El Camino Mongolian BBQ

Only times I’ve ever tried Mongolian BBQ have been during family parties at Chinese buffets. Seeing that those events rarely yielded any true happiness, I’ve just never had an urge whatsoever to eat at one of the places that just specializes in Mongolian BBQ. Came here with my friend Louis, who recommended this place, to give it a shot.
Immediately, I knew I wasn’t going to be a fan of assembling my plate of raw meats and veggies. The utensils were all over the place and the tongs definitely did not appear to be as sanitary as I would imagine one could be. Granted, I’m not one of those clean cut guys, but I do have a food safety manager’s certificate for HACCP, so I’m not as clueless in this spot as you might think and it was bordering on repulsive for me. Money’s been paid already and it’s an all you can eat, so filled it full anyhow and let the cooks do their magic.
The food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Nothing stood out about either plate I made and perhaps this is because I had no idea which sauces to mix and what not, but at the end of the day, each creation seemed like something I could stir fry in a wok. The area off to the side with appetizers such as egg rolls and fried chicken was pretty much a joke as well. Lukewarm and each bite was much too salty.
I don’t like buffets or all you can eat places usually and my visit to this establishment has done nothing to change that. Yeah, I got full, but I would’ve needed to be an obese piece of lard not to have been.

I’ll tell you what I do NOT appreciate about this place.
Granted, yes, the food is good.
However…
A) The «food sanitation» is definitely not code approved. The tongs for meats (lamb, chicken, beef & pork) are laid around & tucked into the handles that people touch {this made my husband go meatless}.
B) The side area with pre cooked foods (egg rolls, fried chicken, etc.) is always burnt, cold & not appetizing.
C) Good luck on refills if it’s busy!
D) You are told ‘we’re closing’ 20 minutes before actual closing time. Then a bell is rung? when they’re closing shop. Weird!
E) As a first time guest here with my family, I don’t understand the hype. I’ll keep my $ 15 per person, thank you.
Be careful. (I’ve been in the food industry for over 20 years).
NOT, I slowly repeat, noottttt coming back!

I will say here that the Mongolian BBQ itself is bomb. The selection of meats and sauces are good, and the guys behind the counter are very efficient. Plus the selection of sides is wider than most, and with a dinner price of $ 13.99 that beats most places in the area.
What brings down my review is some lackluster service outside getting the food. At dinner time, plates weren’t really taken away often, and within a 2 hour window our water glasses were never filled. Not sure if Mondays are just dead days or if that’s indicative of every time you eat here.
Was I happy with my overall meal? Most definitely. But probably would not make the drive just for here again just for this restaurant — the quality jump isn’t as big as I was hoping.

We are hooked!!! Ever since our first visit, we find ourselves making excuses to drive down to Santa Clara, just so we can have lunch or dinner at El Camino Mongolian BBQ.
The owners and their staff are warm and friendly. John is there to help «newcomers» through the paces (brown bowl for proteins, green bowl for veggies). They have so many choices of fresh meats (or tofu for the Vegetarians) and vegetables. Everything is cooked perfectly, and with the addition of their selection of sauces/​oils/​spices, makes for a super delicious (and healthy) lunch/​dinner. All you can eat (I have never gone back for seconds because it’s really filling), plus you can help yourself to a «bonus» hot table with rice, spring rolls, wickedly good fried chicken, and a small assortment of specials. The prices are very reasonable, they restaurant and food area are kept very clean, and it’s just really good food.
If you find yourself in the area, go by for a meal… you will start craving it on a regular basis.

Bring your stomach! So much good stuff… just remember, you can keep going back and forth. Don’t be like me and overload your plate before you figure out what your favorites are.
Good sauces, meat selection, and veggies. Also, sooo many sides to choose from.
What’s unique and maybe a bit weird is they have walls and ceilings full of pictures of their customers. It’s overwhelming! Owners are super nice though

I went here for the first time with my family a week ago, and it was a special experience. The owners were there (from what I hear, they’re always there), greeting people and walking around smiling. If you’ve never been there before, they take time to explain to you how to set up your plate to be barbequed. The food was very good. I loved the ‘appetizers’ that you can munch on while you’re waiting in the long line. The decorations are kitschy but add a nice lively atmosphere. The only disappointing thing that happened to us was that one of the owners took my mom’s plate and made her sauce for her — it sounds like a nice thing, but she was looking forward to choosing the different flavors and doing it herself, and he did it without asking.
I wish it were a bit less expensive, but I guess you can’t expect that in Silicon Valley these days. I would eat here again.

Hog all you can place. Select the meat, select the veggies (in a different bowl), choose your sauses (there is a guide map on the wall to help you decide how spicy), had it over to the chef, he grills and gives it back to you.
Food was ok, what i didnt like was a peculiar smell of bleach that filled the entire restaurant. Bcos of that I decided to do a take away and leave. by the way, take aways are not on Buffet prices but on the weight in pounds. So make sure you dont fill your takeaway box with lot of extras or veggies :)

I love eating here as the place is clean and I can trust the food will be well cooked. I’ve eaten here about 12 times so far. Not much parking so it can be hard to find a spot to park. Let me explain about eating here, when getting food they want you to take two bowls and keep the meat separate from the vegetables. The dining can get loud but is tolerable for me and my friends. It is all you can eat but there are signs saying that you can be charged if you waste food.

On our journey to conquer all South Bay Mongolian BBQ spots, our quest landed us here. This place definitely gets quite busy and the line does take a while to get through to get your meal cooked. This spot has the usual meats, veggies, sauces and noodle options. The major reason I didn’t find this place appealing at all was the quality of their ingredients. The veggies looked old and when the meat got cooked it had a really stringy consistency. What irritated me the most were the noodles. Mongolian BBQ is supposed to have those thick noodles and this place had spaghetti type noodles, which I found quite odd. However, I must say they do have an extensive appetizer area. It was quite sad and pathetic that I mostly fed on the appetizers since the bbq wasn’t worth standing in a long line for. Overall, if you are seeking below mediocre Mongolian BBQ then do yourself a favor and avoid this place. Luckily, if you are craving delicious Mongolian BBQ for the same price then go down the street to Su’s.

Food is great, it’s fast, reasonably cheap & reasonably healthy…
I don’t think the appetizers are anything special, but my daughter (2.5 y.o.) loves the soup.

My wife, two year old son and I were feeling adventurous for lunch and decided to try El Camino Mongolian BBQ for the first time yesterday. I am so glad we did!
As we came in we were greeted by John, the owner, in such a friendly way. We’ve been to a lot of Mongolian BBQ places but it was our first time here. Most are slightly different in the way they operate and the process to get your food on the grill. John realized very quickly that we were trying to get our bearings and that we must be new to their restaurant. He sent us back to his wife Sunny to get a table set up, and that’s when they kicked the hospitality into high gear.
They went out of their way to show us the process and were cooing over our little boy, who I was holding as we got into line to fill our bowls with the goods. We loaded up our bowls, and were trying to decide how best to make sure our little guy would get things that he would eat.
I was holding him in one arm while trying to fill my bowls one handed, discussing options with my wife and noticing the side dish area that had chicken, egg rolls and rice. We thought we’d let our son share my wife’s BBQ (I like mine really spicy), and get some rice etc for him. Just then, John came by and took matters into his own hands and grabbed a bowl for my son. He suggested some noodles and chicken and made a little bbq bowl all for our son, and helped us down the line.
Once we got to the sauce area, he made a really mild concoction for our son and made some great recommendations for ours from the standard menu on the wall. The entire time he was very jovial and happy and genuinely interested in us enjoying our first experience. He talked about each of the sauces he was adding to our bowls and made a few suggestions here and there.
Fast forward to the food. What can I say. It was excellent. Some of the best Mongolian BBQ I’ve had. The flavors were excellent with the sauce recipes we selected, and we enjoyed the unlimited egg rolls, fried chicken and rice from the side dish area.
John and Sunny both tool a real liking to our son, and went out of their way to try to interact with him and have fun with him. Even though he was grumpy, they brought him extra fortune cookies, and just clearly enjoyed having a little person around. They told us about how their kids are older and they love little ones.
As we left, John showed our son some of the holiday decorations they had by the front door that made sounds if you touched them and that’s when they really got to see his happy personality. He loved it and gave them hugs when we left.
I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience like this anywhere else. When we sat down, my wife and I looked at each other and thought it was odd and a bit over the top how they seemed to be rolling out the red carpet. I told her I was pretty sure it was because they realized we were new and wanted to make an impression. Surely it was, but I also saw how they interacted with the other guests and knew the folks that were regulars. They treated everyone like you had come into their home and they were so happy to have you.
I can say this: the new customer red carpet they rolled out during a busy lunch hour, the genuine hospitality and fun John and Sunny provided, and of course the food, got us hook line and sinker.
We will be back, many times over I’m sure.

BOMB BOMB BOMB!
Come here all the time, service might not be great, line might be long. but food is to die for!!! It will have you coming back for more
The biggest downfall is coming home reeking of this place lol. Please expect to go home and wash your clothes ASAP.

My friend raved about this place and I’m glad I went with her, otherwise I wouldn’t realize how things worked for seating. Basically you are given your table number upon entering. I think we ordered our drinks, which was just water for me. She suggested that I take 2 bowls, one for meat & the other for veggies. It took me a while to assemble what I wanted cooked. It was fun to watch the food being cooked and I got exactly what I wanted in my dish. It was good too. I think I’ll be back with the family.

Came back for Part 2 last night, and it’s still good.
My only complaint is that they don’t have Yogurt or any type of dessert here. I guess that’s why this place is a cheaper by like 2 bucks or so…
Just a fair warning to everyone in advance!
They have delicious fried chicken and egg rolls. Ended up eating more of that than the Mongolian BBQ last night.

The food is still good, but that is because I have expertise on the sauces to make the food. But the owner, or the front desk worker can not understand anything. She puts on this fake smile but you know she is not being sincere about it.
Tuesday night, me and a coworker decided to come by for dinner. Half way through dinner, two of our friends wanted to come join. I asked if we can get one more chair since we are at a table that can seat four but with three chairs. She tells me this is not acceptable and I can’t wait at a table for my friends because there is a line now. So I asked politely if it is okay to give up my table now and wait with my two friends when they come. She would not allow that because if I am done, then I am done. And then she straight out said «I will not put you together at the same table». I asked again nicely if it is okay that I give up my table now so my friends are not cutting in line, she just keep on saying «there is no more tables» and «it’s your choice».
I am guessing what she wanted me to do is to pay right now and give up my tables for others. Then pay again if I want to eat with my friends. Even though this is a buffet restaurant with no time limit. I am not even eating much. I simply wanted to have dinner with friends together.
The most irony part is looking around, the Mongolian BBQ line is empty and there are three empty tables.

This is by far my favorite Mongolian BBQ of all the other ones I’ve tried in the Santa Clara/​Sunnyvale areas. The bowls are colored differently for meats/​veggies, they have a full supply of meats (beef, chicken, pork, and lamb), veggies, and noodles always. And they have a buffet line of other cooked items… like egg rolls and fried chicken. The fried chicken is delicious and addicting!
If its your first time having Mongolian BBQ, this place has instructions for you so you won’t be lost.
I’m glad our friend Adrian introduced this place to us because Mongolian BBQ was never in my radar… but now it is! And Mongolian BBQ is nothing really special, its what you make of it (literally…) however, the places just have different things to offer that make it stand out from the rest. This place. its their cooked foods like their fried chicken, fried rice, and egg rolls. Only one other thing they could add to make this the perfect Mongolian place… soft serve ice cream!

The food and selection here is good, but the owner is a bit much, and no longer to my liking even though he appears friendly. He’s basically a micromanager. First time I was here, everything was fine except for the fact that the owner wanted to show us exactly how to select our meats, vegetables, and sauces. So much so that he was literally breathing over our shoulders. Some of the people in my party had been before so they could have easily showed us the ropes.
Second time I was here, we sat as a group of 3 initially, and got placed in a typical 4 seater table. We tried to add 2 additional people who joined later, but the owner got passively aggressively mad at our party and scolded us for trying to bring them into our party. It was really awkward, so much so that our friends ended up leaving and eating elsewhere. All we wanted to do was add a chair to the table for 5.
Another thing to note is how long the line here gets when it is busy. We must have waited a good 20 minutes in line to get our food. This is ridiculous. No one in my group wanted to get seconds after this because of how long it would take. Good strategy on an AYCE buffet, make the line so long no one wants to go back.
The food here is actually pretty good and they offer a wider selection of food compared to other Mongolian BBQ places, but I can’t stand the service so I’d suggest Gobi which despite the smaller selection, is cleaner and less busy as well.

First time trying Mongolian food. Didn’t realize that it’s all about the noodle. The end product, the thing you eat is freaking delicious.
However, the line can get ridiculous and the mess at the self-​serve bar can look dirty after a stampede of people come by. The prices are definitely awesome. $ 9.99 for lunch buffet and $ 13 for dinner buffet.
My husband and I always want to come back, but what deters us is that freaking long line. Kudos to those with patience.

BY ALL MEANS, you are welcome to eat here if you please, JUST BE CAUTIOUS!
4 months have gone by since I last ate El Camino Mongolian BBQ.
Do I miss it? Somewhat, but UB Mongolian Grill fills whatever MBBQ cravings I have now.
I am updating to keep this review «on the radar»
Plastic and cockroaches are serious HEALTH ISSUES…
so this is something I feel very strongly about.
I am keeping my word that I will never come back here, and always tell everyone I know/​meet to BE AWARE!
I once loved this place, but sometimes it’s not meant to be.
Read my previous review below for further details & WATCH OUT FOR PLASTIC BITS IN YOUR FOOD!
v v v
I think they put something addictive in the food here– because I crave it ALL THE TIME.
I’ve had quite a few bad experiences here. But despite them all, I keep coming back, because the food is just wonderful.
I don’t go to a lot of Mongolian BBQ places, I have tried Sue’s (also on El Camino, some ways down) but they don’t have water chesnuts. :(
What I love about this place is that you get to make your own sauce. I pretty much got my sauce down (Practice makes perfect!!)
I am a very picky eater, so my bowls are always noodles and water chesnuts, sometimes ill have carrots but they usually are still hard after they cook it, so I haven’t been down lately lol. & I sit at the meat for daaaays picking ‘good pieces’ out. Sometimes I hate being so picky!
The quality of the ingredients here are top notch.
The noodles are thick and hold the sauces well.
If you don’t like barbeque, make sure they don’t dump barbeque-​water on your food while it’s cooking, because they didn’t ask my friend and she doesn’t like barbeque… LOL.
All in all, you make your own bowls, own sauce and watch as they cook it…
I love the place, and would give 5 stars– but some shit’s gone down here… I’ll still come back though. Gotta get my fix!
–UPDATE: April 1, came for dinner and the ‘Manager’ NOT THE GUY ONE. THE ASIAN B*** WOULD NOT STAMP MY FREQUENT DINER CARD, because I was getting take-​out.
This infuriated me, because I RECIEVED THE FREQUENT DINER CARD ON A TAKE OUT ORDER. I was so pissed, she just stood there and looked at me…
LEARN HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH.
See pictures below!!!
–UPDATEEEEE– APRIL 4TH, LUNCH. Guy manager was there and treated me VERY RUDELY because he ‘SAW MY REVIEW’
MY BAD FOR WARNING PEOPLE?!
i obviously still come here, i’m just letting people know of my experiences.
As of today. I will NEVER COME here again. I will be searching for a NEW SPOT, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE FOOD IS, I WILL NOT TOLERATE SOMEONE COMPLETELY DISRESPECTING ME IN FRONT OF CUSTOMERS AJD MY FAMILY… I WAS WITH MY SISTER, one of her friends & MY 2 YEAR OLD NIECE!!!
another reason I will never come back is because he kept insisting my niece is 3… and wanted to charge her 6 $ when she ate 3 freaking bites!!!
on top of that. my mom has seen a cockroach run across a table, and i’ve found PLASTIC im my food. I always came back and let those things slide. I’ve eaten here so many times, i’m scared of how many plastic bits I could have consumed… This is IT FOR ME!!! I’M DONE WITH THIS PLACE.
The food is good, BUT YOU MAKE IT… HEALTH comes first & this place needs an inspection + A lesson in customer service.

My coworkers and I come here every Friday during lunch! It’s quite a drive for us, but it’s worth it every time! $ 11.50 for all you can eat is worth it!
It’s located in a bit of a janky area and can easily be overlooked, but loyal customers always come back for more! It’s just like any other Mongolian BBQ place, you fill up 1 bowl with meat (chicken, pork, beef), and another bowl with veggies. Add as much sauce as you want to make the taste to your liking. And then they will cook it right in front of you! All of their food is fresh and they have a large variety of vegetables that you typically won’t find at Americanized Mongolian BBQ places inside of a mall. Also they have a large selection of sauces from Soy, BBQ, teriyaki, curry, lobster, wine, etc. that is also not as common.
In addition to the all you can eat BBQ, they also have extra sides like fried chicken, fried rice, egg rolls, soup etc, that are also included in the price. Service here is super fast. Despite the long lines, they always find a way to seat everyone. And the owner is super friendly! Always has a smile on his face and is so enthusiastic. For sure one of my favorite spots for this type of food!