BangBang Mongolian Grill, West Des Moines

BangBang Mongolian Grill's guests are in charge. At the all-you-can-eat ingredient buffet, guests fill bowls with whatever vegetables, meats, sauces, and spices they want, assembling tailored meals from a colorful selection of ingredients. Once their bowls are filled with favorites—none of which contain MSG—guests hand them off to the chefs.

These culinary practitioners man an enormous, circular grill. And they invite guests to watch from the curved countertop that encircles this cooking station, as the grill's 650-degree surface sears their custom dishes. Flames billow from the circle's center, adding bombast to the already interactive culinary experience. When the last morsel of the meal has been savored, diners—if they have any room left in their bellies—can continue their hands-on dining adventure at the probiotic frozen yogurt buffet.