If you’ve lived in Colorado a while, you know about The Melting Pot restaurants. Both the Littleton and Louisville locations are considered among the most romantic restaurants in Colorado, old standbys that have stood the test of time. Lifelong Coloradans, we’ve always wanted to go but just hadn’t. Recently, we made our very first trip to one of the Melting Pot locations so that we could tell you what to expect when you go.
We visited the Louisville location which is in the midst of a charming downtown area perfect for strolling and outdoor dining. This location pays tribute inside and out to the mining camp beginnings of Louisville and, in fact, the building was built with timbers from an old mine. Littleton’s location has more of an elegant wine cellar vibe.
We started our multi-course meal with salad (we knew pots of cheese and chocolate were in our near futures and wanted to be a little bit “good.”). They were delicious and a nice surprise in terms of the variety of ingredients in them and portions. The House Salad had romaine, iceberg, cheddar, tomatoes, croutons, scallions, egg, and a choice of housemade dressing. The California had mixed greens, tomatoes, candied pecans, gorgonzola and housemade raspberry walnut vinaigrette.
On to one of the two main reasons a person goes to a fondue restaurant – cheese being the first and chocolate being the second. We chose the Spinach Artichoke version with Butterkäse (a German-style, semi-soft, cow’s milk cheese), Fontina, Parmesan, spinach, artichoke hearts, and garlic. All of their cheese fondues are served with breads, fruit, and veggies for your dipping pleasure.
We should have paced ourselves on the cheese fondue because, at that point, we had doubts that we could manage the entree fondue. But, troupers that we are, we powered through and were glad we did. This is a two-part selection process. You can choose from various combinations of proteins or create your own, which we did, choosing Premium Filet Mignon, Shrimp, All-Natural Chicken Breast, and Teriyaki-Marinated Sirloin. Other options included Memphis-Style Dry Rub Pork, Atlantic Salmon, and Veggie Potstickers. Some options are gluten-free and are clearly labelled.
Next, you choose the Fondue Cooking Style. There’s the basic Court Bouillon with seasoned vegetable broth; Coq Au Vin with Burgundy wine, mushrooms, scallions and garlic; the intriguing Mojo with a Caribbean-Inspired broth with garlic, cilantro, and citrus; and the Bourguignonne, a European style that includes panko crumbs and sesame tempura batter. If we were regulars, we would have tried something a little more exotic like the Mojo but, being first timers, we went with the classic Coq Au Vin. It turned out to be a good choice that suited the variety of proteins we chose.
This is the point at which people get divided into two camps – those who think it’s absurd to pay a restaurant so that you can cook your own meal, and those who see the whole experience as part of the fun. When the platters arrived with our raw stuff, we were teetering a bit between both sides, I have to admit (same as I do at a Mongolian barbecue place). But once we got the hang of it all, figuring out which proteins took how much time and what sauces went best with each (our server was a tremendous help in that area), we felt like old pros, pulling one fondue fork out at just the right moment for the shrimp, leaving the sirloin in a tad longer. Dip this, fork that, hear the sizzle – it was fun. See our video below to watch the bubbling kettle in action.
Then it was chocolate fondue time, baby! What we’d been waiting for. Honestly, I could have just made a meal out of dessert because I believe that’s a thing you should be allowed to do in life. Our options included The Original with milk chocolate melted with crunchy peanut butter; the Pure Chocolate Fondue which lets you choose between milk, dark, or white chocolate; or the Yin & Yang with dark and white chocolate swirled together. We went with a fourth option, the Flaming Turtle, a decadent mixture of milk chocolate with caramel, topped with candied pecans and flambéed with the help of 151 Rum! Woo hoo!
As for pricing on Melting Pot’s menu, you can create a multi-course meal for yourself a la carte or take advantage of one of their combination offers. They also run promos periodically so it’s worth following them on social media to be kept apprised. But to give you an idea, Salads run $7.95 per person, Cheese Fondues range $20-$29.90 for two people, Entrée Fondues are $32.95-$37.95 for two, and Chocolate Fondues are $29.90 for two. Special dinner deals we saw on their website, at the time of writing this post included a $54.95 per person 4-course “Thursdate,” a $101.90 “The Complete Fondue Experience for Two,” and $119.90 for “Big Night Out Dinners for Two.” Those deals do not include drinks. Do take a look at their wine menu though – it’s impressive and affordable. Staff can walk you through suggestions that work, even if you are having a combination of meats and seafoods.
Here’s a look at what you can expect at The Melting Pot:
Follow The Melting Pot Littleton on Facebook or Instagram and Louisville’s Facebook or Instagram to learn about upcoming deals including their annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways.
The Melting Pot is located at 732 Main St., Louisville. And at 2707 W. Main St. in Littleton.
Please note, our visit was hosted by the Louisville location to facilitate this article. However, as always, our opinions are our own, honest and true.
What else is In Good Taste? Dip a spoon into these fall soup and stew recipes you can make at home. While you’re cooking (or driving to The Melting Pot), listen to our podcasts, here.
Keep this article handy on Pinterest so you can make your own plans to go to The Melting Pot.
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