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Max's Burgers
Category: Restaurants Burgers Burgers [Edit]
521 West 8th AvenueVancouver, BC V5Z 0A9
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
(604) 873-6297
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
21 reviews for Max's Burgers
21 reviews in English
-
Review from Rick C.
I got around to checking out this new burger bar in the Fairview area right off the Cambie village in this cool, open space.
I couldn't resist getting a caramel milkshake. It was very good, well mixed and full of caramel flavour and goodness.
I had the British Columbian with grilled onions, bacon marmalade, applewood smoked bacon, and cheddar. It was beefy and mighty tasty. Chris went with the major meltdown with every kind of cheese they have and a poutine. Pretty rich and decadent.
Max's had solid burgers, crispy fries, but I wish they served them on plates instead of baskets. It made for difficult eating with the large burgers in a small, oval container. Otherwise, it was a good, beefy outing for burgers and meaty food. -
Review from John G.
Vancouver, BC
5/20/2012
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and if it's bad, well, you usually don't get a second chance.
I doubt if Max's Burgers will get a second chance from me.
I'd heard a lot about it, finally tried it on a slow, rainy Sunday afternoon.
The menu looks great, and to be fair, the burger I had was not that bad. But as for the rest...
I opted for one of the "adult" milkshakes, something called an orange creamsicle, orange and ice cream and Galliano and Kahlua. I've had similar shakes at Burger Heaven (see my review elsewhere on Yelp) and greatly enjoyed them.
I was really surprised when the waitress brought me what amounted to little more than a juice glass full of milkshake. It tasted okay, but it was ultra-tiny. At BH, you get a full milkshake, not a tiny tumbler, for about the same price. Can you spell L-A-M-E? Sure you can...
I opted for the Big Max burger - it was pretty good, but when I specifically request, "Hold the pickles," and I see the waitress write it down, I do NOT expect to find a pickle on my burger.
I did.
Granted, the waitress doesn't make the burger; but rather than voice my displeasure, I took it out and placed it in plain view, where she could see it. In other words, I was making a "pickle statement."
My "statement" fell on deaf ears.
She could not have missed seeing it, but didn't say a word in two opportunities to do so, not even an "Oops, sorry you still got a pickle on your burger."
We were one of three couples in there, so it's not like she was swamped with orders.
The yam fries I had were so-so - I've had worse, but I've certainly had better. Ditto, the onion rings. My companion, the Divine Ms. K, ordered the crab cake po'boy sandwich. It certainly looked "po" (poor) from where I sat. Lots of breading, not much crab, from what I could see.
The pickle situation was not the only aspect of what I thought to be mediocre service. I would have liked to order a beer to finish my meal with, since the shake was so small, but she never bothered to check to see if we wanted anything else to drink.
Makes me wonder what they do when it's actually busy in there.
In retrospect, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I used to frequent Max's Deli (same ownership) at 16th and Oak for takeout, seven or eight years ago, but stopped going when they first removed lamb curry, then beef curry, from their menu. It was really good, but once they took them off, the remaining menu was not enough to attract me.
I even voiced my disappointment over this decision to the employees on a couple of occasions, hinting I might not be back to spend any more money there, given the reduced menu, but obviously, the management didn't care whether they continued to get my business.
They won't get it at their burger joint, either. -
Review from Jamie B.
Vancouver, BC
4/16/2012
Finally tried this place out recently. Went on a Friday night, It was busy but definitely not swamped. Just got "The Big Max" it was alright though I'd probably pick a generic Vera's burger over it. I must say though that the fries were the worst I have ever had. They were obviously over-cooked and almost un-edible. I also got the shake, wasn't bad.
As for the ambiance, the music selection started out as top 40 which I dont care for but whatever. later in the evening however it switched to rap with lots of swearing. the cooks were obviously liking it but I am not sure about the families nor myself -
Review from Isaac R.
Vancouver, BC
2/27/2012
Worst experience at a burger joint ever. I mean, seriously, how badly can you f*** up a burger? Well apparently this place is great at it!
First of all, I have to sympathize with all the other yelpers here - the place is confusing. I stood for a few minutes trying to figure out if I was supposed to seat myself, or wait.
I had the supreme pleasure of being told by the asian burger nazi where to sit. Thanks, you sweetheart you....that dirty table next to the garage door window was awesomely cold, thanks to an extremely drafty garage door. It would have been no problem had I not had to wait 25 minutes (more on that coming right up).
I really had my heart set on a delicious, juicy, well-made burger. This is never-frozen Grade AAAAA+++!!!!11 Alberta Hippy Beef they are selling, right? Wrong. Think disgustingly chewy, too-lean, cold meatloaf. Yeah, just like mom used to reheat for you cause she was too tired to cook.
So, 25 minutes for a burger. Why not give a warning? Or an explanation. This looks like a fast food joint, feels like a fast food joint. And if it takes itself that seriously, there is no reason to not tell people there is going to be a wait. Just set the expectation, that's all. It might be forgivable if the food is worth it. People wait for food all the time, but a burger isn't in that category. It is, by very nature, a fast food item! And seriously, what are you guys cooking them with? Matchsticks? A solar oven? When I asked the other server who brought my basket--of-garbage-disguised as-a-meal why it took so long, she just shrugged, and went to clean another table.
- The meal -
My cold, disgustingly soggy burger that was overcooked, and bland beyond belief, was the WORST burger I have ever had. The bacon was the only highlight. The extremely glutinous chinese bakery bun (gross) was charred, and I could not taste anything else except for it, and bits of peppery rubber.
The fries - oh dear. Fries that tasted like they were scraped off of someone's sneakers, and then were frozen, and then microwaved. Soggy, cold, super-starchy mush. Fries that rodents would turn their noses away from. I was so upset with the experience that I dared not even try more than one bite.
I promptly decided I was done. But had to wait - again - for the servers to pass by me three times before I could get my bill. Passed my card, she didn't know how to run it. Amateurish, but not surprising considering everything up to this point.
Asked "why the wait was so long and if it was normal".
She said that "it was really busy, and atypical."
"Okay, but the food was terrible, and no, I'm really sorry, a manager can't help us here now."
The place was nearly empty when I went there (which should have been a red flag in the beginning. I said that I would not be returning, and that there was nothing that could ever be done to salvage my business again.
Whew - OK, I think we're done here, and I'm still hungry and mad about the experience here. A missed mark on every level.
Oh, I really wanted to not say anything about Max's Burgers, but this place deserves to die. -
Review from Ly H.
2/9/2012
A friend lives across the street from Max's, so we've been anticipating the opening for some time. Sadly, our first impression was not a good one.
Like some people have already commented, there was no clear directions on what to do once in the shop. Do we sit ourselves or order at the counter? So we stood at the counter for a long while before anyone acknowledged us. There were definitely lots of staff around, but they didn't look happy to be there. The whole time we were there, one person was behind the counter wrestling with the milk shake machine.
When we asked how long our burgers would take, the wait staff told us 30 minutes. Really, this is a burger joint, with a walk up counter, should the burger take that long. We needed to have dinner sooner rather than later, so we decided not to order and went elsewhere.
I know this place is new, so hopefully the owners see that most of the reviewers are commenting on the same things and make some changes soon. -
Review from Tamara L.
1/30/2012
I had high hopes for Max's but it ultimately fell short.
I had the BBQ Chicken Burger.. It sounded pretty delicious on the menu, but when it got to me? Meh. I generally love any burger that comes with BBQ sauce & onions rings on it. Only on this particular burger the onion rings became so saturated and soggy that they lacked any of the typical crispy-deliciousness that is to be expected.
I opted to pay $4 more to have my fries 'upgraded' to poutine... but what I got was the saddest $4 poutine I have ever seen. A tiny bit of gravy and a few tablespoons of cheese curds. At least half of the fries got NO gravy-love. For a $4 'upgrade' I was expecting something more.
Pair that with the fact that our waitress didn't seem to know anything about anything, really. My date and I spent the whole time looking at each other quizzically, mouthing the words, "Is this her first day?"
Over all, a fairly lacking experience. Average food, average prices, average service.. average 'atmosphere'. And the price? $20 for a burger, broke-ass poutine fries & a coke. Arg. There really wasn't any part of my experience here that would being me back a second time. Sorry guys. -
Review from Beck C.
2/9/2012 1 photo
Burgers, fries, shakes, desserts & booze. I'm a diner freak so their menu read like happy poetry to me.
Then reality hit (don't you just hate it when that happens).
This place is off to a rocky start based on my lunch here with a co-worker.
We walked in at the peak of the lunch rush. Servers - in the weeds, us - mass confusion.
Do we seat ourselves? Do we go up & order? Do we loiter til they notice our confusion?
Some customers paying for their meals finally took pity on us & informed us to just sit down. Except the table we grabbed hadn't been cleared & the waitstaff assumed we'd already eaten. As a result, we were subjected to the 12 steps of hand flailing, staring ppl down & quiet resignation before we managed to put our orders in.
At this point, eating seemed like the easy part.
Max's style Big Max (with fried onions), $9
- tasty brioche, echoes of Chinese bakery buns w/ its pillowy texture & glossy top
- half dry, half juicy beef
- naked fried onions. yes, it was a sorry sight. no batter at all to crunchify them!
The British Columbia, $12.50
- applesmoked bacon + bacon marmalade = how can you go wrong?
- my co-worker thought the cheddar was dispensable in this one
Regular strawberry milkshake w/ whipped cream, $5
- we have a WINNER!
I'll be back, even if only to see whether they've ironed out the kinks from the early days! -
Review from Trudi C.
Not for me. I've been anticipating this place opening for some time, but was not amazed. It's not that it was horrendous or anything, our service was fine, but....nah.
It was a cold January night, seated by the windows (which will obviously come up in the summer), but definitely not very warm in there - I kept my jacket and scarf on the whole time! The wait was a tiny bit longer than I'm used to waiting for what is essentially a burger and fries. Fries were fine enough (and they had malt vinegar on the table, nice!), but the burger was a let down. It tasted so seasoned I actually couldn't taste the meat, very peppery.
So all in all, expensive prices with average food. -
Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pretty tough yelpers here! While the food's not really gonna blow you away, it's still a pretty tasty burger, especially with the fried onions! Lettuce & tomato was alright too, and beef patties aren't frozen, as i was told. For $11, it'll get you full.
Maybe i'm a bit more generous is that it's new, w/ plenty of high def tv's as i watch the canucks/minnesota game now.
Do recommend their chiptotle garlic dip for the fries :) Onion rings not bad, not like Red Robins ;)
great customer service too.
Kitchen open, lots of tables & booth seating and relatively new (about 3 weeks) . I could only imagine this place happening more in the summer hours with its garage-style front windows. -
Review from Trish L.
Vancouver, BC
4/12/2012
Service has been awful both times I've been here. Always slow and never with a smile and if they do try to be more cheerful it is really fake. Like others mentioned, you have no idea what to do if it's your first time here especially since no one looks up to greet you and direct you even if you've obviously been standing there for a few minutes.
As for the food, the burger was just ok but I find their brioche bun a weird mushy texture and too sweet. Their fries were soggy both times I tried them. The onion rings are good although for some crazy unexplainable reason (yes, i did ask and got no real answer) they are $10 for like 8 of them, not worth it. The cooks also act like they hate their jobs. With an open kitchen concept it's surprising how they don't even try to act like they care. I watched NO one in the kitchen for 10min after the server put an order in. And they just looked so sloppy and put the food together lazily. It made me feel a bit grossed out to eat it.
You're better off going to Wendy's, unfortunately. -
Review from Mehul P.
Vancouver, BC
2/23/2012
Worst meal ever paid for. Go to Fat Burger instead.
Fries: soggy.
Bacon: limp.
Arnold Palmer: too sweet; more sugar than water.
Bun: negative on the sweet buttered roll.
Toad Stools: $12 for two portobellos under a glob of melted mozz?
This place deserves to go under. -
Review from Rachel D.
Richmond, BC
3/9/2012
My sister had been to Max's burger joint a few weeks ago and had been raving about the succulent burger and the "home-style" fries, not to mind the boozed-up milkshakes!
We went on a Wednesday afternoon at around 4.30PM, there was only one other table occupied. We were greeted right away and we sat in one of the booths by the window. One thing I love about this place is how much space there is. The booths are spacious and clean, the restaurant as a whole is large and open, quite different to a lot of places in the city. The lighting during the day is also gorgeous, they have skylights!
I ordered the Sloppy Joe Burger (It's called something else, can't remember!) and it was AMAZING. It was bursting with flavor, easily one of the best burgers I have had in a long time. The in-house chili was so good, not too spicy but really delicious. The beef patty tasted really fresh, and it was topped off with red onions and mustard.
Our server was fantastic. I think her name was Amy. She was relaxed but so efficient, she kept an eye on us but wasn't at all pestering. I like service staff that can actually hold a conversation rather than just be overly enthusiastic and giggly. I was really impressed by how professional she was.
That said I did hear another server next to us "over-sharing" with her table of guest about her numerous allergies and what she can or can't eat, followed by an awkward silence by the group....unnecessary!
All in all, I will absolutely be back here, I loved it. -
Review from Picky E.
Vancouver, BC
1/28/2012 2 photos
Just got back from this new burger joint. I had to immediately rush to the computer to quickly write this review in case any other poor soul would have to sacrifice their taste buds and well-being by walking into this restaurant.
The food sucked. It just completely sucked (I will elaborate later on). The service was beyond horrendous, I've never actually been in a restaurant where I was afraid to ask the waitress for help. The waiting time took approximately 1 hour. One whole freaking hour for a burnt burger and under-cooked day old fries .
I ordered their veggie burger which consisted of two portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, and "max's sauce" whatever the hell that is. Waited about 15 minutes for a coke and a chocolate milkshake (probably the only edible thing there). The burgers finally came and to my dismay the buns were burnt to a crisp, I took the first bite in hoping for something wonderful, boy was I ever so wrong. All I tasted in my mouth was burnt charcoal like tasting particles, sorry I can't call this food. The whole veggie burger was made of two pieces of black burnt mushrooms, and burnt tomatoes. My poutine was ice cold, even the gravy was cold! And to top it off the fries were under-cooked, stale, and old.
I finally mustered up the courage to ask the raging asian looking waitress (super slim girl with knee high white socks??) to kindly reheat my fries. She gave me a look of death and grabbed the poutine off the table. Maybe they should name this place Nazi Burgers instead, because it sure felt like I was under that regime. About 20 minutes later she returned with a new poutine, the fries were still old, undercooked, and stale, the gravy was actually hot this time but the cheese curds were yet again ice cold. Have they ever thought about defrosting the damn things before serving them? Mmmm, are cold cheese curds with your warm fries and gravy suppose to be considered good?
The one hour wait time was the final cherry on top of this regretful visit to this restaurant. I don't mind waiting for food, especially if the quality of it means you would have to wait 1,2, or even 3 hours. But this was just unacceptable. I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone, unless of course you want a nice serving of cancer in a bun. As a polite gesture I made sure to secretly take photos when my Nazi server was far far away. Please take a look at them in case you have a hard time believing my post. -
Review from Jeff F.
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I read a few of the reviews here, and after anticipating the arrival of the restaurant, I went in not knowing what to expect. I had been to the Max's Deli at this location before, so I was hoping for something good (I live in the neighbourhood... I want good restaurants around me).
Some people were complaining about the wait staff... for me, things were great. A young lady greeted us at the door... the place was PACKED.... she let us know it would be a little bit for a table to open up, and she kept checking in with us from time to time to keep us up to the moment on how long it would be (it was maybe about 10 min). We were seated, took a look at the menus for a bit, and a server came over and introduced herself, and gave us a little run down on things. She was very cheery, and helpful. After a bit of a decision process, we both went for Big Max burgers (and I added cheddar cheese and fried onions to mine). These are accompanied by a side order of fries (cooked in beef fat! Who the heck does this anymore... so 70's!), and a milkshake each... vanilla for her, and strawberry for me. The server informed us that the shakes are handmade at the order time (not coming from a softserve type machine) and it may take a bit of a wait. No problem for us...
The wait she implied sounded like they would be out shortly after the burgers... but they were out fairly quickly. And DAMN they were good... up there with some of the best shakes I've had in restaurants, and some of the ones I've made myself (yes... I make my own shakes, and no... I don't use store bought ice cream... I make my own!). I would go back here JUST for the shakes....
The burgers arrived with the fries... and they looked good... the buns looked fresh and great actually (I posted a picture on Facebook, and one person made just that comment....). The burger had a sheen to it... usually indicating a bit of a greasiness... and it was a little. The fiance commented that hers was a little bit too salty, and mine was a little peppery (I really like pepper, so that wasn't a bad thing for me). The fries tasted ok... better because of the beef fat frying... no, I wouldn't say so.
The server checked in a few times asking about the meal, and if we needed anything else... you know.. I don't think I've ever had this good a service experience in a burger joint... I usually don't expect a lot, just a good burger, and a clean table (in that order)... but she was really quite good. So maybe she's just a really good server, and the people that didn't get good service got a bad one, or maybe they had a talking to about the comments... but our server was GREAT!
So... the bill came to around $40 after tip for the 2 burgers, fries, and 2 shakes... a little steep for an OK burger, OK fries, and a GREAT shake... maybe the kind of place to go to every so often, but not regularly (damn... I had high hopes for a regular kind of place for me).
Now the bad... I'm not sure what part of the greasy hit towards the end... but after I got home, I just lied on the couch with my stomach churning and rolling... I didn't feel nauseous or anything... the food tasted good, and was pretty good... but the amount of grease, or maybe my body's lack of beef fried fries for the last 20-30 years had affected me. I maybe have gone to a 4 (wishing more for a 3 1/2 in the rating system), but after this 'after effect', I have to go with 3, and will probably go VERY rarely to Max's.
In summary... if you can handle the grease, stomach the prices, or have a craving for the great milkshakes... Max's is a pretty good place to go. For me, I think I'll head back to Vera's, or maybe try 5 Guys instead of Max's next time I have a burger craving. -
Review from Kevin G.
Vancouver, BC
4/5/2012
The owners have got this place all wrong. And seeing so few people in the restaurant on a busy lunchtime suggests others think the same. Good location for a burger joint and some effort has gone into decorating, but they've made some big errors. Firstly, the service is terribly slow. The place is very much open plan so you can see orders going through to the kitchen, the cooking and then the meals coming to the table. I think the problem is that the procedure the waiters are following is too lengthy rather than any staff being slow. Secondly glazed buns are not a good idea for a burger. They look and taste a bit like cakes as a consequence. The male toilets are a disaster - clean enough but one toilet with a lockable door is ridiculous - men are not used to waiting in an outside corridor to go to the loo. There's clearly enough space to build a bigger men's toilet so use it. Lastly - everyone now agrees that too much salt is bad for you. I know that salt is needed for seasoning and salty fries are part of the burger experience, but they use far too much. You should keep a cardiac resuscitation trolley in the restaurant. All in all I won't be back, my Cardiologist forbids it!
-
Review from Rob A.
Vancouver, BC
2/14/2012
Went on a Friday lunch hour. Luckily arrived a few minutes before noon and beat the rush that came in after us.
Service was decent, not a very long wait to take our orders or bring us the drinks after ordering, although the server proceeded to spill an inch of beer on the table as she set the drinks down, didn't clean anything up or use any sort of coasters, which made for a messy table. Luckily the beer was on special, as they regularly charge $6 for R&B sleeves.
Ordered the chicken burger with fried onions, the wait for food wasn't too bad considering the rush, however the food left much to be desired. The burger was entirely too messy to hold itself together in any way, with everyone having toppings fall off. Bit into a very very burnt piece of.. something.. that I had to spit out as it was nothing but charcoal. The burger seemed to be very heavy on butter and fat and I felt a bit unhealthy during and after eating it. Flavour was okay, but had a very strong sweetness to it that wasn't very pleasant. Lots of options for different toppings, but I believe they were $1 each, even for sauces.
Won't be going back when I can head the other direction to Vera's, which is somehow the healthier option. -
Review from Alvin L.
Vancouver, BC
1/23/2012 6 photos
On January 17th, Max's Burgers had a media event for guests to sample their soon-to-be offered menu. I was very fortunate to be invited to attend and critically sample a few of the miniature sliders. Leaving the event very full but happy, I made a mental note to return for the public opening on January 23rd which happens to be today!
Not knowing how many people would be coming, I showed up about 10 minutes before the restaurant was set to open. Amusingly, just as I walked through the entrance doors, Chef Connor Butler lifted a strong arm in greeting and bellowed "HEY MAN!" loudly. I was a little taken aback at first but the boisterous greeting really set the tone for the rest of my meal.
As today was opening day, the waitresses instructed everyone to find their own seat and await table service. I am pretty sure going forward, patrons will walk up to the cashier to order and pay together but I guess today was meant to be special. I sat down, was immediately given ice water w/ lemon and asked what I wanted. The waitress was very friendly and took my standard order of a Max's Burger and Strawberry Milkshake then left.
Speaking once again to Chef Butler's friendly personality, when the first Max's Burger order was served to the jolly gentleman above, Chef came out to personally greet the man and take a photo with his cellphone. I was sitting right next to the gentleman so found it pretty amusing. I won't digress but the commemorative photo above is of Mr. Steve Burnfield, a member of CASI or the Chili Appreciation Society International. We ended up chatting quite a bit through lunch and proved foodies are all united through our mutual love of all things epicurean.
Anyway, back to the food. As I mentioned earlier, although there are many fantastic burger selections to choose from, I decided to go with the standard offering of "The Big Max $9" as I wanted to critically examine what will undoubtedly become the most ordered burger amongst the public. On my second, third etc. visits, I will definitely get more adventurous with offerings like the 'British Columbian' and the 'Crab Po'Boy.'
In about 10-12 minutes, my burger and fries arrived with my Strawberry Milkshake following a few minutes later. As you can read in the menu photo above, the Big Max burger is 5 ounces of Max's specially seasoned, special recipe, fresh, never frozen, griddled Alberta chuck on their house baked brioche bun. Served with shredded iceberg lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes, mayo, ketchup, mustard and hand cut Kennebec fries, the initial aroma was spectacularly enticing. (Max's also notes they use healthy, natural tallow in their fryers) Whew, so all those fancy words aside, what is the final verdict? In one word? Delicious. Looking at the photo below, you can definitely tell the burger is of a much higher quality than any "fast-food" offering in the city. The bun is fresh, soft and crisp. The shredded lettuce and tomato were very fresh and gave the burger that nice refreshing crunch. What was most noticeable about the burger as a whole was the lack of excessive condiment use you sometimes find at other establishments. This allows you to really savor the taste of the patty which is complimented, not upstaged, by the other ingredients. At a good enough size to sit comfortably in both of my hands, the burger was the perfect size for me, leaving me content but not overly full. The light salted Kennebec fries were crisp on the outside but warm and mealy on the inside which is just how fries should be.
A quick mention about the milkshake, it was good! Although many customers will simply drink the free ice water or spend a couple dollars on a coke/sprite, the $5 milkshake was cold, very thick and extremely flavorful. I could literally taste the fresh strawberries in every exaggerated pull I took from the straw. With the included spoon, I even finished the delicious pillow-y fresh whipped cream with cherry.
Wrapping up this quick review, Max's Burgers gave a strong performance on its opening day and I will definitely be back. At a relatively fair price point that is competitive with pretty much any premiere burger joint in the city, Max's Burgers seeks to distinguish themselves with local ingredients and novel burger concepts. In my opinion, they have done quite well so far. If you have a free lunch break in any of the upcoming days/weeks, definitely swing by Max's and see if Chef Butler and his team can satisfy your burger hankering. -
Review from Doug F.
Richmond, BC
1/29/2012
The food is great, the service is a little haphazard.
The burgers are done well, with a nice blend of meat that is seasoned all the way through. The burger patties have just the right amount of bite to them, and aren't gristly. Nice to see that the the same amount of attention is paid to the buns as well which have a nice bit of breadiness to them without being too limp or too heavy. The fries will please most people, very crisp, but with a nice bit of potato-y firmness in the center.
Prices are a bit on the steep side for a casual lunch, around $15 for burgers an fries before drinks, but the quality is as good as what you would get at any other gourmet burger place.
However, depending on the time and day that you go, you ca easily knock off a star or two (or three) off of the rating. The staff is obviously still very fresh and operations look like they're still getting up to speed. If you go at 12 noon on a weekday, the kitchen will be slammed by all of the office and hospital workers in the area, so take-out is a good bet.
Note 1 - have knocked down a star to reflect friends' on-going battle to get decent service their. Still no complaints about the food. Take-out still seems like the best bet during lunch rush.
Note 2 - Went on a Sunday. Less crowd, but looks like the staff has been making an effort to turn it around. Service is very attentive and the quality of the food hasn't changed much... still pretty good. Fries are a matter of taste, but they could have been crispier. Had the crab po'boy this time. It comes with two very crisp crab patties where one would have done. Overall a very satisfying meal. -
Review from Larry H.
Vancouver, BC
2/19/2012
Meh. As a bacon fan this sounded like the perfect marriage, but this ended in a divorce. Burger too much pepper and Bacon not flavorful. Service was very good but not a big fan of their burgers.
-
Review from Caroline R.
Vancouver, BC
1/28/2012
My fiance and a friend of ours went to Max's last night to try their much anticipated burgers. Overall, we have mixed feelings about this place. Starting with the good - the burgers were tasty. We had the BC burger and our friend had the crab burger. The fries were perfectly crispy and not greasy and the burgers were well-seasoned and flavourful, although a bit on the salty side (we normally don't salt much at home). Taste was great.
Now the bad - the service. We arrive and are kind of haphazardly instructed to find a table. No problem, we sit down and look over the menu. The server brings ice water and asks for our orders. Our friend and I order our meals, with some add-ons like mushrooms, cheese, etc... but when she comes around to taking my fiance's order, he tells her which burger and is about to add what he wants extra, but she had already abruptly walked away! He had to chase down our server at the till to finish ordering his meal. After about 20 mins and several patrons before us being served (the place was barely half full and had three servers and three chefs on), our server returned to say that our burgers are going be a bit longer because they chef wanted to get fresh crab out for the crab burger and offered us free dessert. Ok, that was a nice gesture considering desserts were about $4 each. Burgers finally arrive and unfortunately I didn't have a great handle on the basket as she passed it to me and I dropped it. Fries and lettuce ended up on the table and unfortunately in my friend's glass of water. My fault, completely, but our table didn't get wiped down, and the server only came by once to see if we wanted more water, not give her a fresh glass so that she could actually have some! Lastly, we split the bill up by ourselves. I paid for mine and my fiance's and we went up to the front to settle. I asked for $30 to be charged to me and my friend just for hers. The server looked kind of confused about the math and asked if my fiance was going to pay for his separately. Seriously?! $30 BEFORE tip seems a bit much for one $14.00 burger, no?
Overall, the food was pretty good and I would go back for it, but definitely take-out. The service is pretty lacking and I agree with Picky E that the staff aren't particularly friendly or helpful. Maybe in a few months once they figure things out it will improve and I might try again. -
Review from Graham W.
North Vancouver, BC
2/24/2012
WOW super impressed with the revamped Max's. I had the Bristish Columbia burger and it is the best burger I have had in town in a long time.
