YC's Mongolian Grill — Restaurant in Scottsdale

While on vacation in Scottsdale, a friend recommended YC's Mongolian Grill and we're so glad we went. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and we were excited to try the Mongolian grill experience.

The most impressive part of our visit was the amazing flavors. I had the spicy Hunan flavor, which had just the right level of heat for me (2 out of 5), and the staff made the sauce to perfection. The flavors were some of the best I've ever tasted at a Mongolian restaurant, and I consider myself a regular.

The price was a bit steep, $76 for a family of five (mom, dad, and three kids under 13), but we all left feeling stuffed and with enough leftovers for another full meal, which definitely justified the price. The staff encouraged us to pack our bowls as high as possible to get our money's worth, and even provided wax paper to help us pack it to the max.

Another highlight was the quality and freshness of the ingredients. The carrots and celery were top-tier, and everything tasted incredibly fresh.

The restaurant also provided rice, soup, drinks, and ice cream as part of the meal, adding even more value.

Overall, this was my favorite meal of our weeklong trip to Arizona! I highly recommend YC's Mongolian Grill for anyone looking for amazing flavors, quality ingredients, and a fun dining experience.

It’s up to you to get your monies worth, so pack it down good and load your...

To start, I'm biased. This is my all-time favorite restaurant. I started going to YCs Tempe location in 1997-ish. After that, I started going to the Scottsdale Pavilion location from about the early 2000s until it closed. I was very happy when this location opened.

The concept is simple. You get a bowl, then you go down a buffet bar full of raw food and fill it up. After the food is a sauce bar, where you make your sauce . At the end of the buffet there's a pair of cooks and large flat grills. You give them the bowl and they cook it. They put it in a new bowl and give it back. You go to whatever table and eat. They also have brown and white rice, a couple of soups, and wonton chips. Since you make your own meal, it can be vegetarian, vegan, or pure meat.

The only real improvement I could suggest is the drink machine. Ditch the current one and get one of the fancy touch screen units that can dispense dozens of variations.

I'll conclude with the sauce recipe I've been using for 20 years or so. It's for a large bowl that's overstuffed, so it's a bit more than what they suggest on the sauce menu.

3 scoops YCs Own 3 scoops Spicy Hunan 2 scoops Seafood (not fishy at all) 2 scoops Ginger 1-2 scoops Garlic (depends on how thick it is) 1/2 scoop Syrup 2 scoops Cooking Wine Heavy drizzle of Sesame Oil Drizzle hot chili oil to taste

After cooking, sprinkle with...

Unique concept. The place is clean. Pay at the counter when you walk in. Create your own meal by choosing from a very large assortment of proteins, vegetables, noodles, spices, and sauces. Then, have your meal cooked in front of you on a grill. I think this place only cooks one meal at a time, but it has two grills. You can fill your one bowl as high as you possibly can and they will allow the leftovers to go for .$50. I would recommend that first timers buy the all you can eat for a few dollars more and learn your perfect dish through trial and error. You cannot take food to go if you get the all you can eat. It will take several trips to learn the system and your tastes and preferences. A bad sauce or a sauce that is too spicy could ruin your entire bowl. They have staff helping you find and mix your sauce if you like. It is fun but a little overwhelming. The meal comes with self-serve, all you can eat, soup, white rice, brown rice, wantons, and a few other items. The wanton soup was solid. The meal comes with a fountain drink for an okay selection of beverages The chefs were friendly. A solid, tasty meal that could be made pretty healthy. This place had the freshest looking ingredients of any Mongolian grill place...