Melting Pot — Restaurant in Miramar Beach

Neither boyfriend nor I had never done fondue so there was a huge learning curve for us. Visited for their Prix Fixe Valentine’s Day menu and had no idea what to expact. Thankfully, our server (whose name escapes me) was very patient and thorough with us! I recommend hanging onto a menu while you dine to help guide you with the process; there are explanations of the sauces as well as a cheatsheet for cooking times on there.

Not sure how the special menu differs from their regular menu but the amount of food we had was crazy! Even though it didn't look like a lot of food while on the table, we were absolutely stuffed when we left.

I really enjoyed the first course which included bread and a couple of raw vegetables (I think it was baby carrots and broccoli) that we dipped in the "Loaded Baked Potato Cheddar" sauce. The sauce was very thick and rich but delicious. I probably shouldn't have eaten so much bread but it was too good to pass up!

Next course was the salad ... I had the Strawberry Caprese and boyfriend has the California. The fresh mozzarella was good on mine but the rest was just OK, it possibly needed more dressing? The California was definitely better and had sugared pecans and a creamy balsamic dressing.

Boyfriend and I both opted for the Cupid's Feast entree which had Roasted Garlic Shrimp, Teriyaki Marinated Sirloin, Wild Mushroom Ravioli and Honey Orange Chicken. (I don't eat chicken or beef so I gave boyfriend my meat and we shared the rest.) We chose the Citrus Mojo hot sauce because it was supposed to impart the most flavor? To be honest, we couldn't really taste much of anything on the cooked food, citrus or otherwise, other than on the cooked broccoli? The dipping sauces definitely helped in this regard. I liked the Green Goddess and the Gorgonzola Port sauces the best. I think the other sauces were Ginger Plum, Teriyaki, Yogurt Curry and Sweet and Sour? I really liked the shrimp but couldn't taste any garlic on them after cooking? The ravioli were delicious though!

Last up was the dessert feast ... definitely needed to save room for this course! We chose the Tiramisu Milk Chocolate, chocolate with small chunks of Ladyfingers swimming about. The assortment of fruit and sweets were all delicious, very hard to pick a favorite here?

The Melting Pot was definitely an enjoyable experience even though we felt like we weren't sure we were "doing it correctly?" It was fun feeling like we were conducting a weird science experiment while we ate! It was definitely a special treat though and I did like the fixed menu for our first time there; I feel like ordering off of the regular menu might have been a little overwhelming having never done fondue before? Might try it again someday but the memories of a first Valentine's Day with an incredibly special guy made it extra...

My wife and I went for a 'Bigger night out' 4 course meal for her Birthday last night. We typically prefer finer dining and have lived lived in large metropolitan areas, but this was meant to be a bit of fun and to reminisce. We have not been to a melting pot for about a decade, but recall the environment to be a cheerful one considering they are generally a place that people go to celebrate special occasions and corporate events, etc. The reviews on yelp were promising, so we had some confidence that we would have a positive experience.

We went on a Sunday night. Obviously that is a quieter night so you would think the servers would be able to be more attentive as they don't have to rush around so much to a large number of tables.

We had Brandon as our server. Immediately we were concerned. There were less than half a dozen tables being managed by 2 servers. Water took 10 mins. We to remind him for wine that was ordered at the beginning, halfway into the second course.

When asked how busy it was over the weekend the response was maybe 60 tables one night, vs the 6 or so tables we saw where we were sitting. The service was arguably the worst service we have experienced in years, when it should have been a really easy night for a waiter if you are only in serving a few tables. And a party of 2 at that. Not even a group.

Every question that was asked to the server was responded with a subtle attitude and confusion.

I asked him if he was new as that might have explained his lack of service skills, but he has been there since July. He wasn't polite or friendly. Honestly I think he was high on cannabis.

You will get better service at a Chik-Fil-a. They are trained to provide a friendly excellent customer service experience, and that is what they provide. Is it so difficult to be nice to people who are throwing down $150 between them?

Seats have lost their bounce and the vinyl seats cushions in the booths are cracking. Who wants to sit on that? Place is not cleaned well and is pretty grimy. Women's bathroom isn't looking so great. Why don't these franchises replace their furniture once in a while instead of driving the place into the ground. We should have left. Manager (?) was wearing a t-shirt and not a dress shirt.

So...

Such a bummer. We have been to the Melting Pot restaurants several times and in several cities across the country. We live near the Destin location and have been there 3 times…each time has been disappointing. Tonight we took our son for his 11th birthday because it’s his favorite restaurant. We had a 7:30 reservation. We were seated fairly quickly after a short wait at the bar. Once to our table not a single member of the staff acknowledged us for over 30 minutes. The server who took care of us had the two tables on either side of us and passed our table several times in that 30 mins, no eye contact, no “hey I’ll be right with you folks” nothing. She was pleasant enough when she finally began to serve us but nothing outstanding. Didn’t bring us water until we asked for it. Never came back to check on us except when it was time for the next course. “Disinterested” is probably the best way I can describe the service. The food is nothing overly special. There are far more superior ways to spend $300 on dinner for 3 people…but we have always come for the atmosphere and experience. Sadly the Destin location provides neither of those things at any of our visits. The %20 gratuity automatically added to our check may be the reason for this. I always thought gratuity was for excellent service….which we did not receive. The restaurant itself needs some attention and updating. The bench seats are worn out, drop lights over the tables are dusty, like grossly dusty on the cable, as was the tops of the booths, the bathrooms are in need of paint as there are literally holes in the ceiling and walls where old fixtures have been removed., and the risk of sounding like a real Karen…the staffs attire was shabby. The hostess was in torn jeans and a high-school hoodie for example, several other members of the team were in yoga pants and t-shirts. I guess I don’t really expect that of a place I have to make reservations and pay a deposit to eat at.

It’s just a bummer. I don’t mind paying $300 for dinner, but I want it to feel like a $300 dinner you know? I wish this was an isolated issue, we’ve given them the benefit of the doubt but unfortunately it’s been the same lack luster, over priced dinner 3X...