Max DowntownExcellenceThe salmon was exquisite; beautifully presented, succulent and cooked to prefection.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways greatBest restaurant in Hartford. Terrific food and wonderful service. Always a treat.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat overall experienceThe staff is well-trained, helpful and pleasant; the menu is interesting and well-executed; and the owner is friendly. From business lunches to parties to romantic dinners, Max Downtown is our top choice in the Hartford area.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful!Here from out of town for a convention. One of my favorite things about traveling is finding great food in the area. Max's will not disappoint!6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenalI haven't eaten at Max Downtown in years since I moved. It was more amazing than I remembered. The food was delicious and every plate that walked by us looked phenomenal. Can't wait until the next time I'm in the area to dine there again.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMMax Downtown - always superb!As always, Max Downtown was top rate in terms of food service and overall experience. One of the very best!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMMax Group FoodMy wife and I enjoy excellent food and the dining out experience. This was selected for an anniversary dinner, instead of our normal Burtons or other Max Group restaurants. While the food was excellent (given the price, it should be), the ambiance was somewhat lacking. Given its brightness and slightly crowded environment, it was not the best choice for a romantic dinner - especially since we sat next to a thoroughfare. Service was OK, but I felt as though we were treated less than exemplary because we didn't order wine/drinks and appetizers. Treatment should be the same no matter how much is spent. In the end, we enjoyed the filet with crab and scallop dinners; however, the salad looked like Big Y greens, while good, no flare.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGood Pre-theater spotWe had an early dinner here before going to the Hartford Stage. Service was quick and personable. I had oysters (delicious and fresh from the CT shore) and a salad; others had soup and salad or the salmon. Waiter was also nice about bringing a sample sip of a never before tasted wine to try. Have been here many times and will go back.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service and great food.Great service and great food. I was surprised there weren't more people there and it would be nice if there were some specialty drinks.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat!Max Restaurant group is a great experience, no matter which restaurant you choose. Excellent staff and food always! Well worth the money you spend. Go there!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent restaurantOutstanding food and creative dishes. Excellent wine list and outstanding service.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMEfficient, professional serviceEfficient, professional service with good steak house fare. Handled a busy crowd of large groups while making it enjoyable for couples.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSlightly ExpensiveIt is a very good restaurant with very good food and very good service. The only real draw back are that the prices (for dinner) tend to be a bit pricey. If money is no object, then don't let my comments give you a second thought. I do recommend the restaurant.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGood experienceProfessionally greeted with a warm smile, my experience met my expectation. Quality of food was very good but medium well filet mignon was served medium rare and therefore went back. Service a bit slow but that may have been because it was a pre-theater crowd that all arrived at the same time. The dessert was not charged because of the cooking error. While appreciated, having meal properly prepared would have been preferred5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous!Other than the fact that we spent a lot on this experience, it was a perfect dining event! The food, the service, the wine the atmosphere. Really a treat and we do not regret the cost. You get what you pay for. I just finished my Vegetable Lasagna from that night for lunch on Monday and it was still excellent. Can't wait to go back and it is a half hour drive for us!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMTry It, You will Like It!Lunch at Max Downtown is very good. The food, service and ambience is well above the ordinary and expected. It is a REAL VALUE in that you get your money's worth and more as the prices are competitive with any of the restaurants in Hartford. Give Max Downtown a try for lunch!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good, just not Great.Went here for a business dinner. I ordered the Kansas City Strip steak. It came cooked to order. Big. Firm/tender, and juicy. The only problem is that the chef has a bit of a heavy hand when applying salt. Oh my. What a shame. I had a problem like this years ago at another restaurant. I learned that as soon as you taste lots of salt, use your fork to rub it off the top of the steak. Once I did that, I was able to eat my steak without issue.
Wine - I'd advise diners to pour their own wine, as the som/waiter over-pours. Not everyone drinks at the same level. With some of our dinner guests, the 'healthy' pour was money down the drain with wasted wine. MAX Downtown didn't make any friends in this regard. I was steaming.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMMax Group restaurants consistentlyMax Group restaurants consistently provide pleasurable dining experiences with excellent food and seasonal changes to the menus.
Max Downtown has a particularly smart feel to its decor and the waitstaff are knowledgeable and courteous. On this visit I was especially pleased to see that a mission of hospitality had been embraced by all staff, something that might have been slightly lacking in the past in this restaurant. Everyone on staff seemed dedicated to making the dining experience an exceptional one with the goal of pleasing the guest. The effort was not unnoticed by us. From the valet parking attendant to the front of the house to the server and backwaters, all were extraordinary. The evening was terrific and we will be back.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect in heart of Hartford.Friendly, creative, attentive, great food. We arrived for lunch early; when we left, the place was jammed with happy patrons. Good spot. Brother getting promoted and retiring from US Army after lunch. Only guy in a uniform within a sea of suits and dresses. Staff attentive and respectful. Great unexpected dessert sent him off in style.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMA Hartford TreatAlways a treat to visit Max's Downtown. The steaks are world class, the chop salad is the finest I have ever had, and the jumbo shrimp are outstanding. I will also add that the service is always first class. Looking forward to next time.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful time, wonderfulWe had a wonderful time, wonderful meal and ate way too much but it was for our twentieth wedding anniversary so it was worth it!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had an excellent dinnerWe had an excellent dinner experience and our server, Maureen, was wonderful.
Thank you4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMI work upstairs at UHC andI work upstairs at UHC and it's always a treat to go there, especially when the sales reps are in town. I love your lunches and weekday specials. I think the prices are very reasonable for a great lunch. The food is always great and ample portions. There truely is nothing you could do better.
a large menu selection for lunch.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic Food. The KansasFantastic Food. The Kansas City Steak, along with everything, as was everything else. The somolier made a fantastic recommendation of a Spanish red that was perfect. This was a date night for us, but we ended up having to bring our 4 month old. The staff was wonderful to him. A great night!!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved the food and theWe loved the food and the ambiance. Our waiter was excellent and very attentive.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMLove going to all the MaxLove going to all the Max Restaurants. I have been going for many years and love the way they treat me and my clients.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic dining experienceFantastic dining experience from the time we drove up to curbside valet, to maitre'd promptly showing us to a very nice table in the center of the dining room
Justin the wine director was very knowledgeable and offered both a white burgundy and cabernet to match our food selections
Excellent service throughout at a fair price that we and our friends truly enjoyed !4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMI took a friend out to dinnerI took a friend out to dinner for his birthday this past week and he recommended Max Downtown so I have never been here. I've been to a few other Max Group Restaurants. We were quickly approached by our server Liz who was awesome. We started with the Ahi Tuna and Calamari---perfect. For dinner we had shrimp & scallops and Ahi Tuna. Everything was amazing!!!4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThis place os a keeper.First time to this restaurant in chain. Wife's birthday. Validated parking but I would not have know had I not called to confirm. Server was excellent but it was busy so service was slower than we like. Great choice of wine by glass. Dessert presented for birthday was excellent.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWe travelled from PhiladelphiaWe travelled from Philadelphia to Hartford for an event. We decided to make reservations at Max's after some research online. We were not disappointed. The restaurant was bustling the whole time we were there. We had a 7pm reservation and were seated by 7:15. Our waiter was phenomenal...very experienced and thoroughly knowledgeable about the menu. The food exceeded our expectations from appetizers through dessert. We have eaten in many high end steakhouses and Max's was by far -- THE BEST. We had a wonderful time and dining experience. If we were ever back in Hartford...we would definitely go back again!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMI ordered my filet betweenI ordered my filet between Medium and Medium rare and it came medium. We discussed in detail that I didn't want it dry and unfortunately...it was dry...which is why we went closer to medium rare vs. medium.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMI celebrated my birthday atI celebrated my birthday at Max's and thoroughly enjoyed the food and service. My fillet was cooked to perfection!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and service was outstanding.Food and service was outstanding. Our waitress (Jade) was awesome and ensured we were well taken care of. Pace of the meal/service was excellent and steaks cooked to perfection. Only complaint was the table we were seated at was in a corner next to another large table, and it was impossible for me to leave my seat without my companion getting up and moving the table; the back of the next table's chairs were literally almost touching our table.4/1/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waitperson was excellent.Our waitperson was excellent. The quality of our meals varied considerably and ranged from too salty to a special that was too much. The rolls were hard and crispy and seemed to have been heated more than once. The wine recommendation however was excellent and very delicious. Overall we love Max but it is disconcerting to find inconsistencies in the quality of the food.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding experience, notOutstanding experience, not only was the food fabulous, the wait staff was very helpful and attentive without being intrusive. Such a good experience, I will certainly recommend it3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother Great Meal At MaxsIf consistently great food, service and variety are marks of a fantastic restaurant Max Downtown certainly fits the bill. Living about an hour from Hartford makes it difficult to get downtown often but my birthday dinner was going to be at Max's. And as usual there was no disappointment at our table. Sure the prices are not pedestrian, but having never had a bad meal there makes up for the cost. Our table started with Oysters and a sashimi app. Both were fresh and provided an excellent start. Salads were good, and the Frenches Onion crisps were a nice addition to the wedge. The steaks were perfect, and the lamb tenderloin a special treat. The special dessert, banana crepe brule was awesome. Already looking forward to my next trip.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThe evening was just fabulous.....yThe evening was just fabulous.....you get no demerits this time!! Keep it up.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMMax Downtown.......GREAT PLACE!!Excellent Food.......on par with a Capital Grille or Morton's.........good wine selection, nice atmosphere. Would recommend.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI had made a reservation forI had made a reservation for 7:15pm. Our party of 3 was there by 6:45pm. We did not get seated until almost 8pm. That is not acceptable.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO MAXI TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO MAX FOR HER 17TH BIRTHDAY AND THE EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH WAS MAGNIFICENT!!! THE FOOD, SERVICE, AMBIANCE WAS HEAVENLY. WE CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK. ENTREES WE ORDERED WERE MORE THAN ENOUGH. WE ORDERED SIDES BUT THERE WAS NO NEED;3/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing experienceAbsolutely great experience from start to finish. Great bar scene with live music on Saturday night. Great service.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were there for our daughter'sWe were there for our daughter's 13th birthday and they treated her like a queen. The only issue we had was that the restaurant was having trouble with their heating system so it was very cold at our table. But all in all, a wonderful experience for my daughter.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe enjoyed eating in a smallerWe enjoyed eating in a smaller and quieter side room.OUr server was very attentive to our request to taste several wines before we ordered. Dinner was excellent. If we lived in Hartford we would dine here regularly.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMHartford's bestFantastic from start to finish. Staff extremely knowledagable and attentive without being intrusive. Recommendations for food and wine were spot on. All food prepared perfectly and wonderfully presented. Both the Strip Steak adn Ahi Tuna entrees were exceptional. It is arguably one of the best restuarants in downtown Hartford if not the THE best. We gererally like to eat closer to home but will make the trip into Hartford for Max's Downtown every time!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was phenomenal. Our reservatioFood was phenomenal. Our reservation was for 8:30 on a Saturday night, and by 9:15 it seemed our server disappeared, perhaps folding napkins in the back? It wasn't what I expected when paying just over $100/ person for dinner. And definitely not what I've come to expect from the Max restaurants.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, the food and serviceAs always, the food and service was tops! This makes me want to keep coming back!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMStill an Excellent Restaurant.For a special occassion you won't go wrong choosing Max Downtown. The staff and food were all up to par which for this place is excellent. There was no rush whatsoever and the service throughout the night was fantastic. It's a little on the "stuffy" side but that's part of the reason to choose it, there won't be a bunch of servers singing happy birthday as they bring out desert.
It's also very nice to find a restaurant that isn't trying to get you to move on to the entree as soon as the appetizers are delivered to the table.
We all had steaks and the meat was very nice quality, no streaks of fat or gristle and the preparation was exactly what everyone asked for3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMLunch Is LovelyLunched with my niece and we had a lovely time. Our meals (cobb salad and chopped salad) were divine. Just the right size and fabulous tastes! Max Downtown knows how to make a dining experience relaxing and pampering and delicious all rolled up into one! My niece and I highly recommend lunching at Max Downtown!3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMWe hadn't been to Max DowntownWe hadn't been to Max Downtown for a number of years. I chose to celebrate my birthday there and was not disappointed. The wait staff was wonderful and the food was delicious. We couldn't have asked for more. Both of us left wondering why we hadn't been back in such a long time. We will become more frequent patrons - a lot on the menu to want to try.3/11/2013 12:00:00 AMHost desk a little bit disorganizedHost desk a little bit disorganized. Singer at the bar was so loud staff could not hear me created multiple errors with my order sections. Staff at the bar section seemed somewhat uninterested with customers.3/1/2013 12:00:00 AM