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C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque

3.5 (219 reviews)
ModerateMongolian, Barbeque
Open 11:30 am - 8:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Order C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque Takeout or Delivery

C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque Photos

Business Info

C.I. CHU'S MONGOLIAN BARBEQUE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque

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Natalie S.

The Mongolian BBQ food itself is good, but that's it for this place. It is $19.25 for a bowl, up from just a few months ago, however they restrict the building of the bowl to ensure you cannot get a full $19.25 worth. You start with noodles and there are multiple signs to saying the bar is one directional so you cannot add meat until the end. Plus, an extra $2 for beef. Okay, $19.25 for a meal but it comes with rice, bread, and soup right? Correct. However, the rice appeared to be minute rice, and the egg drop soup had corn and the broth clearly consisted of the water the canned corn came in. The veggie soups was a beef and barley soup, without the beef. To top it all off, they started mopping in the middle of our meal and the whole restaurant smelled of cleaner. We were not the only ones that got up to leave at that point. Unfortunate that this is the only build your own Mongolian bbq place in town, guess this will have to be a Phoenix only meal because we will not be back to this place.

Going to waste because of a self made rule!! People in other countries would die for this food!!
Pman B.

Place is still down hill now with new owners! As of 8/2/25 zero AC in this place! We were roasting then 20 min later , girl tells us she apologized they mixed our food with another order. Asked for refund to my credit card , still nothing posted as of today. Never to return this lifetime

My bowl
Joy S.

We've been to some pretty wonderful Mongolian bbq's in other towns and were a bit surprised that this is the only one that seems to be in Tucson. Everything was fine, the staff were friendly, they accommodated our party of 10 easily, the food was ok. You grab a bowl and head down the lane to put in your items for the grill. They start with all the veggies and the meat is added last. They had a nice variety of veggies and a good selection for sauces. As a person with diabetes, it would've been helpful to have the list of ingredients in the various sauces. There was pork, chicken, imitation crab, and beef (added an extra $2 charge which was kind of odd). They only had one person running the griddle and it looked like they could only do 2-3 bowls at a time. Because of that, it took awhile to get our food. The meal included choice of soup (I had egg drop), sesame bread (yum), and rice if you wanted it, so we had something to eat while waiting for our bowls. The restaurant seemed clean, pretty standard with tables and booths. The cost seems a bit high, especially if you order all-you-can-eat. It was an enjoyable evening out with friends.

Ashley C.

I went here this past Sunday with my husband and I hadn't been here for years! I was pleasantly surprised to find the same simple set up and laid-back atmosphere. We were there on an early Sunday afternoon and we were the only ones in the restaurant at this time. As you walk in, the bowls and food bar is set up right in front of you to just start making your bowl. When you're done, you give it to the chef who will cook it on the grill, you pay, and then you're able to find a place to sit and wait for your food. The prices have gone up to $18.75 a bowl including tax with an extra two dollars for beef which I do think is a little excessive, but if you pack your bowl, you get a good portion out of it (or bough to take another portion home) AND the meal includes a soup rice and a piece of bread. For the price you're paying, I do feel like they could give you more of the tasty sesame bread. My meal was great. I got the vegetable soup and enjoyed it. The hot & sour soup my husband got was mediocre. and I love that they have suggestions for the sauces to mix together at the end. I do wish they had seasonings you could mix in though and more sauce options (garlic, fish sauce, hoisin, etc.) After the 2 meals & two drinks ($2.50 each) I paid about $46 for the meal which is more than the past, but I also paid $30something at Egees for 2 meals the same week. Prices are up everywhere and this local owned restaurant is a gem that's a whole an experience. Definitely worth a trip.

Hubby's creation
Belle V.

I like Mongolian Barbecue, and so far this is the only place I have found here in Tucson. So we decided to give it a try! Place is not too big, we came on a Thursday, so it's quiet. I don't know how busy they get during weekends. As soon as you come in there is a counter set up with ingredients for the barbecue. Just go ahead and fill your bowl with ingredients you want then give it to the cook. Beware of the Hot sauce they have cause it's no joke! So basically you're making your choice and they'll cook it for you. I'm not too crazy about their soups specially the Egg drop soup. I had better. You have option of getting just one bowl for $17.99 or All you can eat for 24.99 plus tax. My advice is, better pack your bowl good! I liked it. Don't expect anything to be fancy here. Staff are nice. It's more of a self service, no table service here.

Vegan soup, bread & brown rice.
Monica R.

Have been curious about this spot. You fill your bowl with so many food options on a buffet. Add meat, seafood, noodles, vegetables & sauces. Then give to the cook who will stir fry everything for you. You get bread & soup as well. A variety of drinks are available. You stir fry is delivered to your table. Everything is so filling so I suggest ya go on an empty tummy to enjoy a feast.

Suacey

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5 months ago

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11 months ago

we absolutely love it here! never disappoints!! we recommend anyone that wants to try mongolian badbeque to come here!!

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Smokey Mo

Smokey Mo

4.4(749 reviews)
4.5 miKeeling
$$

Really good BBQ in Tucson AZ. Would recommend even though I am an Eagles fan!!!!!…read more eagles eagles eagles eagles eagles eagles

I tried it because I was told that it was one of the 2 best BBQ joints in Tucson. Hmmmm, not…read moreimpressed at all. I ordered a small combo plate of ribs and sliced brisket (sliced with the grain and not cross it as it should have been) and my sides were greens and coleslaw. I did not see the sign that said all of their meats were sauced, but if I saw it, I would not have had them put sauce on anything. As someone who smokes a lot of food, when I taste meat, I want to taste the meat and the seasoning and the smoke itself. The ribs and brisket were very tender, but all I could taste was the vinegar in the barbecue sauce. It completely ruins the meal for me because if I wanted to drink barbecue sauce, I would've asked them for a side of it with a straw. I did not taste the meat, I did not taste the seasoning, I did not taste the smoke. I also believe that if a pitmaster floods their product with barbecue sauce, they are hiding something. So I can't tell you anything about the meats other than everything tasted like barbecue sauce. For the side dishes, I got the coleslaw which was tasty and the greens. You can see the picture I took after I finished the greens and it looked like I had a cup of soup. I don't know why they wouldn't drain the water out of the greens. Since I was the only one in the restaurant, I was also surprised that nobody came up to me and asked me how the food was. They were all busy on their phones or talking to each other than to check with one of their paying customers if they were enjoying their food. The place itself, physically, I liked because it was a hole in the wall type atmosphere. I don't think I would've chosen contemporary hip-hop for my guests to hear. So that's it, I'm giving it two stars only because the tenderness of the meat, but definitely not because of any other flavoring I tasted. I also felt it was extremely overpriced for the portion size. I tried it, now I can write a review and know that I will never go back again.

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Smokey Mo - Outdoor covered seating area.

Outdoor covered seating area.

Smokey Mo - Pulled pork

Pulled pork

Smokey Mo

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Holy Smokin Butts BBQ - Family Feast

Holy Smokin Butts BBQ

4.3(660 reviews)
3.0 mi
$$

Holy Smokin's Butts is a fantastic BBQ place I found, based on a Yelp reviews. My fellow Yelpers…read moredid not let us down! I loved this place and frankly, although great Mexican food in Tucson is a given, I didn't know they had good barbeque too. They had all my favorites, so my wife and I decided to split the The Big "Q" Platter for $38. This included Brisket, Pulled Pork, Tri-tip, Sausage, Turkey, two St. Louis Style Pork Ribs, and 4 slices of toast with our choice of two eight-ounce sides (we chose the baked beans and coleslaw. My favorites were the Ribs, Brisket, Tri-tip, and baked beans. The turky was solid and smokey. I'm not really a fan of sausage, but my wife enjoyed these. I loved that you could really taste the smokey taste and that everything was fresh, juicy, and tender. The baked beans were the kind of love, with pieces of pork throughout the mixture. Because we split this platter (with leftovers), it was quite a good deal. When the bill came, the waitress listed a bunch of things that qualified for an extra discount, so we scored an additional 10% off for being seniors. If I lived in Tucson, this place would be on my regular restaurant rotation, which is high praise indeed!

This is a legit spot for bbq. The brisket is tender, juicy, flavorful, and the bark is mouth…read morewatering. Pulled pork had excellent smoke and fatty tenderness. The pork belly had great savory flavor, but could be a bit more tender. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and a blast of flavors. Nothing needs sauce to make it taste great, so that's a great sign of real bbq. The potato salad is house made and was my fav side.

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Holy Smokin Butts BBQ - Lobby into dining room

Lobby into dining room

Holy Smokin Butts BBQ - 3/4 lb burger and fries.  Great lunch for ~$14.00 including drink.

3/4 lb burger and fries. Great lunch for ~$14.00 including drink.

Holy Smokin Butts BBQ - I can't guarantee you will see this, but it was a beautiful sunset.

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I can't guarantee you will see this, but it was a beautiful sunset.

Brother John's Beer Bourbon & BBQ - The hot mess - warning: spicy

Brother John's Beer Bourbon & BBQ

3.2(788 reviews)
4.7 miOcatillo-Oracle
$$

I came specifically for the $2 10-oz beer night, and it did not disappoint. It's an awesome way to…read moresample their huge selection of beers on tap without breaking the bank. My Uber driver was raving about it on the way over, which sealed the deal. While the cheap beer does require a food purchase, I was planning to eat anyway--no complaints there. I went with the 3-for-$11 taco deal and it was more than enough food. You get to choose between green or red salsa; I went with the green, which definitely has a nice kick. I asked the server if they could mix it up with two brisket tacos and one pork belly, and they were happy to accommodate. After reading some mixed reviews, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised--nothing was dry or overly fatty. Everything was flavorful and delicious. My total for four 10-oz beers and three tacos was just over $20, which is an incredible deal for the quality and amount of food and drink. I came to watch the U of A basketball game, and this place is perfect for it--plenty of TVs, tons of seating, and even space for large groups. There's also a covered outdoor patio with lots of seating, plus foosball and cornhole. Parking was easy, too. I sat at the bar, struck up a great conversation, and found the patrons to be super friendly. Overall, a great vibe all around. Highly recommend Cheap Beer Tuesdays: $2 for a 10-oz pour and $4 for a 20-oz pour. Easily one of the best beer deals in town. I'll definitely be back!

The move to counter service completely changed the vibe of this restaurant, and not for the better…read more Service used to be the biggest highlight, and now it feels like you're paying the same prices for a much lower level of attention. As someone who frequented this restaurant for the last few years, I had a firsthand look at how things were run, and in my experience management operated very unprofessionally. It ultimately pushed me to stop supporting this business, and based on those experiences, I can no longer recommend it. There are far better BBQ options out there. From what I personally witnessed, the owner, David, was consistently disrespectful toward employees and created a company culture that I don't believe deserves support. Also important to note that there is something up with the drains/ sewer system in this building and about once a week the entire dining room smells like a sewer leak.. gross

Photos
Brother John's Beer Bourbon & BBQ - Staff purposely segregated disabled from other customers.

Staff purposely segregated disabled from other customers.

Brother John's Beer Bourbon & BBQ - Family combo

Family combo

Brother John's Beer Bourbon & BBQ

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C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque - mongolian - Updated May 2026

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