The Melting Pot

Who can't love stuff dipped in melted cheese or chocolate? But, it seems to me that's all this establishment is banking on. The fondue is good enough, atmosphere romantic...but the fixins for dippin' leave much to be desired: stale white bread & raw pre chopped veggies, store bought cheese cake & dry pound cake. A nice crusty loaf of freah baked rye, sour dough, or french bread; par boiled market fresh veggis; and seasonal fruits; flakey pastries, and fluffy cakes would DRASTICALLY upgrade this "how could you go wrong?" concept to an "Oh my GOD have I died and gone to heaven!?" experience. Pros: Melted cheese!! Fun. Good wine & whiskey list Cons: stale, bland fixin's; always busy more

Who can't love stuff dipped in melted cheese or chocolate? But, it seems to me that's all this establishment is banking on. The fondue is good enough, atmosphere romantic...but the fixins for dippin' leave much to be desired: stale white bread & raw pre chopped veggies, store bought cheese cake & dry pound cake. A nice crusty loaf of freah baked rye, sour dough, or french bread; par boiled market fresh veggis; and seasonal fruits; flakey pastries, and fluffy cakes would DRASTICALLY upgrade this ""how could you go wrong?"" concept to an ""Oh my GOD have I died and gone to heaven!?"" experience.\r Pros: Melted cheese!! Fun. Good wine & whiskey list Cons: stale, bland fixin's; always busy more

I can't comment on dinner since we arrived after 11pm on Sat. night for fondue. When we walked in the place really smelled bad we assumed it was the cheese. It was very empty perhaps it had to do with the time or the fact that it was a 3 day weekend. Anyway, we sat at the bar and ordered two small fondues. The guy at the bar who was an employee was soo nice and helpful even more so than the bartender/waitor. He recommended the turtle chocolate soooo good and the white chocolate sooooo goood. I originally didn't like the sound of marshmellows on the tray but oh my gosh I don't know why they tasted so good but they did. The fruit and pound cake were amazing as well. The only thing that wasn't so great were the rice krispie treats. I would definitely recommend getting more strawberries and banana. My cousin and I also got two drinks and are billed totaled $50 I felt pretty reasonable for four people. more

I can't comment on dinner since we arrived after 11pm on Sat. night for fondue. When we walked in the place really smelled bad we assumed it was the cheese. It was very empty perhaps it had to do with the time or the fact that it was a 3 day weekend. Anyway, we sat at the bar and ordered two small fondues. The guy at the bar who was an employee was soo nice and helpful even more so than the bartender/waitor. He recommended the turtle chocolate soooo good and the white chocolate sooooo goood. I originally didn't like the sound of marshmellows on the tray but oh my gosh I don't know why they tasted so good but they did. The fruit and pound cake were amazing as well. The only thing that wasn't so great were the rice krispie treats. I would definitely recommend getting more strawberries and banana. My cousin and I also got two drinks and are billed totaled $50 I felt pretty reasonable for four people. more

My girlfriends and I decided to check out the location on Friday and had the worst experience ever. Upon entering, we were "greeted" by Michael (the same manager and vice president of operations from the post below me). I say "greeted" because it was quite the opposite. He stared us down and spoke condescendingly because we did now know we needed reservations since we had never been there. Michael rudely told us that we needed reservations and didn't offer to make it for later that night until we asked if he would. We then made reservations and came back two hours later five minutes before the time of the reservation. He was still in a horrible mood towards us. We felt a racial prejudice from him because he didnt treat other customers of different races the way he treated us. When I asked him when we would be seated and promptly responded letting me know that it was 10:05. I didn't recall asking for the time. I had asked him what time we would be seated because I needed to run downstairs but he didn't respond. He was very dry and unwelcoming. We were taken to our table by another girl who rudely informed us upon asking that Michael was the manager. She said it in a way that we were to be scare of him. When we got to our table our server got our order and didn't come back the rest of the night to see if we needed anything. We had to ask other waiters to call our waiter the entire night. The food was okay. It was nothing special. The portions for the fondue were very small. The waiter then brought out check without asking if we wanted anything else. We figured since we were a group of 6 and gratuity was already included in the bill, it didnt matter to the waiter if he helped us out or not. This location is horrible. I will never ever go there again. Pros: none Cons: everything more

My girlfriends and I decided to check out the location on Friday and had the worst experience ever. Upon entering, we were ""greeted"" by Michael (the same manager and vice president of operations from the post below me). I say ""greeted"" because it was quite the opposite. He stared us down and spoke condescendingly because we did now know we needed reservations since we had never been there. Michael rudely told us that we needed reservations and didn't offer to make it for later that night until we asked if he would. We then made reservations and came back two hours later five minutes before the time of the reservation. He was still in a horrible mood towards us. We felt a racial prejudice from him because he didnt treat other customers of different races the way he treated us. When I asked him when we would be seated and promptly responded letting me know that it was 10:05. I didn't recall asking for the time. I had asked him what time we would be seated because I needed to run downstairs but he didn't respond. He was very dry and unwelcoming. We were taken to our table by another girl who rudely informed us upon asking that Michael was the manager. She said it in a way that we were to be scare of him. When we got to our table our server got our order and didn't come back the rest of the night to see if we needed anything. We had to ask other waiters to call our waiter the entire night. The food was okay. It was nothing special. The portions for the fondue were very small. The waiter then brought out check without asking if we wanted anything else. We figured since we were a group of 6 and gratuity was already included in the bill, it didnt matter to the waiter if he helped us out or not. This location is horrible. I will never ever go there again. Cons: everything more

it was so amazing. i recommend the four course meal which includes cheese fondue, salad, an entree, and... more

it was so amazing. i recommend the four course meal which includes cheese fondue, salad, an entree, and chocolate fondue. for the entree, they brin... more

it was so amazing. i recommend the four course meal which includes cheese fondue, salad, an entree, and chocolate fondue. for the entree, they brin... more

Don't come here unless you feel like sipping some wine over a snack sized fondue set. Sure, they have free" refills of the (lame) bread and the raw veggies, but the dipping cheese we ordered (traditional swiss_ tasted horrible. And I've been to Switzerland and had the real deal. Even the packaged stuff you buy at gourmet markets is better and cheaper than this place. Make reservations if you want a table, otherwise you'll be stuck at the bar awkward area with only a limited menu. The $7 salads are TINY and drenched in sweet dressing. Not happy. Not coming back here. Pros: Wine Cons: Food more

Don't come here unless you feel like sipping some wine over a snack sized fondue set. Sure, they have free"" refills of the (lame) bread and the raw veggies, but the dipping cheese we ordered (traditional swiss_ tasted horrible. And I've been to Switzerland and had the real deal. Even the packaged stuff you buy at gourmet markets is better and cheaper than this place. Make reservations if you want a table, otherwise you'll be stuck at the bar awkward area with only a limited menu. The $7 salads are TINY and drenched in sweet dressing. Not happy. Not coming back here. Pros: Wine Cons: Food more

I love this place! Even though traffic was bad and we arrived late they were able to seat us no problem! The staff was extremely nice and the food was delicious. We were celebrating a birthday and they even put a candle in the cheesecake with the desserts. We had a lovely time and would highly recommend this place to anyone wanting a fun evening with plenty of food. I'll definitely be back many times! Pros: cooking your own food really stirs up conversation! Cons: so much food i rolled out the door! more

I love this place! Even though traffic was bad and we arrived late they were able to seat us no problem! The staff was extremely nice and the food was delicious. We were celebrating a birthday and they even put a candle in the cheesecake with the desserts. We had a lovely time and would highly recommend this place to anyone wanting a fun evening with plenty of food. I'll definitely be back many times! Pros: cooking your own food really stirs up conversation! Cons: so much food i rolled out the door! more

My husband wanted to go somewhere special for his birthday and chose this restaurant. I reserved the "birthday special" with balloons, photo taken, and special dessert by a window. When we got there we waited 20 minutes for our "special" table they were waiting for to be open and I reminded the hostess that it was his birthday. We were seated at the worst table next to the service station in the back, no balloons, no nothing! The host announced that he was tired and that the server should be around in awhile. We asked for our table to be moved to one of the 4 open ones by the window and he sighed and brought us to one of them. In a nutshell, the three of us in our party paid ALOT of money to eat fondue while the waiter shared with us how he cheated on his test to get the job there, we got to boil tasteless meat and vegtables into one little fonduepot , he forgot our salads, and we ended up not getting ANYTHING I set up for my husbands birthday. We didn't even get a dessert! I reminded the waiter that I ordered the birthday special and instead of jumpin to it and saving the day, he handed us the dessert menu and left with all of the other waiters in the back for a half hour. I asked to speak to the manager and the waiter told us he wasn't "around" right now and walked away. We were so upset that after we got our enourmous bill, we left without dessert. It was the worst birthday my husband ever had! I called the General Manager the next day and he acted like he couldn't beleive what happened, said he would call me right back and never called me. I called again with a message to call and again I was ignored. Horrible! Everyone should boycott this place! Pros: None! Cons: Horrible customer service, horrible food, too expensive, horrible waitstaff more

My husband wanted to go somewhere special for his birthday and chose this restaurant. I reserved the ""birthday special"" with balloons, photo taken, and special dessert by a window. When we got there we waited 20 minutes for our ""special"" table they were waiting for to be open and I reminded the hostess that it was his birthday. We were seated at the worst table next to the service station in the back, no balloons, no nothing! The host announced that he was tired and that the server should be around in awhile. We asked for our table to be moved to one of the 4 open ones by the window and he sighed and brought us to one of them. In a nutshell, the three of us in our party paid ALOT of money to eat fondue while the waiter shared with us how he cheated on his test to get the job there, we got to boil tasteless meat and vegtables into one little fonduepot , he forgot our salads, and we ended up not getting ANYTHING I set up for my husbands birthday. We didn't even get a dessert! I reminded the waiter that I ordered the birthday special and instead of jumpin to it and saving the day, he handed us the dessert menu and left with all of the other waiters in the back for a half hour. I asked to speak to the manager and the waiter told us he wasn't ""around"" right now and walked away. We were so upset that after we got our enourmous bill, we left without dessert. It was the worst birthday my husband ever had! I called the General Manager the next day and he acted like he couldn't beleive what happened, said he would call me right back and never called me. I called again with a message to call and again I was ignored. Horrible! Everyone should boycott this place! Pros: None! Cons: Horrible customer service, horrible food, too expensive, horrible waitstaff more

The experience at this MP was so bad, it was my mom's 50th B-Day and the waiter didnot acknowledge that , the food took 2 hours, OVER PRICED, the customer service was not great either. I do not recommend this fondue place to anyone. They don't explain how the courses will take place it's very confusing and long. We spent over $600 and I called the manager to let him know that we didnot have a good experience and he promised a apology letter to me and my mom waited 4 weeks didnot recieve anything called again finally got a letter with a $25 gift certificate. -What a RIP-OFF :( more

The experience at this MP was so bad, it was my mom's 50th B-Day and the waiter didnot acknowledge that , the food took 2 hours, OVER PRICED, the customer service was not great either. I do not recommend this fondue place to anyone. They don't explain how the courses will take place it's very confusing and long. We spent over $600 and I called the manager to let him know that we didnot have a good experience and he promised a apology letter to me and my mom waited 4 weeks didnot recieve anything called again finally got a letter with a $25 gift certificate. -What a RIP-OFF :( more

For our valentine's dinner this year, my boyfriend and I were unable to go out the night of valentine's day, so I made reservations for the friday after. Since it was still around the ""Big Day"", I had to make reservations almost 2 weeks in advance. I had never had Fondue, and him being a big fondue fan, I surprised him by taking him there. Neither of us had been there before. When we first arrived we were welcomed by a cozy, classy, dim-lit room. When I made the reservations I had told them it was for a special occasion, and the woman on the phone was more than happy to help me and note to give us a ""romantic table"". She said it wasn't guaranteed, but we were surprised to be seeted in a almost completely secluded booth. We decided to go with ""The Big Night Out"", which is a 4-course meal. You start out with a cheese fondue, which you get to pick. It comes with veggies, bread, and fruit. You then get a salad of your choice, and then comes the main course. With the cooking style of your choice, you get a platter of raw meats, shrimp, and veggies, that you cook at your table! It is DEFINATELY a wonderful exprience! We had a blast cooking our food and trying out all the different sauces that accompanied our dinner. For dessert we ordered the milk chocolate fondue with marshmellow melted in it. The waitress was very nice and helpful when we couldn't decide what to get. She even let us ""Customize"" our chocolate to what we would like it in. I definately recommend allowing enough time for this dinner, since we were there over 3 hours, even though it did not feel that long. We were laughing and enjoying each other's company. I highly recommend this place for couples, and large groups! It is kinda pricey, but considering all the food and the atmosphere you get, it is definately worth it! We will absolutely be back again! :) Pros: Wonderful dining exprience, excelent food, romantic seating Cons: kinda pricey, but definately worth it! :) more

For our valentine's dinner this year, my boyfriend and I were unable to go out the night of valentine's day, so I made reservations for the friday after. Since it was still around the "Big Day", I had to make reservations almost 2 weeks in advance. I had never had Fondue, and him being a big fondue fan, I surprised him by taking him there. Neither of us had been there before. When we first arrived we were welcomed by a cozy, classy, dim-lit room. When I made the reservations I had told them it was for a special occasion, and the woman on the phone was more than happy to help me and note to give us a "romantic table". She said it wasn't guaranteed, but we were surprised to be seeted in a almost completely secluded booth. We decided to go with "The Big Night Out", which is a 4-course meal. You start out with a cheese fondue, which you get to pick. It comes with veggies, bread, and fruit. You then get a salad of your choice, and then comes the main course. With the cooking style of your choice, you get a platter of raw meats, shrimp, and veggies, that you cook at your table! It is DEFINATELY a wonderful exprience! We had a blast cooking our food and trying out all the different sauces that accompanied our dinner. For dessert we ordered the milk chocolate fondue with marshmellow melted in it. The waitress was very nice and helpful when we couldn't decide what to get. She even let us "Customize" our chocolate to what we would like it in. I definately recommend allowing enough time for this dinner, since we were there over 3 hours, even though it did not feel that long. We were laughing and enjoying each other's company. I highly recommend this place for couples, and large groups! It is kinda pricey, but considering all the food and the atmosphere you get, it is definately worth it! We will absolutely be back again! :) Pros: Wonderful dining exprience, excelent food, romantic seating Cons: kinda pricey, but definately worth it! :) more

With so many new additions to the local Old Town Pasadena dining scene, we haven't had time to really try all of them. So, we decided to take a stab at whittling down the list. For our wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to do something completely different and try this fondue experience. I called on a Friday and was able to get an early reservation for that Sunday evening. They easily accommodated our special seating requirements and inquired about a special occasion. For a nominal fee, they helped make the evening special with balloons, some fondue chocolate to take home and a framed photograph to help us commemorate our anniversary. The staff was very friendly and open to answering all of our questions about sauces and cooking methods. They were also very attentive without being annoying. My husband and I tried the "Big Night Out"...which I think for a first time...was a good choice. It allowed us to try all 4 courses without having to make too many decisions. We enjoyed the Quattro Formaggi (4 cheese) first course with veggies, bread, and tortilla chips. My California salad was nice with a tangy raspberry viniagrette and walnuts. My husband wasn't too impressed with his Caesar salad though. For our entree we chose the Bourguignonne and with the Fondue Feast. This offered us a selection of meats and shrimp with several different types of sauces. For dessert, we tried the hazelnut/chocolate fondue. It was a very sweet way to end the evening. I definitely recommend it for a fun special occasion dining experience. It's not one of those spur of the moment places. As other reviewers have noted, you have to make reservations to be guaranteed a table. This is because eating here is the definition of a dining EXPERIENCE. Our meal lasted over 3 hours. They don't have a lot of table turnover here. Also, it's definitely not cheap. For the two of us, our dinner was about $100 with no wine. Give it a try! Pros: friendly staff, easy valet accessible more