Mandarin Grill & Sushi Bar

Stopped by for dinner with a friend Saturday night and had another fantastic experience and meal! There was plenty of close open parking, we had a prompt, warm welcome and we felt the staff appreciated our visit from the first moment! We had our choice of a booth or table, which I always love, and we were sat immediately and greeted shortly after by our very kind and attentive server. Our drinks arrived within a minute or two and we were so excited to order the pot stickers that I forgot to take photos of them before they were practically inhaled! This appetizer showed up hot and delicious as always and the sauce that comes with them is my favorite in town! Our meals also came out hot, delicious, as ordered and very promptly! I I would estimate we had them within 8-10 minutes and they were also plated beautifully! I had the orange chicken and I would recommend it to anyone! Thanks again for a wonderful experience at a fair price!!

Excellent experience. My son and I dined in for lunch and had a great meal. The atmosphere was great and the service was amazing. Lots of food options, heavy to light! Stop in, you will not be disappointed.

The food here is fantastic! Delicious doesn't even begin to cover it. We tried the blackened Blackened Salmon Roll, 6. Kimchi Fried Rice (Spe), Dduk Bok Gi, Vegetable Egg Rolls (2), Vegetable Lo Mein, and Autumn Roll to name a few, and it was the best!!! I loved the variety and flavors. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want to try something new and yummy!

Awesome spot. Lives up to the great reviews! Super friendly, nice staff. Very fresh, well prepared food. Definitely recommend this place for sushi and other items on their menu

Maybe I didn't order their specialty? I know things cost more...I felt it was a small portion for the price? I'm glad I tried it.

Food was so so good. The best I’ve had in the suburbs so far! I had the chicken lo mein which held up well for leftovers, as did the mapo tofu ❤️. Honestly Chinese food makes a killer meal prep when you have a booked and busy holiday weekend. We shared the braised wings which were crispy and free of excess fat that sometimes plagues restaurant fried chicken. My partner enjoyed the vegetable fried rice and sweet and sour chicken he had. The only qualm I had was that the crab rangoons were not my fave. They were folded more like wontons and not my preferred triangle shape but it can be forgiven because it’s hard to hate any crab rangoon.

We stopped in for lunch; just looking for a place to eat. We were in for a surprise, because this place is a gem!! I never see Twice Cooked Pork on a menu, but it was outstanding. And the General Tao’s was the best we ever had. Light years beyond the normal, gloppy, take out stuff. Stop in, you won’t regret it!!

WOW! Tried this place today for the first time with my family for my brothers birthday. It came highly recommended from the Des Moines restaurant Facebook group. Our waitress was Val. I cannot say enough good things. She was fantastic. She brought my son a toy to TAKE HOME and rice when he didn’t have anything else coming out with everyone else’s food (he had ragoons). She was just lovely, I hope she is paid well!! She deserves it! The food - WOW! I had orange beef and it was delicious. I used to live in Colorado and haven’t found orange beef anywhere until today. It was heavenly. The crab ragoons were the best I’ve ever had. I also tried sushi for the first time and loved it. All in all we had the best experience and will absolutely make this restaurant one of our regulars when we are in town. We live an hour away but I’ve already talked my husband into going there for Father’s Day. Thank you for an exceptional lunch with my family! Oh and the little cake Val brought out at the end was the cherry on top! We can’t wait to come back!

Our daddy daughter afternoon started at Mandarin! Like her dad she has picked up a taste for sushi... Well...at least sushi rolls. We haven't gotten her further down the rabbit hole just yet. Lol Mandarin Grill & Sushi Bar is located in a small strip pretty much across 128th from the Walgreens there on University. Parking is mainly in a small lot in front of the restaurant with additional parking nearby. Seating is a combination of tables and chairs and booths. As always we were greeted right away when we walked in and seated immediately. Our drink orders were taken a minute or two later and we were given time to look over the menu. I've never had a bad experience here! The food and service is ALWAYS on point! We ordered the following: 1x Firecracker roll (Right) - Cream cheese, kani, jalapeno, cilantro on the inside. Tempura battered and fried. Spicy mayo, crunchies, unagi sauce and spicy tuna on the outside. 1x Unicorn roll (Left) - Tempura shrimp and avocado on the inside. Spicy tuna, soy paper, raspberry and a house sauce on the outside 1x Shrimp tempura roll (middle) The sushi rolls hit the table after a short wait. We both loved the Firecracker roll! The Unicorn roll was very good too. I don't think I've ever had a raspberry sauce on a sushi roll before... Nice! I was strangely impressed by the shrimp tempura roll... While this is a basic standard roll at most places the shrimp was more heavily breaded... The crunch factor on this one was fantastic! It's that contrasting texture thing I guess... If you're not into sushi the other menu items here are great too! The menu is extensive and covers a lot of items we normally associate with Chinese food along with Korean dishes as well. If you haven't been here it's worth the stop! If you just haven't been here in a minute... It's time to go back! Pro-tip. I have two soups I consider kryptonite to a cold. One is Brenda's Spicy Noodle soup at the Vietnam Cafe in Merle Hay Mall... The other is here! Their Hot & Sour soup with shrimp. Add rice, a side of kimchi and extra chiles. You can thank me later! https://www.orderonlinehub.com/mandaringrillsushibar_q8fzy3 https://www.facebook.com/MandarinGrillandSushiBar

Really enjoyed the food here. Authentic chinese food is hard to find in Des Moines but they had a great menu. Ask for the full menu instead of just the lunch menu and it will give you more variety. Some items were a little too salty for my preference but the eggplant dish was 5/5!

I was SO excited to find this place!! Service was good, very nice! Over all food was good, but Jumbong $21?? I believe it was WAY over priced, it came with 3 muscles, few squids, no shrimp at all, I can definitely skip it, otherwise everything was good.

The food service in ambience of this restaurant make it a 4 1/2 star. We love this place.

Service was great! Food never disappoints! Mongolian beef with fried rice is always my go-to while the hubs enjoys the sushi. Can't wait to come back in the future!

Went for lunch with a friend on a cold Saturday. My feet froze as the door opens straight into the dining room. Thankfully the service was good and the food was very good. I had orange chicken. It could have been a little spicier, but the sauce had a delicious flavor. Sadly, broccoli is always the side veggie of choice. I push it to the side.

Nice ambiance and delicious sushi and Asian food. The cashew chicken was loaded with cashews and chicken. If you like sushi the Autumn roll has tempura fried veggies on top. Crunchy and so tasty! The sweet and sour soup is flavorful. One of my favorite restaurants for Chinese.

I did not know this place existed but I'm so glad I do now! I will be coming back to this place. The staff was really nice to us and filled our waters fast. The food is super good and they have so many choices from sushi to Korean food to Chinese food! Of course we had to get one of each dish. Definitely think anyone should come here for some nice comfort food and for anyone curious what Korean food taste like.

Very good food! Our waitress was great. We got sushi, soup, salad, and Mongolian beef. All good!!

Staff was very friendly and welcoming for my party of one. Hot & Sour soup was delicious. Vegetable Lo Mein was steaming hot and vegetables were fresh with the right amount of crispness. Obviously a favorite of the locals also as some customers were greeted by name. Great for casual dining.

Tasty food if not what I expected. I ordered hot and sour. Lettuce wraps and Kung pao scallops. Good value. Good taste. But not all the ingredients I expect in such courses.

The food was fast and tasted great!! The servers were prompt and very polite. Very friendly atmosphere.

The sushi was so fresh and delicious! Very clean and great service! Our first time here but definitely will not be our last!

Pretty much what you'd expect from something in such a boring location such as this drab strip mall parking lot wasteland. No charm or uniqueness. I'm not sure why anyone would want to spend any time in this place. It's boring and dull. Edit: the owner's reply to this comment is bizarre and completely inaccurate. Wondering if they have me confused with someone else. Evidently they can't accept genuine criticism. Furthermore, I've written close to 200 reviews total (many of which were glowing reviews) which she left out of the equation.

Place was full on a Monday night. $5 hot sake was good. They have a specialty chinese/korean menu that is green. I would order those dishes if you want to eat something new. Sushi rice is not good though. Dry and tasteless. Don't go here for sushi.

I stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. The restaurant was quiet and very clean. I had been here once before and not terribly impressed. Today was much better. I ordered crab Rangoon and hot tea along with my entree of Teriyaki chicken Lo Mein. The crab Rangoon was delicious and less expensive than competitors. My entree was also delicious. The best meal I've had to eat in ages. My service was good and I was very pleased with this experience and delicious food!

Another great lunch at Mandarin Grill! We had ttoekboki for the first time, it was addictive! And I had the bulgogi bento box for the first time. Everyone left full and happy.

Great food, everything is always very tasty every time we go. Fun drink selection. Nice weight staff. Highly recommend. Plant based options. The only low point might be the cleanliness, it's gone down a bit on the past few years.

So good! Black bean noodles are my go to meal at Mandarin grill! Never disappoints!!! I urge you to try it, I've changed the lives of my friends with this dish! Black bean noodles!

Great lunch spot and employees are appropriately masked! Thank you, Mandarin Grill, for caring about your customers and staying healthy. We are happy to support your local business!

This was my first time trying out this place and I regret not trying it out sooner! I ordered the bibimbap, black bean noodles, seaweed salad, and miso soup. Let me tell you, it was the best decision ever made! All of the food items were fresh and well-crafted. Good proportions for the price and the people there are so nice. You must give it a try!

We could not have been more delighted with our dining experience last night at Mandarin Grill. Happy hostess, wonderful waitress, lots of busy workers doing outstanding jobs. The place is meticulously clean and gorgeously decorated but let's get to the stellar food! I ordered honey walnut shrimp and it was heaven on a plate! The shrimp were huge, lightly breaded, and fried sitting in the delicious honey sauce. On top was a generous pile of candied walnuts. Every bite was better than the next. My boyfriend ordered the general tao's chicken and it was expertly spicy. We have found a local spot on the west side that we will frequent again and again!

Went here to eat because it was close to the errands we were running. Ordered Mongolian beef and my girlfriend got the angry chicken. The angry chicken had a hair in it. The server had it remade but needless to say the food was not as good after seeing the hair. When we got the check, the angry chicken was still on the bill so my girlfriend asked politely if the server would remove or discount the dish. The server (very unprofessional) just walks away from our table and goes to who seemed to be the manager/owner and she comes over to the table and says quite loud "That wasn't even a hair" when we showed her a chop stick with the hair still on it. Needless to say I let my girlfriend handle it from this point because I almost came unglued. Yes, the order was remade, but that was a disgusting inconvenience. They did not handle the situation professionally.

I eat here on occasion food is above average. I'm very disappointed this time. My potsticker wasn't burnt to a crisps. All I can taste is smoke. Really Mandarin Grill? You guys use to be so much better.

FOOD; fresh, fresh , fresh! If you wait a bit longer, soooo worth it (although I'm a regular so I'm kinda special ). You will not go to a more professional, accommodating staff! The owner, Jade (always there), and my personal favorite, Val, are the BEST! (Honestly, all staff are GREAt No complates!). I will not discredit any other restaurant (times are challenging) just sayin you will be so please! Sincerely Connie Maser

Came here for the first time ever a few weeks ago for a small celebration. Knew this place was here but just thought it was just another typical Chinese restaurant. I was so wrong!! They have a major Korean menu which, to my surprise, is something I never knew Des Moines even had! I love Korean food and to know I don't have to travel very far from it is so nice! I ordered the dukbokki and the jajangmyeon. Two of my faves and both were very good! The jajangmyeon usually comes with pork but they did it with seafood here which was, different, but still good. I still prefer the pork version in my opinion. They hostess and servers were very friendly and great with suggestions. The hot braised chicken is a cult favorite and I also highly suggest it to anyone that doesn't know what to order. Sushi was of great quality and the rice to fish ratio was nice. (I hate restaurants that pack on the rice!) I'd recommend it to anyone in the area! I wish I would've discovered this place earlier!

Today I had a huge craving for Chinese and decided that I would try out Mandarin. After reading several folks rave about it on social media websites, I wanted to see for myself - come to find out - they were the truth!! My girlfriend and I walked in and immediately greeted by the host and seated. After reviewing their extensive menu - we ordered Crab Ragoons, General Tao's Chicken and Walnut Shrimp. The ragoons were awesome - perfect filling of crab. General's was great as well - however, I would like it spicier (perhaps try it Kevin's style next time! LOL). But the winner of the dinner was the Walnut Shrimp dish - my girlfriend was in awe of how delicious this dish is! She's made it at home before and liked it but had to admit, this was better that hers! All in all - this place has excellent food and just gained two regulars. Keep it up, Mandarin Grill!

The server was kind of unpleasant. We ordered the pot stickers and they were delicious but the salad was not the dressing I ordered and the my beef and broccoli was so salty it was inedible. The server never asked what I thought just asked if I was finished when I clearly did not need even a 1/3 of it. She was just not interested in the customers. I will likely not be back anytime soon when the food and service were not good.

We stumbled upon this place during a road trip and were NOT disappointed by any means. The menu focused on more authentic dishes rather than what we consider Americanized cuisine. We are excited to have a road trip thru here again to continue to explore the menu. Atmosphere was upscale and clean and wait staff was AMAZING. Please try them!

We have been here many times but today's food was ... in a word ... overcooked. The shrimp was rubbery and the crab Rangoon was dry and overdone. Sadly now we're wondering if this change is a fluke or the way things are being served there now.

Certainly nothing special, and perhaps hovering towards a two, but I found their menu choices to be somewhat different from other local restaurants of this nature. The Captain Crunch sushi roll I had was one of the worst cooked rolls I've entertained--the shrimp wasn't tempura, but was closer to fried shrimp you would expect at Red Lobster. It certainly made the flavor off-putting and is not something I would ever expect at an Asian restaurant. Additionally, while the sauce was plated nicely, it was overdone and detracted from the delicate balance of flavors sushi should have. The bento box was decent in portions and it certainly was nice having edamame on the salad. The dressing was creamy and had a hint of garlic and sesame flavors. Perfect balance to the rest of the components in my meal. The tempura vegetables were awful--as if they hadn't been fried long enough. It was crisp on the outside but very soft inside, indicate they may have been rushing since I went in towards the end of lunch. No ponzu sauce was included. The Korean bul-go-gi (thinly sliced beef) was very tender but didn't seem to have much flavor outside of the sesame seeds sprinkled on top. A minimal amount of rice was included. Miso soup was average; there's an option to switch to hot & sour or sizzling rice for $2. You also get a sampling of a California roll. Service seemed rushed, I felt like there was a need to order quickly. This may have been due to only having one server (that I noticed) working the entire restaurant. As this establishment is a fair ways away from both work and my residence, it'd have to be outstanding for me to become a regular and I'd have to say it just doesn't distinguish itself in any discernible way.

We've been here a few times before but tonight our daughter picked for her birthday and so we made reservations with the grandparents. Staff was friendly and attentive the entire time. My water was kept full and dishes were cleared as people finished. The kids loved the lo mein and orange chicken. Grandpa loved his shrimp dish. For appetizers we had pot stickers and Rangoon. They were tasty, although the Rangoon had think breading. (Wrapping? Whatever the outside is called!) Food was fresh and looked appealing. It came out hot and in huge portions. Not our go to for Chinese do to location but definitely worth stopping in if you need some sushi or more!

Absolutely the worst Chinese food I have ever eaten! Korean short ribs were the toughest, fattiest meat I have ever attempted to eat! Crab Rangoon had very little filling, pork dumplings were soggy and sad, but were the best item out of our order! Will never go back, such a disappointment! Overpriced and not edible, absolutely a damper on a date night!

The sushi tasted great, my only negative critic was the rolls were a bit too big. Hard to eat, but delish! We enjoyed the "The Field Of Dreams" roll was as it was unusual and something we hadn't tried before. It came with a kochi yon sauce was wonderful and unique! This place is clean and friendly and worth a visit!

We came in for a lunch, and all got their Bento boxes. They are a great deal. For $12-$13, you get miso soup, salad, tempura veggies, 4 pieces of sushi, and an entree over rice My husband had the Korean beef, and I had the salmon. We all had waters, and I also had some hot tea. I have literally no complaints about this restaurant. Our service was perfect, the place is well decorated and clean, and the food was very good. I highly recommend the salmon, which was cooked perfectly with a tasty glaze. This is a must-visit place for lunch. Get their Bento box deal!

I've lived and worked within a few miles of Mandarin Grill for years now and didn't know it was there! While in a prime location at 128th & University in Clive, it's tucked back a bit in a strip mall. After my husband found Mandarin from a Google search, we decided to check it out for lunch--and we were glad we did! There was plenty of seating available when we arrived around 12:30. Our server was attentive and quickly got us drinks and took our order, and our food was prepared quickly as well. My husband ordered the dragon roll and the captain crunch roll. Both were very well presented, and he said they were fresh and tasty. (See the picture--the dragon roll looks like a dragon! I never take pictures of food, and my husband commented that I'm becoming one of "those people" when I took the picture. Don't care, it's awesome.) I ordered a bento box, and holy smokes, it was so.much.food. Soup, salad, tempura veggies, half a California roll (if I remember right), and an entree. And only $12. Best lunch value in Clive. We will be back.

Went here for the first time about a month ago. It was fantastic. Our waitress was really friendly and accommodating. We shared rice cakes as an appetizer. It was an ample portion that would be perfect for groups of 4+. It was a lot for just two of us. The sauce wasn't too spicy. Some might not think it was spicy at all. I had the bulgogi bibimbap. It had all of the great toppings you'd expect from bibimbap and I highly recommend it. My bf had the orange beef dish. He really enjoyed it as it wasn't overly sweet. I highly recommend this place for both Korean and Chinese fare.

We ordered takeout and it took about 30 minutes after order to be ready. Bulgogi, Sesame Chicken, and crab rangoons. Our food was ready when we arrived. The cost was approximately $50. Considering the price, I expected more. And what I received was not good. The Bulgogi was okayish, a little bland compared to what I've had in the past. The Sesame Chicken was the same. But the rangoons were absolutely terrible. Did they make it with soap? We couldn't eat after taking the bite of the rangoons and tossed the whole thing in the garbage.

Bibimbap was awesome. The service was perfect. Nice atmosphere, very clean. I can't wait to go back and try something else.

My fiancé and I tried this place when we first started dating.... And we've made it our date spot ever since. The Autumn roll is one of the best sushi rolls you can get, and the Mongolian beef is absolutely delicious. I love everyone who works there, they have a great mindset when it comes to running a restaurant and I highly recommend giving them a shot.

A local gem, Mandarin Grill & Sushi Bar is a great place to go for lunch or dinner. The lunch combos and bentou boxes are killer for price and what you get. The sushi bar, while it looks small, has really great quality ingredients and the more expensive rolls are massive, elegant, and delicious. Best miso soup I've had thus far in the Des Moines area. Great one-stop, sit-down shop for Asian fusion - Chinese, Korean, and Japanese all rolled into one.

So my husband and I have been to the Mandarin in Johnston, and couldn't wait to try this location! My husband got the garlic chicken and I got a beef dish off the special menu (can't remember the name). Both were wonderful! We also split the Flamethrower roll- so good and flavorful, I didn't feel the need to add soy sauce and wasabi. I had mentioned wanting to try the seafood noodle soup, but was hesitant because my husband won't eat most seafood (besides sushi... makes no sense). Anyway, the manager was so sweet and came by and let me see what the soup looked like and let me tell you- I'm definitely getting it next time! I love both locations and can't wait to come back for more!

This little place is a hidden gem! We had the lettuce wraps and sushi and it was fresh plus delicious! The miso soup was so good. Everything we ordered was the best!!! You won't be disappointed ordering from here!

As much as I wanted to love this place, I only like this place. It is probably the best Des Moines has right now for Korean food, unless someone can point me to another restaurant. The food was nothing special, and the flavors were almost there, felt a little bland on a few bites and then good flavors on the others. The beef bulgogi I ordered was a little dry, but the sushi rolls were pretty good. Overall I enjoyed the place and glad that Des Moines has a restaurant like this.

I think the food is fairly good. We ordered the Korean Bulgogi Bento Box for dinner, $15. I find it a bit expensive though. Miso soup was ok but not great. I wish we should order egg drop soup. Resto was clean. The asian lady is very nice. Her smile shows respect to the customers.

I lived in Korea for a year and fell in love with the culture and cuisine so I excited to find a place in DesMoines that offered a small selection. I ordered the steam dumplings which were standard, BiBimBap that didn't taste quite like I remember from Korea but still good. My husband ordered Kal Bi and for $17 was disappointing as it was full of fat. I'm fat the majority of it was gristle. The seasoning was on point just disappointed in the quality of meat. The jasmine tea was more like water that sat next to a pot of tea. Service was excellent. I would give overall 3 1/2 stars

Not a bad place for Chinese food but I do have some qualms with the Korean food since this is a fusion restaurant. The Korean fried chicken (gam poong gi) looked really good when they brought it out but after a few minutes became pretty soggy, it just didn't have the crisp I expected. In addition, I was surprised to find some bones because the entire thing was breaded and kind of hidden in there. Seemed out of place and I wish it was boneless for a better experience. Also, the braised short ribs (Kal bi) had an overwhelming peppery flavor and was extremely tough to chew. As stated above the Chinese food was very tasty as well as the sushi. We got the ghost pepper sushi which was super exciting because I have never seen that anywhere, very unique and spicy! The staff is extremely nice and helpful Overall I would return back but I'd stick to the sushi and Chinese cuisine.

Solid. That's the best description. I flew in from Chicago and needed a good meal. Yelp to the rescue. The reviews were helpful. I had the rainbow roll and a vegetable roll. Top quality! The waiter gave his opinions about what he liked and why. Helpful. Like I say--Solid.

This is the furthest west sushi place in town at the moment. It can't compete with the more popular sushi spots in town. They don't particularly pretend to try either. The ambiance is nice with dim lighting and good decoration. I have never seen this place be very loud or noisy, which I like. The food is pretty great, but not for the price. Better places in town have more bang for the buck. A few specials combining soup/salad, nigiri, and a roll would make this place much more popular and double my frequency. I almost always get sushi and I come fairly often ~6 times a year. This is mainly due to the location and consistency. Overall it is a nice place for a quick bite, just not on the cheap.