KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot — Restaurant in New York

I want to preface this by saying i work in the service industry and have been to different kpots in the city so i have a general understanding of how the restaurant works. i also understand that me and my boyfriend had come very close to there last seating of the night, which could be factor as to why we had terrible service.

when it came to service we were sat in ari’s section, as we were seating i had overheard him on the mic that complaining about being sat so close to the last seating, then as we sat down he had a very judgmental and rude tone introducing us, we placed our drink orders pretty quick as well as the food. the actually drinks and food came out in a reasonable manner but about 30 minutes in we still hadn't received water, my boyfriend had to ask for water, which is odd because water at other locations is given as soon as we sit. on top of that he had never came to check on us, each time we had to flag him down on multiple occasions. and throughout the time he had an overall nasty attitude which at one point me and my boyfriend had to assume it was due to our race since we are both black and were in quite casual clothing.

the only redeeming thing about this place was the food, which to be honest is definitely not the best quality korean barbecue but for the price i cannot be that mad about as well as the sauce bar had a nice variety of side dishes and fried apps.

honestly if i didn’t semi enjoy the food i would've gladly put this at 1 star. seriously though this was one of the worst experiences i had dinning anywhere in manhattan and i definitely would stick to the many traditional kbbq places in ktown. do better and if it was because of our skin color or the fact that we gave off a vibe that we wouldnt tip we shouldn’t have been treated with such little respect especially since i myself serve i would never treat a table in such a way no matter the time they enter or the race or clothes. btw we still gave 18% after all of this. if we ever decide to visit again i hope the service wil improve.

side note my coworkers who are not black has told me they recieved great service….....

Updated Review Since Google only allows one review, I’m updating this to share my full experience and also to thank the kind servers who made a difference—everyone except our second visit!

First Visit: Amazing. Vincent and the manager were warm, attentive, and proactive with the BBQ grill. We left very impressed.

Second Visit: Unfortunately, this one was a letdown. Our server, John (with glasses), completely stopped checking on us—even though he was serving all the other tables around us. The grill wasn’t strong enough, cooking took forever, and we had to rely on other staff for help. It was disappointing, especially after such a great first visit.

Third & Fourth Visits: Huge improvement. Venessa and Yuta were incredibly kind and attentive. Their professionalism made me feel welcome and completely changed my impression of the place.

Fifth Visit: Vincent served us again and was just as amazing as the first time—friendly, thoughtful, and consistently excellent. Even Yuta, who wasn’t our server that day, stepped in to help when he noticed we needed something. The whole team was fantastic.

Sixth Visit: JK was very attentive and provided such thoughtful service. Without being asked, he cleared empty dishes from the table, making the meal feel relaxed and comfortable. He even reminded us not to miss the dessert at the end—such a nice, considerate touch.

Great service really makes all the difference. Thanks to wonderful servers like Vincent, Venessa, Yuta, and JK, I’m happy to keep...

Even though KPOT has 4.8 stars, it really should have 5! Absolutely loved my full experience from beginning to end. The staff greeted us as soon as we walked in, were super friendly, and sat us almost immediately. The facility itself was really nice - high ceilings, clean, comfy chairs, and a good amount of space between tables. Once seated, we decided to do hot pot and it’s such a great price - $34.99 for all you can eat pp, and there were a plethora of choices from the hot pot to the buffet to the dessert, all inclusive! I got the Tom Kha broth - I like spicy, and this def had some spice - and my partner got the miso broth. What’s nice is you order from an iPad and you can keep ordering from there, and the food will come out as it’s ready. We got everything from shrimp dumplings to pumpkin to ramen to bok choy to three types of mushrooms…just to name a few. Def don’t skip the buffet that they have - they have a myriad of sauces, and even have recipes of your own you can make. I made a peanut sauce that elevated the food. What was especially outstanding was the service. Our server Daya was so kind and helpful, she made our meal that much better. She was one of the best servers we’ve had in a long time, and we hope to have her as our waitress in the future! So so excited to come...