I had never been to Max's before. Being Filipino, I had high expectations. My friend had tried Bicol express at another restaurant and wanted to try it another Filipino restaurant. Unfortunately it didn't meet our expectations and it was overly heavy with the fattiness of the lechon and extremely thick coconut cream sauce. The sinigang tasted off, almost more like they used lime instead of tamarind. The lumpia shanghai didn't taste like other places and more like they used chicken and more veggies or bell peppers. The only thing that tasted like what I'm used to is the daing na bangus and our calamansi drinks. Overall just a disappointing experience because I was really expecting comforting food from "home." Maybe we should have got the chicken and stuck to safe options like pancit. I'm not sure I'll be back given other Filipino options in the city. read more

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Food was delicious but the portions are kind of small compared to other pinoy places. The liempo was a yellow color not sure what it was. It didn't have any weird taste but I wished I know why or what spice they used, maybe turmeric but I would have tasted that. read more

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Visiting some family in Chicago as a Tampa local and our first stop after the airport was Max's Restaurant. The atmosphere is cozy with cute arcade machines to play to win a prize. I read they are famous for their fried chicken and they did not disappoint. Their chicken was superbly crunchy and their crispy pata was also unbelievable. Delicious. We got the Kare Currey which is made of peanut butter, a very unique dish I've never had it was good but not my favorite (just personal preference). Their beef mix was beyond tender and flavorful. The Buko Pandan opened my EYES. SO FLIPPIN YUMMY. Will forever be thinking of this dessert. If you're looking for some amazing Filipino Food check out Max's restaurant . Their service was very friendly and had great amounts of side sauces for your meal which I appreciated. The location is right next to Seafood City which is a very convenient location if you gotta get groceries and you're hungry at the same time lol. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Buko Pandan - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've always walked past this place going to Jollibee, so I finally got the courage to try it. The food was extremely tasty and flavorful! I'm a huge fan of Lechon, and it did not disappoint; the meat was juicy with a crispy skin and had some much flavor. The garlic rice paired well with the lechon, so I highly recommend. The pancit palabok was pretty good, but it needed a more citrus taste. The service was okay. They seemed very monotone when it came to taking our order; however, they were pretty quick with the food and getting boxes for our table. The only issue I had was that they asked if we wanted garlic rice or white rice with the lechon, but I couldn't tell if rice came with the lechon already or if it was an additional cost. We got the garlic rice, and it was about $10 for a large amount. The ambiance is very nice and simple. There's a lot of seating and parking lot, so that's nice to know! read more

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The food is good no question on that. But how come they put the sauce of the Crispy Pata in the take put container. It' a dine in I understand if it's a Take Out.. And there's no chili sorry my husband love spice. When we ask for it they said they out of it. But take not the supermarket is close by (Seafood City). Any how that's all I can say. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

While it is a chain, I used to go to Max's all the time as a kid and kind of remember it being a lot better. Their famous fried chicken was a bit disappointing to be honest. Lumpia was okay. Sisig and bbq skewers were decent. Inflation has definitely hit this one and I felt like I paid more than I wanted for just okay. There are better options popping up throughout Chicago and Chicagoland. Service was good. Ambiance is casual. That's all I got on this one. 'Til next time, cheers! read more

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First time dining in at Max's Restaurant and my family and I came in hungry. We ordered the family meal which came with an order of a whole sized chicken (fried of course), kare-kare, your choice of pancit (we chose bihon), crispy pata. All that was about $100 and for an additional $25, you can get the pork sinigang and halo-halo. Like I said we came hungry so opted for the add-on. Everything was great, felt like I was at my Tita's house for dinner. I haven't had crispy pata in long time so that was a nice little treat. For those that do not know what that it, it's a giant portion of pork deep fried with the skin in tact so it was extra crunchy! The chicken is also good which was deep fried. I love my chicken crunchy. It's seasoned well - my only complaint is that the dark parts of the chicken were a little over cooked where the meat was a little bit dry. The white meat was still nice and tender though. The sinigang and kare kare were good - no complaints there. Halo halo dessert looked beautiful. I'm allergic to red dye so I couldn't fully indulge like I wanted to but the ube ice cream on it was delish! Overall, Max's is a great restaurant to come if you're looking for authentic Filipino cuisine. It's super popular in the homeland, so I am glad they made their home here in Chicago! read more

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I was so disappointed with a couple orders today that I tried so I'm here to tell you not to order sariwa lumpia, sago gulaman, and Chix inasal. The inasal didn't even try to be inasal. Tasted like curry. The lumpia? Where in the Philippines do they make that kind of lumpia? It has I'm not sure labanos? Full of it. Go to IMAS next door, they have way better lumpia. We did enjoy the pata, Kare, bbq. And bangus soup. read more

the chicken tasted like the fries the fries tasted like the rice the rice tasted like the stir fry the stir fry tasted like the sisig the sisig tasted like the halo halo ooo how they done got that down hm. take this as you will. read more

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This place is so good! I thought the sinigang was a little bland for my own liking, but the crispy pata and halo halo were absolutely delicious! I would recommend coming here and also just to have the nostalgia of eating Filipino food. read more

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We ordered kare kare, patatim, Max's chicken, sinigang na baboy, and halo-halo. The service was fast and efficient, but our server wasn't friendly. They didn't check on our table or ask if we needed anything. One other server, who wasn't assigned to our table, came by to see if we needed anything. The ambiance was family-friendly. However, the kare kare tasted watered down. read more

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Went there for lunch on a Sunday. Lots of parking since located in a strategic area of large strip mall lined with Filipino stores, There were many customers but it was not too busy. Wait staff need to be more attentive though; check on its customers, refill water, and provide more napkins. Satisfied my craving for Filipino comfort food. Majority of the dishes we ordered was perfectly seasoned except the BBQ Pork, which was on the sweeter side . Max chicken and Chicharron Bulaklak so crispy!! Will definitely come back!! read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Calamansi Juice - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love Filipino food and while visiting Chicago our friend took us to Max's and it was so good but sooooo much food! I tried fresh lumpia for the first time, had amazing crispy pata with atchara that was my favorite! The kare-kare was very rich and the fermented shrimp paste helped cut the richness. If the sauce. Perfect finish was the ginormous halo-halo. Highly recommend the bundle, but bring a lot of people. We had so much food., we could have feed four more people. read more

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We had an absolute feast when we visited Max's Restaurant Bring your appetite. The drinks will transport you to the tropics. For our drinks, we had the Mango and Calamansi (Philippine Lime). These were actually like slushies, the Calamansi was citrusy but sweet. Both were very refreshing and delicious. We started with the Calamari appetizer, which was fresh, tasty, and more than enough for two. We then ordered the Fiesta Platter (available on weekdays and dine in only). We couldn't believe our eyes at the size of it. It easily feeds 4 or 5. The Fiesta Platter consists of: Crispy Pata Chicken Inasal Inihaw Na Liempo Lumpiang Shanghai Daing Na Bangus Grilled Eggplant Pancit Bihon Garlic Rice Everything is cooked well done and crispy. Just the way we like it. For dessert, we ordered the Halo-Halo, which consists of: Macapuno (Coconut meat) Milk Gulaman (gelatin) Beans Shaved Ice Ube Paste Leche Flan Ube Ice Cream Rice Crispies Jack Fruit Banana You mix up or shake the ingredients before digging in. Such a delicious end to our meal. This could easily feed four as well. Service from our waitress, Jeanna, was excellent. They are right next to Seafood City, so there is plenty of parking. Enjoy a memorable feast of Philipino food at Max's Restaurant read more

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We recently visited Max's Restaurant in Chicago Come hungry. Allow your taste buds to be transported to an exotic land where food is plenty and shared with friends and family To drink, we had the Mango and Calamansi (Philippine Lime). More like slushies, the Calamansi is a traditional Filipino drink and was really delicious We had the Calamari appetizer, large enough for two, it was fresh and tasty. We split the Fiesta Platter (available on weekdays and dine in only). It is huge! Can easily feed 4 or 5 people. It includes the following: Crispy Pata Chicken Inasal Inihaw Na Liempo Lumpiang Shanghai Daing Na Bangus Grilled Eggplant Pancit Bihon Garlic Rice The food was crispy and well done. Make sure to leave room for the Halo-Halo dessert. Don't forget to mix up the ingredients to combine all the flavors. Plenty of parking, the restaurant is right next to the Seafood City Marketplace Really enjoyed some delicious Filipino food at Max's Restaurant on Elston read more

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Delicious Filipino food for a very affordable price. My bf and I shared the half fried chicken, a bbq pork skewer, garlic rice, and the pancit canton. Everything was freshly prepared and we savored every bite. The bbq pork skewer was tender and flavorful and went perfectly with the garlic rice. The skin on the fried chicken was perfectly crispy, and the chicken was juicy and tender. The fries weren't that crispy but they went really well with the banana ketchup which was a unique condiment to try. I loved the pancit canton as well. It was full of vegetables and seafood pieces. I will definitely be back to try the other menu items. Service was prompt and efficient. We did have to wait a bit for the food, but drinks came out quickly. We came here for lunch on a Sunday around 12:30 pm and had to wait for 15 minutes before they sat us. The restaurant has plenty of seating with a lot of booth style dining or tables to sit 4-6 people. Definitely give them a visit next time you're near seafood city. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Pancit Canton - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It is a famous Filipino restaurant, taste here is a little bland than in the Philippines. We had the combo w/ chicken, crispy pata, shanghai, canton, chopseoy. It is good for 4-5 people and really filling. Crispy pata's skin was so crunchy but has a pork smell (bad), the rest were okay but being a Filipino and knowing the food it was okay but not great. The server was nice and the ambiance is a typical pinoy restaurant... plain. I would suggest you try our favorite Lumpia Fresh they make it good. Overall, place to eat if you want pinoy food restaurant style. read more

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Max's is located in a strip mall next door to Seafood City. My girls and I have been to Seafood City numerous times but never stopped in for lunch until today. The hosts were friendly, accommodating, and seated us quickly. We ordered lumpia, lechon kawali, pancit bihon, sinigang na baboy, and kare-kare. I didn't try the pancit or the sinigang, so I cannot comment on those dishes. But my family said it was good. The kare-kare was not too hot nor was it cold when it arrived. My cousin and I agreed that it could have been a bit hotter, but nonetheless, it was good. We all enjoyed the lechon kawali and lumpia. We were too full for dessert. Overall, we enjoyed our lunch and will definitely be back to try their halo-halo! read more

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I heard so much about Max's so I decided to try it. I ordered 2 crispy pata's and 4 pork bbq skewers for Father's Day carry out. Verdict The crispy pata is HUGE! Super crispy, moist, and tender. It did lack a little seasoning but the sauce it came with helped. The pork BBQ skewers were good. Nice char and Smokey flavor. Be cautious as some people may find this on the sweet side. I was good with it though as the sweetness complimented the delicious garlic fried rice. Do I recommend it? Yup! Will I be back? Yup! Welp! Onto the next! read more

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The food from Max's was actually pretty good Filipino food, as my standards are high as my mom is a great cook. Where I give it 3 stars is for portion & price. I took a picture of the Lechon sisig... but for $24 for that portion in the small box, that's a rip off. Like I said, food was great, just not sure it's worth the prices they're charging. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was so disappointed with my experience. I ordered food to go, and it took 45 minutes just to get my order, even though I only ordered three simple dishes: fried chicken, lumpia sariwa, and tofu sisig. The wait time was unreasonable for such a small order, especially for takeout. I was expecting much faster service and better organization. Unfortunately, this experience really let me down. read more

Very tasty phillipino food. Located in the same center with Seafood City and Jollibee. I wish we had one close to me in California. Got a good variety of meats and noodle dishes. Yummy. read more

Ordered the dinuguan and Pinakbet for delivery. Both were really good. Price is on the high side and the dishes don't come with rice. read more

I had a very enjoyable time at Max's. The bbq sticks are exquisite and the garlic fried rice is the absolute best. The bbq sticks are glossy with sauce and each bite has a little kick. Yum! My family informs me the dinuguan is top notch, while the kare kare's broth was a little thin. The palabok was a little watery, but I thought it was delicious. I've had the sago't gulaman twice here. The first time, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately, the second time, the tapioca was hard. So, hit or miss. The restaurant is well lit and very clean. The service was wonderful. Greeted by a very nice host. Our server was also nice and attentive. There's a lot of delicious looking items on the menu that I need to try next time. I'll be back. read more

This restaurant is located right in the same plaza as Seafood City. You walk in and they are speaking to you in Tagalog lol! At least we know the filipinos like this place. We came here on a Saturday and there was about a 30 minute wait for lunch. We were able to order our food before we were seated. We were seated in a party room and it felt like we were intruding in the large groups party. The large party kept looking at us, so it felt a bit uncomfortable. There were multiple tables open in the main dining area, so not sure why were we sat in the party room. We ordered the spring special which included a fried chicken, pancit, sinigang, Lechon Kawali, and a add on of lumpia and a large steamed rice. Fried chicken was good but dry. Sinigang came with fish and was sour which was a nice contrast to the fried and fatty foods of the meal. Lechon Kawali was lacking flavor despite it being pork. Disappointing. Pancit was really tasty and came with bits of shrimp and veggies. Lumpia was definitely the highlight with little morsels fried pork goodness. I might order carry out again, but probably won't come out of my way to come here again. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Dining area - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our group of 11 ate there last weekend. While the food is good, I would rate the service a 2 out of 10. I had never seen a full service restaurant where the waitress placed all the plates, utensils, and 11 glasses of water at one end for the guests to distribute among themselves. This isn't a buffet or a self- service restaurant where people get their own plates, utensils, water and get their own food from the buffet table. As I was seated at the very end, because the plates and water and utensils were all placed in one end where I was sitting at, there barely was any space for a plate left, prompting me to move to another chair. My other family members ended up bringing the glasses of water, the plates and utensils to other family members because the waitress never did. Sorry but that left a bad taste in my mouth. I might have left a 20 % tip but that is just terrible. read more

Ordered my 3-year old son's favorite fried daing na bangus but it's bland (no vinegar taste nor salt). We asked one of the servers named Anna about the taste and she told us that's how they serve it. I said bland?, no vinegar and salt? She said yes that's why we serve vinegar -- crazy !! I asked if they do not marinate ? She said I believe we do but that's how it is served. She said she'll let the kitchen know but never did. Anyway our original server Mhika came and I talked to her so she went to the kitchen and she was told apparently that the marinated ones were sold and the ones served to us was marinated a few hours ago only. She was so kind enough to ask us if we want to order a different food instead and agreed to cancel the bangus because we barely touched it. Well my son never really ate it . I'll give 5 stars to Mhika on this one as this is how an employee should treat their customers. So nice, accommodating and friendly. Mhika served my son an ube ice cream to compensate. She was so apologetic and showed empathy. The other one Anna just left and stayed in another room with some customers and not even followed up with our concern/issue .. not a typical kabayan who cares so much about her customers . To be fair, their chicken is always the best and never fails me. read more

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The workers here is incompetent, I'm sorry I had to say it that way, they said it only take 10 min but they had us waiting for almost an hour for our food. We only got one of our orders, although another food arrived but it was wrong and almost made us pay for it. There's barely any people too because it's downtime after lunch but overall i think the workers could have done better and confirm by repeating what we ordered so that there's no waste of time. And the thing is the people beside us who arrived late got their most of their order first than ours like what???? Make that make sense ?! read more

It's been a long time since I've been to Max's Restaurant in the Philippines, so I wanted to revisit my childhood memories. I also wanted my husband to see and taste a little bit of Manila. Max's didn't disappoint. The food was fantastic! I only wish that the sago't gulaman was bottomless...refillable. I would pay extra for that. I wanted to have a halo-halo dessert, but I was stuffed! Their halo-halo is so big and colorful. I can't wait to go back and try it. I'm going to make sure that I'm super hungry. read more

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The food was so good and tasted authentic. there were 9 of us and we were all able to get stuffed over this meal! The restaurant was warm and welcoming - and it felt like a whole family meal. The only "negative" feedback was the higher price point, but I appreciate having a Max's in the Midwest! read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Halo Halo-Halo Special - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I haven't been here in a few years and I'm glad to see an update on the menu. It looks sleeker. But also, the food was awesome as per usual! I was able to bring two friends who don't get to eat a lot of Filipino food where they're from. So of course, I ordered a lot of Filipino staples! We got bangus sisig, garlic rice, lumpia, lenchon kawali, barbecue, halo halo, and sagot gulaman. 5/5 food as per usual and good service! It got busy so service was slower but it was still great as usual! read more

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I'd give this place five stars with enthusiasm for the food alone. But in terms of experience, I left this place super grouchy. I arrived at 1:45 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2024. The place was busy but not overloaded. A woman who I assume to be the manager was very warm and welcoming and got my set up with another woman who took my order and I paid at 1:50 pm. They told me it would be 30ish minutes so I went grocery shopping next door for 25 minutes before coming back in. I came back in at 2:20 pm. And sat. And waited. The woman at the desk went back twice to inquire what was going on. At one point I was alone in the reception area since everyone else had been seated. At 2:40 pm, after giving me a pack of candies as an apology, I got my food. FIFTY minutes for five dishes plus a side of fries. Come onnnnnnnn. What saved this review was the fact that the food was OUTSTANDING. The fried chicken was so crispy and moist - maybe even perfect - and the lechón kawali was greasy and oily (in the best way). So damned amazing. What blew me away was the garlic rice. Totally unexpected but I could eat that every day of my life. Also got pancit canton and the peanut stew. Please please work on your service, Max's team. Otherwise, no issues! read more

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So Max's is a chain (franchised) with about 15 locations across the US and another 15ish around the world. It kind of looks and feels that way too, it's fairly polished... it's not a Filipino grandmother cooking the food in the back. But it's still pretty good. I adore Filipino food but have only had it a half dozen places so I can't speak to authenticity, but I'm guessing Max's would be less-so because it's a chain. We got a barbecue beef skewer which was delicious and a lot of meat, and a little fatty for my taste, but the fat came off easily. A lot of max's dishes involve pork belly which I've never cared for because it's so fatty. We got dinuguan which was very good. You need to get a side order of rice with it. I've always wanted to try it. If you're adventurous, try it without reading my note at the bottom*** For a dish with exotic ingredients (relative to a typical American palate) it doesn't have a very exotic flavor, smell or texture. We also got pancit bihon - rice noodles with some vegetables and meat. It could have used more flavor, it was kind of boring but certainly better than Jollibee pancit. I added some brown sauce they have on the table to give it more flavor. *** dinuguan is blood stew with meat, some of which was organ meat. I don't think there was any intestine, which is where I personally draw the line. read more

My dad and I hung out and had a father and son foodie day at Max's Restaurant. The restaurant had friendly staff members and good service. My dad and I ordered Max's Half Chicken with a side of fries, Lumpiang Shanghai with a Banana Ketchup mini cup included, and Garlic Fried Rice. The Lumpiang Shanghai were rolled in small pieces and had unique textures and flavors to it. From the crunch of the outside fried wrapping to the soft meat and condiments inside the roll... from a subtle sweetness to a meaty taste in my mouth after biting and munching all of the flavors into one. The Garlic Rice tasted delicious with the right amount of seasoning. Max's Half Chicken was moist inside of the meat and dipping it into the Banana Ketchup gave the chicken a sweet and tangy kick to every bite. Out of all of the food menu items, I thoroughly enjoyed the Lumpiang Shanghai and it was my favorite food item I consumed. read more

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Haven't been to Max's since the Philippines! Had to try it now that they've got one here in town. We ordered a bunch of things to share: the classic fried chicken, some sort of soup, pancit, lechón kawali, and calamansi juice. So so good! The fried chicken is their own take. It's not breaded and as greasy as we cook it Im the States. It's still very flavorful and has some crunch! Everything was good. The pancit (noodles) were just okay. There were some items on the menu that had sold out because they're ever popular. Honestly, I'd try any and everything off the menu. Lots of stuff looked good! We came on a Friday night and guess what?! Wasn't even busy. There were a few groups here and there but it never got that slammed. It was also the weekend Chicago opened up 100%, so I'll bet people were at the bars or at the game in Wrigley field. Our server looked young as did the other staff. Sheesh! I'm getting old! They did a good job though and were attentive as they could be since they were overseeing many tables at once. read more

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We picked up a whole chicken to go today. It was pretty good! Even with the time between them cooking it to us eating it at home about 40 min later, the skin was still pretty crispy and the meat still tasted so good. We also ordered kare kare, my mom asked for extra veggies, and I think she paired extra for it- but there was barely any veggies in it! Nevertheless, it still tasted good! There were a ton of people waiting to be seated when we ordered. Seems like a popular spot for lunch! The tables aren't spaced out to socially distance. The staff was nice and helpful! read more

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I love their food. It is delicious. The place is clean and well-maintained. Their service is attentive. There something for everyone even if you have not tried Filipino food. I strongly recommend this restaurant. read more

Ate there with a large group of friends, every meal served was so good. It was like eating home-cooked meals away from home. The dinuguan was to my liking, same with the chicharon bulaklak. The pakbet was good as well as the kare-kare. everything they served that time was great ! and of course the gigantic Halo-Halo ! who doesn't love that ? read more

I love Filipino food and I love fried chicken. Unfortunately it all depends on what you get here. Service was okay. We walked in and our host made it seem like we were unwelcomed and that we had something wrong for trying to get a seat for 3. Their personal belongings are right behind the desk on the back wall and there were some vapes charging. It's not that bad but kind of unprofessional and gives off a weird vibe when you're just getting acclimated to the setting. I saw that the sign is what made them popular since they began years ago so I thought I'd give it a try. I was disappointed. It was a bit dry and under seasoned. I preferred the handful of French fries that come on the side over that main course. The bulalo on the other hand helped save my enjoyment at the restaurant. Generous portions of beef, flavorful broth that pairs well with the steamed rice, and sliced bok choy that add texture. Overall I'd probably get a better deal from the restaurants inside Seafood City or Jollibee. Food: 3/5 Service 3/5 Atmosphere 3/5 Room for improvement: can be done a little bit in every area read more

They're celebrating their 75th year this 2020. I forgot the picture of Max's friend chicken which they were originally known for. The skin was the best part besides the soft moist chicken meat that complemented well with their ketchup. I recommend all the foods in the pics I provided but there are more items in the menu like sisig which is a great Filipino dish too. They all were masks, the servers were super friendly and nice (they even took a picture of us). They won't hurry you up when eating even when the line starts getting long. It's a great place for group and family meals too. read more

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