The Melting Pot

Tonight my husband and I experienced what we consider to be the worst customer service by a manager, as well as explicit false advertising and deceitfulness by a company. Please read our story and do not support this dishonest company called The Melting Pot. This is what the coupon we purchased states in BOLD letters on the top: ($72.00 Three-Course Fondue Dinner with Glass of Wine for Two). For privacy reasons I have blocked out my name as well as the coupon code. We are now in the process of trying to get a refund from http://Trubates.com.

My husband, a 3rd year Stanford medical student took his ONE night off that he gets a week to take me out to dinner for our anniversary. We decided to use the Trubates coupon I had purchased for The Melting Pot in San Mateo, CA. The coupon cost $36.00 and says on the very top "$72.00 Three-Course Fondue dinner with glass of wine for two". Meaning that we paid $36 to receive a $72 three course fondue dinner with two glasses of wine. I am sure anyone with logic and intelligence would expect an appetizer, entree, and dessert (fondue style) with a glass of wine.

When we arrived at The Melting Pot in San Mateo we informed our server that neither of us drank, asking if we could substitute soda in place of the wine. She said she would have to ask her manager. Before she left the table she informed us that our coupon for a three-course fondue dinner was actually only good for a fondue appetizer and one fondue dessert... leaving the entree to consist of two SALADS. (Unlike the advertised FONDUE) That's right, two salads somehow turned into a fondue dinner. This has false advertisement and misrepresentation written all over it.

When my husband approached the manager, ROB, with our concerns he not only looked at us like we were idiots and treated us like we were five, but he did not listen to a word we said. In fact, I think we would have gotten further speaking with a five year old instead of the brain dead, uneducated low life The Melting Pot is calling a manager.
I informed Rob that "Salads" did not constitute a fondue dinner and explained that since we were not dinking the $20.00 dollars in wine, that perhaps we could get an entree instead that was $26.00 and we could just pay the $6.00 difference. Rob said we couldn't do that. He said he would allow us to use $52.00 of the $72.00 (subtracted 20 dollars for the wine we were not drinking) and then we could add on an entree for an additional $26.00 (Mind you the entries also come with Salad). Making our grand total $62.00 plus tax and tip. Meaning that we get stuck paying an additional $26.00 plus tax and tip and receiving two additional salads. I know this may sound confusing so just imagine our frustration.

Needless to say this was just unacceptable to my husband and me. After trying to explain to manager Rob one more time how the math doesn't work out, and how the coupon advertised a 3-course Fondue dinner he still would not comply, telling us he could only give us a Fondue appetizer, two salads, and a chocolate fondue desert. He showed us the fine print on the page that hosts the coupon where it says at the very bottom that the coupon is good for a fondue appetizer, two salads, fondue dessert and two glasses of house wine. Regardless of what the fine print says, the coupon itself and the advertisement used on http://Truebates.com says exactly this ($72.00 Three-Course Fondue Dinner with Glass of Wine for Two). Again folks, this does not take a brain surgeon to figure out what is being advertised here.

We told Rob that this was completely deceitful on the part of The Melting Pot in San Mateo and told him that he needed to make it right or we would need to leave, to which Rob said "I think we will need to part ways then." All for a $6.00 difference that we were willing to pay in order to get the value of the coupon we bought.
My husband and I got up and walked right out the door. We will never go back and we will make sure all of our friends, family, co-workers hear about this. I am a college professor and my husband will be an Orthopedic surgeon in a matter of a few years, and your company just made a big mistake. We will make sure that review sites, such as Yelp, as well as the company that is hosting the coupon hears about the false advertising and the deceitful procedures practiced by The Melting Pot in San Mateo and their incompetent management.

Was the $6.00 really worth it Rob? All the money that will never set foot in the doors of The Melting Pot due to your stupidity and your companies dishonest actions. I would recommend teaching your managers the saying "Never step over dollars to pick up pennies" which is a clear example of what happed tonight. Thank you for ruining what was supposed to be a wonderful anniversary and night off for my husband and me.

I think I overdosed on cheese and chocolate. Is that possible??

My friend and I ordered the super dinner that comes with a cheese fondue starter, a salad, entree fondue and then a dessert fondue. The total was $106. Ouch. But it allowed us to try the whole array of fondue-able items.

We chose the Fusion dinner and a spinach and artichoke cheese (yum!) and for dessert, Desaronno armareto chocolate fodue.

The cheese fondue came with bread, apples, carrots, celery and cauliflower.

Our Fusion entree dinner came with various meats and seafood (lobster, shrimp) and veggies like squash, broccoli. We got to boil the meat in broth and wine. It's the American version of the Chinese hot pot dinner!

THEN, the best part, dessert included marshmallows, Oreo crumb covered marshmallows, cheese cake, brownies, rice krispies, strawberries and bananas!

So full after dinner. So much food. So many things to try. But then next time I go, I'll stick with the dessert. A small dessert fondue is $15, and a regular is $30. For two people, the small is perfect.