Went to this "restaurant" last night with a group of friends. In my defense, I was told we were going to dinner, but I didn't ask where. Figured if it will get me 12+ hours of football today, it's worth it. I was wrong. DO NOT let your wife talk you into going to this place. It's a fondue joint, that is incredibly over priced. How over priced you ask? Two weeks worth of groceries in one night overpriced. But here's the worst part, the food is awful. Bread, veggies and fruit with cheese dip for an appetizer. It was ok, but I was expecting much more from the bread. At least Panera good, but it was more like McDonalds good. For the meal, they bring out another pot with a bullion to boil your dinner. That's right, the main course is boiled meat. Mmmm, mmmm boiled meat really hits the spot. The waitress told us that to cook it well, let it boil for 2 minutes. What the hell am I going to time this on? Why am I paying this exorbitant price to cook my own food? And none of it had any seasoning on it. They did have sauces, fresh from a chinese take out place (minus the spicy mustard) to season your meat, but they would have been better off just having A1 and ketchup bottles on the table. The NYE special was a platter that included shrimp, beef, lobster and chicken. I thought, ok, this won't be bad. Have you ever had boiled lobster? Awful. Dessert was included in the deal, and was actually good. It was a chocolate dipping sauce with fruit, marshmallows and brownies. Not amazing, just good. Or maybe it was just ok, but the rest of the meal was so awful that dessert seemed like it was really good. Or it could have been the half dozen Maker's Marks I needed to dull the pain. There was about $45 worth of drinks on our bill, but if I'm going to drop 2 bills on a nice dinner, I would like it to be a nice dinner. The place has an amazing wine list, many bottles in excess of $275 each, but the food is boiled meat. There is no pairing the subtle undertones of currant and cherry with an oaky-vanilla finish and seafood boiled in beef ramen broth.

F U Melting Pot

i've heard the same from others, thanks for confirming. I'm digging in deep against going to this place.

Nice little rant Erie.

I'm with you on a the whole why am I paying you when I am doing you job thing.

I hate that policy with billing for things like insurance companies or support help on the phone when you have to keep giving them your info over and over again.

Got snookered into doing the NYE thing there in DC a few years ago.

I agree, not worth the price of admission.

I agree that the place is a rip off, but women absolutely love it. Not sure why, guess because they think it is neat?

Did you have to pay extra for NYE? Kind of have to expect to get reamed anywhere you go.

Also, fondue in general sucks. I can buy a jar of queso at the grocery store for a couple bucks that tastes better. I can pour some hershey's syrup on stuff for dessert if I want.

Also, maybe I'm missing something... but boiling is the most standard way to prepare lobster AFAIK.

Steamed or grilled. Meat gets too stringy for me when boiled.

I cannot see the value of a fondue restaurant. Overpriced and too much work.

+1, EW..........

Wife dragged me there the other night for her birthday. Neither of us had ever been there. I had no idea what to expect as I had never "fondue'd?" before. The price is absolutely outrageous and to top it off I had pay attention to instructions on how to cook it from a couple people, then cook it all myself. I couldn't enjoy the meal because I kept thinking about how much that shit was costing me and whether I was boiling it long enough/too long. No way in hell I will ever go back.

Needless to say, my wife loved it

Completely agree. Still meeting people in CO so the wife accepted a dinner invitation from a couple at her work. Guess where they wanted to go... the wife loves it as well so she was pumped they suggested it. I sat there all night pissed off that I am paying $150 for a meal and would enjoy Chipotle more. EW, as much as you bitch about lobster being boiled, who would ever think its a good idea to boil filet mignon.

The Lead Man has a wife, therefore, no fondue.

If he had a husband, then it would be a consideration, I suppose.

Post of the decade nominee.

I agree, I almost fell out of my chair at work. Decade is only 5 days old too. The Lead Man has set a pretty high standard for the rest of the decade.

The Melting Pot?

Fon-Don't

The BIGGEST waste of mulla of any restaurant I've ever been to...

Went with a couple of friends when they first opened at Legacy Village and just like EW said, it was total crap...$150 for me & the ol' lady (thank God she hated it to)...If I want oil on my sleeves then I'll crawl under my truck

Maybe the worst part is that it takes you about 4 friggin hours to get through the entire circus...

I'd rather dip Spam in Softsoap

The only way the Melting Pot is bearable is to go for dessert only. You're still spending $25 for meh, but it's better than $150 for total shit. Perhaps the only compromise that works out well for you.

Dunno. Wabo contends with:

"I'd rather dip Spam in Softsoap."


This is a high quality thread even if y'all had shitty experiences.

Never been there. Is there nobody out there who has something to say in defense of this place?

You most likely won't get AIDS if you go.

After my belly is full with ribeye & bourbon from another joint, I'm suppose to stop in for melted cocoa & marshmellows?

Sorry EB, but stay out of marketing

Heh, not trying to "market". Fact is that most women love the place, and if you can't avoid it, you can at least minimize the damage.

This will not be a sufficient defense but since I am not full of the blinding white hot heat of hatred for all things Melting Pot, I will take a crack at it..

Took my new bride here for New Year's Eve as there was a special and she was very excited. She loved it and while I had a better time than I thought, I am not sure its the kind of place I would frequent like I would a Lola, One Walnut, Crop, etc.. kinda of restaurant.

The overall decor was nice, I enjoyed the design of the restaurant, it was dark, well furnished, and each booth had a light that illuminated your table only. I thought they did a good job in this area. When I think fondue, I think shag carpeting, polyester, and lamb chop sideburns. Fortunately, the place looked modern and stylish.

As for the food, I will not lie, I really enjoyed the first course of goat cheese with bread, vegetables, and apples. A salad was served second and it was good but not great. The idea was there, the execution was a bit off as there was not enough dressing to cover the salad and unite the flavors.

The main course was chicken, lamb, shrimp, filet, lobster, and scallops that were to be boiled in a wine reduction. I used my phone to track time as I wanted to be sure the food cooked at least 2 minutes. It was a longer dinner than I normally eat but it was enjoyable as my wife was excited and the novelty of the new experience.

Dessert was enjoyable as well. I am a big german chocolate fan and it was served warm with bananas, strawberries, cheesecake, brownies.. etc.. My second favorite course of the evening.

Overall, I did enjoy the experience as it was different from a traditional dining restaurant. I agree that it was pricy for the meal but I did leave completely stuffed and sometimes husbands take these kinds of bullets for their wives. Would I go back again, yes, however, its a once a year kinda place and I could see the novelty wearing off.

I had to experience the whole fondue thing as a young lad when my dad and step mom thought they were hip back in the 70's. No way I'd pay for that memory ever again.

So at TMP, are the servers dressed up like extras from Love American Style?

http://www.meltingpot.com/locations.aspx


Valentine's special, gentlemen. Get those reservations in early.

Here's JB stirring the pot again..

Unless the package includes a mandatory in-restaurant blow job from the woman you're with, there's absolutely no chance.

Nail on the head, complete waste of money. I hate paying a big premium for the experience regardless of where it is. Even at a place like Lola where the food is great, I don't like dropping $100 a plate for tiny artistic portions. If I'm spending that kind of cash for a meal, I say keep it simple and go to one of the steakhouses(Morton's, Hyde Park, or John Q's if women aren't involved, XO or Flemings if they are, and Red on any occasion because it's probably the best in Cleveland).

There ain't a BJ out there that could get me back to that place. I'd get a divorce first (wife wasn't happy about that comment, but she has to know where the line in the sand is).

They need to charge so much for their food because their customer throughput is low due people taking for-freakin-ever to cook stuff -- and the fact that 90% of people will never come back. They've gotta gouge those first-timers while they can!