Top Pot & K BBQ — Restaurant in Sharonville

While I have been to this restaurant many times and been provided mediocre food and subpar service in the past I have never felt obligated to write a review about Top Pot in the past. Last week I had called Top Pot in order to make a reservation for Mother’s Day and was assured multiple times by the staff that a reservation would not be necessary and that I could just feel free to come on in with my group. However just to be on the safe side I called again but this time earlier in the day on Mother’s Day to ensure a table of 7 would be available. As we were assumed the restaurant would be busy we wanted to have the assurance of an allotted time. We then called and spoke with a staff member who responded and gave us the time we had requested for our party of 7. Upon arriving at the restaurant a few minutes early to our reservation time the restaurant was full. Still we were optimistic and unbothered by this fact as we had already made a reservation. So you can imagine our surprise when we gave the host / wait staff our name and time for our reservation and were told that it did not exist. They then immediately proceeded to lie to us and disregarded any claims to taking our information or to our reservation that was made. They continued to be extremely rude and disrespectful and argued with our party. They told us that not a single one of their staff members had answered any calls regarding our reservation. We were then given the option that we could either wait for the table who was just seated prior to us to finish eating or to leave. (disregarding the fact that the table had just been seated and who knows how long we would have had to wait potentially over an hour) I then tried to calmly show the employee my phone log which provided their phone number as well as the time I had spoken with one of their staff members in regards to the reservation I had made. Upon seeing their number blatantly (and realizing that the call was on record and we could not be further manipulated ) they changed their tactics and after waiting and more arguing they finally agreed to have us seated at a table only suitable for 6. Because of this they said they would need to pull up a chair for our 7th member (Another important factor to know is that If you have been this establishment or any otherhot pot or self coking establishment you may know that in order to actually consume your food or to partake in the experience you must cook your food in the broth at the burner provided for each individual guest ) . Therefore even though we would have been fine with “pulling up a chair at any ordinary restaurant, this would have not been possible for our 7th guest to cook or eat any of their food without a burner since the table of 6 only came with 6 burners. When we asked how the 7th member would cook or consume any of their foods, the staff with blatant indifference told us to have them wait until one of our table members finished eating before they could cook their own food or eat anything at all. Or they could just “stick their food consisting of uncooked veggies, meats, seafood etc into our pots and have us cook it for them” further inconveniencing everyone else at the table and taking away the whole dining experience from our seventh member. Had they simply been honest instead of lying or upfront about this predicament or even tried to be the slightest bit apologetic or sympathetic we would have been much more understanding or flexible. However the staff and even the owners simply lied to us again and again, took our reservation which guaranteed a time/table and then chose to not honor this and take walk ins instead. At this point we were beyond livid and upset, out of patience, and we chose to leave the establishment taking our business and our party elsewhere. After reading this novel I can only hope to warn others and know that I will never return to Top Pot again. I wish to prevent others from our hellish experience and that you may heed our advice and do the same do not go to Top Pot and head on over...

★★★★★ Food quality ★★★★★ Service ★★★★★ Ambiance ★★★☆☆ Value ★★★★★ Menu selection ★★★★★ Location/Accessibility Date visited: 12/17/2023 Celebrating our escape from the abyssal depth of our past job, the gang - myself, AA, and KK - decided to step out of our routine and into the land of hotpotting at Top Pot & K BBQ. This restaurant was quite popular among our group, so I also wanted to see what all the fuss was about. The shop located in a bustling shopping center in Sharonville. Even so, it was relatively easy to find a parking spot. Arriving just in time for the regular opening hours at noon, and following a heartfelt but tearless reunion, we walked through a lengthy hallway filled with food illustrations, leading us toward the entrance. Stepping inside, a grand view laid before our eyes. The interior was expansive, lined with rows of grill tables ready to serve any and all customers. The walls were adorned with with food and drink themed decorations, and bright lights set the mood for a feast. Two friendly faces appeared behind the counter: an average Asian male cashier with generic features and a female staff member with rich ebony complexion. The lady guided us to a vacant table; truth be told, all tables were unoccupied at that time. We hunkered down and browsed the menu, all the while immersing ourselves in the vibe. Large glass windows shone the interior with natural light, booths and tables were space with intention creating a comfortable but private setting. The air hummed with the aroma of grilled delicacies and faint scent of burning oil. After going over our choices, we placed our orders with the patient female staff member, who then swiftly inputted them into her tablet. With the menu out of our way, we marched toward the sauce bar to craft our very own dipping liquid. A line quickly formed behind us as we wagered our options, one that dominated by Asian folks, all equally eager to hurry the line. Returning to our table, we found our waitress had already arrived with a cart laden with our chosen ingredients. AA, our resident gym rat and meat maestro, opted for raw red meat, excluding pork since he was a man of the mosque, paired with chicken broth and a large size refreshing bubble milk tea. KK, ever a balance eater, played safe and selected the same broth along with a variety of common meats and sides such as vegetables and tofu. As for me, I embraced the spirit of mushroom broth, accompanied by exotic items such as pig blood, duck feet, and beef tripe. With the flicker of the flame igniting the pot and grill, we were officially ready. AA and KK, beginners of the art of hotpotting, tumbled at every move. Playing the role of the expert, I guided them through the process, not unlike a master to his disciples. The grill blazed, producing a sizzling rhythm like music to our ears, music that would transcend into knowledge, fueling our passion for Asian cuisine. Our laughter rumbled a corner of the dining hall, recounting tales of our lives and works. We savored every morsel of our meal, leaving no waste. However, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that our food somewhat lacked in quality. Perhaps my spoiled palate had seen better days. The other two didn’t seem to notice the quality of our food, engrossed as they were in lively conversation about love, war, anime girls, and everything in between. Two hours flew by, just as the restaurant policy dictated. By the time we left, the restaurant was teeming with customers, either seated at tables or waiting in line. Our departure was swift, but not before exchanging promises of future reunions. Overall, Top Pot & K BBQ holds its reputation as one of the best hot pot destinations in town. I look forward to returning with friends, as it offers the perfect setting for gathering and enjoying great food. One minus point was the strong odor of oil that clung to my clothes long...

My partner and I have now been here twice for date nights-- once just because we wanted to try it, and most recently because it was our 7th anniversary of meeting one another.

Our first time we had a server whose first day it was so we learned together! Haha 😄 But we had experience with Hot Pot prior at the other local place across the street, so really it was just the barbecue that was new. We've yet to have a major problem with the service, they are happy to bring everything you want, explain how something is supposed to be done, etc etc. At worst, your beverage refill may take a little longer than is preferrable. They are happy to provide western cutlery, as well, if you're not keen on using chopsticks.

It's an easy learning curve-- essentially flip the meat when you can start to see the cooked side show through same as you would at home. There are some items that absolutely cannot go on the grill i.e. soft tofu as it melts and sticks to high heaven. Drop items into the soup until they seem cooked when you pull them up with your ladle. You are provided butter and tongs for your grill items.

They have a very large selection of meats and tofus to choose from on both the hot pot menu and barbecue menu. The beef bulgogi is to die for, they have ribeye on the menu as well, and fresh crab legs on weekends. We are pleased with their selection of veggies and fungus as well-- highly recommend the combination of Sichuan hot soup with pumpkin and sweet potato. Black fungus is always a must if you are a fan of crunchy mushrooms, and the enoki mushrooms are a good higher-protein replacement for noodles.

The sauce and seasonings bar is also very well stocked. They've got everything from your basic soy, to Korean chili soybean paste, to minced garlic, to peanuts and peanut butter, to dry chili dust. There are hot appetizers, fruit, and 1-2 pastry dessert options on this bar as well--Fruit is typically peaches, fruit cocktail, honeydew, and orange slices, and the hot appetizers are usually crispy nuggets, Asian pancake, fried chicken, and fried rice. There are also extra sauce cups, small bowls, and small plates here.

It is legitimately all you can eat/ order (depending on how busy they are). It's $25 at dinner time to do either hot pot or barbecue or $10 more to do both. Soft drinks are pretty typical pricing for eating out. Beware, though, there is a 20% fee for food waste, so make sure your eyes are not bigger than your stomach. If you have cooked food you are wanting to take home it is $13.99/lb. There is a 2 hour time limit, though it doesn't seem this is enforced; it probably would be if all tables were full and people were waiting. This is all clearly marked on the menu, so it's one of the first things you see when you're sat.

The atmosphere is great too, I would absolutely hire their interior designer. Even the chairs are comfortable and everything has a very modern, very urban feel. They do also do birthday celebrations with a panda mascot.

My only complaint might come off as pretty silly: I do wish there was an option to receive egg for hot pot and cabbage for both the grill and hot pot. They do have kimchi on the bar, so I have managed to locate a source of cabbage 😅, but I do miss having the option to drop an egg in my soup.

All in all, I cannot recommend this experience enough. We will probably continue to go here at least once a month if not more often, worth...