A year ago, this writer expressed major displeasure after a visit to the Mongolian BBQ in south Bend’s Fred Meyer Shopping Center. In fact, I was appalled. The restaurant was a mess.

Half-finished bowls, dirty forks and spilled drinks stood on one table after another, and the staff was in no hurry to clear them for diners. Employees made little attempt to engage customers with their brusque, no-nonsense service.

I’m pleased to report that I found major improvement during a lunchtime revisit earlier this month. Only two tables were cluttered, and a busperson was energetically cleaning them. A server was smiling as she assisted new diners.

The food was as I remembered it. Diners file through a buffet line, each filling a bowl (three sizes, none priced higher than $12) with an expansive choice of fresh vegetables, frozen meats and other ingredients. A diner opts for one or more of a selection of sauces, then hands the bowl to a cook, who stir-fries the ingredients on a giant round grill for three minutes and returns the meal to the hungry diner’s hands.

In my October 2008 review, I scored Mongolian BBQ a C-. I still wouldn’t make this restaurant a regular hangout, but it’s good value for budget watchers, so long as the effort at cleanliness continues. I’ll bump it up a full grade to a B-.

Mongolian BBQ 61535 S. U.S. Highway 97, Suite 10, Bend; 541-318-8500. Open 10:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

— John Gottberg Anderson