Why This Montana-Based Buffet-Style Stir Fry Chain Gets Mixed Reviews

Buffets serving Chinese-American and other East Asian-inspired dishes have had a solid presence in the United States for decades, and restaurants where the staff assemble custom orders (see: Chipotle and Subway) have profited from that same build-your-own meal appeal. If you would love to experience a mashup of these two restaurant styles, you might want to seek out a HuHot Mongolian Grill.

HuHot may look like a run-of-the-mill buffet, but look closer and you'll see that those trays contain raw ingredients like meats, tofu, vegetables, noodles, and sauces. The spot is actually a custom stir fry buffet where you fill a bowl with your favorites, then take it to a flat-top grill, where a cook will griddle the whole thing. There's no limit to how many times you can return to the bar, making this one of the best all-you-can-eat deals at chain restaurants. But much like its signature stir fries, reviews for this Missoula, Montana-based chain are thoroughly mixed.

HuHot first-timers often gush about their meals on social media, calling the stir fries delicious and the DIY aspect fun. Regular customers also frequently post about their love for their favorite lunch spot, especially the great value and variety of tasty sauces. However, some reviewers found their meals flavorless and dry, often because their stir fries were burnt on the griddle. Multiple HuHot locations also seem to have issues with cleanliness and food quality, from filthy grills to old or even rotten ingredients.

Some may recognize HuHot Mongolian Grill's gimmick as Mongolian BBQ, a cooking style with a misleading name, as it was invented in Taiwan in the 1950s. Founded in 1999 by the Vap family in Missoula, HuHot opened its first franchised store in 2002. The chain has since found enough success to expand to over 50 U.S. locations. 

HuHot gets plenty of positive buzz on TikTok and Reddit, with customers proudly showing off how many bowls they got at the bar for a great price. And while juggling multiple dishes is normally an annoying thing about buffets, HuHot fanatics just can't get enough and love to grab two bowls at once. Yet on the flip side of the griddle, multiple reviewers have complained about unappetizing ingredients, such as old veggies and proteins that were not defrosted properly (or even freezer-burned). And while some diners have received overcooked stir fries, others said their meat or fish were left raw.

Another frequent complaint is that the restaurant is dirty, especially the grill area. The staff can get some grace, considering how hectic buffets can be, but excess mess is never pleasant. Some diners who loved HuHot at some point in the past were also disappointed when they returned, citing a dip in food quality and service. In the end, HuHot is a choose-your-own-adventure restaurant, and knowing which items to grab will push you towards a positive experience.

HuHot Mongolian Grill's expansive menu offers appetizers, sides, and desserts separate from the DIY stir fry lineup. Reviewers have called the chocolate Khan's Cake dry and grocery-store quality, the egg drop soup extremely salty (and the hot and sour soup not much better), and the seafood options at the bar off-putting in taste and texture. The stir fry meats seem to be inconsistent in quality, so examine options like pork, chicken, and beef closely to determine if they're fresh.

Meanwhile, customers have named the crab rangoon and potstickers as must-try appetizers, and the Asian salad with mandarin oranges, toasted noodles, and vinaigrette is a favorite side dish. Diners also go gaga whenever fresh eggs are available for stir fry and seriously miss them when they're not around. On the dessert side, the Sweet Victory S'mores are a solid pick (and you even get to char the marshmallows yourself). Lastly, every HuHot customer has a favorite sauce combo, but standouts include the garlic broth, Black Thai Peanut, chili oil, and Khan's Favorite (essentially a spicy barbecue sauce).

Following the tips you need to navigate buffets can also help you build a better HuHot meal. For instance, large food pans can be a red flag at a buffet because it's likely that untouched ingredients in massive quantities have been sitting out for too long. Big pans are tough to avoid for HuHot stir fry bases like noodles, but for your other add-ins, consider picking from smaller trays.