🍲 Denver’s Bronze Empire AYCE Hot Pot – A Major Letdown 😤

I tried this place a while ago and remembered it being pricey with small portions, but I gave it another shot because they used to have unique items like duck blood and goose intestine. Now they’ve switched to an AYCE (all-you-can-eat) format — and honestly, it was a disappointing experience from start to finish. ⏳ Waiting Game No online reservations — walk-ins only. But here’s the catch: your whole party must be present to be seated. One of our friends arrived early and a table was available, but since we weren’t all there, we lost it. By the time everyone arrived, all tables were taken. We waited almost an hour — frustrating and poorly organized. 📋 Hidden Rules & Pressure Leftover charge: $6 per plate — even if it’s just broth left in your personal pot 🍲 They didn’t clearly explain this upfront — we found out halfway through our meal Staff pointed at a surveillance camera and said the “big boss is watching 24/7” 👁️ Felt more like an exam than a meal — no flexibility, no warmth ⏰ Rushed Dining 1.5-hour time limit — not just for ordering, but for eating too. Most AYCE spots stop taking orders after 1.5 hours, but you can still sit and finish. Not here. Combine that with the no-leftovers rule — it’s a stressful combo. 🥩 Limited Selection & Portion Weirdness Missing previous favorites like duck blood Portions are inconsistent: some plates had just 4 pieces (exactly one per person), while others (like tofu) were overflowing Skewers — we ordered 2 lamb skewers each but got only 1. Reason? “Out of stock.” Yet it’s AYCE? 🤔 💸 Checkout Attitude Even though we finished everything, the staff still felt the need to “remind” us about the rules at checkout. Just left a bad taste — literally and emotionally. 🎯 Final Take If you can’t run a respectful AYCE experience, maybe don’t offer it. This felt greedy, restrictive, and honestly — kind of embarrassing. We won’t be back. #BronzeEmpire #DenverHotPot #AYCEFail #FoodieWarning #DenverEats #NotWorthIt 🚫