Conveniently located next to the Rancho Bernardo library, I figured I'd finally give Stir Fresh a try while picking up some books. I was a little nervous at first given the 3.5 star Yelp average, but I'm glad I tried it anyway. The food is pretty decent: not mind-blowing, but certainly not disappointing. The service here is what really sets this place apart. From the moment I set food inside, I was warmly greeted by a manager who made sure my every need was accounted for -- and I saw him doing the same for pretty much every other guest. In fact, it seemed that he made it a point to remember whether a guest had been there before or not, which I found pretty impressive. The meal prep time is very quick, and I like that I can customize every plate to my exact tastes. I left feeling satisfied and will definitely be back.

I've been here 3 or 4 times so far and it is exactly what I want when I want it. The workers were super helpful and didn't get mad at me when I did not understand how it worked the first time, which was cool. I used to go to the one in the North County mall when I was in high school, but every place is different. Smash your meat and veggies in a bowl and let the people cook it, what more do you want? You do mix together your own combination of sauces that they throw on the grill with your food, and I really need to work on that part, I messed up big time last trip and it was pretty bland, but that's 100% on me.

There's a place in Chico, CA called Hula's that I grew up going to and I've been looking for something like it for years. Finally was able to try Stir Fresh and it was exactly what I was looking for. We arrived at 8:35 (they close at 9) so we asked if it was okay and they were all very happy to have us. They told us where to start and asked our drink orders so they'd be on the table when we sat. The young man that cooked our food was so personable and funny, even at the end of his shift. The food was so fresh, just an outstanding experience. Can't wait to go back!

I'll pretend I'm a hip kid... STIR FRESH STILL SLAPS! See, I used a youthful expression to describe my love for this place. Here is some advice from a Stir Fresh expert (me). Go when the restaurant isn't too busy, typically a late lunch. Why? Because you should take some time to experiment and build your bowl with care. When the restaurant it too busy at lunch and dinner you may feel rushed, especially if you've never been here before. The more time you spend building out your bowl the bigger and better it will be. Another tip that I can send your way is to have the grill cleaned before they cook your bowl if you're very sensitive to spicy food as previous bowls with excess spice cooked before yours could cause your meal to come out a bit too spicy. Last thing is to tip the cooks. Those people work really hard and so do your servers. Open that wallet and enjoy the experience!

You'd normally only see Mongolian BBQ in a food court at a mall but Stir Fresh has their own restaurant and there's even an AYCE option! While the food isn't the best quality, the AYCE option opens up so many possibilities and you can get different things each round. There isn't much information about the price and I think we paid about $30 per person for AYCE. If I heard correctly, your entire table doesn't need to do the same thing, it can be a mix of single serving or AYCE. Regardless of what you pick, each person gets one bowl for food and a smaller one for the sauce. They have a wide variety of protein options like pork, beef, lamb, chicken, and even fish, calamari, and sausages. For veggies, you got the staples like cabbage, onions, carrots, baby corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. The noodles were paler in color and seemed overcooked...just looked kind of off. One trick to stack more is to use your sauce bowl to push down all of the food. And like any Mongolian BBQ place, there's a large sign with sauce combination suggestions. Feel free to try your own mix but I followed theirs each time. And in doing so, you actually will completely fill up the sauce bowl they give you. Food cooking doesn't take very long but when there's a lot of people, be prepared to wait a bit longer. Usually as more people line up for the grill, more cooks will come out. Overall, the food was pretty decent but not the best Mongolian BBQ I've had. All of the frozen meat were sliced kind of thick and the beef was tough. I thought lamb was a lot better but you should know the gamey taste is very strong. Since it was our first time visiting, they gave our table a free side of this sesame bread to go along with our meal.

Came here recently with some old-time San Diegans. I had never heard of this place, but once I head "Mongolian BBQ", my nostalgia hit me hard. I hadn't had this type of cuisine since I was in middle school, and I thought these were only located in malls. When we entered, we were seated immediately and got the single pass bowl (you can also get AYCE for more $). Then we stuff our bowls with frozen meats, veggies, noodles, and sauces. It was clear I was not a regular, as my bowl was not nearly as packed down as everyone else. There was clearly a technique that all the regulars knew about. The sauces were a bit daunting but there was a convenient chart displayed with house combination recommendations! Then we hand our bowl to the chefs cooking our meals on a giant hot plate in the middle of the restaurant. Within a few minutes, we got our meal on a plate where we can cover it with sesame seeds and chili sauce. In a world full of fast, flashy dining experiences, this Mongolian BBQ is a reminder that sometimes, the best meals are found in the most unexpected places. It's a hidden gem that offers a taste of nostalgia, and a dining experience that lingers long after the meal is over.