I am a huge hot pot fan. When I moved here from San Francisco I was worried I wouldn't find a good one in Tucson. But I am so happy that I found this place! The broths are all SO good and everything is so FRESH. DO NOT underestimate the spice levels here. I would start with mild even if you can handle spice. I wish I had asked the nice young lady's name, she was working tonight when I went, and was so nice and helpful. She's helped me a couple times that I've been there. 10/10 service and food everytime. Never seemed the slightest bit annoyed by my questions or order. I recommend the slightly spicy/sour golden broth. It is my new favorite. read more

A fantastic place to get hotpot in Tucson. One pot is enough food for 2-4 people. I went with two other friends and with a couple of appetizers and the hotpot we were full at the end. I recommend to the split bowl so that you can try two different broths. We had the mild spicy house broth and beef broth. As others have said, the spice is no joke. It made me sweat but was so tasty. You pay for the broth base and then for each topping you decide to add and access to the sauce bar. read more

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Great spicy food. Filling & flavorful. Great service. Casual ambience full of other hot pot foodies. read more

Potwhale - Menu - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Potwhale Hot Pot completely surprised me in the best way. It's definitely a tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it, hole-in-the-wall kind of spot, but the experience is what makes it memorable. This was my first time doing hot pot like this--bench seating, a massive steaming bowl in the center of the table, and ingredients brought out for you to cook as you go. We ordered the split pot (highly recommend!), which lets you enjoy two different broths in one enormous bowl. And these bowls are huge. Totally ideal for 2-4 people and perfect for sharing. The flavors were phenomenal, and if you're a spice chaser, they do not play around. Level 1 already brings heat. They also offer vegetarian and vegan-friendly ingredients, which I appreciated. Overall it was such a fun, interactive dining experience--one of those spots you'd never stumble upon without a local recommending it. I will say it's a bit pricier than you'd expect for a small, tucked-away location, and the bill adds up quickly. They also charge for things you might not realize--like the salsa bar--so just keep that in mind. But honestly? Delicious food, a super unique experience, and I'll absolutely be back to try the higher spice levels. read more

Potwhale - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Service very slow where took long to bring Water soda and additional items as we order

I love this place! The food is excellent and affordable, and there is a very extensive list of items to order. I always bring friends here and everyone who comes with me is an immediate fan. You can also split the soups, so it's very easy for me to come here as a vegetarian and not have to worry about options or cross-contamination. I'm already thinking about next time I can come back for more hot pot. read more

My very first hot pot experience and I must say it has put every other Ramen experience to shame. I didn't even miss the carbohydrates and I'm usually an absolute crab fiend. No need for noodles. No need for rice. It is pure heavenly protein, and vegetables. I highly recommend to everybody. Service was working overtime and everything came out swiftly 12/10 read more

Potwhale - Two kinds of soup house special beef on the he right and medium spicy on the left - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

It's unfortunate that I have to give 2 stars but I think it's unethical to add your own tip to the total. There were 6 of us. I love the food here but I won't be coming here with how they handle our bill. She just ran it for an amount that wasn't authorized. It had been a few months and had forgotten to make a review. Plus I haven't been back. read more

This place is the best for hot pot! The food always comes out quick and the broth is delicious. This is a great place to come with family and friends because the pots are so big. read more

Always a great spot for authentic hot pot. This is one of two locations that I know of that have traditional hot pot & it's my favorite spot. There is a sauce bar where you can create your custom dipping sauces. It is a bit warm inside due to the multiple boiling pots of sauces which makes it perfect for winter. Accommodates large and small parties & the service is friendly and quick. Love to take friends here who have never experienced hot pot. Prices are fair but a bit expensive. For two I paid $55. Love this local spot in Tucson! read more

Potwhale - Mild soup base & beef soup base (post meal) - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Clean, friendly, and most importantly...GOOD FOOD! highly recommend coming here if you like hot pot or want to try something new. read more

Potwhale - From one extreme to another... VERY SPICY TO NOT SPICY AT ALL! - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I have tried three flavors so far, the chicken base and mild and medium spice beef base. Each were so delicious in their own way and the servings of each side you choose are more than enough for two. Inexpensive when you know what you will eat and just found out you can take your left overs home! I come from out of town and was so thrilled to hear someone ask for a to-go container. Can't wait until my next visit! read more

Good mix of different meats and spices, however dont get the schezuan pepper spice if you are not used to it, it literally numbs you. The self serve side dipping station is nice and you can make your own dipping sauce foe the hot pop. read more

Very first time here! Super yummy , I brought my family visiting from California. They said 10 out of 10! The ambiance needs a lil art work or tall fake plants and it would look cute! The stuff animals at the front stand out and are nice! Overall the food was delish. Service was very quick and nice! I especially love that this place is open late The broths were very flavorful and I just love the selection to make your sauces! I will definitely be returning read more

Potwhale - Yummy yummy - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Menu choices were varied and meats were fresh. Hot-pot was delicious however spice levels are NOT for chumps. We ordered "medium" and ended up in tears. Service was fast. I thought portion sizes were small for the price. Atmosphere feels comfortable and local. Tables are large for big parties read more

Potwhale - Meal spread - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I came here with a friend in December for dinner. You choose if you want one sauce or 2 separate sauces then what you want to add into the sauces. You place the raw items in the sauce to cook. I liked the mushroom sauce but the mild sauce was really spicy and I didn't end up eating that one. I also wasn't a fan of the sauce bar and preferred the food without it. We added egg, sole, lobster meat ball, tofu, enoki mushroom, AChoy and spinach. Everything was really good. It was about $25 per person. read more

Potwhale - Sauce Bar - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Our first hot pot restaurant to try out in Tucson. Hot soups with fresh veggies and meats was a dish I grew up on so finding this place was a pleasant surprise. Opted for the two flavor base because options- Special House Beef broth (still a good kick of spiciness on lowest level) and Golden chicken broth on mild spicy. Both were good and had their own distinct flavors, definitely a yin and yang sort of feel. In addition to the broths, we ordered beef & lamb, scallops, lobster balls, frozen tofu, veggie combo 1, mushroom combo, and some noodles. I suggest 1.5 to 2 orders of noodles per person as the servings were pretty small. You do get served a ton of broth so I recommend a party of at least 4, 5-6 persons would be perfect. Also, our waitress spoke very little English, but we were still able to communicate our food and drink orders. If you enjoy a cook-your-own-food restaurant, like a Korean bbq, then you'll enjoy this soup style. It's a fun dining experience to be had. read more

This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. We came in as a party of five and were crammed around a small table, even though several larger tables were clearly available. When we asked to move, we were simply told "no, the hot pot is on and cookin, you cant be moved". It made the entire meal uncomfortable -- we were constantly bumping into each other and even spilled hot food due to the lack of space. The food itself was disappointing. The noodles, which were supposed to be fresh, were hard and took forever to cook. It felt like we spent more time waiting than actually enjoying the meal. The food was constantly sticking to the bottom of the cheaply made pans as well. To top it off, the service was just unfriendly. When we didn't leave a tip -- due to the poor service and overall experience -- the waitress gave us attitude and was visibly annoyed when we asked for a receipt. Hospitality was clearly not a priority here. Definitely won't be returning. There are plenty of other hot pot places that treat their guests better and actually deliver a quality meal. If I could give this place zero stars I would. read more

The windows were all steamed up on a cold night. Good sign. They charge you if you want two different broths which is expected. The medium spicy was too spicy for my taste (I eat spicy food) and my boyfriend (also a spice eater) so if you like spicy you'll be happy with that. The ingredients were frozen. The lobster balls we're our favorite. We had some of the beef and honeycomb beef as well. I don't think you get a good amount of veggies for what they charge tho (combos). They charge you for the sauce station fyi. $3 per person regardless if you go or not. I'd give the food a B, but service was lacking. $75+ I prefer eHotpot. read more

This is one of those reviews with few pictures as I was so taken by the experience that I totally forgot until the end of the meal. I saw this place recommended from someone on an Instagram video and decided to try here instead of the E. pot place on Speedway I've had my eye on. The spot gave the mom and Pop vibe I was looking for and truly is a diamond in the rough. It's located in a plaza, which I would not expect, a restaurant, but upon walking in, any doubt you may have is instantly rectified as it appears very clean..it has paintings on the wall..and as a open floor plan. The tables remind me of a cafeteria as they are tables with a bench on each side. Each table also has a built-in stove top, which allows them to place the pot. After you're seated you receive two menus, one that allows you to pick your base and the other, with multiple options you can add to your pot. They give you a marker and pen to mark those things in the paper and laminated menu and come out to get it from you after a few minutes. I did feel the service was lacking as I had a few questions and was never really able to ask them since the server really only came to get our menus and leave. I did expect them to do more of an intro or explanation. They also have a walk up condiment bar that has things like oyster sauce, cilantro, garlic paste etc. that you can add to your pot but it's $1.50 extra to use it (they don't tell you that). The actual food was great and flavorful. Be careful that mild is SPICY, I would suggest just trying another base if you don't love spicy. There's some ingredients in there that does something weird to your tongue/taste buds. I can't explain it but it almost alters your taste and is intense. The meat also came frozen (we got 2 kings of meatballs and some of the beef), which I thought was interesting. Anyway it's a lot of food! I do think it's still a little expensive but it also could be managed with how many toppings you put in it.. came to about $33/pp for our meal. read more

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yummy hot pot with large servings and a fun experience. The $30 minimum is easy to meet with the many veggie and protein options to select for your hot pot. It's open late which is perfect for my after work refuel after long late shifts read more

Perfect place for a hot meal. They offer a variety of thinly sliced meat, veggies, and seafood. There's a station where you can mix your own dipping sauce and the place gets busy as it gets late at night. Nicely decorated and very spacious for groups of people. It was our second time going there and we had leftovers even for the three of us. I think the food is fairly priced. Highly recommend!!! read more

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Delicious and authentic hot pot! SO hard to get good Asian food in Tucson, but this place is terrific. The broth was super flavorful and the fixings were generous. Be warned though--medium spicy is very spicy. We like the standard broth as well as the mushroom. Try it -- you won't regret it! As good as hot pot I've had in Queens -- I've had a lot -- and that's pretty much the highest compliment I can think of. read more

Potwhale - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

A delicious place with a wide selection of options -- perfect to eat at with a large group! I love hot pot and I'm used to going to places that serve you your own individual pot, but this is more of a sharing experience! You are given a large pot and you can either choose one or two types of broth! My boyfriend and I opted for two broth, medium spicy and curry. A fellow Yelper warned that medium spicy is spicy spicy, I ignored it because I also believe I have a high spice tolerance, but I learned my lesson! Medium spicy here is excruciatingly spicy! I also love that you can to choose what kind and how much protein and veggies you want. It's fun to cook the raw meats and veggies! The self-serve sauce bar is an extra $1.50/person, but we didn't need any sauces. Potwhale was so good! I would go here next time with a large group, but my preference is still having my own individual hot pot. read more

Potwhale - Medium Spicy Broth and Curry Broth - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This was our first time here and we enjoyed our experience. The service was quick, and our server was attentive. She explained that their soup base was not your typical Chinese one and when we ordered half medium spicy she encouraged us to go mild. The mild was way too spicy for my husband, he could not enjoy it and ended up sweating up a storm! He gave up and just ate the beef broth which we really enjoyed up until I got tastes of cilantro! Augh! I hate cilantro! Anyway, the place was nice, clean, and it was a busy night but we got seated right away. There was plenty of parking with is always good. We will be back to give it another try & this time we are all the wiser! read more

Potwhale - Vegetables, mushrooms, shrimps, bean sprouts & glass noodles - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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This food was absolutely amazing I had the lamb combo and I swear I saw the light. Nice ambience and not generally loud. The service is fast and people are quite kind. The food, I must say again is PERFECT. I love this place. Definitely will be coming back, maybe with the fam. Hubby will love it! It's a stark comparison to the last restaurant I tried. And I love the name! Potwhale, keep it up! read more

My girlfriend and I went here a couple of days ago to give this place a try and I must say we were very disappointed. Although the place was clean it was also very boring. Also the cup they had were cheap plastic cups that you buy at a Dollar Tree. Now the service was even worse than the cheap plastic cups. Our waitress was absolutely horrible, she didn't explain the menus or how things work. She was not attentive at well had to ask for water and napkins numerous times. As for the food it was so-so, since it's like Korean Bbq because you cook your own food they only provide the broth, but the things that they made was nothing to write home about. We got the steam buns but they had no filling and fried dumplings that taste like they were frozen. In conclusion experience was not good at all especially since they charge an arm and a leg for broth and meat you cook yourself. I would not recommend Potwhale there are better options for Hot Pot in my opinion. read more

Every single time I've been to Potwhale, it's been delicious. It takes a couple visits to understand how much to order, and how to really coordinate the timing of the meal... but trust me it is worth the effort. My friends and I have become regular visitors over the last couple years. We even had shirts made bc we love this place so much! This is family style eating- 4 is the golden number at the table. Took me 2 years to realize they had 3 tv's! That's how good the food is. Each visit has had very fresh veggies + proteins. (Please bring back golden chicken broth !!) Staff is attentive and friendly. Highly recommend eating here, come hungry & leave happy. 11/10 read more

Potwhale - House mushroom broth & level 1 spicy - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Good service, good environment and good price. We usually come here in a large group of 11 and everyone is satisfied with the soup. We get mushroom broth and our favorite is the tomato broth. I recommend it! read more

Potwhale - Mushroom and tomato broth. - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Really good and probably the best option for hot pot in tucson. Would recommend highly

This is a you cook it place. Visited for my daughter's birthday. The food is ok and the experience is something. Most things are served raw and you cook it yourself. you pick your broths and then your meats and noodles or rice and some kinds of mushrooms. You can also get rice on the side. They are quick to to get your table serviced and going. But if I needed anything I had to go to the counter to ask. Glad I went, but it's not for me. read more

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Great place to go for a unique and engaging dining experience with bold flavors and exciting textures. Potwhale has a lively atmosphere and offers memorable specialties such as quail eggs and a thoughtful variety of mushrooms and greens, even fresh noodles. Service is always efficient and polite, even when they're busy. Truly- the food comes out more quickly than any fast food restaurant and it always leaves us feeling we might the right choice. read more

It took us a minute to figure out how everything worked. But once we did, it was super fun! We enjoyed trying all different foods and veggies. Will absolutely come here again! Fun, delicious. Amazing! read more

My first time experiencing Hot Pot, and it was really good! This place is small, there was one table occupied when we walked in. But the place got packed after we came in. We asked for two broths. Make sure you can handle the heat if you order medium spicy. They don't have a lot of choices on their meat,but it's okay. There's plenty to choose and enjoy. The curry broth is good. One person is in charge of the whole dining area and she is super nice. Very accommodating and really friendly. read more

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The food was really good, not disappointed at all, the service was amazing very attentive. read more

Potwhale - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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This place is soooo good! Everything came out quick and in one huge hotpot like how it traditionally is. They have a sauce bar that you can use for $1.5 extra per person! We went for New Years dinner and it was soo perfect for the cold weather. It feels 4 hungry adults and three kiddos and could easily feed a few more people. All the meats were great cuts! We ordered the lamb and prime rib?? I think or roast?? of course tofu, dumplings and veggies... oh and some meatballs. We ordered all the appetizers and they were delicious! My favorite were the buns with the sweet condensed milk dipping sauce! We will definitely come back and appreciate this gem in the wall. The area around is a bit sketchy but they have been in Tucson for a little over 4 years. They didnt have changing table but the bathrooms were clean. two bathrooms not a multi stall one so you would have to wait if someone was using it. the servers were so kind and very nice answering all our questions. Thank you and Happy New Year Happy Yelping read more

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This place was pretty bomb! It had great options, and for 4 of us it was about $105 (we ordered lots!). There was great variety! 10/10 recommend the mild spice broth! The only thing, we didn't realize there was a sauce bar until we were almost done eating! But I'd go again! read more

Very clean and delicious! The hot pot is amazingly delicious nice spice! The ambience was mellow and peaceful! Will be going back. read more

So good and I love that it's dinner and an activity! We got 2 bases (1 spicy) and there are lots of veggie and vegan options that are delicious and filling. Highly recommend! If you are familiar with Hot Pot, check out your preserving options ahead of time to get a game plan. read more

Amazing food and the server was always present getting refills and helping us. The store looked clean but the outside it looks closed without the open sign. Great restaurant and I would recommend to anyone I know. read more

Potwhale - Hot Pot Near Me - Tucson, Arizona