I have been here many times in the past 6 years and I'm still waiting for a meal that does not disappoint. The most resent was during lunch where I ordered: BAKED RIGATONI $17.00 grilled chicken, spinach, sage pesto cream, fontina cheese, garlic-parmesan crust. The dish was so disappointing and the server did little to correct the issue. The problem was I received about 20 cents worth of pasta with a watered down sauce, but NO Chicken, not even a trace, they totally forgot to add the chicken and when I complained they took it back, several minutes latter , after my guest had already finished their meal the dish returned with a few tiny tiny piece of yesterday's cold chicken which can from a old chicken leg, or possible thigh, it had black portions attached to the meat, no "quality" meat at all just something they dug up out of the frig last minute to throw into the dish which was not even re baking nor did they re-doing the topping, it came back a huge disappointing jumbled "MESS". This dish should had been re-fired NOT doctored up. As a regular customer I felt like my business didn't matter at all. Serve was less than satisfactory. I was promised a salad while I have to sit there with nothing to eat while my guess finished their meal but yet no salad ever came. They did offer their own bread which was cold with a haot pasta sauce on the side, it appeared to be a marinara, however the bread should had be warmed and not dried out, it only take a few seconds to pop it into a micro-wave to give it some warmth. And then there was the beer I ordered, I asked for something"light" and the brought me a hooker Brutus -Maximus which is Not a light beer , it is a heavy lager and the glass was only 3/4 full, not even a full glass for what, $7.50? I would NOT recommend this place at all, it's a complete rip-off, over priced food just because it's located in Avon,CT. As I said in the beginning of this review, I'm still waiting for a decent meal, but I doubt it is even possible from this place. I would not waste my time or money on this establishment, clearly the management does care what they serve as long as they charge over inflated prices for a poor attempt to act like an Italian Resturant....better off going to Olive Garden or any where else where they may care about what they serve. Brian read more

Pizza and Caesar salad. Caesar salad was good. Like how they split it for you...we ordered a 2nd one. Pizza another story. Modifications requested all wrong. While I don't have an allergy, I have a major aversion to red onion. It was all over my side, despite my request. Server was moderately interested in us, not very attentive. Asked if we wanted our pizza boxed up as we were literally biting into pieces of pizza. Nope, not ready. Plenty of staff, almost over staffed considering a food runner delivers food yet we waited for drinks...not the bartenders delay, could see my glass of wine waiting. And when the server got our glass of soda, watched him jam the glass in the ice. Chipped glass with your soda, anyone? read more

Great Dining and People... the Food was Amazing legit homemade taste flavor they got it they know how to do it if you love garlic if you love onions if you're not afraid of garlic or onions this is the place a nice drink couple drinks and I was right back home thank you read more

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I had the coconut cake tonight. I only was going to eat half, but then half way through it was a life changing experience, so I ate the rest of it. Also- I hope the bring back those prosciutto wrapped mozzarella apps. The roasted garlic is great too. One time I had the eggplant lasagna. It wasn't that great, but usually everything else is usually awesome. read more

We dined here for the first time with friends. Made a reservation & we were seated immediately upon arrival. The restaurant was extremely busy, staff was friendly & efficient. The bread & roasted garlic was an excellent surprise & very delicious. We ordered the Point Judith Calamari, eggplant lasagna, wood grilled strip streak, gamberi & one of the pasta specials. Each dish was cooked to perfection & they were all absolutely delicious. We ended the evening with coffee and the homemade cheesecake, which was divine!! We will most definitely be back! read more

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

Food is delish! They take pride in presentation, as well as taste. The staff is friendly and helpful. The ambiance is somewhat subdued and casual. I've been there several times, ordered a variety of dishes, all have been wonderful! They do some catering as I understand it. They also have outdoor seating. It's conveniently located in shopping plaza. read more

Always a great experience at the bar with Linda She spends time to talk but never stops moving Knowledgeable about the menu and the specials Always kind and courteous and makes a perfect drink. My favorite mixology professor!!!!! Thank you Linda read more

Had a great 21st anniversary made extra special by the staff and Julia Keane! The food, service and atmosphere are ideal for a great dinner with friends and family. Definitely recommended highly. read more

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The food here is fantastic! I love the chopped salad with the sherry vinaigrette and Gorgonzola but the Caesar and Tuscan are both excellent. The polenta croutons on the Tuscan are a favorite. Most of the pastas are freshly made. The corn stuffing in the raviolis is decadent. Penne a la buttero is outstanding with the spicy sausage. The veal chop with garlic mashed is my personal favorite entree there. Our waitress Lauren kept a close eye on us and really made us feel welcomed. I'll be eating here regularly. read more

Very disappointed, especially after reading a number of positive reviews. The eggplant lasagna had about to bites of eggplant in it. The salad was so small I thought they made a mistake and gave me a side salad, but lo, it was the full salad. The swordfish dish was ok... at least the fish was fresh. Don't plan on ever going back. read more

Overall: Delicious dinner for large parties Ambience: Dressy, Loud, Family and third dates kinda place. I won't come here for a first date because it's too loud (with all the large parties that they host), and is also a bit on the expensive side. But it's a good place for a celebration with friends and family. Menu: Lots of options here from salads, to Pizza, to entrees! However the appetizers has just one vegetarian dish. We tried the mushroom appetizer which was meh. Their calamari was delish and yes it is possible to mess up a dish that is simply breaded and fried. For dinner we had their Stone pies, scallops, salmon, and lasagna. Everything was good but not out of the park. We also had their bocci ice cream which was good. Drinks: Definitely on the expensive side, but they have a good variety. Service: They initially lost our reservation but were accommodating. I was glad that I had called to tell them that I'm running 5 mins late because they were super busy. The host was inept - she gave us less menus and sat us at an smaller table. But the server more than made up for it by being welcoming. read more

Max a Mia - Eggplant pizza - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

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So disappointed that one of my favorite local restaurants has been less than mediocre the last few visits. Tonight one of the specials was requested with modifications - and there was no offer for compensation when it wasn't made to order, or eaten. It's too bad that a restaurant with such a poor location isn't concerned with losing customers - when comping a $25 meal would have went a long way. read more

Excellent ambience, food and service. We haven't been in awhile but we will be back. The bar service was phenomenal as they have great knowledge of the menu and wine list. It was great to see Pam at the bar, she's as good as ever. Dave & Lori.... read more

It's a holiday tradition of my in-laws to get a meal from Max a Mia, and I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the take-out version of the tradition this year. The crust on the Neapolitan pizzas was incredible, the eggplant lasagna was ultra rich and silky smooth (I'd strongly recommend spreading it on their delicious bread to make an excellent open-faced sandwich for leftovers), and the gnocchi had a great bite and taste. Pickup was a breeze, and all of the food we ordered reheated very well. read more

Max has set the standard for Tuscan salad! The grilled octopus was quite good and pasta Al dente always.

An Avon neighborhood favorite. Always great food and great service. Italian cuisine is the specialty of the house.

My wife and I had dinner here on 6/22/24. We've been here often and never had a bad experience. On this occasion, one of our entrees wasn't quite right. Our server, who was fantastic, quickly had the kitchen prepare a replacement meal to go. She'd also somehow overheard that we were fond of their coconut cake ... and then brought a massive slice over on the house while we waited. You don't find that kind of service very often anymore, but we're glad it's still a priority at Max a Mia. read more

It's always a strange experience coming back to the area to visit the folks...the neighborhood is the same but most of us I knew have left the Hartford area. We decided to shake it up and go Italian (Mom makes the red saucy Eyetalian so we usually hit the Saybrook Fish House when I'm back in the Farmington Valley). I haven't been to Max a Mia since the early 90's,...they have expanded the interior for more dining since then (I think this was Rich Rosenthal's second of the "Max" concepts after the Downtown Hartford joint). It used to be quite the watering hole back when it opened. I had the gnocchi w chicken which was excellent. Very pleasant wait staff as well. Rich has a couple of things I love about his eateries...well trained staff (good personality) and you really feel like a client. Good atmosphere in these eateries as well as a good product. The town I live in should really send their staff to train at these Max eateries (we have a lot of immature millennial amateurs in Saratoga Springs)... Max a Mia was a good reunion after around 30 years. read more

Food is always great. Service is usually outstanding. Great value for price. Very consistent.

I'm giving 4 stars because overall I like this place. HOWEVER, they recently got a new chicken supplier (quite obvious) and the chicken is DISGUSTING. Its "RUBBER". Not chicken "like" in any way, just pure grossness. Could definitely been grown in a dish, the way it taste! PLEASE BRING BACK REAL CHICKEN! read more

I have loved Max a Mia's since it opened; but last Saturday night our experience was disappointing. It started with the hostess not really looking as pulled together as has been the norm with the staff. We were seated and quickly a server came over. She started speaking to us on one side of the table; then oddly went to the other. Plunked the menus down and took our beverage order. Meanwhile, another server came over, he was very professional and asked if we'd like something to drink other than water. We explained someone else took our drink order and he said very nicely she got her tables confused. Our drinks came and we gave our appetizer and entree order. Our calamari was over-done and my Tuscan salad looked thrown together (again, an item I've ordered many times and always look/tasted great!); plus we had no other utensils. We asked for knives and our server only gave us one! After finishing our meal; we waited a long time for our check; a mistake was made on it and another employee helped correct it. read more

Everything about this place was good. I emailed Bob the chef ahead of time and asked if they had vegan options. Not only was he willing to give me suggestions he had his server make sure I understood what I could have. Sunny our waitress was terrific. She was very patient with our needs. The food was delicious. The service was spectacular. I would highly recommend this place. read more

Fantastic. Great service and really tasty food. We had a shrimp/lacy pasta/pesto dish that was unique and wonderful. Their "bread" is mini pizza slices served with a special tomato sauce. Plenty of outside dining. Want to go back! read more

I decided on Take-Out cause I have to go home. It's the last day of Lobster Month. What do I do? I go to Max-A-Mia's and order Lobster Fettuccine read more

Max a Mia - Lobster Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Cool place! Great squash appetizer special and cappuccino was great end to the night. Took longer than expected to get food, but an awesome spot. read more

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

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Save your money you will need it when you come to eat here. $10 for 2 meatballs $19 for 4. All average small sized Everything here on the main menu comes to $20 and up Order yourself extra bread because your gonna need it. Their portions are super small. You know what i mean "so small it's fancy" The food is good the wine is VERY good but it's so expensive and full of high end people. I felt so out of place. The service was amazing the hostess the servers were amazing super sweet and so kind. I'm sorry but the money i spent I can go to Abigail's in Simsbury and get so much more including dessert. read more

Excellent service. Delicious food. Reasonably priced . Very accommodating! Easy parking .

We had a reservation but decided to sit outside where tables are first come, first serve. I am glad we did as inside is dark and can be noisy. Our waitress was efficient and nice. Food came out in a reasonable time. We had the Caesar Salad with homemade croutons. It was tasty and properly dressed. No anchovies though (maybe you have to request them). We then had the pasta special which was delicious and the veal which was coated with Panko crumbs and fried, topped with an arugula salad, slow roasted tomatoes and over a romesco sauce. (27.00). The flavor was excellent and the veal tender although I would have liked more sauce. The portions were generous (another reviewer disagreed but see pictures and judge for yourself). I can't end without mentioning the amazing bread and spicy sauce they serve before dinner which is outstanding. read more

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This is typically a "predictable" good food, service, and people establishment. Also, I typically do not hesitate to 4/5 star an established Max Group restaurant after consistent service...but... My gripe from a recent visit lands at solidly with the bar. Unfortunately I discovered in my last sip of wine, the foil cap to the bottle that the bartender most likely sliced from opening a fresh bottle...sloppy and disgusting! One can only imagine where the bottle's been, or how it was handled prior to being uncorked only to end up on my pour. Granted, the glass was removed from the bill however the gesture could not remove the sense of disgust I developed after finding it in my mouth at the end of my meal. Totally destroyed my dining experience, and most likely any returns to the Max Group. Sorry Max, you've lost me. read more

Long story short, I ordered Max a Mia through Door Dash today and was extremely disappointed. First time ordering through Door Dash which I will never do again, but I was unimpressed with how Max a Mia handled the situation in which they knowingly had food delivered that was not up to par. The crab dip and prosciutto pizza were both inedible. The crab dip was plopped on top of the pita bread (it should be in a bowl) which left the pita bread soggy and I honestly gagged when taking my first and only bite. Threw in trash. Pizza was also soggy indicative by the dough being mush. Where they went wrong: My order was placed at 1:50 pm with an ETA of 2:51 pm. When 3:10 pm came I called the dasher who explained she was told to deliver at 4 pm. She seemed to have no care in the world, so I called the restaurant. They actually were in communication with the dasher before I called so I didn't have to say much. I expressed that what I did not want was for my food to arrive "stale" because they confirmed it was already made and sitting out. They said that "It isn't their fault a carrier doesn't arrive in time. You should have ordered through Ubereats or GrubHub they're better and Doordash is new." Well you know what, I don't care if its your fault or not. If you don't like the way DoorDash does business, don't work with them. They're a contractor of yours for delivery services and thus an extension and reflection of your business. I appreciate their attempt to fix the situation by warming up my food (AKA, microwave), but in reality they should've made a new batch. From an operational perspective I understand not wanting to waste food, but what about me the customer? You knowingly sent out trash food to me that was sitting there for over an hour. Not to mention, this is $33 worth of food I waited 2 hours for that I ended up throwing in the trash and I was left hungry. I was proactive by reaching out to ensure I wasn't sent bad food and was ignored basically. Never again read more

Our visit was excellent, starting with good service, and continued with great food, including the gamberi and a sausage pizza. Highly recommended. read more

Disappointing dinner this evening. Service was very good but the dinner was not delicious as we have experienced in the past.

I usually love Max a Mia, so that's why I rounded the stars up to three. I often take guests here because I think their food is along some of the best in Avon. Dinner for four last night. The food was delicious, but service was sub par... And as all Yelpers know, service can either make or break a restaurant. I had the trout for my meal, which came with two large pieces of fish. I loved the generous portion! Their table bread always comes with red sauce and roasted garlic... Yum! My issue was with the waitress. We had to ask her for literally everything, including: can we order? Can I have a refill on my water? Can I have sauce with the bread? Can I have the check? She did not once stop by and ask what we needed. Every single time she provided service was because one of us flagged her down. She would also drop things off walk away when we were asking her for something mid sentence. It was a frustrating experience. Then, at the end of the meal, I was told that the name on my Max rewards card had to match the name on the credit card. I don't understand this policy at all. If someone at my table spends money at the restaurant, why shouldn't someone else at the table be able to earn points? This also raised the concern that my Max card doesn't match my own credit card because I had a name change. Anyway, I put both my cards down to see if the policy would actually prevent me from using my own card (since the waitress didn't stop long enough to actually have a conversation about it), and it went through just fine. So in the end, the policy didn't appear to actually be true. read more

Luncheon el fresco on the patio savoured with a treasured couple, 5 stars for ambience, food, and service. While my guests chose sumptuous layers of eggplant lasagna, my grilled Farce Island salmon arrived at perfect temperature, flaky, flavorful, accented with crispy, hot roasted potatoes and wilted greens. Deborah served us attentively, with care! Thank you! read more

Went to Max a Mia for my wife's birthday and, as usual, had a great meal and was treated so well by our server, Ruth. She could give a clinic on hospitality. Very professional and personable. We both had the NY Strip that was cooked perfectly. Our entire dinner was memorable. For dessert we had our favorite, Coconut Cake, and it did not disappoint. Max's continues to earn it's outstanding reputation for service and quality. Our next visit will be sooner rather than later. read more

Ventured out with my sister-in-law and her husband to have a dine in dinner. Place was hopping. We were seated right on time for our 7 p.m. reservation. Andrew was our waiter and although clearly working way too many tables he did his best to ensure we had a great experience - and we largely did thanks to his efforts and those in the kitchen. You have to feel for restaurants today with having been shelved for months and now facing a tight labor market due to conditions way beyond their control. Food was its usual spot on. Gents had a Tito's Martini ($12) and a Hendricks & tonic ($8.50) and were well made and were generous pours. Ladies had a bottle of Chianti Classico d'Albola ($44) and I would highly recommend it as we joined them after our cocktails. With the kitchen being slammed we elected to forego individual appetizers and ordered a Promodoro Pie ($15) which came out fast, hot and delicious - good choice made there. The ladies had Grilled Salmon ($26) and Pollo Grigliato ($22) which had grilled chicken, zucchini noodles, pancetta, peas, & fettucine in a light carbonara sauce (could have used just a little more) and was a big hit. Men both had Penne al Buttero ($22) which never disappoints - see picture - it doesn't lie. With normal staffing, the ditching of the masks and the rest of the protocols, Max-A-Mia will be back to its 5 star perch and we'll be back to enjoy more dinners for sure. read more

Max a Mia - Italian sausage, garlic, calabrian chili flake, peas, tomato cream sauce, grana padano. What is not to like?! - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Baked rigatoni was some of the best I have ever had! And that's saying a lot considering I come from an italian family. Highly recommend! Service was excellent. Will be back! read more

Had dinner here last night for Valentine's Day. Food was amazing! We've eaten in a lot of area restaurants, including some with excellent reputations, but this was as good as it gets around here. Meal started off with delicious bread and roasted garlic. Also a red pepper oil dip. Both were excellent with the bread. Lobster bisque was tasty with a generous amount of lobster. Chicken parm entree was awesome and the cioppino was phenomenal and the scallops and shrimp in that red sauce were just delicious. Two crunchy and mouth watering cannolis completed the perfect meal. Only slight drawbacks were that the ambiance wasn't quite at the same level as the food, and we were seated a little too close to the next couple, especially considering the Covid situation. Some plexiglass between some seats but not all was a bit concerning. Overall an amazing meal, surprisingly affordable prices for high quality food, and we will definitely be back! read more

Max a Mia - Cioppino was amazing! - Italian Near Me - Avon, Connecticut

Nothing special. We live in Glastonbury, were sad when Max Amore closed. Driving through Avon on a Sunday, saw this one and thought it would be similar. Nope. It's a pizza place vibe with expensive prices. No frills. Our pasta was cold. We paid $75 for two people. One glass of wine, two entrees, no dessert or appetizer. Yikes! We were the only ones there, and I can see why. Would not return. read more

Food is sub par. When asked for no salt it somehow comes out extra salty kinda like the staff....