This place is FANTASTIC. I went here for the first time tonight, and was just blown away. I had high expectations because the reviews were already so good, and they met them and were even exceeded.First off, the inside of the restaurant is surprisingly spacious, as well as clean and orderly. They have different seating options depending on if it is shared or individual hot pots, but all of them are fine. The menu is extensive and straight forward. You select your options using a dry erase menu, and then they bring it out. In addition to the usual hot pot staples, they also have tasty appetizers and desserts like crab rangoons, beef short ribs, freshly fried Chinese donuts, ice cream, and fried dough with evaporated milk. And yes, as many other reviews mention, the biang biang noodles are EXCELLENT!The final thing I have to really sing the praise of is the service. The staff member we had waiting on us was SO kind, thoughtful, and attentive. Near the end of the meal, my mom wanted to sample things so she was requesting single items. Like just one single fish ball, and just two pieces of Chinese donut. The waitress did not even bat an eye at these requests, and she did indeed come back with a single fish ball, and sample size portions of the Chinese donut. It was going above and beyond! She also made sure to ask if we wanted ice cream since it isn’t on the menu and she wanted to be sure we knew they had it! I gave her a generous tip because she honestly made our night better with her cheery and helpful presence, and she even came back over and thanked us. No thanks was needed, we just wanted to thank her!All in all, Top Pot was a wonderful experience and I definitely plan to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Biang Biang Noodles, All You Can Eat
Theresa Yim
Friendly staff, good service and you have the option to choose both hotpot and bbq. They also serve ice cream at the end if you request!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elizabeth Cortez
Always a solid choice for hot pot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Biang Biang Noodles, Hot Pot with Sides
MJ Aguillon
Food and exceptional service is definitely worth the money. Yes, it’s pricey, but understandably so. I always tip generously because they deserve it. Small space, so it feels cramped.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Biang Biang Noodles, Tom Yum Soup, Crab Rangoon
Kevin Gonda
We’ve been coming to this place weekly for months now. The quality of meat, ingredients, appetizers, and service is impeccable. It is also very conveniently located at a plaza with ample of parking space. Best AYCE place we’ve ever dined on.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christian A.
Finally got to try Top Pot after it being recommended to us by many friends and family. We had reservations for 10, it was $38.99 for AYCE. There is also a 90 minute limit! But, I think that limit is highly enforced when there is a long waitlist. We went on a rainy day and the waitlist wasn't too long, we were also a big party so when we went over the limit the staff was gracious with us. They have so many soup options to try and you can even get half soup bowl half grill. I opted to just get the bowl with tom yum goong, love that they have this flavor for hot pot, it was so good! The cuts of meat were so good, my favorite was the beef belly and the lamb. Service was quick and a waiter/waitress was always within arms reach when we needed anything. The interior of the restaurant was surprisingly updated and modern, compared to the complex that it is in. Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying different options next time!
Andrew T.
Came here two years ago for a bday get away to Pacifica and I enjoyed every moment of this place. You gotta try a place at least two times to determine if the spot is legit. Confirmed. Recently drove an hour in the rain to come here. Worth it. Service is worth the tip! These folks are refilling water, your broth, checking in and placing more orders. Love it. The biang biang noodles were yummy. Short ribs are cooked in the back and came out delicious. This place even has soup dumplings and they're good too! Sauce bar to get your dip game on. Coming from San Jose, I would say it's worth the drive or if you're in the area, do it. Tip: if you go early enough, you can be seated at the table that has the option of having 4 broths at once. Otherwise you'll be waiting for some time for that one or two tables to clear up.
Jasmine M.
Came here yesterday with a group of 8 people. Had a bit of a wait but totally understandable since we didn't make a reservation and we had such a big group! The food here is amazing quality and the service is top notch! The meats and the vegetables are super fresh and very well prepared. I particularly enjoyed the prime beef ribeye (superb quality), beef tripe (very clean and nicely sliced), biang biang noodles (these grow to be astoundingly wide, to my astonishment), house made shrimp paste balls, lettuce, fried bun with condensed milk, and short ribs. I'm sure I missed some other items that I really liked, as there were many tasty, fresh items on the menu. My soup base was the salty pork bone broth and I really liked it. The service is also amazing here. The staff always makes sure we have our waters filled and will often come by adding more soup to our pots. They always responded to our requests very quickly (for example, extra chopsticks, napkins). They stopped by our table several times to chat with us and make sure everything was ok, and we found out that the place is family-owned and run! Probably found my new favorite hot pot spot. So happy to have found this place and will be coming back in the future!
Meagan W
Honestly, a good place that offers a personal hotop plus being able to grill meat. Service has always been great, even if you are eating outside the heaters keep you warm.Also having eggs as a bar option is a game changer.Would highly recommend. Justkeep in mind that whole group needs to be present in order to be seated.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin N.
One of my favorite hotpot spots tucked away in a small plaza in Pacifica. There's a another hotpot place within the same plaza but once I tried this one I kept coming back. The meat and veggies are super fresh and there's an abundance of options to choose from. Broth varieties were also nice and surprisingly they came out extremely flavorful. They also have cooked dishes like dim sum, kalbi, and other little fried snacks. Sauce bar had a variety of things to choose from which was great and it was kept pretty clean and nice. Wall even has a sign saying to please use the hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall before using the sauce bar which was a plus! For the cooking options you can either request for a single pot or a half pot half grill thing to cook your food. Waiting for a table may take a bit of time since the place is a bit small but once you're seated, service is super quick from turnaround times on marking what items you wanted on the sheet to them bringing the dishes out and also taking empty plates away. Very responsive on whether our table was okay. Parking here is also super easy since it's in a plaza. Favorites: -Broths (these have been my go to) Spicy miso Tom yum Coconut pork bone Supreme spicy -Staple Meats, veggies, etc marked every time (super high quality) -Prime ribeye -Beef tongue -Beef tripe -Fried bean curd -Tofu puff -House special shrimp paste -A choy -Tong Ho -Spinach -Biang biang noodles (super soft and chewy, perfect soaked in the broth) -Fried doughnut (these are actually made fresh and not soggy like other places! Super crunchy and perfect for dipping into the soup) -Fried salmon avocado spring rolls (these are sooo addicting, was surprised how good these were the first time I had it) -Beef short ribs(very tender, if you love kalbi you'll love this) Price is 37.99 a person for AYCE and comes with ice cream for dessert. Pretty standard and definitely worth the price.
Super great food! I mean really, my toddler was even stuffed when we left and we were shocked with how much she ate! The staff were so sweet and informational! I couldn't be more stoked on the big table considering all the plates and bowls you are getting, so...well done there! Sauce bar...YUM!! My only catch here and lack of a star is simply because there is no other option besides "all you can eat". I want to take my foodie mother-in-law to enjoy this place with us but she had bypass-surgery due to health issues and doesn't eat more then a bowl of soup before she's full. For her to have to pay $38 for that is frustrating. I wish that would change.
SF EATS
Kicking the New Year off a review of my ultimate favorite hot pot spot in all of the Bay Area!!! You have to trust me on this one.Whether you're craving hot pot and/or bbq, you can get the best of both worlds all to yourself. Love that you can choose a broth and also grill at the same time.Huge selections of meat, veggies, appetizers, soup bases, sauces/toppings, etc. All the ingredients are SUPER FRESH and HIGH QUALITY too! It's really hard to compare to other hot pot places. Not a single item I don't like on their menu.Some must tries on the menu (imo):- The biang biang noodles are a must have!- Chinese Doughnut (soak this bad boi in your broth, your tastebuds will be enlightened)- Beef belly is great on the grill!!- Beef tongue (get your moneys worth)- Fried bean curd- Chinese yam- Lettuce (idk what it is but their lettuce is so sweet so good)- Fried taro- TIP: put some green onions + oil on the grill until soft. Pair it with the meat. Flavor explosion. Thank me later. :)Service is always top notch here. They're attentive and I never had to chase down someone for something. I like the seating layout where it's not too cramped and you have enough room to breathe. Plenty of parking outside the plaza which is what keeps me coming back!Note: They only take reservations for parties of 6+. Wait times can be long esp during dinner time so if you don't want to wait, come right when they open for dinner. Don't underestimate the wait time for weekday dinner either.Highly recommend! You will not be disappointed!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean BBQ Short Ribs, Biang Biang Noodles, All You Can Eat, Hot Pot with Sides, Noodles, Chinese Donuts, Pot, Soup, Beef Short Ribs
Lisa Z.
Kicking the New Year off a review of my ultimate favorite hot pot spot in all of the Bay Area!!! You have to trust me on this one. Whether you're craving hot pot and/or bbq, you can get the best of both worlds all to yourself. Love that you can choose a broth and also grill at the same time. Huge selections of meat, veggies, appetizers, soup bases, sauces/toppings, etc. All the ingredients are SUPER FRESH and HIGH QUALITY too! It's really hard to compare to other hot pot places. Not a single item I don't like on their menu. Some must tries on the menu (imo): - The biang biang noodles are a must have! - Chinese Doughnut (soak this bad boi in your broth, your tastebuds will be enlightened) - Beef belly is great on the grill!! - Beef tongue (get your moneys worth) - Fried bean curd - Chinese yam - Lettuce (idk what it is but their lettuce is so sweet so good) - Fried taro - TIP: put some green onions + oil on the grill until soft. Pair it with the meat. Flavor explosion. Thank me later. :) Service is always top notch here. They're attentive and I never had to chase down someone for something. I like the seating layout where it's not too cramped and you have enough room to breathe. Plenty of parking outside the plaza which is what keeps me coming back! Note: They only take reservations for parties of 6+. Wait times can be long esp during dinner time so if you don't want to wait, come right when they open for dinner. Don't underestimate the wait time for weekday dinner either. Long overdue review.. lol 05.14.2022 | Saturday @6:30pm 06.14.2022 | Tuesday @7:30pm 08.06.2022 | Saturday @5:30pm 12.10.2022 | Saturday @1:30pm 12.27.2022 | Tuesday @7:00pm 02.18.2023 | Saturday @11:30am 01.09.2024 | Tuesday @6:30pm
Clinton C.
Visiting from SoCal 626 and Top Pot would definitely be the best ayce hot pot in town if they opened up there. $38.99 is just a few more dollars than most ayce but you get so much more in quality and options. You get 2-4 soup bases to choose from is great and each one is good. I liked the mushroom and pork bone. The Tom yum and tomato was also good. The best non meat dish is the Biang Biang noodles which are so chewy and flavorful. Definitely surprised me how good they were for plain noodles. Way better than hai di lao noodles. The beef tongue is chewy and quality. The ribeye as well. The service was quick and kind. Ambiance has no loud music, a lot of space between tables, and clean. Must visit.
Raymond S.
I really enjoy coming here. We come here so often, we do not mind the wait. The wait time could be a little long but you could walk around the plaza. I love their soup! And the ability to choose a pot with a side grill so you could do grilling at the same time. I love the sauce bar of course and the atmosphere is very lively and cozy. They have outdoor but make sure to dress warm like really warm, it tend to be very cold out there. Probably will go in the next few weeks haha.
This place is FANTASTIC. I went here for the first time tonight, and was just blown away. I had high expectations because the reviews were already so good, and they met them and were even exceeded.First off, the inside of the restaurant is surprisingly spacious, as well as clean and orderly. They have different seating options depending on if it is shared or individual hot pots, but all of them are fine. The menu is extensive and straight forward. You select your options using a dry erase menu, and then they bring it out. In addition to the usual hot pot staples, they also have tasty appetizers and desserts like crab rangoons, beef short ribs, freshly fried Chinese donuts, ice cream, and fried dough with evaporated milk. And yes, as many other reviews mention, the biang biang noodles are EXCELLENT!The final thing I have to really sing the praise of is the service. The staff member we had waiting on us was SO kind, thoughtful, and attentive. Near the end of the meal, my mom wanted to sample things so she was requesting single items. Like just one single fish ball, and just two pieces of Chinese donut. The waitress did not even bat an eye at these requests, and she did indeed come back with a single fish ball, and sample size portions of the Chinese donut. It was going above and beyond! She also made sure to ask if we wanted ice cream since it isn’t on the menu and she wanted to be sure we knew they had it! I gave her a generous tip because she honestly made our night better with her cheery and helpful presence, and she even came back over and thanked us. No thanks was needed, we just wanted to thank her!All in all, Top Pot was a wonderful experience and I definitely plan to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Biang Biang Noodles, All You Can Eat
Friendly staff, good service and you have the option to choose both hotpot and bbq. They also serve ice cream at the end if you request!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always a solid choice for hot pot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Biang Biang Noodles, Hot Pot with Sides
Food and exceptional service is definitely worth the money. Yes, it’s pricey, but understandably so. I always tip generously because they deserve it. Small space, so it feels cramped.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Biang Biang Noodles, Tom Yum Soup, Crab Rangoon
We’ve been coming to this place weekly for months now. The quality of meat, ingredients, appetizers, and service is impeccable. It is also very conveniently located at a plaza with ample of parking space. Best AYCE place we’ve ever dined on.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finally got to try Top Pot after it being recommended to us by many friends and family. We had reservations for 10, it was $38.99 for AYCE. There is also a 90 minute limit! But, I think that limit is highly enforced when there is a long waitlist. We went on a rainy day and the waitlist wasn't too long, we were also a big party so when we went over the limit the staff was gracious with us. They have so many soup options to try and you can even get half soup bowl half grill. I opted to just get the bowl with tom yum goong, love that they have this flavor for hot pot, it was so good! The cuts of meat were so good, my favorite was the beef belly and the lamb. Service was quick and a waiter/waitress was always within arms reach when we needed anything. The interior of the restaurant was surprisingly updated and modern, compared to the complex that it is in. Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying different options next time!
Came here two years ago for a bday get away to Pacifica and I enjoyed every moment of this place. You gotta try a place at least two times to determine if the spot is legit. Confirmed. Recently drove an hour in the rain to come here. Worth it. Service is worth the tip! These folks are refilling water, your broth, checking in and placing more orders. Love it. The biang biang noodles were yummy. Short ribs are cooked in the back and came out delicious. This place even has soup dumplings and they're good too! Sauce bar to get your dip game on. Coming from San Jose, I would say it's worth the drive or if you're in the area, do it. Tip: if you go early enough, you can be seated at the table that has the option of having 4 broths at once. Otherwise you'll be waiting for some time for that one or two tables to clear up.
Came here yesterday with a group of 8 people. Had a bit of a wait but totally understandable since we didn't make a reservation and we had such a big group! The food here is amazing quality and the service is top notch! The meats and the vegetables are super fresh and very well prepared. I particularly enjoyed the prime beef ribeye (superb quality), beef tripe (very clean and nicely sliced), biang biang noodles (these grow to be astoundingly wide, to my astonishment), house made shrimp paste balls, lettuce, fried bun with condensed milk, and short ribs. I'm sure I missed some other items that I really liked, as there were many tasty, fresh items on the menu. My soup base was the salty pork bone broth and I really liked it. The service is also amazing here. The staff always makes sure we have our waters filled and will often come by adding more soup to our pots. They always responded to our requests very quickly (for example, extra chopsticks, napkins). They stopped by our table several times to chat with us and make sure everything was ok, and we found out that the place is family-owned and run! Probably found my new favorite hot pot spot. So happy to have found this place and will be coming back in the future!
Honestly, a good place that offers a personal hotop plus being able to grill meat. Service has always been great, even if you are eating outside the heaters keep you warm.Also having eggs as a bar option is a game changer.Would highly recommend. Justkeep in mind that whole group needs to be present in order to be seated.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my favorite hotpot spots tucked away in a small plaza in Pacifica. There's a another hotpot place within the same plaza but once I tried this one I kept coming back. The meat and veggies are super fresh and there's an abundance of options to choose from. Broth varieties were also nice and surprisingly they came out extremely flavorful. They also have cooked dishes like dim sum, kalbi, and other little fried snacks. Sauce bar had a variety of things to choose from which was great and it was kept pretty clean and nice. Wall even has a sign saying to please use the hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall before using the sauce bar which was a plus! For the cooking options you can either request for a single pot or a half pot half grill thing to cook your food. Waiting for a table may take a bit of time since the place is a bit small but once you're seated, service is super quick from turnaround times on marking what items you wanted on the sheet to them bringing the dishes out and also taking empty plates away. Very responsive on whether our table was okay. Parking here is also super easy since it's in a plaza. Favorites: -Broths (these have been my go to) Spicy miso Tom yum Coconut pork bone Supreme spicy -Staple Meats, veggies, etc marked every time (super high quality) -Prime ribeye -Beef tongue -Beef tripe -Fried bean curd -Tofu puff -House special shrimp paste -A choy -Tong Ho -Spinach -Biang biang noodles (super soft and chewy, perfect soaked in the broth) -Fried doughnut (these are actually made fresh and not soggy like other places! Super crunchy and perfect for dipping into the soup) -Fried salmon avocado spring rolls (these are sooo addicting, was surprised how good these were the first time I had it) -Beef short ribs(very tender, if you love kalbi you'll love this) Price is 37.99 a person for AYCE and comes with ice cream for dessert. Pretty standard and definitely worth the price.
Restaurantji Recommends
Super great food! I mean really, my toddler was even stuffed when we left and we were shocked with how much she ate! The staff were so sweet and informational! I couldn't be more stoked on the big table considering all the plates and bowls you are getting, so...well done there! Sauce bar...YUM!! My only catch here and lack of a star is simply because there is no other option besides "all you can eat". I want to take my foodie mother-in-law to enjoy this place with us but she had bypass-surgery due to health issues and doesn't eat more then a bowl of soup before she's full. For her to have to pay $38 for that is frustrating. I wish that would change.
Kicking the New Year off a review of my ultimate favorite hot pot spot in all of the Bay Area!!! You have to trust me on this one.Whether you're craving hot pot and/or bbq, you can get the best of both worlds all to yourself. Love that you can choose a broth and also grill at the same time.Huge selections of meat, veggies, appetizers, soup bases, sauces/toppings, etc. All the ingredients are SUPER FRESH and HIGH QUALITY too! It's really hard to compare to other hot pot places. Not a single item I don't like on their menu.Some must tries on the menu (imo):- The biang biang noodles are a must have!- Chinese Doughnut (soak this bad boi in your broth, your tastebuds will be enlightened)- Beef belly is great on the grill!!- Beef tongue (get your moneys worth)- Fried bean curd- Chinese yam- Lettuce (idk what it is but their lettuce is so sweet so good)- Fried taro- TIP: put some green onions + oil on the grill until soft. Pair it with the meat. Flavor explosion. Thank me later. :)Service is always top notch here. They're attentive and I never had to chase down someone for something. I like the seating layout where it's not too cramped and you have enough room to breathe. Plenty of parking outside the plaza which is what keeps me coming back!Note: They only take reservations for parties of 6+. Wait times can be long esp during dinner time so if you don't want to wait, come right when they open for dinner. Don't underestimate the wait time for weekday dinner either.Highly recommend! You will not be disappointed!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean BBQ Short Ribs, Biang Biang Noodles, All You Can Eat, Hot Pot with Sides, Noodles, Chinese Donuts, Pot, Soup, Beef Short Ribs
Kicking the New Year off a review of my ultimate favorite hot pot spot in all of the Bay Area!!! You have to trust me on this one. Whether you're craving hot pot and/or bbq, you can get the best of both worlds all to yourself. Love that you can choose a broth and also grill at the same time. Huge selections of meat, veggies, appetizers, soup bases, sauces/toppings, etc. All the ingredients are SUPER FRESH and HIGH QUALITY too! It's really hard to compare to other hot pot places. Not a single item I don't like on their menu. Some must tries on the menu (imo): - The biang biang noodles are a must have! - Chinese Doughnut (soak this bad boi in your broth, your tastebuds will be enlightened) - Beef belly is great on the grill!! - Beef tongue (get your moneys worth) - Fried bean curd - Chinese yam - Lettuce (idk what it is but their lettuce is so sweet so good) - Fried taro - TIP: put some green onions + oil on the grill until soft. Pair it with the meat. Flavor explosion. Thank me later. :) Service is always top notch here. They're attentive and I never had to chase down someone for something. I like the seating layout where it's not too cramped and you have enough room to breathe. Plenty of parking outside the plaza which is what keeps me coming back! Note: They only take reservations for parties of 6+. Wait times can be long esp during dinner time so if you don't want to wait, come right when they open for dinner. Don't underestimate the wait time for weekday dinner either. Long overdue review.. lol 05.14.2022 | Saturday @6:30pm 06.14.2022 | Tuesday @7:30pm 08.06.2022 | Saturday @5:30pm 12.10.2022 | Saturday @1:30pm 12.27.2022 | Tuesday @7:00pm 02.18.2023 | Saturday @11:30am 01.09.2024 | Tuesday @6:30pm
Visiting from SoCal 626 and Top Pot would definitely be the best ayce hot pot in town if they opened up there. $38.99 is just a few more dollars than most ayce but you get so much more in quality and options. You get 2-4 soup bases to choose from is great and each one is good. I liked the mushroom and pork bone. The Tom yum and tomato was also good. The best non meat dish is the Biang Biang noodles which are so chewy and flavorful. Definitely surprised me how good they were for plain noodles. Way better than hai di lao noodles. The beef tongue is chewy and quality. The ribeye as well. The service was quick and kind. Ambiance has no loud music, a lot of space between tables, and clean. Must visit.
I really enjoy coming here. We come here so often, we do not mind the wait. The wait time could be a little long but you could walk around the plaza. I love their soup! And the ability to choose a pot with a side grill so you could do grilling at the same time. I love the sauce bar of course and the atmosphere is very lively and cozy. They have outdoor but make sure to dress warm like really warm, it tend to be very cold out there. Probably will go in the next few weeks haha.