Melting Pot- Downer's Grove

Just went recently for our anniversary. I booked a table online just in case. I put the occasion was for our anniversary. The staff all signed a card for us. Really nice. Food was great and service was Great! Wife just surprised me with my birthday dinner here and as usual, great time!

I didn't know what type of restaurant this was before coming. I wasn't thrilled about doing my own food. Then once everything came together it was fun. Something different to share with my family. It was my son's idea for his 23rd birthday. Everyone had a great time. We did hope for better pairing of veggies and fruits to go with the cheese. The potatoes, zucchini, carrots and even mushrooms were ok but I couldn't get with the apples and there was too much bread. Crackers and pretzels would have been a good addition. Mike the bartender was personable and connected with my grandson who made his day. Our server Devin was attentive and explained everything very well. All-in-all we had a nice time.

Writing a review solely because of Ken. Charismatic, knowledgeable, and hands down one of the best servers I have encountered. He made my time here for my fiancée’s birthday special and enjoyable. Would come back to have Ken be my server. Would serve Ken myself if he gave me the chance. Genuinely a great time because of him.

I have heard of this establishment many times and finally got to try it! My patner and I enjoy visiting new restaurants every time we go on a date, and this experience was amazing. We were new to fondue, and our server Kelly was so kind and knowledgeable when explaining the menu options and how to make the most of our night. Expect a longer (but far more interesting and fun!) dining experience, as you cook your own meal at the table. We took Kelly's recommendations, and it was perfect! Plus, you get to watch your cheese be made at the table. We got some extra seasonings for the cheese. My favorite was the bacon and parmesan cheese together. It took a little longer for our drinks from the bar to arrive, but she let's us know and made sure we still had water on the table during the wait. Would highly recommend for a perfect date night or celebration with family.

My 1st time here & while waiting on our table, we talked to the nicest bartender ever. Once we got our table, we had the nicest server ever, Tia that explained everything to us. They have nice staff & we'll be back for another date night for sure. *Parking is a bit tight.

TLDR: Expensive dinner, come on an empty stomach. 5/5 experience, 6/5 service, 5/5 food. Recommends others to try, will be back to try more. Good experience, we came here as a party of 14 and had a great time. It was a little slow to start but maybe that was because we were all very hungry. But once it started it didn't stop. Most of us did the 4 course meal that included picking a cheese fondue, salad, entree, and chocolate fondue. Be warned it is pricy, but would be back to try more. Service: Would give 6/5 stars. It was excellent. The staff was very attentive and helpful. The main waiter at our table was very friendly. We tossed jokes around and he gave us great service. Food: Holy cow there was a lot. First off we had the Classic Alpine cheese fondue, served with veggies, bread, and apples. They don't bring a lot out right away, but don't be fooled you can keep asking for your favorite dipping item when it runs low or out until the cheese is gone! The next menu item I experienced was their caeser salad, with the parmesan-dusted pine nuts. Those pin nuts packed a lot of flavor and added to the salads taste. After salad was finished up we moved on to the entrees in which we had to choose a cooking style. Our table tried the Mojo. Which worked out very well with the side veggies of potato, broccoli and mushrooms. For the main dish I got the Pacific Rim. Included was teriyaki marinated sirloin, honey orange duck breast, shrimp, and chicken dumplings. All of which were phenomenal, however I personally was not a fan of the duck's marinade. During this course you could also ask for more veggies for the table. And to finish off the night we got the chocolate s'mores fondue, which came with a variety of dessert assortment. By that time you should be stuffed and barely have room for dessert, however as we all know there is ALWAYS room for dessert. All in all, no one left hungry. I would recommend to others but make sure you give yourself a decent sized budget for it. I will be back to try other options.

We took my baby here for her 13th birthday and they went all out for her! The manager that night was professional and courteous(Rick). He took care of every concern and the waitress he gave us(Joy) was nothing short of AMAZING!!! They were the greatest team and he even brought her a rose and helped us with the birthday “song”! Joy our waitress made the night special and was super fun and accommodating too. She even helped us with our family photo after dinner!!! Thanks melting pot for being amazing and helping my Husband and I make the greatest memories with our girls!!!!

Such a good place! Food was awesome and the experience overall was great! Service was really kind and friendly which is rare these days thank you!

Very nice experience. Did the dinner for 2 and got the full cheese/meat/fondue. All was so nice. Took a but for each course but their was 8 of us and a Saturday so it was to be expected.

We go once a year. Everytime we go it's always a nice experience. Especially when they do nice things for Valentine's Day/10 year Anniversary.

Our 10 and 12 year old daughters wanted to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary with us. My husband and I have been there before but not our girls and I knew they were kid friendly. We had reservations and were seated right away. Our 12 year old is a very particular eater and she ate everything from the cheese, entree and chocolate menu! Kevin was our guide. I called him that because he truly guided us through the menu and what would be best. Even the drink suggestion was spot on! He was attentive and funny. Kevin was amazing!! My family truly enjoyed ourselves!

Huge shout out to our server Ferrah (I am so sorry if I misspelled that!) For making this one unforgettable experience. She was super friendly, extremely accommodating and helpful. Food was excellent and truly a place I will go back to. By the time our dining experience was over I could hardly move with the amount of food we were served and ai ate. My one minor complaint is the tables are a little small and spaced tightly amongst each-other. Even with that being said, from start to finish our dining experience was delightful. We had rose petals on the table, lit dinner with a half dozen roses to celebrate a 2 year anniversary for my girlfriend and I. They even served a decorative plate saying happy anniversary written in chocolate with our dessert which I found super kind. If you've never been and are thinking of going, definitely reserve a table and enjoy one amazing experience. Ferrah thank you for helping us celebrate tonight, and thank you for your kindness and great service. Keep up the amazing work!!! - Billy and Lizzy

I came in around 5:30pm to celebrate my nephews birthday! He’s never been to a restaurant where you cook your own food so he was excited. Service: 10/10! Our server was AJ and he was just the most knowledgeable server and full of amazing energy! He helped break down the entire menu and how to order and what he recommended (I always appreciate that). He was very attentive and moved swiftly. Food: 9/10! I really liked the course entree. The Caesar salad was so flavorful and the dressing they used was outstanding. I got the cheddar cheese and it was so good with the broccoli. For my main course I chose the classic bundle of protein: steak, teriyaki steak, chicken, and shrimp. I got a boiling pot with a Caribbean broth for my veggies to boil in and I got a grill to grill my meats/seafood. I really enjoyed the variety of sauces you could pair your food with! I definitely used the sour cream and chives for my boiled potatoes and it was soooo tasty. The kids enjoyed their chicken and steak as well and had a lot of fun cooking it and dipping everything in the pots. The chocolate was my favorite part. It was so yummy with the bananas and strawberries!!! I liked the cake bundts too. Overall, I great establishment. I would just suggest maybe offering seasoning other than black pepper so people can season their chicken 😊

Amazing cheese but there was more bread and veggies than the cheese and preferred if there was more air conditioning

Veronica!!! You are truly amazing, thank you for being a fantastic waitress. You explained everything beautifully. This was such a wonderful experience for me and my sister's. Thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

This place is a gem, such a fun experienceand the staff is great! Rick the GM stopped by and checked on us several times, made us feel right at home! Can't wait to go back for my wife's birthday

My wife graduated from Navy Boot Camp and they didn’t open until five but I explained the situation and my wife needs to be back by seven so they opened up early just for us. They are so accommodating and friendly. I would definitely recommend coming to this location. The manager is great, which is Lindsay Barker and our server was Michael. They were both fantastic and they gave us a good experience that we will never forget.

Thank you so much Mike for an amazing first time at the Melting Pot! We can not wait to be back. We just have to let our tummies digest for about 6 months. LOL!

We love the melting pot and have gone to many locations throughout the US including Hawaii. It's a unique dining experience for a couple or small adult group. It's generally a quiet environment so you can have a nice conversation over dinner. If you get the full experience and a glass of wine expect to pay $150.00 for two people with tax and tip. You can of course come for just desert fondue or not have full experience which includes cheese fondue, salad, main course fondue and desert fondue. We brought our two kids one time and they enjoyed it but my daughter who was 10 at the time ate very little and so I did not feel we got our money's worth on what we spent on her or my son to enjoy full experience. Again they are not trying to cater to family's and so not really a complaint. from the web site for kids: Create your entrée by choosing three items cost $13.95. Make it a Kids Combo by adding cheese and chocolate fondue +$17. They are also very accommodating my wife can't eat most seafood so they always let her add more of something else in the combo to substitute out seafood.

We went for a birthday celebration and our server Veronica was simply amazing! She was very patient and accommodating to the needs of the entire group and gave us an excellent experience. We would come back for such good fun and service.

Haven’t been to a melting pot in years and we forgot how great it was! Food was excellent, our server Victoria was exceptional and the manager Rick was super friendly and helpful. We will definitely be coming back to this location

We've been to another melting pot location several times and fell in love with the experience. We moved and this location is now the closest to us so we thought we would try it out for our wedding anniversary. Everything was phenomenal. The food was amazing as always but the service was some of the best I've ever had. Our server was very busy with several tables however we never felt neglected or rushed. The manager was helping refill glasses and bring out food - the sign of a great leader as he could have let his staff struggle but he was on the floor helping. To top it all off they called the next day to wish us a happy anniversary again! I am so impressed and can't wait to go back.

We had a reservation. Got there early they seated us quickly. Server was attentive and fairly quick. Food was fresh and good.

The Melting Pot is an experience! From the moment you walk in, the ambiance is perfect for a special night out. Rick the manager stopped by multiple times to ensure everything tasted good and complimented the night with some Champaign for our special occasion! The spinach artichoke fondue is a must-try, and the 4 course entree is high-quality! But the chocolate fondue? Unforgettable! Our server John, was attentive and made the whole evening even better. Highly recommend for a fun and interactive dining experience! Request John, he is a must have for an amazing experience!

Food was very good just like the old days. Quite pricey and not enough time to experience it all. That’s why I gave it four stars instead of five. Definitely try the fondue experience, which is very well worth it being that they provide great food and great sauces. Our waitress was very efficient, friendly, and professional.

First Fondue? Best to come a little prepared for one of the most unique dining experiences. It's truly a "hands on" adventure. You will be cooking your own food and it can be a bit labor intensive at the onset. The patience to take time to "get used to it" is a good mindset to have. The servers are helpful guiding the food prep and providing recommendations for combinations. We've found that Melting Pot is best enjoyed with two people or a small group. If it's your first time, come hungry and enjoy the Four Course Dinner for two. Fondue veterans may prefer the "a la carte" option. The server will help you prepare the cheese course and I recommend the Wisconsin Cheddar. It sets the tone for the flavor and taste of the remaining courses. As for entrees, I HIGHLY recommend adding the Lobster Tail (best on the menu), Atlantic Salmon, Shrimp, Petite Filet, and Ahi Tuna. The Chocolate Fondue is a decadent dessert option and "The Original" will provide all the savory flavor you can ask for.

So they were super nice up front, yet took a while to figure out where to put me. Not because they were busy either... my server could have checked on me again couple more times. I ran out of water and sat empty for awhile. It wasn't how is this tasting, and back again for the next course. They ran out of the stuff for the 24k chocolate but had a few items they could still have the taste not the look. So I went for that. I wish they updated online websites more so it's accurate. When you stop send the items to make a dish, you don't keep advertising it. You just have servers telling them the special. I went because I had a coupon. But I have nobody to go with and it can be a lot of food for 1 person so I won't be coming back for a very long time.

The melting pot is a nice place to visit and not be bothered with the crowds of people. We chose this location because the Naperville location is permanently closed. The food was good. Just be cautious of the cheeses as most do not taste good and have a bad smell. The cheddar was the best out of the four that they have. You also have to be cautious of the broth as well. The mojo does give a distinct smell that you might not like as I did not. Just go with the bouillon and you’ll be ok. The good this is that you can use a QR code to pull up a link with a timer use to cook each item. It was very helpful as you can color code each person’s meat. I noticed it was a lot of work for the server as customers had way too many questions with slowed everything down. The waiter did apologize and he did a good job but they should have 2 people working an area at the same time. It will definitely help. It took us about 4 hrs to complete our meal with dessert. I took a star off due to our table not being clean and the utensils looked bad. They also need to more personal spacing for the family booths. Other than that we had a good time celebrating a special occasion.

The melting pot was a unique experience. I went for the first time on my birthday. Our server Sabrina was very kind, she offered recommendations and was ready to explain the menu. The spinach artichoke cheese fondue was amazing! I liked it best with the veggies and chips. I ordered the bomb pop martini which was tasty, it is served frozen. Plus I ordered the classic wine flight, a drink was given before each course. The salad was good, I always request my dressing on the side. The entree is made in the pot on the table by you, the guest. Our server gave us the recommended times for each item. I ordered the pacific rim which was good except for the duck which was too tough for my liking. Please order the flaming title chocolate fondue, it was 🔥! I gave it a 4/5 for the ambiance. It was dark and not as intimate as I wanted.

It's the traditional Melting Pot experience with all the excellent food options and sauces and fondue fun. Our waitress was excellent. I'd give it five stars but it's just too expensive. Almost $300 for a family of 4 (after tax and tip) and that was with just drinking water. It had been a few years since we'd been to one and the sticker shock was real. If you can afford it, it's a fun dinner (although our booth was a bit cramped for the four of us which shouldn't be an issue at this price point), but, unfortunately, it's priced beyond reason for many people.

The experience was good. I enjoyed the concept. I was not a fan of the duck or steak. The seafood was a better option for me.

The food was amazing!!! Such a neat experience! I did feel a smidge rushed at times making decisions. The staff was very attentive.

A four corse meal can be a little pricy at $55, so be prepared to pay that check. It is good though and is a unique experience. One word of warning though, our dinner took 3 hours!!! I advise you to tell them when you want to leave.

Salads didn't seem very fresh for the price of the experience. I wish the fruit they used with dessert was fresher, too. Disappointing. Also disappointing that they have on the menu 'sesame crusted ahi tuna' for one of the protein options which I always get, and this was the first time it came out with nothing on it.. I wish this place was better. The dark chocolate fondue tasted heavily like semisweet. Cheese fondue and cooking broth portion of the meal were both great. Luckily we sat in the secluded hallway as requested, bc there's always kids here which makes the large room where they can seat you so very loud. Waitress was fine, not necessarily friendly. For a special occasion expensive meal, you hope not to have these issues..

We always go to MP for Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve. It’s generally a good experience, but this was our first time at the Downers Grove location. I understand it was V-Day and is expected to be busy however the restaurant should account for the anticipated volume. We checked in and there happened to be a crowd already waiting for tables. We went to the bar which only happened to have one bartender who did not even acknowledge the massive crowd forming. He never asked if we wanted anything. The guy next to me said he was there for 30 minutes and the bartender didn’t even acknowledge him yet. Seriously one bartender for VDay? Okay aside from that the bartender was observed eating his own personal food (a sandwich) then touching limes and garnishes for other drinks. Yeah, gross. Anyway fast forward nearly 45 minutes later and FINALLY we were seated….maybe don’t stack reservations so close together? Our server was great but you could tell he had multiple tables and was overworked. Food times were crazy long too…30 minutes for the first cheese fondue to come out then after the salad another 30 minutes for the meat dishes also the asparagus was not washed, the bottoms were dirty and not trimmed. For a $300 meal with gratuity we definitely won’t be returning. Also the restaurant seemed dirty. 3 stars only because the food was decent.

Chose this place for our anniversary, influenced by a $25 off coupon that we had that was going to expire on the 21st of the month, seemed like a perfect date night! Ordered what the coupon was valid for. Food was phenomenal as usual, and our server Vincent was very professional and kind! We went to use our coupon and it was returned back to us after our card was charged saying that we can come back another time within the month to use it. We don’t live in town, and was in town for an event. It was a kind gesture but it didn’t allow us to even discuss using the coupon with the manager. So we opted to giving the coupon to the next table. Hopefully they were able to use it, especially in this economy.

We had a reservation for 8:15 PM and checked in early at 8:11 PM, only to be told they were already running behind. We waited patiently, and at 8:51 PM — over 35 minutes after our reservation time — we were told it would still be another 20–25 minutes before we’d be seated. Shortly after, we were told that our table was ready. However, when they led us to it, the table was still dirty and not prepared. Instead of seating us, they sent us back to the front to wait again. We ultimately were not seated until 9:25 PM — over an HOUR past our reservation time. Making customers wait over an hour after their reservation time when we PAID A DEPOSIT is absolutely unacceptable. What makes this even worse is their strict reservation policy. When we booked, we were told that if we arrived more than 15 minutes late or canceled, we would be charged $25 per person. Yet when we arrive early and they are the ones running over an hour behind, there is no apology, no accountability, and no effort to make things right. It is incredibly hypocritical to penalize customers for being late while offering zero compensation or even basic communication when the restaurant is the one failing to honor the reservation time. The least they could have done was call or text guests ahead of time so people wouldn’t rush through traffic trying to make it on time. We’ve been loyal customers and have come here many times and have never experienced anything like this. Leaving guests waiting until 9:25 PM on Valentine’s Day — when every other restaurant is fully booked — is extremely frustrating and disappointing. The lack of organization, communication, and basic respect for customers’ time is incredibly rude. We will be escalating this to a higher level if we do not receive proper communication and an appropriate apology for this situation. Do better. Respect your customers’ time the same way you expect them to respect yours.

Wife and I went for dinner. We did not want the $100.00 plus four course. The small dinner said feeds up to two people. Two people if they are under 10 years old. We got 4 or 5 ounces of cheese for our dip. I ordereed the side of summer sausage and the 6 dips including bacon. Maybe 2 ounces of sausage cut in large pieces, 5 total. The dipping sides included bread crumbs, mmmm, parm, crushed tortilla chips which is a rare and delicious treat, green onion and some bacon bits. Not real bacon, the stuff on the shelf at the grocery store. Now for a place that has no cooks, you do that yourself at the table, you would think less expense maybe a little more food. We left very disappointed and stopped for burger at a fast food place. For the people waiting for their server, it takes awhile to stand and mix the cheese until it melts. Bad business plan and I am glad we went on a Tuesday because I would have walked out if it was busy. Spend 5 bucks at the store and have a better meal with your microwave.

My wife and I went here for Valentine’s Day. We had a reservation for 6pm. We got there and had to wait over an hour to be seated, even with a reservation. We then got to our table and waited another 20+ minutes for our waiter to come. After getting waters we waited another 20+ minutes to get our first course. Our waiter was nice, but you could tell he was overwhelmed. We did not leave until 10pm. I can only blame the staff so much as they were clearly overwhelmed with the number of people there. I blame the company for overbooking to that degree. We overheard one of the staff saying “this happens every year”. Overall, not a good experience.

Very disappointing experience. They couldn’t find our reservation even after showing the confirmation and made things awkward at the host stand. Service only got worse from there. We were led past our table and had to turn back. The waiter didn’t know basic drink options, didn’t ask the whole table what they wanted, and rushed the entire meal. Salad and appetizer came out at the same time. Dessert was good, but the bill was dropped off with dessert, and we were pressured to pay before finishing. He kept hovering and watching the bill, which made it very uncomfortable. To top it off, he kept the change without giving us a chance to decide the tip. Not worth the drive or the price. Would not recommend this location.