Hong BBQ & Hot Pot Fowler — Restaurant in Temple Terrace

This owner clearly bought the reviews. We came here because of the high reviews. But after one meal, we will never return. The place has a good atmosphere but that’s where it ends. Here are our problems:

False advertising. See my photos for the difference between menu photo and what we actually got. The meat is of such low quality that we had to hide it at the bottom of the hotpot just to avoid seeing them. Texture is rough and if you want to show off your recent dental job, cook some meat here and you’ll get your work out.

Service. At any other Asian bbq place, the server will cook and cut the meat for you and some even distribute it among the guests. Not here!! This is all you can eat and eat all you can cook. If the problem ends here, we will deal with it. But the bbq pan is electric and severely underpowered. This means you’ll be looking at your meat for ages before it’s done. If you want to char your meat a little to get some flavor, wait a lot more. During our entire dinner, we’ve had two rounds of cooking. Why? Because that’s how long it takes to cook it! Waste of money and time.

In summary, we know this owner bought the reviews and the experience absolutely doesn’t match the reviews. Save your money and go to another proper spot. Anywhere but here!

See photos and judge...

So here's my review/recommendation for the new Hong Hot Pot restaurant to help a newbie out, because we were slightly overwhelmed.

First off, the staff is super friendly the restaurant is beautiful and they were playing good music. Familiarize yourself with the concept and the menu before going, because there's a 2 hr time limit to dine and you don't want to waste that trying to learn about the menu. Call ahead to check in, or you may have a 40 min wait We ordered both options, Hot Pot and Korean BBQ. Next time I will only do one (the BBQ), because it's all you can eat and it's a lot to juggle (cook) and eat at the same time We ordered wayyyy to much food to cook. Next time I will start with 2-3 meats and veggies and order more if needed. Also they can charge you $14 for every lb of wasted food, so we busted our stomachs trying to eat it all I liked the original and mushroom soup base out of the three we tried There's s huge selection of meat, seafood (even blue crabs seasonally) and veggie options and everything was fresh and colorful You can combine your own sauces for the BBQ, if you choose to. There are countless grills and pots cooking in that place and when you leave you will smell like you worked in a kitchen all day lol Recommend 10/10! So check them...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ First time here and I loved it! I came with a friend and we chose to enjoy both AYCE BBQ & Hot Pot ($31.99 + $5.99) — totally worth it! The place has a great vibe: clean, comfortable, and with a nice touch of traditional Chinese-style architecture that adds to the experience.

You order all your meats and veggies through your server, and everything is freshly brought to your table. The meats were fresh and high quality, and there are plenty of soup bases to choose from (8 in total!). I had the pork bone broth — pretty good, but it might have a bit of a porky smell, kind of like the unique scent you sometimes get with lamb or mutton. My friend had the Tom Yum soup and enjoyed it too.

There’s also a great dipping sauce station, plus kimchi, Japanese squid salad, desserts, fruits, and cupped ice cream! Since my background is Thai, I was so surprised that they also provided bottled Thai sukiyaki sauce — my favorite.

Our server, Mariah, was amazing — super friendly, patient, and really made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal.

I gave this place 5 stars all around — food, service, atmosphere — and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and satisfying Hot Pot &...