Spring Shabu Shabu Grill

Lately, I've been hearing that a lot of restaurants are having difficulty finding qualified staff. It's not that Spring Shabu Shabu appeared to be short-staffed today, the problem was that the employees on-duty simply came across as completely disinterested. The customer service was non-existent. From the moment my party of six arrived until our departure, the collective staff performance was underwhelming. They simply couldn't have cared less whether I, or my five guests enjoyed our experience in their restaurant. As a paying customer, I have never felt less welcome in a business establishment. I felt this upon my arrival at Spring Shabu Shabu, and I continued to feel that way the entire time I was there.

This place is good. I would 've gave it 4 stars if the service was better. Person up front was rude, pushy, and condescending which was off putting. The couple of times I went to grab sauce and/or rice the small bowls were completely gone. I asked an employee if there were small bowls, and she replied I just refilled them , but didn 't offer to bring any out for me, so I just stood for a while until she decided to bring more out. None of the staff was overly attentive so because it 's buffet style I just tipped accordingly. I wish they had some sauce suggestions at the sauce bar for first timers. I thought the broth was tasty. We tried two- spicy miso- which had large peppercorns and fennel, I personally do not like either so did not care for this broth. However, we also tried an original and it was really good. Place was busy and clean, and the buffet had a large variety of things to choose from. I would likely return, but a pricey dinner for something that didn 't impress me all too much.

Large selection to choose from, the woman hostess who took our order was friendly, all of the team assisting us were friendly too. We went at 3:30 pm New Years Eve and the place was pretty empty. It was my first time at this location, and first time visiting this franchise. My friends chose this place, I was treating them to wherever they wanted to go. Service wise, we had to chase down employees for things like extra napkins. Someone came twice and offered us refills on drinks, we had to chase down someone the other times. I was paying in cash, and right after someone else had come and taken the money, the hostess who originally seated us came up to me and said, Hey, who took my money , which threw me off. She then said she was joking. I 'd never had anyone in a restaurant do that before, especially when I was paying cash. I kinda laughed. Considering what happened next though, it probably had been a bad idea. I was still finishing my drink when a short man approached my guest, leaned over, cupped his hand and started telling my guest something. My other guest had just finished their ice cream. I had no idea what he was telling my guest. I thought he might be thanking him for the big tip I had just left, or maybe they knew each other. My guest eats out a lot and is well known by the owners of many restaurants. After the short man left, I asked my friend what he had said, he had been told we needed to get out of the booth to make room for all the customers who were waiting. I looked around and there were plenty of empty tables just like ours both in back of us and in front of us. The same guest who had been told to leave had to use the restroom, and apparently came across the short man when returning from the restroom and chewed him out. Apparently he told him he was rude, that this was the first time in several years we had gone out to eat together, my first time here, I had just given a significant tip. The short man told him You 're only allowed to be at a table for two hours. Which my friend said was a rule that was only in effect during the covid emergency locked down. I 'd never heard of it before. When my guest returned to the table, he told me what had just happened and we left. There was one party waiting to be seated at the front. I counted five empty similar kinds of BBQ booths when leaving. My guest who eats at various Shabu Shabu places around Los Angeles County told me he 'll stop recommending this location, and start recommending a different location he frequents. He brought me to this location because he said it has a wider selection of items to choose from, but he liked the environment of a different one better. I promised him that as a Local Guide, I would write a review for this establishment. He made me promise to include how the hostess, servers, and employees here were friendly to us, which is why I left a generous tip. Overall as a local guide, I 've encountered a lot worse experiences, and I 've had a lot better experiences. Wherever I am, the more it costs me, the more I expect the quality of food to be, the experience to be, the service to be. Considering what it was, the three of us picking out meats and veggies from a buffet and cooking them ourselves on a table grill and soup base cooker in front of us, there isn 't much special about the food. In Japan, I went to a similar place that cost 75% less even when converting dollars into Yen. For native Americans ' I can see how the experience of cooking your own food at your table is a unique opportunity many would be willing to pay extra for. The food at this location appeared to be fresh, there was a large selection, it was all you can cook and eat (apparently within 2 hours). I wouldn 't have chosen this place to bring my guests personally. I think it is over priced at almost $40 a person for a self-serve dinner. That being said, I do understand why the price is high. I am happy that my guests had an enjoyable time, despite the inappropriateness of the short man approaching one of them

Everything was fresh except that one night I chose to eat their blue crabs. I had LBM, food poisoning for 4 days. Now, I stay away from their crabs. Fast service and everyone was friendly.

Great hotpot experience! They offer a wide selection of meats, seafood, vegetables, desserts, and ice cream. Definitely a must-try!