Seng’s Asian Barbecue brings the first all-you-can-eat, grill-at-your-table experience to Spokane

The grill sizzles as wafts of sweet, marinated beef bulgogi fill the nostrils of customers. All around the restaurant, waiters and waitresses rush around delivering platters of soon-to-be-cooked meats, refilling water cups and bringing bottles of sake to tables. Occasionally, blackened grill plates are swapped and employees yell out “hot plate!” so that anyone in the vicinity doesn’t get burned.

When COVID-19 swept the globe in 2020, Joe and Patty Seng received a stark reminder that the whole world can stop.

“They shut down restaurants, you couldn’t go here, you couldn’t go there, you couldn’t do anything,” Patty Seng said. “So we just looked at it as erase the slate and start over and do what we’ve always wanted to do.”

And that’s exactly what they did. The couple moved from San Diego to Spokane and started a food truck called Sengsational Cuisine with the intention of eventually opening a brick and mortar.

Seng’s is the first grill-at-your-table Asian barbecue in Spokane where customers can get anything they want off the menu and feel the heat of the barbecue from the comfort of their seat. Located off Monroe Street, where Charley’s Grill and Spirits used to be, Seng’s Asian Barbecue provides a unique dining experience with 29 meats, 22 sides and 12 appetizers to choose from.

For a standard price of $35.95, customers can choose from 19 different meats ranging from Laotian pork shoulder steak to lemongrass chicken. For an additional $10, patrons can get a meat from the premium and the standard version of the menu, ranging from marinated baby octopus to New York strip steak.

Joe Seng estimates that they go through about 200 to 250 pounds of meat per night. For chicken alone, the restaurant goes through 40 pounds a day.

If you plan on visiting Seng’s, it’s best to bring a friend as at least two paying customers are needed to dine. Making reservations ahead of time is highly recommended. A 90-minute time limit starts once entering Seng’s so that people don’t have to wait hours to be seated. Although Joe Seng said that time limit doesn’t apply for people who come around or after 7:30. Seng’s is open Friday through Sunday until 10 p.m. They’re closed on Monday, but are open Tuesday through Thursday until 9 p.m.

The couple have an effective means of managing roles: Patty Seng takes care of the business side of things, while Joe Seng controls food production.

“As long as she stays out of my kitchen, I’m fine,” Joe Seng said semi-jokingly.

The pair chose to be an Asian barbecue so that Joe Seng, whose family comes from Laos, and his cooks can collaborate and work on a multitude of recipes. The Sengs believe this kind of model works because of the flexibility it gives them to dabble in different foods spanning multiple cultures.

Joe and Patty Seng met in high school and have been married for 30 years as of November. But the path to achieving their dream has been anything but linear.

Before moving to Spokane, Joe Seng worked for the Marine Corps, running training simulations. As a part of his job, a mockup of an Afghan village was constructed in San Diego, with hired actors, makeup artists and pyrotechnics. When a Marine squad went through the village, they’d get shot with sesame rounds and “blown up” with fake IEDs. Joe Seng would then advise them on what they did wrong and what they need to do next time they’re in a similar situation.

For the last 23 years, Patty Seng has managed a relocation company that provides temporary housing for victims of fire and hurricane disasters. She still works in this position while owning and managing the business side of Seng’s Asian Barbecue.

When Joe Seng did retire from the Marine Corp, his wife said it was time for him to follow her for a change. The couple moved to Spokane for a lower cost of living, to be closer to Patty Seng’s family, and to do what they’re doing now – chasing their dream.

“The food truck was a good example of what we were trying to do together, to try to see what it was like to be in the food scene,” Patty Seng said. “We don’t want to invest all that money to figure out it’s not what we want to do.”

Patty Seng said that the food truck scene in Spokane is exceptional. Many well-established restaurants like Mac Daddy’s, Skewers and Island Style Food and BBQ, got their start as a food truck.

It’s been nearly two months since Seng’s opened and they’re still jam-packed nearly every night except for Monday because that time is needed to prepare for the upcoming week. While they have a lot on their plate as it is, the Seng’s have plans for expansion.

Sometime in 2026, the couple wants to open another location in the Liberty Lake area. This location will provide not only barbecue, but also hot pot.

Seng’s Asian Barbecue opened with 158 grill plates spread across their 17 tables. Once the grill starts turning black, it gets swapped to ensure the best possible dining experience. Today, they have 358 grill plates. For an average person’s dinner, an employee might change a grill plate as many as four times. Joe Seng said they have to change the grill plates so frequently because of the way they marinate their meat.

When entering Seng’s Asian Barbecue, one of the first things you’ll see is a mural of a cow with labeled sections of the meat available for purchase. Hand-painted cherry blossoms sprawl across a couple walls close to the bar. Even the bathrooms are adorned with eloquent cherry blossoms.

Desiree McGinn, of Riveting Paint and Pearl, took about a month and a half to do all of the artwork inside Seng’s. She would work long hours, typically when no one was around. Patty and Joe Seng said they reached out to her because they appreciate the value of local artists.

“I always take into account the holistic nature of the space,” McGinn said. “Like what is the goal here? Who are the people that are coming? How do I best serve this client and their vision and their brand?”

McGinn wants customers to have an emotional response when they see her artwork. She hopes her work will serve to amplify the atmosphere and feel of the space.

The Sengs have about 35 employees, including their daughter, son and niece. Although they say they still have some things to learn about when it comes to owning a restaurant, now that they’re fully established, their only wish is that they had done this sooner.

For anyone hesitant to follow their dream, Patty Seng’s advice is a resounding “just go and do it.” Joe Seng’s advice is to do what you want to do before you get too old and your body starts to hurt.

“If you look back, you’re afraid of failing,” Patty Seng said. “If you only focus on what you’re going to do and you go forward, you’re not going to fail. Don’t ever go back. That’s serious. Don’t ever look back, there’s no purpose in it.”

“Unless,” Joe Seng chimed in, “you’re being chased by a lion.”