My experience was terrible. They took forever to acknowledge us at the front desk and then after waiting they messed up our order and put the wrong stuff on each of our meals. Once we told them they messed up, they ignored us for 15 minutes before trying to fix the issue. Terrible service, I'm pretty pissed off about this. read more

Awesome. Don't be put off by the dark atmosphere or lack of enthusiasm regarding your arrival by the wait staff as I initially was. The first visit will require some explanation, but I adore the concept. There are enough options to burn your taste buds off with hot chili peppers, garlic, jalapenos, and whatnot, and I appreciate the choice of fresh herbs like basil and cilantro. The public handling of raw meat seemed kinda iffy, and it would probably be a good idea to incorporate some kind of hand sanitizing station before the buffet, but I just put my hopes into the chef and the heat of the grill. They are cautious regarding food allergies. If you order a special drink which requires the bar and not a soda fountain (like basil-raspberry lemonade), you may have to go retrieve it yourself, but it's whatever. It's one of the few restaurants that I actually enjoy since I can usually cook better food at home. read more

Love coming here but not a big fan of their steak. It's to grisly for my liking. I just don't get the steak anymore!!!

Pros: Good selection of meats and vegetables All looked very fresh Lots of seasonings and sauces to choose from Seemed clean Cons: Small bowl/portion size Same size bowl for lunch and dinner, but big $$ difference Difficult to hold the two bowls and the name card at the same time Watered-down beer makes me wonder what other corners they cut Odd that they pushed us to sit down instead of watching the cooks Overall: The quality of the food was good, but the quantity was disappointing. Don't go here if you're hungry. My husband had to make himself a sandwich when we got home because he was still hungry. As another reviewer mentioned, load your bowl up with protein -- I'd recommend twice as much as you think you can eat, because it really cooks down. Service was okay. Our server was definitely following a script and when I asked a question he wasn't prepared for, he was clueless. The biggest issue I have, and why I will never go back, is with their beer. We were happy to see Legend Brown on draft and ordered pints. What they gave us was either very, very watered down Legend Brown, or Miller Lite (or another cheap beer) with a splash of Legend Brown on top. It smelled like Legend, and the first sip tasted like it, but the rest didn't and the beer was see-through. Anyone who has ever had Legend Brown knows it's a darker beer. I'm disgusted that they would try to mislead us like that. Beer isn't a central part of a meal for me, but the cheating is what got me. If they're cheating customers on the beer, I can only guess what other corners they might be cutting. read more

I had eaten at Genghis Grill before and had excellent service and food. Tonight I had a party of 6 (5 and a high chair). The waiter was AWFUL and rude. We told him that we were there celebrating an adult birtthday. That was it; no acknowledgement of any kind about the birthday. When we went to pay I had a $5 off coupon. The waiter shrugged his shoulders, huffed and puffed his way away from the table. I have NEVER had such bad wait staff with a hugh attitude problem. In case management cares we were at table 51 and left at 8:00 p.m. on 9/1/2013. Not sure that I will ever come back! read more

This place was so good I couldn't even eat everything in the regular bowl that's how much you can pack in these bowls!

My guy and I love this place for the most part. (I don't like that it's in congested Short Pump.) Good experience until yesterday; I had mysterious black flakes of ?? in my bowl which were very unappetizing. I think they were scraped up residue from the grill. I was argued with, told it was burnt vegetables I'd chosen from the bar, but I knew what it was. I got a whopping 20% off my bowl. My guy asked for an egg to be added to his bowl, which he didn't get. We were told the fault laid with 'rookies" at the grill, but that's no excuse. Despite my guy's love of this place, it'll be a long time before I'll waste my cash here again. read more

My wife and I were Genghis fanatics when it first opened and we told everyone about how much we liked it and urged them to try it to. THEN THEY DECIDED TO ELIMINATE SHRIMP. Very poor decision. Understand the price of products increases, but there are plenty of restaurants who still serve shrimp and have not jacked up there prices. Even suggested to manager a small surcharge to cover the extra cost for those of us who love(d) shrimp in our bowls. GG seems to be unwilling to consider bringing shrimp back to their menu, which means they have lost our at least once a month trips and prompted us to tell our friends not to waste their time going there if they like shrimp. Such a disappointment! read more

I like the ambience in this place. Food is good but I like my food totally cooked. But this offers a different perspective. Service is good and the prices are reasonable. I would like to come here often. read more

The food was good but the service was alright. Definitely couldn't finish it and had to take it home but it is really good. I would give the food four stars alone. The chefs were a little unclear about how you pick up your food so when I went to get it they were yelling to get off! Food was good. read more

I wasn't impressed. Food was fair at best. Not as good as stir fry at home. A little pricey. For $20 I would expect a better meal than we received. read more

First visit. Very nice concept, but poor management. We loved the idea of loading our own bowl with what we wanted, but the Hostess/Waitress seemed disconnected, and we may have interrupted her in the middle of a doing nothing. She was clearly not interested in guiding us in the process, even asking if this was our first time visiting. We were given bowls and pointed towards the buffet section. We figured out the basics, but were confused about the amount, and types of sauces that would be recommended. Only after adding several to the mound of ingredients in the bowls, did a young, Hispanic man indicate that the liquids were to be placed in the metal cups, and not in bowls. He spoke very little English, and this would have been good to know before. I recommend that management be present, and ensure employees interact with customers. I have seen companies with great ideas fail because of absent owners or management. Food was ok, but felt it would better if we had some guidance. read more

I usually enjoy Genghis grill but this location was horrible! We stopped by for lunch and there was barely anyone there but the service was subpar! The meat didn't look the freshest and parts of the meal were black and unevenly cooked when we got it back. We asked for yum yum sauce, usually our favorite and it was so spicy it ruined the edible parts of the food. Now our fault for not trying it first but I have never had a such yum yum sauce and didn't think to try it. I really wish we had chosen somewhere else. read more

I'm surprised at all the low reviews here at Yelp for the Genghis Grill. The first visit was rough as it was a big change for my wife and kids. I considered myself a veteran because I used to frequent the gloriously under appreciated Grey Wolf Grill (also Mongolian) many years ago in Willow Lawn. The food here is great! The selection is pretty broad and the quality is great. They have a limited number of seasonings but I prefer ginger which they have so it's not a big deal to me. I can see where this would be an issue for some. They have a large mix of sauces available for you to choose from, my families favorite is the Honey Soy by far. It's amazing. There are also a large number of meats and vegetables, tastes for most palates I would assume. The customer service here is great! My wife put in a comment card and got a call back from the actual franchise owner asking how he could improve upon customer experiences. Can't ask for more than that. We go to Genghis Grill at least once every 2 weeks now, it's one of our new regulars. The waiters and waitresses are always very polite and helpful. Only thing I'd change? An express line for the more experienced diners. The new people can be very slow. :) read more

So many different ways to create your own dish! A wide variety of everything.. Just don't over do on the sauces because they can ruin your meal. Other than that, service is great. I like how they have a tablet at every table to play games on. Such a cute detail to keep the kids entertained read more

I always make sure I come to Ghengis Grill whenever in town. I love the food selections and the friendly service.

Ah what. An I say.. If you are a man or have one .. This is the place to feed him! Lots of food and tons of choices.. You could eat here every day and never have the same meal twice.. Being as I don't eat meat .. I was a bit disappointed with the quality of their veggies.. Some were from cans..... But still lots of choices.. A bit pricey... read more

Good food prices went up by 25 % and bowls are smaller sized now. Disappointed prob won't go visit anymore

Finally had a chance to go to the Short Pump location, I have been to the Chesterfield location a couple times. This was. Great experience and really happy that this new one is close to home. When walking in we were greater by several employees that were very nice and had a smile. Our waiter Tivis was awesome! He explained everything to us because my wife has never been to Genghis Grill. He was on the ball with drinks and had refills before the prior one was finished which I really like. Tivis checked on us numerous times to make sure we had everything we needed. We had our 6 month old daughter with us also and they were very kid friendly. The manger even stopped by our table to make sure everything was good. I was really impressed by my experience here, the staff was excellent including our waiter who was awesome. The location is in a good place with lots of parking. I would recommend this location to anyone with great praise. read more

I used to enjoy Mongolian style buffets when I lived on the west coast. So I thought that the Genghis Grill that opened up in Short Pump might be worth trying. I was wrong. They got the concept right but the execution really just missed the mark. The allure of the Mongolian style grill is that you get to build your meal then watch the chefs cook it up by rotating around a large cooking surface. Unfortunately, the so-called "warriors" at Genghis Grill do the cooking while you go back to your seat and wait. The food quality wasn't all that great nor was the selection of vegetables. When I got to the portion of the line where I was supposed to assemble my sauce, it was very confusing. They had all these branded sauces that had no meaning to me whatsoever. In contrast to the traditional Mongolian style restaurants I'd enjoyed in the past, this "sauce assembly" section was a real departure and a bigger even let down given that the woman tasked with helping me didn't speak a word of English. Were I struggling to understand Mandarin Chinese or Mongolian or something the language barrier would have been quaint. But it was Spanish that separated this employee from helping me, the English-speaking customer. Lastly, I wasn't thrilled with the pricing. After being harangued into signing up for their loyalty card (great, another card to carry around, NOT), I was presented the check for $20. I might have been happy to pay that had the ambiance of a real Mongolian style grill been afforded to me at this restaurant. I might also have been okay to pay that much if the food quality were higher. But it wasn't. I don't think I'll be going back to the Genghis Grill. There's just nothing special about it and the quality and prices are out of alignment. read more

I was a big fan of a place called "Crazy Fire" in Raleigh, and I was excited about a Mongolian BBQ in Richmond. I went opening day, and was very "meh" about it. The staff was well trained and friendly...4 different people sold us on the appetizers. It actually got a little annoying. Lunch price was $9.99 with an additional bowl available for $5.99 more. I agree with the previous review that said usually, it's one price for unlimited refills. The soda/tea is $2.29. I guess you make profit where you can. The set up is a little difficult to navigate - there are 2 sides to the raw station, and the back side is tight to get into and out of. I've been back a few times, as it's a convenient place to meet. the dinner prices are more expensive. Shouldn't be, it's the same food and the same size bowls. read more

Low end food nothing special bunch if useless choices to put in your bowl. Staff is ok, pricey for what you get as far as quality of food. Dessert and drinks were best part! read more

Ridiculously frustrating experience. We ate here as a family of 4 including 2 preschool aged kids. We all ordered drinks at the same time, but the kids drinks were brought out much later. We ordered Mac and Cheese from the kitchen for the kids and bowls for the adults. We made our bowls and mine was delivered first. No silverware on the table. I had to catch someone walking by to ask for some. After I had been eating for a while (no one else had food yet) our server came to the table and told us she had just been informed by the kitchen that they are out if Mac and Cheese. Seriously? There are only 3 things on the kids menu. She then said that they always put the kids meals in later so that way they don't come before the adult meals. Well, that explains why we always wait forever for kitchen food. It took a bit for the kids' replacement food to arrive and they were understandably frustrated. The vegetables also were quite undercooked in our bowls. I was very surprised that their food was not taken off the bill after they had to wait so long. After a few mediocre experiences this one ensured we won't be back. read more

Me and my family had the best dining experience at Genghis Grill in Short Pump last night! We haven't been there in a while and it seems as though a lot has changed! The staff was super friendly and their fun vibes were contagious! We had so much fun and they took excellent care of us! The food and drinks were absolutely delicious and we cannot wait to come back!!! read more

I had a great experience at Genghis grill because I asked as soon as I got in the door how everything works. An employee walked me through the process and it was simple and I was very happy. If you have cooking experience, you know everything condenses as you cook. So with that said pile it on super high. I piled in my beef and shrimp then smashed my vegetables on by hand so I could fit alot into the bowl. Then I made a lil spot for my egg to sit in and I mixed the sauces in my sauce cup (they have sample spoons there too). Then I went to the gril, caught the eye of one of the cooks and said I wanted fried rice. I lingered while my food cooked and the grill guy said I could go to the bar to wait if I wanted so I did. Maybe some of the other yelpers are going when its really packed so they don't know the process. I'm not sure but I did have a great experience and my food was excellent. I will be returning. read more

I always look forward to my trips to Short Pump so that I can stop in! Great food and customer service ! My nephew loves to watch the food being prepared on the grill and gets excited when they do the fire show! read more

Went to dinner with family and friends on a Saturday night. We were seated immediately which was nice. The first thing I noticed was the floor was extremely sticky. Everyone in our party noticed it and it just didn't seem right for a ceramic tile. After ordering our drinks and an appetizer we got instructions from our waiter on the process. This only made us more confused on what to do as he wasn't clear. After filling our bowls and dropping them off at the grill, we saw the spice bowls where a roach proceeded to crawl across. We decided to stay and eat anyway. The appetizer never came and when the waiter saw my drink was low he asked what I was drinking. He confirmed SWEET tea and then didn't come back for 10 minutes. When he came back I had an unsweetened tea. The service was terrible and despite the roach, the food was terrific. I will never go back based on my experience. The staff was very young and didn't appear to care about the customers. One of the staff was arguing with another and pushed through my group knocking her purse off her shoulder. It was clear that he ran into her but didn't say a thing. Not impressed! read more

Ok I have been to this place three time the first two were great and I love this place. If you like stir fry this place is great. They give you a bowl and you get to fill it with what ever meats you want, your proteins, then top it with spices and vegetables. now pile them high cause when they cook they shrink, trust me if you leave a trail on the floor as you walk to the cook that is to your advantage. Now you pick your sauce different ones to use. The last step is to walk over to the cook pick your starch, rices, noodles ect. then you go sit down and wait for your food. Now they have cards on the wall to give you some help if you like it you can save them they tell you just what to put in your bowl, just remember pile high I will say again pile high. Now for my disappointment, we like to sit at the bar and our bartender for the first two trips was not present tonight. We went their tonight and I have to say holy crap it was a train wreck. We approached the bar and sat down, ordered a beer and the waitress was like clueless, she had some crisis going on that we heard her say to another bar tender. Don't get me wrong I know they are people and we all have issues but I can' only be so tolerant when it effects my service. so we order and go to get our bowl when we come back she let someone sit in our seat, now jerky knew we were sitting there but I kept my cool, she did say sorry but we moved down a bit but still didn't have any drinks, after sometime she poured them for us. My bowl came out first and I looked at my girlfriend and was like where is my silverware. She smiled and said she will bring it, so I pick out a piece of squash with my fingers. After waiting and yes I could have asked for silverware but I had been here twice before and the service was outstanding so my expectations were high. Anyway I pulled two straws from a tray and made myself some chop sticks, it wasn't perfect but it was working. I guess I wanted the barmaid to understand I am paying and she needed to provide the proper service short of me jumping behind the counter and doing the job for her. The good part after all that, I suggest you sign up for their card. for every bowl you order you get a point, on Mondays you get two which is why went today. The bonus was I had a free bowl cause I had not been their in awhile, but since we had 8 points we ended up only paying for our two drinks. With all of this as bad as the experience was this place is still great. The food is good and the deals are good, I am not going to knock it due to one bad experience. read more

12/27/16 at 7:30 pm was the first time my family and I tried Genghis grill because we heard how good the food was. Our waitress explained everything in detail very nice young lady. Anyway the grill masters explained they would be bringing our food to the tables. When we reached the table where our signature drinks were waiting for us. My daughter said mommy there's a bug. I thought it could have been a stink bug. Upon inspecting it was a roach running across our table!!!!!! We did not touch the drinks or food for fear of being sick!!!! This place needs to close and get it together. A waiter tried to kill it with his hand and the waitress tried to kill it with a napkin. Which allows me to believe they knew they had bugs. The grill was busy so the manager could not come to speak to us. The waitress advised to call store in an hour. We ended up at Kona grill. read more

This place is soooooo good !! I work right next door! I come right over when I want something filling and delicious! When I first tried them I was so confused on how it worked here and how to make my food taste good. But know I just put everything I love in one bowl and it's heaven! Best "do it your self" place I've ever been too! And me and my mom are very hard to please food wise! So I was very pleased to find this place! And the prices are decent too ! read more

My first time trying this place was today and it was awesome. The host and server were extremely nice and walked me through the whole process. The server offered me valuable suggestions and was very attentive. The food was amazing and I loved having the ability to choose from so many different ingredients. The food was also very fresh. I was even offered a refill in a to-go cup. I am going have to say this is definitely one of my new favorite restaurants. read more

Tonight was our first visit to the Grill and we loved it! The service was better than good. We were seated, received our drinks and were asked if it was our first visit. When we said it was, the young man began to explain everything to us and led us to the beginning of the buffet, showed us the descriptions on the wall, told us which spices were spicy and which were not, and gave us our bowls. We filled them with our food choices, took them to the starch station where we chose rice or pasta and then turned in our bowls. We returned to our seats and within ten minutes we were served our dinners in large red bowls. Everything was delicious, drinks were refilled several times, empty bowls were removed from our table, the check came promptly. We will definitely go there again. read more

I love this place. I don't know when some of the other reviewers were going but my servers tried to walk us through it for at least our first 3 visits. Then they started to recognize us and let us do our thing. I don't feel like its that confusing either. They give you a bowl. You put what you want in it. There are spoons so you can taste the sauces. And pile high. Didn't know about the endless bowl option. Will ask about that today. read more

My husband and I are frequent visitors of Genghis Grill. I'm a vegetarian and he's not, so it's one of the few places we can agree on. If you're a vegetarian, I recommend going through the line backwards (if you can!). The spices are placed between the meat and vegetables, so if you put the spices on the bottom of the bowl, they will never make it into your food. I like having control over what goes into my food, so eating here is usually a fun experience. read more

Been here twice and food is alright but service is terrible. The first time I was there, the waitress didn't come back once to refill our drinks or check on us. Second time was a little better. Server was much more attentive than the first time but not very friendly. Place is also very loud. Will probably not be returning. read more

Went there today for lunch-have been there many times before. Today, my bill came to $12.55 and instead of paying by credit card like I usually do, I decided to pay by cash. Gave the waitress $20 bill - she brought me change of $7. When I looked at the bill again, I realized that I should have gotten $7.45 back. I asked her about where was my $.45 still due, she told me that because she doesn't have access to a cash drawer, she had to round my bill up to $13 and make change that way. Now, I probably would have given her the $.45 as part of my tip, but I really don't like having a waitress decide that she wants to keep even 1 penny of the change due to me. My feeling is if this restaurant does not have anyone in the restaurant who can make change for cash customers, then they need to let everyone know up front that they only take credit cards!!! I was so angry about this, I have decided that I will never again eat at any of the Genghis Grill restaurants again! read more

I had a mediocre experience at Genghis grill. The only decent part about my trip was the food. The service was not so great. The staff didn't seem to care about the customers and they had attitudes 24/7. We tipped them a good amount anyway, but they still demanded more. They also wouldn't let people over 12 have kids menus even if they sincerely wanted one. From this past experience I can almost guarantee it that I won't be back. read more