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    Emperor Mongolian BBQ

    4.5 (468 reviews)
    ModerateMongolian
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Emperor Mongolian BBQ Photos

    Business Info

    EMPEROR MONGOLIAN BBQ ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Emperor Mongolian BBQ

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    Front entrance
    Arturo M.

    I cannot believe I've lived in Covina for about five years and completely overlooked this spot. Not just the restaurant, but the entire shopping center it's in right off the 10 freeway next to Denny's. This place honestly felt like such a random rediscovery, and now I'm already planning to bring my grandparents back tomorrow because I know they're going to love it. First off, I really appreciated how straightforward the pricing was. They give you two options, either a one-time bowl for around fifteen dollars or all you can eat for a little over twenty. For a sit-down restaurant experience, that felt more than fair. And honestly, if you're even a little hungry, just go all in with the all you can eat because the whole concept is part of the fun. What really stood out to me though was the service. From the second we walked in, we were welcomed so warmly. She explained everything, helped us get set up, and made the whole process feel super easy, especially if it's your first time. At first I thought maybe she was going above and beyond because she saw us taking pictures, but then I noticed her interacting with other customers the exact same way. She was helping a gentleman at his table, checking in on everyone, refilling waters, just genuinely attentive without being overbearing. It felt natural, not forced. The food itself is exactly what you want from a Mongolian barbecue spot. You build your own bowl, choose your sauces, and they even give you a guide if you're not sure how to balance flavors. The sweet and sour sauce was honestly so good. Everything gets cooked right in front of you and comes out in what feels like under two minutes, steaming hot and fresh. If you're doing the one-bowl option, pro tip, stack that bowl high. If you're doing all you can eat, you can take your time and try different combinations each round. One thing that completely caught me off guard was the bread they had in the middle area. It was fresh, slightly sweet, and just really good. It's little things like that that make the experience feel more complete. And then what really sealed it for me was something small but meaningful. As we were leaving, I saw her helping an older woman, literally holding her hand and walking her out. That had nothing to do with us, nothing to do with a review, that was just who she is. That kind of genuine care is rare, and it stuck with me. Overall, this place is easily a five out of five for me. The food is good, the concept is fun, the pricing is fair, but the service is what really makes it stand out. It's the kind of spot you bring family to, especially people like my grandparents who would enjoy the experience of building their own plate and being taken care of at the same time. Safe to say I'll be back very soon.

    Drinks
    Jennifer F.

    I've been coming to this spot for years now and I always leave very satisfied and stomach 10x bigger (lol)! This restaurant is located in a small shopping center, where parking is never really a problem. They also have a somewhat unique hours for their business; lunch and dinner time. Lunch time is from 11-2:30pm, they close the restaurant in between and open up again for dinner at 5:00pm. During lunch you have the option of having only one plate for a cheaper cost or All You Can Eat for a bit higher price. Although for dinner it's a set price for AYCE, even if you only eat one plate (pace yourself)! Upon arriving the sweetest lady in the front will walk you or direct you to your table. Once you have an assigned table you can go right into self-serving yourself meats, veggies, and noodles. After you serve your plate, the cook puts it onto a huge grill and asks if you'd like their house sauce - I always say yes! Every visit has been great, and I definitely recommend trying at least once. There is plenty of seating inside but I recommend coming as soon as they're open; either for lunch or dinner!

    Cooking 2
    Robert Z.

    Very good hidden gem spot in West Covina for Mongolian BBQ, it is in a plaza so plenty of parking, and they offer one trip/bowl Lunch for $15.95 and dinner AYCE for $20.95 and offer to go options with box also Very tasty and good experience, only thing is they do not have lamb as a meat selection like usual Mongolian BBQ spot, but have great selection of veggies though Overall staff and service are friendly and on point mostly, and pretty chill place overall and definitely standard diner ambiance, pretty clean overall also Definitely very good place to stop by if you are in the area!

    Prices are great because they do "NOT" charge by the pound like others.

    *SUPPORT SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS* *Mom and pop style restaurant. The lady/owner does it all, and is super friendly and helpful! She'll seat you at your table, keep drinks rolling, and cash you out. The fact that the prices are affordable and it's "All You Can Eat," NOT charged by the pound, and able to talk home leftovers is a win win in my book. * Food is good, I really enjoyed the noodles. If I can give one tip, be gentle when adding sauces because the cook does add sauce as well. I kinda went wild on my sauce since it was my 1st time. * Sesame bread is DELICIOUS (owner said it's her secret recipe ;) ). Fried wontons with sweet and sour sauce is also yummy.

    Kurt T.

    This place does AYCE Mongolian BBQ, but the pricing can be a little misleading. The price posted on the door is for one round only. If you want true all you can eat where you keep ordering more meat, it costs more. Just something to know before you go so you are not surprised. One thing I did notice is the meat quality seemed higher than most AYCE spots. The ingredients also felt fresher overall. That said, compared to other AYCE places I have been to, something felt like it was missing in the flavor. I am not sure if it was the marinades or the lack of a stronger house sauce, but it did not hit the same flavor wise. So while the meat quality is better, I am not sure it fully justifies the higher price compared to other AYCE MOngolian spots I have been to.

    Complimentary fried noodles and bread with sweet sauce
    Roland C.

    I can't believe I've never reviewed this place, IT'S THE BEST. All you can eat for 19.95. The vegetables are fresh always and the meat is good. Usually quiet but they do play music. Watch out for when they get busy though cause it can take some time to get your food cooked. The women that runs the front of the house couldn't be any sweeter. Please make sure you visit them and try for yourself, i don't think you'll regret it

    A plate of homemade goodness!!
    Tania G.

    Delicious. Real-homemade vibe. The service is excellent. Very welcoming. A true Gem amongst BBQ. A must stop when in town.

    Bread
    Francine L.

    I haven't been to one of these places before and I'm kind of happy I went to try out a traditional Mongolian-style BBQ. When you walk into this place it reminds me of the old school restaurants that I rarely see anymore. It has a nice style and to the left is where you pick the meat and veggies you want and put it in a bowl. After that, you hand it over to a guy who is going to put it on this huge round cooking grill. The lady here is super nice and honestly, I had a good time. It was my first time doing it and I loved how it turned out. I put more vegetables than meat in mine since I like vegetables more. But you can personalize this to your liking!

    Dennis V.

    I have been coming here for years. By far the best Mongolian BBQ. The food is great. Impeccable Service. Clean tables and booths. I have never been disappointed in my 80+ times I've been here. You will not be disappointed.

    Meats, veggies, and noodles thrown in the grill to be cooked to perfection
    Robbie R.

    Lunch stop! Noodles! So delicious every time! The hostess is always friendly and helpful. Even when it's busy, you can usually get a table or booth fairly quickly. They are always refilling the veggies and noodles so you know it's fresh. Add the sauces and oils as much as you like. Ask for the house sauce in the grill for some extra flavor. Good prices, relaxed environment, and delicious food. One of my favorite spots.

    Weekday dinner.
    Jowel G.

    Trying this place after a few years. All seems the same. Staff is really nice and the guy working the grill area was too. The meats are average quality and when cooked can be a bit chewy. Veggies appear to be fresh but sauces were not filled completely halfway and this was during dinner time. Someone was constantly cleaning and making sure the buffet area was clean which is a plus. This is a quick place for us to stop by and get a bite. Overall average AYCE experience since there's not much to choose from the meats just chicken pork and beef and veggies were basic, broccoli spinach green onions parsley carrots bell peppers etc. nothing fancy.

    All you can eat Mongolian (round two)

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    1 month ago

    This place is always on par. You will walk away satisfied. Came for lunch and man it was a great deal.

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    6 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Good food for a good value. The service was outstanding though. It isn't the easiest place to find if you're not from the area.

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    4 months ago

    Food is always very fresh. The service is great. The price is very reasonable. The location is great, right off the 10 freeway.

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    11 months ago

    Honestly this place is awesome. This food is great and it's all you can eat. We've been going for years and will continue to go back.

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - Emperor Mongolian BBQ

    Is lamb meat back?

    No... I went on Friday and they didn't have lamb.

    View All 2 Questions

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    Mongolian Home Made Pie

    Mongolian Home Made Pie

    4.1
    (94 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    located in a very busy corner of Nogales and Gale. Depending on the time of the day, desired…read moreparking spaces are limited. Upon entering the restaurant, well lit interior with wall painting of Mongolian grass field was seen. The restaurant was very clean and created a comfy dinning atmosphere. There was no outdoor seatings at all. The server was speedy, got us seated within seconds. The menu was simple to read. The price was very reasonable. Food preparation took slightly longer than expected but well worth the wait. The lamb xiaomai was delicious with ground lamb meat and thin wrapping. The beef population like pan cake was delicious too. There is a condiments and soup station, you can fill up your bowl as many times as you want. Very delightful. The lunch order also included complimentary salty milk tea or yogurt. We were definitely satisfied with the portions. The service was good Overall, this place is a gem, and definitely worth returning to try out other dishes. It gets a 4.8 out of 5.

    I was in Rowland Heights so we decided to try something different for lunch and went to Mongolian…read moreHome Made Pie. Since we had a late lunch on a weekday it was not that hard finding parking and there was no wait to be seated either. As soon as I walked in I smelled goat/lamb, and noticed the pretty paintings on the walls. We ordered the namesake Mongolian Homemade Pies (an order has 3 pieces), cold dish three pieces, and spicy duck blood stewed with beef tripe. The meat pies were delicious with juicy meat, and the appetizer cold dishes were refreshing. However, the duck blood dish contained no duck blood whatsoever. The Chinese name for the dish 毛血旺 literally has blood in the name! The waitress tried to tell us the restaurant does not use pork to be halal as this dish often has pork intestine and pork blood, but I am not sure how that would affect the lack of duck blood. She felt bad so gave us some meat jerky. The bowl was a very large portion so I packed it to-go to make some adjustments at home. The complimentary lamb broth was tasty though undersalted (you can add salt to taste from the sauce bar). I also would have liked the soup to be hotter in temperature. You are also served complimentary milk tea or yogurt upon being seated, so we had one of each. The milk tea was too salty for my tastes but the yogurt was tasty. Overall the food and service were fine and I would come back to try more off of the menu.

    Photos
    Mongolian Home Made Pie
    Lamb siu mai
    Lamb siu mai
    Beef fried rice

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    Beef fried rice
    Sands Chinese Restaurant

    Sands Chinese Restaurant

    4.5
    (130 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    I recommend Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale). The food is fresh, fragrant, and filling. The…read moreflavor never overpowered its ingredients; rather, each dish was carefully cooked, highlighting the clean flavor of its fresh ingredients. My family and I left full and happy. (Important Note: Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are preferred since it's a small location. There's also a "regular menu" and a "reservation menu." If customers want the more exciting menu options, customers must call 2 to 3 days ahead and reserve those dishes also. Concerning payment, this business only accepts Visa, Master Card, Cash, Zelle, and ApplePay.) My family and I arrived on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (around 1PM). I'd made a reservation the day prior since I'd been searching for businesses that stayed open during Thanksgiving. Parking is very easy. The private lot is spacious with many spots. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Staff mostly spoke Mandarin; however, there was one staff member that could fluently speak English. Staff is very helpful and professional, and staff answered all our questions. We ordered seven dishes; all the dishes arrived within 38 minutes and 16 seconds. Good pace. The Salt & Pepper Fish Filet ($14) arrived in nine minutes. Then, six minutes later, the Beef Chow Fun ($13) and String Bean with Minced Chicken ($14) arrived. Then, 10 minutes later, the Combination Fried Rice ($17) and Salt & Pepper Shrimp ($17) arrived. Lastly, around 14 more minutes later, the Scallion Oil Chicken (Half - $17) and Almond Tea ($7) came. We happily devoured these delicious dishes. The Salt & Pepper Fish Filet had a thin, crisp crust with hot fish. It's gently seasoned. The Beef Chow Fun had springy, bouncy noodles. Its beef came very tender but a little lukewarm. The String Bean with Minced Chicken tasted clean and fresh; its chicken came tender and juicy. The Combination Fried Rice had plump shrimp, tender beef, and moist chicken. I especially loved how the rice felt hot & fluffy. It was well-seasoned. The Salt & Pepper Shrimp tasted crisp, plump, and well-salted; these shrimp were fried perfectly. The Scallion Oil Chicken tasted very tender and juicy. And the Almond Tea felt hot, velvety with the fresh aftertaste of almonds. Every meal felt clean and fresh. All in all, we appreciated how every dish lacked that overpowering/masking flavor. "TASTY!" Concerning ambiance, Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale) is clean, sleek, and minimalistic. The tables and floors are very shiny. There's about seven tables inside. There's also a customer restroom in the back. The location is also well-ventilated as soft music plays in the background. Overall, my family and I had a lovely experience at Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale). The food is fresh, filling, affordable, and delicious. If curious, I definitely recommend. 5 out of 5

    Sadly to see the closure of this restaurant. There is hardly seen Canto restaurants making classic…read moredishes like Steamed Chicken Skin Stuffed with Shrimp Paste and many others. I hope they will come back strongly!

    Photos
    Soups & Fried Rice
    Soups & Fried Rice
    Entree
    Entree
    Noodles

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    Noodles
    Tasty Goody

    Tasty Goody

    3.1
    (485 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $

    This is a very inviting restaurant. The service bins are…read moreclean. There is no old buildup around the glass barrier like there is at the La Verne location. The food was hot and plentiful! I will skip La Verne and drive the extra distance and come back to this location.

    Came here with my mom and we ordered a two entrée plate which came with two items along with some…read morenoodles which all came out to be very inexpensive. The food tasted really good and fresh and hot. It also was extremely loaded the food that they added in, which was phenomenal. Initially, we were going to order two however because it gave so much we just decided to probably just get one and split it because of how much and how much that one plate was already going to fill us up. Service was good. The people there speak the same language as us which is Cantonese , which made it easy to order the I came here with my family and we ordered a 2, two-entrée plate with noodles for just $10.99. The price was very affordable--especially compared to places like Panda Express; and the portions were incredibly generous. The plate was absolutely loaded with food, so much that we originally planned to order two but ended up sharing just one because it was more than enough. The food itself was fresh, hot, and really flavorful. We tried the orange chicken, Kung Pao chicken, mushroom chicken, and the string bean chicken and all were delicious. Everything tasted well-prepared and satisfying. The service was good, and it made ordering easy since the staff spoke both Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. We visited during lunchtime, and there was a line, which shows how popular the place is. Despite that, the wait was reasonable. They also have some seating available, which is convenient if you want to eat right there. Overall, this spot definitely lived up to the recommendation from our family friends. Great value, tasty food, and generous portions; I'll definitely be coming back.

    Photos
    Tasty Goody
    Orange Chicken, Teriyaki chicken, chow mein
    Orange Chicken, Teriyaki chicken, chow mein
    Pot Sticker.  Over done/burnt and tasted like it was cooked in old oil.

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    Pot Sticker. Over done/burnt and tasted like it was cooked in old oil.
    Jumbo Chinese Fast Food

    Jumbo Chinese Fast Food

    4.5
    (284 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $

    After shopping at the Vineland swap meet,we're very very hungry we didn't have any breakfast in…read moremorning we're starving. I told my wife like to this Chinese restaurant in La Puente that I heard recommended by this influencer who go and try out this restaurants. We headed it to Jumbo Chinese restaurant to try it out,when we got there a short line and see people enjoying their food. We look at the deals and prices we're surprise about price great deals including the side. We're looking what to order my wife perfer to get a bowl with one item she fried rice with orange chicken. Then I order two items all chow mein and my two items were broccoli beef and bbq pork then we egg roll and four seasem balls and two drinks to complete our order. I open my container wow it smell really good I a bite of bbq pork the pork was very tender and full of of the flavor but I was amazing flavor in the fat part so flavor I enjoy the fat better. The beef Broccoli was incredible good amazing flavor the beef was tender I enjoy it. My wife enjoy her bowl very much including the egg roll and seasem balls. Overall we enjoy the food at Jumbo Chinese food we need to come back again to try out different items.

    [ FOOD ] They have chow fun!!! So much better than stupid…read morechow mein. The food is good they have everything you can imagine at a chinese fast food and they pack it FAT. Like TOO FAT. The orange chicken was crispy and bomb, although I felt some pieces had more breading than chicken. [ SERVICE ] I had to ask them to STOP packing food it was too much lol. [ PLACE ] In a random low end plaza, the area is janky. Lots of seating inside. [ VERDICT ] Affordable and tasty! This is my new go to chinese fast food that's not generic Panda Express. 5/5

    Photos
    Jumbo Chinese Fast Food
    This is how much they give you for a 2 item combo.  It's totally worth it
    This is how much they give you for a 2 item combo. It's totally worth it
    Jumbo Chinese Fast Food

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    Ma's Kitchen

    Ma's Kitchen

    4.2
    (260 reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$

    My friend loves Asian food and never wants to eat anything else, so when I asked her where she…read morewanted to go for her birthday, she picked this place. We ordered the Big plate chicken to share, and let me tell you, it was phenomenal! The dish is a spicy chicken stew made with Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, and chili paste, and comes with handpulled noodles. It was my first time trying this type of Chinese-Uyghur crossover dish, and it definitely surpassed my expectations. The portion was incredibly generous as well, as the dish was more than enough for the two of us plus leftovers. All in all, our night out at Ma's Kitchen was a success! ****************** My Ratings: 1 Star: Terrible; just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars: Wasn't a fan so Not likely to return. 3 Stars: Meh. Average. Might return if others drag me. 4 Stars: Yum! Likely to return. 5 Stars: Amazing! Would plan my day around it.

    If you're craving bold flavors and hand-pulled perfection, Ma's Kitchen in Rowland Heights is the…read morespot for authentic Xinjiang cuisine We warmed up with their soothing Eight Treasures Tea before diving into a spread of favorites: Juicy, tender Lamb Kabobs fresh off the grill Flaky, oven-baked Samsa stuffed with lamb + onion Handmade Beef Dumplings packed with flavor The must-order Handpulled Laghman -- chewy flat noodles made from scratch Their signature Beef Cumin with Crispy Naan, wok-tossed beef with crunchy housemade naan Northwestern comfort food at its finest -- every bite was hearty, aromatic, and unforgettable

    Photos
    Ma's Kitchen
    Big Plate Chicken and Spiced Chicken w/House Chili Sauce
    Big Plate Chicken and Spiced Chicken w/House Chili Sauce
    Ma's Kitchen

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    Emperor Mongolian BBQ - mongolian - Updated August 2026

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