When I was a teenager, my friends and I frequented many AYCE restaurants as a weekend activity. There was one in particular, Genghis Khan in Concord, that was the scene of many episodes of epic gluttony. We had quite a few eating contests there that many would consider grotesque. Urban legend has it that they went out of business because of us! It must have been at least 20 years since I last had Mongolian BBQ. On New Year's Day, my best friend organized a group lunch at Gobi Mongolian Grill. It was a bit of a surprise to me given there were other options in the area. When asked why Gobi, he said he wants to introduce his kids to it, and to relive our younger days of course. This restaurant is located in a large shopping center at the corner of Hopyard and Stoneridge. Our group of 10 adults and kids arrived at around 11:45 am. We were told to sit wherever we want. The interior was spacious and clean. There were large TVs mounted on the walls showing holiday football. The staff informed us the meal ($13.98 per adult, holiday rate, pay at the end of the meal) includes chicken soup, fried wonton chips, and soft serve ice cream. Drinks cost extra. Prior to eating, I did some quick recon, which produced the following sitrep: [Protein Options]: Beef, chicken, lamb, pork, tofu, bay shrimp, cut up turkey sausage, and imitation crab meat. [Vegetables and Aromatics]: Close to two dozen options. [Carbs]: Noodles and white rice [Sauces]: Ten different spicy and non-spicy types. Sauce recipes on the wall. I ended up making three trips to the buffet line, each time using two bowls (which was recommended by the staff). I thought the meats were just okay. They were all sliced thin and came straight out of the freezer. The vegetables were fresh. The sauces were all watered down (except for the chili paste) so that customers don't overseason the food. The lone chef cleaned the huge round grill constantly so that non-spicy eaters and vegetarians could enjoy their food without worries. The staff was polite. One of them cleared our table of the used plates regularly. All in all, it wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. I thought the food was OK (better than most Mongolian BBQ restaurants I've been to) but the service was good. As such, I'm giving this place 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. BONUS MATERIAL: - Major credit cards accepted. - Large on-site parking lot. read more

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Is there new management? I didn't see any familiar faces. Service has slowed down considerably. Ingredients remain the same. What's up with the fake Yogurtland machine? Oh well. Still an okay deal for a casual lunch. read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - Lamb, pork, beef, chicken, turkey sausage, imitation crab - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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my brother told me this place is like a little hidden gem - and I'd definitely agree that it's hidden (tucked inside the plaza, but with plenty of parking!) and a gem in the fun & unique experience you get here :) Gobi Mongolian Grill is actually a buffet and build-your-own kind of place mixed into one. You go down the line adding whatever meats, veggies, sauces, noodles, etc you want into bowls. Then, you line the bowls up and watch the chefs cook in front of you on a large stone surface and dish up your creation! There's also wonton chips, ice cream, chicken soup, and rice to round out your meal(tea and soda costs extra just fyi!). If you'd like more, you are free to go back and create something else. You pay at the very end up at the cash register. recs: - just get a lil bit when you go and then if you want you can go back and try something else (different sauce flavors, combinations etc) - lamb lamb lamb is yummy - if you're unsure of sauce ratios, try to follow the poster that they have! if you don't put enough sauce they'll add water when stir frying so the flavors will be diluted - ice cream is very icey and good read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

It's been along time since I've tried Mongolian barbecue and was pleasantly surprised to see Gobi open for business. There weren't any customers inside on a weekday at lunch however they had everything available to cook. I enjoyed my lunch with a mix of vegetables with some beef and chicken. I added the Gobi sauce, some spices, and garlic sauce. The meal was pretty good but the white rice was not so good. Fortunately the mix vegetables and beef and chicken along with the sauce made up for the rice as I blended them together. I sat outdoors and enjoyed my meal. read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - Nobody there.... - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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HORRIBLE customer service provided by the Chef cooking your food. Extremely aggressive screaming, and refusing to cook a customer's food all because they wanted to share with their child who was hardly a year old. I was appalled by the behavior that was displayed. Cashier was nice and tried to diffuse the situation but because of the language barrier there wasn't much he could do. On top of that, the ingredients were all very wilted and looked like they were sitting there for days, not being changed out. Save your money and support another business nearby. I don't know how they're even still open. read more

We are fans of Mongolian BBQ. We were super excited to see this place near our hotel. I know that things are different due to the pandemic, but I arrived 30 minutes before their 7pm closing and was really disappointed to see that many ingredients were out. No noodles, many other ingredients just weren't there. I got minimal dishes for my family and while it was flavorful, it just wasn't enough food. Pandemic safety - they required hand sanitizer and gloves for you to get your own ingredients. At home our Mongolian BBQ has them get our food. As a result, our last trip was bland. I appreciated being able to make the seasoning myself. I hope we will have the opportunity to come back post-pandemic! read more

Good spot for Mongolian food. Good flavors. Reasonable quality of food. It was great to try out multiple flavors with small portions in an all you can eat type pricing model. They have changed it to a single run price with a discount on a second rub which works to a reasonable extent. I prefer the older model. The foot traffic seems to have decreased significantly since this pricing model. The food does not taste as fresh as it used to previously. If you like supporting local/family owned businesses, go there especially if the managers revert back to the original pricing model. read more

Looking for an amazing food experience. Look no further. This restaurant is one of my favs in the area. My husband and I frequently come to this establishment for lunch or dinner. One of my favorite joys is to create the idea of my perfect dish. As you start down the line to build your bowl, you get to gather your favorite protein. Following along you have a massive array of vegetables to add from bean sprouts, spinach, zucchini, onion, corn and more. Lastly you top your bowl with your idea of the perfect flavor type. With a various amount of oils and sauce to give your bowl your perfect flavor, it's a perfect experience. read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - 1 Big Bowl - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I love this place. It's a decent price, it's quick, staff are nice. That said, I get sick every time I eat here. It took me a while to figure it out, but it's like clock work. I hope they take better care of the place and food preparation, because I love this place. As an example, they do not follow FIFO for the food line. The staff are always throwing fresh food on top of the old food, which means the food at the bottom is rarely touched and generates bacteria over time. I'm tired of getting sick at this place, so I hope the owner takes this to heart and improves. read more

Why does the cook not clean the grill before cooking Vegetarian food even when we ask? You guys used to clean the grill very nicely earlier but now the cook refuses to clean and after talking to the cashier he barely cleans with water. Can you please get that addressed? read more

Wasn't very crowded at lunch on a Saturday. The meat options looked okay, and there was a good variety of veggies. I did like that there were different sauce recipes. There wasn't much rice in the rice pot considering I was one of the first customers of the day. All of the silverware was sticky and had food on it and I found some random chopsticks individually wrapped so I used those. The soda machine only had 3 working options. The fried wontons were okay but I had to ask for the sweet and sour sauce. Did not like that the soft serve machine costed 50c each. I felt like it should've just been included with the cost. Probably won't be back anytime soon. read more

I've been to a few other AYCE Mongolian BBQ spots before and paid the same amount for an AYCE in Brentwood in 2012 as I did for this place just a few weeks ago. Plus this place has more options than the Brentwood place. As I need to watch my carb intake, I like that I can customize how much of everything I put in. Veggies were good and fresh. We went on a Tuesday night when it was not busy, so out food was cooked right away. We decided to skip the ice cream and won tons because we had no room and because they looked cheap, but hey, maybe they're your thing! read more

I live quite a ways from here but we make the drive anyway just because this is the BEST Mongolian grill in the entire Bay Area! They have a great selection of meats and veggies as well as some fruit and noodles. It's all you can eat but one two-bowl trip is usually sufficient for me! I love that they cook the food just right--not burnt like many other Mongolian places. I also like that they don't just routinely pour water on the food while cooking it like others do as well. This retains the flavor of the sauces you put in. Hands down the healthiest, tastiest food you can get eating out, plus you know exactly what's in your food all the time. Perfect if you have sensitivities to food additives. Right now during the reopening from the pandemic restrictions, masks are required and they have disposable gloves you wear before you're allowed to touch anything. The soda machine is currently not in use because there is no in-person dining yet, and the soft serve ice cream (which is usually free when dining in) is also out of order until the government lifts more restrictions. read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - Entrance - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

If you are the vegetarian, not for you, the person who sauté the noodles, will never clean, even you tell him 10 times.. worst attitude ever. read more

Our family has eaten at Gobi's for years and have never had issues. We walked into the restaurant 30 minutes before they closed (which we have done multiple times) and was told that we could only do takeout and not eat in the restaurant. When I questioned why, the person at the counter just said that's the way it is. read more

***Major Tip Alert*** When you do the all you can eat, they give you two bowls. You start by filling your bowl with frozen meat that is rolled up (to take a lot of room). Take your other bowl and push down on the meat. You'll have so much more room for veggies and more meat! Cheap and to the point. If you've had Mongolian bbq you know what it's all about. You get a bowl, fill it up and they cook it. Gobi does a good job at it. They give you two bowls when you do the all you can eat. It's $12 after tax and if you filled the bowls correctly, you should be hating yourself as soon as you're done. (Cuz you ate so much). Picture below is of my bowls. Filled before they cook them. read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

One of the BEST Mongolian BBQ's out there! My wife and I have tried a lot of Mongolian BBQ and this was by far the best!! I am so happy we went here!! Whooohooooo!! read more

I used to come here before the pandemic and loved this place. My wife and I went here for our lunch date this week and we're both unhappy leaving the place. 1) Food selection was not as much 2) Place didn't look like it was well maintained, it wasn't as clean 3) They charge for ice cream now 4) Staff was not as friendly Maybe it was just a bad day, but enough for my wife and I to decide never to come back here again. read more

Every restaurant is struggling with COVID, but this one is taking advantage of it. They are no longer all you can eat. They blame health restrictions, which we all know is complete bullshit since it's all new bowls and what-not when you go for seconds. The ice cream machine? Not turned on. Soda machine" Inoperable. The place is a mess. Incomplete roster of ingredients. And to top it all off, they raised prices. RAISED PRICES! I would not go back even if they saw how their updates are wrecking their shit and decide to roll back to pre-COVID parameters. Which is too bad, because their business will suffer and their former customers are basically left with no Mongolian BBQ AYCE options anywhere within 30 miles or so. read more

love this place! the noodles are so good i love to come here with my boyfriend although it has gotten a bit pricey for what it is.

A Great place to eat like a mongolian and plan like a mongolian. A popular joint for folks who work at tech companies in the area.

I'm glad that Gobi Mongolian BBQ came to the East Bay. Before we had to travel to the Peninsula or the South Bay to get decent Mongolian BBQ. Gobi is a chain from San Jose. The restaurant is basic with out the traditional shao bing. The restaurant is basic too with just one two Tv's on the wall. Its $13 Ayce. They only have one grill guy and it takes forever, so go at off times. Minimal service. Plenty of parking in the shopping center. Decent Mongolian BBQ option for the East Bay . read more

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We came here based on our friend's recommendation. We arrived at 1150am. We wanted to arrive before the rush. The place was already half full for Mother's day lunch. There was a good option of meat: pork, lamb, beef, chicken, turkey sausage, and artificial crab meat. They also had a variety of veggies, spices, and tasty sauce to make a good stir fry dish. Thick noodles could be included and cooked with your food. Cooking time takes about 3mins or less. But with only one cook, it can be a long wait before uou get your food cooked. During our meal, they eventually added another cook. It helped ease the line-up. It's very reasonably priced for $12.98 per adult ($10.98 on weekdays). Kid's rate is only 25% of the adult rate. There's an additional cost for drinks. But for 1.89 for refillable drinks, it's very reasonable. The unlimited rice, soup, fried wonton, and soft ice cream were great added value. The place is spacious and clean. The service was fast and efficient. We would love to come back again. read more

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This place is a step up from the one in San Jose. It's pretty much brand-new and much cleaner. It costs more for dinner, holidays, and the weekends. $12.99 for a weekend lunch. A tad pricey for us light eaters! You start off by taking two bowls and going through the buffet line. Meats are frozen and thinly sliced. DH griped repeatedly about the low quality, however it's really hard to tell the difference in the final product. I'd say it's about average for all-you-can eat. Lamb is not available for the weekday lunch. It is not very gamey. I skipped the mini shrimps the second time around. They're not bad, but I didn't feel like it added to the dish. Also, the imitation crab tasted too artificial for my liking. Veggie selection was good. Everything looked fresh. There are medium softness tofu cubes for the vegetarians. Noodles are really nice & chewy. The sauce recipes are listed above the sauce area. You really need a lot to give it flavor. I'd say 7-8 scoops total for 1 plate. It will take some trial & error to find the blend that you like. I prefer mine more savory, so I did 4 scoops base, 2 scoops garlic, 1 scoop oil. The first time around, I used Teriyaki sauce, which was pretty sweet. DH tried the house soy instead, which looked a lot like the Teriyaki sauce, and his still came out sweet. There are condiments at the cooking counter for afterwards & soy sauce on the tables. One huge complaint is that your food can pick up flavors from the bowls cooked ahead of yours. My second plate of food was pretty darn spicy, even though I didn't put any chili oil in it. The soup offered had bits of ham (?) and veg in it. It was gelatinous and bland. Even with salt added. Ugh. I'd skip the soup. The deep fried wonton skin twists were good, but greasy. Soft serve ice cream was surprisingly good! Great vanilla flavor, not too watery. Save room for dessert! There were people cleaning & clearing tables frequently. It did get busy around noon & there was a wait at the grill. Oddly enough, you pay after your meal, so don't forget! We were quite full even later on in the day. Overall, a pretty good meal for chow mein, but it's chow mein so how good can it be? Lol. read more

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Ate here twice this week and for the most part was satisfied for the price paid. There were no fountain drinks as that machine is not in service. The selection of ingredients was fresh but limited. Would have liked some shrimp or prawns however for the price paid, good value. The won tons were not available tonight and no effort to supply???? Inconsistent offerings but for what I paid, I will return read more

Finally, a Mongolian place in the Tri-Valley!! This place just opened a few weeks ago in the Hopyard/Stoneridge shopping center where Chilis and Pick 6 are. The restaurant is clean and the food selection is fresh. It's an all you can eat establishment where you grab 2 bowls and fill them up with noodles, meat, veggies, and sauces. They get cooked on a giant cast iron flattop grill. (For takeout, you only get to use one bowl) There is a good selection of the standard meats: chicken, beef, pork, but they also include turkey hotdog and imitation crab meat. Lamb is only available during dinner hours. There is an abundance of vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts, pineapples, corn, jalapeños, cilantro, green onions, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, tofu, tomatoes, zucchini, water chestnuts, and onions. For cooked items, they have a huge pot of rice, fried wonton strips, and a soup. Be sure to add enough sauces, especially the soy sauce, or it may turn out bland. It's fun to experiment with different combinations of ingredients and sauces. After two rounds, I was stuffed and did not even have room for their soft serve ice cream. read more

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Oh happy day! Mongolian BBQ has finally arrived! My otherwise crazy work week had a nice hump day surprise when my bestie rolled up to work and told me the grand opening sign was up at this joint. If you have never been to a Mongolian BBQ place, the concept is simple. You get a couple of bowls and you fill them with your favorite meats, veggies, noodles and sauces. Then you bring them to the grill where they cook it up for you to enjoy! They have sodas, soup, rice and wontons for you to enjoy as well (sodas are extra). What I like: - unlimited trips (I only took one...this time around :) - sauce selection was pretty good and the hot sauces are actually hot! -meats are cut nice and thin -overall decent selection of veggies -pretty quick and friendly service What I didn't like as much: - seems like the set up is perfect for paying before you make your plate. We had to pay after. I am thinking this is one of the kinks they will work out over time. - would have like to have seen a few more colorful veggies (I really like a nice red bell pepper like the one on the chalkboard menu) At the end of the meal, enjoy yourself some wonderful soft serve ice cream in a cone...phenomenal! I look forward to enjoying this great new restaurant for lunch. Welcome to the neighborhood! read more

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My daughter was visiting from southern California and we usually go every time she comes up, because it was one of her favorite spots. We were the second table in the door and when we got to doing our sauces there was a dead fly in the oil. The place had only been open for 15-20 minutes at most and there was a dead bug in the oil. They were already cooking one of our dishes when she noticed and had them replace the oil. They did not even offer to get a new dish for the first one. So disgusted. We are left wondering if they leave the ingredients out over night or they don't even check them in the morning when they are put out. The worst part is it cost $53 to be to disgusted to eat the food. Looking around you can see this place is not clean. It used to be very enjoyable, but we will not be back. read more

My family visited Gobi, Pleasanton, for a late lunch this past Labor Day. First time at this restaurant, but disappointing. Pros: food variety adequate (but not spectacular), lots of good sauce/flavor choices, very clean (dining space AND bathroom) and lots of seating. Cons: lackluster decor, only soft-serve watery frozen dairy-esque ice cream (from a machine) for dessert, and unfriendly staff. I love Mongolian BBQ, but this was only average in taste, meh in ambiance, and poor in atmosphere. I really wanted to like this experience but felt anything but welcomed. The price/sizing of portions was confusing and not well-explained, either. Bottom line: not over-priced per se, but only average for taste. Still, clean and spacious. Very unfriendly vibe. Won't go back. read more

Gobi Mongolian Grill - Late lunch on Labor Day, 09/04/23 - Mongolian Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I've been here multiple times, I absolutely love this place! The staff is always nice, the food is always delicious and consistently clean. I like the little mom and pop feel of the place, it's definitely a neighborhood restaurant feel. I wasn't a big fan on Mongolian BBQ until I ate there. read more

The food is amazing, the amazing chef always says hi and always with a big smile, the service is amazing always sharing recommendations for your next bowl and the ambiance has an authentic touch to it, the music and the atmosphere is amazing! definitely recommend people to come here! bang for your buck! read more

We stopped in because it was local and we thought the kids would enjoy the experience. There isn't much of an experience here. You grab a bowl or two, you go through a couple raw ingredient stations, then you're up to the sauces, and after that is the cooking. It's small compared to others I have been to, but the food was great. I'm vegetarian so I loved the options of cubed tofu as well as fried tofu. There were lots of veggies to choose from and the sauces were fantastic. The guy cooking was really good too. He managed to get a perfect cook on all my veg. I was impressed. My kids loved it. They both made at least two trips through the line, ate some fried wontons, and enjoyed some soft serve ice cream. We all agreed we would return. read more

Clean dining area Nice selection of meats and veggies Noodles and/or rice Wonton chips Soft serve ice cream I agree with other reviews ...friendliness is not the strong point. Even when you try to engage there are blank stares. Yes, the cook uses way too much water while cooking. May or may not eat there again. Glad I didn't take my friends there. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in the world. Idc what any other reviews says about this place. If you haven't had it before trust me you'll like it. I put everyone on. Anyways speaking on after covid: it's not that bad, considering every company laid off people or closed down, this place managed to stay open through thick and thin, you got to respect the people who cook your food in there everyday to make sure you get the best tasting food. Thank you read more

The food is fresh, and every time I have gone I have always gotten good service. The buffet line is usually clean, and a good value.

We were happy to see the Mongolian BBQ open here after years of driving to the GK Mongolian BBQ in Tracy. However Gobi is a big disappointment. The staff is friendly and the place is clean, BUT, and this BUT is bigger than Jennifer Lopez's butt, the sauces are so watered down they are tasteless! The sauces make the food at a Mongolian BBQ so watered down sauces = our not going back. Oh well back to Tracy. PS-The manager at GK Mongolian BBQ in Tracy told me they were thinking about opening to a location in Livermore but they never did. Too bad. read more

A solid 3! The customer service is great, very polite and friendly.. The ingredient buffet is very limited and the space is plain and drab. Would I go back? Sure! We felt welcome in their establishment and overall the food taste good. read more

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I have never actually stepped foot inside of the restaurant itself, but I did have the pleasure of trying Gobi Mongolian Grill at the NorCal Night Market. For a measly $10, I was able to feast on the large combo platter (small is $6), which consists of a ginormous heaping portion of noodles, beef, chicken, and shrimp. I honestly wasn't expecting a particularly ample serving, considering that vendors at night markets are not exactly known to be generous, so I was more than elated (and almost shocked) when my number was called, and I could instantly tell that my hard earned cash was well spent. As a matter of fact, I took a keen interest in observing the chef work his magic, and assumed that the gargantuan mound of succulent meat and noodles he was firing up on the grill was someone else's order of two or three plates. NOPE. I soon realized that it was all mine! It is no exaggeration when I say that it lasted me three full meals! I could barely cause a dent in it at the event itself, so I saved the rest for dinner that night, and also lunch the next day! In addition, the staff is extremely polite and chatty. I assume these are the same workers who are at the brick and mortar restaurant, so I'd expect similar treatment there. If you ever see Gobi at a fair or night market, you'd definitely be hard pressed to find more bang for your buck. Furthermore, if I ever happen to find myself in the food desert known as the Pleasanton area, I'd certainly caravan on over to Gobi. It's definitely more than just a mirage. read more

Came here during the lunch rush with 2 co-workers. I think the price for dining in (AYCE option) rounded to about $13. I got full off of one plate of noodles, but it wasn't that good and would rather just pay $7/8 dollars for the plate. The food itself is alright. I enjoyed the texture of the noodles, but i thought the meat was a little hard to eat. I also wanted the sauces to be more apparent, and I put in a lot of sauce so it made me feel like it might've been watered down. There are a lot of options in terms of things you can add to your noodles though. A good thing about this place is that the whole experience of building your dish is pretty fun. You stand in an assembly line and grab whatever meats, veggies, noodles and sauce you can fit in the two bowls they give you. Then you watch as someone cooks your food on a large stove thing, with a giant stick. They also have some chicken soup and fried wonton wrappers on as sides that you can grab if you dine in. The drinks are not free though! You have to pay additional if you don't get water. It's overall an enjoyable food cooking experience, but the tastes/quality are nothing special for AYCE. read more

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The food was good but the chef cooking was very rude and seemed upset and you can tell that he hates his job. He literally brushed my hand aside as I was going to grab another plate since the plate he gave me was burning my hands. I really hope that the owner catches all that first hand and gets rid of him. Won't be going back to this place again read more