The Melting Pot-Minneapolis

This restaurant can take reservations, they just don't know how to hold them. We ended up waiting an extra 20 minutes to be seated after arriving on time for our reservation. Hostesses were rude, unfriendly and unapologetic. We were told a manager would come to our table when no one came or offered an apology. The wait staff was upbeat and accomodating but forgot to bring one of our trays of food to the table -- we had to walk over and get it ourselves. One positive: their dessert menu and drinks are delicious. My advice is to seat yourself at the bar and order your food there. You will probably get faster and friendlier service that way. Pros: Good food and drinks Cons: Poor and slow service more

My wife and I went here last night to use our Entertainment book coupon, so we just got single entrees instead of the big night out. I got the steak and shrimp and she got the chicken. I didn't get a ton of meat, but it was enough especially since it takes so long to fondue things (our total visit was about 2 hours). We were in a booth for two, and they pull a sheer curtain over the entrance so it feels like you have some privacy. The waitress recommended a strawberry daquiri for two that was HUGE and really tasty. The highlight of the meal though was the dessert. I strongly recommend the flaming turtle, and while it's probably not worth $15 you do get quite a few things to dip in the chocolate. Pros: Fun experience, romantic Cons: takes a long time to eat, expensive more

I made reservations 3 weeks in advance to celebrate my birthday and my friend's birthday with a group of friends. We had all been wanting to try this place and we thought this was the perfect time. I was surprised that I had to leave a credit card number in order to make a reservation but that was no problem for me. We had a reservation for 5:30 on a Friday evening. We arrived early and sat in the bar and enjoyed some tasty (albeit expensive) drinks until we were seated right around or a little after 5:30. We had 6 ladies and we all did the complete 4 course meal. The food was what I expected - nothing spectacular but still tasty. I would go back for the chocolate fondue again but not for a complete meal. After we finished our chocolate fondue our waiter (who was awesome!) brought us our check and one of us ordered an after dinner coffee. We didn't even have time to pay our waiter or finish our drinks and the manager came over and told us ""there's no nice way to say this but I need you to leave - another table has been waiting for this table"". We had each spent at least $50 on our meals PLUS the cost of our drinks and it was very abrupt and rude that we were asked to leave without even being able to thank our waiter or even to ask for change on our bill if we had needed it. Prior to being asked to leave I would not have returned because I view this more as a ""dining experience"" and not a place to frequent but I would certainly not return or recommend after the way we were treated at the end of the evening. It would have been nice to have been told ahead of time that there was another reservation or somehow made aware - perhaps the manager could have come over before dessert to mention that someone else was waiting. We would have had no problem with that. It was very unprofessional and left a bad taste in our mouths. Be aware if you go here that although it is an ""experience"" it is not one that you can linger on. Pros: Good chocolate fondue, a ""different"" dining experience, wait staff was excellent Cons: Very costly for the amount of food you get, management extremely unprofessional and rude more

I've been to Melting Pots in other cities and this one is subpar. The drinks are over-priced and the food isn't very fresh. Our oil never got hot enough and the fruit was not high quality. I gave it a four just in case I went on an off night. more

I do not understand why this restaurant has the high rating that it does. I am only glad that I went there for lunch and spent $18 instead of the $150 that others write about. We got the cheese fondue for lunch, 6 apple cubes, 4 pieces of celery, and a handful of cubed bread. This is not a meal; its barely a snack! I still cannot believe that I paid $18 for about an 1/8 of cheese. The service was wonderful, but I would never go back there. Terribly overpriced and the fondue wasn't even that good! Pros: None that make-up for prices and quality Cons: Terribly overpriced, food is not good at all more

I found out about this place while looking for somewhere to eat while visiting Minnesota. I missed the whole fondue craze by about 20 years, so it was a fun first experience. We were there when they opened, so we were seated very quickly, because no one else was there. The server was fun, very attentive. We were very pleased with the food. Having never had fondue, and being a picky eater, I was shocked to find that I adored the swiss fondue. After that were salads, and finally the meat. We had teriyaki tenderloin, salmon, shrimp, chicken, and steak in the Coq Au Van cooking... stuff. (Burgundy wine, scallions, garlic, chicken broth... yum.) It took us about 3 hours to eat, but it was well worth it. We ended up with a small order of chocolate and peanut butter fondue, which was cool because they put some kind of liquor in it and flambee'd it, which was fun to watch. Pricy, but great food - it was the first restaurant I've left in a LONG time that I was actually HAPPY with the food, not just satisfied. It's a ton of food, but the time you wait in between each piece of meat when you're cooking and between courses makes it so that you aren't over stuffed when you leave. I'm going back next week! Pros: Close to Ramada Downtown Hotel... GREAT for guests! Cons: Pricy, but worth it. more

The service was some of the best I have ever seen. Our waitress was very knowledgeble and extremely helpful. We had to wait to be seated even though we had reservation but the waiting lounge was wonderul. The food is great but a little over priced. The meat was tender, the cheese was great and the chocolate dessert is the best part. It was just over 100 dollars for me and my wife which was alittle on the high side but if you are in the mood to splurge a bit this is a great spot. Pros: Service, Ambience, Wine List Cons: Value more

My wife and I made our first trip here on the Friday night before Valentines day. Our reservation was for 6:30. We arrived at 6:10, got one drink at the bar and were buzzed that our table was ready at 6:25! We ordered the ""Big Night Out"", a four course meal for two-$90 per couple. Included cheese prepared at our table, salad, lobster, steak, shrimp, and plenty of chocolate!! Our service was friendly and timed very well, give yourself 2 1/2-3 hours. First time we had Fondued, different and fun! Inluding drinks and tip, $145. A little expensive, but we were stuffed, and had a very fun evening. Pros: Friendly service, food quantity, parking Cons: A little pricey more

For well over $130 for dinner for two, one would expect excellent service and good food, but neither can be had at The Melting Pot. We were seated over half an hour after our reservation, and it was a Tuesday night. The cheese fondue tasted like cheez whiz, the meats were tough, and the service downright awful. We had heard others rave about the restaurant, so decided to go for a romantic occasion. With the ample choices in downtown Minneapolis, take your money elsewhere. Cons: Expensive, Poor service more

I arranged a night out for my wife last night for our anniversary. I wanted to surprise her and make a very special night of it. The Melting Pot exceeded my expectations. They took of everything for me. We had an excellent server, Ania, who was so charming. The food was delicious and of the best quality. It was an experience, not just a ""quick"" meal. We held hands over dinner and actually got reacquainted over our entree... because you have to cook each piece it allows you to actually have quality conversation. To top off the evening, Ania presented us with dessert... it was amazing. My wife loved the chocolate fondue with the strawberries and brownies. Thank you Melting Pot for making our anniversary such a memorable night out... and more than that... for giving us time with each other! Pros: Great Parking, Amazing Dessert, Wine List more

We just had dinner at The Melting Pot. We had a party of 6, and really the only thing worth it was our wonderful server and the company. The food is horribly overpriced. We loved our server who was very attentive and knowledgable; but quite frankly fondue at home is easier and MUCH cheaper. I didn't see ANY difference in quality between what we can do at home and what The Melting Pot had to offer, until it came to dessert. The chocolate course was amazing. The rest of the meal, however, not nearly worth the prices charged. I will NOT go back. We had a nice evening, but only because of the friends we we were with and our waitstaff. Pros: wait staff, wine list Cons: price, quality more

I really enjoyed the entire experience. Would recommend going early and making reservations. Will take awhile, so go with someone you want to visit with. The cheese fondue is tasty, but you run out of cheese and still have dippers left. Very possible to get too much food, would recommend sharing one entree if just 2 people; don't do the couple or multi course options. We got the cheese fondue, vegetarian entree, and chocolate dessert and were stuffed. The chocolate dessert is wonderful-make sure you leave room! In a large group, could imagine it becoming difficult to cook food and would get messy. Service wasn't the greatest, but I enjoyed the food and experience enough to go back. With parking and tip split two ways it wasn't too bad, but we just drank water. With drinks it might get pretty expensive, but worth it for a treat. Pros: Relaxing meal, Good food, Awesome dessert Cons: Not enough cheese, Can get noisy, Average service more

I have dined at the Melting Pot in Dallas, and Kansas City, and though it would be the perfect alternative to a regular restaurant experience for my family. You need to schedule at least 3 hours to really enjoy it. Our server had a great personality, and by time we left she had hugs for us all. The menu is pricey, but you get so much food. Four people could easily share the couple meal. They are graciously willing to substitute things. They have a wide variety of meat, including bison, and duck. Every course is amazing. I would suggest not to get the queso-like cheese because only the chips tasted good with it. The other cheeses are great. The only problem we had, was eating too much, and being too full for the absolutely delicious desert!! I highly recommend it if you want a change from the rountine experience!! Pros: Excellent Food, Great Atmosphere, Super-Close Parking more

My boyfriend and I went there for our one year and had a good time. Got seated right away but probably waited 10-15 minutes before the server came or knew about us. It was very interesting and different for us. The service was great, the food was good, but a little to loud for us. If we were to go back, it would be for desert. That was the best part of the whole 4 course meal. I think we paid too much for what it was worth and plus they get you with a 10% tax on the bill. We got to park very close. I probably would recommend going there, since I did, something new, fun and who knows you might like it. Pros: Service, Parking, Fun and differnet more

My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary because we had heard nothing but praise for this restaurant; however, we were completely & utterly disappointed. First, our reservations were for 7:30 on a Wednesday night & we weren't sat until 8:15! Then came the food... The cheese was below average, the salad was good, but the main entree was definitely not what we expected. We were too busy cooking our food that we didn't have time to sit & enjoy it. We were hoping the dessert would make up for the rest of the meal, but it didn't. The service was decent, but that still didn't make up for the awful food. I think for $90, you can go to many other MUCH better restaurants where you don't have to cook your own food. This night was definitely not worth the money. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone. Pros: Service, Drinks Cons: , Cook your own food, Takes too long more

HITS: Knowledgeable, friendly service. Willing to make adjustments to the package deals so the customer gets exactly what they want. Private, romatic booths & nice ambiance. The lobster was incredible, the desert was unbelievable, the sauces were delectable. Overall the prices were fair. Great for a special occasion. Just don't plan on going to a movie or a show afterwards. The dining itself takes more time than your usual dinner out... but that's to be expected. Large wine list, and reasonable prices. MISSES: Don't pay for the flower and ballons they offer for special occasions - overpriced and the flower was half dead before we even sat down - the balloons were on the floor by morning. Skip the cheese course, it was very disappointing (and after talking to friends we realize we weren't alone with this opinion). more

This was my first experience at a Melting pot resturant and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The service was attentive, however there is quite the wait between courses. In the ""night out"" meal, the steak and pork were wonderful, but the flavoring options were necessary. The chocolate fondue was heavenly! Overall, a great time, but still is quite expensive for a meal out. Pros: Romantic, Unique experience Cons: , Slow more

A group of 10 of us had an amazing dining experience at The Melting Pot! We reserved the private room that seats 10. It was perfect for our group... we tend to get noisy. Our server was fantastic. Educated us on fondue and helped guide us through the menu. We decided to do the four courses...cheese, salad, entree, chocolate. To add to the experience, we ordered a bottle of high end wine for the group. The manager came over and decanted the bottle and THAN ""treated"" the wine glasses. It was incredible. We have never had this level of service before. The food was great and the service was impecable. We laughed and talked for hours with our friends. It really gave us a chance to reconnect with each other... we would recommend this restaurant to everyone!!! Pros: service, atmosphere, good parking more

Dinner 2/7/2004. I have dined at Melting Pot's all over the country and this is a flagship restaurant. There is a minimal corporate feel, it's there just suppressed. A comprehensive (a little weak in the Old World Category) wine list that is VALUE priced... imagine that, with Spiegelau crystal and decanters if necessary. Food quality, presentation is excellent. this is a dedicated dining experience, even a veteran of fondue would be hard put to dine and squeeze in another event (concert, show, Sporting event) so dine accordingly. Highly recommended. Pros: Unique Cuisine, Good Wine List, Good Parking Cons: , Still a Franchise more

I had dinner at the melting pot on a Friday night. We got there at around 8:30 (reservation need to be made) till about 11:00 pm. Overall it was a great time but not something that I would do often. more