Wow!! This place was not what we expected! It is upscale but also relaxed. Great atmosphere with a beautiful porch, good wine and a really cool bar downstairs. All kid friendly and pet friendly as well. Worth a stop!!! read more

Max's Lakeside | Lake Rabun, GA Some restaurants serve food. Some serve memories. Max's serves a little of both. Pulling in, you'll find a few parking spaces out front and a modest lot behind the building. Nothing fancy, but enough to get the job done. The restaurant has that classic Lake Rabun lodge feel with warm wood, a covered porch, string lights, and the kind of atmosphere that immediately encourages you to slow your pace. Around here, nobody seems to be in a hurry... and that's exactly the point. One of my favorite discoveries happened before we were even seated. I asked about the unique hostess stand and learned it isn't made to look like an old boat... It actually is one. The desk was built from the founder's real boat, the Whip-R-Will III. The original photograph sits beside it like an old family album. It's little touches like this that give a restaurant personality instead of just an address. Our server, Emily, was outstanding. Friendly, funny, confident, and genuinely engaging. We joked from the moment we sat down. When she told me the trout was locally sourced but couldn't remember the name of the supplier, I asked, "Was it called...a river?" She laughed, rolled her eyes just enough, and informed me I was being silly. Fair enough. Emily knew the menu well, her recommendations were thoughtful, and she made the experience feel relaxed instead of rehearsed. During our conversation she casually mentioned she had just graduated nursing school. Congratulations, Emily! As a fellow nurse, welcome to one of the greatest professions you'll ever love... and occasionally question around 3:00 a.m. While chatting with Jessica, the manager, I mentioned something I'd noticed throughout Rabun County. So many local businesses seem to hire young people. Jessica smiled and explained that's simply part of the community's culture. Businesses here believe in giving local kids an opportunity to work and earn money. Emily herself came highly recommended by a longtime local customer after working at another nearby restaurant. I love hearing stories like that. You can't manufacture community. Either you have it or you don't. Now... The food. Being an avid angler from Florida, there was absolutely no way I was leaving the North Georgia mountains without ordering the locally sourced trout. If you're surrounded by mountain streams and still order frozen fish from somewhere else, you deserve to have your fishing license temporarily suspended. I wanted this dish to be spectacular. Unfortunately, it never quite found second gear. Presentation was beautiful, but both my wife and I agreed the trout landed around a 5/10. The fish was moist, so it wasn't overcooked, but the skin lacked that crispy finish I was hoping for. The seasoning was too restrained, and there was a slight gamey flavor that surprised both of us. Considering how proudly the trout is recommended, I expected cleaner, brighter flavors. The rest of the table had a better experience... mostly. My wife, daughter, and granddaughter all ordered the Shrimp Scampi. The presentation was excellent. The shrimp were cooked properly and the garlic butter sauce was light instead of swimming in grease. Unfortunately, everyone agreed it needed more seasoning. My daughter's complete review consisted of exactly four words: "Olive Garden is better." Sometimes the shortest Yelp reviews hit the hardest. My brother ordered the Meatball Hoagie, and that thing disappeared faster than free samples at Sam's Club on a Saturday afternoon. He described the meatballs as tender, flavorful, and generously sauced without turning the roll into edible papier-mâché. The fries were crisp, hot, and exactly what you'd hope for. If I come back, I have a feeling I'll be following my brother's lead instead of chasing trout. My grandson ordered the cheese pizza and left behind little evidence that it had ever existed. Kids don't care about locally sourced ingredients, chef philosophies, or handcrafted sauces. They ask one simple question: "Is it good?" Judging by the empty plate, the answer was yes. Walking out, I realized something. The best part of Max's wasn't necessarily the trout or the pasta. It was the people. The history behind the building. The old boat greeting guests at the front door. The conversations. The fact that a manager takes pride in hiring local young people. The fact that a newly graduated nurse is serving tables with a smile while beginning the next chapter of her life. Restaurants can copy recipes. They can renovate dining rooms. They can redesign menus. What they can't fake is character. Max's has plenty of it. Billy's Final Cast Food: 6.5/10 People: 10/10 Atmosphere: 9.5/10 Value: 8.5/10 Photo Worthy: Worth the Cast? Absolutely. Not because I found the best trout I've ever eaten... ...but because I found another great story. And sometimes that's the best catch of the day. read more

See all

The food is delicious! We had the burrata with blistered tomatoes and pesto. We shared the spaghetti and three large meatballs. The meatballs were cooked perfectly and tender. We highly recommend the food, but it is not on the lake. We were disappointed that we overlooked the parking lot. Also, we felt rushed even though the restaurant was empty at 5:30. I think we would opt for the Swing Bar next time where you can order from the menu. There was live music, which was inviting. Overall a solid 4 stars! Update--when we paid our bill IN CASH, our server returned and said, "I'm sorry, but we don't accept cash!" What?! Seriously? We put down a card and changed our review. 3 stars for the hovering service. 2 stars for the "no cash" policy" 2 stars for the view 4 stars for the food. read more

Came during the 4th of July weekend, and was just blown away by the place. Our waiter, Marcus, was fantastic, even giving recommendations on drinks. The pizza we slit was the best I've had. The flavors perfectly balanced, light, and crust, crispy. read more

Did not eat here for dinner, but this was my first visit and we sat downstairs at the new swing bar. Really cool, laid-back and comfortable atmosphere. Have a full bar and a couple draft beer selections along with frozen cocktails. You can also order food from upstairs if you'd like. read more

Max's Lakeside - Italian Near Me - Lakemont, Georgia

A pizza with the burrata salad will transcend your existential experience to a restaurante on Lake Como. Dip your pizza crust into the olive oil/pesto of the Burrata salad and you will thank me. Couple that with an Aperol spritz and you'll start trying to pay in euros. read more

Everyone is right, you have to try the burrata appetizer the pesto really puts it over the top. The rest of the food was very good and reasonably priced. The Italian doughnuts were another highlight and should not be missed. Our server Lauren was attentive but didn't hover and very personable taking some time to chat when she could. I was afraid that since there weren't a ton of dinner options they might overcharge and not focus on quality but that was not the case at all. It over delivered, you can't always plan it but if you can sit on the porch when it's raining it's very relaxing and peaceful as you eat. read more

The food, the service & the atmosphere were all great! We went in with a VERY large party & the staff provided an outstanding experience! We'll be coming back every time we visit Lake Rabun! read more

We had an early dinner with friends at Max's Lakeside with a pre-dinner cocktail in the swing bar downstairs. Drinks were generous and the bar staff very friendly. Dinner upstairs with our server, Ashley, was a delight. Ashley gave us recommendations about the menu and introduced us to a new server, Lauren. We had the small Caesar salad and the small chopped salad, both were enough for the 4 of us. Also the arugula and prosciutto pizza and the tradizionale pizza to share. I ordered the roasted Calabrian shrimp appetizer which was great, with yummy toasted dipping bread. We will definitely return and ask for Ashley and/or Lauren again. Always love an informed and friendly wait staff, and they fit the bill!! read more

Friendly staff, nice ambiance/location and delicious food. We didn't have to wait long which was nice! Def recommend

Just got back from a few days at the Lake Rabun Hotel and was disappointed that some of my favorite restaurants in the area were closed on Mondays. I decided that I would stroll across the street to Max's Lakeside. The great news is Max's is back! I thought that I would just grab a quick salad or hoagie, but I reviewed the full menu and noted they had a mountain trout dish on the menu. I was craving a good piece of fish. WOW, it was one of the best pieces of fish that I have ever had, and I been to Greece, Italy and Spain where fish is a staple The service was extremely friendly and attentive. I have to offer my highest praise to Chef Cody Riley, Manager David Mason and my server Abbye Carver. Max's Lakeside is so much more than pizza, salads and hoagies. I'll be back on my next visit to the area. read more

We ran into this small off the beaten path restaurant while out hiking and needing something to eat. We had cheese pizza and Italian donuts - everything was delicious! If we're in the area again, we will stop back by! read more

Max's Lakeside - Italian donuts - Italian Near Me - Lakemont, Georgia

We ate here tonight. The restaurant was clean and well managed. The Burrata appetizer is the best we have ever had. We also ordered the Sausage Pepperoni pizza and the Shrimp Scampi pasta. Tastiest Italian food we have ever had!!!! The best part of the whole experience was Emily!!!!! She was so kind and talkative with us, made us feel like family. All employees we saw were TOP TIER! Good job Max's Lakeside...you know what you are doing with your food and employees! read more

Ordered takeout pizza. Have had some problems with quality control in the past (burned crust, toppings haphazardly piled on, too salty etc.) Last night was the worst yet. Pizza was so heavily salted it was virtually inedible. I ate one piece, my wife felt nauseous and stopped eating hers. Three the remaining slices in the garbage this morning. read more

Very poor attempt at brick oven style Haven't been back since fire A real shame because Louis' the prior owner had Reall new york style in N GA!!!! read more

Max's is always consistently good. Plus they have preserved the best parts of the original ambiance of the old Louie's Pizza place that was there for 30+ years! The Burrata is maybe the best we have ever had and all of the food is delicious! read more

Max's Lakeside - Burrata - Italian Near Me - Lakemont, Georgia

Love this spot on Lake Rabun! The staff is so friendly and the food is delish! The Swing Bar is a plus!

Such a fun spot in Rabun! Food and service are great and the atmosphere 10/10. Love the Swing Bar on the back!

We were on vacation and found Max's online. we thought the view at Max (Lakeside) would have a lake side view, No'p. We had a roadside view with no lake in sight. The manager seated us seemingly offended that we decided to eat there. the pizza was descent but overpriced. I'd give it a 5/10 on experience and 6/10 for food read more

I put this post up three months ago and it somehow disappeared! Long story short, the upstairs restaurant is absolutely great! Great food. Great service and reasonable prices. Sadly, this restaurant had a bad fire over the summer and is no longer open The downstairs bar which is called "swings" because rather than barstools, they have swings. Very interesting and very novel idea. My experience there for myself, and my guest was terrible! The bar food menu was awful. We sent the first dish back and the bartender literally scowl at us, never said a word took the plate moved to aside, and never even walked away and cleared the bar of that food. The second thing we ordered took over 30 minutes for three tacos, and when I asked what the scoop was I received a nasty look and was told "they're working on it" Another employee overheard this and intervened and ran into the kitchen and came back with the food immediately The service was nothing less than horrible and the food was just as bad and I will never return to the downstairs bar again should they reopen? read more

We are so happy Max's is back open! Brought friends from out of town. Hung out at the Swing Bar for drinks. Went upstairs and had 3 delicious pizzas. The Bianca will be my go-to from now on. We also love the chopped salad. My friends are vegetarians and we had plenty to eat. They loved it. read more

Great atmosphere, great food! we had a chop salad and pizza and it was delicious. my only complaint would be that service was slow, the servers seemed a little preoccupied when socializing amongst themselves. read more

See all

Wow! I totally enjoyed everything about this place. The food, location, atmosphere and service was outstanding! Make sure to try the Burrata Caprese, amazing! read more

See all

Stumbled on this restaurant by accident. Glad we found it. Service was above average. Cosmo was strong, and that's a positive. Italian chopped salad is a solid 5, very good. Pepperoni pizza is a 3 out of 5, too greasy, but after my napkin removed some, it's still good, perfect crunch on crust, good quality cheese. Will be happy to return & recommend to others. read more

Max's Lakeside - Italian Near Me - Lakemont, Georgia

We had a party of six and arrived at Max's at about 6:30pm on a Saturday evening in November. The staff was very accommodating and helpful seating us and even more helpful taking our orders. The atmosphere was comfortable for families and a television or two showing college football games. If you were expecting fine dining Max's is not. Max's serves pizza, sandwiches and spaghetti. But they do it pretty well. I suppose after a week on the lake catching and eating fish ... most of the clientele is ready for pizza! Max's fills the bill. Note that parking is below via a narrow drive next to the dumpster ... and may not be apparent at night. read more

I love this restaurant. The food is always outstanding and the service is usually very good. They did have a hiccup on the Fourth of July Weekend. We waited for over an hour for a table and once we ordered it took over an hour for us to get a salad and pizza. In their defense I don't think I have seen that many people come into a restaurant at one time. They were swamped. They are so good that I will overlook this one blip. Everyone just loves this restaurant. Not a bad problem and we will keep coming back. read more

Amazing service and food. Great location. Fantastic salad. Would definitely return.

Nice vibe, nice folks and good food. Wish they had more wing flavor choices (what they do have is great).

Our Favorite meal- my mom & I always split: the garlic shrimp appetizer, a Chopped Salad, & Arugula prosciutto pizza!! So satisfying & consistently delicious! Love this place!!! Service is wonderful!! Social ambiance! read more

One of our favorite spots. Never had a bad meal here. We usually get a pizza and salad and have never been disappointed.The atmosphere is cozy and clean and the service is always great.Haven't had a bad experience to date. Highly recommend read more

Went there for lunch today with a friend and the food was fantastic as usual. I will definitely be going back again!

I just had a GREAT meal at Max's Lakeside! The challenge was finding something on a Sunday night in this area. Found it! No matter the day of the week, I recommend this place. The service was FANTASTIC and the food and atmosphere were perfect. I'll definitely be back! By the way, if you drive by and don't see parking on the side of the road, no worries; there's a little driveway behind the building with a sizable parking lot. read more

Went tonight! Great addition! Great cocktails, salads and pizza. Waitstaff and managers on point!

Fantastic all around. Great service and food. Recommend Shrimp, flatbread, meatball app and pizza! read more

Max's Lakeside - Path to Max's Lakeside from Hall's marina on Lake a Rabun. - Italian Near Me - Lakemont, Georgia

The pizza was real good as were the wings (1 flavor of sauce). The service was very attentive. The parking out front is tight, but there is more parking out back. I didn't visit the swing bar below the restaurant. read more

3 of us split appetizers one Friday in October for lunch. Good service, good outside seating, and good food. Highly recommend if you are in Lake Rabun, Tallulah Gorge area. read more

This place was excellent. Came with a group of 12 (no reservation) on a Saturday night and we were seated promptly. Our waitress was extremely accommodating and the pizzas + salads were great! Highly recommend. read more