genghis in Eagan.
November 6th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I heard about BD’s at a bar and since my daughter and I both love mongolian grills we thought we’d try it out. BIG MISTAKE. We were ther about an hour and the first 15 minutes our waiter pretty much forgot about us, he forgot our drinks and forgot to bring our bowls until we asked for them. The remaining 45 minutes we were there my daughter counted 9 times someone was asking how we were doing, that dosen’t include all the times we were pounced on while we were filling our bowls, OVERKILL SERVICE. We also didn’t appreciate the antics of the cooks, especially since they spent more time trying to entertain everyone than they did cooking, our food was either burnt or undercooked. My daughter was actually hit in the face by food flying off a bowl a cook was tossing around!! To top it off we were nailed with a $35 bill, no dessert, for one of the worst dining experiences we have ever had. IF we ever go back, we’ll stick with the unlimited salad bar, that was not all that bad and the price is reasonable. Otherwise, they could give me a free grill meal and I wouldn’t take it.
June 15th, 2011 at 7:02 am
[...] bd’s Mongolian Grill [...]
September 24th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Closed.
September 24th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
I always liked this place better then Khan’s and except for when they tried making burgers on the grill my food has always been good and I never once have had to pile frozen meat in my bowl. I will miss you BD’s and now will have to wait until I am back in Ohio before I get to eat there again.
September 24th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Wow. I wonder why they closed? I tried it last year and thought it was decent. Maybe it’s the location.
September 24th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Pretty ideal location – in the parking lot of a large mall.
September 24th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
It was always empty. The reviews I’ve seen incorrectly stated Khan’s was superior.
September 25th, 2012 at 7:21 am
I don’t agree on the location. The visibility from 42 and Burnhaven Drive isn’t good (the site sits below the level of those streets and has trees in front of it) and it is across from a little-used entrance to Macy’s. It would have been better on another side where it would have been more visible and gotten more traffic.
October 13th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
I think my wife and I were in there just days before it closed. Food was good, however the place was nearly empty of customers. Didn’t get any vibe that the place would be closing, everything seemed up to par with any other trip we had made there.
I liked this place much more than Khan’s as there was a lot more variety of items to pick from, and the sauces were much better labeled. If I want good Mongolian now, guess I will have to journey to Mongo’s in Maple Grove.
October 15th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
I think the location is fine. Macaroni Grill actually did well there, but people I knew that worked there said management simply could not get enough lunch business to keep the operating numbers at the targets that corporate wanted. (I believe its part of the Darden group). And of course Champps kitty corner from it thrives with basic mediocre bar food. The mongolian grill concept is fine, but I think you cut out alot of potential customers….. it works for family groups I suppose, but I just think alot of people don’t want to be heaping piles of food on a plate to have it cooked. (my bias anyway).
I have maintained that
an Irish pub with decent food and a good beer selection would thrive there, maybe even a Valley Tap type of Gastropub. (Thats a big maybe, as Burnsville Center has been downmarketing its retail selection in my opinion, and the place is empty most of the time I go there, except at Xmas)
Hey, since The Rack Bar and Grill is bringing back the hoochie bar food concept that Burnsville is supposedly crazy about… maybe Hooters might consider the location.
February 2nd, 2013 at 3:21 pm
Just found out the place is closed, no surprise considering my horrible experience there. Another oriental dining spot would be welcome, just more reasonbly priced and client friendly. Another sports bar would also work, hard to find one you can get into unless you stakeout a spot early.
February 5th, 2013 at 10:45 am
Huh, kind of surprising to me that it is closed. I’m a big Mongolian grill fan, with BD’s actually being my second favorite behind Mongo’s. I thought this place was pretty good and the spicy shrimp app was tremenbedous in my opinion. I wonder what will be there next?