2nd visit to new location. They have really upped their game with some new entries and the homemade pastas are notable. Some standby items are off the menu like penne-al-buttero because they aren't making their own penne pasta but I was able to have it made with another pasta. The chopped salad is gone and its return is critical to the lunch menu. I recall it going off once before; riots erupted and it was brought back... let's hope. The only real deviation from perfection - and this could be a deal killer - was the noise level. (Think Max Oyster on a Thursday or Friday night only double the noise level.) Some significant insulation needs to be applied to the metal ceiling. 3rd visit coming up! read more

Our evening was not only Delicious the service was excellent. I will be back many times.

What a refreshing change!! The new decor is beautiful. Much larger bar area. The entire restaurant is bright and spacious. The menu includes staple dishes that never disappoint, past faves that are elevated, as well as new options to peak your palate!! Kudos to the friendly and knowledgeable staff as they navigate this exciting transition. A definite must visit!! read more

Went to the new location on Wednesday, very disappointed with the new menu. They have once again removed the chopped salad as they did years ago and it is why I go there for lunch. It was their second day open and our wonderful server said many have asked for it. The food is always terrific and our server was tops but we will not go back till the chopped is back and we have been customers since they opened. By the way, the new place is beautiful. Just pay atto your customers. read more

Max a Mia's has always been a favorite of mine, and once I discovered their eggplant lasagna, it's been very difficult for me to order anything else! Even two days later as reheated leftovers (see photos), I was full of happy endorphins eating it. I do need to mention that my parents and brother and sister-in-law have recently, three different times, been very disappointed with Max-a-Mia at dinner time. Orders not made correctly being the biggest complaint. I believe they said understaffed too. They have been so disappointed they refuse to go at dinner time now. This review is about a lunch party. My parents shared one of their giant sized burgers, which the staff is always kind enough to split and plate nicely. Mom had a salad and dad a bowl of soup too; so you know portion wise, sharing a burger may not be enough. My sister in law enjoyed her beautiful salad with hanger steak, and took some home. My brother had the cheeseburger, added bacon and asked for a salad instead of fries. And I had my usual, eggplant lasagna and was not at-all disappointed. Love the focaccia they serve. My father had to ask for roasted garlic after being told they only serve it at dinners, but they were happy to oblige. I did miss the olives though. My only complaint and it's a big one and the reason for the lost star, is that they okay the music way too loud. So loud it's difficult having conversations. We did have a round table, so we're seated a little further apart. That said we asked the wait staff two different occasions to please lower it and why, and they actually have a little attitude. They seemed to lower it a tiny bit, but the second request they said they would and didn't. Mind you, this wasn't beautiful Italian or classical music, it was pop music and did not add at-all to the atmosphere, which leads me to believe it is played because the staff likes it. They deserve to be in a pleasant environment, however even wearing noise cancelling ear buds, the music was a tad too loud. Half of their clientele at that time I noticed were 40+ and composed of many seniors. I have to believe we wouldn't have been the only customers who preferred hearing their lunch companions more easily. read more

See all

Love the new place! As always great attentive staff. Food never disappoints! The best chicken parm in the area.

Ate there on a Tuesday night with party of 10. Service was friendly and attentive. Place was nicely decorated for Christmas. Loved all the food from the arancini and fried calamari appetizer to the focaccia bread. For my entree I had tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. I ate only half of it since I was full from the bread and apps. I brought the other half home to enjoy the deliciousness for a 2nd day. Highly recommend if you are looking for a special night out. read more

Max a Mia - Tenderloin (well done which is how I like it), brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Our server was great but the food was mediocre. This is not a place that we will return. The ambiance was ok.

Shocked by the rating here cause this spot was incredible! One of the best meals I've had in a long time. We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and the staff was absolutely incredible! Our server was a gem and made sure our whole table was having a great time! They start you off with bread but it comes with a ton to dip with it: olives, roasted garlic, marinara and of course EVOO. The bread included slices of their plain pizza dough and boy was that my favorite! For my meal, I devoured the bucatini which is something I don't see on the menu very often. It had pancetta and escarole with a spicy tomato sugo. Absolutely incredible! I was told the pasta was housemade and you can tell. You don't see escarole on an Italian menu enough so this was a must order for me. The hubs got the chicken parm and he loved it! What a great first experience, we'll definitely be back here to try more! read more

See all

We had a Holiday Luncheon today and everything was fantastic. A special thank you to Debbie for making our get together a great time! Food was delicious, service was outstanding and a special room allowed us to catch up with everyone in the group. Thank you! read more

Great interior aesthetic. Brendan was a great server. He was super nice and friendly and the table next to us asked him crazy specific menu questions and he knew all the answers. Food and wine and tiramisu was super good. It's now our go to italian restaurant. read more

Found this place to be pretty spectacular. Sat at the bar for dinner & bartender was very attentive. For a Tuesday night at 7:30pm this place was packed with a full bar & fairly full dining room & no outdoor seating available. Food was delicious. I had the pan seared scallops. They were cooked perfectly. I wasn't going to have the bread but when I saw it come out I'm surely glad I changed my mind. They serve it with a delicious semi spicy marinara & roasted whole garlic. This place did not disappoint. read more

Max a Mia - Pan seared scallops with ramp pesto polenta, roasted peppers, arugula, vingerette - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Have been going to this Max A Mia on and off for years now. They recently moved down the road to a larger and much more updated place in Avon. It's very nice and has the "today's restaurant" style much like places in West Hartford Center. Reminds me of Max Oyster Bar a bit (decor). Anyways we had reservations and even though they were very busy we got in pretty fast. Maybe a 5 min wait. The menu hasn't changed much. I was hoping they would add some more Italian dishes. Menu is really close to the old. They got rid of Cacio D Pepe which was a great app there. Sad to see that go. The meatball app is always good but that's about all I saw that was appealing. As for dinner we got a clam linguine special and a chicken parm. Both were good, not great. The chicken parm is exactly the same as old place. Was hoping they would modify it a bit. I will say the bread and olives with sauce is still there and that's always delicious. One of the best "on the house" that you get anywhere in my opinion when seated. I would go back but it's really average and other than the decor, it's the same ole Max A Mia with a bigger bar and basically the same menu. 3 stars. read more

Food was delicious and the new location is very impressive. Waitress was attentive and helpful and explained menu items when questioned about some of the ingredients. I will definitely go back and I look forward to a bowl of their awesome minestrone soup! read more

Had a grand dinner with 2 friends. We all ordered the delicious bruschetta, followed by the scallops with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli rabe. We topped off the meal with coconut cake. The service was outstanding and the atmosphere was early and inviting. Loved it! read more

Max a Mia - Scallops - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

See all

Went to the new location in Avon on Saturday 9/6 and the sound level was defeating. We had to scream at the hostess for her to hear us and access our reservation. Walking through the restaurant to get to the backroom was actually painful to my ears. The backroom was slightly better. My wife and I still had to yell to ear each other. I downloaded a decibel meter to see how bad it was, and in the backroom it was between 85 and 100. In the main room by the bar it was 120 to 190 decibels. Hearing damage starts at 85 decibels. This made for an extremely uncomfortable dinning experience. They have a new Chicory Cesare salad which is terrible, extremely bitter. They have new fresh made pasta in their menu items which is very good, makes a big difference in the flavor. Our entrees were delicious, which was nice. But the noise level totally spoiled the experience. I spoke to a manager to provide feedback. He was great, very understanding. He was aware the noise is a problem. But the only way I will eat there again is to sit at an outdoor table, or get take out, the noise is that bad. read more

I actually worked at Max a Mia when I was in college and enjoyed working there, but it's weird coming back as a "regular" patron. With that said, it's genuinely good food - everything is always exceptional. Some highlights are the penne al buttero (my all time favorite), the pollo pizza, and the calamari (those peppers! Mm!) but it's hard to go wrong with the menu. The bread, roasted garlic, and olives that they serve with everything are unbeatable. On the downside, the menu is a little boring and doesn't change super frequently. Max a Mia has some really amazing chefs and I wish they went outside of their comfort zone a little more! Also, it is a little pricy for the Farmington Valley. Most pasta dishes are in the $20 range. Lastly, wanted to mention the beautiful outdoor dining they have set up, including a large tent for extra space. They've definitely done well to adapt. read more

First of all, let me start off by telling yall I'm an avid eater. I love eating. Eating out and eating in. My honey and I thought we could spice up our Tuesday and try out Max a Mia. I've heard nothing but superb ratings from friends and family alike. Let it be known that these are people who have a typically low bar, but are people I love nonetheless. My lover, and I got the burger, chop salad, fries, rigatoni, and coconut cake. Let me tell you that coconut cake was the only redeeming menu item. I would argue that it was also the burger however, you cannot mess up a burger, therefore that's fair game. Now, like I said earlier, my sugar bear, and I were looking spice up our Tuesday. While he was eating out, we were going to order in. I feel this is owed to the reader however, the only pleasure one was getting orally was neither me nor my honey at max a mia. Our entrées were decent at best hence the three star review. Another thing that cut our evening short was the coconut cake. That went straight to my gut, but boy was it worth it! This was hands-down, the best ever dessert I have ever had in my entire life. Alongside it was a rich, salty, sticky caramel sauce that I've been longing for this entire evening with my suitor. Now, let me tell you about that poor guy, he could barely get one bite in of that cake as I absolutely housed it, see below. Cavity beholders, beware: this cake was sweeter than my honey when issuing an apology. Luckily for us, I had my insulin handy. Overall, I've come back for desserts and maybe try a couple of cocktails next time, but I'd hold off on the appetizers and entrées. read more

See all

Upscale Italian spot with table, bar, and covered outdoor seating Have a solid menu of both food and drink options Delicious complimentary bread served with both garlic & marinara sauce I sat at the bar got the bruschetta & a Cesar salad, both were solid Friendly bartenders Pricey read more

We went for lunch with our friends and ordered some wine off the special wine menu. the prices were $10, $18, and $60 for Chardonnay. We only wanted 6 oz and thought that the $10 was for the 6oz glass, but where we got our bill, we were charged $18 per glass. When we told the waitress she had charged us for the 9 oz glass, she said the prices on the menu were for 3oz, 6oz and a bottle??? Who ever orders 3oz. This was ridiculous. Make sure you ask before you order. Signed Unhappy with Max a Mia read more

I am a long time Max a Mia fan, I've been coming here for 20 yrs and have always had consistently good meals and desserts. I love the cozy, not overly lit atmosphere inside. I stopped in on this day for a rainy day lunch which was paid for by my max advantage points! I love that card, I do also enjoy the other restaurants in this group so the points can quickly add up to a nice lunch for one! I had house made ricotta on house made bread with roasted tomato jam & Parma! It was delectable, good Parma and homemade ricotta are the best of friends! I also had a bowl of minestrone with fresh pesto and tiramisu for dessert. Always great choices. The flat bread they make with the spicy tomato sauce is also fantastic, very hard to stop eating it as it's addicting. Max a Mia's will always be a family favorite for us. read more

See all

We have been to all the Max locations and can honestly say we have never had a bad meal at one of their restaurants , but Max a Mia is probably our favorite. The food is excellent -A to Z- the whole menu is spectacular and service is impeccable. We've been customers for years. Even during Covid, when it was pick up only, the food and service were wonderful. Most recently we were there for our anniversary and the steaks were delicious and cooked perfectly. Thank you Max's!!!! read more

Here's what I would recommend to any single or couple: sit at the bar, order a light meal plus a beverage, GET THE COCONUT CAKE! A few times a year we do this and it's always good food, good service, incredible cake. The margherita pizza is especially good and the bartenders always make us feel welcome. read more

Delicious lunch, some great gluten free options and delicious pasta - outside was perfect With lunch, we asked for gluten free rolls and were delicious ! read more

I ordered a chopped salad w chicken today for lunch . It was $19 but when I picked it up it was HUGE and came w a ton of delicious seasoned wood fired bread. So I wasn't so sour about the price anymore. But there was maybe 8 little pieces of chicken. My coworker even said something about the chicken being skimpy. I called and the mgr was so nice and offered to refund salad. I told her salad is great but could they refund chicken. They ended up refunding it all which was above and beyond. Salad was chopped into perfect sizes w crunchy veggies and bursts of blue cheese funk. Balsamic added a bright addition. I'll def go back. Super cute outdoor area as well! read more

Max a Mia - Chopped salad w chicken - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Make sure you come to Max a Mia hungry!! All of the food I've tried has been incredible. It is difficult not to fill up on the tasty olives and bread that are served prior to your entree. All of the meals are delicious, even their specials. I love all of their raviolis. One of my favorites  is the butternut squash ravioli. One time they had a corn truffle ravioli that was spectacular, it was such a delicious and unique combination of flavors that shocked everyone at my table who tried it. The inside atmosphere is very cozy with warm- perfect for a date, catching up with old friends, or getting together with family. read more

See all

Max a Mia is lovely....great service, exemplary food and comfortable casual dining. I have dined here on several occasions and even when it is a busy night both service and food never disappoints. read more

We usually get takeout but the food is fabulous. The chicken Parmesan is the best my husband has ever had (this means a lot from a Long Island transplant) and I dream about the coconut cake. So far it's the best food we have tasted since we moved to Connecticut! read more

It was my first time at Max a Mia Ristorante . We walked in and was sat right away. The food was excellent. Started off with the Tuscan salad and for my entree had the eggplant lasagna. Both of my dishes were delicious. Plus the service was terrific. read more

Max a Mia is quite a popular local spot. The bar area was packed. The hostess and the wait staff are all very nice. We were seated right away. To start we ordered the blood orange margarita and the Home for the holiday. Both drink were strong which is always food but the favorite was the home for the holidays. One of these will hit you hard! For the main meal we ordered one of the daily specials which had short rib in it with Brussel sprouts. It was good. We also got the pollo grigliato and the classic Bolognese. Both of these failed to hit the spot. The pollo is basically a carbonara but they make it with water and egg. It's not really a sauce and it was dry. Didn't have much flavor. The bolognese was average as well. The pasta was rubbery and it didn't have much flavor. I ordered a prosciutto pizza with bacon and pepperoni and it was the clear winner of the night. The pizza was delicious. Drizzled with honey oil and cooked to perfection. It comes in 6 slices and is enough that two people can share one pie. For dessert the tiramisu was amazing. I highly recommend trying it. Not one drop was left on the plate. I feel the pastas were a little pricey for what you get (around $24-$28). I expected more for being so expensive but the pizza and the tiramisu was definitely worth it. read more

See all

Soo wonderful! We got arancini, Margherita pizza and the pepperoni. And the bread served with the garlic and tomato dip was awesome!! Service and ambiance was great too read more

See all

I loved this restaurant so much on my first trip that I returned a few weeks later for my birthday dinner. We arrived before the rest of our party so we sat at the bar for an appetizer and cocktail. Immediately we were greeted by the bartender (forgive me I can't remember her name) But she remembered us! She made our drinks perfectly and took our order right away. We ordered the meatball app. I had been craving them since my last visit. She also brought out their amazing bread with roasted garlic. Once our family arrived we moved to the dining room. This is where the service went downhill. We were greeted right away. Gave her our drink order then waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, our cocktails! Whoohoo parties back on! Then, we ordered dinner. Lobster Fra diavalo, bolognese, Caesar salad with meatballs and the Penne al Buttero. Now, we waited again. For quite awhile. It was a busy Wednesday, but it was pretty long. Food... lobster Fra diavalo was amazing! Caesar salad, good. Bolognese, very bland, only a few small pieces of meat. Penne al Buttero was so spicy it wasn't edible. Lastly, we ordered the coconut cake again and the tiramisu. Both were excellent! However, this time my coconut cake was served flat on the plate with no sauces and it visually wasn't the same. A nice surprise at the end was a champagne toast sent over from the bartender's This was such a nice touch and it made me feel extra special. We will be back again, but we will definitely sit in the bar for the outstanding service! read more

See all

Had to update this review solely due to finally trying a chop/steak from the menu! The tenderloin is 10oz of the "end" of the filet mignon. Just under $40, you get 2 sides (Brussels and garlic mash). The steak comes sliced with delicious jus. Medium rare is ACTUALLY medium rare so you don't have to order under temp to get what you really want. Delicious, yummy, worth the price but it did feel like more than 10oz or maybe we got lucky? Service is always really good. Get those max points! read more

See all

The restaurant was larger than I thought and there was plenty of seating. The server was new and forgot a few things but was very polite. The appetizer was great! I loved the assortment of olives and bread sauces. I had the shepherd pie which was made with real tender lamb and lots of it. The gravy was tasty and mashed potatoes were toasted just right and served in a small cast iron skillet. read more

Another great 'Max' restaurant in the Hartford area. This restaurant group continues to achieve their high standards across their restaurants. Have returned multiple times. Would recommend the reasonably priced Strip Steak and calamari. Nice dim ambiance perfect for a date read more

Absolutely delicious! Served very warm and fresh. Definitely recommend if you are in the mood for great Italian food. read more

Max a Mia - Warm Apple Crisp - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Cozy neighborhood vibe with a surprisingly great starter of warm bread with tomato sauce and some big heads of roasted garlic. Good foodie bartender too who knows his stuff! Don't miss the coconut cake. read more

Went here for their GF menu and was not disappointed!! The pasta was amazing and the flourless chocolate cake was also so good. Definitely recommend for GF/celiac read more

See all

The food was amazing, everything from the bread basket to the dessert. Someone got there grandma back there cooking! Real authentic Italian food, delicious! read more

Usually Max a Mia is outstanding. But something was off last night. Food came out way too fast, and I ended up with food poisoning. I've never encountered this previously from Max a Mia. read more