bd's Mongolian Grill

I'm not a fan of chains.


I mean, that's what I'm all about right?  Writing about and encouraging others to go to places that are NOT chains, especially the ones that are Hispanic/Latino.


However, when bd's Mongolian Grill opened in the South Side Works, James said that it's pretty decent, and that we should go there someday.  He IS pretty good at knowing what good food is, so I trusted his instincts.

bd's Mongolian Grill, South Side Works

The place reminds me of a place that I went to when I was attending Penn State called Green Bowl - fill up your bowl with the ingredients you want stir-fried together, and the chefs did so for you.  However, at Green Bowl, you put a colored stick in to indicate whether you want meat, chicken, or shrimp as your meat - you did not put it in yourself.

Self-serve ingredient bar.  This is just the meat end.

At bd's, you put the meat in yourself - raw.  I was a bit...worried...about this, but people were constantly coming out to check the trays and clean up any messes, which made me feel a bit better.  I couldn't even tell you everything I put in that bowl, but I know it included duck as my meat, edamame, baby corn, onions, broccoli, chickpeas. and - per James's suggestion - an egg.  I also had the Thai peanut as my sauce.
Now, if you don't know what all to put on your bowl, there are combination suggestions listed on the wall, but I think the fun is in throwing everything into the bowl and seeing how it comes out.


Once you have everything you want, you take it over to be cooked.  Of course, while you wait, the chefs entertain you with blade-flipping and quips, so it makes the wait enjoyable (instead of unbearable, since it smells so awesome!).

Entertainment while we wait

Most entertaining part of my wait?  Some college-age girls were next to me, talking amongst themselves  At one point, one of them said, "So, are Mongolians, like, monks?"


Wow.  This is why we need to educate people about different cultures.  Case closed.


After a lot of blade-flipping and gong-ringing, my food was ready:

My bd's Concoction

James was impressed with my flavor combinations - in fact, he liked mine better than his own.  Yeah, take THAT Burgh Gourmand :-)


bd's also has a decent salad bar.  I indulged, to make myself feel like I was eating something healthy...sort of:

I mean, ranch dressing isn't THAT bad for you...right?  RIGHT?!

The meal was great - and I didn't feel sick or queasy, so I believe that bd's does a good job of making sure that despite all of the raw meats, it is a safe place to eat.  This would be a great option, too, for groups with different tastes, and even the pickiest of eaters.  The selection of meats, vegetables, sauces, and other ingredients is diverse, so there's something for everyone.


And in case you were wondering, the monks that young lady was thinking about are tied to the Buddhist religion, which makes up 50% of Mongolia's population.  They are known for their throat-singing, red robes, and shaved heads.  Not all monks are Mongolian, and not all Mongolians are monks.  For more information, please see the CIA World Factbook. 


You may have been wondering.  You're welcome.




bd's Mongolian Grill
428 S. 27th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side)


Website: http://www.gomongo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/bds-Mongolian-Grill-Pittsburgh/291859314157448?ref=ts&sk=wall