Fresh meat and veggies this was a great hot pot spot. Ask for extra spicy if you like hot!
Andrea G.
Right before sheltering in place, my boyfriend and my family decided to surprise me with dinner at Simmer. I'm a huge hot pot fan so I'm always up for trying new places. Simmer met all of my expectations when it comes to hot pot. They have a sauce bar in the back where you can create your own sauce for dipping. And the menu to order from was extensive. You have so many options for soup base. Since the pots are split in half, for every pot that you have, you can try two diff soup vases. I will say that the soups that are labeled spicy are definitely a bit spicier than most. So be really carefully about ordering the spicy. The soup comes with dried Sichuan peppers. As for vegetables and meats, they have so many options to choose from. And includes seafood. So if you like to have various options with your hot pot, this place is definitely the place to go. Can't wait to return after sheltering in place is lifted!
Leanne C.
Solid hot pot place. They offer a discounted price of $24/person on Tuesdays & Thursdays, so I highly recommend trying Simmer out on those nights! I found this place because of it's convenient location, just down the street from a family member's place. We were able to drop in on a Tuesday night and get a table within 10 minutes. Service was friendly and pretty good. There were some wrong orders delivered once or twice, but that's understandable given that it was surprisingly busy. For six people, we were seated at a large round table with 2 pots. We got both as split pots with half herbal broth and half spicy miso. I'm typically a fan of the herbal broth as it feels very clean, and I'm a huge sauce dipper. My boyfriend preferred the spicy miso broth. I guess that's why we go for split pots though :) I liked the spicy miso, but would have preferred more spice. I will probably try the mala next time. Good selection of meats, veggies, and more! Unfortunately they ran out of brisket on our visit, but the wagyu and prime beef were still great. They also had pea sprouts, which are my absolute favorite vegetable for hot pot. And Chinese donut? Yes, please! Ambiance - nice and bright! Tables are spaced out pretty well. They have TVs set up throughout the restaurant, so I would totally come here to watch a game while stuffing my face with hot pot. Will be back again!
yi li
Pretty good deal for hot pot buffet, a lot of choices for meat and veggies. If u are spicy lover you can let them put extra spicy in your pot.
John SPY
Great food compliment with great service
S inSF
Great place! Especially their Tuesday & Thursday special! And the service is amazing as well. Kudos to all the servers, especially Chelly! :)
Rommel A.
This is my favorite Hot Pot/ Shabu style restaurant in the Bay Area. The staff is friendly and attentive to their guests. They have plenty of options for broth, meats, veggies and side dishes. They have their own sauce bar which gives you the freedom to customize your meal. They also have plenty of TV's which makes it fun if the game is on. I'd say I come here every few months. I'd come more often, but I don't like that feeling like my stomach is going to explode. Keep it up Simmer!
Shelley L.
Came here on a Wednesday night around 6pm with my friend since this was her favorite hot pot spot in the city. We were able to find VIP parking right in the front :) Upon arriving, we were greeted and seated right away. The server asked if this was our first time and she gave me a run down since it was mine! We were able to choose 2 soup bases and 4 meat dishes at a time. The meat selections were very fresh and there were many items to choose from (seafood, veggies, fish balls and noodles). We got the spicy tom yum and pork bone broth. Bother a good balance between spicy/sour (spicy tom yum) and a neutral broth flavor (pork bone broth). There is a sauce bar where you can help yourself, the restrooms are kept clean, the servers are quick to come around to see if you would like another round of food and the food items come out so quick after you order! I would highly recommend this place for your hot pot desires and the price is a steal! $26.99 for AYCE, $37.99 for AYCE and Drink and on Tuesday/Thursdays AYCE is $24. Parking is limited with meter parking, but there is residential parking within walking distance. My friend said that she was actually surprised that it wasn't busy when we arrived, but I can see how it could. There is a semi-private sectioned off area that looks like would be good for large groups.
Fei S.
Service: 3 stars Food: veggies/tofu items: 4 stars meat: 4 stars Sauce bar: 1 Star Service: The 4 star is for the price you are paying for wagyu quality meat. However, when we initially ordered our 2 wagyu beef dishes they brought out the prime beef ones instead and left them on the table since we were at the sauce bar. Now we have prime beef when we wanted wagyu...the servers were extremely nice and did always check up on us. The food: the wagyu beef literally melts in your mouth. But the veggies and tofu items were just okay. I wish they offered a variety of vegetables and even more mushrooms. As an vegetarian, the meal kind of felt incomplete and unsatisfying. The saddest part was the sauce bar...the options are sooooo limited. They don't even have house made chili here.
Tuesday and Thursday promotion special: $24 AYCE ~ what a deal! Regularly at $27.99, the quality and service at Simmer are still very worth it! I love getting to mark what I want on the menu and some of my favorites here are their wagyu beef, prime beef, pea sprouts, and fish balls with roe. For vegetables and noodles, they have the usual go-to's and everything we ordered was very tasty. For a table of 9, we shared a large circle table with two pots (both split with two different broths). Our server was amazing! Every time we were almost done with the plates of wagyu and prime beef, she'd ask us if we wanted more. Really great experience and certainly will be back!
Jennifer M.
$27.99/person. Highest quality beef in the area as far as shabu shabu goes, and good selection of hot pot items beyond the basic napa, mushroom, and tofu that is the staple for others. Well worth it. The spicy miso and pork bone broth is our go to!
Bonnie S.
This place has some of the best quality meats for hot pot I've ever been to and I go to a lot of hot pot places lol. They have a solid selection for an ayce place and all the ingredients were very fresh. One area that can be better is the soup base though. We had 3 different soups and all seem to be lacking in flavor. It's not a dealbreaker but definitely something to possibly improve. If the soup bases were better, I would definitely give this a 5 star!
Vivian S.
I love simmer! Once you sit down, they give you a menu and a marker. You mark what soup you want to order and what meats/veggies/noodles etc. You get to choose 2 soup broths, and my personal favorite is the pork bone. Highly recommend it. They've got a make your own sauce booth in the back corner with all the choices you could ever want! I can never decide between Simmer or Ipot as my favorite hot pot place. Simmer has better quality meat but Ipot has that variety. Regardless, you can't go wrong with either!
Alicia A.
Fresh food, stellar service and 24.00 per person on Tuesday and Thursday promotion, how could you not like that? Bestie and I came here for my birthday dinner, it was busy but the one waitress responsible for our section was fast, efficient and friendly. We were checked up on quite a few times but it didn't feel intrusive nor rushed. Wagyu beef... delish.... and they have a sauce bar that you make your own sauces. Loved that option, only downside is the parking, can be difficult. Overall, it was a great meal and getting to hang out with my bestie!
Love this place but closed due to covid
Fresh meat and veggies this was a great hot pot spot. Ask for extra spicy if you like hot!
Right before sheltering in place, my boyfriend and my family decided to surprise me with dinner at Simmer. I'm a huge hot pot fan so I'm always up for trying new places. Simmer met all of my expectations when it comes to hot pot. They have a sauce bar in the back where you can create your own sauce for dipping. And the menu to order from was extensive. You have so many options for soup base. Since the pots are split in half, for every pot that you have, you can try two diff soup vases. I will say that the soups that are labeled spicy are definitely a bit spicier than most. So be really carefully about ordering the spicy. The soup comes with dried Sichuan peppers. As for vegetables and meats, they have so many options to choose from. And includes seafood. So if you like to have various options with your hot pot, this place is definitely the place to go. Can't wait to return after sheltering in place is lifted!
Solid hot pot place. They offer a discounted price of $24/person on Tuesdays & Thursdays, so I highly recommend trying Simmer out on those nights! I found this place because of it's convenient location, just down the street from a family member's place. We were able to drop in on a Tuesday night and get a table within 10 minutes. Service was friendly and pretty good. There were some wrong orders delivered once or twice, but that's understandable given that it was surprisingly busy. For six people, we were seated at a large round table with 2 pots. We got both as split pots with half herbal broth and half spicy miso. I'm typically a fan of the herbal broth as it feels very clean, and I'm a huge sauce dipper. My boyfriend preferred the spicy miso broth. I guess that's why we go for split pots though :) I liked the spicy miso, but would have preferred more spice. I will probably try the mala next time. Good selection of meats, veggies, and more! Unfortunately they ran out of brisket on our visit, but the wagyu and prime beef were still great. They also had pea sprouts, which are my absolute favorite vegetable for hot pot. And Chinese donut? Yes, please! Ambiance - nice and bright! Tables are spaced out pretty well. They have TVs set up throughout the restaurant, so I would totally come here to watch a game while stuffing my face with hot pot. Will be back again!
Pretty good deal for hot pot buffet, a lot of choices for meat and veggies. If u are spicy lover you can let them put extra spicy in your pot.
Great food compliment with great service
Great place! Especially their Tuesday & Thursday special! And the service is amazing as well. Kudos to all the servers, especially Chelly! :)
This is my favorite Hot Pot/ Shabu style restaurant in the Bay Area. The staff is friendly and attentive to their guests. They have plenty of options for broth, meats, veggies and side dishes. They have their own sauce bar which gives you the freedom to customize your meal. They also have plenty of TV's which makes it fun if the game is on. I'd say I come here every few months. I'd come more often, but I don't like that feeling like my stomach is going to explode. Keep it up Simmer!
Came here on a Wednesday night around 6pm with my friend since this was her favorite hot pot spot in the city. We were able to find VIP parking right in the front :) Upon arriving, we were greeted and seated right away. The server asked if this was our first time and she gave me a run down since it was mine! We were able to choose 2 soup bases and 4 meat dishes at a time. The meat selections were very fresh and there were many items to choose from (seafood, veggies, fish balls and noodles). We got the spicy tom yum and pork bone broth. Bother a good balance between spicy/sour (spicy tom yum) and a neutral broth flavor (pork bone broth). There is a sauce bar where you can help yourself, the restrooms are kept clean, the servers are quick to come around to see if you would like another round of food and the food items come out so quick after you order! I would highly recommend this place for your hot pot desires and the price is a steal! $26.99 for AYCE, $37.99 for AYCE and Drink and on Tuesday/Thursdays AYCE is $24. Parking is limited with meter parking, but there is residential parking within walking distance. My friend said that she was actually surprised that it wasn't busy when we arrived, but I can see how it could. There is a semi-private sectioned off area that looks like would be good for large groups.
Service: 3 stars Food: veggies/tofu items: 4 stars meat: 4 stars Sauce bar: 1 Star Service: The 4 star is for the price you are paying for wagyu quality meat. However, when we initially ordered our 2 wagyu beef dishes they brought out the prime beef ones instead and left them on the table since we were at the sauce bar. Now we have prime beef when we wanted wagyu...the servers were extremely nice and did always check up on us. The food: the wagyu beef literally melts in your mouth. But the veggies and tofu items were just okay. I wish they offered a variety of vegetables and even more mushrooms. As an vegetarian, the meal kind of felt incomplete and unsatisfying. The saddest part was the sauce bar...the options are sooooo limited. They don't even have house made chili here.
Restaurantji Recommends
Tuesday and Thursday promotion special: $24 AYCE ~ what a deal! Regularly at $27.99, the quality and service at Simmer are still very worth it! I love getting to mark what I want on the menu and some of my favorites here are their wagyu beef, prime beef, pea sprouts, and fish balls with roe. For vegetables and noodles, they have the usual go-to's and everything we ordered was very tasty. For a table of 9, we shared a large circle table with two pots (both split with two different broths). Our server was amazing! Every time we were almost done with the plates of wagyu and prime beef, she'd ask us if we wanted more. Really great experience and certainly will be back!
$27.99/person. Highest quality beef in the area as far as shabu shabu goes, and good selection of hot pot items beyond the basic napa, mushroom, and tofu that is the staple for others. Well worth it. The spicy miso and pork bone broth is our go to!
This place has some of the best quality meats for hot pot I've ever been to and I go to a lot of hot pot places lol. They have a solid selection for an ayce place and all the ingredients were very fresh. One area that can be better is the soup base though. We had 3 different soups and all seem to be lacking in flavor. It's not a dealbreaker but definitely something to possibly improve. If the soup bases were better, I would definitely give this a 5 star!
I love simmer! Once you sit down, they give you a menu and a marker. You mark what soup you want to order and what meats/veggies/noodles etc. You get to choose 2 soup broths, and my personal favorite is the pork bone. Highly recommend it. They've got a make your own sauce booth in the back corner with all the choices you could ever want! I can never decide between Simmer or Ipot as my favorite hot pot place. Simmer has better quality meat but Ipot has that variety. Regardless, you can't go wrong with either!
Fresh food, stellar service and 24.00 per person on Tuesday and Thursday promotion, how could you not like that? Bestie and I came here for my birthday dinner, it was busy but the one waitress responsible for our section was fast, efficient and friendly. We were checked up on quite a few times but it didn't feel intrusive nor rushed. Wagyu beef... delish.... and they have a sauce bar that you make your own sauces. Loved that option, only downside is the parking, can be difficult. Overall, it was a great meal and getting to hang out with my bestie!