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The Melting Pot
Category: Restaurants Fondue Fondue [Edit]
21525 Hawthorne BlvdTorrance, CA 90503
Neighborhood: Torrance
(310) 316-7500
50% off Bar Food served in our Bar
$4-$5 Happy Hour, Hours 5-7 Mon/Fri.,4-6 Sat/Sun Enjoy Kobe Beef Sliders, Lobster Quasadillas, Satay Skewers Beef , Shrimp Scampi & more.
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri 5 pm - 11 pm
Sat 4 pm - 11 pm
Sun 4 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
192 reviews for The Melting Pot
Review Highlights
"We got the Four Course meal called "The Big Night Out."
(in 28 reviews)
"The spinach artichoke cheese was so good."
(in 19 reviews)
"We also got the Yin Yang (white and dark chocolate."
(in 13 reviews)
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192 reviews in English
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Review from Dalia N.
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been here on three different occasions, and have never had a bad experience! Twice we made reservations and were seated promptly, and once we went on a Saturday night without a reservation and had to wait 45 minutes since it was crowded, but the service has always been prompt and friendly.
The location is a in the Del Amo Financial Center business plaza, and parking is a bit hard to find. The parking lot is actually of Carson Street fyi. The ambiance is really mellow and dim, but exciting at the same time. My favorite dishes here are hands down the Spinach Dip fondue and ALL the dessert fondues--seriously, you can never go wrong with the dessert fondues at this restaurant. The whole dining experience does take a long time, so make sure you aren't in a rush when dining here. For the most part, it's time well spent and I love that we have this restaurant in the South Bay. -
Review from L B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/2/2012
The service was bad, our server would disappear for long LONG periods of time. We were there at 8 pm and got out of the place just before 12. We even skipped desert after being left with our dirty plates for so long. The place was not busy.
15 minutes after we ordered our drinks they arrived, 20 minutes later our server took our cheese order, 20 minutes later that arrived.
The fondu and bread was pretty good but the other items that came to dip in it didn't match the cheeses we ordered. Cubed warm green apples, cut up baby carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.
45 minutes later our salads came, I got the spinach salad and it had warm juicy pork that I can only describe as spit-ball texture and a brown flavorless, salty dressing.
5o minutes after we finished those our entrees came. Why it took so long for some cubed raw meet, broccoli, potatoes and mushrooms I don't understand.
Our plates were not cleared an we were left with the desert menus forever. We picked deserts but by the time our waiter finally made it around we had decided we better not. He left me with the bill for another 10-20 minutes,. I stood up to see if I could waive someone down, there were only a 5 or so tables with people in them and not a server/busier/manger/hostess in site.
To top it all off the next day me and my boyfriend had food poisoning!
I would not recommend this place to anyone. It's a fun concept but poorly executed. This is one of the most bizarre restaurant experiences I've ever had. -
Review from Amanda K.
Gardena, CA
1/30/2012
this is a review for dec 24 2011...ive been busy so of course now im writing it up :]
my boyfriend had made reservations for my birthday (yes it is actually on the 24th- even our waitress questioned my bday hahha). he had made the reservations online and he had us seated in a cute, secluded little area and i was surprised to roses and balloons waiting there for me!
our waitress was awesome!i feelso bad for forgetting her name though...she was very funny, enthuastic, and actually cared about why we were there ...explained everything throughly since it was both our first time being there.
of course i yelped this place up and researched their menus like i always do for new places/spots. we did the classic four-course meal, ordered some alcohol (i order the sour patch -since ive heard so much raves about it) -it was dissapointing, our waitress had said they only had one bartender that night so thats why it took awhile but it was just not as expected :[
but OMFG, amazzzzzing food i must say!!! my bf and i LOVE interactive food resturants where you can do your own thangggand what not..and it was sucha great couple date night type of place to go to! LOOOOOOOOOVE the spinach artichoke dip and every dip they had when it came to our main course meal...love both the cheese and chocolate fondues. our bill came around $126 ish?
we are planning to come here again when we have extra $$ in our pocket! great place! -
Review from Colt S.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/3/2012
I thought the Melting Pot would be a good spot for a date, so I took out this girl I just met hoping for a cool dinner. The place felt a little too much like a chain restaurant for me considering how much more it is than say, Cheesecake Factory. It's a cool idea, but I can only put cheese on so many things before I need something different to eat.
I was blown away by the dessert we ordered and the service was very attentive, but I wouldn't recommend this place at the price of my bill. I couldn't have found better food or a better experience at a much smaller price. -
Review from Aimee A.
Torrance, CA
1/2/2012
I read the reviews before coming. I have to say, even though I sort of knew what to expect, what I braced myself for was the service. Would it be good, or would it fare poorly, leaving me to write a 3-star review?
Context: Hubby and I have desperately needed a date night, and this one was about two months overdue. But we booked the babysitter (re: niece), and had a gift certificate, and were ready to go.
Crystal was our server, and she was amazing. Really. Not just helpfully apologetic for mistakes, or overly cute, but really good. Attentive, careful as she mixed the sauces/broth, explanatory about what we were eating or doing. She made the evening an enjoyable one.
The food was good. We definitely would do a couple things differently next time, but suffice to say it was good. You really can't go wrong with a cheese fondue, a red wine broth, and rice krispie treats dipped in chocolate. DON'T get the "Big Night Out"...it looked very Americanized, and there didn't seem to be as much selection. We got the four course dinner, and were happy with the selections. In fact, I would try that four course dinner again, but with different selections within the courses.
And the drinks were fun. After two martinis, I was relaxed. I would go back again for another special occasion. -
Review from Tori S.
Redondo Beach, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've now been here twice and am still a bit undecided about this place. Love the idea but the food isn't that great. The setting is romantic and is a cute date place but the food is just ok. The dessert is yummy! Given that it is kinda pricey for not so great food I would recommend this place just for dessert (maaaybe one of the cheese fondues) and drinks
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Review from Mackenzie N.
Redondo Beach, CA
2/9/2012
i love this place
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Review from Travis L.
1/25/2012
It's quite strange to be writing this review after my third visit to The Melting Pot chain, since technically I went twice to the Georgia locations prior to this first visit to a California location. I have to say, they are quite consistent, and I was very pleased with my DineLA experience here.
The Melting Pot certainly makes clear that it'll be a pricey bit of fondue, but what I like most about the eating experience is the number of choices you do have. For the 4 course DineLA option, depending on the number of people, of course, you can pick any of the cheese fondue appetizers per pot available at the table. We went with two of my personal favorites: the Spinach Artichoke (fontina + butterkase, spinach, artichoke hearts) and the Wisconsin Trio (Fontina, Butterkäse and Buttermilk Bleu cheeses with white wine, scallions and a hint of sherry). They are great when paired together, so definitely get two different ones to mix and match. You're given an ample supply of bread, vegetables, and apples to dip. This can easily fill you up, but it's certainly worth eating to the very last drop of fondue.
Second, you are given a choice of salads. The California salad was quite good, especially with its raspberry black walnut vinaigrette, which is perfect after a heavy appetizer like cheese fondue. Aim for something to cleanse your palette, because you are going directly into the entree.
The DineLA menu offers a variety platter: Sesame-crusted ahi tuna, shrimp, angus sirloin, herb-crusted chicken breast and teriyaki sirloin. Honestly, each of these were extremely fresh, though I will say the teriyaki sirloin surpassed its angus counterpart. It certainly depends on what cooking style you choose. My favorites have always been the Mojo, which is a Caribbean style bouillon with a light citrus spice and garlic flavor to it, as well as the Coq Au Vin, which gives your meat that burgundy flavor that you know and love. These cooking styles don't do well, in my opinion, with the herb-crusted chicken, which gets tough very easily if you aren't watching it. The ahi tuna was the star, for sure, with its cooking time being barely seconds for that tender rare center cook. I've always loved their slew of sauces, as well, specifically the curry sauce, gorgonzola port, and the green goddess. The last one really works with the meat, especially if you are going with the bourguignonne hot oil cooking style.
Lastly, my favorite chocolate fondue option, the Yin and Yang (half dark, half white), comes with a tray of dipping items from cheesecake to red velvet cake bites. The bananas and strawberries really work well after a heavy entree, so it's a wonderful dessert, despite how rich it is.
However, I was a little disappointed with the early service I had in the evening, in which the lady seemed extremely terse and reluctant to let us go as a table to potentially have the 50% bar food. At 5 PM, there really wasn't enough business for her to be dragging her feet. However, afterward, our new waiter was quite attentive though the transition from course to course was a tad slow. I was also a little disappointed with the dessert quality, particularly the cheesecake.
I will say that the $34 for the DineLA meal made it worth it overall. My previous visits were certainly too expensive for more frequent visits. Worth coming to for special occasions, but really overpriced for fondue. With items like the PB&J dessert fondue, I feel like it's a tad gimmicky to "bring back classic American favorites." But what really wins for The Melting Pot is CHOICE. -
Review from Keela and mike E.
Santa Maria, CA
12/12/2011
The Melting Pot was probably our most romantic date thus far... We went on a cold windy night, which was cool for setting the mood. Upon arriving it was hard to find parking. ( driving around in the dark wit your girl friend blind folded can be a lil frustrating lol) but it wasn't too bad. When we arrived it was nice and dark with soft music playing. We got there at 7:15 with a 7:30 reservation so we were seated pretty fast. We ordered 2 Sour Patch martinis and man they were good . Sweet and tangy much better than I expected....
On to the Fondue! We had the Big Night Out which consisted of 4 courses. cheese fondue (spinach artichoke ), salad (Caesar) , main course(fondue feast w/ mojo cooking style), and dessert(Disaronno amaretto chocolate)... Everything tasted absolutely amazing and cooking our own food was pretty fun! The service was spotty but not terrible... Laura our server was nice and her recommendations were good. She panicked when I told here I was allergic to cilantro after she dumped it in our pot but, I was joking! Keela accused me of flirting, but I wasn't (ok maybe a lil) . It was kind of expensive ($140 including tip) but the food and experience was worth it. We did get full and we had a great time. If you want to do something special or different try The Melting Pot... -
Review from William C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/4/2012
So my girlfriend and I went there last night, and things didn't go well. We started in the bar and had a couple of cocktails, then as we were seated we NEVER had a waiter come by! Well never say never but i was done waiting after 20 mins. I did tell the manager, shorter blonde head guy, says " I'll take your order now" I'm standing at the front door. He said the host didnt tell the waiter we were there. Well if your going to have to restaurant soo dark lit a better system may wanna be in place! Or lower your prices so we dont expect great service. I owned a restaurant and these kind of things drive me nuts! I think i'll just keep going to authentic fondu places.
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Review from Lisa M.
Updated - 11/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Now, i LOVE me some good fondue!!! Melted cheese? Can't go wrong with that!!
Hubby and I came here for New Years a couple years ago, and returned for our anniversary last week. Then I went back a few nights later with my bestie. Yes, that's just how much I've missed dipping food into some cheese!
Their dessert fondue is the sh*t though. Seriously.Listed in: Delish Cuisine in the South…, Best on a Cold Day/Night
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/2/2009
We came here for dinner before heading out to party on New Years Eve, so it was pretty packed. I was… Read more »
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Review from Jamie A.
Updated - 11/17/2011
Their happy hour is fairly priced and if you enjoy cheese - you have to come here. The last two times, we arrived right at 5 pm and had the same server - Brandi who is always a doll! Anyways, Happy Hour has changed a little - cheese/choc fondue is now $6 a person. Bar items (like beef skewers and ahi tuna are still 50%, Salads are $5 and house wines are $5 a glass.
You can def get a good meal here and there is cheese for everyone. We usually get the original Swiss, but supposedly the artichoke one is the most popular. Sometimes the featured cheese is good, but other times it has too much going on like bacon or blue cheese.
Parking is easy and as long as you come during the week, it is pretty easy to find a spot at the bar. Plus, I can always go to Macy's right across the street afterwards!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/23/2011
They have a fresh & economical Happy Hour. $10/mini-cheese and chocolate fondue that feeds 2. They… Read more »
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Review from Emily C.
Torrance, CA
11/29/2011 4 photos
I came here with my boyfriend for the first time for our anniversary. It was the perfect place for this occasion because we were in a secluded booth with lots of privacy and it took us 3 hours to complete the meal!
We decided to go with the 4 course dinner instead of the big night out because we had more freedom to chose what we wanted. We got the spinach artichoke dip (amazing!!!!!), salad (they were ok), entree portion, and the dessert. For the entree all the meats were picked out but we got to chose what kind of broth we wanted and we went with the Mojo which is the Caribbean-seasoned bouillon with citrus flair. It went really well with all the meats. We were able to cook the meats and veggies pretty good and I loved all the dipping sauces. And of course the dessert was orgasmic. Who can complain about dipping strawberries into oozing chocolate??
We also ordered a bottle of white wine, and seriously best wine everrrrrrr! It was called Chateau St Michelle and it was a Pinot Gris. I would seriously bathe in this wine, it was so delicious. All in all everything was excellent, along with the service. Anthony was our server and he checked up on us just enough to not be annoying. And he explained everything really well and was a great conversationalist. We are definitely going back for more special occasions (because it is expensive) -
Review from Christine k.
Cambridge, MA
1/1/2012
This place is the biggest rip I've seen in a long time. Besides the fact that it's priced at $16 for a small pot of melted cheese (with a dash of other minimal ingredients--generic white wine, shallots, etc.) or melted chocolate, I was really flabbergasted by the fact that they don't give you any additional dippers upon request. We had half a pot of chocolate fondue left over when we ran out of all the dippers, and we politely asked our waiter if it was possible to get a few additional ones--anything would've sufficed, and we've frequented different Melting Pots enough times to know that it's been done before--but he told us he'd charge us for another order if we did. Another $16 for some additional slices of banana? Really?!?
I realize that French food, and fondue in particular, is relatively expensive and so didn't have a problem with the menu pricing, but this refusal to offer a few additional dippers with your purchase is just downright stingy.
That, and our service was non-existent. -
Review from Mary Y.
State College, PA
Fondue is FUN-due!
This location has reverse happy hour (10p-11p) at the bar only. That's when you can get much cheaper deals on fondue & drinks.
Ordered a glass of moscato that came in a champagne class and not a wine glass which was a bit annoying personally. Don't know if that was a mistake of the bartender or if that's normal but I didn't send it back. (Especially since it's $7, I should definitely be getting more than 4 oz.)
We waited about 20 minutes for a table. Ordered the traditional swiss fondue to start off with a savory taste. There was a weird taste that I think was a result of the brandy they mix in. There's lot of garlic in this so beware. The dipping options include veggies, small bread pieces and apple pieces.
For our sweet taste, we ordered the Yin-Yang but switched out the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.
Since we ordered 2 fondue options we went with the small portion which on the menu says it feeds 2 people but we were able to share with 4 people and the portion was perfect.
Service was slightly slower than I would have liked but I wasn't in a rush and came with friends so didn't mind talking until our server came to check on us.
This is definitely a great romantic spot to go on a date or even for a girls night out. The booths are fairly private too. -
Review from Tara K.
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh Melting Pot, I love you! This is my favorite place to come to for an occassion dinner, especially a date or anniversary. They have an area of the restaurant called "Lovers Lane" (I know, it's cheesy), which is made up of semi-private booths for two. And, when you make reservations you can add flowers or rose petals to your table - very nice touch.
For food, we always get the 4 course dinner. It starts with cheese fondue (swiss is my favorite), then a salad, then the meat fondue (wine and broth one is really good) and then dessert (oreo or smores will not let you down!). Make sure you leave room for dessert, in my opinion, it's the best course! If you do all 4 courses, be prepared to spend 2.5-3 hours there - more like an event than a meal (another reason it's a good date place).
Service is slow, but purposely so (again, date place). If you are looking to hurry it up, you'll definitely need to speak up. Though slow, it's attentive and friendly.
The only thing I dislike about this restaurant is the location. It's in a building with a bank and offices, so it looks like an office from the outside. Plus, the view from the window is of Hawthorne Blvd. I wish it were in downtown MB, HB or Redondo Village. -
Review from Queenof P.
Beverly Hills, CA
1/15/2012
not all its cracked up to be.
i took my new boss here for a celebratory dinner.
we had the beer cheddar appetizer, the steak and lobster main and the choc turtle chocolate fondue.
The dessert was to die for, everything else was average and not worth coming back for.
The worst happened at the end of the meal. since i was taking my new boss out, i paid for his meal and mine and handed them my very reliable credit card.
they came back and said it was cancelled. i gave them another, and another and another (including my debit card from my personal bank account).
each time they came back and said they were declined and gave me a filthy look and asked if i could "afford" to pay cash.
This went on for 15 minutes and the manager finally came over.
she said "oh yea, our internet and phone lines just went down, we cant process any cards right now"
so after they completely humiliated me in front of my new boss, after 30 minutes the lines went back up and my card was processed AGAIN. not once did they offer to knock anything off the bill. They could have at least comped our sodas!
will never go here again! -
Review from Amanda W.
Hawthorne, CA
1/2/2012
I would have given 5 stars until last night. It's a fun place to go, but the service isn't great. Went in last night was told there was a wait so we said we would sit at the bar. Never got asked if we wanted a drink or anything so I went to the front and got a table in the dinning area. Server was good didnt come over much though our entree was suppossed to have duck on it and didn't had to wait until we were basically done eating to say abything because that's when our server returned. All in all if this was my first experience I don't think i would go back. The manager didn't seem to care when I said we were never even acknowledged at the bar.
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Review from Hernano L.
Marina del Rey, CA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
The melting pot, soooo cheese and from the 80's.
A very depressive decoration. The food was ok, not a good place for a date. -
Review from Dave D.
Torrance, CA
9/9/2011
Went here for our 4th Wedding Anniversary. This a cozy place to take a date. The booths are just big enough for two people to spend an intimate time together. They also have tables for large parties.
The food is really tasty. We had the a thing called "The Big Night Out". This consist of a four course dinner that includes a cheese fondue an salad a choice of entrée and let's not forget the dessert. I won't even try to try and describe the dessert. Just know that it is incredible. My favorite part was the chocolate covered marsh mellow that you dip in the chocolate fondue with pecans. And I not a really big fan of
marsh mellows.
The last thing I want to mention is our Server. Her name was Eva. Could not be more of a delight. She was very helpful in explaining everything.
All in all. GO THERE. You'll Love it. -
Review from Simply A.
Altadena, CA
Ok so I guess I'm not a fan of the whole concept. I wanted to sit order and eat. Waiting for the food and remember that I'm cooking my own food at the table was more than I felt like doing, especially for the price.
The actual resturaunt was nice. We had a private section since it was a birthday celebration.
Our server JOHN was the BEST.
He suggested I try the drink Grapes of Wrath and OMG it was sooooooo good.
Overall great service but I guess I'm not the fondue type of gal. -
Review from Paul K.
9/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've always been a big fondue fan, and the Melting Pot gets most of it right. We generally get the four course meal, starting with the cheese (I recommend the traditional Swiss), a salad, a meat (coq au vin broth is pretty good) and then dessert. Food is always good, though it generally takes a long time- be prepared to spend 2+ hours for dinner.
They do have a number of semi-private booths, which makes this place very suitable for dates. -
Review from Julie F.
8/11/2011
I've had this place bookmarked for a long time. You don't see fondue restaurants very often (if ever) so this was definitely a unique place to try.
My friend and I shared the Latin America themed "Big Night Out" 4 course dinner. We had the Queso Fundido cheese fondue which had Fontina, Gruyere, and Gran Queso with jalepenos and bits of chorizo. For the salad, I chose the Shrimp Ceviche Salad. For the main course, we chose the Fondue Feast with filet mignon, chimichurri sirloin, garlic shrimp, mole-marinated chicken breast, citrus marinated pork tenderloin, and corn salsa ravioli with the Mojo cooking style. We ended the meal with the S'mores chocolate fondue which was so rich and decadent. We were pretty full by then.
It was a fun dining experience to dip and dunk the various pieces of bread and vegetables in the cheese fondue and to dip the various fruits and dessert treats into the chocolate fondue. Cooking the meats and vegetables in the broth at the table was also fun. Watch out for losing pieces of food in the pot! Be prepared to fish it out!
Although the prices are a bit expensive, the Melting Pot is a great place to try or to celebrate a special occasion. We both were quite impressed and happy with our experience. We wondered why we never tried it before given the fact that we pass the restaurant so often. -
Review from Alec D.
El Segundo, CA
7/21/2011
So the food is great! & I have been to many different melting pots, and had a great time, so why the the 2 star?
The service is absolutely terrible here. We went on a Saturday night, and there was no-one in the restaurant. Yet our waiter was more ghost than person. Appearing only now and again-- at about thirty minute intervals....
Fondue isn't huate cuisine here. It's diced up food and shredded cheese. But in this, again EMPTY, restaurant, it took OVER THREE HOURS to have dinner for four. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.... Actually, now I am taking my rating to a 1.
FIND A DIFFERENT MELTING POT TO GO TO
DO NOT GO HERE- SERVICE IS TERRIBLE
And not once did anyone apologize for the wait..... -
Review from Amanda J.
Huntington Beach, CA
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Do you even need to write a review for this place?! Ive been to other melting pots as well and they ALWAYS have great service and food. We always go for the Big Night Out dinner and never are disappointed. We came here for Mother's day as well, it was nice and decent price but they only had one set menu. Drinks are always great too!
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Review from Siqi Z.
6/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The chocolate dessert fondue is yummy and fun. I've tried the milk chocolate and the white chocolate and was really happy with both. Each time, it motivated me to do make chocolate fondue at home. My recommendation is just come here for dessert.
The main meal we had was overpriced because the portions were small, not very fresh, and weren't helped by the handful of lame sauce options. For starters the spicy cheese fondue wasn't spicy at all and tortilla chips were not fresh. Fresh ingredients and vegetables are a key to good hot pot. Those weren't here. Then the meat course had beef, chicken, and fish. The only one that was worth trying again was the beef. -
Review from duke c.
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fun!
There's something about being hands-on that makes eating much more enjoyable and at Melting Pot, I believe they got that right on. Half of the fun of Melting Pot is the prep in front of you, almost like a show, letting you how a fondue is prepared or how to cook your entree.
Since it was my first time at Melting Pot, we decided to get a cheese fondue to share between the two of us. Got the Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue which is Gruyère and Emmenthaler Swiss cheeses with white wine, garlic, nutmeg, lemon and Kirschwasser. It's fun to watch our server prep the pot in front of us: melting the cheese, adding spices, and tempting it. The fondue was great since we're both huge fans of garlic, but what really surprised us was the Kirshwasser. Kirschwasser is a cherry liquor, or brandy, as our server likes to call it. Before she added it, she mentioned that 2-3 drops of it goes a long way and man, she was right. In the beginning, very strong alcohol flavors permeates through. That first initial bite was almost like taking a shot, with cheese! Definitely more of an adult flavor :P
They provided two kinds of bread (rosemary & honey wheat), veggies, and apples for the cheese pot. The bread is great for dipping since it's a dense, thick type of bread and hold the cheese very well. Honey wheat bread is awesome. Next time maybe I'll just ask for that only instead of both variety.
Also ordered two plates of salad to try: California and the Spinach Mushroom. Our favorite turned out to be the Spinach Mushroom. It's more of a savory salad, with bacon and portobello mushrooms. The California had a lot of Gorgonzola, which some people will love, but it was a little too much for me.
For dessert, we decided to get the Big Night Out special at the time, which was the Dark and Dulce Chocolate Fondue. Bittersweet dark chocolate with dulce de leche is the main star of the pot. Not too sweet, which is perfect for me. They enhance it by adding coarse sea salt for that sweet & salty combination. Comes with strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, Rice Krispies Treats, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies for you to dip. All are good for dipping and I love letting the marshmallows sit for a little bit in the warm chocolate to kinda soften it up.
At $16 a pot for both the cheese and the chocolate fondue, it is a little steep for the amount of food you get. Same with the salad, at $7 a plate. Definitely go for the happy hour, which you can only get at the bar. A pot is $10, which is a super good deal!
Service was great! We were seated in a small booth that's sorta isolated from everyone, with a nice view looking towards Hawthrone. Even though we were isolated, our water and teas were constantly refilled and she came by quite often to check on how we were doing.
Melting Pot provides a fun way to eat your food to share among friends, as well as a romantic atmosphere! -
Review from Glenda C.
Culver City, CA
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good for couple looking for a romantic place to dine and dessert. We went here for my birthday and its bum. Though we spent $125, its a little pricey for 2 people. We got the dinner package deal as suggested by our waiter since its our first time in the restaurant. The serving isnt that many but we were stuffed.
After the main course, we cant move as its very heavy. I did leave some space for dessert then again, it was very satisfying. -
Review from Elisha G.
5/14/2011
I loveee love love melting pot, but this location is kind of meh... We came here like a week after valentine's day and it seemed like they were still suffering from the aftermath.
They were pretty skimpy on the meat portions, and the service was so slow, even though there was hardly anyone there. The servers in san jose and dallas just seem way better. Additionally, maybe something was wrong with the burner, but even on the highest setting, our fondue never got that hot...
We had a reservation for later in the evening, but nevertheless we had a reservation. Anyway, we felt they were rushing us during our meal... I don't know, if you want people to leave earlier then set your latest reservation time earlier. Don't allow people to make late reservations then want them to hurry up! -
Review from Natali B.
Torrance, CA
7/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went there a year ago with by husband and our son, and we were pretty disappointed when we finished, we felt it was expensive and we were still hungry , so we said we will never come back!
BUT last night I went out with my friends and someone suggested to go there for desserts so I thought ," ok it can't be that bad" we got there and got a table right away without a reservation in a private room :D , we got our desserts with our 3 chocolates that were so yummy!!! our server was awesome his name is Eddie and he explained to us all the fun stuff that this place offers! So I guess I will be coming back here and giving this place a second chance ! -
Review from Cici C.
Torrance, CA
8/12/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I love coming to The Melting Pot! Any excuse is a good excuse, but I just have to make sure I have enough money, heh.
Personally I cannot understand the bad reviews stating that their service was terrible. I've only had one negative experience, but that was only once and the server himself wasn't bad. Just seemed like he was having an off night (brought us the wrong cheese fondue and we had a complicated billing issue that ended up getting straightened out), but he was always attentive and friendly. All the other times I have been here were always fantastic.
The food is delicious! My only tip is that if you get the French Quarter, be sure to check if your meat has been over-seasoned. It happened to us once, but didn't happen the next time we visited (and we didn't make a request to our server about it either). I think so far my favorite cheese fondue is the spinach & artichoke, but the Wisconsin Trio is pretty good as well.
Their cocktails are pretty good as well. Always depends on who the bartender is, but I've had no complaints about my drinks.
Unless you're scarfing down your courses, I find it hard to not be full when I leave. In fact, the last visit I had I was quite stuffed to the gills. Because of the eating style and the timing of when they bring out the next course, you have some rest time and that allows your stomach to recognize how full you actually are.
I'll keep coming back whenever I get the chance. -
Review from linda a.
Torrance, CA
4/11/2011
This place is so over-rated and so over-priced that I want to personally throttle the owners. I took a companion there recently for a birthday dinner, not knowing how expensive it was. OK, so it was expensive. But for that kind of money ($165.00 total, including tax & tip, for 2 people who each had 2 drinks & shared dessert), I want something really memorable.
Everything is "extra." Hell, the fondue is an extra charge. WTF!? Shouldn't that be part of the cost of the food you choose? Or am I crazy? OK, never mind.
At one point, our waitron, who up until that point had been fabulous, completely vanished for over 15 minutes. After sitting there with empty glasses (both wine and water) for a LOOOOONG time, I finally walked over to the host stand and complained. Our drinks were delivered ASAP. But still. The damage was done.
The quality of the food is mediocre, at best. Don't eat here. -
Review from Cynthia D.
Torrance, CA
10/26/2011
Good service. Poor ambiance. Terrible value - overpriced to say the least. Taste isn't amazing.
-
Review from Kalin M.
Boise, ID
4/3/2011
I love the melting pot, and I usually go to the one in Pasadena, but since this one was closer, I decided to try it out. My friend and I decided to treat ourselves for our birthday, and made a reservation. After we got there, it took like 20 minutes to get seated in a very empty restaurant. It then took another 20 minutes just for a diet coke. This little 20 minute pattern occurred throughout the whole entire night! Our server would be totally M.I.A. for the longest periods of time, it was ridiculous. At one point my friend started eating snacks out of her bag. Kinda ghetto but desperate times call for desperate measures! The s'more fondue was amazing though, but the wait for it wasn't too lovely.
2.5 stars 'cause I got a little birthday card. woo hoo. -
Review from Ann N.
Redondo Beach, CA
5/26/2011
So I went there last night with my friend for the first time and we shared the four course dinner. We started out with the Spinach Cheese dip for the appetizer, then we shared the California salad and the Spinach Mushroom salad, then we shared the chicken, beef, pork and shrimp entree with the mojo cooking style and then ended the night with the Flaming Turtle chocolate fondue. All I have to say is YUM!
Now mind you this took about 2 1/2 hours. If you are short on time, do not go here. Everything is slowly cooked. I was stuffed when we left. Next time I would probably only do the appetizer and dessert because those were my favorite parts and the real fondue stuff. The meats were good and the salads were just okay.
Now on to service! Crystal was our server and she was absolutely amazing! I would definitely request her if you can. She is funny, attentive and great!
I thought the price was not bad considering all you got. It was $86 without tax and tip for the 2 of us for four courses.
Parking was a little weird. You have to make a right onto Carson off of Hawthorne and then a right into the driveway which will take you into a garage and then there are a bunch of 20 minute parking spots right by the entrance to Melting Pot, which are fine to park in long term at night. -
Review from Oliver D.
Carson, CA
4/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I can give this place some solid 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but you consistently have to sit there with a stop watch in your hand (really we did that) and check that your meat is just right and not overcooked or still raw. That all requires some attention from you and will take away some quality time!!
The ambiance: Nice, very romantic, you get your own 2 person booth and see no other people in the restaurant for the entire night.
The cook: YOU!!
The food: well since this is fondue, you get all the meats and veggies served in a bowl and than you have to prepare it yourself, which is a lot of fun at the beginning, but after a while you are either missing some meet on your plate or some veggies, since it was not ready at the same time.
It is fun, but takes quite a while to prepare and gets a little boring at the end.
The Service; Great friendly service who know what kind of food they sell and who can give you professional recommendations
The price: too high, since they serve you everything raw and you have to cook it yourself.
But it is really nice if you are looking to go on a romantic date. -
Review from Milee S.
6/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've always loved the Melting Pot when I lived on the East Coast, so I knew what to expect when dining at the ones on the West Coast. This Melting Pot did not disappoint. This was my first time for a happy hour, though.
It can be a little hard to find. As others said, parking is behind the building, in a very funky parking lot. Parking is free though. The happy hour is set in the bar, with mostly seafood type appetizers. We had some crab bruschetta, lobster quesadillas, and some others. All snacks are half off, before 7 so it's worth coming for that! I also got a nice glass of wine, and the selection is decent.
We ended our evening with the dark chocolate fondue. It was great and they even brought out extra oreo marshmallows for us. Overall, a great evening, good food and service and not too pricey! -
Review from Renee S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/14/2011
So I love the Melting Pot. And I've been to several locations over several years. But I've never had service as bad as I've had at this particular Melting Pot. Our service was so slow that our meal took about 3 1/2 hours. We had an 8:30 reservation for 15, but we ended up only having 13. It seemed like since our reservation was late, that they must have let most of the staff go for the night, because they were woefully understaffed for our group. Which I could have understood if we had just walked in. But we had a reservation, and a reservation for more people that we actually ened up having. Most of the night we just had 1 poor server trying to wait on everyone. Which would be a lot of work for 1 person at a normal restaurant, but at the Melting Pot, its a nearly impossible feat. So I feel for our waiter, he really tried, but he just wasn't enough. There should have been at least 1 other server. We sat down at 8:45, and didn't even order desert til about 11:40, because it took so long to get our first 3 courses, and our drinks.
Other than that, the food was awesome. The Melting Pot has made some menu changes since the last time I went. I really missed the chocolate fondue that had Bailey's in it. Our server was really accomodating with the menu. He let me and my friend that ordered the 4 course dinner swap out the beef for extra chicken and shrimp because neither of us eat beef. Which was cool of him, especially since he had so much going on trying to wait on such a big group with little to no help.
I love the Melting Pot, but I think if I were go again, I'd go to a different location. -
Review from Mal N.
Torrance, CA
6/15/2011
My experience at the Melting Pot was phenomenal. This swanky, romantic mood-lit restaurant does not just offer a high-quality delicious meal, but a complete experience. The dinner menu features an assortment of cheese fondues including creamy artichoke and aromatic seasoned vegetable broths infused with red-wine for self-cooking their signature dishes such as The Vegetarian, Seafood Trio and Land and Sea. Each meal is presented beautifully with an array of fresh vegetables and six unique dipping sauces. The fondue extravaganza is then followed by a succulent chocolate fondue of your choice including their original peanut butter-chocolate creation, dark, milk, white or even Baily's Irish Cream, served with just as delectable fresh strawberries, bananas, brownies and other fine treats.
The Melting Pot's high end cuisine is accompanied by knowledgeable and friendly service. Our server Patrick explained the menu in detail and provided my date and I with excellent recommendations. The food was served in a timely manner and the server's enthusiasm and patience really made our experience exciting and pleasant.
The fondue restaurant went above and beyond my expectations in fact, it is my new favorite spot! So, treat your date or get your friends together for a sensual and adventurous experience that is The Melting Pot. -
Review from Phil K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/22/2011
Dear Melting Pot in Torrance,
YOU SUCK.
I had reservations at 8, but I was late and got here at 8:20. The VERY RUDE HOSTESS explained that we would have to wait 45 minutes!!! WTF!!! The restaurant was half empty. She told us that we could sit at the bar. So we did. We waited and waited and waited and waited and waited. When finally someone at the bar showed up, it was another RUDE PERSON and said in a very impolite manner that she would be right with us. It took her such a long time and she did not even give us the menu. When I finally reached boiling point, I LEFT THE RESTAURANT WITHOUT EATING and went to the car to call them to complain.
So I spoke to the manager, who sounded more like the rude hostess, and told her everything. She tried to explain that the restaurant did not have enough waiters to serve us, that is why we were not seated even though the restaurant was half empty. Are you serious??? So the restaurant is not staffed to serve the restaurant when it's full or EVEN WHEN IT'S HALF EMPTY!!! So why the #$#@ did she tell us to go to the bar??? Even if I was late, shouldn't there be an extra waiter??? In my opinion, they just did not want to serve us even though it is CLEARLY STATED THAT THEY CLOSE AT 10PM. It was only 8:30.
I have been to the Melting Pot in Irvine and Pasadena and I have never been treated this BAD. I was always promptly seated. Looking at the other reviews about the Melting Pot in Torrance, it sounds like they are very disorganized. If you want to eat at this Melting Pot because it's close, DONT. It is better for you to drive a long time than to come here.
TO THE MANAGERS AND STAFF of Melting Pot in Torrance, please do something about your restaurant. If you do not get better in terms of organization, management and service, I would not be surprised if you guys do not have a job anymore in a couple of months. It is not a surprise that you guys have very bad ratings here.
