TOMS RIVER, NJ – K-Pot, a new Korean hot pot and barbecue joint, opened recently in Toms River, and after waiting a bit to make sure the kinks were worked out, we decided to visit.
Let’s first say, the restaurant looks amazing. K-Pot took over the old spot that used to be Social 37. Unfortunately, that restaurant appeared to be one of the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. It just couldn’t withstand the closures.
Inside, the place was transformed. All tables have hot-pot electric heaters, while others have hot-pot and the barbecue trays to cook at your table.
The menu is insane. You can get pretty much any meat and side you would expect at a Korean BBQ restaurant and no matter what you get, it’s all the same price. It is an all-you-can-eat, but eat-what-you-take, what-you-eat type place. That means you can order whatever you want, but if the staff feels you are overindulged and wasted, they can tack on a surcharge for unfinished food.
When we ordered, the food was literally at our table as we continued to decide. The wait staff uses iPads that instantly send orders to the kitchen, and while we were deciding which meats and sides, the base for our soups arrived at our table.
You can get traditional meats such as beef, pork, and chicken, but for the adventurous, there are things like sliced cow tongue, goat brains, and tripe.
There are also seafood offerings: clams, crabs, mussels, tuna and salmon.
Cooking your food was like a trip to Melting Pot regarding the soup, but the grill is a hot plate that cooks your steaks and meat to perfection. While it’s not a perfect situation, an open flame would have been fantastic; it was good enough to keep the entire table occupied and having a great time.
The food quality was fresh and clean and kept coming as you asked. There was no guilt or shame as the waitress politely obliged and delivered the orders as they were made. As the grill pan became overworked and crusted with meat bits, it was quickly replaced with a clean one. Dirty and empty dishes were immediately removed from the table.
The price was great for the amount of food you can have here and overall, the outing was enjoyable. K-Pot is an experience you should try at least once. You won’t be disappointed.