MIX - Uptown Marion — Restaurant in Marion

I arrived about 15 minutes late to meet a friend for their reservation, coincidentally also about 15 minutes before closing. Not wanting to be a burden, I politely asked the server if it was still okay for me to sit down, as I hadn’t realized how close it was to closing time. She was warm and welcoming, reassured me that it was absolutely fine, and kindly offered to serve me.

Unfortunately, shortly after I sat down, the owner abruptly approached the table and began yelling at me in front of other guests. He spoke to me in an aggressive and highly disrespectful manner, despite my having confirmed with the server that it was okay to be seated. The situation made me feel extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Although I didn’t even take a sip of my tea, I paid for it and left a 10-dollar tip for the server before quietly leaving. I understand that businesses have closing hours, but there are ways to communicate with dignity and respect. Sadly, I won’t be returning.

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Kyle, thank you for your reply.

I don’t usually leave negative reviews either, but this experience stood out enough that I felt it was important to share.

I understand that you may see the situation differently, but I stand by my experience. I arrived shortly before closing and was explicitly welcomed and seated by your server, who was kind and reassuring. Your approach to the table felt abrupt, confrontational, and unnecessarily aggressive, especially considering I had already checked with your staff before sitting down.

I understand and respect that restaurants have closing times and policies about seating, but the way that message is delivered matters. A calm and courteous reminder would have been completely reasonable. Instead, I was made to feel like a problem in front of other guests, which was deeply uncomfortable.

I paid for my tea, generously tipped your staff, and quietly left. I had no intention of disrupting your evening or challenging your policies. I just hoped for a respectful interaction, which unfortunately did not happen.

Best of luck to you and your team...

At the start of this year I had never had Hotpot.

Since my first experience, I've been back every week (sometimes more than once 🤫) bringing different people with me every time. They are going to start recognizing my car! 😅

We are obsessed with the AYCE Hotpot!!! For everything you get, it's a great deal. Its 3 rounds, with your choice of meats, veggies and other add-in, and try as we might weve never made it past the 2nd round. I've never left there anything but completely full, and fully satisfied. They truly have something for everyone (even a self proclaimed picky eater like myself).

Everything tastes great, the experience is fun, and easy to learn for first-timers. The staff is friendly and so accommodating. Eating here feels like coming home, to a good meal with family. All of the staff are attentive, friendly checking to make sure we have everything we need.

Service is simply great! Everything is fresh, they keep the soups topped off and the servers always check in. I never feel like I'm "waiting". Being able to cook you own meats and customize your own soup IS part of the experience. I always feel like it really lends to more opportunities for connecting with your party. Everyone is cooking their soups, passing ingredients and chatting. It a very communal vibe here, offering a more intimate and bonding experience all around. You aren't just stuffing your face, you're enjoying your time out.

I cannot say enough good things about this place! Lucky for my friends, who get to listen to me talk about it all the time now. If I keep up this pace, I think I might just need to buy a permanent table at this fabulous...

The quantity of ingredients for the hotpot for each addon is too few compared to hotpots elsewhere. Making it become pretty pricy for each person. I am glad that they have a sauce station now for hotpots. It was lacking for awhile. Overall the hotpot was good but if I'm ordering a veggie I would hope to get more than 4 slices.

As for the dishes they were pretty good for the first few times. I do notice that the bulgogi tends to come out a bit overcooked at times but otherwise usually pretty fine.

Update: I have tried a few other dishes and I have been noticing that the portion of meat vs veggies are out of control. My Pork Belly Kimchi was 99 percent kimchi with almost no pork belly and a few pieces of tofu. It has been getting more difficult to justify the price vs food lately. Not to mention the side dishes it comes with are too small. Traditionally I have seen much better portions than this in other places especially when sharing with a group.

Update 2: After being here several times the AYCE Hotpot / Sushi is probably the best part here. Service can be slow when trying to reorder. The 90 minute limit can be questionable because of the slow order times. The food portions are still iffy but if you can order as much as you want it's a bit easier to get the...