I've been here 4 times. Half the times were good half were bad. This last time took the cake. Rude waiter, rude dishwasher (they were out of sauce bowls and this guy decided to stand there watching the cooks instead of bringing the bowls over for those of us waiting on him). And, the food, well it sucked. The cooks were so loud yelling at each other that my husband actually just got up and went outside. And, the forks at the table had a nice little scum on them. Yeah, don't waste your time here. You can make better at home. read more

Me and the whole family love to go to the Mongolian barbecue I'm sawmill. The atmosphere is always great staff is always friendly I can't remember a time and I've ever had bad service here. The whole family likes the fact they give the design their own bowls the way they want to and enjoy the staff cooking it. The other big perk is they have a great desserts either the brownie Bowl or the deep fried Oreos are our favorites. If you've never been here or enjoyed Mongolian Barbecue this is definitely one you want to stop at. If you are coming later in the evening on the weekends you will want to make either an early reservation over the phone or be prepared to wait for a little bit as they are always packed, but definitely worth it. read more

Very expensive for dried out food from the buffet which they then go on to fry the hell out. Cafeteria quality food for high price.

BD's is a great change of pace. The kids love it because they can have exactly what they want. We love it because it's fun and the kids will actually eat vegetables when they get to choose it on their own terms. read more

Decent qualily, all you can shove down your throat, but everytime I go I feel like I overpaid for lunch.

What a fun place. Food isn't bad either. I mean, how could it be? You practically make it yourself.

I went there on a Saturday night, sorry I chose this restaurant while I was visiting Columbus Ohio. I thought it was going to be a lot different than it turned out to be. The restaurant was very crowded and I had to wait about a half an hour to get a table. The waitress was very friendly and explained to us our options for the buffet. When we got to get to the buffet it was a disaster, the meat was the first part of the buffet, many of which was raw meat and raw chicken. The foods were getting mixed up by the patrons and then your utensils were being touched by the raw vegetables. This is not a good combination for health reasons. After this you had wait around the grill while the cooks were cooking the other food. The food was getting mixed from one persons to another, I ended up with shrimp and steak that I didn't pick myself. Overall the food was mediocre, I would never return to this restaurant again. Beside for the price of the buffet of $15 you could very well go to a better restaurant with full-service clean utensils and a quieter location. read more

Who doesn't like all you eat bowls or just a create your own bowl? Chipotle style concepts are always doing well because people like building and customizing whatever they want to eat. It's fast and friendly service as well as a large location. I would say it's a good lunch option or for bigger groups too. No complaints here. read more

There's nothing exceptionally bad about the food at BD's. I just think the entire concept is fundamentally flawed. I go to a restaurant to have food prepared for me, meaning created/designed for me by a chef. You don't get that here. You have to do everything yourself. Sure, you're given suggestions as to what to include in your bowl, but in my experience, what you end up with always tastes like something you made up to get rid of all the leftovers in your fridge. And then you gotta stand around and wait for it to cook! I guess some people might find this fun, but not me. read more

Writing this review makes me sad. This use to be one of my favorite places. I went there last eve with my 2 kids and I was NOT impressed. First of all they were out of kids menus and the table was so sticky I hated to touch it let alone eat off of it. Then the nail in the coffin was the quality of food. The salad bar was dirty and the selection limited as most the containers were over half empty. I love the idea of this place and I've had good food there before but this experience was was less than par. read more

I love anything that combines creativity and food! I could write books about all the different bowls I've had through the years, but that would be kind of silly... What I will type is that the quality of your bowl is largely up to you! Granted there have been some times when stuff isn't grilled perfectly (chicken is very easy to overcook while onions are very easy to under-cook), but ultimately the diner is in charge of what goes in the bowl and how much. Being that it's called "Mongolian Barbecue", I usually make Asian-themed bowls but I have been very impressed at the diversity that is possible. One of my favorite bowls ever was simply rotini, meatballs, marinara sauce, fresh garlic, and rosemary. On my last trip I made a bowl with carnitas, onion, green pepper, corn, fajita sauce, and chili-garlic sauce and it was amazing. Some of my other favorite bowls are NY strip steak with potatoes and onions and barbecue sauce, shrimp with scallops and "krab" (surimi) and lemon sauce, and pad thai complete with crushed peanuts. As a lover of foreign foods, crazy combinations, and grilling, this place is an indulgence on just about every level-- including price. I like to go during lunch hours ($8.99 for one bowl compared to $12.99 for dinner) and just drink water. A second bowl will bump you up to the unlimited level and costs $2 but, depending on your appetite, can be completely worth it. I've only ever been able to eat 4 bowls in one sitting, but that was definitely worth $11! And even though $8.99 sounds like a lot for a single bowl, you can definitely load it up to make it worth it. Another thing that makes the price worth paying is the quality and quantity and the ingredients. Tons of meat, tons of veggies, tons of sauces, and a very adequate selection of spices. The selections change quite often and I usually see a new ingredient or sauce every time I go. They've even had lamb, duck, and oysters before! Great place to go if you feel like being creative with your restaurant food and/or want 4-5 different cuisines in one place that isn't your standard buffet. If you don't like cooking or being creative, there are a lot of recipe cards to help make your bowl come out edible. read more

BD's has been my absolute favorite restaurant to go to for a couple years and my opinion has not changed. I love the colossal amount of ingredients to choose from, the service, the unique concept of creating your own stir-fry, the weaving of Mongolian culture into their decor, and so much more just make this restaurant my favorite. The fresh, fiery, inviting decor is a joy to gaze upon. All of the ingredients I can tell are fresh every single time I go in there (very consistent). The service from both the wait staff and the grillers is the best service I've ever gotten from a restaurant. The waiters are very conversational and generous and the grillers are just amazing to watch cook. They genuinely look like they're having a good time and enjoy their job. They are also very interactive with customers and they're really funny! The restaurant as a whole is what I would call "perfect vibes". It sets a fun and exciting mood with the decor, the food, and the mannerisms of the staff. I do not have any sort of complaint or nitpick for this restaurant it's my absolute favorite. I always walk out of there extremely satisfied and happy. I told the grillers I'd be giving them a 5-star review but honestly, they deserve a 20-star! I even bought a BD's shirt! read more

Came here with my boyfriend and daughters. We were seated immediately and started our meal with egg roll and chicken tender appetizers. Each one of us made our dinner differently. I had mostly seafood which was very good. I overdid it with the cayenne pepper seasoning. The service was very good as our server kept the water glasses filled which was great since the heat on my food was intense. read more

Man, where do I start: the staff is energetic, the place is kept VERY clean (we had an incident with an infant a few weeks ago, and they had a mop ready just around the time that we were able to put the child in a seat to help feel better!), the staff is amazingly nice, and the food selection is great! read more

Very bad experience! Very bad service! Expensive and rude staff ! We sat for so long until they served us. People came after us were served first. I dont recommend. read more

Convenient location on Sawmill. Plenty of parking space. Usually pretty busy, but seem to always manage to get in without much wait. Love that you can "concoct" or "experiement" with making your own entre. Salad and soup bar come included with the meal, but the options are pretty basic. Price is for one bowl and the salad bar, rice or fajita included. If you want seconds, its another $2 for all you can eat - not a bad deal. Service has been pretty friendly & they keep my glass full. Great place for a family outing or group. read more

Today I had the best service I've ever had at a restaurant. Not only was the food good, but KiKi (KAtelyn) was AMAZING!!!!! She was so kind and polite. Hard to find good service like her anymore. read more

Me and my Fiance went to get me some chinese food and he suggest it here and i thought it was make your own food and leave i didnt know we sit down. I love the items they had and the people was nice and friendly! i would eat here again! read more

BD's is awesome, especially if you have a large group. No two bowls will taste the same! This place is always busy, but I've never experienced a time when they run out of food. One bowl is about $13 and if you are skillful, you can pile on enough food to feed three people! It doesn't matter if you follow their recipe cards or be creative, the food always come out tasting amazing. If you're a student, Wednesdays are only $8 per bowl ($10 for unlimited)! It's such a good deal, hard to say "no" to. read more

A little on the pricey side but everyone is so nice, you soon forget you're paying too much for stir fry. Much better the second time around but I'm still trying to recreate Great Khan's mild version. Also have yellow (rice) noodles not orange (wheat?!) noodles like Great Khan. Overall, not bad for a change. read more

Service is good, The concept of us picking the ingredients to be used to make the barbeque kind of puts the blame on us if the food doesn't turn out good but also gives the satisfaction of having an eye for good food if it turns out well. A fun place for group's more than 4. The people behing the grill are so skilled and entertaining. read more

Much improved (and new) selections at the bar. Prices are still exceptionally high but the experience covers at least a portion if the premium. I'd consider making beverages free. No reason to pay for a diet cola when you are paying extra for the eats. Nice improvements! read more

Very facilitating to my wife's allergies, so long as you let management know. Would absolutely recommend. Jacquline the manager and the server Blake were incredibly helpful and made us want to return again. read more

As a vegetarian, this location is particularly respectful of not mixing my food with the others on the grill (they have dividers or you can ask for it cooked in the back). The veggie selection is good and I was pleased to see some meatless soy chicken added to the mix. Friendly staff and good atmosphere overall. read more

The boyfriend and I took my son there. We had a great time and the guys on the grill had us laughing the whole time!

Food was decent. Prices were reasonable. Other than that nothing really special, just another chain, exactly what you'd expect. Their catering is probably better than the actual restaurant. read more

Just "okay". The mongolian ginger sauce is pretty yummy, but the quality of the noodles they offer in the serving line could be upgraded. About what I would expect from a chain place. read more

The food is excellent. There was no wait about 6:30PM on a Friday night so that's always a good thing. Our waitresses was very friendly and attentive. No issues in line and the cooks are funny and friendly. I love that you pick what you want amd the food was fresh. read more

The wait staff was very nice and helpful, even cooking my food in the back, but unfortunately, I got "glutened". It had to be from cross-contamination. Almost didn't make it home and now I am holding my belly and rocking. Too bad.... :( read more

I am crazy about this place. I spend two nights in Dublin every few months and I eat both nights at BD's. Great food great value. Be kind and tip the crew. I always find a little kid on line to put my money in the jar so he can hit the gong. Much more fun watching some kid do it then doing it myself. If I have one negative it is that they let the stuff cook too long. On and off. Should be no more than two minutes for anything. I am going to speak up next time. read more

Many choices can be overwhelming but the ingredients were very good. The dish is only as good as the ingredients you put in it.

To start off I will say that the wait time to get into the restaurant on a Friday night wasn't too long, and most of the staff were incredibly nice. The cooks were funny and knew how to keep the humor light and the guests entertained. Our waitress was awesome and the food was great. I mentioned that my beer was only 12 oz. and WAS NOT A PINT, as was advertised for their Friday night special, which sent the GM into overdrive. She immediately came to our table and confronted my group of friends, she pointed at my beer glass ( which was the same size as the water glass), and said "that is a pint". I deferred because she had violated both my friends personal space and rested her hand on my other friends shoulder. I was not prepared for that level of awkward. Arrogant and overbearing, I cannot say I have ever had an experience quite like that. I like Mongolian BBQ but avoid this location. Also the Short North location has lamb and duck and this one does not. read more

Got seated quickly. Great service and great food. You can go up time and time again if you get the unlimited bowl for like 3 dollars more and you can always change it up and it's always good. Only downside is the setup the way the bar is lined up doesn't make any room for a lot of people if it's busy. The guys who work on the grill are really talented at their job and like to interact with the customers while making their food. read more

My wife and I have come here twice now while passing thru Columbus, as well as a few visits to the Arena District store and the sorely missed defunct store formerly in Bethesda Maryland. We enjoy the experience so much that we plan a stop in Columbus on our way to Gen Con in Indianapolis every year, just so we can stop and have a big meal at BD's. This place is usually busy but I've never had a problem getting thru the lines. My wife has food allergies, and has never had any problem getting her food cooked separately in the kitchen. The ingredients have been fresh in our experience. I agree that the servers are sometimes slow to show up with another bowl, but they're pretty good keeping drinks filled. All in all, I highly recommend this to anyone - but come hungry or the prices will turn you off. read more

How can you go wrong in a place like this? The atmosphere and the servers are very welcoming. the choices of meat.... Fresh vegetables a super sauce bar and a dry herb bar. You basically create your own meal and they cook it for you in a super flashy way with sword like utensils. this is one of the few places that it is better to attend on a busy day for the full vibe of things. read more

Very disappointing meal! I have been to numerous Mongolian Grill style restaurants in various cities and typically really enjoy my meals. As for my first experience at BD....I felt this eating experience lacked authenticity and quality. For the price, the quality of beef and shrimp should be much better. We won't be back. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Columbus! We love that every time you can make something different and mix and match vegetables you wouldn't normally think to try. The sauces and spices are excellent and the cooks are always entertaining. read more

From out of town and ate here for the first time. We all found it to be delicious and definitely worth getting the buffet. Our waiter Joe was professional and friendly.To go boxes are an extra $3 with the buffet though. read more

WORST SERVICE EVER! Over 10 minutes before our server acknowledged that we were seated in his section. Over 15 minutes before we got our bowls to stand in line for our food. Reminder: this is basically a self-serve restaurant. All the server has to do is provide drinks and plates. For whatever reason, the server was "speed racer" with our beers (after we just got in a line 30 people deep) thereby ensuring the beers would be warm and flat upon our return. At this point I don't know what to say. The server spent virtually our whole dinner tucked away in some little room with computers and drinks. WE HAD TO FIND HIM in this room for another bowl. He could not be bothered to check on us. NOT ONCE! It was always us flagging him down. I mean, we barely saw him at all...anywhere. It was like he was on a two hour break. We asked for a dessert menu (again, after flagging him down),but 15 minutes after deciding on what to order, we just had to leave (without dessert), because we were confident that if we ordered the brownie with ice cream, the brownie would be cold and the ice cream would be melted by the time we received it; that it would be another hour of waiting and trying to figure out how to find our server. We ended up flagging him down for the bill, which he provided with a "sorry." As a former server and someone who eats out regularly (and usually tips very well for even mediocre service), I can honestly say that I have never witnessed worse service. I have never felt more affirmatively ignored. read more

I had come here years ago with no qualms, but a group of friends and I came here last night and had a bad experience. We did call ahead seating and were told an hour, so we met up a little before that. They told us another half hour, which was a little over, but not a big deal at all. We're waiting and waiting to be seated, granted we have a group of 9 but there was a group of 14, a group of 8 and a group of 10 all sat before us. Amongst many smaller numbers. Finally we politely inquire again how much longer it might be and are told another half hour, that they're basically waiting on the long table to leave. But they can't push tables together for us like they did for other people? Still not a huge deal, a little irked but we get it, it's busy, we're in the service industry. By the time we've waited over an hour and a half now, they ask if we'd be okay splitting between two round tables that seat about 6. We say that's totally fine, and go sit. Literally within minutes, another girl comes over and says there's been a reservation made apparently for that specific table and we can crowd around the one round table and a table for two. So we're all crammed at one round table and two of our group have to sit by themselves to the side. Now we're irritated, we waited forever without much frustration, finally get offered to split two tables and then get told we can't actually have those two tables? But we just want to eat at that point. Drinks were forgotten, rice wasn't brought, checks took way too long to be brought when asked. Then we looked at the table taken away from us to see it's TWO PEOPLE sitting there. At a table meant for six. The second table should have never been take. And they should have been seated at a two person table. Absolutely ridiculous. Another large party got seated at the table we were originally supposed to be at eight after this all happened, too. It honestly really felt like we were the only larger group treated the way we were. Mind you half of us are in the service industry, we are usually NEVER upset anywhere we go with anything, but this was just ridiculous and with no display of apologetic feelings by the staff. Our waiter was at least nice despite forgetting things or taking forever, granted again it was very busy, but. To top of off, we go to leave and the girl who had seated us looked us straight in the face on our way out the door and didn't offer a have a good night or anything, didn't even smile. Please get a better team together. I understand busy nights, and how frustrating it can be, but there's no reason for this. read more