Service is always courteous and friendly. Although the food service is kind of slow, I think it's worth the wait. I just wish the broths were boiling beforehand because the table heats up pretty slowly. Aside from that, they have a really nice hotpot combo for $23.50 during dinner time and you can pick one broth, one carb, one protein, and it comes with a vegetable bouquet, so I think it's pretty affordable as long as you don't order any extras. It's individual hotpot so you don't have to share pots and worry about sharing. The mala broth is superb and I think it's so flavorful because they use pho broth as the base. It does get sweeter as it boils down, but I guess I kind of prefer that over regular hotpot that gets saltier over time. They have a nice sauce bar with a good variety and even have pickled onions and jalapeños. If you're looking for a spicy and zesty sauce you can try my usual combo of: garlic, chili peppers, barbecue sauce, cilantro, scallions, red vinegar, and squeeze two slices of lime. The meat quality is not bad. They have meat combo platters as well if you want to order more meat on the side. I tried the blue jolly expecting it to taste sour like a blue jolly rancher, but it was more sweet and too strong for my liking. I tried the lychee green tea and it was not bad, a subtle taste of lychee. Aside from that the place is pretty big and they also have a separate bar room that you can eat in as well since this place was a tavern/club. Anyways I'm going again for the 3rd day in a row! read more

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Food is great. Nice variety of broths. Good quality meats and veggies. We loved the toppings and accessory bar! Appetizers we tried were really fresh. Everything for hot pot was wonderful. The night we went was a Thursday at 6pm, we were one of 4 tables there. Drinks were meh. We waited a really really long time to be greeted, choose drinks on their signature menu to make it quicker, then waited an equally long time for drinks. Then we waited well past the time we had finished our drinks to give our order. Waited for water. Never could ask for a refill of water or beverage. Our server mostly was back in the kitche Only one person there could make drinks and they also had tables they were waiting on. Despite those challenges people were very nice and kind. We'd go back to give it another try in hopes the wait wasn't quite so long and drinks weren't so blah. read more

Hot Spot Lowell - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Food was presented well, staff was welcoming and friendly. I ordered off the menu, did not do hotpot. Decent enough, but nothing to rave about. The dipping sauce was not like I've had at other Vietnamese restaurants, didn't care for it. The pork chop was was good, but overall not going to hit it out of the park. read more

Hot Spot Lowell - Pork chop plate. - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

We were very excited to give this place a try. Showed up on Monday night at roughly 6:30 to find the doors chained up and the establishment closed. All despite their hours of operation stating anything but. The only sign posted was for the following evening. Disappointing to see a business unable to either adhere to their schedule, or utilize all forms of social media, etc to let potential customers be aware of any changes! read more

Hot Spot Lowell - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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I love their spicy broths, not oily taste as other place in downtown. It's pricy though. Friendly service, accompany with nice music and good tv network. If you're single, just order large carte meat combo, it will fill you up. They have good ideal drink for summer read more

Hot Spot Lowell - Yummy drink - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

The spring rolls were pretty good. I like that they put an eggroll wrap in there for the crunch..... but they only put that in one spring roll. The other one didn't have that. The tofu pho was okay. I feel like the broth was kind of oily which I did not like.... I do like that it had mushroom and plenty of bean sprouts/mints. Tofu megathung was great! They give you a lot of tofu and veggies! Most place give you so much noodles and so little tofu/veggies. (Thanks for not being stingy guys! Lol) read more

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I've been keeping my eye on this place as I'd love for there to be a hot pot place in downtown Lowell. However it seems they have encountered issues after issues as there is currently no hot pot due to ac issues. They're also doing a very limited menu as they're still working through a soft opening. So I've been here when it was still Garcias, and it looks like they separated the bar area from the main dining area. There are several hot pot tables with regular tables in the middle as well. It was very bright inside but I didn't care for the loud dancing music that was playing in the closed bar area. The bar area was dark but they were still playing music that you could hear very clearly from the bar area. I do wish they had just the limited menu being shown instead of the full menu as when ordering, my initial items that I picked wasn't being served yet. We opted for the shrimp in a blanket for a starter, pho, and bun. The shrimp in the blanket was fine, I though the ginger was a little strong in the sauce and overpowered everything else here. The shrimp tails were fried lovely and was delightfully crunchy. The bun was good according to partner and on par with other buns in the area. I was a little disappointed by the pho. The spices weren't quite on par with other pho I've had in the area. The meat portion was fine and the noodle portion was good as well. Service was fantastic even as we were the only ones in the restaurant. They'll need to work out some kinks with the music and pho, but I hope this can be a regular spot for me to come eat and I look forward to trying their hot pot once it's ready. My rating is more like a 3.5 but I'll give this place a try again to see if their other dishes are good or once they work through their soft opening. read more

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Been here a few times for the pho, the pho is amazing. Waited for the hotpot here and I was not disappointed. I got the spicy mala broth and it def has a good kick. I'll definitely come back here! read more

Hot Spot Lowell - a hot pot of beef and vegetables - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Hot Pot is very sparse in the Lowell area and the only other place that offers hot pot in Lowell is NOT handicapped accessible so I can't go there. But our luck was with us! Hot Spot is fantastic. I got the regular chicken soup base and my daughter ordered the mala one. We both raved about our choices. Our server was super friendly and very helpful with helping us make our choices. Am open, well lit area and we were beyond thrilled. It is a definite new favorite! read more

Hot Spot Lowell - Delicious Flavorful Hot Pot!! - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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Great service by the waitstaff and chefs. We had two hotpots and a noodle dish. The meat was very tender and the veggies were fresh and delicious. The noodles were prepared well. read more

Can definitely say this is the perfect spot if you're looking for cozy, affordable, & authentic home food. It definitely sets the tone for comfort. The service is also amazing & they clearly care about the people they are serving. Will be back again! read more

Hot Spot Lowell - Hot pot - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

We just came back from this restaurant. As Asians who enjoyed hot pot frequently in CA, this restaurant was not what we wanted. The service was great but not the food. Also, the portion per person was small but so expensive. The one in New Jersey was more expensive but much more delicious with unlimited beef and food. We could not find any great hot pot restaurant in MA. We decided to make at home instead of going to this restaurant. read more

Sooo good! I never knew how much I liked hot pot until here. Try it! It's awesome!

Take out: ONLY FOOD REVIEW- Subpar, meh, below mediocre, tasteless, not in any way authentic, bland, not well prepared. Dumplings, terrible, fried to crisp fried nothingness and taste even worse. Mix vegetables were cheap, devoid of flavor, soggy and just sad. Chicken on rice was another low point. Rubbery overcooked flesh, overwhelmed by cloying sweet sauce, even the rice was weak, chalky and bland. Last but first on being terrible was the Seafood Pho. Broth taste is prefab lacking any quality of a legitimate Pho broth. Seafood smelled like an unventilated fish market. PEW! Noodles overcooked and stuck together. One if not the worst Pho ever. Never will go again. read more

It was a very good hot pot experience. Living in central NH, it was a bit of a drive, but well worth it as a monthly dining experience with my daughter's Boston-based family. I had the kimchi-infused broth and an array of hard-to-find mushrooms for NE in addition to the daily vegetable assortment. This style of dining is becoming lost on the continent - fresh, shared, and immersively social at tableside. The staff was friendly and personal. read more

The pho here is superb. In general I think everything I've had here has been quite tasty with some interesting cocktails as well! Come on Thursday for karaoke! read more

We tried the hot pot and vermicelli, everything was excellent and fresh. They have several different broths to suit any taste or dietary need. The fresh spring rolls are the best I've had and we have several local restaurants that do them very well. The service was also perfect. Everything was explained and our server was to happy to make suggestions and educate us how everything worked. The restaurant itself was very clean and laid back. We'll definitely be back. read more

Great hotpot place with tasty broth. Great services. Good ambiance for friends and family. read more

Hot Spot Lowell - a woman sitting at a table with a cup of coffee - Bars Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

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The service and food is amazing! The ladies are so friendly! The hot pot broth is flavorful and definitely hits the spot on a cold day

As of October 2023, Hot Spot has had their hot pot menu open to the public for only a couple of weeks and it is absolutely delicious. My friends and I are huge on hot pot, and for reference, we always go to Boston for the usual Shabu Zen, Kaze, Ibasaw, and Hot Pot Buffet. In comparison, this restaurant is definitely worth missing that drive as the food is great. Currently, they offer a hot pot bundle. For $22.50, you get a broth of your choice, a plate of meat, a side of variety vegetables, and a starch (rice/noodle). I've been there approximately 3 times in under 2 weeks and have had either just enough to eat or leftovers, so it is definitely worth my money! In addition to this bundle, they also offer plenty of sides you can add (from meatballs to seafood to tofu and so on). Food can be good but what's just as important is the service and staff. From all 3 my experiences there, the staff was very attentive, kind, patient, and extremely accommodating. They have treated me with such comfort each time I've gone which has made me want to go again... and again! Aside from the hot pot, they also offer dishes and appetizers, such as pho, vermicelli, spring rolls, crab rangoons. Looking forward to try them all! Parking: Plenty of street parking and a garage included in the same building. Family friendly: I've brought my 1 year old there and the atmosphere was very comfortable for him. read more

Absolutely amazing customer service, food was great and individualize for your own taste, and the music definitely hit the calm, relaxing and fun vibe. Has a fresh and unique take on hotpot using individual pots per person which removes the awkwardness of sharing a pot. Highly recommend! read more

Food was ok. Waitress was a mess. Couldn't remember our order. Kept forgetting to bring things.

This was our first time visiting Hot Spot and we'll definitely be back! I don't know what was better - the food or the service. My husband ordered Hot Pot and I got a Vermicelli dish. Both were fantastic. And the service was incredible! Our waitress had so many great recommendations (don't skip the Spring Rolls or the House Sauce!). Bonus: prices were super reasonable. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

The food is awesome. I love the options at the Sauce bar. The food is reasonably priced.

This was the most terrible experience I've ever had at any restaurant in my life! We went to get drinks and appetizers. First, they only brought water for 3 of the 5 people at the table. We ordered 2 maitais and they didn't take drink orders for the other 3 people. We waited for about 15 minutes before asking again for Maitais and non alcoholic drinks for the rest of the table. They brought the iced teas. Then our food came out, which was not good. It's was stingy, dry and very disappointing. They brought our maitais AFTER we finished eating.... They also said nothing, not a sorry for taking so long. This must be their regular procedure. And to top it off, I don't think they actually put any alcohol in our 12 dollar "maitais". They were super quick to bring the bill and cash us out. Also, it wasn't busy. There was one other table in the place. NEVER ever again. read more

The food and drinks are really good. But it is way too expensive for their small portions. Was still hungry when I left.

Great food and excellent services. Staffs are super Friendly. Love the bar atmosphere and entertainments. Also the restaurant and bar spaces are perfect for private events. read more