bd's Mongolian Grill

Update 7/14/10: bd's is closed.

In a word: An ethnic identity crisis.

The specs: #0451  
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at 77 Square, Ruppert Food Blog, Yelp; Mongolian Grill scene writeup at Isthmus; official web site [Warning: video].

JM, Nichole, Ross, Sam and Sue F. ate the make-your-own-stir-fry with a total of three beers and two soft drinks.
The bill was $87, or $17.40/person, plus tip (thanks, Mom!).
JM gave bd's Mongolian Grill a B; Sue F. gave bd's Mongolian Grill a B-, Nichole and Ross gave bd's Mongolian Grill a C; Sam gave bd's Mongolian Grill a C- (see our grading rubric).

Latest bd's Mongolian Grill news and reviews

Our third Mongolian BBQ experience didn't unseat either of our first two, at HuHot and Flat Top. At this kind of venue, evaluating the food is somewhat pointless, but we did notice some differences that may be informative when you're choosing where to go. Much of this ground's been ably covered by Kyle, so we'll try not to be redundant.

We noticed that here at bd's they provide raw, not frozen, meat, which leads to a faster cooking time but less chance for flavors to meld. This is somewhat made up for by the provision of more premade sauces (as opposed to fresh juices and vinegars). Pair this with less guidance on recipes, bd's approach caters to the more convenience-oriented or less confident stir fry assembler, we think.

At the grill, Connect Four was available for our amusement, and hopefully not just to distract us from what was going on at the grill. The loud tunes at the grill might help the grillers' rhythm, but not accuracy. We saw a logistical tangle that ended badly, though the staff did what they could to fix it. Bottom line, Sam got Ross's sauce, Ross got someone else's, and Sam's got discarded.

Despite that snafu, Sue found the meal generally pleasing, saying:

This is a very entertaining way to dine. The food turned out very well, notwithstanding my "mad scientist" approach to the sauces. A chocolate lover, I passed on the desserts. I may have tried a palate-cooling fruity dessert had there been some more choices.

Our server/bartender was warm and friendly throughout the meal. The decor screams a fusion of Hawaiian, Thai, Chinese, Mongolian, Japanese, Mexican and a few others.  bd's is a master of none of these cultures.  As far as the food went, again, not much point analyzing what we threw together; suffice it to say it was average.

Comments

[Kally]

Man, I really loved this place! It was fun to put together your own meal; there were a variety of meats, veggies and sauces to choose from to personalize everything. I did, however, catch a wayward veggie that I did not want from someone else's entree (yuck). The sauces I chose were yummy! Thought maybe it was a little high in price for what you got, but overall I loved it!

[ap]

I miss Big Bowl.

[Caissa]

According to their Facebook friend page/fan page and HuHot's Twitter account, this place closed as of Monday.

[Kyle]

Phone is disconnected. I'd say that's the trifecta: withdrawal from society, the cheers of your enemies, and the lamentation of your women. bd's is done-fer.

[EiMAtZ]

Shrewd of HuHot to accept bd's gift certificates.