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    Max's Es-Ca

    4.1 (248 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Bars
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Max's Es-Ca Photos

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    MAX'S ES-CA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Max's Es-Ca

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    Pecan pie
    Anna C.

    The Max's Es-Ca experience was really more than I expected! My husband made reservations for my birthday/date night! The parking lot was packed but they have valet! We started with drinks- I had a cucumber mint martini OMG so freaking good and refreshing! Appetizers I had little neck clams on the half shell! So fresh, yum My husband had the burrata salad so good! For entrees we had zuppe de pesce, and I had the pan seared tuna! Everything was expertly prepared! Our waiter Gregory was so sweet and attentive! The service was impeccable and I cannot wait to go back!!!!!

    Jumbo lump crabmeat cocktail & lobster cocktail
    Matthew C.

    My ideal night here is eating dinner at the bar with Johnny, the bartender, serving us our food. He gives off such great energy and always remembers our drink orders even if we don't come back for a few months. Special thanks to him for always making my experience here a good one. The food is really good! They have a fairly large menu, so you definitely have options. The tomahawk for 2 was delicious, but sliced a bit too thin in my opinion. I really have never had a bad experience or meal here....It's always been pretty consistent for me. I recommend making a reservation because it's always so crowded.

    Beef Wellington
    Vadim B.

    Amazing food and great attentive service! We visited Max's Es-ca in Aug 2022 to celebrate a family event. We were absolutely impressed by the quality of food and service! Every dish we tried was delicious and was served exactly as ordered and at the right time. The place is quite expensive but it is certainly worth it! Appetizers: Tuna Tartare - it was so perfect that we finished it in no time and ordered one more. Burrata Mozzarella - soft and delicious. Fried Calamari - good as it's supposed to be. Mesclun Salad - such a great combo of greens, goat cheese, walnuts, and other ingredients that we ordered a second one. Mains: Beef Wellington - few of us ordered it and we all loved it! Soft, tender, perfectly cooked to order beef in a fresh fluffy pastry, complimented with a bed of extra smooth mashed potatoes and some creamy sauce underneath! Yummy! It was just hands down delicious and the best dish of the night! Rack of Lamb - the meat was so tender that it was melting in the mouth! Though no doubt the dish was overall delicious I would however suggest adding a bit more color with some spices or herbs. Also, the breadcrumbs crust had a very subtle oily taste note which it would be better without. Montreal Crusted NY Strip Steak - the steak was juicy and cooked exactly as ordered. My son gave it 5 stars :) Desserts: Pecan pie, Tiramisu, Fried Ice Cream - all great and delicious. We highly recommend this restaurant. It's outstanding!

    Tuna tartare
    Sam C.

    The ambiance in this restaurant is very welcoming. The service by Johnny is awesome. The food is very well prepared and delicious.

    Medium steak, mashed potatoes, and veggies.
    Sarah R.

    Great place to dine if you're in Staten Island. Appetizers were varied and plentiful, penne alla vodka was delicious, and the main course was excellent!

    Amazing jumbo shrimp cocktail.
    Joseph C.

    Food is always great. The service is top notch and attentive. The ambiance is soothing and enhances the dining experience. You cannot go wrong at Max's Es-Ca.

    cucumber mint!
    Steph W.

    I decided to take my mom out to dinner so we stopped by Max. this place has a great vibe. no music (or so low you cant hear it) but its obeisance is amazing. the bartender and cooks are great. Christina is the best!! she gave us great service and offered her opinion. ill definitely return for lunch

    Seafood linguini

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    9 months ago

    My sons & I went for New Years for the first time and The food was delicious & ambience was fun. The staff was also pleasant.

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    3 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Order delivery and the best fried shrimp, shrimp parmigiana, raw oysters and esca burger.

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    10 months ago

    Food is ALWAYS top notch, as is the service. Fun, lively atmosphere as well. The go-to Italian restaurant on Staten Island

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Love this place. Me and my friends were there a few days ago and had a great time. Would definitely go back

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    2 years ago

    Great food , service , Atmosphere, always a great time and place for dinner , the service was great,

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very Disappointed with the food and the service, will not give this place my time and money again

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    3 years ago

    We live relatively nearby and love this place! The tiki bar in the yard is lots of fun and the food is always on point.

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    Ask the Community - Max's Es-Ca

    What does "Es-Ca" mean?

    Ho , so the es-ca. Was just a combination of last names. In italian the word esca means fish bait

    Does the outdoor dining have any heated lamps?

    Yes they do.

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    Del Porto Ristorante

    Del Porto Ristorante

    4.7
    (186 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    This is one of my favorite places! The restaurant is very…read morewell decorated and has a real classy Italian modern vibe (with an incredible outdoor area in the summer). Staff is very professional and friendly, always making sure everyone is having a good time. Honestly, all the food is great here but some of my favorites are definitely the carpaccio and calamari appetizer (the calamari is the BEST I ever had, hands down) and their coffee panacota for dessert is also out of this world, just amazing! If you are a bread lover just know they make their own bread in house. 5 stars always!

    I went here for lunch today with my husband and brother-in-law. The ambiance outside was very nice…read more It reminded me of the islands. The food, however, is another story. For appetizers, we got zucchini chips, fried calamari and mussels. The calamari was fried too hard and it had a very salty, spicy Chilean type sauce over it. The zucchini chips were thinly sliced, lightly battered with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over them. They were decent but nothing to write home about. In fact, after having about six or seven of the zucchini chips I began to experience heartburn from the grease. For entrees, my husband had the chicken parm. He said it was too thick and should have been flattened more before frying. It was also very breaded. My brother-in-law ordered the chicken and waffles and he said the chicken tasted day old so after having a bite of one piece of the chicken he pushed the chicken aside and called it a day. I called the waiter over and informed him about the chicken tasting day old. He didn't try to change it out or take it off the bill or get a manager. He just apologized by saying I'm sorry. My crab Mac and Cheese was decent. It wasn't seasoned the way I would have liked but the huge, plentiful chunks of crab made up for that. I ate a third of my dish and packed the rest for home where I will doctor it up to my taste. I've never been to this particular restaurant before. The only reason we came today is because my brother-in-law was here on business and staying at a hotel in the area.

    Photos
    Lychee martini
    Lychee martini
    Fried Calamari
    Fried Calamari
    Del Porto Ristorante

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    Mansion Restaurant

    Mansion Restaurant

    4.2
    (32 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    This restaurant is truly underrated and deserves far more recognition. We chose it to celebrate my…read moreparents' 50th wedding anniversary, and it could not have been more perfect. The space itself is beautiful, warm, and inviting, and the staff was absolutely amazing attentive, kind, and genuinely invested in making the night special from start to finish. The chef and owners were incredibly accommodating, which made such a meaningful celebration feel effortless. We had a banquet-style, family-style feast, and the food was nothing short of impeccable. The spread was abundant and thoughtfully prepared: assorted cold cuts, shrimp, seafood salads, fresh vegetables and salads, tuna tartare, potatoes with mushrooms, crepes filled with chicken and mushrooms, skirt steak, lamb chops and so much more. Every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. There was truly an abundance of food, and every bite was delicious. We even danced my parents hired a DJ and the atmosphere was filled with joy, love, and celebration. It was one of those nights you don't forget. A wonderful experience all around. Exceptional food, exceptional people, and a perfect place to celebrate something special. Highly, highly recommend.

    I've been eyeing this restaurant for a while, and today was finally the perfect occasion--Father's…read moreDay! We made an early reservation and were greeted with a warm welcome. We chose to dine on the first floor, which has a chic, elegant vibe with beautiful décor and a relaxing ambiance. There was a special set menu for the day, and the selections did not disappoint. I had the Burrata Salad followed by the Branzino--both were fresh and flavorful, and the portions were huge! I couldn't even make a dent in my main dish. My husband enjoyed the crepes and the seafood linguine, and he was just as impressed. The kids' menu was a cute touch, especially with the clever dish names. When I asked my 10-year-old what she was having and she replied, "I don't care," I was caught off guard--until I looked at the menu and saw that "I Don't Care" was actually the name of the mac and cheese! So creative and fun. Drinks were great too--strong and satisfying for my husband, and I was happy to see a solid mocktail selection for non-drinkers like me. The only downside? There were only two dessert options available. I was hoping for a bit more variety, especially since everything else exceeded expectations. Overall, it's a 10/10 experience, and I absolutely can't wait to go back!

    Photos
    Mansion Restaurant
    Mansion Restaurant
    Mansion Restaurant

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    Enoteca Maria

    Enoteca Maria

    4.2
    (546 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$$

    I came here shocked to see that this place wasn't all 5 stars, and saw a lot of the bad reviews…read morewere about getting a reservation. I'll start off with that I was able to get one, and I am so glad I did. Theres a warmth of nonnas that's made this one of the most unique dining experiences out there. You can feel the love of nonnas cooking in each dish and the joy it brings them. They have a rotating selection of Nonnas along with their classic Italian menu. The Italian menu had food I've never really had before, all executed so well. I had an entire lambs head (not for the weak), so I got to eat cheek, eye, brain, etc. nonna maria had to come teach us out to cook it but it was a fascinating dish. The rabbit was also fall off the bone which I was just so pleasantly surprised by. It came with potatoes and carrots so it just felt so homey. Nonna Elizabeth was Puerto Rico was the featured chef and she made salted cod fritters, which at first, I was like it sounds interesting, but it was so well seasoned I ended up loving it. Got a pork and rice dish also, and the rice was so fascinating. It had olives in it and the pork was well seasoned. They really make you feel valued and that you're in nonnas kitchen. Everytime you go, you're going to get a different experience with the featured Nonna. For real, try this.

    after hearing all the hype and rave had to check this out for myself and took my foodie friend with…read moreme we hadnt watched the netflix movie but we heard all about it and even heard of this restaurant prior to the netflix hype we came in hungry so got to ordering immediately- it was so cute because the nonna from peru was walking around greeting all the tables and being sooo friendly and kind it made my heart warm and melt. she gave us hugs and made cute jokes. we ordered the burrata and dip to start which were pretty good but id not write off anything special entrees we did lasagna and the lamb head. to be honest we were expecting a lamb shank which was totally on us because we got the head and navigating eating that was a fun little struggle. but overall the food was good, the lasagna really hit the authentic italian notes def recommend given how cool of an experience it is

    Photos
    Bar with Joe (the owner) in the background
    Bar with Joe (the owner) in the background
    Banana Pudding
    Banana Pudding
    Meatballs

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    Meatballs
    Patrizia's of Staten Island

    Patrizia's of Staten Island

    4.1
    (835 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$$

    The food and hospitality at Patrizia's of Brooklyn is by far one of the best in all of Staten…read moreIsland. All of the staff were always friendly and welcoming! Mario consistently took care of my family and I every time that we come here; his friendly, warm, and attentive service is reflective of what exemplary service looks like! Our favorite appetizers are the blackened scallops and octopus carpaccio; the scallops were ALWAYS cooked to perfection where it's both extremely tender and flavorful! The sausage and pepper hero was also extremely delicious, where the sausage is not overly salty but still flavorful and paired perfectly with its tangy and savory sauce! The mushroom truffle pasta is our favorite, including our little toddler who is usually a very picky eater; its creamy but not overly rich, and very savory with perfectly cut mushrooms that's not too thin and provides the perfect bite! What can elevate the dish even more if they gave just a bit more pasta so there's more to enjoy! The pizzas were also perfectly crisp on the exterior and very enjoyable, where the pepperoni was also crisped to perfection! Overall, we have not yet encountered any disappointed dishes just yet, so I highly recommend coming to Patrizia's of Brooklyn for a fun and delicious experience! Thank you for reading and best of luck! (:

    the place was so loud and OVERCROWDED - too many parties going on at once…read more The service was "ok" there were multiple waiters we didn't even know who our waiter was ! Food kept coming to the table that wasn't even ours. We were there to celebrate a birthday the water said " don't worry I'll take care of you without asking what we wanted for dessert- He came over with a platter of leftover hard overcooked zepoles ( if that's what they were ) and 2 SMALL pieces of horrible cake that didn't even serve the amount in our party. As far as the food goes .... I would have rather ordered dominos PLUS - the no personality hostess should find another job - maybe in a back office dealing with paper work and NOT with the public WILL NOT be back ...

    Photos
    Patrizia's of Staten Island
    Eggplant
    Eggplant
    Burrata All Amalfitana. Delicious!

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    Burrata All Amalfitana. Delicious!
    ‘O Sfizio Ristorante

    ‘O Sfizio Ristorante

    4.4
    (91 reviews)
    5.3 mi

    First time trying Osfizio's for lunch and straight away you know you are going to have a wonderful…read moredining experience. Gennaro, the restaurant's manager, was extremely welcoming as soon as we walked in. Very warm, personable and attentive throughout the whole lunch. The food was excellent, including the delicious toasted bread sprinkled with grated cheese. The place is in the middle of a beautiful residential area and close to the water. One wall in the restaurant is covered with wallpaper that is a replica of Genaro's Nonna's home in Naples. The trip from Queens was well worth it and I will definitely be back!

    So , I have passed osfizio for a while now. We thought maybe it was a good idea to finally try it…read moreout. In the past it was a bagel store. The outside pretty much looks the same . We looked for a spot. it's extremely hard to find parking in this area.. there is a small lot but seems like it gets filled quickly. We didn't have reservations but it was rather early and didn't think it would be hard to get a table. We walked in and a cute older man was energetically running around waiting tables and making drinks. I think he was the owner. He was funny and super nice. He seated us. There was two super large parties in the restaurant. They were loud and tbh obnoxious! We looked at the menu and we settled on some light options. Fried calamari 19 , a salad( Pera ) Bibb lettuce with Gorgonzola, candied walnuts , poached pears in a balsamic glaze 18 we added salmon and a meatball pie 21. Tiramisu So let me break it down for you. We had hot bread with a beautifully seasoned tomato sauce. It was really amazing! It really set the tone for the meal. The fried calamari was really good. Crunchy, fresh and not dripping in oil. Lightly seasoned and the sauce was perfect with the calamari. The only thing the portion was small for the price! The pizza came out and again this pizza was like a personal pizza again the price is off . I wasn't impressed with the cheese they used. It didn't seem like fresh mozzarella. First impression there was way too much sauce the crust was like a wafer. Super thin! I wasn't impressed. I took a bite and the sauce tasted raw ! Like not cooked. Had an unpleasant taste. I actually got a little nauseated. Moving on we order the Pera salad and wanted to top it with salmon. We expected a full salad and salmon right on top. It might have been our fault for not asking the price for the salmon but that's what we wanted. Anyway our salad comes and literally it's a side salad with a 3 or 4 oz portion of salmon. Super small. We couldn't believe it. We were still hungry so we order a tiramisu. It was light, fresh and just a simple dessert. This place is by far not a date place. It's loud and somewhat chaotic. You def can tell the owner is busting his ass. It's really unfortunate The food is not consistent with taste, flavor and consistency . Which is a shame. The price point of the food is way too expensive for a place on Staten Island! Speaking of price we get the bill and the price for two side salads and a small piece of salmon each 80 F'ING DOLLARS!! The guy literally ripped us off ! We pay the bill as we both shake our heads and walk out and the owner goes " hey make sure you tell 5 friends to come visit" yea sure and get ripped I would have loved to say! Patrons be aware!

    Photos
    Love this place and staff!!!
    Love this place and staff!!!
    Tiramisu
    Tiramisu
    Our table setting!

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    Our table setting!

    Max's Es-Ca - italian - Updated June 2026

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