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Happy Lamb Hot Pot

3.9 (1.8k reviews)
Open 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 1 week ago

Waitlist - Happy Lamb Hot Pot

Live Current wait: under 5 minutes

Happy Lamb Hot Pot Reservations

Happy Lamb Hot Pot Chinese Restaurant Photos

Business Info

HAPPY LAMB HOT POT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - Happy Lamb Hot Pot

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Reviews With Photos

Hien L.

My friends and I came here on a Monday night, and it was pretty busy. We were seated pretty quickly and placed our orders. The broth never goes wrong here, always on point. The meats were tasty. Our first order was missing a few items, but team members quickly took care of that. For an additional $3 charge, you'll get access to the sauce bar, ice cream, and some side dishes. Unfortunately, the ice cream machine was broken so we couldn't try that. The side dishes and desserts were alright--you get what you pay for. Ambiance is nice here; it's always very cozy.

The temp control slides out from under our table.  How convenient and unobtrusive!
Harry W.

TLDR: Good to Great food, friendly servers, modern vibe. Normal meat and veggie selection on par with most Chinese Hot Pot Places with some unique choices. We called in advance to make a same day reservation. They text you back to check if you are still coming.. =). We arrived on time, and since we had a party of seven, they gave us one of the giant round tables in the back that had three separate hot pots built into the same table. We went with the standard AYCE dinner option for about $34/person, which turned out to be the right choice for us big eaters! Standouts from the evening were the delicious lightly marinated chicken (which somehow stays tender even after boiling for long periods), and the shrimp paste, that you dole up as small chunks and put into the soup to cook. Both of those were excelllent. I do wish they had more kinds of mushrooms to offer other than just the thinly sliced large slabs of trumpet mushrooms. The garlic marinated beef was also very tastly.. Other stuff is about what you get at most any other hot pot place. I wouldn't mind coming back.

vsa L.

Fresh meat and good broth, great place to gather with friends and families, and Clean place.

Gema B.

To be honest our dinner check in started a little rough the person in the front came off a little rude and dismissive, but then another associate came out and made it right and sat us right away. The location is big and open very clean We ordered item per item but they did have all you can eat options. Food was great very fresh and tasty loved the presentation. We ordered A lot of meats, veggies, tofu with a side of rice, knife cut noodles and udon The associate Alan was very nice and attentive! Made this review for from a 4 star to 5 I would come back and try more Over all 5 stars

Huiya Z.

Happy Lamb has always been an OG hot pot restaurant. Came here on a week day for the AYCE menu. We got seated 2 minutes after we arrived. Bone Broth: 5/5 & Spicy Szechuan: 5/5 OG combo always hits the spot Chicken Wings: 5/5 Perfectly seasoned, lightly battered and juicy on the inside. Slices of Meat: 3/5 The best cuts were their pork belly and beef short plate (5/5) everything else was ehhh. Veggies: 4/5 Freshhh but if we wanted Enoki, we had to pay more. Noodles: 5/5 Honestly lots of options for this.

Pauline W.

I've been here three times. Once with family a long time ago when it first opened, but the last two times I came was with my husband within the past two months. The last two times we came here, we got parking a block or two away. It also wasn't really busy when we were there. The first time was on the weekend for lunch and the second time was on a Tuesday for dinner. We were greeted and seated immediately. The table is already set with utensils, napkins and small plates. We opted for ala carte instead of all you can eat since we didn't want to waste / pay for extra food we couldn't eat. There's a sauce counter for you to create your own sauce. Some ingredients include: cilantro, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, chili paste and chili flakes. Next to the sauces there's small bites like cherry tomatoes, egg rolls and seaweed. Zach and I didn't go for the small bites either time. And to note: the time we went on a Tuesday there were a lot of kids.. they don't all know how to use the tongs and so I saw some of them grab the small bite items with their bare hands.... Also, it's an extra $3 per person if the sta see you grabbing those. We got fish filets, the vegetable combo platter, lamb, angus beef, pumpkin, dumplings For the soup, we got "the best of both worlds", one half is spicy, the other isn't spicy. Both times I also got a side of udon. The food came out really quick, sometimes by the waiter, sometimes by their robot. What's great about the ala carte option is that they allow you to bring your leftovers home. The waiters are very attentive, especially with the water since we would get pretty dehydrated from all the salt. The quality of the meat is pretty good and the veggies were fresh. Next time I probably wouldn't get the fish filets. Looking forward to the next meal !

Elizabeth L.

Went again recently and they've updated a few things. . For starters- they now have two menus: a la carte, or the AYCE. There's two tiers for the AYCE menu, though there's still items in the a la carte menu that aren't available in the AYCE menu. . They have a lot of additional add-ons like the sauce bar, snack bar, and ice cream machine. . The quality of the meat was decent but not as good as before. . I wrote "2"/"3" for some portions of the meat in the next round for AYCE, however, the portions continued to get smaller. To offset this, they do bring the food out quickly after ordering.

AYCE Menu as of April 2025
Winnie K.

We came here pretty often for their AYCE dinner. It's 27.99 per person for weekday lunch and $31.99 pp for weekday dinner and weekends. There is a $2.99 additional cost if you want to use the sauce bar and cold appetizers. The food was decent and the service was generally fine. I wanted to mention that something happened during my recent visit. Towards the end of my meal, I saw a silverfish on my dinning table, I called the waiter and let him know. The silverfish eventually kept walking on my dinning table and dropped to the floor and we couldn't find it. The waiter offered I wanted to move tables, but since I was almost done with the meal, I declined his offer. He handed me with extra napkins but didn't offer to wipe the table or anything else. I understand these things can happen, but it might be helpful for the team to be a little bit more proactive in future situations like this.... Just wanted to share awareness....

All You Can Eat Menu
Gordon L.

Went on a Monday afternoon to try their AYCE menu Price: $28/person, plus $3/person for the AYCE bar (sauces, dessert, ice cream); total for two people was around $70-80 after tip and tax Food: 4.5/5 -food overall was so delicious!! -we got the house original marrow broth: broth was tasty and refreshing, great umami taste -meats: both the lamb and meat are good, especially their natural lamb slice -tofu and mushrooms and seafood was not bad too -only thing that wasn't so good was the Napa Cabbage, tasted bitter and not too fresh Service and environment: 5/5 -great customer service, server speaks English and Chinese -food gets delivered with a robot -easy to ask for another round of meat -easy to ask server for more soup base Overall, I would definitely come again, especially if you're feeling hungry and can eat a lot

Mel S.

Came here on a Friday evening with two friends and glad we got there before 6pm! They don't take reservations for groups less than 6 people, and it starts to get busy by 5:45pm. By the time we left, there was a long line to get in. Staff and Service: - You have the option to do AYCE or a la carte. The AYCE menu is more limited and is roughly $35 / person. We did the a la carte option due to more menu options and it wasn't anything ridiculous. And we even had more food than needed - If you purchase the AYCE sauce addition for $2.99, you get unlimited access to the sauce bar, fruit, gyoza and spring rolls, etc. Food: - We got two different types of meat (angus and short rib). Both were tasty. We also got the mushroom soup and the original soup as the hot pot soups. I can't remember which one, but one of them tasted kind of funny and ruined the taste of the beef for me - Gyoza was good considering it was just in a bowl next to the sauce bar - Veggies and tofu were good. We recommend getting the Chinese donut - There is a vanilla soft serve machine as well next to the sauce bar for dessert (it's more icy than creamy) Miscellaneous: - Parking is available via metered parking out front and local parking garages (both are free after 6pm and on weekends)

Anthony G.

On a calm Saturday, I had just gifted a lovely bouquet to my partner, but we were now hungry. We didn't know what to eat, but we soon learned about Happy Lamb's hotpot deal, so knowing their good quality, we decided to give it a try. The ayce option is (I believe) limited to 3 rounds, but you can order as many things as you want each round. However, to take advantage of this we ordered a lot during the first and second round, which left us too full for a third round. However, everything was great. The additional sauce bar for 3 dollars is a must, but the quality of ingredients and meat was great. The other ready to eat hot foods leave a lot to be desired, but if you're there for the hotpot you're in for a treat. The free ice cream was also a bit lackluster, but the hotpot itself was definitely the point. Regardless, I would definitely come back for this deal as it wasn't too expensive.

Heads up, sauce bar is an extra charge. No problem paying but u would think VIP premium includes sauce at least.
D J.

Food on regular menu is so-so; one the meats was cut thickly(as if for bbq) & was not enjoyable to try to chew through. Of course the VIP premium menu has better meats at the cost of $45.99/person, but HEADS UP.. u WILL still be charged to use the sauce station!!! (U would think the VIP package, which includes all the WHOLE menu options, would include the sauce bar but guess not. Only really good meats were the VIP meats which are in limited quantity even if u do AYCE. Also what is this shaved ice LMAO Totally threw me off. Check picture. Also to add, no ice cream at the machine?? Ok.

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1 month ago

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1 month ago

Just finished AYCE for dinner. So stuffed, so delicious. Lamb is especially good. Highly recommend the original broth.

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4 months ago

Food, service, ambiance all great. Broth seemed less salty than other hot pot restaurants I've gone to... much better

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Happy Lamb Hot Pot Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Happy Lamb Hot Pot

Is there any parking lot near the restaurant?

Yes, there are a few parking lots in S. Ellsworth Ave.

Is the Summer AYCE special back for 2023?

Do you have all you can eat now at your San Mateo location?

Hello All you can eat is not available sorry.

Is this place order by the dish or all you can eat?

Order a la carte, not all you can eat (as of 1/16/22)

Is there all you can eat anymore?

Not at this time. The last time I went a couple months ago, you had to pay by the plate/dish.

Are you open for dine in?

2/28/21 - The restaurant is open for dine-in.

Are you guys open for outdoor / indoor right now?

Indoor dining was available as of 1/16/22

Is this place open now?

Yes, under a different name Happy Lamb.

Have they reopened after remodeling?

Yes!!

Does anyone know if this business opens now?

As of late November 2019, this branch is still closed, Roth a posted sign saying it is going through renovation since the summer. It is not clear if that is the actual case or it is closed for real.

Is San Mateo open already or still under renovation?

As of dec. 1, still closed for renovations.

Was wondering if you use Creekstone Farms still as your vendor for beef?

Was wondering about all you can eat too? Thought I saw someone reviewed about AYCE.

It's only available Tuesdays

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Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

4.7(981 reviews)
2.2 mi
$$$$
Outdoor seating
All you can eat

Mikiya is easily one of the best high-end hot pot experiences around. The upscale, modern ambiance…read moreis fantastic, but the food completely steals the show. * **The Meat:** The premium A5 Japanese Wagyu is incredible. The marbling is beautiful, and it literally melts in your mouth. * **The Broths:** The sukiyaki broth is perfectly balanced--rich and flavorful without overpowering the meat. * **The Service:** Outstanding. The staff is highly attentive, quick to refill broths, and excellent at explaining the different cuts. It is absolutely worth the price for a special night out or a serious craving. **Pro tip:** Make a reservation or join the Yelp waitlist early, as it gets busy fast. Can't wait to come back!

I came in for a birthday lunch and was seated right away for 3 people. We had no choice but to opt…read moreto sit outside. We all got the silver tier. The food came out promptly but I would skip on the wagyu tartare. There was little to no flavor with no chips to scoop it. The seafood platter was my favorite. Huge variety that also comes with your meal. The vegetables were lacking though. The service was efficient. I think they could've changed their little rooms to grab the dipping sauce and dessert. It was crammed and not organized at all. It was so small that I could barely walk around. I almost slipped walking back to my table because the floor around there was wet! Despite what I mentioned above, the food quality was great. The Thai tea soft serve was also great! I'll be back only for a special occasion. I mentioned my birthday during check-in and they didn't do anything special.

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Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

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Mumu Hot Pot - Meat Lover Combo

Mumu Hot Pot

4.5(623 reviews)
3.1 mi
$$$
Halal
Vegetarian friendly

Came here for lunch on Easter Day and it was not crowded. We were greeted and seated right away…read more The menu was on a QR code and we ordered the one that was best for 2 people. We got: -Tom yum & creamy tomato soup -wagyu beef chuck eye roll, prime angus short and beef short ribs & New Zealand lamb -fish ball with roe, spam, & corn + it came with other veggies -udon noodle & house noodle and the food came out pretty quick. The side/sauces are on a cart and they have recommendations on which sauces to combine which is helpful. The soup was flavorful and tasty. The tom yum was not spicy (maybe cause my tolerance for spice is high). The meats were good too. Service was great and they came to refill out water and soup a few times. Then we paid via the phone on the QR code. There is a large parking lot and two restroom stalls for the women's restroom. I would come back here again!

Great hot pot experience, I enjoyed the combo meal menu structure…read more I got the wagyu chuck with sukiyaki broth, fish fillet, and fish balls with roe. The combo also comes with a veggie platter and rice or noodles. Lots of fun to have your own personal hot pot and be able to customize your own individual broth and ingredients. Really clean restaurant and speedy service, my only note is that it was a bit pricy for the amount of meat that you get (especially compared to malatang or AYCE spots), but the quality did make up for it.

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Mumu Hot Pot
Mumu Hot Pot
Mumu Hot Pot

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Top Pot - Beef Tongue (must try!)

Top Pot

4.6(432 reviews)
11.0 mi
$$$

Came here for lunch right when they opened. It's first come first serve sitting, so be there when…read morethey open if you can. It's AYCE and located near the beach by a little shopping area in Pacifica. Beautiful area. The hosts greeted us with their great smile and sat us down right away. We chose the BBQ pot (half bbq to grill your meats and soup like shabu). I had the coconut pork bone soup and my hubby had the mushroom soup. Both were very tasty and the spice was spot on. They had a variety of meat choices and yes prime beef ribeye! You can either grill it or drop it on your soup. You can also create your condiments to dip your grilled meats. The rib eye, beef belly, pork belly were my favorites. You can tell the meats were of high quality and were fresh. You only need to grill the rib eye medium rare and wow it's amazingly delicious!!! Also they have a wide variety of appetizer, vegetable, seafood, tofu, I can go on! The Kalbi ribs as one of the appetizer was one of the best Kalbi I ever had. The marinate was sooo yummy and the meat was tender! The service was also amazing! They checked on us constantly and our orders came so quickly, it was unbelievable. Yes we were stuffed and happy! The green tea ice cream at the end cleansed our palette and it was a great dessert to end the meal. Afterwards we walked a few steps and the view of the beach was mesmerizing! This place is one of the best grilled and shabu place I have ever been. Wish we had one like this in SF, but the scenic drive to Pacifica is worth coming here. Mark this restaurant in your bucket list as a must try. You will not regret it!

We had family visiting, so my husband made a reservation for a party of 14. He called a few days…read morebefore, and I was glad that they were able to accommodate such a big party. Our reservation was at 7pm and the restaurant started to fill up. It's not that big inside, but they also have a few tables outside. Each person had their own burner, but since I was sitting at the end, I had to share it with my mom. Not a big deal since I always like the broth that she ordered. All of us ordered half hot pot/skillet, so we can enjoy both types of cooking. I liked that one person was in charge of ordering for their group to minimize confusion and multiple orders. The food came out quickly for us to cook. I really enjoyed the New Zealand Lamb and all the vegetables. I wasn't a big fan of the sauces that we were able to customize at the sauce station since they were just normal Asian sauces. Overall a great place to come for AYCE. The price was also reasonable - $41.99 per person for 90 minutes. There is free parking available since it's located in a plaza. Our family had a great time which is all that matters.

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Top Pot - Biang Biang Noodles

Biang Biang Noodles

Top Pot - Biang Biang Noodles  @phidingthefam

Biang Biang Noodles @phidingthefam

Top Pot - Thai iced tea

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Thai iced tea

Shabuway Japanese Style Hot Pot

Shabuway Japanese Style Hot Pot

3.7(956 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$$

I came here for dinner tonight and was really disappointed. The quality of the food here has gone…read moredown a lot in the last few years. This explains why the restaurant is empty at prime time. I should have taken a picture of my food. The beef was not fresh. The plate of vegetables was quite pathetic. I asked if they have spinach and of course no. There was ONE piece of bokchoy on the plate. The rest of just the end of the cabbage, only the hard part. I got the spicy miso broth. It was so water down. I had to add in other sauces to give it some taste. I sat at the end of the bar next to the kitchen. There was such a bad smell that was coming from that way but I could not pin point what it was. I was there for less than 25 mins. I asked for a Togo box and took the rest Togo since I paid $30 plus tip for it. Although this place is convenient, however I would never step foot back here again.

I've been coming here for a few years now and it has never disappointed me. It has become my go to…read morespot in downtown San Mateo for either solo or with a companion for dinner. Specially during cold evenings and it's just the perfect weather for some hotpot. It is clean and well managed and maintained. The manager and the staff have always been friendly and accommodating. The place isn't very big but possibly could accommodate at least 40-50people. It has a very comfortable and cozy ambiance to it. I always elect for the all you can eat meat. And it has always been made with all the freshest ingredients from the broth to the veggies and the meats. It is super delicious and truly satisfying. that's why I keep coming back for more!

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Shabuway Japanese Style Hot Pot - Front door

Front door

Shabuway Japanese Style Hot Pot
Shabuway Japanese Style Hot Pot - Regular dish, mmm

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Regular dish, mmm

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - chinese - Updated May 2026

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