Excellent food and service. Our waiter DJ made some great suggestions on the food selections.
(5)
Taylor S.
This place is so amazing! My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine's Day and it was FANTASTIC! We had a five course meal which started with the lobster bisque which I wasn't a fan of because I don't like lobster in the first place. (The Valentine's Day meal was preset for you). We received a free glass of champagne and they offered roses you could buy for your date that were beautiful. Next, we got the salad which was a strawberry poppyseed. Wow it was amazing! Then came the cheese fondue it was the Quattro fondue and wow I totally recommend it! It was fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese with other fantastic mix ins. Then came the meats we had tuna, chicken, pork, beef, and filet, everything was fantastic and they had so many dipping sauces. Finally, the chocolate fondue it came with cake, strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows. It was also fantastic. It was so filling I could barely sit up after eating so much! The only reason for me giving melting pot a four star and not a five is because it was very pricey, but a great experience!
(4)
Kel B.
We went here for my boyfriend's birthday. It was ok. I really have no idea how they get away with charging $50 a meal here though. The cheese and desserts were great, but the entrees were TERRIBLE! I mean you are literally just boiling small pieces of meat. Why would anyone think that is good? The salads were also a major let-down. Also some of our vegetables that came with the cheese dip were moldy. Not cool. If you do come here, skip the entree and just do the cheese and/or chocolate. We really really liked the yin/yang chocolate dessert. The rest was just so-so. I wasn't upset about the price (about $140 before tip - with wine), but for that price I expected the food to be really good. It was just ok.... I gave it three stars because it was pretty fun dipping stuff in cheese and chocolate even if the food was sort of lame!
(3)
Desi C.
We participated in the Endless Pot entree and it was fabulous! We enjoyed everything and our waitress was amazing. The manager stopped by and chatted with our daughter and made her smile. Overall, our experience was splendid. We had a great family night.
(5)
Jaime M.
I visited this restaurant last weekend and I must say it was awesome. It was the first time I had eaten at a Melting Pot restaurant. The food was amazing and everything was so fresh. The service was great. Of course the milk chocolate fondue was out of this world. I will definitely go back. Reservations a encourage so that you don't have to wait however there is a very small bar to hangout it if you have to wait. It is expensive but worth it in my opinion.
(5)
Shane B.
My wife chose the Melting Pot for her 25th birthday dinner and looking back on it I'm glad she did. We both enjoyed our meal here as well as the experience of going to a Fondue restaurant (neither her or I have ever been to one). If your like us and have never been to a Melting Pot, I recommend the 4 course option they have so that way you'll get to try a little bit of everything they offer. The food was very good and they have a very extensive wine and drink list. The Melting Pot is definitely a place to go especially if you are out celebrating a special occasion.
(5)
Todd K.
Melting Pot is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Plenty of places have great food and great staff. Melting Pot has that, but it also provides a fun experience as part of the meal. It's a great date night place. Neither you nor your date will zone out into your phone--you actually have to cook your food and pay attention to the process. The thing I like best about Melting Pot is that it gives patrons the sense of being in a truly fine establishment. It's impressive. The staff are incredibly professional, the place looks great, and the food is outstanding. Little touches of excellence are all over the place. My favorite is that they have roses available at all times and can be ordered at reservation time. I love to take a special lady there and have a dozen roses waiting for her at the table. Little things like that contribute to an outstanding experience. I highly recommend Melting Pot to anyone and everyone and for any occasion, romantic or otherwise. You will love it if you try it. And yes, it's not a cheap place, but it's no more expensive than any other truly excellent establishment. In fact, it's a lot less expensive than most "fine dining" places. You can't go wrong with Melting Pot!
(5)
Anna L.
Just wasn't what I had expected. I honestly don't know how people have the patience to eat here! We ordered the 4 course meal shared it with 4 people. It came with 2 choices of cheese fondue, 2 choices of main course broth, choices meat/seafood to cook in the broth and 2 choices of chocolate dips for the dessert fondue. First of all, the pieces of bread that came to eat with the cheese fondue was so chewy, hard, cold, and dry. I don't know if that's how you're so supposed to eat it but it was just not appetizing to me. Then with the main course.. the portions are so tiny and they are like the size of dog treats. I mean the waitress warned us that we should order another separate side of meat but we didn't think it would be a size of a popcorn. So we ended up having to order a side of ribeye steak which I recommend you do if you ever do because you can't be full without it..or at least for me.. The last course is the dessert fondue. Don't expect anything delicious. Save your money! The worst part of my whole experience here is that we literally had to wait for about 20min between each course and we were not happy abt it since we came in starving and expecting some good satisfying and fulfilling meal. On the positive side, I noticed that most of the customers here were couples or on a date. The restaurant does have a really nice vibe and I would recommend it to people on first dates and such but for food..not so yummy!
(2)
Rick R.
Came here for an anniversary dinner, the wife and I like the food, however the last couple times we have come it has been a truest bad experience. Service is slower than it should be and the amenities have been lacking. Wife came back from the restroom and informed me that they were out of paper towels and placed toilet paper in the basket. We have come for the gluten free menu and a romantic dinner, however there is issues we can't overlook. Looks like this will be crossed off the list of places to come for a while!!! It is still a recommendation to try, however be warned that it is hit or miss for a good experience and service, although the gluten free brownies are very good this time.
(2)
Kelly B.
Great atmosphere and concept. Kids usually order from the kids' menu (which I believe you have to ask for). Makes for a fun family dinner. Love, love the dessert. A bit pricey.
(4)
Stephanie F.
Went for a homecoming dinner (homecoming from deployment). Was amazingly delicious. Our server was very friendly. He explained everything perfectly and even paired wine and beer for us. It was an all around great experience and we ate like pigs! Also think its hilarious that this place is located right next to weight watchers.
(5)
Pam J.
Received a card in the mail showing their specials; however, there was no address anywhere on this promotion. Bad Advertising. I would never go there when no address is given. Get your act together if you want customers.
(1)
Bruno S.
Overall it was a great experience but I am not in a rush to go back. If you're looking for a romantic date environment, and haven't experienced the "fondue event" I recommend it. When I called to make reservations they informed me that they offer roses with a picture (prices vary on the amount of roses) and it does come with a vase. My wife was very surprised. A friend tipped me to ask for the booth in the back, which is the more private to choose from. I appreciated the experience more than I did the food, especially for the price range of this restaurant. It is a great place to take a date. In this case, my wife and I had a date night here and had a great time. She enjoyed herself and there was time for some intimacy, romance, and laughs. Just as advertised they are a romantic setting, dimmed lights, semi-private booths/tables, and the four course meal can take up to two hours...which is great because we love to take our time on date night. Our waiter was great, everything about him was what you'd expect from a waiter. The food itself, it was okay, but I would not go back for the food. The cheese fondue was the best but I didn't like any of the meats. If we went back I would stick to the cheese fondue with refills, wine, and my wife would definitely want some of their dessert again. They offer a gift card in support of St Jude to where you purchase the gift card for $10 and you get a $20 gift card to their restaurant...in essence you get $10 free in a gift card; helping a great cause and getting your money back: it's a win-win
(4)
Rachel O.
Maybe it's just me but I like my food prepared for me in the kitchen. I can understand how some people would like The Melting Pot. I can see the allure of sitting around chatting with your friends for AT LEAST 2 hours while you cook your own food and fight over which skewer is yours. It sounds like fun, huh? If you are a picky eater then this is not the place for you... especially if you are going with a group of people. Everyone at the table has to agree on what fondues you are going to have and then you all get to share them. Also, this restaurant seems geared toward couples. Maybe it is fine if you go with just one other person... not a lot of sharing or confusion with the skewers or debate on what fondues to get. I also felt that the meals here were incredibly overpriced - especially considering that you have to cook it yourself. If you buy into the kitsch of how cool it was to fondue in the 1980's and want to pay a lot of money to cook your own food then you will love this place.
(2)
Amber M.
The service my husband and I received while waiting to be seated was horrible. This is the 2nd time now we have been treated so poorly before even being seated. The hostesses seem to be very snobby and stuck up. The food is ok. The classic cheddar is really good so is the yen and yang dessert. The atmosphere of this restaurant is horrible. Very dark and the tables are tiny!! We were originally sat at a tiny corner table. My husband is 6'3 and his legs wouldn't even fit under the tiny table. Next table wasn't much better. It seem as if they crammed as many in as possible. I really doubt we will ever return.
(2)
Maryann V.
My husband and I almost seem to make a point to come to this Melting Pot whenever we are in the Columbia Metro, it seems! Recently, we were in town for a sad occasion, and spent one day up in Raleigh, but came back down and decided that that Friday night was a good time to come here. Not only were they really great about a somewhat last minute reservation, our waiter was not overly but not under attentive, they remembered not to bring shellfish when we requested, and they weren't pushy about upselling (which, why would you when you have such GREAT monthly specials??). Anyway, we will definitely go here again. CLEARLY.
(4)
Ellisa V.
Definitely worth trying at least once. The server, Austin, was great, and the food was awesome. We were stuffed to the brim after the cheese and salad courses, but managed to make it through the meat and dessert also. We ended up taking our son as well and they accommodated him without any problem. This would be great for a date night or a special occasion.
(5)
Ashley B.
Excellent experience every time we go...and we've been going now and then for a decade. Staff is always friendly and professional, food is always fresh and it's always clean. Reservations recommended as they are in demand.
(5)
Greg W.
They almost lost our business right off the bat due to the attitudes of those working the front. We arrived at 5pm, the same time they open, on a rainy Monday. Not exactly 'rush hour'... But when asked if we had reservatations and we said no, the girl huffed - almost snorted - and asked us to sit while they found a table. Keep in mind that the doors just opened and we were the ONLY ones in the restaurant. Then she rounded the corner, apparently thinking she was out of range, and began talking with someone else about how we didn't have a reservation were inconveniencing them. The girl working the door, who herself was dressed in a trech coat, also looked over and sneered a few times at, I'm guessing, the way we were dressed. I was in slacks and a collared shirt straight from work and my daughter was in a dress, but my mom & niece came along and they were wearing jeans & t-shirts. No big deal. Or is it? Ok, A) You sell melted cheese for a living. Get over yourself. B) This is a practice that used to be reserved for hippys. When did it become so uppity? We were about to walk out the door but at that moment she took us to our table so we decided to wait it out. Our waiter was pretty cool and he actually got me turned around so that we were enjoying ourselves again. We got a 4-course meal and had fun with it. It's a bit pricey (with a bit of planning, we were able to get out of there for just under $150; gratuity was included for parties of 5+) but for 5 people and the experience (the meal itself, not the initial experience) it wasn't too bad. I was actually impressed with our planning because a friend of mine said she and her fiance spend $150 for just the two of them... I was worried we wouldn't have enough food, but the 5 of us also left on the verge of bursting... I won't be in a hurry to rush back any time soon, but it was fun to try and the food really was good. Leaving on a sour note, I watched our waiter leave the restroom without washing his hands...
(3)
Sherra S.
Normally we really enjoy ourselves when we come here. But, this time there was a large party of teenage girls seated near us & they did NOT know how to behave in a nice restaurant...and this was not early in the evening, it was 7:45-9:45 p.m.
(3)
K R.
The Melting Pot has been our go to occasion restaurant for the last 15 years or so! We dine out frequently, so we reserve this as our special romantic spot! Unfortunately despite requesting a secluded spot in the back when our reservation was made, we were seated right in the main pathway (but of course they managed to get the roses on the table and noted on the reservation) . We also had a very new waiter who was sweet but definitely not on his game. The cheese was very runny, my wine came without a glass and then had to wait quite a while, brought the wrong salad, but then everything else fell into place. We will definely be back because we enjoy the experience but we have had several disappointments the last few visits. I hope they work on improving their service to the levels we had come to expect and getting it right the first time!
(4)
Leif O.
A little on the expensive side, but a great place for a date.
(4)
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Address :1410 Colonial Life Blvd W,Ste 130
Columbia, SC, 29210
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Robyn H.
Excellent food and service. Our waiter DJ made some great suggestions on the food selections.
(5)Taylor S.
This place is so amazing! My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine's Day and it was FANTASTIC! We had a five course meal which started with the lobster bisque which I wasn't a fan of because I don't like lobster in the first place. (The Valentine's Day meal was preset for you). We received a free glass of champagne and they offered roses you could buy for your date that were beautiful. Next, we got the salad which was a strawberry poppyseed. Wow it was amazing! Then came the cheese fondue it was the Quattro fondue and wow I totally recommend it! It was fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese with other fantastic mix ins. Then came the meats we had tuna, chicken, pork, beef, and filet, everything was fantastic and they had so many dipping sauces. Finally, the chocolate fondue it came with cake, strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows. It was also fantastic. It was so filling I could barely sit up after eating so much! The only reason for me giving melting pot a four star and not a five is because it was very pricey, but a great experience!
(4)Kel B.
We went here for my boyfriend's birthday. It was ok. I really have no idea how they get away with charging $50 a meal here though. The cheese and desserts were great, but the entrees were TERRIBLE! I mean you are literally just boiling small pieces of meat. Why would anyone think that is good? The salads were also a major let-down. Also some of our vegetables that came with the cheese dip were moldy. Not cool. If you do come here, skip the entree and just do the cheese and/or chocolate. We really really liked the yin/yang chocolate dessert. The rest was just so-so. I wasn't upset about the price (about $140 before tip - with wine), but for that price I expected the food to be really good. It was just ok.... I gave it three stars because it was pretty fun dipping stuff in cheese and chocolate even if the food was sort of lame!
(3)Desi C.
We participated in the Endless Pot entree and it was fabulous! We enjoyed everything and our waitress was amazing. The manager stopped by and chatted with our daughter and made her smile. Overall, our experience was splendid. We had a great family night.
(5)Jaime M.
I visited this restaurant last weekend and I must say it was awesome. It was the first time I had eaten at a Melting Pot restaurant. The food was amazing and everything was so fresh. The service was great. Of course the milk chocolate fondue was out of this world. I will definitely go back. Reservations a encourage so that you don't have to wait however there is a very small bar to hangout it if you have to wait. It is expensive but worth it in my opinion.
(5)Shane B.
My wife chose the Melting Pot for her 25th birthday dinner and looking back on it I'm glad she did. We both enjoyed our meal here as well as the experience of going to a Fondue restaurant (neither her or I have ever been to one). If your like us and have never been to a Melting Pot, I recommend the 4 course option they have so that way you'll get to try a little bit of everything they offer. The food was very good and they have a very extensive wine and drink list. The Melting Pot is definitely a place to go especially if you are out celebrating a special occasion.
(5)Todd K.
Melting Pot is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Plenty of places have great food and great staff. Melting Pot has that, but it also provides a fun experience as part of the meal. It's a great date night place. Neither you nor your date will zone out into your phone--you actually have to cook your food and pay attention to the process. The thing I like best about Melting Pot is that it gives patrons the sense of being in a truly fine establishment. It's impressive. The staff are incredibly professional, the place looks great, and the food is outstanding. Little touches of excellence are all over the place. My favorite is that they have roses available at all times and can be ordered at reservation time. I love to take a special lady there and have a dozen roses waiting for her at the table. Little things like that contribute to an outstanding experience. I highly recommend Melting Pot to anyone and everyone and for any occasion, romantic or otherwise. You will love it if you try it. And yes, it's not a cheap place, but it's no more expensive than any other truly excellent establishment. In fact, it's a lot less expensive than most "fine dining" places. You can't go wrong with Melting Pot!
(5)Anna L.
Just wasn't what I had expected. I honestly don't know how people have the patience to eat here! We ordered the 4 course meal shared it with 4 people. It came with 2 choices of cheese fondue, 2 choices of main course broth, choices meat/seafood to cook in the broth and 2 choices of chocolate dips for the dessert fondue. First of all, the pieces of bread that came to eat with the cheese fondue was so chewy, hard, cold, and dry. I don't know if that's how you're so supposed to eat it but it was just not appetizing to me. Then with the main course.. the portions are so tiny and they are like the size of dog treats. I mean the waitress warned us that we should order another separate side of meat but we didn't think it would be a size of a popcorn. So we ended up having to order a side of ribeye steak which I recommend you do if you ever do because you can't be full without it..or at least for me.. The last course is the dessert fondue. Don't expect anything delicious. Save your money! The worst part of my whole experience here is that we literally had to wait for about 20min between each course and we were not happy abt it since we came in starving and expecting some good satisfying and fulfilling meal. On the positive side, I noticed that most of the customers here were couples or on a date. The restaurant does have a really nice vibe and I would recommend it to people on first dates and such but for food..not so yummy!
(2)Rick R.
Came here for an anniversary dinner, the wife and I like the food, however the last couple times we have come it has been a truest bad experience. Service is slower than it should be and the amenities have been lacking. Wife came back from the restroom and informed me that they were out of paper towels and placed toilet paper in the basket. We have come for the gluten free menu and a romantic dinner, however there is issues we can't overlook. Looks like this will be crossed off the list of places to come for a while!!! It is still a recommendation to try, however be warned that it is hit or miss for a good experience and service, although the gluten free brownies are very good this time.
(2)Kelly B.
Great atmosphere and concept. Kids usually order from the kids' menu (which I believe you have to ask for). Makes for a fun family dinner. Love, love the dessert. A bit pricey.
(4)Stephanie F.
Went for a homecoming dinner (homecoming from deployment). Was amazingly delicious. Our server was very friendly. He explained everything perfectly and even paired wine and beer for us. It was an all around great experience and we ate like pigs! Also think its hilarious that this place is located right next to weight watchers.
(5)Pam J.
Received a card in the mail showing their specials; however, there was no address anywhere on this promotion. Bad Advertising. I would never go there when no address is given. Get your act together if you want customers.
(1)Bruno S.
Overall it was a great experience but I am not in a rush to go back. If you're looking for a romantic date environment, and haven't experienced the "fondue event" I recommend it. When I called to make reservations they informed me that they offer roses with a picture (prices vary on the amount of roses) and it does come with a vase. My wife was very surprised. A friend tipped me to ask for the booth in the back, which is the more private to choose from. I appreciated the experience more than I did the food, especially for the price range of this restaurant. It is a great place to take a date. In this case, my wife and I had a date night here and had a great time. She enjoyed herself and there was time for some intimacy, romance, and laughs. Just as advertised they are a romantic setting, dimmed lights, semi-private booths/tables, and the four course meal can take up to two hours...which is great because we love to take our time on date night. Our waiter was great, everything about him was what you'd expect from a waiter. The food itself, it was okay, but I would not go back for the food. The cheese fondue was the best but I didn't like any of the meats. If we went back I would stick to the cheese fondue with refills, wine, and my wife would definitely want some of their dessert again. They offer a gift card in support of St Jude to where you purchase the gift card for $10 and you get a $20 gift card to their restaurant...in essence you get $10 free in a gift card; helping a great cause and getting your money back: it's a win-win
(4)Rachel O.
Maybe it's just me but I like my food prepared for me in the kitchen. I can understand how some people would like The Melting Pot. I can see the allure of sitting around chatting with your friends for AT LEAST 2 hours while you cook your own food and fight over which skewer is yours. It sounds like fun, huh? If you are a picky eater then this is not the place for you... especially if you are going with a group of people. Everyone at the table has to agree on what fondues you are going to have and then you all get to share them. Also, this restaurant seems geared toward couples. Maybe it is fine if you go with just one other person... not a lot of sharing or confusion with the skewers or debate on what fondues to get. I also felt that the meals here were incredibly overpriced - especially considering that you have to cook it yourself. If you buy into the kitsch of how cool it was to fondue in the 1980's and want to pay a lot of money to cook your own food then you will love this place.
(2)Amber M.
The service my husband and I received while waiting to be seated was horrible. This is the 2nd time now we have been treated so poorly before even being seated. The hostesses seem to be very snobby and stuck up. The food is ok. The classic cheddar is really good so is the yen and yang dessert. The atmosphere of this restaurant is horrible. Very dark and the tables are tiny!! We were originally sat at a tiny corner table. My husband is 6'3 and his legs wouldn't even fit under the tiny table. Next table wasn't much better. It seem as if they crammed as many in as possible. I really doubt we will ever return.
(2)Maryann V.
My husband and I almost seem to make a point to come to this Melting Pot whenever we are in the Columbia Metro, it seems! Recently, we were in town for a sad occasion, and spent one day up in Raleigh, but came back down and decided that that Friday night was a good time to come here. Not only were they really great about a somewhat last minute reservation, our waiter was not overly but not under attentive, they remembered not to bring shellfish when we requested, and they weren't pushy about upselling (which, why would you when you have such GREAT monthly specials??). Anyway, we will definitely go here again. CLEARLY.
(4)Ellisa V.
Definitely worth trying at least once. The server, Austin, was great, and the food was awesome. We were stuffed to the brim after the cheese and salad courses, but managed to make it through the meat and dessert also. We ended up taking our son as well and they accommodated him without any problem. This would be great for a date night or a special occasion.
(5)Ashley B.
Excellent experience every time we go...and we've been going now and then for a decade. Staff is always friendly and professional, food is always fresh and it's always clean. Reservations recommended as they are in demand.
(5)Greg W.
They almost lost our business right off the bat due to the attitudes of those working the front. We arrived at 5pm, the same time they open, on a rainy Monday. Not exactly 'rush hour'... But when asked if we had reservatations and we said no, the girl huffed - almost snorted - and asked us to sit while they found a table. Keep in mind that the doors just opened and we were the ONLY ones in the restaurant. Then she rounded the corner, apparently thinking she was out of range, and began talking with someone else about how we didn't have a reservation were inconveniencing them. The girl working the door, who herself was dressed in a trech coat, also looked over and sneered a few times at, I'm guessing, the way we were dressed. I was in slacks and a collared shirt straight from work and my daughter was in a dress, but my mom & niece came along and they were wearing jeans & t-shirts. No big deal. Or is it? Ok, A) You sell melted cheese for a living. Get over yourself. B) This is a practice that used to be reserved for hippys. When did it become so uppity? We were about to walk out the door but at that moment she took us to our table so we decided to wait it out. Our waiter was pretty cool and he actually got me turned around so that we were enjoying ourselves again. We got a 4-course meal and had fun with it. It's a bit pricey (with a bit of planning, we were able to get out of there for just under $150; gratuity was included for parties of 5+) but for 5 people and the experience (the meal itself, not the initial experience) it wasn't too bad. I was actually impressed with our planning because a friend of mine said she and her fiance spend $150 for just the two of them... I was worried we wouldn't have enough food, but the 5 of us also left on the verge of bursting... I won't be in a hurry to rush back any time soon, but it was fun to try and the food really was good. Leaving on a sour note, I watched our waiter leave the restroom without washing his hands...
(3)Sherra S.
Normally we really enjoy ourselves when we come here. But, this time there was a large party of teenage girls seated near us & they did NOT know how to behave in a nice restaurant...and this was not early in the evening, it was 7:45-9:45 p.m.
(3)K R.
The Melting Pot has been our go to occasion restaurant for the last 15 years or so! We dine out frequently, so we reserve this as our special romantic spot! Unfortunately despite requesting a secluded spot in the back when our reservation was made, we were seated right in the main pathway (but of course they managed to get the roses on the table and noted on the reservation) . We also had a very new waiter who was sweet but definitely not on his game. The cheese was very runny, my wine came without a glass and then had to wait quite a while, brought the wrong salad, but then everything else fell into place. We will definely be back because we enjoy the experience but we have had several disappointments the last few visits. I hope they work on improving their service to the levels we had come to expect and getting it right the first time!
(4)Leif O.
A little on the expensive side, but a great place for a date.
(4)