Su’s Mongolian BBQ

First time preparing my own food, fun! Ask someone in line next to you who has done it before you will feel less stupid

This 25 year-​old restaurant is still packed during the weekend… Food is fresh and people are so nice… I have been coming here for 14 years and I still come here every week. Just love it!!!

I have been eating Mongolian BBQ for pretty much my entire life. I’ve tried many places and this one is up there on the list. It’s not a fancy place but that’s not what it’s about. The food is so good!!! I will keep going back time and time again!

Oodles of noodles!
If you are a fan of Mongolian noodles, Su’s is the perfect place for you. For the price of $ 14.99 for an all-​you-​can-​eat buffet on a typical weeknight, it can’t get any cheaper than this. While parking can be a pain since the lot is super small, the restaurant itself isn’t normally crowded so finding a spot is fairly easy. Inside, Su’s doesn’t look too pleasing to the eye from its monochromatic colors, plain white walls, and dingy tables. The bar of ingredients isn’t so new either; however, everything is neatly labeled and easy to access.
Of course, grading the noodles on the flavor isn’t fair since you are in charge of how much sauce and what kind of sauce goes into your dish. Always be wary of putting too much or too little! But if you are like me who is a bit unsure of what to add, they do provide a basic outline of what you should put into your dish and when I follow the recipe, I’m always pleased with how my noodles turn out. My hubby tends to stray from the proposed sauce-​list and while it may not always turn out right, he enjoys the «hit-​or-​miss» process of it. (He’s the more adventurous one.)
I will, however, criticize Su’s for offering frozen meats instead of fresh slices. There is just something about frozen slices of chicken/​beef/​lamb/​pork that comes off strange, but after the meat is cooked, I honestly can’t tell that it was frozen in the first place. In terms of ingredients, Su’s doesn’t offer too big of a selection, but enough to let you make a few combinations like spinach, onions, jalapenos, bean sprouts, mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli.
If you want more than just noodles, there is an appetizer bar that serves egg rolls, wonton pieces, orange chicken, rice, and egg flower soup. The soup is a bit bland for my taste and the orange chicken has way too much orange, but the egg rolls are decent. There is also a self-​serve ice cream machine which is always nice to enjoy after a filling meal.
In general, Su’s is just an average place for dinner. I’m certain you won’t leave hungry and the idea of constructing your own bowl of noodles is pretty neat. The servers are quite friendly and quick to clean up your table of any dirty utensils. If you disregard the ambiance and lack of variety, Su’s is a perfectly good spot to go for a quick, easy, and extremely cheap dinner.

Definitely not worth the price. Service and quality have slipped considerably over the years.

This was once my go to for Mongolian BBQ. Went here one weekend with my family after the ownership change, so disappointing. The taste from noodles to meats are just not the same, I don’t know what it is but I don’t think I’ll come back.

I’ve rate at 4 different Mongolian spots and this one is hands down the best.
A little on the pricey end and hours open make me give it 4 not 5 stars

The food was definitely good. The location of the restaurant left me a little wary as a woman traveling alone at night. Definitely not fancy and the restrooms are back through the kitchen and down a dirty hall. Although the food was good enough I won’t be going back if I’m ever in town.

This place is a whole in the wall. Definitely considered a dive.
I’m a Foodie (One of the best I know). This place satisfies my Eater side.
Understaffed, somewhat friendly staff. quick to respond once they have been contacted.
Grab a beer and get in line. Avoid the pre-​made grease options. Egg rolls are snackable though.
sauce:
1 Scoop Wine, 1 scoop vinegar, 2 – 3 scoops ea. sugar and soy. 2 scoops ea. ginger and garlic THIS IS IMPORTANT one heavy from the bottom then add 1 – 2 regular scoops — for both, 1 scoop hot oil and bbq oil… always add 6 – 7 pineapple cubes for taste. Heat to taste with the oil and dried red pepper flake mix.
Self seat yourself at your favorite reserved table… lol
Eat enjoy.
My kids and most of the couples and large men I saw, enjoyed the endless Ice cream cone fountain.

Always great food when I come here! The staff is nice and friendly too.

They have a pretty good sauces and variety of veggies and meat. I am just disappointed with the cleanliness in this place. They make the vegetarian and non-​vegetarian stuff on the same grill at the same time. The sauces from the non-​vegetarian dish were getting mixed with the customer who had a vegetarian dish. It did not seem fair.

I have mixed emotions about this place. On one hand, I love the food at Su’s. They have good options for your meal, and I’ve never been disappointed with any of my creations. On the other hand, the service is deplorable. The employees stand around doing nothing, play on their tablets, or text on their cell phones; you’re lucky if you get a refill of water. The cook is the only one who seems to work! My husband and I have been frequenting this restaurant for years, and the service used to be good. However, the business clearly changed hands. Prices went up, and the quality of service went way, way down. Even though I like the food, the employees are rude and lazy. It’s frustrating.

My favorite Mongolian BBQ spot in the entire South Bay! Located a couple blocks from Santa Clara University, this place isn’t anything fancy. Upon entering, you let the person know how many are in your party and you go straight to business. They offer some hot appetizers such as wontons, veggie eggrolls, sweet and sour pork, fried rice and chow mein. I personally love the eggrolls. As for the Mongolian BBQ selection, again there’s no frills or anything fancy just your usual chicken, beef, pork, lamb, tofu, veggies, and noodle options. They also have tons of sauces to choose from. I usually fill one bowl with noodles and veggies and another bowl with meat plus onions. My favorite sauce combination includes cooking wine, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoison sauce, and hot oil. The cooks are really quick with your order so the turn around from filling your bowl to seating at your table is 5 minutes (depending if there’s a lot of people or not). With dinner being around $ 15 and some change per person, you can definitely get your money’s worth if you come ready to conquer the all you can eat situation. However, keep in mind you will be charged if you waste food, so don’t let your eyes be hungrier than your stomach. Bonus for having soft serve ice cream as well! Overall, if you are looking for a deliciously filling experience then definitely come to Su’s!

Su’s is… an interesting place. On one hand, I have no idea what the hell I’m doing when I’m putting a plate of Mongolian BBQ together. On the other hand, it always tastes amazing, so who am I and my pride as a cook to complain?
My inner Asian seems to really roar here. make sure to grab two bowls on your first trip, because otherwise you won’t have enough room for the noodles/​veg/​meats that you order and your bowl will be sad. Their selection is pretty standard; chicken, beef, lamb, pork, but it doesn’t really matter because all the meats end up blending together in a delicious (spicy, if you’re doing it right) sauce. They have a pretty limited selection of veggies, but all I really go for are noodles, onions, and a dash mushrooms and carrots most of the time because I’m all about the MEAT.
Do note that if you’re behind someone who is loading a ton of spices onto their bowl, the residual spiciness from the previous order WILL get into your food. My part-​Irish coworker had the misfortune of going after me and got an uncomfortable blast of spice all over her dish. Whoops.
Ambiance is pretty ghet — ahem, «no frills.» Price for lunch is pretty reasonable, usually hovering ~$ 15, and includes a variety of pre-​made hot dishes like soy-​sauce pork, crispy starch things, and the most-​amazing-​soft-​serve-​in-​the-​world. Also, a comically out-​of-​place stein of ice water. Overall, one of my favorite lunch spots — although I usually go at 1 to dodge the line (obviously).
—
sweet: MEAT OVERLOAD! nom nom nom. tasty sauces, though each sauces’ effect is inexplicable to me.
bitter: drinks really ramp up the price; restaurant is kinda dirty-​ish.

Poor selection of items for your Mongolian meal– no room to move around while filling up your bowl– and nobody smiles! Really. Ever. Why?
It was $ 64 for a family of 4, so not worth it for the poor service, lack of choice and overall experience. Go down El Camino towards Sunnyvale and stop at the higher rated Mongolian BBQ in Santa Clara.

I love love love Su’s!!! This place is just so easy to get in, grab a filling, delicious and authentic Mongolian meal for ten bucks. You make your own recipes with the help of some of the posted signs, and the way the food is made is so interesting– two guys pushing food around on a stick on a cast iron stone, then after about 2 minutes, it’s done! Great place.

Quality has definitely gone down. No shrimp but price is still $ 15.00 and the only place that does not provide refills on iced tea. ARE YOU KIDDING? The competition on Brokaw Rd and Old Oakland Rd provides better options. And don’t get me started with the cashier girl. You can tell she’s bored out of her mind and ALWAYS on her cell. We have been a loyal customer of Su’s from the past. A friend said this place sucked since new owners. Hubby didn’t believe it and still wanted to go.
Price: pretty pricey for no shrimp and no iced tea refill
Service: cashier ALWAYS on her cell
Quality: like any other Mongolian bbq. Their soft serve almost immediately melts when it dispenses from the machine.
Result: I recommend find another Mongolian bbq like Gobi Mongolian bbq on Brokaw Rd, corner or Brokaw and Old Oakland Rd. The price is cheaper and better dining experience. Su’s HAS gone down with dining experience.
BY THE WAY: Snipey BEEHACH. The young girl at the register, who was ALWAYS on her cell (see picture) had A T T I T U D E when we asked for the receipt. I was generous and gave them two stars but with her attitude I’m now giving it one star. I wish I could give it «0» stars.

Very disappointed! We used to love this place, but since the business changed hands, it’s gone to the dogs.
The price has gone up, the selection of ingredients has gone down, and the service is nonexistent.
The hostess/​server barely acknowledged our presence when we walked in. The previous owners always greeted customers with a friendly smile and a verbal welcome that made you feel wanted. Now it’s as if we’re a bother.
I ordered an iced tea and the hostess took forever to bring it out. When I had finished my iced tea and wanted more (empty glass at the edge of the table) she was too busy playing with her cell phone to notice. When my husband asked her for a refill, she informed us that they «don’t do refills» and that we would have to PAY for it. This is as all-​you-​can type place. and you’re going to charge me for an iced tea refill???
Su’s has lost a long time customer tonight, I doubt we’ll EVER come back. Too bad… this used to be a really great place to eat at a reasonable price.
Dinner over, we approached the podium and the hostess (younger one in the photo) snapped 34.23 at us. Fearing that they charged us extra, I asked for an itemized receipt and was told, «you pay first then I give you receipt»!! This line was delivered in a tone that I can only describe as very snarky and rude, as if I had inconvenienced her in some way.
I never got an itemized receipt, she just snapped «two dinners, one iced tea!!» Guess what… no tip! I almost forgot to mention that when she handed me the charge slip to sign, she literally shoved the tip jar across the counter at me.
Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. There are lots of GOOD restaurants in the area, including several Mongolian BBQ places.

No frills Mongolian BBQ. The vegetables are reasonably fresh, the peppers are always hot, and the sauces are what you make it. Have been here several times and have yet to leave disappointed.
Get two bowls instead on one so you minimize your wait in line. Save room for the soft serve. Mmmmmmmm. I’ll be back again and again for lunch. Get there by 11:30 to avoid the rush.

I came here at Su’s one Friday evening and forgot my jacket.
Upon realizing I forgot it– I called the establishment right away; and they confirmed I left it there…
The lady on the phone said she was going to put it aside until I can pick it up…
I came in on a Sunday to pick it up; but didn’t realize they were closed.
So I called today; and spoke to the owner; he told me they put things left away for customers. But he advised me to call back at 11am when his staff comes in.
I called back and this lady picks up the phone and says «NO JACKET» then hangs up.
WTF. eat my jacket. NEVER coming to this establishment again.

UPDATE ON MY PREVIOUS POST:
Months after writing this review; I got a Unilocal message from the owner of Su’s.
He apologized for being mistreated; and asked if my jacket was …(described my jacket).
YES, guys… I was able to get my jacket back.
His reason: none of the staff knew how to properly communicate in English. So they must have misunderstood me or something.
But the jacket was there the whole time.
***************************************************************
I came here at Su’s one Friday evening and forgot my jacket.
Upon realizing I forgot it– I called the establishment right away; and they confirmed I left it there…
The lady on the phone said she was going to put it aside until I can pick it up…
I came in on a Sunday to pick it up; but didn’t realize they were closed.
So I called today; and spoke to the owner; he told me they put things left away for customers. But he advised me to call back at 11am when his staff comes in.
I called back and this lady picks up the phone and says «NO JACKET» then hangs up.
WTF. eat my jacket. NEVER coming to this establishment again.

Upon entering the establishment, I had low expectations. It looked pretty rundown and was dirty. The hostess/​cashier/​waitress lady was pretty nice though!
I paid $ 18 (tip included) for dinner and felt that I did not get my money’s worth even though it was ayce. They had VERY frozen meats (lamb, pork, chicken, beef) and tofu. They had a decent veggies selection (water chestnut, onion, mushroom, jalepenos, etc.).
They also had sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, chow mein, eggrolls, soup, and white rice. The sweet and sour chicken was ALL fat and it was really overcooked, some pieces were like eating a rock. The fried rice was very mediocre and the egg rolls were good. I mixed siracha and teriyaki sauce for the egg rolls.

I had only been to a Mongolian BBQ once before, and it was nearly 20 years ago, so it was still a pretty new experience. I think it’s one of those things that it takes going once to figure it out, then you probably get it more «right» the next time around ;)
So for the newbies: grab a bowl (or 2… stuff cooks down) and start filling with meat, noodles, veggies. The meat is deceiving. It looks like a lot, but it isn’t. The slices are VERY thin, so they cook down to just a little bit. You could easily fill a bowl with meat and it would be about the right amount. Noodles… don’t go overboard. They are filling!!! Veggies will cook down a bit, but not as much as the meat. Then comes the sauces. That part is the trickiest I think, as you have to make your own combination. I went with cooking wine, sugar, soy, oyster, and oil. Needed more soy, and probably some garlic. It was a bit bland. I don’t do spicy, but they have some spicy options if you like that. Then hand it all to the cook and they throw it on the grill. Just know that if you followed someone who went super spicy, your food will pick up some of that spice.
I missed that they have some sauces you can add after… I’ll try them next time.
They also have some prepared foods. I tried a few… meh.
They have signs saying don’t take more than you can eat or they’ll charge you extra. That kind of worried me because I didn’t see them until after I sat down, and really had gotten too much noodle (portioning takes a bit of practice). But they didn’t give me any grief about it, so it was all good. Next time I’ll go lighter on the noodles for sure though. Probably ¼ of a bowl would have been plenty.
It’s a fun experience with a group… give it a try!

BEST MONGOLIAN IN TOWN BY A MILE.
As many have stated, this place isn’t winning points for ambience, though I do take exception to complaints about the service. Everyone there has always been extremely pleasant– just keep in mind it’s a (usually very busy) BUFFET. You aren’t paying for table service, you’re paying for the freaking most delicious Mongolian BBQ in the Bay Area. The two «Mongolians» circling the blazing hot grill are going to smile at you, but they aren’t there for conversation.
Here’s what you DO get: high quality meats, a large assortment of veggies, and– most importantly– the largest selection of sauce ingredients of any Mongolian BBQ restaurant I’ve ever visited in California.
Most competing places do well enough with ingredients, but then you get to the sauces and there are maybe four or five pre-​mixed sauce choices. This is the worst. You are supposed to mix your own concoction, and Su’s has all the ingredients. If you like a sweet sauce base (I’m not talking pre-​mixed sweet and sour or teriyaki), Su’s has no equal. A respectable second place would be either Stir-​Fresh in San Diego, but other Mongolian BBQs (I’m looking at YOU, El Camino, and every place in Orange County) offer too much soy/​salty and not enough sweet. At those places, I find myself holding pineapple chunks over my bowl and squeezing out as much juice as I can. And if you love garlic and/​or curry, Su’s is definitely your place. You will smell of your sauce for a couple days, so it might as well be friggin’ delicioso.
No, the beauty of Su’s isn’t the décor. It’s the ability to build your own sauce rather than settling for someone else’s mix. After a few tries, you will find your «sweet spot» (see what I did there?) recipe and then it’s all consistent goodness, baby. Any reviewer saying Su’s sauce choices are lacking is either nearsighted, delusional, or possibly being paid by El Camino. Just walk in the door and you’ll see– it’s not even close.
If I were to ding Su’s for anything, it’s the lack of a soda fountain. However, again, Su’s makes up for this by sheer number of drink choices in their cooler. And the other reviewers are correct about the soft-​serve. It is near perfect.
If you want the best Mongolian in town, Su’s is your easy choice. If you want drinks with refills and a (slightly) better atmosphere, head to El Camino.
Happy Mongolian-​ing.

Su’s won’t win any points for ambiance, that’s for sure.
The place is pretty bare-​bones in terms of décor, with just a few tables and sauces all out there willy-​nilly.
But the food is good. Real good. Loading up your bowl (s) with meat and veggies and then downing it is one of life’s simple pleasures. If you can stomach the hole-​in-​the-​wall vibe, then your stomach is ready.

I am not a huge buffet type of person and always have left overs… so spending $ 15 on a meal for me at a buffet is a huge waste of money.
I thought that the selection of meats, veggies, 2 types of tofu looked very fresh. They had lots of sauces to choose from too. The one lonely cook, with a line of 8 looked very unhappy and im sure was hot AF cooking all that food. The Mongolian BBQ was delicious. The Chinese food off to the side was not.
Lady workers also looked unhappy and didn’t seem like they wanted any of us there.
Soft serve ice cream was actually very good. I wondered later if they would just sell ice cream if we occasionally stopped by here from time to time.
And for whatever reason, this place had amazing people watching.

I’ve been going to Su’s for over 14 years.
It can get crowded on a Friday’s at lunch so get there early.
When you walk in, grab two bowls — one for meat (thinly sliced beef, pork, chicken, lamb) and one for the noodles and veggies. I love how the broccoli cooks/​taste in Mongolian BBQ so I usually load up on those. The sauces are on the opposite side of the food. I usually put 1 – 2 scoops of soy sauce in each bowl, 3 – 4 scoops of garlic, 2 ginger, and 2 – 3 hot oil. The beauty of places like this is. if you mess up, you can adjust your ratios in round 2 or 3!
The only cooked food I eat there are their spring rolls. I don’t want to load myself up with fried rice, fried wontons, or chicken drumsticks.