The Melting Pot - Westwood

I originally made a reservation for December which was our 30th wedding anniversary but the restaurant cancelled the day before. So we booked a reservation for Valentines Day. We have been looking forward to this night for almost two months and it was just not worth it. The waitress was so slow and not very attentive. She kept mixing up orders. We asked how to work the cooking equipment but she didn't answer and we had to ask another waitress how to work the cooking equipment. The food was not that great and it was very expensive. No where near worth that amount we paid. Ended up in the restaurant for two and a half hours mostly waiting for our food. do not recommend at all.

So, it 's been many years since we had a fondue dinner so after researching for fondue restaurants in NJ and really only find the Melting Pot, we were in. Parking on a Saturday night was a pain (inspite of a parking lot surrounding the restaurant), Finally found one and entered into the restaurant and the four of us were seated fairly quickly. They have nice comfy booths with large tables to accommodate all the plates and pots and dishes. We ordered drinks, Mai Tai and Love Martini. Outstanding. Kudos to the bartender. Our server Keith started off a little on the quiet/shy side but after some encouragement he became as entertaining as the menu. Speaking of which, don 't be intimidated by it. It is poorly written, poorly organized and basically frustrating!!! Just know that they essentially give you 3 courses. The first is the fondue course which includes breads, cheeses, and veggies and a boiling pot with chesses of your choice (you get 2 choices). The electric burner is built into your table. Then they clear the table and they bring out the meats, or shell fish, etc and a pot of boiling oil which they refer to as cooking style . I recommend the Premium Filet, Lobster, duck, and shrimp. You can mix and match from their groupings so don 't hesitate to pick the best from any of their lists (again the menu is confusing). Important to note that if you pick a spicy oil such as the MOJO which servers seem to recommend, go easy on ordering any food that is spicy, eg Cajun Filet. The point is that after many dippings of spiced meat into a pot of spiced oil, the taste becomes overly spicy and not pleasurable. The deserts include strawberries and other fruit that can be dipped into the 3rd pot which is chocolate. Now, as to the comments buy others that the price is high they are right. However, thinking of it economically from the business 's side, we were four people who stayed there four hours!!! Any other restaurant would have probably sat at least 3 new partied during that time. So special thanks again to Keith (you were a riot), Chris (who surprised me w a 29th birthday w candle plate), and Kate, who we now know is Chris 's sister and a great manager. Good Job All!!!

Another reviewer wrote: This place has a nice ambiance and cool concept. However, the amount you pay is just not worth it. I agree. If you have never been to The Melting Pot, and you are thinking about trying it, try to avoid your first visit and go directly to the 2nd. Your first visit will be a frustrating experience with a confusing menu, very poor descriptions with no graphical help, and your chef will likely be an inexperienced amateur on his/her first day, who will over or under cook your food. (Spoiler alert you are the chef that 's the concept. How do you avoid a first visit? Go somewhere else instead. If you must go, go with someone who already knows the ropes, or maybe find a video that walks you through. Yes, you can ask the staff for help but my experience was the staff was understanding, and earnestly helpful, but equally frustrated for us, by the inadequacy of the menu. Regardless of how many times you 've been, you will also want to wear clothes that you can burn later as the inadequate ventilation will leave them reeking from the various oils, seasonings, meats and vegetables being grilled or boiled right in front of you. We were advised to go with the first choice forget the name of it which was a little bit of everything beef, pork, chicken, a very small portion of really good steak, and 3 shrimp. We were advised to cook each item between 7 9 minutes, or 1 3, or 3 5, based on category. Unless you 're really into it, too much work, and you will be inclined to over cook because the raw meat has been sitting in front of you on a tray, and it just seems like a good idea. Our waitress raised or lowered the temperature a few times using a knob or button under the table. We were not given the option of controlling it and after we were done, the grill slowly charred some of the remaining bits until we asked someone passing by to turn it off. You realize at the end of the meal you are paying far more for the experience than the food. And the experience is one we did not feel warranted a return visit.

This place has a nice ambiance and cool concept. However, the amount you pay is just not worth it. I'd recommend other spots in Westwood.

This place has a nice ambiance and cool concept. However, the amount you pay is just not worth it. I’d recommend other spots in Westwood.