Urban Hot Pot

ALWAYS an amazing time at Urban Hotpot. Ingredients were fresh, service was impeccable. We came at 12:00PM and were seated quickly. The broth came within five minutes of ordering, and the foods came quickly. We were done eating by about 1:15PM. For about $25 a person for lunch, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! (We have been here many times prior to this visit). Visited again January 26. Again had an amazing time! Prompt seating, ample parking, wonderful and attentive wait staff. Fresh and delicious broth and foods. Today, above all days, also had amazing music! We tipped 22% :) Urban Hotpot!

First time at a hot pot. It was not easy to find. We parked in the mall parking lot but you should park toward the street and walk across the road to get to it. Ordering was easy via touchpad. We ordered many different times throughout the meal. The waitstaff was polite, helpful and attentive. I chose the spicy soup base. It was spicy as described. I found the little dishes a little too small for placing the cooked food on, but it looks like I could have found a regular plate judging from other review pics They had a robot server bring out the item plates. Interesting. The controls on the hot plate were not straight forward. Mine were in Chinese. The burner next to mine was in English. They have a sauce fixing bar. Grab some salt while you are there because the soup needed it. (I like salt) The place was clean and the food was fresh. The soup was delicious. After the soup we ate little ice creams and cakes included in the price and ordered on the app. The atmosphere was laid back. Definitely will return.

Hot Pot is my go-to comfort spot — and honestly, it never disappoints. What I love most is the personal touch: your own dedicated burner, total control over the heat, and the cozy warmth of customizing your meal just the way you like it. The food quantity is generous, and the variety of options keeps things exciting. It’s also a great place to celebrate events — fun, social, and yes, that little robot that comes around singing? Adorable. I kind of love her. You don’t see that often, and it adds such a fun vibe to the experience. The consistency is impressive, and they’re not afraid to switch things up — like rotating desserts or trying a new appetizer or pre appetizer snack options. Just FYI , The spicy Mala broth? That’s Thai-level spicy — my Indian friends, consider that your warning. But if you’re unsure where to start, go with the Tom Yum base — my personal favorite. It’s got a gentle kick and is packed with bold, delicious flavor.

My first time and there are no negatives. There is an average wait on weekends. However location helps so much to do while you wait. I had the original broth and it was delicious just by itself. Service was on point. Claire was amazing she always checked on us and tables around us. The music choice was on point as well, really helped the vibe. They can be a bit loud with the dishes but overall A+ experience and will definitely return.

Sept 2024 We were spending the day in Baltimore and decided to check out the Columbia location. I called ahead to make a reservation, since we were going to be dining during busy dinner hours on a weekend. The person on the phone was polite and professional, though they got a bit flustered when I asked them to confirm the details I gave them. They sent me a text confirming my reservation. The restaurant is part of an apartment/retail complex, but I'm not sure if they have an attached garage. They are right across a small street (with a crosswalk) from the parking lot of a mall, and I noticed a lot of customers parked there. It takes a bit of hunting to find parking, but there is enough parking. The restaurant is on the corner of the building. They have a few tables and chairs outside, likely for people on the waitlist. The inside is dimly lit and a little bit loud. They have booths seating 2-6 people. And two booth-chair tables seating 8 people. There is a conveyor belt in the middle, with non-meat food items coming by. There was a larger car thing on top of the conveyor belt that probably delivered to those tables from the kitchen. But I think they discontinued that when they got the bigger robot that delivers orders. The staff use the robot a lot to deliver food and drinks. I think while we were there, we had our stuff delivered to us by a human only once. The sauce bar is on the left side of the restaurant, by the 8 seat tables. It was pretty depleted at that time of night. There was a freezer with cup ice cream next to it, but it seems they require you to order the ice cream through the tablet and it will be delivered to your table. They offer strawberry and vanilla flavors. Each table has a tablet on a swiveling, extending mount. Though the joints are very tight and it takes some effort to actually extend it. In the top left corner, there is a clock icon and the remaining time you have to eat. You have a 90 minutes time limit. The tablet resets when your time ends. The food quality was the same as the Rockville location, though I noticed that the portion sizes were about half the size. The veggies were all fresh and crisp. The meats were good, if a bit fatty. Of the non-special meats, the lamb is the least fatty. I also appreciated them serving the different types of meat on their own plates instead of putting all the meats we ordered on one big plate. The Tom Yum soup was also spicier than I was used to. I was interested to see that the vermicelli noodles were served to me dry instead of wet. The staff were polite and quick. Though they generally have a hands off approach unless you order something over the tablet. Even then, they prefer to hand deliveries to the robot. They are very quick when clearing off and cleaning tables. There are 2 single men/women bathrooms in the back, on the right side. They are decently clean and dry. There is also a separate sink outside the bathrooms, presumably for people that eat with their hands (like the crab legs). Overall, a decent hot pot location. I may consider coming back if we're in the area.

Urban Hot Pot was more than a meal — it was a flavorful adventure. We visited to celebrate a birthday and left completely delighted. We went with the All You Can Eat Special — a culinary playground. Ordering was effortless using the iPads at each table. You choose your soup broth flavor, then customize your feast by selecting all the fresh ingredients you want, from meats to vegetables. There’s a full Sauce Station to craft your perfect dipping blend, and an additional buffet offering even more bites to taste and explore. The staff was warm and attentive, and the cherry on top — a robot waiter rolled in with the birthday cake, singing “Happy Birthday” in a moment that felt futuristic and fun. We’ll absolutely be returning.

Absolutely love this place. Comparing urban hotpot to a couple of other hotpot places I've been to, this one always takes the win. Haven't been here in a while and was surprised to see robots serving the food, the service was alot faster than it used to be. I got the spicy broth this time, it was a bit oily from too much hot oil I think but very flavorful. Our orders came out within minutes from sending them through the tablet. They have a large variety of ingredients, everything looked and tasted fresh. Can't wait to come back here.