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Max Brenner - Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Max Brenner - Philadelphia

3.1
3.1
4404 Reviews
$30 and under
Comfort Food
Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar & Chocolate Shop elevates the everyday chocolate experience to an extraordinary sensory immersion by making it shareable, pourable, dippable, dunkable & injectable. Chocolate associations are expressed everywhere: in music, in design, and of course, in taste. It surrounds you and carries you away into your own chocolate mood.

A worldwide phenomenon, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man, has spread its unique culture with it's iconic dessert and decadent savory menu in United States with locations in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston.







Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Cuisines
    Comfort Food, Dessert, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 2:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri 2:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (215) 344-8150
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    We offer a small private area of our restaurant for large parties
  • Private party contact
    Katie Applegate: (877) 925-3053
  • Neighborhood
    Center City
  • Cross street
    Between 15th & Locust
  • Parking details
    There is a parking lot located next to our restaurant
  • Public transit
    The Broad line, Broad St and Walnut St exit, on the subway.<br />PATCO 15th and Locust
  • Entertainment
    Max Brenner's signature music playlist
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 4,404 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

3.1
3.1 based on recent ratings
  • 3.2Food
  • 3.2Service
  • 2.9Ambience
  • 2.8Value

NoiseModerate

4,401 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 15, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Restaurant was closed but still listed on Open Table

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  2. LauraR

    Philadelphia

    5 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on July 7, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    They are closed for good. Why are the still on your open table app when their doors are boarded up and the sign is gone??

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    My party and I showed up for our reservation and the doors were locked shut. No sign and phone number was disconnected. Chairs were off the floor on the tables. I can only think the place was shut down due to health code violations. Extremely frustrating given we had reservations and no one contacted us.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 25, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    This place has been permanently closed. It should not be on this site.

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  5. JoshuaD

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Great experience. Food was awesome. Definitely will be back

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  6. LianeM

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience1
    Really disappointing honestly. This seems to be a place to take little kids for ice cream, and thats about it. Ambience and decor is lacking, wait staff just doing bare minimum. I think if you are in the area shopping and want a milkshake, maybe, but its just not that fun, or nice inside to make it special, I think there are other places to go. We also had an allergic reaction to something that we ordered, even though everything in the order was nut free, not a serious reaction, but none the less, the wait staffs response to me asking if we had made a mistake and ordered something containing nuts, was dismissive and didn't show any concern, I was surprised, and that just added to my disappointment. Skip it and go somewhere else.

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  7. Joey

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall2food3service1ambience1
    While the food was decent, the staff and service were entirely too disorganized. our table was not ready when we got there, it was a early reservation so there were a TON of tables open. Waiter was very inattentive, seemed distracted every time saw him. When we ordered the fondue at the end of the meal, it took close to 30 mins to come out. Once it came out our waiter then said he needed to go back and get the missing melted chocolate - should have all been taken care of prior to coming to the table. 30 mins for marshmallows, some fruit and stale brownies and THE tiniest bowls of melted chocolates. NOT worth $30. I would go here to maybe buy the chocolate at the concession area but that's about it.

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  8. JimH

    New York Area

    26 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food4service5ambience1
    This is a location in desperate need of a face lift. All of the “dessert’ based items still seem strong. My regular breakfast fare was average at best. The tables need to be refinished, the entire space needs a paint job. The prices are very fair and the staff was cheerful.

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  9. ShahidahJ

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall3food4service5ambience4
    Found this place yelping desserts in the area and came across max brenner and quickly made a reservation. Our server was great, friendly and attentive. Tried the chocolate martini….delicious, churros were just ehhh, too thick for my liking and the cookie skillets were good as well. If u are in the area and need a sweet fix give it a try.

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  10. BrandiB

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    It was great! However I would have liked to have seen more dinner selections on the menu.

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  11. GaryY

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    Burgers and fries very good.Deserts terrific . Temperature too cold

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  12. PeggyL

    Philadelphia

    75 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    75 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall4food5service2ambience2
    The food was good and the dessert was excellent. It was a fun night. But the service was lackluster (people need to have a sense of urgency when waiting on customers). More importantly, the restaurant is in dire need of an update. I don't think anything has changed since they opened about a decade ago. It is very worn down and doesn't have the same "special occasion" feel that it used to. We love going to Max Brenners, but hope they can invest in the space.

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  13. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall1food1service2ambience1
    Last year we got takeout and the milk in the milkshake tasted spoiled so we threw it out. We agreed never to go back again. Last night we thought we’d give it another chance for desert. Wow, what a total disappointment. We weren’t approached by a server until we complained. We complained because we saw other tables that came after us getting service before us. The milkshake I ordered is far from a real milkshake. It tasted like a poorly made Frappuccino. One of the deserts we ordered was missing certain toppings listed on the menu. This place is no good.

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  14. dociam

    Philadelphia

    22 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience3
    Our server was very good and attentive How chocolate was not hot Friend with tomato intolerance ordered panini without tomato but was not told it was premade and could not be changed Though restaurant was not full, time to receive order was very long

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  15. Genevieve

    Washington DC

    73 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Super delicious chocolate brunch! Coffee was delicious and service was impeccable.

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  16. AnitaW

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall4food4service2ambience4
    Food was delicious and the chocolate martini and s'mores sundae were yummy!!! Although our server was very pleasant, he did not pay attention for long periods of time even though we told him we had a 7:30 curtain at the theatre. service was slow and we barely had time to eat our dessert. Would have liked to explore the retail area of the restaurant, but he left us no time.

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  17. DaveT

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 2, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience3
    We were especially interested in the desserts because we heard that Max Brenner is known for their desserts. We had a pleasant dinner but, although we were there nearly two hours, we had to cancel our dessert order because we had theatre tickets and couldn’t wait any longer. Our waiter was nice and attentive, but it seemed that the food preparation was quite slow, especially since it wasn’t crowded. We hope to return when we don’t have time constraints. The desserts really did sound good!

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  18. OpenTable Diner

    Baltimore

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Really disappointed in our experience. Kids split a milkshake which was nice and my husband and I each had delicious chocolate cocktails. Our meals however were really disappointing. My daughters Mac and cheese didn’t come with anything like the menu described and my sons pizza was a crispy flatbread also not as described. I ordered the lemon chicken and could only eat a few bites. The sauce and spices on it were so overpowering I couldn’t eat it. I never send things back but this I had to send back. My husband had the panini and the chicken was very dry. Was really looking forward to a treat for the whole family and was really left disappointed.

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  19. ShaunaE

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience3
    Expected bigger crowds and tastier treats but overall the kids enjoyed it and that was all that mattered!

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  20. OpenTable Diner

    Palm Springs

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience2
    Service was slow. The whole reason we came was to get dessert after dinner but we didn’t see our server after our meal for 40 mins and by then our kids were too tired to stay. Disappointed and won’t return.

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  21. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything was great!

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  22. KRO2

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 19, 2023

    overall2food2service3ambience1
    Restaurant was drab. They failed to acknowledge my sons birthday even though we mentioned it and saw other tables get a candle

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  23. Noah

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 16, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience3
    We had to wait for waitress even though restaurant was empty, waited a half hour for our food to come, it was cold when it arrived. Told manager he said well the heat lamp should have kept it warm, and basically didn’t believe us until my girlfriend handed him a cold fry. They took 2 of our meals back to remake them, brought 1 meal back and never brought back my girlfriend’s meal until everyone was done eating and she asked them to take it off the bill. The manager threw it on the table w our full bill without offering to compensate in any way for our bad experience. We left unsatisfied and without having desert which is the part we were actually looking forward to. I would not recommend the staff is terrible!

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  24. Sterk

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 16, 2023

    overall1food3service2ambience1
    Place was run down, not very clean. You could tell they were short staffed and not prepared for a busy Sunday brunch/lunch crowd. They were out of a lot of foods. Food took forever (45+ minute wait for pizza & burgers?). One of our meals was ‘lost’ but after waiting over 45 minutes we said not to bother making a new one. When we asked server(she was nice and apologetic) to remove the meal we never received from bill she couldn’t without a manager-who had left for the day(at 12:30pm on a sunday) and no one could get ahold! Luckily we had enough cash on hand to cover the bill otherwise we’d be stuck waiting around for an absentee manager. It used to be a great place, but seems to have really gone downhill.

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  25. Whitney

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 16, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience1
    This place was dirty, caked dirty in corners and sticky floors. They were out of apple juice, chicken fingers, avocado and boxes for takeout.

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  26. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 15, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience2
    This place really could be amazing and it wouldn’t take much but they really put in the bare minimum effort and it shows. It was only us and one other table for breakfast and even with 8 visible staff members working all of the food for the table came out cold or room temperature. If you decide to go read the other reviews and lower your expectations on service and quality. Our waiter was very nice and remade what we requested but if it’s like this when empty I can’t imagine what it’s like when they’re busy. They also have an odd coffee refill policy. You can drink some percentage of it and ask to be “topped off” at no charge but if you finish it and ask for a refill that is a separate charge.

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  27. JMCT

    New York Area

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 12, 2023

    overall1food4service1ambience3
    I never write these reviews, but this experience was unusual. I have to assume this was an off night, but the service was shockingly bad. We were there for 2 1/2 hours and ultimately 3 people in a party of 4 never got dessert. That is what’s the restaurant is known for so that is pretty disappointing. When we arrived, the restaurant was pretty empty. It took over an hour for our entrees. It took about another 1/2 hour (maybe more) for one dessert to arrive after ordering but the other dessert never came. Even drinks took a long time. The waiter never checked on us or explained what was going on. It would take around 15-20 mins just to get the waiter’s attention when we needed a straw for a smoothie or a glass for a beer. We gave up trying to ask for a steak knife. I also had to flag him down just to order dessert. Lastly the restaurant is a bit run down, but most disconcerting is that extra chairs were stored in a pile right next to our table. Not a great vibe. There were more odd things such as refilling my husband’s water in his beer glass. He was almost done, but still. As for the good… the food was actually tasty. The one dessert that came was delicious. The manager was very sweet and accommodating- although we did not see her until after we paid the bill. She mentioned something was going on in the kitchen. While we should have been told much earlier, she did come over when we cancelled the 2nd dessert and asked for the check (that was at the 2 1/2 hour point). She brought us a free dessert- one of the waffles. It was delicious. Confusing how that came out so fast, but we never got the fondue. It was nice nonetheless . When I mentioned how long we had been there and that it was disappointing since we were celebrating a birthday, she actually came over with additional treats for my daughter. Because of her and because the desserts we did have were delicious, we may give this place another chance.

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  28. Dotingmom

    New York Area

    35 reviews

    2.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall2food3service3ambience2
    Place was empty and a little lifeless compared to past visits. Hostess was sweet. Server did their job but was devoid of personality. How does a chocolate themed restaurant NOT have the makings of a chocolate martini? No energy in the place - very blah.

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  29. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The idea of a chocolate martini created visions of a sickening sweet drink. This is SOOO not the case. Max's recipe goes down smooth and had me asking for another! The food portions are generous and is a savory treat. The Mac & Cheese is the best my husband has ever had! We will return anytime, given the chance.

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  30. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 8, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience3
    They did not have enough servers for a Saturday night. Our waiter was nice but would disappear for long periods of time and not check in. Apps came out and we waited to get silverware, Waiting for refills of drinks and waters so we could finish dinner, ordered 3 things from desert menu…one came out and then the other items 15 minutes later so we asked for them to go. It wasn’t the waiters fault but they shouldn’t seat tables if they can’t properly provide service. Not worth the money. Food was good not great.

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  31. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 7, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Our waiter was very attentive!! Food was good and the chocolate martini was delicious!

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  32. AllisonW

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 7, 2023

    overall3food5service3ambience3
    They were so understaffed. One waiter for so many tables; we waited 25 minutes after sitting down for the poor guy to even be able to say hi and bring us water. The food was excellent, but it took forever to order and for each course to come out. We were there for two hours for a two course meal. Also, the restaurant was freezing. Cold air coming out of all the ceiling vents. Everyone in our section was wearing their coats while eating. Hostess said she could improve it, but did not -- ceiling fan above our table remained on, pushing the cold air down on us for two hours while we sat there waiting for food. We have eaten here many times in the past. The food is good. The staff is nice. But they need to help each other more when they are understaffed (three people behind the bar mostly standing there while our waiter tried to cover 20 tables himself). It remains a fun place for a family meal but if two hours is the norm, then not a great place to bring antsy kids anymore.

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  33. Phoodie

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 7, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience5
    Stopped for dinner and dessert before a show at the Kimmel Center. Mac and cheese was good. We got the classic fondue for dessert and liked that we got to pick 2 different kinds of chocolate. They were busy but our server checked in on us frequently. Overall worth the price and would come back for dessert again.

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  34. LaurieC

    Alabama

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 7, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience3
    Food was ok. Desserts were very yummy. Our sever was very sweet however service was very poor. Wouldn’t go back

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  35. Greenmachine31

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 7, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience4
    Food was good but service very slow, not our waiters’ fault. He was working very hard. Fondue came out delicious but our chocolate dipping sauce was cold

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  36. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 6, 2023

    overall3food5service2ambience3
    Server was ok. Only saw him twice, really didn't check back with us. Kitchen service was very slow., it took 45 minutes to get our good. (Second time in a row our food was slow. First time was at Christmas and then it was over an hour, hoping this time it would be faster.) Also, out of dark chocolate, which we were looking forward to.

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  37. mehblah

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 6, 2023

    overall1food1service2ambience3
    food was meh. the music was incredibly loud. the dessert was good

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  38. Tammie

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 5, 2023

    overall3food2service3ambience3
    The quality of the food is subpar. The chocolate martini was good. Service time was way too long. It took over 20mins to tell me that they were out of bottle water (still).

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  39. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 4, 2023

    overall2food1service1ambience2
    In need of improvement. The service was rough. Understaffed. Could be much better.

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  40. DavidM

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 4, 2023

    overall4food5service2ambience5
    They were short on wait staff which made our food late. However, the person was very good.

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Safety precautions

  • Screening

    • Staff is vaccinated

FAQs

Max Brenner - Philadelphia is rated 3.1 stars by 4404 OpenTable diners.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Google Map for Max Brenner - Philadelphia

1500 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Between 15th & Locust
  • Neighborhood
    Center City
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 2:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri 2:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Cuisines
    Comfort Food, Dessert, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There is a parking lot located next to our restaurant
  • Public transit
    The Broad line, Broad St and Walnut St exit, on the subway.PATCO 15th and Locust
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Max Brenner's signature music playlist
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (215) 344-8150
  • Private party facilities
    We offer a small private area of our restaurant for large parties
  • Private party contact
    Katie Applegate: (877) 925-3053
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