I normally love coming here. This review is not about their food, as it's always good, hands down the best hot pot in Arlington, with a great selection of protein, vegetables and the best broths/soup base. Authentic flavors. My favorite is the Chinese Herbal broth which reminded me of home, followed by the Mushroom broth then the Bone Marrow broth.
This review is strictly about their service. As an Asian American girl myself, I always support other Asian American owned businesses. And as someone who works in the food service industry, I treat all other service industry staff and personnel with the same amount of respect that I expect them to also show their guests--with professionalism, and high standards of service to ensure the customers always get taken care of and come first.
Well, last night's dinner experience with 5 people in the party was atrocious. I was so proud of this place that I convinced friends to come and try, and more I feel bad about the experience. The server was argumentative with one of my friends just because she asked for an explanation of how their online ordering service works. She's never been there and wanted to know how her order gets processed via the app. When her order was submitted it disappeared from her phone and she wanted to see her tab. Frankly he should have asked the party during seating if they have been there before, and taken the time to explain it as soon as we were seated.
We ordered a couple of bottles of pricey cold sake, that came out room temperature. When asked for cold ones they said they don't have any and can bring us a bucket of ice if we want, but it will take awhile before they get cold. Why sell cold sake and not know how to serve them?
Then came the bill. They charged the wrong bottle of sake in the check, even more pricey than the ones we had, but they argued that we drank that one, when we showed him our bottles he told us now he has to charge us for another different bottle. As if we didn't know what we ordered, what we drank, and even the bottles were still on the table as proof of what was brought out. Made us feel like we're crazy, stupid and in the wrong for questioning the wrong sake they charged. Again I work in the food industry, I expected them to just apologize for the mistake, say some pleasantries, maybe offer to comp something, then move on. For a $300+ something check they could easily make our party happy and send our way home feeling great and will come back. Instead, they got defensive and started to argue with us again. We asked for a copy of the detailed receipt after we paid and yet again they argued we should have told them we wanted an itemized receipt begot closing out the check and they already threw out the receipt. They can't even print us a new copy.
In addition to the abovementioned already sour experience we're getting, they offered no comfort when we told them we have a guest in our party with severe gluten allergies. Not even an explanation of which items in the menu are safe. Lastly, to add insult to injury, they automatically track on a 20% tip. Without the option to reduce the tip amount of we didn't feel like the...
Read moreBLACK PEOPLE BEWARE ! These racist nasty unprofessional people treated my kids & i so awful and made my 6 year old so upset she began to cry. From the moment we walked in i let them know this was our first time here. They seated us left us to fend for ourselves. I had to flag down an employee who did not understand English to ask for assistance. Despite the horrible service, i allowed my children to stay and eat since they were so excited for hot pot. Upon paying for my meal and receiving my card back, an employee brought the receipt and payment device back demanding a tip. I explained I did not have any cash on me & don’t do tips on my card due to previous fraud issues. I attempted to lead my kids to the exit of the restaurant where who seemed to be the owner & another male employee blocked off the doors demanding a tip. They also refused to validate my parking as advertised on the sign. They insisted I’ve been there before and never tip even though i explained to them earlier this was my first time at their establishment. It was clear to me i was being racially profiled at this point and feared for my children & my own safety.These people do not like our kind & we should not be supporting this business
Update: the owner responded confirmed racial profiling as I have stated to them many times I have never been to their establishment before. I am disgusted at this type of behavior in 2024 in such a diverse area but some things never change! My fellow African American brothers & sisters PLEASE BE CAREFUL AT THIS ESTABLISHMENT always put your safety first ! There are way better Hot Pot restaurants in the area such...
Read moreDisappointing Experience at Supreme Hotpot - Racial Bias and Poor Service
I recently visited Supreme Hotpot, and unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing. From the moment my family and I walked in, it became clear that the service was far from welcoming. While other tables around me received attentive service, we were left waiting far too long for basic things like water refills and assistance with ordering. It seemed that certain customers were prioritized over others, and I couldn't help but notice a clear racial bias in how people were treated. In addition to the staff not being able to understand me speaking English, when I was trying to place my order.
Throughout the meal, the staff barely checked in on my table, while diners of a different ethnicity were given prompt and friendly service. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable in any restaurant. Every customer should be treated equally, regardless of their background.
The food itself was mediocre at best, and it was hard to enjoy the meal with the constant feeling of being overlooked and dismissed. I expected much better from a restaurant that claims to offer a premium dining experience.
Supreme Hotpot seriously needs to address these issues with their service and train their staff to treat all customers with respect and fairness. I won't be returning and can't recommend this place to anyone looking for a pleasant...
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