The Melting Pot

Went there for my anniversary dinner, tipped 10% because the waitress wasn’t very good. The waitress added 25 extra dollars to my tip AND didn’t give me a receipt. Don’t go to this establishment if you don’t want to be ripped off into tipping 30%.

Went this evening (3^rd visit) for our anniversary dinner. Tonight has to have been our most best experience :) Mike, our server, was amazing just as he was on our last visit. Extremely informative and attentive. The food, from the cheese fondue to the chocolate fondue, was DELICIOUS! Only small thing was the ceaser salad s had a bit too much dressing, but even that was sooo yum! Thank you for making a special moment even more amazing!

I am at the restaurant right now but could not wait any longer to let people know what terrible service my family and I received. We had reservations but had to wait for 20 minutes for a table. Our server, Ashley, has disappeared numerous times. They ran out of the andouille sausage in my husband’s dish. He was offered a substitute but she disappeared again. We asked another server to find her and the manager, Dave came over to inquire what we needed. We explained about the sausage/​steak issue. Guess who appeared 5 minutes later? Ashley — no apologies or explanation as to why there has been such long absences. Dessert was delicious! But it’s over 3 hours since we arrived and Ashley forgot to apply our Groupon.
Dinner is over and so is our patience. This is my first and only time at this Melting Pot.

we started off bad due to a miserable employee who was not excited to be there or be friendly at all. 25 minutes had passed and we didn’t get our drinks and he hadn’t come back. Thankfully I flagged down another waiter and he became our waiter for the night which was an amazing experience. He was knowledgable and friendly and very sweet. The manager also came over and apologized for the first waiter and ended up accepting a coupon and took care of a few things on our bill. all in all its a fun experience and they handled the situation very well!

I’ve been to this melting pot as well as Albany many times. Usually we have a great experience but the last 2 times in Poughkeepsie we’ve had problems.
My husband, daughter and I visited on Wednesday, December 30. I really wanted to go for lunch but they don’t open until 4pm. We decided to do our shopping first and end with dinner instead. We came from 45 minutes away. The first problem was the lack of heat. I understand we were coming in when they first opened but it was cold. I had to leave my jacket on and I had my husband’s jacket on. The manager said he’d look into turning up the heat but the waiter said they get that complaint alot.
We decided to just have 3 courses as it is expensive. I ordered hot tea and iced tea but the waiter said I couldn’t have hot tea because they were out of tea bags. The cheese took a long time to come out. The waiter brought it with the bread and vegetable dippers but said the green apples had just come in and he’d bring them out when they were ready. Our bread was stale and when we got to the bottom of the vegetables, the dish was dirty. I went in search for the manager and explained that this was not Melting Pot quality. While discussing our concerns with him our waiter brought the dish of green apples out. My daughter dumped them on her plate and THAT DISH WAS DIRTY TOO. The manager did not charge us at all and expressed his regrets.
Over the summer when I took my daughter there we were seated by the kitchen. The kitchen staff was busy dropping the F bomb. I am not a prude, however, this is an UPSCALE dining experience and I don’t want to listen to that language. When I said something to the waitress she said I spoke to them but you know how kitchen staff can be.
I don’t think I will be returning to Poughkeepsie. I will drive the extra 15 minutes and go to Albany if I’m in the mood. They are owned by the same family but I have never had a problem at that location.
Poughkeepsie has a long way to go.

Way overpriced! The food was okay but not worth the money. It’s a gimmick and kind of annoying. Maybe it’s okay if you just go for dessert but I will not return.

I’ve been here twice and both have been good experiences. Both times I’ve used a Groupon which I honestly wouldn’t recommend doing it any other way because the cost can easily and quickly add up!
It’s a long experience eating here if you do a multiple course meal. Our last visit, we had a private table (very cozy and intimate) and we were there for almost three hours. It can get a little tedious cooking everything and you fill up quickly. I definitely want to try just going for dessert and sitting in the bar area.
I would highly recommend trying the Melting Pot for the experience alone, but the food is really delicious and it’s fun!

I went here for my bday dinner.
The place was empty. My bf and i were the only customers there.
The server i had was a man. Forgot his name but very attentive and took care of us well.
The food was great except for the money we spent there, the portions were extremely small. My bf was still hungry even after the 4 course meal!
Melting pot is still one of my fav restaurants. I always come here for a special occasion. My bf said its once in a lifetime occasion. Lol

Very Attentive and professional service!
Amy Ricotta is very pleasant and friendly.
Thank very much

This place is really a gimmick. An experience. That’s what they’re charging you exorbitant amounts of money for. The portions are small, and the vegetarian options lack imagination. The fondu was certainly tasty, but really is not worth the price.
It is certainly a fun experience, however, and aside from my wallet heaving a dry sigh every time I glanced at the menu, I enjoyed my time at the Melting Pot. The staff was very friendly and able. Genuinely friendly, not the kind of I-​hate-​my-​life-​and-​need-​to-​force-​myself-​to-​smile-​lest-​I-​get-​fired friendly (which, as we all know, is far to rare now these days).
I would recommend checking it out if you’re willing to pay more than 25 $ per head. It’s worth going to once, but not as a repeat customer. Once you’ve had the experience, the food isn’t good enough to return for.

Food Is fresh, cheese is excellent and so is the dessert chocolate sauces. Décor is modern and neat, with granite counter/​table tops. They use high quality cheese and Chocolate. Now, the price: This place charges too much, especially since its guests to do the cooking. There is no reason why three fondue cooked courses (One cheese, one broth and one chocolate) should end up costing over $ 100 for two, especially when chefs aren’t preparing our food. The meat/​veggie/​desert portion sizes we are given are on the small side considering the price. To finish on a high note however, the complimentary desserts at the end congratulating our engagement was nice and our server went out of his way and was welcoming. Bottom line is, it is a nice, engaging experience, but be prepared to spend money.

As a family, wanted to do something different for a Father’s Day dinner and had a most enjoyable dinner.
Everything was top notch, appetizer, salads, main course and desserts.
The restaurant is run extremely well with a knowledgeable serving staff.
Can’t wait to return as this was our first visit to this location!!!
Thanks folks for a most delightful dinner.

The server was friendly. She tried hard – I think – but honestly, the service was awful.
We were there for FOUR HOURS… A group of six. We got there at 7, & the place was almost empty: should’ve realized that was a sign. It took 45 minutes to get just the drinks brought out– and it went downhill from there. There is no doubt the food is good, but they took forever to change the courses, brought us the wrong items, & left us alone. After we finished dessert, it took another 35 minutes to get the coffee/​check brought out– after we asked for it. Pretty ridiculous. It was an adventure, to say the least, & would’ve been a fun experience if not for the terrible service. They did take the drinks off our tab, though, which we appreciated.
We were the last to leave in the place, because they pretty much ignored us – even when the place was empty. The DISHWASHER actually came out to get our plates, and acted annoyed that we were still there, since it was 11 & the place closed at 10: «I gotta go pick up my son.» Seriously? All we wanted to do was get the heck outta there!

I had to give it a one star they didn’t deserve that I’ve been to this Location several times before so I know what their service is like and was truly disappointed that this was the worst absolute worst service I’ve had at any restaurant I’ve been to it took them 10 minutes to come and take our order the waiter was not familiar with that The cooking concept of fondue he was nervous and very new poorly trained the food was not acceptable they provide 4 bite size pieces of shrimp, chicken an sirloin, the portions were not enough to satisfy anyone. This was a Major disappointment for me. Will not go back to the Melting Pot in the Poughkeepsie Mall.

Had an ok experience, but the waiter insulted my intelligence a little. After we finished our cheese course, I noticed that the dish the vegetables were served was dirty. I brought it to his attention and he told me it was normal and that they just ordered more, so they would be better on my next time there. Not only have I worked in a kitchen, but low and behold I have dishes at home. I know what a dirty dish looks like.

Great options for gluten sensitive or Celiac diners. Plan on two hours or more for dinner, mainly because you will be cooking your main course table side piece by piece. Sauces paired well with proteins and the veggies.
The chocolate pot at the end is the perfect end to a great night out! This is not a once a week, or even a once a month destination, but perfect for the occasional leisurely paced evening that avails itself to plenty of time for conversation. We can’t wait to bring out of town guests here this summer.

The server was friendly. She was the bartender and a bit busy. We were celebrating our son’s birthday. They asked several times if it was a special occasion we confirmed and they didn’t acknowledge it in any special way. A bit disappointed by that.
The portion for the price was stingy. The fruit tasted like it was cut with a knife that cut garlic. Got the bacon and jalapeño cheese fondue but they didn’t put in jalapenos and they used way to many shallots. You couldn’t tell there was bacon in it.
Did tell server and she informed the manager. She told us he was going to come speak with us. After 15 minutes of waiting we left.
But all in all we still enjoyed our time with each other. I would not do it again.

3 course.
Great cheese and cooking bullion!
Slow service on a busy night but it gave you time to digest between courses.
Dessert worth the wait! Would go again.

Always in search of good happy-​hour specials in my area, I happened to find out that the Melting Pot has a to-​good-​to-​pass-​up deal!
Mon-​Friday from 4−6pm, if you sit at or in the bar area, you get your choice of cheese or chocolate fondue for $ 5, wine by the glass for $ 5 and beer for $ 3.
My husband and I each had a cheese fondue, I had a decent Pinot Noir and he had Sam Adams Oktoberfest.
The place was literally DEAD, our server was nice, explained the menu and how the tabletop fondue set up worked. He made our fondue at the table and told us that we could have refills of dipping items, which consisted of three kinds of bread, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes and apples. The fruit and veg were all fresh, but the bread would have been better if it was a bit on the stale side.
The regular menu looks pretty pricey, but you really can’t go wrong for happy-​hour. And even though I prefer to ‘fondue’ at home, this turned out to be a nice date-​night alternative.

My friend took me and 2 other people (4 in total) for a celebratory meal (graduating from Culinary Institute of America (CIA)) on a Thursday afternoon around 4:30. Because of his expertise with food, I am happy to be able to report that he helped me create this review. He chose the Melting Pot because he’s had pleasant experiences at other Melting Pots, although he was never at this one prior to our visit.
Décor
— It pretty nice, darker colors, modern look, dimly lit with candles. My friend didn’t like that it was situated inside the mall. He explained most of the other Melting Pot’s are set in nicer environments.
— It was completely dead. Ironically my friend made reservations. When we got there, there was no one there. After we left about 1.5 hrs later, we were still the only ones there.
Food
— not bad food, but way over priced for the quality & taste — $ 160 for 4 people before tip. Shabu-​shabu to me is more affordable, tastier, and there’s a larger selection of meats & veggies to choose from.
— We got the pre-​fixed meals. Salad, then the meats and veggies, and then the chocolate fondues. For every 2 people, you are afforded one fondue pot, so we had 2 pots in total.
— Salad was pretty good, nothing spectacular.
— A couple plates small to mediumish sized of meat and veggies. The quality of the meet was pretty good. It came with some dipping sauces as well. The soup base wasn’t bad either.
— Dessert was also a couple small to mediumish sized dishes with cubes of brownies, cheese cakes, and rice crispies.
Service
— My friend explained that service is usually better at Melting Pots. He said his servers from his previous experiences put on a «good show» in regards to prepping the fondue pots.
— Although the manager who seated us was friendly and checked up on us at the end of the meal, the server (although friendly) delivered unspectacular service. Her spilling water accidentally all over my friend when we first sat down kind of foreshadowed the service to come.