Khan's Mongolian Barbeque   

Part of a local chain, Khans offers a great value: an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet for an attractively low price. Fill your bowl with raw meats, vegetables and noodles, then hand it over to the chefs. They will stir-fry everything with the seasoned oils of your choice. Return and repeat as needed. Every night, the place is jammed with locals who appreciate the serve-yourself portions. Aside from the Asian format, Khans is a loud, rather characterless shopping-mall restaurant, with an institutional atmosphere reminiscent of a high school cafeteria. The wait for a table can be long, even during the week. At lunchtime, the price is lower, but you get only one trip to the buffet. -- Heather Rose Henderson