‘Disappointed and frustrated,’ Boise restaurant to close. Here’s what it blames
When #1 Mongolian BBQ took over the similarly named Mongolian BBQ last year in Northgate Shopping Center, it seemed like a natural expansion for the Boise brand.
But roughly seven months later, the restaurant at 6920 W. State St. says it will permanently close Feb. 16.
“We are deeply disappointed and frustrated by what has occurred with the landlord,” explains a lengthy social-media post attributed to owner “Cowboy Chef,” aka Duy Tran. “However, we refuse to let this break our spirit or stop us from moving forward. Because of this, during this challenging time, we have made the decision to focus all of our energy, resources, and heart on our original location on Overland Road.”
Additional details are provided in a flashy, stylized “breaking news” video shot in front of the strip-mall restaurant. “Before we could even begin our planned remodel,” says a host identifying himself as Noah with #1 Mongolian BBQ, “our landlord came to us and wanted to raise our rent by approximately 40%. ... There’s no reality where we as a restaurant can withstand that and continue to flourish.”
Northgate Shopping Center was purchased last October by VAC Development, according to the company’s website. Attempts to reach the Las Vegas-based developer for comment were not immediately successful.
The alleged reason for shuttering might sound somewhat familiar to Boiseans who follow restaurant news. Citing issues with landlords — in these cases, lease renewals — other Asian restaurants that have closed in the past year include Great Wall, 10398 Overland Road, Lucky Palace, 8630 W. Overland Road, and Mandarin Palace, 5020 W. Franklin Road.
The original #1 Mongolian BBQ restaurant at 8249 W. Overland Road remains open. It has a rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars on Yelp and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 12:16 PM.