C.I. Chu’s Mongolian Barbeque

Don’t be stingy on the sauces. Laddle on the sauces to both enhance the grilling and to add flavor.
I put on like 6 or more.
Put your meat in the bowl first, it is frozen and will take up lots of space.
Then pile in the vegies.
I like adding cilantro and pine apple for flavor and a nice sweet spark.
The meat quality was very good — not stringy and tough like some places.
The sesame bread is good.
Go light on any rice to not fill up so you can enjoy your main dish.
If it was closer I would go more often.

I had never had Mongolian Barbecue before I stepped foot in C.I. Chu’s, and as far as I’m concerned, I think I picked the right first impression!
I absolutely love the variety of foods I can put in my bowl. I always pick the same, but I just love the rice noodles, the edamame, and a plethora of veggies from bamboo shoots to mushrooms to green beans, pineapple, and two types of onions among others. The seafood medley is nice but I usually opt for chicken or pork. My favorite part is the sauce recipes above the pots of oils, waters, and sauces. I always opt for the Chef’s Sauce as I’ve tried making the others and this one is my favorite.
The barbecuer and the staff have always been nothing but friendly time and time again on my many visits here. I also really love the flat, buttery, warm bread they give with every order — sometimes I want to order more! The egg drop soup is good as well, and given with the generous Mongolian bowl portions, you really get your money’s worth!
The only negative is having the wonderful smell of garlic and well cooked ingredients wafting through the car on my drive home — it’s tantamount to torture!
Keep up the good work C.I. Chu’s, you’ve certainly earned a repeat customer.

Pretty sure I got food poisoning from eating here, and the couldn’t get my friends order correct.
I’ve got solid standards for restaurants, and make a point to be fair (how busy, new servers, price to quality ratio, etc.) and this is a place to skip.

Simple concept, great value. You pick your food and then drop it off to be cooked. I have been to a few different Mongolian BBQ places but this is easily the best value. The service is always nice and friendly and the end product always turns out great, unless you get a little too mad scientist on the sauces…

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for this type of food. I’ve been coming here since I was 12 years old. Probably attributed to the few extra pounds I’ve gained since then.
This place is a GEM. All you can eat, do it yourself type. What I love is that you can really dictate the taste with the sauces provided. If you’ve never been here, give it a shot. You’ll become a regular. Enjoy!

Best Mongolian BBQ ever. Make your own bowl. Get rice, sesame bread, soup and fortune cookie. I recommend the hot sour soup… dip the bread in the soup. The best!

It’s Mongolian BBQ… nothing more nothing less. When I want yummy veggies cooked up in a sauce of my own creation, and I want to eat several rounds of that… I come here. They have all the typical options and everything has been fresh. I dig.

I love this place! They are always very nice and I love the food. The vegetable soup is really good. I’ve never had a problem with them giving me a to go box either which I see they say they don’t do. Don’t even not give me a to go box, I will never come back

One star may seem harsh, the food was mediocre at best and the service/​restaurant policies are horrendous.
I have eaten here for lunch several times over the years but tonight’s meal will be my last.
I arrived around 7 pm, it’s a make up your bowl and we cook it concept. A one time trip to the ingredient bar is $ 9 while a All-​You-​Can eat option is $ 13. Signage at the buffet is small print and no one greets you at the door to explain the «rules».
I filled my bowl headed to the register and I said I just wanted one bowl. The almost impossible to hear cashier/​waitress said only the all you can eat option is available after 4pm. I told her I don’t want that and she said she’d give me a box for my second bowl. $ 14.50 with no drink plus they wanted a tip.
After I ate my first bowl, I had my second bowl made and had a few bites. I was ready for my box. The other almost silent waitress, suddenly very audible, said I couldn’t have one it was against policy. I told her what the other girl said and she told me that was «impossible» because the girl knew better and had worked there a very long time. I went to the register to confront the girl who denied she made me that offer. I told her she lied with my voice raised a bit and the dominant waitress handed me the smallest box possible. I packed my bowl and left. Ironically, I even tipped them, a self service restaurant.

Great selection for bowls, wish there were some instructions on what to do and where to go. The sesame bread was good, but the egg drop soup leaves something to be desired. Will definitely be back to try some other dishes and give then another try.

Come hungry. lots to choose from. 2 types of noodles. vast array of veggies… meats. notes to tell you how to find your perfect sauce… only issue with this buffet… utensils need to be constantly wiped down… they are sticky… you get bread and soup… great place

I am a sucker for Mongolian BBQ and since I was on this side of town and had a long lunch, I popped into this gem. The selections of veggies while you built your bowl were great. Good variety and very fresh. Their sauces were pretty basic, but I am not a sauce girl, so that was fine by me! You get a choice of rice, soup and a slice of their sesame bread. I passed on the bread, but enjoyed a cup of their Zen Garden Vegetarian Soup. It was simple, but I was happy that there was was a veg option.
The price is pretty average for a restaurant like this. Some may say $ 10 is a pricey lunch, but for a healthy, customizable lunch I see a bargain.

The description for the four stars hits the spot: Yay! I’m a fan.
Located in the unique shopping center that is essentially on the southwest corner of Broadway Blvd and Swan Road, C.I. Chu’s Mongolian Barbeque offers a unique take different than most places in Tucson. At lunch you have the option of paying just for one trip, but for dinner hours the only option is the unlimited one. That is fine by me because my taste buds crave the multiple trips. The prices are a little high, but it is well worth it.
Like the other reviewers described, you get a bowl and make put whatever you want in it. The combination possibilities appear limitless with so many choices! I The best part is standing there watching them cook your food. Everything I have tried is delicious, from the noodles to the seafood; the vegetables to the sauces. Accompanying your dinner is complimentary miso soup, rice, and bread. One can also purchase dessert if you need to satisfy that sweet tooth.
From the cashiers to the cooks, service here was great. Friendly and informative.
If you are looking to try something new and/​or desire a dining experience that combines fresh food with fun, this is a place you must try!

I have eaten here a few times; after today I will never return! The food is expensive, for two people at lunch… it was $ 30 before the tip. We each only had one bowl. I have never spent that much on a lunch without having leftovers.
I always have a lingering bad taste in my mouth after leaving there. I have tried different combinations… figuring that it was something I was doing. Same nasty taste everytime.
Staff are usually polite, but today the female there was a witch! I will not be recommending them to anyone and will definitely not eat there again.

This is the first low rating I have given and I have been writing reviews for some time. I met a dear friend for dinner tonight and was looking forward to a great evening. The food was okay but I felt for the quality it was very overpriced. The real reason for the low rating was the way I was treated. The woman who served me was rude and I even caught her in a lie. All I can say is I will never return! I will go to the many wonderful places in Tucson that serve amazing food and treat me like a customer.

One of the many places I love going to eat. The food is filling and is just to your specifications.
The obvious problems of sauce mixes and such as mentioned in other reviews are negligible when you find your dream mix.
Was planning on giving a higher review until I watched an employee remove his shoes and stand on a table in the corner while hanging a large fan from the ceiling. That’s a little eh when it is a surface that’s going to have food on it

Go ahead, rub my belly for good luck, wealth and prosperity because I walked out of C.I. Chu’s Mongolian Barbeque like a fat little Buddah.
I love a good Mongolian BBQ place and C.I. Chu’s is pretty solid. Walked in for lunch and L & I were immediately greeted by a very friendly woman who asked if we’d been there before. We replied in the negative and quickly got the run down on how our experience would flow. Grabbed our bowls and stepped up to the line. Loved the assortment of vegetables but would have enjoyed a few more Asian inspired items like snow peas, baby corn, radish, water chestnuts and fresh chilies. The meats (chicken, beef & pork) weren’t fatty and were thinly sliced. A sea food option is on the table as well but I didn’t see what was in it. I liked that there were a couple of sauce recipes and I decided to try one — Spicy Szechuan. Tasty however I made it more to my liking with an extra scoop of hot chile oil and added plenty of ginger.
Our meals were served with soup, rice and sesame bread. I went with the hot and sour soup and while it was tasty, it could have had more heat and sour.
Service is very friendly and helpful and I’d definitely come back when I want a LOT of food. So much food that Buddah now has dinner for tonight!

Enjoyed the setup and food. Very tasty but a little over priced for me. I liked the fact they keep a water jug at the table for you. I don’t like the fact they have a tip jar at the register. All that person did was put rice and soup in a bowl for you.

Seriously found my new favorite asian restaurant! :) Its a self serve Mongolian bbq, so you build your own bowl of noodles, veggies, meats and sauces. Everything was so fresh and delicious. For $ 11.99 you get all you can eat. You also get a choice of different soups and brown or white rice, but the best side was the sesame bread. It was so light and crispy. The staff was super friendly and checked on us constantly throughout our meal to make sure we had everything we needed. Will definitely be back soon!

The place was clean. We got there at 11:15 am on a Sunday and they hadn’t opened the doors yet. Yes, we were «those“people. The food was great and fast– but that’s what I’d expect when me and the people I came with are the only people in there. The vegetable choices were fresh and there was a nice variety. It would be nice if they had more than two options for noodles.