Melting Pot — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Be aware you are going to get a lesser experience here than other Melting Pots for the same cost.

I have been to Melting Pots for 12+ years now across the country just because we enjoy the experience and food. I have a black pepper sensitivity but usually only if fresh cracked and through the years I know what on their menu bothers it and just modify to accommodate. Luckily my reaction is minor and can be managed that way. For instance, swapping steak that used to have fresh cracked pieces on it or we always ask the server not to add it to the cheese when it's made tableside.

We popped in to this location on a cold Holidazzle day mid afternoon for just some cheese fondue. In this instance the cheese was just plopped in front of us premade with a quick whisk by the server as he ran off. He wasn't coming back anytime soon (our drinks also took forever) and it didn't seem to bother me from a black pepper side (not one we have ever ordered before) so we ate and left after waiting a very long time for our server the whole time for one course and a check. Our baby who is normally super quiet (first time we have ever taken one of our kids to Melting Pot but it was mid afternoon lunch and just cheese) decided to cry when getting strapped in to her carrier to leave so we left rather than me taking time to ask the manager about the change. We didn't want to disturb others. After though, I wondered if all the Melting Pot's were changing away from tableside cheese. I have seen so many other changes over the years that has cheapened the experience over time (no longer offering cheesecake slice with dessert where now you have to pay extra, getting rid of the nice book like menus for plastic folded ones, changing the cheese dippers for cheaper things and reducing them etc). I reached out on the website to ask if they all were going to this and the General Manager of Minneapolis left me a voicemail the next day that it was a direction from corporate to no longer make the cheese at the table but you could still request it tableside. This bothered me as it would greatly affect our date nights and now I have to ask specifically to make it for us tableside and feel like a burden. Since you have to pick a location and cannot get information from corporate directly, I instead posed the question to my more regular locations. They all said they would be keeping the cheese made tableside.

So either this location is cutting corners and just lying to patrons or you are just getting a lesser experience than the other locations. Which by the way with drinks, the charcuterie upgrade, and 3 people for cheese still cost over $100 for a snack for lunch, not even a full meal). If they were just busy that day or short staff on a Saturday afternoon they could have just explained and asked us about premaking and I would have just asked for the pepper to be removed and thought it odd but would have understood. Instead they cut corners and/or lie afterwards to their patrons. I mean at one of our favorite locations we have had the GM make our cheese for us because they were busier than expected. He was very nice and apologetic and personable the whole time. We tipped extra as they took the time to make sure we got the full experience and take care of us and keep our drinks filled, even if it took more time.

So in summary at best you will have a lesser experience for the same high cost at this location as others or at worst lied to when they cut corners with no apologies. I won't be back to this location when visiting our friend in...

I dined in for the first time to celebrate my physical therapy licensure, which was a big deal to me. The service was overall good, and our particular server was very nice. Unfortunately, we were not given any silverware which led us to using our hands to dip our breads and cheese. I was confused but thought "well, i don't know, maybe they just expect us to dip like it's finger food?" It was unpleasant and very hot cheese got on our hands because obviously you aren't supposed to be doing that. When asking for silverware, the server said 'if i had a nickel for every time thats happened tonight' which indicates to me that this unpleasant experience is frequent. Secondly when booking my reservation, with the pricing and website descriptions I expected a quiet, intimate, nice dining experience with food brought to the table ready to eat. What I actually got was an incredibly loud Applebees-like seating arrangement in a booth with roaring customers packed closely around us. My boyfriend and I ended up eating in near silence for all four courses because we kept needing to repeat ourselves and could not hear eachother. I also did NOT enjoy the surprise of being presented with a platter of raw meats to cook on our own- when I saw 'cooking styles' listed on the website I was a bit intrigued at the thought of meats being prepared different ways. I am not a chef and I do not want to cook my own food. I could have done that at home. For nearly $200 i sat quietly with my partner as we each set timers for our tiny cuts of meat to.... boil in some wine sauce situation. My partner works as a vet tech and described this as similar to what he tells clients to do for their pets when they need a bland diet. Half the meats were not pleasant at all and despite following verbal cooking directions, there were many times where he and i took a bite into chicken or duck and realized it was still raw. If I wanted to attend a hotpot I would have gone there. Also, none of the meats are served with any cheese which is sort of the whole point of going to a fondue restaurant. Desert and salads were great, but I dont think they could make up for the huge disappointment of the entree situation. I would love to fill out their online survey, however I can't because I don't believe we got a reciept. For two people with a low budget splurging on a very special occasion, the melting pot was a huge flop that was greatly felt in our wallet. Would not...

First time here and we read some honest reviews before coming and I would agree with the others here that posted before me. Very expensive for what you get. Interesting and different experience from other restaurants which is fun and something different. Location was pretty easy to find as well. The food is prepared infront of you as well and you get to cook your own food. Lots of option to choose from on the menu. Some cons is that the menu is somewhat hard to read right off bat. We had a party of 5 and had many choices and found that the meat was alright. I found that nothing was really seasoned meat wise and there was no salt and pepper for seasoning but many choices of sauces. The meat you cook in a boiling mixture and it's alright but then you loose all those seasonings that they put on the meats when you boil it. Since the meat isn't marinated before hand you don't get a deep flavor in these cuts of meats and loose all the seasoning. I feel as if the restaurant tried to create somewhat of a Sous vide method but i found it doesnt work at all because its a quick boil when your cooking these meats. So they tend to be tough and under seasoned. The fruit, veggies, and bread were very good with the cheese options. But the veggies seemed like they were processed and a bit dry.Honestly I would just come for the cheese and skip the main course. The drinks were well made but I found them pricy for what they were. The night seemed steady and the waiter only saw us maybe 3 times through the night when he was dropping food off for us and forgot a few items we ordered along with drinks. Was offered for a take out of the items he forgot but whats the point of brining home the items when you're there for the experience and you dont want to reheat this type of cheese sauces at home otherwise it will split and become inedible. Not the best service but he was very nice. I personally would choose the other two steak houses in Minneapolis over this if your looking to spend over $240 for 3 people. Other locations I found had better service, well seasoned meats, and found that a valets are very handy in Minneapolis. Maybe we will visit again but if your looking for a quiet and relaxing evening, I'd look elsewhere for dinner. Good experience but I wouldn't seek this of dinning anytime soon or on a...