Honestly, I was really excited to try this place because I heard lots of good things from some locals. But when my friends came to visit me this past weekend, we were so disappointed. How is this place 4.5 stars? Sure, the prices are pretty affordable for what they try to offer you. But you're really paying for what you get and there is no benefit to it. First, the ambiance of the restaurant needs a make-over. They try to be classy, but some of the decor is just outdated and doesn't mesh well. Secondly, the food is mediocore. I brought 4 other foodie friends after a long day of wine tasting in Carmel... and we were all disappointed. My friend took 2 bites out of her steak and didn't even touch the rest b/c it was just unflavorful. She said it was the worst steak she's had. It was cooked perfectly - medium rare, but NO flavor what so ever... and sure enough when I had her leftovers, I had to add my own seasoning to it. I got the pre-fixe menu with the crab cakes, pot roast and a glass of wine. The crab cakes were decent, but the pot roast was also flavorless and slightly undercooked. My other friend got the pre-fixe with the sanddabs -which we learned are tasteless fish... so no need to comment further on the dish. The dessert was good, but not amazing. Another friend got lamb shank, which was just ok... but it was $18 so you pretty much get what you pay for. Overall, I think this place tries to be gourmet/ affordable fine-dining for decent pricing, but unfortunately the food is no where near gourmet/fine-dining status and neither is the restaurant. Maybe they had an off-day and slow service, but I would not recommend this place to any of my friends. So sad, because I really wanted to like this place. read more

Armed only with my trusty Mobile Yelp app I ventured to Pacific Grove on a Sunday evening with wife and teens. No reservations, no clear desires we just parked and pressed "Search". Even on a Sunday many of the restaurants here are booked up, I knew I should have made reservations but I convince my family that the hunt for a table is part of my master plan. I think they didn't buy it but the night is warm and the teens aren't getting mean yet. Find Max's Grill, good yelp reviews and a table. Perfect. The place is quite basic,small store front, room divided into two, porcelain tile. pictures from Target but very clean, white table cloths and a very nice greeting. It is a family run place, wife out front and hubby chef in the back.There is a good menu with fish, steaks, and much more. We order Tuna Rolls, Sand Dabs to start. Both excellent, the Dabs were very light, cooked in breadcrumbs and the perfect size of appetizer. we were also given fresh baked bread with oil and vinegar. Kids ordered a Steak and a chicken pasta dish, again fresh produce and top notch. I took the lamb shank which literally fell of the bone, delicious with roasted potatoes and fresh veggies, wifey overdid it on the tuna rolls and just had the soup of the day which was a delightful mushroom bisque style. Wrapped up with a very fluffy and delicious chocolate spongy dessert. Because everything is cooked freshly for you by the owner the service is relaxed, NOT disappointing but not a place if you are rushed. The servers here are very responsive, sodas and waters refilled regularly. Chilean Chardonnay surprisingly excellent. They also offer Prix Fixe for about $25 bucks, good deal. Off the tourist track a little bit but well worth a visit. read more

Based on reviews, I really wanted to like Max's Grill especially because they offered a prix fix dinner for $25. The shrimp spring roll lived up to expectations and was crisp and delicious. For my entree I selected the sautéed sand dabs, because Yelp photos looked great. The dish was okay but the fish was too undercooked for my personal preference. It wasn't bad, just not as good as I had expected. The dessert I chose was the creme brûlée which was served cold, not warm which is my preference. Add slow service and I don't think I would be back very soon. read more

Max's Grill - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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At around 8pm after a long day, my boyfriend and I decided we should probably get dinner before everything closes. We turned to Yelp for reviews because we weren't familiar with the Monterey/Pacific Grove area. I must say we were REALLY glad we picked Max's out of all the other choices we had. Reason? The food was AMAZING. The decor was ROMANTIC. The service was FANTASTIC. What else do you look for in a restaurant? Food: Because the food was A BIT on the pricey side, I couldn't bring myself to order an entree plus appetizer so I only ordered an appetizer to go with my boyfriend's entree. He had ordered the Chicken Alfredo pasta and I had ordered the Tempura Sand Dabs. Both were so good. The tempura batter was cooked to perfection and the sand dabs were soft and flavorful. My boyfriend's pasta was delicious as well. Probably one of the best pasta I've ever had.. Decor: Such a cute little restaurant with dim lighting and candles on every table. White table cloth and Christmas lights around the restaurant. Service: Although there was only one waiter, he attended to every table with care. He was also extremely friendly and nice. To start off for us, he joked with me about how I was eyeing another table's dish and explained that it was actually one of the best dishes and how he would actually recommend it. He then answered each question we had with confidence. He'd stop by occasionally to ask how the food was and if we needed anything and to fill up our cups. Around closing, we heard him ask the other table if he wanted to take the potatoes that came with his entree, indicating that he really wants you to take them and to not feel stingy for taking them :P My boyfriend and I both agree that he was the best waiter we've EVER had. I woke up the next morning craving Max's Grill. read more

This place is amazing. Very rare to find food this good at these prices. The chief is a graduate of the legendary cordun bleu culinary school in France. Meal was epic read more

YES, YES, YES!!!! This place has it all; warm, friendly and informative staff, sweet and simple interior, and phenomenal food. The menu is an eclectic mix of options with a leaning toward Italian. We had the shrimp spring roll to start. It came out piping hot and crispy. The flavorful filling had lots of shrimp and a perfect balance of flavors. My daughter had the Chicken Alfredo and she said it was exactly what she was hoping for when she ordered Chicken Alfredo. I ordered the grilled san dabs. They were perfectly cooked and the lemon, butter, caper sauce was beautiful. I couldn't finish the whole dish, and though there wasn't much left when I was done, I took it home becuase I know I'll savor it tomorrow. It was that good! We took dessert to go; pineapple moose and creme brûlée. They look beautiful, but I can't review them yet because I'm still full from the amazing meal. Thank you Team Max's Grill! read more

Food was good. Not great. I would go again if someone wanted to go, but wouldn't be my choice if I was choosing. read more

Food and service were wonderful. Started out with the spring rolls. Very nice. I had the ravioli with sweet potato filling husband had short ribs Both beautifully made. It was right down the street from where we were staying. read more

After reading the reviews, we thought this would be the perfect place - small, quiet, good food. We ordered the prix fixe. My husband got the chicken and I got the sand dabs. My food was cold when it arrived. My husband's was bland and dry. The service was awful. It is possible we ordered the wrong thing, but despite the choices food can arrive hot and the service can be better. Spend your money some place else. read more

I'm honestly really confused about all the great ratings for this restaurant. My boyfriend and I went here a few days ago and I am still at a loss for words. I genuinely wanted to like this restaurant because the lady seemed so sweet. The menu had a mix if Japanese and Italian. We got an order of spring rolls which were definitely not spring rolls just shrimp wrapped in spring roll wrappers and deep fried. Which by the way were kind of burnt. It didnt have anything special about the flavoring. At least not for a restaurant that is consistently rated 4 stars on here. My boyfriend ordered the Rib Eye Steak and I ordered the Cioppino. Being by the ocean I made the assumption that it would taste fresh. Again, i was wrong. There was nothing special about the Cioppino and the shrimp and scallops tasted like they were once frozen. My boyfriend wasn't very impressed with his steak either. From what I saw, it looked like a boring steak. Dessert? No thank you. We were disappointed enough. I'm still very confused on what people were thinking when they said this place was good.... We could've cooked a better dinner ourselves... The only good thing about this place was the sweet lady who works there, but that's not enough to have a good restaurant. read more

This place is absolutely great, the food is so flavorful and the woman who owns this place is so great. I will be back and often.

Couldn't have been happier! Shrimp Spring Rolls and Crab Cake were excellent appetizers for the three of us. Evening special of Petrale Sole and Mushroom Brie Raviolis got raves! Finished off the evening with Mango Mousse and coffee. Highly Recommend! Could use a couple ceiling fans to circulate the air as it was a bit warm inside, but food was well worth the visit. read more

Bad !!! Really bad experience We had a reservation for 7.15, had our plates at 8.20 and were out at 8.39 ( check included) ! We waited one hour to get our meal. The marinara sauce in the kid menu was from the can, sad... The tuna was overcooked. The sauce of the otherwise good mushroom ravioli was tasteless. The lamb shank was so so ( the sauce was a bit on the thin side). Waiting so long for such a disappointing meal was too much ! read more

Great little gem of a cafe, more restaurant, less grill. I got take out, but come back for a sit down dinner next time. Mushroom soup was amazing - flavorful and rich. Crispy shrimp rolls - so good, just the right amount of tempura batter and nice dipping sauce. Main courses were the perfectly done roasted butternut squash ravioli, which had more flavor than I expected, and the light and tasty sand dabs with a buerre blanc sauce and capers. The staff even threw in some steamed veggies for free, since I didn't order any. Had a glass of house Chardonnay while waiting - good choice like everything else. I'd take a 1/2 star away because they were hard to find when it got dark. Plus, the area was nearly devoid of people, and the restaurant was almost empty, even on a Sunday night during dining hours. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Pacific Grove. The food has always been excellent and the service exquisite. My son has traveled all over the world and he truly enjoyed eating here. read more

Great place to have rack of lamb French onion soup wonderful service . Easy parking around the back

Funny how this place is listed under Japanese and French . .for all the times I've been here I never described it that way. I usually just say "this is the best place in Pacific Grove". Pacific Grove is a tourist town but I had the pleasure of living there for 2 years and, while the living is easy, the eating can be tough. Basically we have really expensive but just OK restaraunts for tourists and small cafes and shops (some of which are very good). Max's Grill is THE place to go for a sit-down meal if you are a local. Save Fandango's for when your folks come to visit and take your dates to Max's Grill. Everything I've had here was great . . if they have the Sanddabs when you come you should try them for a light, flaky, very non-fishy fish meal! read more

Simple interior, you enter into divided room and wait for hostess. Or you grab first person who walks by and get seated almost immediately. (Personal peeve here ( I read how some of you are passed when the hostess or server doesn't rush to you and wait patiently till. You are noticed). Grow a SET! Get the attention of someone instead of whining about service). Ok peeve over. Had the Mushroom Ravioli to start, good choice. Pasta was excellent, shrooms were full of flavor. Soaked up sauce with bread, mistake for my tummy as a bit oily. This isn't criticism, just warning. If your tummy is like mine. Second appetizer , tempura battered Sand Dabs. Not. Tempura fan, ordered for mt dining companion, so will refrain, aw hell the batter overhead the delicate flavor of these mild fish. Prefer mine lightly grilled. Cioppino, excellent prep, great broth, tomato-onion "relish" was great addition to fresh seafood. Waiter was attentive without hovering. I had a Coppola Chardonnay (split) that was just fine for meal. Wasn't expecting million dollar wine list, so not disappointed. Interesting place, Chef is meticulous in prep & ingredients. 4 Star is warranted as meal was excellent. read more

I would visit this restaurant again if going back to that area. The food and service are all A level. The lamb shank is delicious! read more

For about the price you would spend at a lot of other restaurants in the area, you can have a fine upscale meal served in an intimate atmosphere. While we were there, an older gentleman, and apparent regular patron of the restaurant, tore a corner sheet of paper from the table cover and proceeded to make my daughter a Paper Crane with 8" wing span, and wings that actually moved so that she looked like she was flying! My 7 year old went for the pasta, which was served with grilled asparagus on top. She doesn't really eat "green things", but when we told her "Max thinks you are old enough to enjoy your vegetables...", she did eat them and said "They tasted good!". So, Max's is that sort of place. Go there, or miss out! read more

We had a very enjoyable experience dining at Max's recently. We got to the restaurant at 8:30pm and the place at that point was almost empty. It was actually pretty nice having nearly the whole place to ourselves. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive, and was able to answer all of our questions about the menu. I got the prix fixe for $25, which is an absolute steal. I chose the dungeness crab cake for my starter, and both my husband and I thought it was divine. The quality of the crab was top notch, and the flavors the chef chose to incorporate worked so beautifully together. I got the fish of the day as my entree, and it was mahi mahi with a silky pesto sauce, and rattatouille. It was amazing! The fish was fresh, perfectly cooked and very flavorful. My husband had the sand dabs which was also extremely good and was a local fish, so you know it's fresh. There was only one option for dessert with the prix fixe, and that was a rasberry mousse. I'm not a huge mousse fan, so I didn't love it, but I will say it had a great rasberry flavor. This restaurant has great food, great service, is not overcrowded or overpriced. Also, for a restaurant of this caliber, the portion sizes were actually really good. Will definitely come back here if I'm in the area in the future. read more

This is a very nice, family-run business. The service was great. Our waiter was a very attentive Japanese lady. The food was delicious. They have a sunset special from 5 to 6 p.m. which provides a choice of select entrees for $16.95. My party of three ordered the sand-dabs which is one of the Sunset Specials entrees. We also ordered the Prix Fixe special for $25 which included a salad, an entree (we chose the calamari steak) and a desert (we chose the chocolate mousse cake). We also had the cioppino soup, the dungeness crab cakes, and the Hawaiian mango mouse cake. The total cost for all this and the tax was about $95. We will definitely visit again when we are in the area. read more

Greta place. The owner was very nice and apologized when we had to wait for a while for our food due to a backed up kitchen. The sand dabs were awesome and the salmon awesome. read more

I see what others have mentioned about the rude Asian woman who runs the place. She refused to wait on my coworker and I after being seated in a nearly empty dining room on a week night. We waited patiently and quietly for 15 minutes after watching the one waiter pass over us while refusing to make eye contact. Eventually she came by and removed the silverware from our table so we took the hint and left. Bizarre experience. Drove to downtown Monterey, got dinner and spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out what unspoken rule we broke! read more

My husband and I moved to PG a few months ago and have been anxious to try Max's but just haven't gotten around to it. We hurried to Max's last Friday night to get there in time for the Sunset Menu (5-6 pm daily), which includes salad or soup and an entree for $14.95. Happily, it turned out to be worth the rush! I had a mixed greens salad with a yummy roasted portabella vinaigrette and my husband chose the soup of the day, a pumpkin-tomato bisque, which was very good. For my entree I had the calamari steak, which is breaded and served with a butter caper sauce, saffron rice and steamed veggies. Deliciousness! My husband had the butternut squash ravioli with tomato butter sauce and I had to talk him out of licking the plate. For dessert, we shared the pistachio-hazelnut mousse cake with raspberry sauce. One bite and I no longer wanted to share. The restaurant is very quaint and elegant, the service courteous and professional, and the food was simply delish. We'll be back! read more

We tried three different entries and ordered the Brie and mushroom ravioli as a starter. The filet mignon (the special) was excellent! My wife enjoyed the duck and our son says the lamb shank was delicious and tender. I have to compliment the Ravioli though. After having the ravioli for a starter, I was ready to change my order to make it a meal! A hearty delicious blend of flavors. read more

My wife and I dined at Max's last evening. We got to the restaurant early as we were looking for an early evening. Yuko, our hostess greeted us at the door (we were the only ones in the restaurant), with a very warm and friendly face. She presented all of the specials and possibilities for prix fixe meals. We chose the 3-course prix fixe which came with a starter, entree and dessert. Very reasonable price! My wife chose a delicious mushroom purée soup (thick and savory, delicious), and I chose a baby spinach, walnut, strawberry with vinaigrette dressing (also delicious). Main entrees included a tasty grilled sand dabs in a cream sauce, with carrots, broccoli, and roasted potatoes, and chicken piccata with the same sides. Both dishes were tasty, tender and delicious. Dessert was a perfect creme brûlée. We will definitely come back to Max's again! read more

A really nice find. The name is misleading, the menu isn't grill-centric. It's actually a sophisticated high cuisine menu at a relatively modest price. I say "relatively modest" because there isn't much in the area that is cheap. I sense that the chef wants to run a French-Asian fusion restaurant but because of customer demand and seafood sourcing in the area he's gone with a general European-Asian cuisine. Ergo, cioppino is on the menu. I love cioppino and so tried it out. The ingredients were fresh and plentiful but it wasn't in the style of the big bowl soup cioppino stuffed with seafood a la Moneterey Fish House or Moss Landing's Phil's Fish Market. Instead it is more of a deep plate cioppino with a sweat taste to the broth. I really enjoyed it but wouldn't be able to eat any more than they served because of the sweetness. Highly recommend the crab cakes which was almost all crab with a nice crisp outer shell. One person in our group had the fixed menu. The mushroom soup was amazing, the sand dabs was only ok and the creme brule wasn't good. Overall, we had a nice experience and the service was excellent. read more

The owner lady is really nice and the foods are so tasty and delicious.. We had sanddab and lamb shank. The ambience is quiet and cool. I would recommend to try lamb shank. Probably we will try cioppino next time. read more

Max's Grill - Sanddab with white wine and capper - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Foodgasm!!! [mimicking Homer Simpson drooling noises] This place was shockingly dead on a Thursday night, but that was OK, as we were given extra attention! First of all, this place is not listed on all the touristy lists, but the locals we know highly recommend it. I love places that are off the beaten path, and Max's does not disappoint! Second of all, the hostess, who from the pictures on the website appears to be the chef's wife, readily identified everyone else in the place as a regular. It was a little offensive that she did not even try to talk to us the whole time, but it added to our perception that this was a hidden gem treasured by the locals. But it was OK, because... [Thirdly] Our server, Niko, was fantastic! He was engaging, witty, and had an educated opinion for every question we posed. There is a prix fixe menu, which had some tasty options. I almost got the roast beef, but since we wanted wine, I was steered towards the ribeye steak; my girlfriend had the duck confit. We ordered the half-bottle Hitching Post pinot noir, which Niko suggested. The ribeye was perfectly prepared for a thiner cut steak, but I was expecting a thicker cut. It was accompanied by some delicious roasted golden potato halves, and the red wine sauce was decadent! Now it's not fair to compare one dish from one restaurant to another, but... My girlfriend ordered the duck confit. This was a dish I had enjoyed just a couple miles away at Passionfish, that was truly memorable. So naturally, we set to compare. So here's my assessment: Heaven help my waistline if Chef Muramatsu (Max's) and Chef Walter (Passionfish) ever collaborate on duck, because they both are masters of duck! Chef Muramatsu, in my opinion (after also revisiting Passionfish, the following night), has a perfectly delicate way of seasoning duck that embraces the gamey notes in the duck. (Chef Walter compensates and masks his with his honey reduction, but his is so tender, it falls off the bone!) Chef "Max" makes a tender and juicy duck confit, and even with my wonderful ribeye, I was getting plate envy! The only thing that kept me from snatching her plate was the prospect of another delightful duck confit planned for the next evening (at Passionfish). Niko, thank you! We will be adding Max's to our list of must-visit restaurants in Pacific Grove. read more

Delicious! I'm a Monterey local and I absolutely loved it. The chicken is juicy and tender, their famous mushroom soup is rich and flavorful and the french onion soup was amazing. Also, we had homemade bread to start and it was warm, crackly and delicious! The prices were a little high but I think that's the case everywhere. The interior is simply decorated but the staff were incredibly kind and friendly especially considering we got there just a couple of hours before closing. It's definitely a hidden gem on the peninsula. 100% recommend! read more

Long story short-- Japanese people we are every where, call it a revolution if you will.... I am not talking about your usual manga or pop culture crap.. I am talking about cuisine and infusion goodness. It is nice to know you can get a shrimp tempura appetizer with some exotic sauce and then some lamb as a main course. I don't go here often (it is usually because dad wants to flex the wallet) but the service and food is always on point read more

Back when we lived just up the street, my husband and I would frequent Max's. We even went back when it was a Japanese restaurant (and it was great!) and we were pleasantly surprised when they changed to a French restaurant (Max is Japanese but a French trained chef). To begin, the hospitality is un-beat - extremely friendly and attentive wait staff. We usually would go for the sunset menu ($14.95 for an entree with a cup of soup or salad). If you like mushrooms and you see the mushroom bisque on the menu, you must order it. It was simply the best soup I have ever had. So delicious! We also enjoyed the chicken piccata and calamari steaks, as well as the fresh baked bread. I wish we lived nearby so we could go back as much as we used to... Bottom line: If you are a local, you already know about Max's and probably love it. For tourists/travelers Max's is a great way to get out of the tourist traps and enjoy some delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere. read more

We have been going to Max's Grill for several years and we have never been disappointed with our meal. We especially love their Calamari Steak dinner and their sushi appetizer! Each dish is reasonably priced, nicely presented and extremely delicious! Love their homemade bread and fresh salads too! read more

Max's Grill - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Having heard good things about Max's Grill, we decided to try it. While the atmosphere is nice and the food is beautifully presented, to my mind, the biggest shortcoming is that the chef is Japanese from Japan, and in the Japanese culinary aesthetic, appearance is more important than flavor. We were underwhelmed by the food: there was only one dish we really enjoyed (crab cakes: the sauce was outstanding, and I highly recommend that dish); the rest of the food was good but not great. Having said that, the Sunset menu is a good deal. There are much worse options in Pacific Grove than Max's Grill. read more

The fixed price menu of $25.00 is a great deal: delicious food and nice portion size. I had the tritip pot roast for my main and it was fantastic. In addition to the tasty food, the service was spot-on. Minus one star because the decor is cheesy, especially the fake flowers at the front. But look past the bad decor to the great food and service. read more

In a word, fantastic! The price fix menu for Christmas had great choices. The salmon crab Wellington was decadent and amazing. The crab appetizer was out of this world. Service was friendly and efficient... My boyfriend and I had a fantastic experience overall. I'd recommend to anyone! read more

We had reservations on a Friday night, and were seated promptly when we arrived. We started our meals with the baby spinach salads with blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and pomegranate dressing. A light and refreshing way to prepare for our main course. My husband had the Wahoo (Hawaiian) fish, which he said was cooked perfectly. I had the Cioppino - prawns, scallops, fish, and mussels in a saffron-tomato broth that was to-die for. Although the shellfish were cooked perfectly, the fish seemed a little on the dry side, but I imagine it's difficult to get everything just right in what is essentially a fish "stew". No matter, I could have consumed the broth by the quart, it was that good! It was served with a toasted bread slathered with a pesto sauce. (Personally, I would have preferred to have less pesto, or maybe have it on the side, but I'm sure it's a matter of preference.) Although we were more than full, we wanted to try a dessert, so we finished our meal with a mango mousse. Light and flavorful, it was the perfect end to a wonderful meal. Eric, our server, was a delight and we enjoyed talking with him throughout the evening. We also met Max's wife, a gracious, welcoming hostess whom we could see keeping a close eye on everything through the dinner service. All-in-all, our experience at Max's was a great one, and we are looking forward to returning! read more

Max's Grill - Hawaiian mango mousse - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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I was on a business trip to Monterey and had dinner alone at Max's Grill on a Wednesday evening at 6:30p. A reservation was made but not necessary. Max's is small and quite comfortable without being stuffy; even for a single. The Tempura Sand Dabs at $9. started my dinner. They were crisp (very hot) and quite nice. Like most sand dabs there was not a lot of flavor but the tempura was excellent. The Lamb Shank I had at $17.95 was also quite hot (as was the plate- warning) and done perfectly. Saffron rice and several asparagus spears accompanied the meal. The rice was just OK but the asparagus was perfectly cooked al dente. Service by the one waiter was polite, responsive, and unobtrusive. "Mrs. Max" was in attendance and welcoming. A delightfully quiet dinner in Pacific Grove. read more

Delicious food and friendly service! Started with the fried shrimp eggrolls- so good we could have eaten another order. We ordered the mushroom and special Dungeness crab raviolis- both flavorful and filling. Ended with the banana bread pudding with ice cream- soft, moist and nice flavor to the pudding. The entire meal was great. We left very full and pleased we gave this place a try. read more

Max's Grill - Dungeness crab ravioli- top and mushroom ravioli-below - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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