Good to know
Details to note
Where are you?
3473 Old Norcross Rd, Suite 100-B, Duluth, GA 30096.
What are your hours?
Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Friday and Saturday, 11:30 AM to midnight.
Do you take reservations?
Qiao Lin runs its waitlist and a limited number of reservation slots through Yelp. Monday through Thursday the online waitlist generally opens at 4:30 PM. Friday, Saturday and Sunday the online waitlist is closed — seating is walk-in only and you join the list in person.
How does hotpot work if I've never had it?
Pick a pot format — Single, Half & Half or Triple Flavor, all $12.99 — then choose from eight broths. Everything else arrives raw and you cook it at the table. The menu prints a cooking time next to most items.
How spicy is it?
That's your call, and the order sheet makes it a literal one. The Chongqing Spicy Broth prints three chili checkboxes — one, two or three — and you tick the level you want. It's the only broth that's graded. Tomato, mushroom, herbal chicken, pepper pork tripe and golden chicken collagen broths are not spicy at all, and a Half & Half pot lets one table run both. Individual dishes carry a chili mark too, but only seven of the 107 — the rest take their heat from the pot, not from the plate.
Is there anything for vegetarians?
The printed menu marks vegetarian items with a leaf, and it marks a lot of them — the whole Vegetable section, the noodles and rice cake, plus the bamboo heart and bean roll from the specials. The Mushroom Broth is the only broth carrying the leaf; its Chinese line says it can be made as a vegetarian base, so ask. Note that the pot itself is shared and is not prepared separately from meat.
What do the symbols on the menu mean?
Six of them. A red asterisk means the item is served raw — that's most of the menu. A chili means hot and spicy, an egg means it contains egg, a wheat sheaf means gluten, a leaf means vegetarian, and a thumbs-up is the restaurant's own recommendation. The key is printed at the foot of the order sheet, and it's reproduced above the menu on this page. It is the restaurant's own marking, not an allergen audit — it says nothing about dairy, shellfish, soy, peanut or sesame, and the pot and sauce station are shared, so ask if you're eating around an allergy.
What about large groups?
Parties over 10 join the Yelp waitlist 1–2 hours in advance and call the restaurant the same day. An 18% gratuity is added for parties of 6 or more.
Is there a membership?
Yes — Qiao Lin North America VIP, limited to 1,000 members. A $500 deposit joins, and members take 12% off at every Qiao Lin location in North America: Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle and Boston. The stored balance itself can only be spent at the location that issued it, and a low balance needs a $200 minimum top-up. Bring the physical card or ID to use it.
