HAE Pot, a new restaurant specializing in hot pot and Korean BBQ, held its grand opening on Feb. 12 in Hattiesburg, welcoming community members to dine and enjoy a unique cooking experience. The restaurant, which had been in construction for months, was highly anticipated by many in the area. Its opening day attracted a large crowd, with patrons waiting up to two hours for a table, according to hostess Shannon Rajas.
“Opening day, we were packed with people coming in,” said hostess Shannon Rajas. “People were everywhere, standing and sitting, and we ended up having a wait time of two hours.”
The restaurant currently does not accept reservations, but Rajas added that reservations for the restaurant may be available in the future. For now, HAE Pot offers a virtual waitlist where guests can check wait times and get onto the dining list.
HAE Pot’s menu has some staples but will also have a variety of seasonal dishes to offer guests. Some items that customers can always expect are rice, noodles, beef, lamb, chicken, seasonal veggies, and more. The soup bases for cooking at the table include tonkatsu, tomato soup, mushroom soup, Tom Yum, miso, spicy mala, and golden collagen chicken.
“We’re a very family-orientated place,” said another hostess, Taylor Johnson. “We want everyone to feel welcomed and want to give them the experience of having fun sitting around the table while all cooking and eating together.”
Johnson added that customers should be on the lookout for the opening of the bar at HAE Pot. Currently the restaurant only serves beer for alcoholic beverages, but the bar will add more options to their menu.
“I really enjoyed the ‘all you can eat’ aspect of the restaurant, and the staff was so friendly and helpful,” said customer Callie Hodges. “My favorite was the ramen with steak. I’ll definitely be coming back again.”
HAE Pot serves hot pot meals only for their lunch menu. The dinner menu includes hot pot items and BBQ items. Guests have two hours to spend at their table to cook, eat, and talk together.
As HAE Pot continues to serve the Hattiesburg community, they will also offer voting periods where the community can weigh in on what they want to see added to the ever-changing menu.