The Melting Pot

06/04/2008 Posted by devls24

I've been to the Melting (apparently the second part of this name is an inappropriate word!) up north a couple of times. I always receive great service, wonderful food, and the perfect experience. They have ladies night every Monday, which is perfect for an impromptu getogether. If you've got couples, they have great options for complete meals with different themes. I recommend going with a group of 4 or more - that way you get to try more than one type of each meal course. The waitstaff is always courteous and helpful. Their recommendations have always steered me to the right meal! I recommend reservations, since walk-ins normally have to wait anywhere from 15min to 1 hour, given the day. Also, it's a little pricey, but completely worth it!

Pros: Service, Wine List, Atmosphere, Menu Selection

Cons: A Little Pricey

12/11/2007 Posted by t_girl_dining

If you want to add a little fun into a dining experience, try fondue! It helps that my colleague had been to other franchises, knew the scoop, and had suggestions for ordering. It's a good menu selection; and while the portions aren't huge, the pacing of them, the fondue prep, the dipping, the cooking time, helps the diner moderate consumption - give yourself and your party time to enjoy; you will be satisfied by the end of dessert. We started with the traditional gruyere cheese fondue dipping bread and veggies, followed by the salad, then the main entree (choice meats cooked shabu-shabu style by boiling in broth), and finally the chocolate/marshmallow/oreo cookie fondue. All in all, a satisfying meal, with friendly, helpful service. The chocolate fondue was divine! They offer specials for larger groups. Try something different!

Pros: Great food and service

Cons: Need time to dine

12/10/2007 Posted by rayha12

We had our holiday party at the downtown location and made our reservation a month in advance. The hostesses seemed extremely disorganized and we waited an hour to be seated. Our table didn't even have enough room for all of us, so one member of our group had to stand for 5 minutes before having a chair pulled up to our booth. After all of this, we had to wait 20 minutes just to get a glass of water! We finally spoke with a manager, who moved us to a different table. Our waiter was extremely slow and the whole ordeal took 4 hours! At the end of the night, we were still charged full price for our meal. Beware!

12/06/2007 Posted by db2776

Nice atmosphere, friendly wait staff, surprisingly diverse wine list. However, for the cost the quality of the food is a complete let down. For two, expect to spend no less than $110.00 less tip, and this is for the less expensive entrée and a couple of glasses of mid price wine. Sharing an entrée is not an option due to portion size. Vegetables are not fresh, but frozen and our silverware was covered in dishwasher residue. Our fondue was to include shallots and fresh garlic, however, what the server brought was finely diced red onion and garlic that had neither scent nor flavor. The fondue itself tasted of the stale white wine that was mixed in with the cheese. Tableware is designed to set in a freezer, and the tables themselves are so small that one can barley fit a plate and drinking glasses. Simply put, this restaurant should be a fun and affordable place to visit with friends and family, its FONDUE in a strip mall, instead expect to pay the equivalent of an upscale downtown Austin restaurant less the quality. Perhaps I am exceptionally harsh in my judgment, yet when presented with a bill that is easily hundreds of dollars expect to be judged by the criteria set for establishments worthy of such high prices. Please rethink your business model.

06/25/2007 Posted by kevin88900

I love MeltingPot. The fondue here is excellent. Where else can you go to enjoy 2 hours plus and take your time to really enjoy the food you're eating. The ambience is terrific, and the waitstaff just super. It's a little pricey, but I usually go on special occasions to make it worthwhile. For a party of two, expect to spend $100+ not including tip. Note: I had to write it as "MeltingPot" without a space because of the following disclaimer when I submitted this review ... Your Review: We have detected the following inappropriate words:pot LOL.

11/17/2006 Posted by kpp58

the app and desert were fabulous the main part was okay. decent veggie selection, good seafood (although our scallops were odd). come here with a date, but not the first date bc its an obvious couples place. its also good for a "girl's night" bc its pretty indulgent and intimate. i'd say come here at least once to try it, and once more to relive it, after that you'll be disappointed.

Pros: ambience, apps and DESSERT!

Cons: a tad expensive, so-so entrees

07/15/2006 Posted by habitez

This place was awesome. Quiet intimate seating... great for first dates or old lovers. Also seems pretty lively for a big party since there is sharing of food and just things to keep you occupied. If you have a cool waiter who lets you mix dessert dips... try amaretoo with oreo cookie crumbs... delicious. The great thing about being on a diet and going here is you can choose to eat meats and veggies and fruits only... great for atkins or southbeach.

Pros: good food, great service, intimate

Cons: its sort of near nothing, a tad bit pricey... expect to spend 100 per couple

06/19/2006 Posted by sandersjewel

I booked a reservation for my husband's birthday and our friends can not stop talking about what a great time we had! Our private room was fabulous! We were seated at a table that was closed off with a velvet curtain. Our server made our night. He went above and beyond with his recommendations and attention to detail! I was able to select our menu before I arrived. We were able to try 4 different cheese fondues and 4 different chocolate fondues. All of which were fantastic! During our entree, the server suggested sauces to pair with the different meats. I can't stop thinking of the tender center cut filet and the Gorgonzola port sauce. I absolutely recommend The Melting Pot!

Pros: great service, outstanding food, and amazing wine list

04/05/2006 Posted by hlsmith

This is a "must do" experience! The waiter was VERY courteous, the food outstanding and the ambience exceptional for dates. It is quiet, romantic and the food is seasoned perfectly. The fondue is not cooked in "grease" and not for the person who enjoys fast food. This is a high class, slow and romantic evening not to be missed!!

Pros: Service, Food Selection, Ambience

02/08/2006 Posted by ellehcim8

All though the ambience is nice I would not go there on a date. I guess I believe that when the bill is over $100 for two people I expect my food to be cooked or at least not have a pool of grease on my table afterward. The idea of fondue is nice but in reality you can't put more than two forks in the grease at once or the food falls off and you spend you time fishing it out with your fork. Don't go there hungry because not only are the portions small it takes 6 minutes to cook one piece of food. The beef tasted like liver. Not only were the food portions small but $9 for a glass of wine with 4 sips in it is outrageous. We left there after 2 1/2 hours smelling like grease and looking for the nearest fast food place.

Pros: good dessert, no wait

Cons: expensive, bad food, smells of grease