KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot — Restaurant in Kentwood

How could this KPOT location go from being one of my best visits last month to one of my worst visits tonight?! The wait time was minimal tonight and i was seated fairly quickly. I noticed from the menu that some items were removed that were previously available on my last visit, which was disappointing to see, but also understandable as they are still in their soft opening.

Things were going well until halfway through the meal when i noticed the burner for my table A5 was being to overheat and burn the beef items I currently had on the grill. The server, Cheyenne, came by and asked if I wanted a grill change, to which I agreed. Upon changing the grill, I noticed the burner was FULL red, and I inquired if the current burner temperature was appropriate to the setting on the control panel. She said it normally does that, so I took her word.

When I ordered the pork belly options with zucchini and onions, the staff came out with half an onion that was cut against the grain once, leaving several thick onion rings that were more suitable for frying than grilling. The onions took so long to cook and were too big of a portion for a single person. As I was laying down the slices of pork belly, I noticed again the grill was hotter than a low temperature setting. It had not been a minute before I saw the pork belly fat begin to turn white and as I flipped over the slices, the sides facing down were charred! I understand there will be some charring because of the marinade, but the slices were fully charred. I tried to look for Cheyenne, but she was nowhere to be found.

I ended up turning off my grill to stop the oil and pork belly fat from burning and potentially catching fire. I looked for my server for several minutes and couldn't find her. During this time I was also looking for a refill on my beverage. Several staff members made eye contact with me and failed to check on my status, despite my look of distress.

When Cheyenne finally returned to my table, I once again advised that the burner was malfunctioning. Cheyenne looked around the room and then told me that every grill was going to do the same thing. She asked if I wanted a manger, which I gladly accepted the offer. During the wait for the manager I still did not receive either a beverage refill or an offer for water.

The manager arrived, and I addressed three grievances. First, that the grill was malfunctioning and was burning hotter than the desired temperature on the control setting. Second, that the onions served were too thick to be grilled and were portioned for more than three people rather than one person. Third, that Cheyenne had for some unknown reason stopped checking on my table, and that I had to turn off the burner myself. The manager spoke very softly with broken English, and it was extremely difficult to listen and understand the manager's response over the volume of the music and ambience. Overall he offered to comp the meal, but I wanted to pay for the meal BUT not be charged the food waste fee that could have been added onto my bill for the onions. The manager made a counter-offer that I once again couldn't hear over the atmospheric sounds, so I blindly accepted the offer. Up to this point, I still failed to get a refill of either my beverage or water!

Cheyenne came by with the bill while I was still trying to finish eating the charred pork belly and quickly left before I could ask for a glass of water. I finally got my glass of water when she came by a few minutes later with the card reader under the assumption that I was ready to pay, and I was finally able to make the request. I finished the pork belly, paid for my meal, and left.

I've been to multiple KPOT locations around the country. I love the experiences around the different locations. I'm a weekly regular at the Columbus, OH location. I thought this Grand Rapids location that more things than my regular location had to offer on my first visit last month. I am convincing myself that tonight's disappointing service has to be a fluke and surely this won't happen again on the...

My son and I went for an early birthday dinner as our birthday is on the same day and we enjoy trying places that offer a new experience. We put our name in and was told the wait was 1 hour and 15 minutes this is fine as we drove 45 minutes to get there and thought it would be worth the wait. After more than enough time had passed and the parking lot was starting to clear out, we went inside without getting a message and they seated us immediately, which makes me wonder if we were waiting for no reason. Could be coincidence though. Our server came, took our drink order and had to mess with the tablet to get it to work. Then left presumably to get our drinks. I had to get her attention and tell her we had never been there before to find out what we were supposed to do. After a very brief explanation of the tablet and telling us to order broth right away. She was off again. No mention of the sauces or really any details about what to do when the broth arrived. I had to look it up online while at the table. Normally places like this would ask up front if you've been there before and offer a complete run down of how it works and what to do. Our broth selections came out and were placed on the table, not the burners. I had to sort it out and get the burners started myself. No idea what they were supposed to be set at, just guessed. Once we got those going, we ordered food. Some came out, some didn't and no meat. At this point no drinks yet either. When i finally got t ask about the drinks we find out the meat slicer is broken and apparently they have no back up plan. We were there for the Hotpot on that visit but at this point it would have been nice if they offered barbecue for the inconvenience since meat seemed to be available for that. However they did not and we were stuck with a vegetarian dinner for the most part. They did offer a few things on the menu we have not had before so that was nice to try. Desserts were cleaned up early so we did not get any. There was no crab that i could find. Over all i was quite disappointed and at this point would not recommend or go back. I found myself wishing we had gone somewhere else for our...

Would visit this establishment to dine again 10/10! With an atmosphere that I could only describe as chique yet also comforting, homey, vibrant lights, relaxed and comfortable seating. A place that felt extremely welcoming! The level of cleanliness was also something to admire no stains or sticky tables, clean cookers, plates, and eating utensils I couldn’t find a speck of mess almost like they had been cleaning and prepping all day for my arrival. The food was of excellent quality. So fresh, well prepared, not something you see very often in modern day eateries which immediately took me by surprise. So casual but also upscale, a modern day mesh that I could only describe as something so astonishing while being inconceivable come to life. Pleasant, hospitable, patient, hardworking, attentive are the describing words that come to mind when I think of the staff. Diana was the one attending to our table, it had been my first time dining at a restaurant like this one, I had been a bit cautious honestly somewhat hesitant to try something so unique yet the experience was just perfected by having her around like placing a ribbon on a gift. I was unsure and completely lost when I first arrived but Diana was there to thoroughly explain how the whole system worked she was also very kind while doing so, a trait so uncommon that I’ve seen lost as time goes by. I can say 100% without a doubt the time that I spent there was immensely enjoyable. Just to clarify I believe my whole memory of this wonderful place could have been absolutely flipped towards me hating a space like this if I had not received Diana as our attendee. I’m positively thankful even grateful for having her as our gracious host! This restaurant has left me wanting more I will be sure to visit again. Thank you 100...