This place gets 4 stars for food, 2 stars for service and 1 star for the HIDDEN 18% service fee!! I'm fuming about this! We had already promised our child that we would take them and their friends there so we couldn't leave once we found out. But I'll never go back due to this deceptive practice. As for the service, we told our server it was our first time there. She didn't explain anything to us at all. We had to figure out how the warning plate worked, we had to figure out how to order, we only figured out that there was a little bar with extra sauces and other toppings when we were almost done. Honestly, just a very disappointing experience overall, that cost us over $150 by the time the service charge and tip were figured in (yes, we still tipped 20% - we're not monsters). we didn't even get any drinks. Never again. read more

Lunch in B-town - I've always desired to try a cook at your own table restaurant and today is the day. "Mr. Hot Pot" did not disappoint. I ordered chicken, broccoli, corn on cob, potato noodles, bok choy, and Lotus root. I made my own dipping sauce and I chose Leg bone broth as my "base", Lots of flavor profiles dancing round on my plate and stomach. A very unique Foodie experience for sure. Check them out when you're in Bloomington, you won't be disappointed. Excellent service and explanation since it was my first time here. Dining room is unique as each table has its own exhaust system. Very clean dining area. I wasn't a fan of the automatic 18% gratuity. read more

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Terrible service, waiter (young man with highlighted hair) he just seemed put off by us being there! Was not helpful with the menu questions my friend had, service was miserably slow. On any occasion we needed or wanted something else it was hard to get attention. When he would come back he seemed visibly put off that anybody would ask for something else in an all you can eat setting. The sauce station was cluttered and messy, many of the sauces were empty or things from other sauces floating around. Just did not seem clean or well maintained. Will absolutely be the one and only time I ever go. Terrible experience where we left feeling like our waiter was put off by customers coming in. Guess that's why 12:45 on a Saturday there were only 8 customers! read more

If I could give them 10 stars I would. My family and i have been coming religiously for about a year, even after the new owners took over the buissness. Everything from the service to the food is of the highest and freshest quality. Cannot tell you how many times I talk about this restaurant on a weekly basis. The tables and floors are always clean and the mood is always inviting and warm. They don't mind big families or groups either they can handle anything!! Hands down the best owner, staff, and establishment in Bloomington!! read more

My coworker and I stopped in for a 45-min lunch experience on a Fri and were immediately seated. Parking is super convenient in the large free lot it shares with several other businesses. This place was so perfect for a cold winter day! We couldn't believe it wasn't packed! Samuel seemed to be the only employee on the floor but he was quick, hospitable, and very informative. We explained that we had never tried hot pot before so Samuel explained the menu, self-serve stations, & prep process. He also brought out our hot pot cart and cashed us out from the table. If you've never tried hot pot before, you choose your broth and add ins that can be meats, seafoods, noodles, and veggies. The garlic and cilantro from the sauce bar made my herbal broth FIRE!!! The broth itself seems to be pretty basic but you can really personalize everything with all the spices and sauces from the self-serve bar. The broth is then boiled on the table burners right in front of you within 60-seconds and then you can add your treats to cook. More dense foods take more time to cook but it all cooks so fast. You then ladle out some broth and fixings into your bowl to enjoy. Add more to your pot while you dine so it cooks while you enjoy your soup. The lobster balls were my favorite! Definitely carve out an hour to properly enjoy your whole experience. We were kind of short on time and it was hard to hurry since everything was so hot. We opted for the $18.99 lunch special (11am-2pm) where you choose 2 meats and 4 add-ins. 15% gratuity is included in all bills regardless of party size. We were stuffed and so cozy afterwards. Warm fresh whole food ingredients. A steamy bowl in your face. And really just a fun interactive dining experience. We will be back all winter! read more

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This place is flithy, there are always fruit flies everywhere and things that need to be refrigerated are left out from open until close. They also charge 30% gratuity for terrible service. read more

Service was really slow, I used to come here a while back and it was actually nice, but I can't justify an 18% automatic gratuity just to wait for an additional 2 hrs for the first round, and 25 minutes afterwards to get our drinks (they asked if we got our drinks 3 times during the 2 hr time period). Overall, probably gonna go to another spot. read more

I've been going to this restaurant quite often because it's close to my place, but their service has deteriorated significantly over the past couple of months. The portion sizes, especially for seafood have been noticeably reduced. Service is extremely slow, and the staff often seem uninterested. I've also noticed what appears to be a racial bias in their behavior: customers who are white and/or Asian seem to receive faster service and larger portions. Overall, I'd recommend going downtown instead if you're looking for good hotpot with better quantity and service. read more

I came into this restaurant after going to the urgent care nearby. I let the restaurant staff know I was under the weather and they quickly made it up their top priority to get me back in shape. They were giving me tea and telling me which stuff to order to make me feel better. The food was great and the service was phenomenal. I could not have asked for a better experience on such a rough day. The restaurant was clean and everything was very well maintained. 10 out of 10 highly recommend. read more

I've never had hot pot before and this was so fun! It's definitely an experience. First you check out the menu and pick out your broth, they have a variety of options. It's all you can eat so then you pick your meat, base, and veggies. We chose almost all of the meat options (split between 3 people) and then we tried the rice noodles and potato noodles. We also tried a variety of veggies. After ordering you can make your own sauce! They have many add ins to make your perfect sauce which was really fun. Then out comes of the pot and he showed us how to turn on our burner. Service was awesome. The first thing they asked was if we had tried hot pot before and when we said no they explained the whole process which was so helpful and helped us make the most of our experience! After we ate most of our food, the waiter asked if we needed anything else and we ordered a couple more things that we wanted seconds of. Overall a really fun experience! read more

Mr. Hot Pot was such a fun experience! The setup is super clean and easy to navigate, and the selection was great. Tons of fresh meats, veggies, noodles, and dipping sauces to mix and match however you like. I appreciated how attentive the staff was and how quickly everything was restocked. For the price, you really get a lot of food--it's definitely a great bang for your buck. Perfect spot for a cozy night of hot pot with friends or a casual date. I'll absolutely be back! read more

Very interesting experience. We had a great waiter who was responsive to our questions and explained things thoroughly when we requested more information. We had also heard about the sauce/spices area in the back from the reviews. In essence, you order a bunch of ingredients and cook it in a broth. You can also get rice if you want on the side. I found it difficult to find a good combination of flavors since I am not experienced in this type of food. The service was excellent though -- when my initial broth ended up being too spicy for me, they quickly brought a other flavorful vegetarian broth for me to use. It's all you can eat (~$30), so there's a lot of food available (but also unfortunately quite a lot of waste too). Overall it's a cool place to visit and experience dinner. The actual flavor/taste may depend on what combination of ingredients and sauces you put together, which can be disappointing. But overall service and idea is great. read more

This place is interesting to say the least. I had never been to a hot pot restaurant before, so I was totally clueless walking in. We had TONS of questions for our waitress, but she was patient and showed us the ropes. We went in on a Saturday, so the only menu option was the "all-you-can-eat" for $24. You start by choosing your soup base, then you select as many ala cart items from the menu as you want. Meats, veggies, grains, seafood, etc. You start by heating up the pot with your soup in it and then begin adding all the ala carte items into the pot to cook. It's basically like making your own ramen/pho bowl. Near the back is the sauce/toppings station and soda machine. Restrooms are all the way in the back. While this was a cool, new place to try out, I don't think it's for me. But definitely worth trying once, you might love it! I would suggest sitting in the back during colder weather, as there is a big draft from two different doors at the front of the restaurant. read more

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Very disappointing for the price. Having been to several hot pot places around the country - this place stood out for being one of the worst. $24 per person is a steep ask for the quality and quantity of variety. We stuffed ourselves trying to salvage the value back out of the meal. $60 total out the door for two people. The soup base was watery and thin. The lack of the Szechuan oil and spices was apparent until we let the soup boil down to get it to concentrate. The beef and lamb are good, the veggies are decent. Don't wait for dessert - there aren't any options like you'd see at other restaurants. Didn't enjoy being duped - such as the fish tofu with pork filling was just solid fish tofu and the sesame oil was just a colored flavorless light oil. We ordered shiitake mushrooms when we arrived, and our order was brought out without them included. My wife patiently tagged down staff who said they were out. Staff could've mentioned it on our arrival or at least apologized and asked for a substitution. This isn't a place for ambiance, but it's so cold that most of the customers are wearing coats while eating. Moreover, the self service drinks were odd feature for a restaurant that expects a tip nevertheless - the scoop is touched by every customer and sits in the ice bin for everyone's cross contamination pleasure. Won't be returning or recommending anyone to visit here. Expected better from Bloomington, especially given the multicultural influence of this university town. Hope your dinner is better than ours was - you've been warned. read more

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Loved this place! Stopped by on a whim for lunch and it was so good. The sauce bar was stocked with a lot of options. And we never had to wait long at all for a refill of our meats from the menu. I will definitely be back. read more

If you haven't done hot pot before (I hadn't done a table burner one, mostly chaffing/catering flame), this might be the place to start. The idea is cooking meats, vegetables, and a noodle in you choice of many boiling flavored broths. You get your own burner, with temp control, and your own individual pot to cook from. The meat and veg take seconds to cook...well...definitely the meat. You can also add extra spices and oils that sit on a buffet, along with the serve yourself drink station. The food is also all-you-can-eat as you make suggestions for meats and veggies at your whim. The atmosphere was clean, modern, and used a lot of stone. It felt upscale for a mostly DIY service, and for a fair price. The staff were very patient and helpful in teaching us how to cook our stuff and had some very helpful recommendations! Even the slight critiques I could have were due to a rush for the IU game. I left full and happy about choosing Mr. Pot to experience hot pot for the first time! read more

The service was great! There's a lot of options because it is all you can eat! The menu is easy to understand with big pictures! You can keep ordering more throughout the meal! You can also get a soup refill. Despite it being all you can eat, you can still ask for a container to go! So there's no food waste! The cauliflower was noticeably old with dark spots covering the vegetable. I think they could've cut off some of the bits before serving but it's okay since there were other veggies! read more

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I've been here about 5 times both with family and friends. During both COVID years and post pandemic. It's never impressed me. For first timers, it's a cool experience but, you'll quickly start to realize a lack of options and ingredients. There choice of sauces at the mixing station is also pretty sparse. It's not even a COVID supply issue, I can go to the nearest Asian market and buy them. We also never got a soup refill. I'm not sure about this place but I know other hotpot places will refill your soup as you get low automatically. My soup got to about 1 inch in height and was never refilled during the duration of my visit. I didn't really notice other people getting their soup refilled, but it could be a request thing. It's also not that clean. I don't think there's been a time where we didn't have to swap out a dish for a cleaner one. Saying that I'd like to note I've never had actual stomach issues with the food. (Edit: I spoke too soon, both my grandfather and I had issues) All in all, this is the most middle of the road hotpot I have ever experienced. Small list of options and good enough service. You come to this place with your friends for the meat and to have talk/have fun, but in terms of food, expect little. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Pot Hot Pot. The atmosphere is chic and modern, the service quick, and the food delicious. What is most intriguing about the restaurant though is it's owner and it's story. It's not often you have a restaurant owner serving your table but that was my experience at Mr. Pot Hot Pot. I went on a Friday night with three of my close friends, none of whom had tried hotpot before but all were eager. We sat down and were guided through the menu by the owner and then quickly served food. All of the ingredients were high quality and the restaurant was pretty clean. Additionally, COVID procedure was followed with masks in place and social distancing being enforced. While eating, the owner passed by and with some prompting told us his story. He is an entrepreneur and operates three different family owned businesses with Asian concepts. I was honestly blown away by the fact by that this restaurant was family owned and had such a small staff given its service. Additionally, the meal was reasonably priced with all you can eat and drinks included. I am looking forward to returning to Mr. Pot Hot Pot soon and supporting a local, family-owned and operated business! read more

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I wish I could give a negative score on this. Staff are super inattentive and just sitting together in the back while automatically puts a 15% tip on your bill. Flies are everywhere: around our table, on our shoulders, and hiding in the sauce station especially in the green onion bowl -- they would all come out at once when you try to get some green onions for your sauce. And they also increased prices, all you can eat hotpot is now 28 and some dishes are still going to be charged separately. I tried to order an extra charged dish and they just say they don't have it. With my order though, the meat are dry, the mushrooms looks unwashed and the corn has MOLD on it. They just put the corn with mold right next to other dishes in a single plate and I am not sure if I can eat anything on that plate anymore. I have been to this place before in 2020 and I am idiot to be dining here again. Do not come here!!! read more

We decided to try this place for the first time on Sunday! Not going to lie, my father and I were skeptical but boy were we wrong! It was an amazing first experience. The hostess was very nice and helpful, while walking us through the steps. He even included our drinks in the lunch combo for us. We ordered an array of different options between the three of us, so we could all share. It was fun to cook our food right in front of us, while enjoying the company of my family! Definitely a fun experience! We will for sure return and recommend to others!! read more

I went here on Thursday morning. Server (Women asian) was playing cell phone not pay attention to customer. Moreover, the quality of food is not good such as beef and meat ball taste are not good. And, herbal soup is no taste. I asked to change the soup, they charge $5. I just tried once and dont like it. Server said you dont like, but other customer like it! The way she said was so rude! And other soup just so so. Server doesn't have service mind!!!!!!! read more

Wonderful service and delicious fresh food for hot pot. The whole family enjoyed the experience!

LOVED this. Wednesday's is 5 dollars off. All you can eat, including soda, sauce bar, broth, any meats and veggies, and ice cream. so delicious, I loved the Szechuan classic spicy broth. highly, highly recommend this place. read more

They turned the lights off while we were still eating then just like stood there waiting for us to finish eating... it was like 2.5 hours before they were supposed to close. No mention of them closing early was made before we started eating. I've worked in the service industry my whole life so I'm usually pretty forgiving to service workers but this probably took the cake for worst dining experience i've had. I used to come here at least once a week and haven't been back in the past 3 months. Decided to give them a second chance tonight, pulled up and theres a sign on the door saying they're closing 2 hours early. Needless to say we're driving over to the square for some hot pot that we can rely on. read more

Nearly 30 dollars per person, 15% tips is quite expensive for hot pot that will make you go potty right away. The fixings / condiments were sitting out without refrigeration. Yes, I understand, soy sauce, sesame oil, they can sit out just fine, but not green onions, garlic and cilantro. They are severely understaffed. Some of the food items advertised on the menu were not available, such as string mushroom. The sesame paste is super watery, which makes it really unauthentic. The bathroom appeared to have a pile of something nasty on the floor with toilet paper piled on top to cover up when I walked in. Not sure what the owner is thinking. But given how unauthentic it is, it is really not appealing to people that knew what hotpot is. It may be fancy and cool for people experiencing hotpot for the first time, but given the poor hygiene in the place, I would NOT recommend it to anyone. read more

Great choices of different broths, meats and seafood. Restaurant is clean and has great customer service. Along with enjoying their good eats, my daughter and I also enjoyed their music selection. It was awesome to hear BTS and kpop music as entertainment. Would definitely recommend and we will be back... my kids especially love to eat here. read more

Overpriced and overrated. Do not go if you've never done Hot Pot before. The waiters will not show you how it works. The proper utensils were not given to us and everything was completely self guided. On top of that, a mandatory 15% gratuity was added. That was not deserved. read more

Would give zero star if I can. Worst hot pot place I've ever been and so overpriced. It's 28 per person for all you can eat, but the food they brought were non- or barely edible. The corns came out with mold on them, asked for new corn, and the second plate was no better than the first. The taro was bad and had a sour taste to it even though it was frozen taro. Mushrooms were not cleaned at all and had dirt all over them. Service was nonexistent. The only consistent presence was that of gnats who nested right in the middle of the spice area. Do not come. You've been warned! read more

Drove 2 hours to eat here. Got here at 8pm was told kitchen is about to close in 5 minutes even though online says closes at 10pm. Female waitress/Hosts was very rude. When we got our food we were missing some items so we asked her to help us, instead of getting up from her chair and cell phone to come assist us she says what?!?! When we paid our bill it was $74 with the 15% gratuity that is already included. When got home she added another $20 to her tip. It then came out to $94. Now they won't answer their phone and I've called 10 times with no answer during open hours to get this resolved. Extremely disappointed. Don't eat here. Eat at Homey Hot Pot instead. They won't cheat you and have amazing customer service. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE. My friends and I come once or twice a month. The owner is fantastic. The food is amazing every single time. The customer service can't be beat. Can't wait to come back again! read more

Mr. Pot Hot Pot is new to Bloomington and was recently recommended by a friend to try out. They renovated the old Orange Leaf location and make fairly good use of the space with a more modern overhaul. We had a group of 6 and there were several large tables to accommodate a party of 6 and were pretty quickly seated for our reservation time. The staff was all incredibly friendly and very helpful in selecting different meats, noodles, vegetables, and options to order as well as taking the time to assist us with different sauce recommendations. The benefit of a large group is that it was incredibly easy to try a bunch of different things to add to our pot. I opted for the leg broth which truly came with a chunk of leg bone in the broth and while it was good it felt a little heavy and I will try the mushroom if I ever go again. They have specials during the week and because we were celebrating a birthday they even gave the entire birthday a small birthday discount. I think they still have some opening items to work through like a few drinks listed on their menu they didn't carry yet, advertising online, and some general knowledge but overall I recommend it as a Btown Hot Pot space. I will also warn guests they do not have an alcohol license so there was no beer or wine which was a let down for us. read more

Mr Pot Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Clean, super friendly, and delicious. My husband and I love to do hotpot at home, but this was worth the drive with all of the options you can choose from. The mushroom broth and Chinese traditional spicy soup were both delicious. Highly recommend! read more

We dined here for lunch right when they opened at 11:30 and the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned from the night before. It also reeked of natural gas. Against our better judgement, we stayed and dined. We ordered our broths, meats and veggies before getting our own sauces and drinks. I found it unsanitary to be scooping our own ice because 1 - the scooper was left directly in the ice box and 2 - everyone in the restaurant was cooking their own raw meats at their own tables and then coming back for drink refills. The drink station was next to the sauce station. I elected to skip the sauces because they weren't being kept to temperature and the station was crusty and dirty. A lot of the dishes kept in this area were not clean either. I am not sure why the dishes were kept in this communal space. They served our meat half frozen and oxidized. They gave us no clear instructions on how long to cook our meat. In the end, our entire group ate only a few bites and still ended up SICK within an hour after eating. We chose this restaurant because of all the great reviews but I would caution diners to stay away. It is UNSANITARY and will make you SICK. This place is a liability and probably won't stay open long. Take your $24 and spend it on better cuisine downtown. read more

Delicious food, quality meat and good service. Me and my friends enjoyed our meal here and plan on coming to this hotpot restaurant over others in the future. read more

You can still dine in or get preset bowls to go! So so good and great quality meats and veggies

It is taste pretty good . they had bunch of the bass soup for the hot pot, and almost everything wants to eat on their menu. The price is pretty friendly and environment is nice. The only thing that could be better it's to hiring more waiters. So we spend some time for waiting but the experience read more

This place is my favorite restaurant in the whole US and I'm serious. Fresh ingredients from the noodles to the shrimps to the vegetables. Delicious mushroom broth. Sauce station has so many concoctions that you can mix up a storm! Drinks station included in the buffet. Free ice cream after you paid. I keep thinking of this place and craving the hot potato noodles every day after going there for 2 days now. Thank you for giving us an awesome experience. read more

I love this place. Brought my son for his birthday for our first ever hot pot. We crave it all the time now. Owner explained it all to us, food was delicious, sauce bar is great. We left full and happy! read more

The first thing that hits you when you walk in, is the gas smell. We went as soon as they opened, it was our first time going, and no explained anything to us. The meat was half frozen and half thawed, anyone with common sense would know that meat will not be cooked properly if it is like that. The bar with the sauces was not clean at all. The floors were wet with no wet floor sign. You get your own drink, you have to scoop your own ice (how sanitary is that?) They tried to give us a dirty bowl. The manager or whoever he is didn't ask how it was because he knew exactly how it was. In my opinion this is not worth the 25 dollars per person. read more