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Max's Restaurant
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Max's Restaurant
12 reviews in English
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Review from Erwin M.
Updated - 12/5/2011
I hated this place in the beginning but after a few more visits, ordering the right stuff, ill gladly admit I'd visit this place more often if it didn't get packed so much.
the right stuff:
-crispy pata
-fried chicken
i personally will just stick to these 2 items for now1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/25/2011
I will surely try this restaurant again and eventually give a better review when I order something… Read more »
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Review from Bianca A.
North York, ON
There was quite a huge buzz about this place when it opened back in Jan 2011 as this would be the first (am not quite sure) franchised restaurant famous for fried chicken in the Philippines. I remembered my Lola used to say, `Just order Max chicken instead of cooking, I`m tired today!`. So this chain has been around way before I could proclaim my status here on earth.
Place: Modern, clean and the washrooms are very chique
Servers :Friendly
Food: Authentic filipino cuisine
We have tried almost everything!!
Suggestions: crispy pata, lechon kawali, linagang baka and sinigang
DESSERTS: Do not leave without having their BUKO PANDAN, so gooood!
If you are expecting to get the traditional filipino version of spaghetti, then you will be disappointed. We were, it was watery and almost italianIZED which is not bad if you were dining at Frankie`s.
They have choices of plain white rice or garlic rice which are both really good.
Small order comes in 3 scoops, whereas the large order comes in 5 scoops.
Prizes are decent. This would be convenient for someone craving filipino food in a decent dine-in experience when one is too lazy to cook. It does get crowded at times and their waiting area is not big enough to cater to bigger families.
The reason why I`m giving this resto a 3STARS is because on several occasions I`ve dined in, it was always a challenge to find our server. And if you plan to order more than 2 entrees, make sure you get the privilege of being seated in the booths as opposed to the TINY tables placed in the middle.
Kain na! (Let`s eat in TAGALOG) -
Review from Emilia M.
North York, ON
1/21/2012
This is perhaps my 3rd or 4th visits. I like the restaurant and certainly has the authentic feeling of being in Manila.
Despite of some reviews of 'slow' service, I have always had my food on time with no delay.
During my recent visit, the name of my food server is 'Jhun' and he was quite prompt, polite and knowledgeable about the menu.
We have ordered 'Pinakbet', Chicken Adobo, Garlic Fried Rice, Steamed Rice, respectively plus Halo Halo for dessert and coffee. Overall, the food was good.
CONS:
1) WIFI is available but would not allow restaurant patrons to use. Quite a challenge for patrons of Generation X, who has the disposable income to spare but restaurant owner seem to be neglecting.
2) Can be a bit noisy during busy hour. With the typical loud music of Filipino artists plus the various conversations with no curtain to muffle the sound, one can hardly have a conversation. -
Review from Wendy C.
7/23/2011
Overall experience okay, will probably return if I am in the area.
The fried chicken lives up to its reputation, juicy and tender.
We also had a Tilapia dish that wasn't on the regular menu, but on the table-top seasonal/weekly special menu -- flash fried and comes with a refreshing dipping sauce. Quite enjoyable as well.
Slow service, even though the place was less than half-filled when we were there. The wait staff were friendly and apologetic when they finally showed up, more staff and/or more training might help. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
4/8/2011 15 photos
I have been eating a lot of Filipino takeout and home cook food, when half of my coworkers are from the Philippines.
Eating at Max's Restaurant today is my first experience of eating in a real sit down Filipino restaurant.
The main dining area was half empty when I walked in on a Friday afternoon for lunch... no way I would be waiting for one hour to eat here!! There are a lot of different Filipino dishes on the menu..but I am here for the Chicken!! That Fried Chicken... which doesn't use any batter when deep frying but is juicy and crispy...
I am glad that they do have Meal Combo!! Since most of the menu items are big and supposed to be shared.... the last thing I want to do is to eat a half fried chicken by myself!!
Meal Combo starting from $6.49.. I settled for:
Budget Meal ($7.49)
- quarter chicken with garlic rice and 4 lumpia shanghai rolls (spring rolls?)
- Chicken Leg is deep fried to golden crispy... and it is pretty light, not too greasy... there is not much seasonings but came with a dipping sauce...
- Garlic rice.. is quite fragrant... with bits of deep fried garlic inside
- yummy yummy spring rolls... small little pop it in the mouth size and they are so fresh!!
Halo Halo ($5.99)
- My favourite Filipino dessert!!
- great photo op!! So colourful... and I ate the whole thing all by myself!
- Just wish that ube ice cream can be a little bigger... or should be at least 2 scoops!!
My waitress I have was really nice! Big smile and sincere... The waiter are a little bit stuck up.. luckily, they were not serving my table!
If you really want to try out other items on the menu, it is best to come as a group.. since most of the dishes are over $10 are meant for sharing!Listed in: Malasa!!!
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Review from Edwin A.
We visited for the second time today.. Sunday at noon right after church a realistic representation of how this restaurant can handle customer in flow. (many Filipino patrons are Catholic and drop by with their families after Sunday church service)
Since I first wrote the review, I've gone to another Max's location in Puente Hills Mall, Industry CA for comparison sake. So I have experienced the chain elsewhere.
The short;
The fried chicken here is excellent same with the halo halo. You must get this if you're going here.
Service on the other hand was not good this time around.
Experience;
We ordered the chicken combo with chopsuey and choice of rice.(chopsuey : vegetables, pork, sauce, in a crisp basket) and the halo halo for desert.
It started going downhill when we asked for a substitution for fries instead of rice for our combo, we were flat out denied. The waiter apologized about it several times.. so we looked over the menu trying to decide but over the course of 5 minutes he kept coming back to the table and pestering us if we're ready to order x3 times... this only stopped after we said "we will let you know when we have decided". Talk about trying to rush you to order.
So when we were ready to order.. (we were going to go with our first choice of chicken combo with chopsuey) we looked for our waiter but he wasn't around.. we asked another server if they can do a substitution and instead of flat out denying our request she gracefully checked with management and made the substitution happen. :)
The proper way of handling a customer request is to check with management. Not like we were unwilling to pay for a $3 side order of fries, it's the principal of handling the matter which was just not handled right with our first waiter.
Service was slow. Apologies after apologies were heard for the delays. As we were eating the bill surprisingly landed on the table before asking for it ? Rude. The water wasn't topped up even once. c'mon restaurant etiquette 101
Service needs improving here and it's a lot more than being friendly and apologizing... actions speak louder than words. 17 unfiltered reviews can't all be wrong. :)Listed in: Edwin's Reviews of the Day
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/18/2011 ROTD 2/14/2011
After dodging and weaving through busy rush hour traffic we arrived at Max's and were relieved to… Read more »
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Review from Alex Paolo B.
Mississauga, ON
1/9/2011 2 photos
Max's of Manila in Toronto is a franchise of Max's Restaurant from the Philippines and for many Filipinos it is a highly anticipated entry into the local restaurant scene. The anticipation is very similar to Canadians finally getting a Tim Hortons in Britain.
Max's is famous in the Philippines for its unique fried chicken with crispy skin without using any breading, batter or flour.
Max's of Manila in my opinion is the first real decent Filipino restaurant in town. Great atmosphere, energetic and lively.
Food is as authentic as what you will get in a Max's Restaurant in the Philippines. Many people have the misconception that Philippine cuisine is basically Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese food which have similar styles, ingredients and cooking methods.
If you want a taste of Philippine Cuisine, I highly suggest you try Max's and ask the friendly staff for a recommendation.
Max's is a casual family restaurant and at the moment they are only open between the hours of 3pm to 9pm daily. Come VERY EARLY or you will be stuck waiting for up to 2 hours for a table as many Filipinos are storming this place for a taste of nostalgia and stick to your ribs good old fashioned Filipino home cooking and hospitality.
Try their whole fried chicken $13.99 (the house speciality), pair it with Pansit Canton (stir fried egg noodles with veggies, pork, chicken and shrimp $8.99), wash it down with Sago't Gulaman (a molasses and crushed ice cooler with tapioca balls and gelatin) or Calamansi juice (Philippine mini-lime fruit) and finish your meal with a refreshing Halo Halo dessert made with shaved ice, fruit preserves, sweet beans, pounded rice crisps, milk and topped with purple yam ice cream ($5.99).
Also try the Kare-Kare (Stewed oxtail in peanut sauce) or Chicken/Pork Adobo (slow simmered in soy, vinegar, garlic and bay leaf), a staple dish in Filipino homes. If you still have room try the Sinigang na Hipon (a refreshing sour soup with leafy vegetables, tomatoes and tamarind broth) and if adventurous try a dish made with coconut milk.
Go eat with friends as portions are made mostly for sharing but combo plates for one, are available that include their house fried chicken. -
Review from Derek L.
Oakville, ON
This was my first time dining at a filipino restaurant. Surprising considering my gf is filipino, and I'm an honourary one. I came here with my gf and 3 of her relatives.
Positives:
Food quality - I really enjoyed the food. The lumpia shanghai rolls were delicious, as always, no matter where I go. The fried chicken is what they specialize in, and is a mandatory order, also good. I also had a vegetarian dish which I thought was really good, even though I don't usually eat vegetables.
Interior - Better than most other asian restaurants. This place is new, and so the decor reflects that. It is a comfortable place, despite the slow service and wait to get a table.
Location - Decent. I'm not from the area, so I can't really comment. But its on a main road, and not out of the way.
Negatives:
Service - the servers had a good attitude, but they are highly understaffed. The enitre meal took us about 2.5 hours to complete, from the time we walked in, to the time we left. When we first got there, it was rammed. They told us it would take about an hour before we got seated, and they were right. After we finally got our table, it took a while for our watier to take our order. And even longer for our food to get delivered to our table. It's not the waiters fault, he has so many table to look after.
All in all, I would recommend this place, but be prepared to wait to be seated, and to wait for your food to arrive, and well.. really just be prepared to WAIT. -
Review from Hazel P.
6/3/2011
I went to Max's for the first time about two weeks ago, on the Victoria Day holiday. It was busy, but not ridiculously so. There were 7 of us & we had Set Menu A (pancit, lumpia, soup, etc) & added things to it. The food was good, a lot like homemade food. I found it a tad too oily for my taste. The service was okay. We had one waiter who then started serving another table behind us because we seemed to be taking too long to decide what to eat for his liking. The new waiter we got was courteous when telling us that some menu items weren't available. He seemed over worked though. Poor guy looked really tired with bags under his eyes.
As for the décor of the place it's pretty basic. Middle of the road tables & chairs. The place is so full of tables & chairs there isn't really any space for much else décor. Dress code is casual. Overall the experience was ok. But if I wanted to go out for a nice dinner this would not be it. Max's is closer to the Filipino version of a fast food type family restaurant than something fanc. -
Review from An N.
Scarborough, ON
5/1/2011
The overall experience is pleasant. The service is friendly and prompt enough. The food is cholesterol ridden but flavourful. I had the deep fried chicken, deep fried pig's leg and deep fried pork belly. The Kare Kare and Pancit are pretty good. Definitely worth checking out just for the experience.
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Review from Vivian S.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
I've been looking forward to going to Max, having long been tired of the mediocre Filipino cafes cum groceries that abound in Toronto.
Max did not disppoint.
The good:
The fried chicken was delicately seasoned and succulent.
The lechon kawali was tender and flavorful, with crispy skin.
The bistek was tasty but the meat was a bit chewy. A better cut of meat should have been used.
Halo-halo was a delight; not as sweet as I'd like to but refreshing still.
The lumpia ubod was good too.
The service staff was friendly.
The not-so-good:
The buco pandan was bland and had more gelatin than buco. Probably could use a bit more condensed milk and more buco.
There should be more generous servings of the atchara and the lechon sauce.
I'd go back for sure if I want to have tasty Filipino food in a nice, friendly and clean atmosphere. -
Review from a t.
3/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The restaurant was packed on Saturday night. There was plenty of parking at the plaza. The restaurant was well lit and clean. We waited over half an hour and decided to take out instead. The fried chicken was good and the pancit bihon was as expected- stir fried with vegetables. I will go back next time for lunch and try the chicken adobo. Hopefully, it won't be as busy.
