Colonel Lee's

Type: Mongolian Buffet
Location: 304 Castro St. (between California St. and Dana St.)
Price: $$
Rating: 6/10

Jenny and I decided to check out this restaurant to try something new on Castro Street [we always go to Pho). We went right before closing, so the restaurant was pretty quiet. To be honest, this restaurant just wasn't that good, and I feel bad saying that, since the people who ran it were so nice. Getting food is easy - you grab a bowl, fill it with lamb, beef, chicken, or pork, add some noodles and veggies, and an assortment of sauces (curry, spicy bbq, soy, or ginger) and give it to the chef who cooks it in front of you on a giant grill. So if your food is bad, it's your fault. I'd recommend going with the ginger/soy if you're looking for something with flavor but not too spicy.

But, besides the bowl of food, there's not much else. The buffet means you can get unlimited trips to the Mongolian stir line, but there's not much else you get. They give you some Chinese bread (not sure what it's called but it's nothing special), tea, and a bowl of rice. However, beer is $1 off everyday and you can get a 40 oz of Tsingdao for pretty cheap. And the buffet itself isn't too bad - about $10 per person after tax for dinner. So it's a cheap eat but I wouldn't come back here unless I hear that things have drastically improved.