KPOT Korean BBQ, Hot Pot & Sushi — Restaurant in New York

It saddens me to have to leave this review because my friends, family, and I love this place. As a matter of fact, I live in Brooklyn and consciously pick this location over the other two in Brooklyn because of how much more I like this Staten Island location. Unfortunately, my most recent visit on Saturday, 9/16/2023, ended with a sour taste in my mouth.

We had both the BBQ and hotpot combo, ordered alcoholic beverages, and just went all out. Everything was going well, the food was great, the service was phenomenal, and our party was having a blast until the end of our meal. The white male manager (not playing the race card, just making sure we identify the right person) came over to our table ten minutes before the two hour limit and said, "Your two hour limit is almost up. Even though there is no one waiting, wrap it up." We understood and obliged. We did not order any more food. Seeing that half of the tables were empty, no patrons were waiting to be seated, and that it was not near closing time (9:15 PM, closing time stated 11:30 PM), we believed that it would be a non-issue to stay a little longer to finish our food and not waste anything. During this time of trying to reduce food waste, the manager eyed us on multiple occasions and pointed towards our direction while speaking to our server. He made us feel uncomfortable and not welcomed. Eventually, he came directly over to us, tapped his watch, and gave us a 🤷🏼 with a degrading look. He made us feel very out of place and unwanted. While I understand that he is just upholding the two-hour policy, he could've been reasonable about enforcing it because we were not holding up a table that was in need of seating another party, we were not obstructing their closing process, and we did not order any more food. There was no reason for him to have been so rude and aggressive to paying customers. We felt so self conscious from his actions that we stood up and waited next to our table, carrying all of our belongings while waiting for everyone in our party to use the restroom because we were afraid to be seen sitting down.

As we were exiting the establishment, not only did this manager not thank us for our visit, he did not even acknowledge us and simply looked away as we walked past him towards the exit. The behavior that this manager displayed is unacceptable from one who works in the customer service field where good hospitality should be of utmost priority. A person in this position should know better than to make customers feel they are not welcomed over something so miniscule. What started out as a fun night out with good food and drinks ended with a car ride home with all 4 of us feeling regretful for spending $250 and ended up being treated this poorly. Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to return to this establishment in the future. Even though the food is consistently good, it is not worth being looked down upon.

KPOT, if you respond to this review, please make sure you address this issue and not something unrelated. I firmly believe that if someone were to be in a managerial role in the hospitality business, they need to do better than whatever treatment we received on this visit. If one cannot fulfill such responsibilities, then they are in the wrong field or need...

I've visited KPOT twice before - once before they implemented the 2-hour dining limit and once after its implementation. On both occasions, I had a wonderful experience, with friendly staff, delicious food, and prompt service. Despite the time limit, I never felt rushed during my meal.

However, this recent visit with my cousin resulted in a disappointing experience, earning this review only three stars. Upon arrival, the restaurant wasn't overly busy, and we were seated at a spacious booth for four or more people, which was a pleasant surprise. Despite initial positive impressions, our dissatisfaction grew as the evening unfolded.

While ordering via the tablet, not all of our requested items were brought to our table, requiring multiple reminders to our waitress. Although the wait for the missing items was brief, it was still an inconvenience that could have been avoided.

Approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes into our meal, we decided to stop ordering and focus on finishing what was on our table to avoid wasting food. Despite the grill no longer being in use, the iPad suddenly reached the 2-hour mark. Within seconds, a man named "Justin" approached and informed us, "Unfortunately, you've now been here more than 2 hours." I pointed out that the iPad clearly displayed 2 hours, to which he replied, "Well, 2 hours and 6 minutes...I need the booth." I observed three empty booths and two large tables nearby and asked if we could finish our meal to avoid a surcharge. Justin's response was somewhat rude, and reluctantly, he granted us an extra 5 minutes. I expressed my concerns to the waitress, who seemed equally puzzled by the situation.

During my previous visit with the time limit in place, we were allowed to sit a bit longer to finish our meal; we just couldn't order more, which seemed reasonable. The attitude and lack of customer service skills exhibited by Justin had a detrimental impact on the overall experience. His abrupt manner and unsettling presence at the tables left a negative impression, ultimately affecting the ambiance of the entire evening.

Due to this unpleasant encounter with Justin, I'm uncertain if I would return to KPOT. There are alternative dining establishments on the island that may better appreciate my hard-earned money and provide a more...

Kpot has so many locations, so at baseline they have delicious foods with an extensive sauce bar, side dish/pickled vegetables bar which also features some kind of ready to eat appetizer. That alone is worthy of 5 stars. I came here on “grand opening” night (even though they were already opened for a while prior) convinced by my family that it was a good idea. They were giving out free drinks and raffle tickets for so many gifts. It was not a good idea. Minus 1 star for no reservations allowed unless it is a party of 10+. Our group waited exactly 2 hours to be seated, got there at 7, seated at 9. Minus 1 star because the manager(or owner?) some guy walking around coordinating seat and such, had such an angry look on his face, like some how we were in the way? I get it, it’s grand opening night, lots of people, lots of drunk people. Overcrowded and overworked, but it’s not my fault. Ok maybe that’s just my impression, but could’ve gave a better demeanor. Also besides our own server, none of the other workers could bother to even look at us. Minus another 2 stars because despite the waiting for a good 2 hours to be seated, the last call for food was like 10pm? They told us to put in all orders and so we did. But after a few minutes our server told us that we wouldn’t be getting any more food because the kitchen said no more food. Maybe because it was late and people needed to clean and go home. But when you say last call, at least mean it. Plus 1 star back because our server was so enthusiastic and apologized profusely for the kitchen barring the last order from being filled. She tried her best, I left happy. But as an establishment, did you really think I’d be ok with being told it was the last call, putting in my order and then being denied? It’s an all you can eat establishment, I paid full price but didn’t get the foods I wanted!...