If You Don’t Like the New Big Bang Mongolian BBQ in Evansville, You’re Doing It Wrong [REVIEW]

An familiar face has opened a new Mongolian Barbecue restaurant on Evansville's east side, and how much you enjoy it is 100-percent on you.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to have lunch at the new Big Bang Mongolian Barbecue on Green River Road just north of the intersection with Morgan Avenue. The new restaurant occupies the space that was Mandarin Garden Buffet for many years, and is owned by Charlie, the same Charlie who opened Charlie's Mongolian Barbecue on Diamond Avenue, one of my favorite restaurants in town, over 10 years ago.

I didn't know that going in. When I saw Charlie behind the counter at Big Bang, I asked a waiter if it was indeed him, and if he was the owner. When the waiter confirmed to me it was, and he is, I knew I was going to like my meal before I even sat down. Now, I don't know Charlie personally, I've just been to his Diamond Avenue restaurant so many times, I feel like I do.

If you've never tried Mongolian barbecue, you're really missing out. How much you like or dislike it is completely up to you as you have total control over what goes in your meal from noodles to vegetables, to meats, seafood, and sauces. All of which is laid out buffet-style. Put as much or as little on your plate as you'd like. However you like it. Once you've reached the end of the line, hand your plate of raw ingredients to a cook behind the counter who will cook it all for you in roughly five minutes on a massive hibachi-style grill. If you don't like how it tastes, that's on you.

The decor at Big Bang isn't like your typical Asian restaurant. I thought it had more of a brick oven pizza style vibe to it. No pictures of the Great Wall, or Asian landscapes. The wall behind where the cooking takes place is a simple red brick wall. One major upgrade they made during remodeling was to open up the storefront windows. If you ever dined at Mandarin Garden, you know the windows facing out toward the parking lot where covered, allowing little to no light through. The crew at Big Bang changed that, letting all the outdoor light in which I thought really brightened the place up.

Big Bang officially opens today. I encourage you to give it a try. You won't be disappointed. And if you are, well, again, that's on you.