Mongolian Grill — Restaurant in Rapid City

We loved this place! The service was wonderful! The ladies were so helpful and explained to us everything because that was our first time there, as well as in the city. In two words if you are going there for the first time, you will find a buffet with a variety of veggies, meat, two types of noddles and lots of different sources. You will be offered to choose between three bowl sizes (s, m and l). You pick a bowl you want and choose whatever you want from the buffet to be mixed and cooked for you on the huge round grill by a chef. As for the sources, if you don’t know what to choose they have a menu above the sources how to combine them to get a tasty dish at the end. Also, a chef will ask you if you want to add Teriyaki source while grilling. We all agreed and didn’t regret. Also, I liked the moment that if you chose a large bowl but while being cooked the food changed in its size (it will anyway), the chef will put it in a proper size bowl at the end and you will be charged not for the bowl size you chose at the beginning but for the bowl size you have gotten when the food was ready! In other words, I chose a big bowl, put lots of veggies which decreased in size while being cooked and the chef put my prepared food in a medium bowl at the end and I paid for a medium bowl. I think this is so fair! If we are back in that city one day, we will go to Mongolian Grill...

As a white male I am not sure it's my current place to comment on this topic, but I've never experienced overt racism before coming here.

There is no line, three-quarter of the restaurant seating is available and the host seems to motion with the menu to the first open table she takes me to, but then motions instead to another a few more down on the other side. A table clearly slanted at an angle I'm not entirely confident would hold my glass without a hand. She motions again with the menu and this time asks without eye contact, "this ok?"

Is this ok? A table at over 20° from level? Is this a litmus test? I think I said "yeah", but I don't recall. I sat down and the angle was even more extreme than it initially appeared. I'm a small guy, but I struggled to fit my legs under the table. The far side was at regular table height.

Clearly I wasn't welcome here or I didn't pass their coolness test, but either way I started getting up and the server walked up and asked something, but I couldn't hear. I just politely looked her in the eyes and said "I'll just dine somewhere else." And awkwardly left.

I'm unsure what I could have done to offend other than by my appearance, but forgive whatever offense I may have caused; It surely was not intentional. Either way, that is no way to treat a fellow...

Vegan options available! Plenty of veggies to choose from (mix of fresh, frozen, and canned - can only imagine how good it would be if everything was fresh!) Tofu was available as a protein. It is self-served buffet style - gloves are available. Only thing I would suggest was also having hand sanitizer available as well. Price is fair for the gracious amount of food you can fit in choice of (sm/m/lg) bowl. There is also an "all you can eat" option. I used a med bowl and boyfriend used a large - we both had leftover to take home. Not bad for ten bucks/bowl. Yes, everything is made on one giant hot plate, but it is moved smoothly and separately around. They offer a cup of rice once you have your bowl and sit down, which is nice because it helps soak up the sauce - don't forget to look up at the board for sauce serving suggestions if it's your first time there. Customer service was excellent - super polite and on point. Would definitely return if traveling through...