Best Hot Pot in Columbus (2026)

Tai's covers East and Southeast Asian ground in one menu, which makes it the default pick when a table cannot agree on a cuisine. The chicken egg roll and mapo tofu anchor the order, kung pao chicken covers the risk-averse eater, and portions run large enough that a group of four can share plates family style without stress.

The twice cooked spicy fish is the dish regulars build an order around, a Szechuan preparation with real chili heat that holds up even after a delivery ride. Braised beef arrives tender with a soy dipping sauce on the side. This is a takeout and delivery kitchen first, and the food reportedly stays hot well past the drive home.

The parking lot fills by noon on weekdays, a sign the lunch crowd knows this Szechuan kitchen ahead of its plain storefront. The spicy dumplings in chili oil are the dish to lead with, kung pao chicken comes with real spice that the kitchen will scale down on request, and crab rangoons round out a table built for sharing.

Molly Woo's works best as a group destination, with a bar scene lively enough for happy hour and a menu built for celebrations. Potstickers and a spicy tuna roll make a solid opening round, tempura shrimp is on the menu for the reliably crowd-pleasing order, and the room accommodates a birthday table without a fuss.

Asian Kitchen runs as a takeout operation on the northeast side, drawing people well outside the immediate neighborhood for egg rolls that have built a following of their own. Wonton soup and steamed dumplings round out a cold-weather order, general Tso's chicken satisfies the less adventurous eater, and portions are generous enough to stock a freezer.

Billy Lee's sits in Bexley, not Columbus proper, and doubles as a bar as much as a Chinese kitchen, with counter service and a stocked well for a margarita while an order comes together. General Tso chicken, wontons, and the happy family plate cover the standard combination-plate order for a neighborhood lunch or takeout run.

Taste of Orient is a strip-mall kitchen built for weeknight takeout, with chicken lo mein arriving in portions large enough to become the next day's lunch. The dumplings lean on meat rather than filler vegetables, fried rice rounds out the order, and prices stay on the low end for the amount of food that comes back.

Hunan King holds down its corner of the Chinese takeout landscape in Columbus with a straightforward menu of the format's standards. Coverage on the specific dishes here runs thin, but the kitchen fits the same lane as its neighborhood peers: fast, casual, and built for a quick order rather than a sit-down occasion.

Red Chili pairs a ramen program with a broader Chinese and Thai menu, an unusual combination that has made it a repeat stop for people near campus looking for something warm on a cold day. Pork pad thai and spring rolls round out the order, and the kitchen runs as a counter-service operation built for online ordering.

Joy to Go earns its name as a takeout-first operation, the kind of Chinese kitchen a household calls on repeat rather than researches fresh each time. Fried rice and lo mein anchor the order, orange chicken covers the familiar request, and portions run generous enough that regulars treat it as their default rather than an occasional pick.

Haveli Bistro's tandoor is the reason to book a table, with tandoori shrimp and tandoori chicken both singled out as standouts and gluten-free items clearly labeled across the menu. Saag paneer covers the vegetarian side of the table. The room runs busy late into the evening, drawing groups large enough to fill a six-top with conversation.

Golden Phoenix runs an all-day cocktail deal that turns a group dinner into an event, with five-dollar drinks available on no fixed schedule. Shrimp toast makes a strong opening order, shrimp pad thai covers the noodle craving, and the wonton soup draws mixed opinions on filling even as the rest of the menu holds up for a casual group meal.