My first taste of hotpot was just a couple years ago, when some colleagues and I headed to a small joint on Federal Blvd. I’m a sucker for a “snacktivity” — especially one where friends and family can gather and bond over a shared love of meats.
Since we moved to Arvada, I’ve been lugging my family around the western Denver metro in search of the best hotpot in the area. We’ve found a few that we love, but it’s always a 20+ minute car commitment from our neighborhood in Olde Town Arvada. And with two kids in tow, that drive feels even longer.
Alas! We’ve finally got our very own hotpot (and BBQ!) spot close to home!
While technically in Wheat Ridge, the newest Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant, La Hotpot & BBQ, is now open and serving up delicious, fresh meats, veggies, and seafood west of I-25!
La Hotpot & BBQ in Wheat Ridge, CO
Address: 4775 Kipling St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Monday & Tuesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm, Wednesday 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Thursday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm, Friday & Saturday 11:00 am – 9:30 pm, Sunday 11:00 – 9:00 pm.*
*Hours may change. Call (303) 423-9888 for updated hours.
How to Order at La Hotpot & BBQ in Wheat Ridge, Colorado
If you’re only in the mood for hotpot, let your server know as you’re getting seated, and you can order from the hot-pot only menu. If you go with all-you-can-eat hotpot and BBQ, be prepared that everyone in your party must agree!
We found prices to be very reasonable (and we were big fans of the reduced kids’ prices!).
For either menu, the waitstaff will hand you a laminated menu and a dry erase marker. Choose your hotpot broth, meats, seafood, noodles, and veggies, and do the same for the BBQ menu on the bottom of the sheet. Be sure that you clearly mark which items you’d like, either with an X, a Dash —, or a number (ex. 3 pork bone broths).
(Menu recent as of March 2024)
If you’re new to hotpot restaurants and looking for advice on where to start, check out our sample menu order for two people that gives you a variety of flavors, proteins, and veggies. After your first order, simply request another menu to take advantage of that AYCE — all you care to eat — without over-ordering. We did find the portions to be a little confusing (for example, we re-ordered fatty beef for hotpot and got about six portions worth!), but you can always ask your server to bring half orders for your refills.
Our go-to hotpot order for two:
1 pork bone broth
1 herbal broth (sub Tom Yum for vinegar flavor or Spicy Broth for..spicy)
1 instant noodle (Ramen)
1 udon noodle
1 hotpot ribeye
1 hotpot pork belly
2 shrimp head-off
1 sweet corn
1 enoki mushroom
1 tang ho or 1 baby bok choy
2 lobster balls or 2 fish balls
1 sliced fatty beef (bbq)
1 pork belly (bbq)
1 marinated short ribs (bbq)
1 black pepper beef (bbq)
1 shiitaki mushroom (bbq)
How to Make the Best Hotpot Dipping Sauce at La Hotpot and BBQ in Wheat Ridge, CO
Now, I’m speaking from my stance as a very, very white girl here. (Seriously—if you look at my 23 and Me, it’s 100% “Blue.”) So the ingredients and measurements below are simply my favorite semi-spicy combo for a beef-ready dipping sauce similar to the house special sauce at Yummy Yummy Hotpot in Denver. I go with a Tom Yum broth base, so it’s got that spice and kick with the slightest vinegary flavor, making this spicy-savory sauce a perfect pairing. Why a dipping sauce? To elevate your hotpot dining experience and make the most of flavors you wouldn’t normally have access to at home!
(Important note: If you’re going BBQ, La Hotpot and BBQ serves up a few ready-made delicious BBQ sauce options on their sauce bar.)
After you visit the sauce bar and grab your dipping sauce bowl (the smaller one), add:
1-2 spoonfuls of cilantro (I know, not everybody’s cup of tea, but I LOVE it)
1-2 heaping spoonfuls of green onion
1-2 spoonfuls chili oil
1 spoonful “beef sauce”
1 spoonful oyster sauce
1 pull of sesame oil
1 pull of soy sauce
Et voila. We found the Tom Yum, Spicy Broth, and Pork Bone broths so flavorful at La Hotpot and BBQ that we didn’t need to add much to the broth to get the flavor we liked. So after your bubbly broth heats each slice of meat through, simply dip it into your sauce and get that hit of umami!
Additional Notes about La Hotpot and BBQ
Be willing to catch the waitstaff’s attention to ask for what you need, whether that’s additional orders or drink refills.
If you have got to have top-notch rice and dumplings with your Korean BBQ, you’re better off heading to Dae Gee, which specializes in high-quality Korean-style BBQ with banchan (yummy side dishes and accompaniments). La Hotpot does serve rice, but it’s just not as fluffy as Dae Gee’s, and dumplings are on the hotpot-only menu–but we weren’t able to order them when we went.
As of March 2024, the restaurant does not yet have an updated website; they took over for the now-defunct Crab House, so you may see remnants of that online. They do have active Instagram and Facebook pages.
Other Hotpot and Korean BBQ Restaurants near Arvada, CO:
Dae Gee (Korean BBQ) – 7570 Sheridan Boulevard, Arvada, CO 80003
Chubby Cattle Denver (hotpot, barbeque, and all-you-can-eat sushi) – 2 N Broadway, Denver, CO 80203
Yummy Hotpot (hotpot only) – 2500 W Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80219
Yummy Hotpot and Dumpling (hotpot only with a selection of dumplings, Westminster) ****- 10350 Federal Blvd #400, Federal Heights, CO 80260
Hi there! I'm Carly.
We love to travel, explore, and meet new people, so we're here to help you find the best Arvada has to offer!
— Carly