I had Mongolian BBQ at a restaurant in another city and absolutely loved it, so I decided to try C.I. Chu's. The selection of meats and vegetables is great. The bowls are very large and the price seems reasonable for what you get. The service was quick and everyone was friendly. However, there must be cross-contamination issues with the sauces or during the cooking process. I used soy, teriyaki, and garlic, the same a sauces I used at the other restaurant. None of those should be spicy, but my food was very spicy. Like lips burning 5 minutes after eating spicy. I don't love spicy food, so that kind of ruined it for me. I would definitely go back if they could fix that issue. Update: I asked an employee about the spiciness and she said next time I should tell the cook to make sure mine doesn't touch anyone else's because I'm sensitive to spiciness. I'm happy to come back and try that next time. read more

Is Mongolian food Comfort food? Can it? Screw it, let's roll with that. It's a build your own bowl. Buffet for dinner, one bowl or buffet for lunch. They also have soup, rice, and sesame bread offered. You'll be look at $17 for all you can eat with a soft drink, which isn't bad. You start by getting what you want, then you drop it off at the cooking station, then you get your sides, then you pay. This confused me the first time I went so y'know, just an FYI folks. The quality is generally fairly good. Sometimes the vegetables are left out a little too long, and sometimes the meat available is the shredded remains and not actual slices... but when drowned out in strong flavors as is common here it is less of an issue. For food that's cooked on the spot, it comes out pretty quick. I generally will get my bowl before I have finished up my soup, which is pretty good. You get to choose how you want your sauce done and they do recommend combinations of flavors, but I generally will do my own thing. Their soups are generally pretty solid, and they will provide as much soup, rice, and bread as you want. Mongolian BBQ isn't necessarily something that is in the forefront of American eating, but this is certainly worth trying if you're unsure or curious about it. This place isn't fancy, but there's a good variety of strong flavors and enough meat/veggie options to build something you'll certainly enjoy. read more

I've been coming here for years... despite the price the food is always fresh and the folks have always greeted me through the door and been nothing but courteous and respectful. read more

My husband and I tried this place on a whim when we discovered our original destination (a nearby Mexican restaurant) to be closed. On the whole, it was a positive experience. The restaurant was clean, the staff cheerful, the food fresh (always important with Mongolian BBQ-style places) and quite tasty. The hot & sour soup was a little skimpy on the "hot" part, but a bit of the provided sriracha sauce fixed that right up. Also, they had lamb meat available, which is a big plus in my book. Normally they'd have earned themselves a solid four stars, but unfortunately, the value for our money just wasn't up to par. Dinner runs $11 a person, which with tax and gratuity came out to $30 for the two of us - for that price, the experience was a tad underwhelming (I'd expect at least table service, rather than the cafeteria-style checkout line). However, dinner is all-you-can-eat, so for people who eat a lot in one sitting, $11 for an endless bowl might represent an excellent value. I would definitely recommend this place to someone very hungry who enjoys high-quality food. But since I can't even finish one bowl in a sitting, and take-out boxes aren't allowed, it didn't feel worth the money to me. read more

Seriously found my new favorite asian restaurant! :) Its a self serve Mongolian bbq, so you build your own bowl of noodles, veggies, meats and sauces. Everything was so fresh and delicious. For $11.99 you get all you can eat. You also get a choice of different soups and brown or white rice, but the best side was the sesame bread. It was so light and crispy. The staff was super friendly and checked on us constantly throughout our meal to make sure we had everything we needed. Will definitely be back soon! read more

C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque - I could eat this everyday! - Mongolian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I have eaten here a few times; after today I will never return! The food is expensive, for two people at lunch...it was $30 before the tip. We each only had one bowl. I have never spent that much on a lunch without having leftovers. I always have a lingering bad taste in my mouth after leaving there. I have tried different combinations...figuring that it was something I was doing. Same nasty taste everytime. Staff are usually polite, but today the female there was a witch! I will not be recommending them to anyone and will definitely not eat there again. read more

My first experience with Mongolian BBQ was in downtown Denver at a place called BD's, which I {heart}...like a lot! So when I came across CI's in Tucson I got all happy on myself. Went in a saw a familiar set up. They had a variety of meats and veggies to choose from, as well as sauces. But that is pretty much where the similarities started and stopped. While the service were was decent, I was underwhelmed with the food. I saw several meats that were frozen and some of the veggies were not fresh and crisp. The sauces didn't have the depth of flavor I was used to at BD's. Also, I was disappointed that they would not let you put your noodles in a separate bowl. They charged me extra for the noodles. Which is not a biggie, just not something I was prepared for or accustomed to. If you like Mongolian, give it a try. Just don't go in with super high expectations. I am glad I went but I don't have any desire to go back. read more

I am a sucker for Mongolian BBQ and since I was on this side of town and had a long lunch, I popped into this gem. The selections of veggies while you built your bowl were great. Good variety and very fresh. Their sauces were pretty basic, but I am not a sauce girl, so that was fine by me! You get a choice of rice, soup and a slice of their sesame bread. I passed on the bread, but enjoyed a cup of their Zen Garden Vegetarian Soup. It was simple, but I was happy that there was was a veg option. The price is pretty average for a restaurant like this. Some may say $10 is a pricey lunch, but for a healthy, customizable lunch I see a bargain. read more

I will try to go here at least once a week for as long as I can because the food is amazing and the owners make you feel like family. I am blown away by their hospitality, respect, and the food is so delicious. You walk down the line and tell the employee what you would like in the bowl or they have ideas for bowls also to fit your appetite. This place is a definite "must try" in my book for all my friends and family. read more

I went here for my first time today. My first thought when I saw all the ingredients laid out was, "What does this have to do with Mongolia?" As far as I know, Mongolian cuisine is traditionally centered around meat, dairy, and potatoes. The food on offer at C.I. Chu's seemed more in line with American Chinese offerings, perhaps with a leaning towards Vietnamese. And for most people, that's probably okay, because the fat-intensive meals traditional to Mongolian cuisine would probably be relatively unappealing, as would some of the cooking techniques. Anyone up for meat and vegetables cooked in the chest cavity of a goat, with a side of deep fried dumplings? Didn't think so (and if you are, then we should hang out). But even though I know that no one but me wants REAL Mongolian food, I still felt a little cheated! I really liked being able to choose my own ingredients, though I suspect that if I didn't cook this kind of food myself, it might be more imposing. They had a lot of choices of cooking liquids, including a chef's sauce, sugar water, cooking wine, and some other stuff. They had some weird minced garlic and ginger in what looked like that juice that comes in the jar when you buy minced garlic that way -- weird but okay. To be honest, I don't think I got the formula quite right (either that, or the Chef's sauce was just kind of lame). So watch out for that. On the other hand, the service was really good -- both of the employees with whom I interacted were incredibly friendly and helpful. They offer you a choice of soup and some sesame bread with every meal, and while the soup was pretty underwhelming, I thought the bread was good. And ultimately, the stir fry was pretty good too (imperfect cooking liquid mixture notwithstanding). My friends seemed to enjoy their meals as well, including a girl who insisted that she wasn't that hungry before we got to the restaurant but finished everything on her plate. One warning I'd offer anyone planning to go there: They give you a choice between one bowl of stir-fry and all-you-can-eat, and the latter is only a little more expensive. In my opinion, the one-bowl option is overpriced considering what it is, and I'd probably go somewhere else rather than come back for that. But given how small of an increase in price gets you the all-you-can-eat option, it seems to me that they're actually offering a pretty good deal on that. So show up hungry! I'm giving this only two stars because I honestly didn't think it was remarkable, and given all the other options in Tucson, I probably wouldn't actively recommend that someone come here. But I wouldn't recommend that someone NOT come either. I'm suspecting that I'll eventually end up going back and trying the all-you-can-eat option; I'll revise my review when that happens. And I'll also try to get the cooking liquid thing right while I'm there -- I'll post the resulting recipe here if I succeed. read more

This is the first low rating I have given and I have been writing reviews for some time. I met a dear friend for dinner tonight and was looking forward to a great evening. The food was okay but I felt for the quality it was very overpriced. The real reason for the low rating was the way I was treated. The woman who served me was rude and I even caught her in a lie. All I can say is I will never return! I will go to the many wonderful places in Tucson that serve amazing food and treat me like a customer. read more

I desperately wish there was a location on the north side of town. This is my favorite Mongolian bbq joint in town. There aren't many options, but there are a few things that set C.I. Chu's apart: 1) Bigger bowls. Everyone knows that creating a super stack is part of the fun of Mongolian bbq, but there are some places that have microscopic-sized bowls, making it more of a necessity than a fun challenge. Here, you get a hefty-sized bowl that lets you stuff yourself to your heart's delight. 2) Base ingredients for your sauce. I've been to others where you choose from pre-made sauce mixes and it's not the same. I haven't gone wrong with the sauce recipes at C.I. Chu's and I can adjust as needed... more of this, less of that. There's less mystery about what exactly is going into your stir fry. Tip: Grab your meat FIRST before the veggies to make sure you get a solid amount. It's near the end of the line and if you load up on other stuff beforehand, you'll only end up balancing a few slivers of meat atop your overflowing pile. Meat first, then go back to the beginning for veggies to make for a more balanced mix. read more

This place is legit... legitly bad.. I have definitely experienced better. The veggies in the line up were kinda "stale" looking (the chopped veggie ends were dried out), and although I only added one spoonful of chili oil+ 2 spoonfuls of teriyaki sauce my noodles were extremely oily. I didn't even end up finishing my food because I was kinda grossed out. The "egg drop" soup with canned corn kinda turned me off as well.. I wont be back ever again. read more

C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque - Mongolian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The place was clean. We got there at 11:15 am on a Sunday and they hadn't opened the doors yet. Yes, we were "those"people. The food was great and fast- but that's what I'd expect when me and the people I came with are the only people in there. The vegetable choices were fresh and there was a nice variety. It would be nice if they had more than two options for noodles. read more

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I like the idea of serving myself and getting the bowl of food brought to me, but the noodles already being fully cooked and wet when you put them in your bowl before them being put on the grill, isn't the best. It overcooked the noodles, and my food was a little burnt tasting? Like the cook hadn't cleaned the grill. Other than that it was a 6/10 in my opinion. Rice and egg drop soup was yummy tho read more

I enjoy this place a lot!!! Especially on days where I am starving because I can just get their all you can eat and be full after the first bowl, but I still go up for seconds since I paid for it. I'm giving this place 4/5 stars because when I was there, I SPECIFICALLY asked them to not cook my food with one of my friend's food because she had mushrooms in hers and I'm highly allergic to them. Which the chef did not even bother to cook my separately. When I received my food, there were mushrooms inside my bowl when there shouldn't be any at all. They also have a really rude waitress there. Well she works more of the cash register, but she was giving us attitudes because we were taking our time to decide which soup and rice to take. We spent about a minute to decide and she was rushing us to hurry when there wasn't even a line. But other than those 2 things, I'm happy with this place and the food!! read more

Easy place to get to with how ever you want you dinner to be. Fill up a bowl with noddles, veggies, meat and pour on the sauces you want, then take it up to the "grill" and they cook it for you. In no time you have your food to enjoy. I reacently got take away and enjoyed it very much. I did not like the egg drop soup. It was very bland and I never do like it with corn. Other than that it was a nice place to go. read more

My first experience with Mongolian BBQ was in Westwood, CA -- home of the UCLA Bruins. I loved it. Then the versions at the mall food courts popped up in CA, and it was decent. CI Chu's is great! Cleaner than the one in Westwood. More selection than any of the others I've been to. I love having tofu as an option, even though I'm not a vegetarian. I love the soup and the bread that come as part of the meal. It's never been crowded when I've been there. (By the way, I prefer the one on Broadway to the one on Tanque Verde, service-wise. The food is just as good.) The only downside is that it is a tad pricey -- I only go when I'm totally starving, since you can't (usually?) take doggy bags. read more

The set up is simple, choose your noodle type, veggies, meats (tofu and seafood is available) and sauces (they also have sauce recipes for your convenience. Things like teriyaki and Szechuan are covered) and bring it to the counter. A person will cook it for you and deliver it to your table. Each time I've been here, the food has been constantly good and speedy. One of the pluses is you also get rice (brown or white), soup and a sweet bread too. The prices are good for what you get and they have an all you can eat option for like $13. My only criticism is the actual restaurant is dated looking and kind of gloomy. But everything else is spot on. read more

If you come after 4 pm, come hungry!! All you can eat starts then which includes unlimited bowl creations, sesame bread, egg drop/hot & sour soup, brown rice and white rice! read more

C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque - Mongolian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The food here is delicious and you make your dish to your exact preferences! You can't go wrong. My boyfriend and I love going here because it allows us to eat healthy while eating out. You walk in, grab a bowl, and fill it up from a buffet of choices! Noodles - they even have a wheat option. Vegetables - they have it all. MEAT - don't get too excited and fill up your whole bowl with veggies before you get to the good stuff! They charge the same no matter what's in your bowl so get your meat's worth! I loooove spicy food, too. They have several recipes for the sauce that you can follow. I always do the spicy option and triple the pepper scoops. On top of the yummy meals, they have amazing egg drop soup, rice, and complimentary bread. Oh, and the service is awesome, as well. They bring the food to your table after it's cooked, you're greeting coming in and thanked when leaving, and everyone that works here is very friendly. Just try this place! read more

First time being there and was not impressed. I've been to places very similar to here and they were 10 times better for half the price it cost my husband and I $40 for an all you can eat and drinks and wer couldn't even eat the first bowl because of how bad it was. Yes its A "make your own food" kind of thing, but even after trying multiple varieties of things, and following recipe cards it was still awful. It was Too over priced and not good food. Would Recommend going anywhere else. read more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPPhIMIVJa0&feature=share&list=UU8-1HIEIELhnOhZgDB6rQkw My vid review link at the above good spot kinda cofusing when u walk throw the door but easy once you get it and they explain to you. you hand pick your own toppings and they cook it for you. you cant go wrong with that. and you also get a side of flat bread, soup, and rice. -Grap read more

I had never had Mongolian Barbecue before I stepped foot in C.I. Chu's, and as far as I'm concerned, I think I picked the right first impression! I absolutely love the variety of foods I can put in my bowl. I always pick the same, but I just love the rice noodles, the edamame, and a plethora of veggies from bamboo shoots to mushrooms to green beans, pineapple, and two types of onions among others. The seafood medley is nice but I usually opt for chicken or pork. My favorite part is the sauce recipes above the pots of oils, waters, and sauces. I always opt for the Chef's Sauce as I've tried making the others and this one is my favorite. The barbecuer and the staff have always been nothing but friendly time and time again on my many visits here. I also really love the flat, buttery, warm bread they give with every order - sometimes I want to order more! The egg drop soup is good as well, and given with the generous Mongolian bowl portions, you really get your money's worth! The only negative is having the wonderful smell of garlic and well cooked ingredients wafting through the car on my drive home - it's tantamount to torture! Keep up the good work C.I. Chu's, you've certainly earned a repeat customer. read more

Great stir fry options and nice big bowls. Really like the warm sesame bread that comes with every meal. Egg drop soup is really good too. read more

C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque - Sesame bread - Mongolian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This place is so good! I was sad when I moved to Tucson, and realized there wasn't a Genghis Grill. So I found this place instead, and actually prefer it! It's kind of a hole in the wall place, but the food is so good, and the price isn't bad either. You get your choice of bowl, soup, and sesame bread. So plenty of food for the price you're paying. The only thing I would say the place needs to work on is with greeting guests as they come in. The first time me and my husband went here, we were totally confused as to where we were supposed to go. So we just sat down, thinking it would've been how Genghis is. So for you newbies, you walk straight up to the buffet and start filling your bowl. Will be coming back to this place! read more

Enjoyed the setup and food. Very tasty but a little over priced for me. I liked the fact they keep a water jug at the table for you. I don't like the fact they have a tip jar at the register. All that person did was put rice and soup in a bowl for you. read more

C.I. Chu's Mongolian Barbeque - Mongolian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Come hungry..lots to choose from. 2 types of noodles..vast array of veggies...meats..notes to tell you how to find your perfect sauce...only issue with this buffet...utensils need to be constantly wiped down...they are sticky...you get bread and soup.....great place read more

Ate there yesterday, over priced, they mixed up our meals. Do not recommend!! No choice in sauces.

We like this place just because it's the only Mongolian bbq place in Tucson. However that doesn't mean the food is even remotely amazing nor does the service or the way they run things okay. When you walk in no one tells you what to do but there are passive aggressive signs everywhere telling you what not to do. The food is all out with no protection which I mean it's a Buffett style so whatever. The choices are limited but that's not a huge deal. The cooking area from what I've seen has never been wiped down. They scrape it but never wipe it down like they do at other Mongolian bbq places I've been to. The soup is thick and bland, the rice is sticky but rice, and the bread is the best part but it has a plastic taste and just bland. The drinks always taste dirty to me, no matter what I get. Maybe it's the machine or maybe it's the cups I'm not sure. But the worst part of all is their prices and their policies. You can do all you can eat or a single bowl. Which okay fine but the worst part, if you come in after 4 you cannot get your leftovers to go. No matter what. Like I'm sorry I can't get a kids mean because I'm an adult but I can't eat a whole bowl no matter how little I put into it. Also the food is kinda burnt. It's the only one in Tucson but that doesn't mean it's good. They need to evaluate their policies. read more

Pretty sure I got food poisoning from eating here, and the couldn't get my friends order correct. I've got solid standards for restaurants, and make a point to be fair (how busy, new servers, price to quality ratio, etc.) and this is a place to skip. read more

Good chance I got food poisoning here and spent 30 min in the worst bathroom later that night because of it. Eat at your own risk...tasted good on the way in...you know the rest. read more

I'm giving this place 5 stars because it made me go into a food coma. Their selection is excellent and you can never go wrong on piling up your bowl with all that yummy goodness. Their server is very attentive and made sure your needs are well served. The guy who works the cooking station had some organizational skills and knew exactly which order is which. We'll definitely come back to this place. read more

I think that the food is good, and there is a good selection. The customer service is just awful, as it is an unfriendly place. If it is a buffet, why do they want to charge me extra for another bowl? I thought it is all-you-can-eat, like at other buffet in Tucson! No! I don't intend to return there for the bad treatment! read more

This is one of the places my family frequents a lot. Why? Fresh ingredients. Great flavor recipes. Quick service. This is how it works: 1. Grab a bowl and fill it with any ingredients you like veggies, etc. 2. Add meat, chicken, pork, or seafood. Or all of them. 3. Put the flavoring sauce recipe into your bowl. 4. Drop off at the grill. Orders out in about 5 to 10 minutes and it's brought to your table. Bowls are usually all you can eat so get as much bowls as you want. Your bowl comes with a bowl of rice, cup of soup, and flat bread. The soups are just okay but everything else is great! read more

Free sample tasting and the food is great. The waiter was quick and kind. I also noticed that the owner takes passion in his business. He is helping his crew for this busy free sample night. Definitely will come back to eat again. read more

Thoroughly enjoy this placed, I prefer to go during lunch (before 4) because one bowl is plenty for me to eat so the lunch price for a bowl plus soup plus bread and rice is a better deal ($10) than the all you can eat at dinner (after 4) since I can't eat enough to make it worth it. However even the all you can eat price isn't too expensive ($15). I like that they give you basically unlimited fortune cookies :) read more

One of the most interesting aspects of this place is that you get to build your own sauce by mixing ingredients like garlic, sesame, sugar water, and ginger. Fun--though there's definitely a margin for error if you make something that isn't as tasty. Mix wisely, people. Your meal comes with warm sesame bread, rice, and soup, which is a nice touch, as well. I liked the vegetable soup especially well. I wasn't wow-ed, especially because I had a bit of a strange aftertaste from my meal, but this place is solid. read more

We went here as a family and paid $8.99 per bowl during lunch time. The bowls are a reasonable size, but if you have a big appetite I'd recommend the "All you can eat for $11.99" be forewarned though that if you decide to box up your leftovers after 4pm they won't give you a to-go box. They do have organic/whole wheat noodle options (for those trying to get slimmer in '14) and they have a few options of sauces you can create yourself. The sesame bread is delicious and so is their soup. My only gripe is that we walked in like fools not knowing whether to pay first then get our food or vise versa. The hostess had to come to our rescue and tell us what their routine was. They should have signs indicating what to do. We'll be back though! read more

When it comes to the world of Mongollian BBQ I think I may be spoiled as YC's was my first and still the best nearly 15 years later. C.I. Chu is all you can eat for dinner and the price is not terrible for a dinner, There are some unique twists, The soup and rice is given from behind the counter, there is a neat sesame flat bread to much on while your food cooks . As for the veggies on the line they were unimpressive Have seen fresher and wider variteies and I did not like the noodle options. read more