Came here because kpot was shut down unexpectingly. I personally would not recommend this place. My parents felt robbed because of how expensive it was (for lunch) and there was no deal for birthdays and we had 2 people celebrating birthdays at our table (our whole reason for coming out to hotpot) the food did come quickly and ordering was fast, but besides handing us our dishes and pouring some water there wasn't much service and we got hit with that 18% service charge. Then after everything my dad got food poisoning and ended up throwing up right outside. At the end when I begrudgingly paid the bill the host asked if it was good and my mom said no, my dad got sick and she got very defensive saying their food is clean and there is no msg....Such a disappointing birthday celebration. read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I lobe Hot pot hero. It's amazing place to eat with family. Highly recommended because the service is so fast and nice staff read more

Hot Pot Hero - Meat - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Delicious! Service and Ambiance were stellar. Better then most area hot pot restaurants. Will definitely be back!

It was okay. Food was fresh but service wasn't good. Server made mistakes on the order and at the end even brought us the wrong check.

I have been coming here a lot recently. The food and service have been updated. The broths are delicious, ventilation inside is working and the servers are really attentive. The Tom Yum and pork bone broth are both really rich. I love how you can get a large pot and have multiple broths. Big fan of the potato noodle and fresh cuts of meat. The restaurant is really clean from the sauce bar, dessert area and entrance waiting area. Wait times for food ordered on the tablet are less than 5 minutes. Fun place to enjoy hot pot with large parties or your family. read more

I haven't had a chance to try Hot Pot Hero's lunch AYCE experience yet. So I gave it a try, and I think the $24.99 lunch AYCE buffet is perfectly priced. There were plenty of selections and they were all fresh! The sauce bar is super clean and the sauces are enclosed by glass! That's an awesome preventative measure! I ordered the spicy and numbing broth and needless to say, the broth was delicious. My dipping sauce was the classic sesame oil, oyster sauce, and a splash of cilantro. The environment was lively (maybe a bit loud) but that just means people are engaged! I would recommend the lunch AYCE to anyone who is extremely hungry! If you're working in the afternoon, the lunch AYCE might make you drowsy haha! read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I would say this is one of the best hotpot places in the area. I come here all the time and am always satisfied, especially with their house sauce and the friendly staff! read more

This was my first experience at Hot Pot Hero. im a BIG fan of Hot pot! I get hotpot at least 5 times a month lol. Amy made this experience top tier! She was attentive, a sweetheart, and made a damn good Mango daiquiri. She made sure our soup was filled and all of our questions answered. I will definitely be back. Like I may be back tomorrow. read more

Amy Goyla, our attendant, was great. She replaced my daughter's spilled drink. She got us boxed up and ready to go quickly when we were done. My kids love Hot Pot Hero. read more

Kevin was attentive and friendly and made good recommendations. The food was great and the price was good. Would try again.

This is our go to place when we are craving for a good hot pot! Great service always, thank you Amy!!! read more

Hot Pot Hero - My favorite soup base, Tom Yum! - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

They have a lot of good selections for broths, meats, and vegetables. The staff was also very kind and all the food came out quickly. I will be going back! read more

Amy is the best server ever and this place is the best hot pot around in Montgomery county

We had a great experience! Very clean & the food was good. Our server was Amy and she did a great job!! 10/10!! For our first we felt like we been there with her help read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This has genuinely been one of the best hot pot experiences we've had--especially when it comes to the variety, quality, and flavor. You order everything from an iPad, and the items are brought out to you fairly quickly. Service was efficient, and while not overly warm or bubbly, it was definitely attentive enough for a relaxed, romantic dinner. The lighting and setup added to the ambiance, making it feel like a nice evening out. We've tried several hot pot spots in the area, and while we still have a few left to check off the list, I'm almost ready to say this might be our go-to from now on. We may even start making the drive up here every time we're craving hot pot! read more

I had such a great experience at this all you can eat hot pot spot! Very affordable too! This place has a really fun, lively atmosphere that makes it perfect for going out with friends or family. The selection was amazing lots of fresh meats, veggies, and broths to choose from. Everything tasted really good and came out quickly. The highlight of the night was our server, Amy. She was so attentive, friendly, and made sure we always had what we needed. She really made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. I'll definitely be back! read more

Came here to try something new, and I'll say--mission accomplished. The food came out fast, which we appreciated. Everything we ordered (meats, greens, mushrooms) was cooked in the same broth, so it all ended up tasting pretty similar. I like a little variety with my bites, you know? They have sauces (and recipes for you to make your own), but I didn't really like the one I got, so I didn't use it. Also, thanks to the broth, I was full pretty quickly. So, for $35, I left feeling like I didn't really get my money's worth. But hey, if you're someone who can put away a mountain of food, maybe it balances out! On the plus side, they offer free ice cream, which was a nice touch and actually pretty good. Overall, it was fine, but probably not a place I'll rush back to. read more

So glad we picked this place for a group dinner! Very convenient to order on the pad and orders came out quickly. Sauce bar has everything you need. Meat was all fresh and good quality. Tons of choices including veggies, seafood and mushrooms. I also enjoyed the osmanthus jelly very much with red bean, coconut jelly and brown sugar. Besides there's Bengong's Tea next door so very easy to get bubble tea at the same time. Service was efficient and friendly. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and come back for another great experience! read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Hot Pot Hero (HPH) continues to impress. It's AYCE at a very affordable price. Plenty of (quality) variety, good service, clean, and spacious. Also free and convenient parking. For those new to Chinese hotpot, it's a great opportunity to try new things. Bring friends and family - the more people in your party, the more you can try. There's no penalty (fee) for not finishing your food (as far as I know). Use the tablet provided (with pictures) to order. Lastly - tip generously as servers probably don't get compensated much at such establishments. Highly recommend visiting while it's still cold outside. read more

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We absolutely love coming to this place! More than the delicious food and cozy ambiance, it's Amy's warm and welcoming personality that keeps us coming back again and again. The moment we walk through the door, her genuine smile and impeccable customer service remind us why this is our go-to lunch spot. Thank you, Hot Pot Hero, for consistently giving us such a wonderful dining experience; and a special shoutout to Amy! The world needs more people like her. read more

Whenever my family is in the mood for hotpot, Hotpot Hero is our unanimous choice. There's something about the place that feels just right, despite its older, less modern ambiance. It has a charm that complements the whole hotpot experience. The food is consistently good, offering a variety of choices that satisfy everyone at the table ( even vegan options ). On the flip side, the staff could certainly benefit from being a bit nicer to guests. It's the one aspect that, if improved, could elevate the whole dining experience. Nonetheless, Hotpot Hero holds a special place in our hearts as our go-to hotpot destination read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Not good at all. When we first walked in the restaurant was really nice and spacious but the service was probably the worst service I've ever had. The staff didn't help and they were pretty rude to us. The way to order food was confusing and none of the staff helped even though we said it was our first time. It was way over priced for the selection of food that they had. I only came here because kpot was closed, they are way better and the staff there is so nice. After we finished put food the bill came out and the staff tipped themselves 18%, we had no option to choose. My dad got really sick after eating and the staff didn't do anything to help, they didn't even apologize. They just got really defensive and said their food was super high quality and they don't put any additives. We had to bring my dad to the hospital because his face was green and he threw up multiple times. Will never go here again! Worst hot pot place I've been to ever! read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Hot pot heaven! Super cool hot pot spot with sometimes some live music in the pavilion area right across the street! Parking can be a little annoying if you have a lot of cars, but they have a really long table that could seat at least 14 people. No outdoor seating. They have a good selection of different meats, veggies, but they didn't have my favorite enoki mushrooms! Instead though they did have duck palms as a special which is very good and seems like it is good if you're seeking collagen. There were also a couple of times we had to place orders multiple times, but for the most part, it was pretty good. The iPad also kept locking on us, so eventually they gave us the code, but everything was pretty timely. Also one of the best parts is the dessert. It was like congealed water, slightly sweet and refreshing. A tidbit my friend suggested was to get some sesame seeds and peanuts from the topping bar and top the dessert with it. Flavor enhancement! Overall, it was a great spot with lots of different options. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review of this place yet. We've been here so many times. You can come for lunch or dinner. Dinner offers premium items that aren't on the lunch menu (angus beef, larger new zealand mussels, golden shrimp balls, etc.). It is priced per person, all you can eat. You CAN get the premium menu at lunch, but you CAN NOT get the lunch menu at dinner. This place also gets super busy, especially on weekends, so unless you want to wait, I recommend coming around 5 or 6 for dinner. It's not bad at all at lunch time, but there is less staff to serve you, so may take a little bit longer on some things. Okay - so if you are new to hot pot here is how it basically works here: 1) They give you an ipad and you get to select one big pot or individual pots. If you don't mind your food mingling with others, then go for the big pot. On the big pot, you can also get it divided in half and have 2 different types of broth/soup. My preference, after doing both several times, is the individual pots. My daughter loves to put noodles in the broth and I don't eat noodles, so keeping the noodles off stuff is a bit of a challenge. Our favorite broth is the pork one. I know a lot of folks like to split a pot with a mild and a spicy broth 2) You then select your items on the ipad device. There are meats (such as brisket, chicken, pork belly, lamb, angus(premium). There is a seafood section for things such as mussels, shrimp and clams. Balls, such as cuddlefish, house fish ball, golden shrimp etc. There is also tofu and a large selection of veggies - bok choy, napa cabbage, different mushroom types, tofu and many more items to choose from. On weekends - they have a conveyor belt that goes past some of the tables with balls and veggie choices. The meats always come from the kitchen so they are cold and fresh. 3) You can also select drinks (soft drinks), Bar beverages (I love the wine margarita cocktail) or a Boba drink from the place next door (this restaurant is connected to the boba place). 4) Once you have everything on the ipad - you hit order and they will bring it all out to your table. You can adjust the temperature of your pot and you just throw things in and cook it. The meats cooks super fast because they're sliced paper thin. You can order more items whenever you want on your pad and they'll bring them out. This is a one price per person place, so you can keep ordering things throughout the meal for no additional charge (with the exception of some appetizers and drinks. The sodas have free refills.) 5) The sauce bar - there is a pretty extensive sauce bar, where you can mad scientist yourself to just the perfect sauce to dip your hot pot items in after cooking. They also have suggested mixes posted there too. 6) If you want boba tea from next door - it gets delivered with an automated kitty robot, which is super fun and it knows exactly what table to go too. Overall, I highly recommend this place. The service is friendly and usually pretty quick. The food is delicious and the experience is fun. It's great to go with family or a group of friends as well as a birthday. It's also good for just a regular dinner place. read more

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I'm a regular here and I always get Amy as my server. She's amazing and always gives amazing customer service! She's always welcoming and makes sure whether I'm dining alone or with friends, I'm taken care of. read more

Hot Pot Hero in Gaithersburg has become our weekly ritual, and for good reason. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and easily the best hot pot in the entire DMV. Every visit feels welcoming, and a big part of that is Amy. She's consistently friendly, sweet, and attentive, and she always makes us feel at home. We look forward to seeing her just as much as the meal itself. If you're looking for great broth, fresh ingredients, and amazing service, this is the place. read more

Love this place... so clean, nice and cozy... service is GREAT which is the reason why we keep on coming back with my friend and brothers... Amy does her best to make us feel welcome!!! You have e to check it out!!! read more

I've tried many of the hot pot places in the DMV and I must say Hot Pot Hero is one of my favorites. We went during lunch and the ayce meal was very reasonably priced especially for all the options you can get. They provide a tablet for easy ordering and refills. All the meats and veggies were very fresh and they come around often to refill your broth. I judge a hot pot place by its sauce bar and Hot Pot Hero doesn't disappoint! I do also really appreciate they offer a small dessert bar with grass jelly and sesame balls. (Ben Gong is also attached next door if that doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth.) All in all an awesome ayce hot pot option! read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Hot Pot Hero is undeniably one of the best hotpot restaurants in the area and I say this as an avid lover of hotpot (growing up). The quality of food is fresh, everything from vegetable, meats to seafood shows their dedication to quality. As for dessert, they have ice jelly, a Chinese dessert staple. Staff are friendly and attentive to helping customer refill broth and dishes. Sauce and dessert bar are kept clean all the time, and I can't point out any areas for improvement in terms of ambiance. Hotpot hero is also connected to Bengong's Tea, and you get to enjoy boba with hotpot. Highly recommended to give it a try! read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This place is amazing! Great new hot pot spot in the area. It's an AYCE place so it is a set price per person for unlimited food. There are some premium items where you have to pay above and beyond that but what is included in the AYCE price is incredible. The quality of the food is what really blew me away here. Also if you're seated in the middle of the restaurant, there is a cool conveyor belt with smaller portions of items on the AYCE that you can grab to try which is super fun and convenient. When you sit down, you get an iPad where you can place your order. You can only order 12 items at a time but once you receive those 12, you can easily order more. It can get pretty busy after 630 so come in earlier if you don't want to wait. There is limited street parking out front but a parking garage around the corner that's not too far away. There's also a cute kitty robot that delivers boba tea from the place next door. Tip: the spicy broth is amazing and actually spicy but as the spices set in throughout the meal, it can get a little overpowering so keep that in mind if you want to go that route. If you want to switch your broth half way through, it costs $5. read more

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Food is always fresh and comes timely. Servers are friendly and attentive. Have been going there since they open. This is one of my family's go-to place. It can get very busy on weekends. Be prepared to wait, but it is totally worth it. read more

First, let me say that I am not someone who leaves bad reviews lightly. I understand that running a business is not easy, and I always try to be fair. However, my experience at Hotpot Hero with my family was so disappointing that I feel compelled to share it. We were here because of the good reviews. From the start, the service was cold and unwelcoming. I specifically ordered a halal soup base for one of my family members and informed the server that they could not have any broth that contained meat. I also ordered some seafood for him. However, when the food arrived, the swai fish fillet and beef tripe were placed together on the same plate. Since they were both white, my family member didn't notice and unknowingly cooked them together. When we realized the mistake, I requested a new broth since my family member is Muslim and cannot consume broth that has been contaminated with meat. Shockingly, the server told me that we had to pay an extra $5 for a new broth. I found this completely unreasonable--placing two different ingredients that look similar on the same plate was irresponsible on their part. Another server came over and tried to argue with me, saying that I should consider beef tripe as seafood. I firmly told her that this was absolutely not possible--it is a matter of religious belief. Instead of resolving the issue properly, she warned me that from now on, if we made the same mistake again, we would have to pay extra to replace the broth! Excuse me? This is an all-you-can-eat restaurant, isn't it? I've also been to other all-you-can-eat hotpot places where you can order multiple soup bases. The food itself was overly salty--I didn't even use dipping sauce because it was already too salty. Around 9:15 PM, a server asked if we wanted to get any more sauce because they were starting to clean up and would be removing all the condiments. At 9:45 PM, we wanted to get some fruit (we had taken some earlier), but it was already gone. When we asked the server, we were told that the kitchen was being cleaned and there was no more fruit available--even though just five minutes earlier, there had still been half a plate of oranges left. At that time, no other customers were taking food. The restaurant closes at 10 PM, so they should not have removed food before closing time. To top it all off, when we went to pay, we were forced to pay an 18% gratuity. Yes, that was the minimum tip, and the server had already entered it for us--we just had to sign. Don't be fooled by the positive reviews! I've been to many restaurants, but I have never encountered such rude service. Avoid this place! read more

First of all, this is my all time favorite hot pot place to go to in all of DMV. The food is so fresh, and there are so many varieties of soups! Service is amazing as well, my favorite being Amy, she always makes sure that I'm well taken care of, she's so sweet and always remembers me ! read more

The best hot pot in the area. As a Chinese, I can confirm that this is super authentic. From the soup base to dish choices and sauce, everything was delicious. I especially liked the shrimp paste and angus beef. And there's a bubble tea place right next to it, you can order bubble tea while you eat and the robot will bring it to you. Only one thing is that the manager/server can be a little rude when they speak Chinese to me... But definitely will be back for the food. read more

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Hot Pot Hero is my go to place for hotpot. They have an extensive menu and great price for all you can eat. The real difference is the service. Amy is always very friendly and prompt with her service. She is always checking in and making sure we are taken care of. I always recommend Hot Pot Hero. read more

I'm going to touch in a few things that other Yelpers haven't really addressed. Hello People, there is a cat robot here that delivers Boba tea. This would likely be my main reason to go. To order Boba multiple times. That's right, a giant wheeling robot with a cat face with multiple shelves will bring Boba to your table. It'll tell you to remove your Boba from one of the shelves and then tell you to touch it's face to complete your order. The Boba tea comes from Ben gong's next-door. The brown sugar Boba has long been my go to there. Now onto the hot pot. Hot pot is always delicious and I really like their broth the way the tables were laid out and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant. When you first come in they first ask you if you want individual or a shared hot pot. Since we wanted to get multiple broths we went for individual with three people. Then you'll get a tablet to order all your meats vegetables and other items such as rice balls etc. The ordering process is quite easy with the tablet. The server advised us that first servings are actually quite large and then they taper off on the serving size afterwards cause they assume people are getting full. All the meats that were delivered were incredibly fresh. I particularly like the pork belly and brisket. Even the chicken breast was actually quite tasty it was sliced thin and very tender. There is a sauce bar that has a lot of great ideas and recipes posted. I went with the tomato broth that was just right with flavor and it tasted great with the brisket and the inclusion of broccoli and mushrooms. We ordered three servings for three people of each type of meat and vegetable was actually really large in the beginning. We only needed one refill of select proteins. Although I was enamored by the robot and the Boba tea, The hot pot here is fantastic and a great place for a group gathering. They were also very friendly to my baby that just hung out in the stroller. I was hoping for more robot baby interaction but the cat robot didn't seem to care about infants. read more

Hot Pot Hero - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

My favorite hotpot place in the DMV! They have watercress, boba offered by the ben gongs next door and amazing broth bases. One of the first times I was here they had these tofu pouches with fish roe inside which were so good but its no longer on the menu. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because there's been many times where I went and the service (especially when you ask for a check) was extremely slow. I did go on a late night and the service was exceptional that day. read more

Rodent alert! We've been coming here for hot pot since it opened and usually enjoyed the food, value, minimal wait time, and service. I am a huge fan of the self serve grass jelly. But during our recent visit, we saw a small mouse or rat run across the floor at least three times. I even caught it on video. We told the staff, and while they were apologetic and offered a small discount, their explanation, that the open door let it in (it was very hot that day) and that the rest of the place is "very clean," didn't sit well. Cleanliness shouldn't depend on where you're seated, and I haven't known mice to show up just because a door is open. Sadly, after this experience, we won't be back. read more

Another update... This is my number 1 place for Hot Pot in the Gaithersburg area, they recently added black pork and it was good! I usually avoid pork when eating hot pot, but you wouldn't know it was pork, looks like beef! Look at the photo, and sorry I wasn't able to take decent pictures this time as my focus was eating more than documenting! And... AMY IS THE BEST! If it wasn't for Amy and the customer service I wouldn't be here so frequent, they treat you like family! Love it! read more

Hot Pot Hero - Which is the pork? Beef - Hot Pot Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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The future of dining is here. When you are seated, you are given a tablet to place your order. You can also add items mid-meal from the tablet. No need to wait for a server. Though you do need a server to make payment at the end. You can also make a purchase of boba tea from the connecting Ben Gong shop and it will be delivered to you via a robot. You first start with a soup base and there are many varieties to choose from. This might be the most I have seen. I went with the herbal soup and was not disappointed. (And btw, that soup got so tasty towards the end of the meal!) You can also have a large split pot to share but the four of us went for individual bowls. We ordered almost everything (excluding the extra cost items) from the menu. It was great to try all the meats, veggies, and seafood. I think my favorite item was the beef tendon. The tendon really shrinks in the cooking process but it is so soft to eat. And don't forget the sauce bar. There was a sign that says gloves must be worn since so many people are handling the ladles, however, the box of gloves was on the other end of the station away from the sign and no one wore gloves. I added my ingredients and thought I got a pretty good concoction with the sesame paste, green onions, cilantro, sa cha suace, minced garlic, leek sauce, and hoisin sauce. Service was friendly. Servers came to check on us a few times, filling our water glasses, and making sure we had enough broth in our bowls. I also like to see servers continue to wear masks and everyone did here. The restaurant can get pretty steamy with all the hot soups boiling in their individual bowls. We thought the temperature in the restaurant was too warm for summer and the heat created at all the tables. We would have been more comfortable if the air conditioning was cooler. read more

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