I would leave a negative rating if I could. They were very polight untill our children came in from outside. At that time the 20 min wait was changed to a 60 min wait. As we waited (all our children are very good and were being quiet and polight) we were told "pleae move" Please move AGAIN". All the while 2 6 tops and 8 tables that would seat 2, all in a row next to eachother sat empty. They we so rude and such blank, blanks that we left. The OTHER resturant we went to was happy to get our $150.00 bucks and the waiter was so nice and polight we left him $40 to say thanks. We go to ALL kinds of places and this was the worst service with only one other exception, we have ever had. Wish I could coment on the food but who wants to pay someone to treat them like crap. You can get that for free with out woring at it.

This place is a great deal for dinner. All you can eat for about $12.00. The only thing that can be bad about this place is going there your first or second time. There are so many choices and sauces to look at it can take a few attempts to get the right flavor that suits you. Otherwise, once you know what you want, this place is great.

This place is pretty much what you see is what you get, but they execute very well. You're not getting choice cuts of meat and elegantly prepared meals - this place is all about making something you like - in my case spicy and delicious. If you want fast (once you are seated at least, sometimes it's an hour or more wait), hot, and fairly fresh, this place will satisfy. For 10-12 bucks and all you can eat, it's a steal.

i have eaten at a mongolian bbq in okinawa japan, and this restraunt so nicely mirrored that experience! the food was fresh, the service was friendly and helpful, and the place was packed! i will definitely eat there again and again! there were a couple of slippery places on the floor that could have been caused by oil spillage, but, that was the ONLY complaint, and that happens anywhere you eat. it was delicious, i only wished i could eat more!!!

This is an excellent place to eat with the family while still not breaking the budget. As far as Beverages, I enjoy the Iced Tea. Their alcoholic drinks leave a lot to be desired. If you have food allergies this may not be the place for you, although they try to clean up the grill extra clean if people ask them too. I have been there over a dozen times and I have to say that the wait staff could use some work on attentivness to the customer, but as with any place of business some staff is better than others. As far as people complaining about there vegetables I have never had a problem with them, they are always crisp, the meats I have little worry about because they are almost always frozen untill cooked. They get 4 stars because there dining area is not always clean, but at the same time that is not always easy with the amount of business they do.

This food was awesome..... Plus we had a tall blonde waitress who constantly kept us satified. It was inexpensive and a great way to feed a family of five on a Friday night. Thank you Hu Hot of Des Moines.....

they even encourage you to go back for seconds ... i recommend going for evenings or weekends

I'm honestly torn. I love the pillage, and the place is so quaintly easy. Just like a buffet, you show up at the restaurant and go to the meat, noodle, veggie and sauce bars. Then the cooks grill your stir fry (and mix it up with everyone else's) and the price is a good value.

The service is poor. Can I ask everyone a question??? Doesn't everybody else feel gross after eating here? My family and friends also comment feeling very uncomfortable after eating at the Huhot and I was wondering if this is common for everyone. Also, don't order wine here - it's cheap and you can get every selection far cheaper at HyVee.

Great vegetarian option. But horrible vegan option. Your food will come into contact with juices from other's. Otherwise, great selection of fresh produce to put in your food. You're given control of what your dish looks like. Has always tasted great in the end. Good value.

I'm surprised at the complaints I've read about HuHot. In six or more visits, my experiences have brought good food and a fun time with friends and family. It’s great finally having a Mongolian barbeque in Des Moines. HuHot isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s worth at least one visit.

While still a chain, HuHot far exceeds the last Mongolian BBQ I ate at in Kansas (which was locally owned). At least, the food is frozen! The place in Kansas didn't even freeze the meats. But I've never had a single problem of my food coming off the grill frozen at HuHot.

The wait staff does have problems. They don't have to record as many orders, and they don't usually bring out entrees. Most of my waiters have been absentee or ditzy (they are horrible at refills). It’s like they don’t have enough to do. More often than not, we see a gaggle of them standing around the bar or in the kitchen.

As for someone else's food making its way onto my plate with the crazy grill action, I can somewhat relate. I have food allergies, and I hate seafood, so it makes me nervous. But I've yet to find an errant shrimp on my plate. Plus, if you go into HuHot, you should know what you're getting into. It seems silly to complain about a minor side effect of the restaurant’s niche.

As for the food itself, my boyfriend/eating companion said it best: "It's all in the sauce." If you don't do the sauce right, the meal will suffer. Once you get that down, it's fantastic. I recommend the sweet and sour sauce. It's sufficiently tangy but subtle. Additionally, I’m one of those picky vegetable eaters (I don’t like green things), but I find myself eating more vegetables there than anywhere else. It’s inspired me to buy a wok and try stir-fry at home.

My biggest complaint isn't about the restaurant. It's about the patrons. Every time we eat there, we run into a complete idiot. Pay attention to what's going on around you. Read the signs. Watch other people. And for the love of God, don't leave a gap at the grill! It's a seamless machine until someone who isn't smart enough to catch on becomes a cog.

Anyway, HuHot has the only Asian food that I can eat and not get tired of halfway through the meal. I'm usually too full to get a second plate. I do think it overpriced by a few dollars, but if it were unreasonable, we wouldn't keep going back. In the end, we leave full and happy, and that's indicative of a great eatery.

It's something fun and different when you're on the west side and shopping. The food has been consistently good when I visit. It's not authentic, more like an all you can eat stir fry. But I enjoy it.

The taste of the food and the idea of Huhot is great. However, I did have some complaints.
If you have food allergies, beware because there is no way to make sure your food does not come into contact with someone elses on the grill. My friend with seafood allergies was scared for her life.

I loved the food there, and the quality of the meat was better than in other restaurants that are similar in style. My friend Tony's food got cooked close to mine and he had the red pepper/chile sauce and I HATE spicy food. His sauce got into my food and essentially ruined it.
The lines can also get very long, so on a busy lunch hour or Sat. afternoon, be prepared to stand in line, but you will not be disappointed by the taste.

All I can say is crappy, smelly service and disgusting food.

We visited HuHot on Sunday, July 10. We had a server named, Cathy, who smelled of cigarette smoke so badly that we would gag every time she approached our table.

Our plates were not cleared regularly, she never checked on how we were doing, which wasn't bad, as we got a break from the smell.

Basically, we felt the service was the worst we had ever experienced at a restaurant.

And, come to find out, she was the head waitress on staff for the day! She was short tempered, smelly, and not friendly at all. The servers kept haning out with the grillers just goofing off. I felt like I was at McDonald's.

And, what's up with the frozen veggies? They were mushy and gross tasting.

Anyone who wants real mongolian bbq, should not visit a chain restaurant, it's like going to McDonald's! That's what we got bad service and food.

I am torn on my feelings. Part of me really loves this place. I love that you make your dinner, you decide what to add, what sauces to put on and actually watch your food being cooked.

The part that dislikes this place, hates the fact that on several occasions I have had food get off the grill that was still frozen. The appetizers are nothing better than what you can get at the store in the frozen food section and it never fails, I get behind people that have no clue what is going on, what to do and stare foolishly, while getting in line wrong. Then the waiting area, if that is what you call it…and on busy Friday/Saturday nights that is really annoying.

HuHot is great to fill up (it’s all you can eat), the atmosphere is fun and colorful, it's entertaining and the price isn’t bad at all. Avoid the appetizers and if you are new to the experience, please ask questions and read the instructions given.

I've also noticed that HuHot's fish is a little more "fishy" tasting than most places. Salmon shouldn't taste that way. Stay away from the fish, unless it's shellfish. The calamari, shrimp, and crab are all great.

Other than that, I think HuHot is great. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said, but I will add that they REALLY cater to people with food allergies. If you have allergies, tell your server or the manager. They'll tell you what's in the sauces so you know if you're allergic or not. They'll also thoroughly clean and clear out about 1/5 of the grill just for your food. They even use separate grilling spatulas for you. Usually the manager is watching just to make sure nothing gets in your food that you don't want. Awesome customer service.

On top of that, I think watching your food get cooked is the best way. Not only do you get a show, but you can also make sure your food doesn't get messed with, and you might learn a few grilling tricks.

Nothing special here. I think everybody got all excited about this Mongolian grill concept, but when you sit back and really taste this stuff, it's not that good. Sure, it's cheap and all you can eat.

But the ingredients don't seem that fresh. I remember the fish stinking and the peppers were soggy. yuck.

And the "chefs" do a terrible job at keeping my crazy stink sauce away from my "neighbors" food on the round grill. Other places I've been- you have you own guy who handles your food throughout the entire process- none of this passing it on from person to person- what is that crap?

Drinks were good.

I ate there last night with a large party of people. I have to agree with everyone else, it is good. If anything you should go just to experience a new concept in restaurants.

I love HuHot!
Whenever I go to Des Moines to visit I have to go there at least once during the weekend. Its nice to be able to make my own dinner at a place I would have no idea what something was had it been on a menu. This place is a must for everyone!

If there is one place in Des Moines you have to eat at this place is it. You gather the fixin's. Veggies, meats, veggies, meats whatever and then top it off with a sauce of your choice or you can follow the instructions on how to make a great sauce. You can't screw up the sauce by following instructions.

You then give them your bowl and watch them cook it right in front of you. Even at the busiest of dinner times I have gotten through the line in 15 minutes tops. You can't beat that at any restraunt during busy times. There is a pretty nice bar area where you can sit and hangout. There is a full compliment of drinks at your disposal and the service is very good. This is a great place for dates, families and anyone that likes this type of food. It's a great atmosphere. Veggie eaters are more than welcome. They have everything for you also. The only people that wouldn't like this place would be weirdo's that don't like to watch the food getting cooked (no chance of them spitting in it) or people that are too stuck up to save $30 for the same meal elsewhere. It's not as good as this.

I would eat there every day

This is one of the few restaurants that I HAVE to go to each time I visit Des Moines. The food is great, there is a large selection of meats, vegetables, and sauces, and the prices are very reasonable. (Approx. $9 for all you can eat.)

A++!!!1 Would eat at Huhot again!