KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot — Restaurant in Knoxville

I was excited to try this new Korean BBQ and hot pot spot in Knox! We arrived around 10pm and found out the kitchen closes at 10:30pm… which is totally understandable, but I do recommend updating the hours on Google Maps to reflect the kitchen cutoff, since no food can be ordered after that.

Given we had just 30 minutes, we chose the Korean BBQ option (you can do both BBQ and hot pot for an extra $5 each I believe ). With the BBQ, you can order up to 13 items from the iPad menu, plus access the buffet line, which had basics like fries, wings, kimchi, sweets, and sauces. We started with some buffet items while waiting for our meats. The buffet kimchi was okay, I wish it was more fermented and less spicy. I typically eat 3 bowls of kimchi at any place that offers it and during this visit, I finished half of one. However, I loved that the main kitchen was fast. Our BBQ meats came out within 5 minutes, which was a nice surprise.

The rice was chewy and made a great base. The beef bulgogi is always my go to at Korean BBQ spots and it was delicious , they were so sweet and flavorful, just how I like it. The short ribs were my partner’s favorite, they were so juicy and tender. The spicy bulgogi had a solid kick. We got a few other meats but the beef bulgogi and short ribs were a hit!! Even with the time limit, we managed to get full and sneak in a second round of our favorite meats before the kitchen closed. For two adults (Korean BBQ and drinks), we spent around $70, and it was definitely worth it.

Drinks were served quickly, my partner had the pineapple orange juice, and I had the mango orange. Presentation was cute, but I do wish they had a different base besides orange juice.

The only reason I’m leaving 4 instead of 5 stars is because of the service. Our server , I think her name was Issa, had made a joke of “only having X amount of time before the kitchen closes so let’s hurry up” and it rubbed my partner and I the wrong way. I also wish she had been more attentive, she had stopped by our table to turn on the grill and if I recall correctly maybeeee deliver our drinks? We had to flag her down for clean plates and flag her down again for permission to adjust the grill. The manager actually checked in on us before she did. It didn’t ruin the meal, but it did take away from the experience a bit.

Overall, we’ll definitely be back!! The meats were solid, the kitchen was quick, and the price felt fair. Just hoping for a more attentive...

I absolutely love asian food but I've never had Korean style food until I came here and honestly, I am NOT disappointed. This place was awesome and the soup bases for the hot pots come in variety plus they offer barbecue as well. Something interesting is that they offered lotus cuts. I didn't even know lotus was edible but it was a wonderful experience. They offered a variety of mushrooms which was honestly a major relief because I love mushrooms. They have a bunch of different options for seafood and meat cuts for the grills and hot pots which I definitely loved. The ponzu sauce tasted wonderful. The waiter we had I'm pretty sure was an angel from heaven itself. She was very patient with my mother who is hearing impaired and even spoke loudly enough for my mom to hear her which I appreciated and even gave me a pair of chopstick helpers because I have issues with grip strength in my hands and chopsticks without helpers cause hand cramps for me. I don't remember if she said they offered silverware or not because I asked about the chopstick helpers first. Since it was me and my mom's first time there, she was nice enough to explain everything to us about how hot pot self-service style restaurants work (specifically this one) and she was even wonderful enough to give me and my mom brief food safety instructions to use the thicker cuts of meat on the grill and the thinner cuts in the hot pot soup bases for more even cooking and a much more reduced risk of salmonella which I greatly appreciated because I would not have known that otherwise and I'm pretty sure mom did not know that either. Her name is Aiyana and I can honestly say she was wonderful as a waiter. My mom says she has 10 out of 10 overall customer service skills and I agree. This place is a little pricy but I would definitely visit this place again when money presents itself because the food and the food portions is definitely...

Our server Michael is always our server, even when we aren't seated at his tables. We come in pretty often, me and my kids are huge fans that make up any excuse to go to Kpot. My children (and us) just love Michael so much. He has such happy energy, and is very funny, and just radiates goodness. We've been so many times that we're on a first name basis with him, thanks to my oldest introducing all of us one day. 😂 So now every time we go in, if we're spotted, Michael comes to say hello! He has been helpful with many recommendations from where to find Asian brand adult beverages here, and other places to eat that aren't Korean since we want to immerse our children in as many cultures as possible. He is the giant dancing bear on your birthday, he will fly by and refill your drinks even if you aren't seated with him, and he'll also make a surprise order for you with stuff you should try! Even if you aren't seated with him, he still goes between your server to make sure you always have enough soup, ingredients and drinks. By far the best service I've ever experienced. Regarding the restaurant and food, its as expected and promised. Fresh meats and an endless list of veggie options that are always vibrant, never damaged or wilted. The atmosphere is very modern with some low decor lights, is well lit overall, with current music playing in the background. The sauce buffet can be a bit of a mess and can be really confusing, but read all the signs by the table and above the sauces and you'll be a pro in no time.

We love being able to get a Kpot bear keychain every time we go, my kids have so many now that we have a tiny Kpot bear army. We just love Michael. And Kpot is our favorite place to eat.

My only word of advice is do not wear Vans, Converse, or any flat soled shoes. The floor can be pretty slippery after hundreds of people have cooked pork bellies and spare...