Mr. Pot and Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Bloomington

My coworker and I stopped in for a 45-min lunch experience on a Fri and were immediately seated. Parking is super convenient in the large free lot it shares with several other businesses. This place was so perfect for a cold winter day! We couldn’t believe it wasn’t packed!

Samuel seemed to be the only employee on the floor but he was quick, hospitable, and very informative. We explained that we had never tried hot pot before so Samuel explained the menu, self-serve stations, & prep process. He also brought out our hot pot cart and cashed us out from the table.

If you’ve never tried hot pot before, you choose your broth and add ins that can be meats, seafoods, noodles, and veggies. (The garlic and cilantro from the sauce bar made my herbal broth FIRE!!!) The broth is then boiled on the table burners right in front of you within 60-seconds and then you can add your treats to cook. More dense foods take more time to cook but it all cooks so fast. You then ladle out some broth and fixings into your bowl to enjoy. Add more to your pot while you dine so it cooks while you enjoy your soup. The lobster balls were my favorite!

Definitely carve out an hour to properly enjoy your whole experience. We were kind of short on time and it was hard to hurry since everything was so hot. We opted for the $18.99 lunch special (11am-2pm) where you choose 2 meets and 5 add-ins. We were stuffed and so cozy afterwards. Warm fresh whole food ingredients. A steamy bowl in your face. And really just a fun interactive dining experience. We will be...

I just had my first visit to Mr. Hot Pot and it will certainly not be the last!

The restaurant has a very modern ambiance, all white with little organic touches in the form of some plants. Ducts are exposed but also painted white, which gives a very clean and airy feeling to the customers. Over each table there are some sprinkles, just in case one's hot pot adventures go a bit too far...

Service was attentive and polite. We were visited several times by our server during our meal and since this is all-you-can eat (including soft drinks and ice cream for desert), we were never short of things to cook. Each individual seat has its own burner, which means that each person can have its own broth. One word of advice: the Hot & Spicy broth is legit, similar to what I had in Chengdu. You might end up with tears in your eyes if you are not ready for it. The mushroom broth was very tasty and worked really well with the beef and lamb our table had.

There is a huge variety of options, although one has to pay extra for a few of them. Several different types of tofu, mushrooms, vegetables and protein were available, even quail eggs, which I did not expect. Everything felt very, very fresh.

This is definitely a place I would recommend, especially if you leave in the East side of Bloomington. There is plenty of parking in front of the restaurant, since it sits in a small shopping mall area. A welcome addition to the Bloomington food scene with reasonable prices (about $24/adult and $10 for...

My experience at this hot pot restaurant was quite a roller coaster. To start, the broth base fell short of expectations, with an overall bland taste. The sesame sauce was disappointingly thin, lacking the rich texture I had hoped for. The freshness of the beef balls also came into question, which is a significant drawback for any hot pot dining experience. Since it's a self refill drink station, when I went refill my water there is a pice of black stuff in my cup and I don't know what it was.

The cleanliness of the utensils was another concern, as I found some were not thoroughly washed. As for the service, even though the restaurant was not busy, the staff seemed more interested in their phones than in attending to customers. It was only after a server finished taking another table's order that she realized I needed to place mine, at which point the service slightly improved.

However, despite these issues, the smile of the female server did offer some solace. Her friendliness and warmth made me feel somewhat valued amidst the shortcomings. But, judging the experience purely on service, I find the 18% mandatory service charge unjustifiable. I initially didn’t even want to leave a tip. Yet, it was her smile and effort that made me feel a tip of up to 10% was reasonable, and it should go directly to her.

P.S. why is an up charge for Cattle Intestine out...