on Friday December 22, three customers watched three employees rushing to clean up and close. After being completely ignored a few minutes it was time to leave. I get wanting to go home, ignoring people is rude. read more

Max's Market - Don't bother - Specialty Food Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I have been goIng to Max's Market for years and years. This is the shop in Bloor West Village to get fancy schmancy ingredients, like champagne vinegar and de puy lentils. Max's has a fine selection of (expensive) cheeses and deli meats, my issue is that if you have a question about a cheese or the origin of one of the meats, the staff look at you with blank stares. The lack of knowledge of the counter staff is unfortunate in a shop full of wonderful products that could be up-sold to customers with just a bit of enthusiasm. The prepared foods are what I started going to Max's for. Years ago, I loved the guacamole, now, I find it diluted with too much sour cream. The indian prepared food is delicious, and the price is comparable to getting delivery. I am happy to have Max's Market in my life, but feel that a specialty food store should have knowledgable staff who are totally gung-ho about food. read more

Max's Market - a woman walking down the sidewalk - Specialty Food Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

One word: GUACAMOLE. I'm a bit of a fan of guacamole, and I've had my fair share of bland brands of it (I call them "avocado spreads" if they're really bad) but the guac from Max's is the best in the city! And they serve it in two sizes, so you can get a smaller size and eat it before it goes all brown and gross. I also use Max's market to buy fancy cheese, like when I want to add a little kick to my tuna casserole I'll grab a hundred grams of Stilton from Max's. Plus it's a nice place to buy pre-prepared meals if you have nothing planned for dinner (but they do run a bit pricey). But seriously, if you go for any reason, go for the guac. The holy holy guacamole. read more

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Max's Market is such a delightful place for someone like me! - that loves to eat but not good at cooking - that is loves to look and all these beautifully prepared food on displays - that wants to see all these prepared food from all around the world in one store (not that I would have got their Chinese food here! :P) - that likes to look at all the fancy ingredients that are not available in a supermarket near you Basically, you can get a full meals in here.. from starter, app, main, desserts... and great if you are entertaining and have someone you want to impress... (think candlelight romantic dinner at home...) Prices wise.. you are paying for the convenient and the one stop shopping.. so you are really paying for it! and maybe worth it to some! BTW, there are a lot of free samples on the counter... at least 5 kinds of cheese the day I was there! read more

Max's Market Bloor West Village is a neighborhood to which I love venturing when I feel like getting out of town. Not that the village is out of town, it just feels like it is. And coincidentally within the village that makes me feel like I'm out of Toronto is Max's Market, a store that has prepared foods that make me feel like I'm dining out when I am at home. Max's fridge display is filled with ready made food for all sorts of eaters -- meat lovers, vegetarian, fish-eater, vegans etc. - and each delectable item looks better than the next. The store also has a fine selection of breads and cheeses, of which the staff generously puts on display for (yes I'm going to say it) SAMPLING! Max's Market is also fairly moderately priced so basically if you happen to pop into the store, girded by red Adirondack chairs so you can't miss it, it simply makes cooking an absurd option. read more

Max's Market - From Website - Specialty Food Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Tough call. On a positive note, I visit from time to time and receive great service at their deli counter. Their turkey and avocado sandwich heated in the panini press is delicious. Also, they have a nice selection of prepared hot items for your dinner or weekend party. The negatives I have encountered are these... * Without looking too closely you will notice that the place (from the floors to counters to other areas) could be much cleaner. * The atmosphere, from quality of the store layout to staff dress, seems a step down from where it should be. * The specialty items on offer are not all that special. Seasonings from The Keg? San Pelligrino sodas? Etc. Most of these types of items can also be found at larger chains for less. I did spot a couple of items I had bought for less at The Cheese Boutique, which is not the place one goes for a bargain! read more

The perfect place to get chocolate, crisps, deli meat, weird and wonderful foods and so much more. This place is literally stacked to the rafters with so many new and different types of food you won't know where to begin. For anything from gourmet crutons to home made meat pies and exotic chocolate, you'll find it here. The staff are especially helpful & friendly with one of them helping me with my chocolate purchase. Perfect! read more

Max's Market - Specialty Food Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

What a shit show this place is! Confirmed to cater my wedding lunch and now just by chance I stop by and they're moving and their kitchen will be closed. 10 days to go and I depended on this allegedly high end place to do something as simple as a lunch for my big day and even that they can't do! Unbelievable!!!!!!! Never again will I spend 1 dine in this crap hole again after leaving me out in the cold on the most important day for us. Lesson learned! read more

This place is pretty awesome, but does not deserves five stars for two reasons. 1. I found the staff unprepared for selling speciality food. I wanted cheese, they didn't know what they were selling, and even I knew more about cheese than the girl at the counter. I managed to buy pretty awesome cheeses there by myself, but it took a while. 2. When they want to close, they want to close. They told me they were closing and asked me to pay what I had, because they wanted to close. Like they couldn't wait 15 more minutes to make more money (I was choosing more food). This doesn't seem very intelligent nor polite. I'd go there early in the day and knowing exactly what I want, with plenty of time to choose. Everything looks beautiful and tasty and fancy and cool! Be aware it's very expensive. But it's a great place. read more

Had one of those "Oh sh*t, I need a something for a dinner party" moments about 10 min. before we were due to arrive at the host's house. Dashed into Max's Market to grab a last minute dessert. They had a nice selection of cakes (mainly from Dufflet's), cupcakes and pies. We decided on a pecan pie ($9) and it was declared by a few people at dinner to be the *best* pecan pie they ever tasted. I was super tempted to lie, say that I made it myself and reap the accolades but I'm just too honest. People who know me, know that I don't bake. I'm just good at finding places that have good desserts. read more

Hubby and I stopped here to pick up some lunch-on-the-go foods on the weekend. We got a few bagels, croissants, some house-made cream cheese, and a small container of pasta salad, and it somehow came in at over $40. The prices are quite expensive, and I think you can get comparable quality and products but at a better price elsewhere. They do have lots of variety, and the selection of ready-made foods was impressive. The service was lackluster though, and that's where they really lose their points. Just smile ONCE. Or ask me if I need anything. Even though there were many staff members standing behind the counter ready to serve the ready-made foods (and looking quite bored), we had to address them directly before anyone acknowledged us. The store has lots of potential, but we not thoroughly imprsessed, especially at that price. read more

I have been shopping at Max for years. I used to live about 1k away; now I live about 7k away, and I go out of my way to shop there -- because I love *almost* everything about Max's. I love the onion buns. I love the Montreal-style bagels. I love the prepared takeout food, and since I don't like to cook I spend quite a bit of money on it. What I hate is the checkout counter. There are two cash registers, and a tiny bit of counter space in between, and that tiny bit of space is 98% covered with junk. In fact, there's so much junk that the one cash register is never used at all; it's just surrounded by junk. So all you have is one cash register -- at the near end of the counter. This means there is literally no space at all for customers to put their purchases down while they wait to be checked out. And anyone who has ever taken marketing 101 can tell you that is a foolish way to operate a business. Because if there's nowhere to rest our purchases, it means we won't buy as much. Worse, when you finally get to the cash register, the cashier has to take your items one by one and sort of bag them as he or she goes along, because there's no place to put them down. On at least four occasions I have arrived home, unpacked my bag, and wondered, what happened to my latkas (or whatever)? What happened was, they got lost in the junk on the counter. I paid for them, but didn't get to take them home. Someone needs to give the managers a basic lesson in business. If you annoy your customers, there is a percentage of them who will never return to the store. And Max's annoys its customers every time they reach the checkout. If I could get those onion buns and Montreal-style bagels anywhere else, I would never go back to Max's. As is, I continue to shop there -- but I buy considerably less than I would if they had a comfortable checkout counter. read more

Have lived in the area almost a decade. Rarely shop at Max's anymore. 50% of the food is good but the other is somewhat old. What is good is VERY expensive so only treat self very occasionally. They have restrictions in that you have to purchase a certain amount of gms before they'll sell you cold cuts, cheese etc. Could live with that but if you want to make a sandwich for the plane you're out of luck unless you buy 100Gms and throw the rest away. The staff have always left much to be desired in terms of service and friendliness. Most of their staff have a very sour look to their appearance and one wonders whether i've inconvenienced them by asking for a product. There are better small deli's in BWV that offer service with a smile. Would recommend those instead. read more

Max's is a good place to go for prepared foods around Bloor St. West: in other words, if you want quick take-out that isn't the usual fare. A boon for local gourmands who don't feel like cooking or staying out. Max's is also a handy source for specialty items. The first time I ever came here I was impressed by their huge selection of whimsically-named hot sauces ... although I wonder how much of a market there is for such things. read more

Max's Market - Specialty Food Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Seriously? Seriously? Don't yell (and I mean YELL) at your staff in front of customers! If you have a problem - yes, blonde in a braid - with staff, take them aside and ask them to do things differently calmly and rationally. It makes you look bad and makes the customers feel uncomfortable. If I can hear you at the back of the store when you are shouting at the poor staff at the front? That's bad form. When I asked for something, don't complain to me about why things weren't available and give me attitude. Just walking to 3 other places in the BWV afterwards to pick up other sundries, I mentioned it and was told that they have experienced the same thing. The same manager yelling at staff and being very rude to customers. Things have definitely changed here and I don't like it. I would have preferred to email the owner directly, but could not find an email address and there are no links to contact on their website so here it is. read more

Pricey, and I got food poisoning from eating their prepared salmon last night. I was violently ill and I'm still sick. I just called to let them know and the response, was "sorry, it couldn't have been more than a couple days old. We always serve fresh." Even after telling them that I missed work and I'm still not feeling well, the response was "sorry." I think when your product causes food poisoning, you may want to offer to reimburse the customer. Since I'm losing money by not working today...In terms of health and safety, the store should have at least got my name and phone number in case someone else gets sick. I'll leave amateur hour to Canadian Food Inspection Agency I guess. read more

This is THE place for perogies in Bloor west...tons of flavours and reasonably priced. They have lots of great lunch options. They have different specials on the hot table every day, and their new location has seating at the back so you can eat there. They've got lots of cheese, ready-to-go salads and hot and cold dishes. Great place to pick up food when you don't want to cook. read more

It's fine in a pinch, but for far superior service and prepared food, go to cheese boutique.

I finally stopped by Max's Market after living in the neighbourhood for more than a year! It was honestly much smaller than I thought it would be. Their specialties seem to be ready-made meals rather than groceries. When you first walk in there is a counter on the right hand side with ready-made salads, roasted vegetables, pasta dishes, etc. The left hand side is full of containers of guac, salsa, Indian food, stews and soups. It all looked quite good and isn't much more expensive than other take out places (although if I wanted Indian, I would rather just visit a restaurant!) The back of the places has a lot of gourmet olive oils, sauces, vinegars, crackers, etc, as well as a meat and cheese counter. It would be a great spot to pick up food if you were hosting a dinner party or looking to buy appetizers. Also, they have a candy machine outside - don't buy skittles - they're frozen. read more

This place needs a complete Reno. I can't shop in a grocery store that smells gross and every surface looks grimy and dirty. Every single staff wore apron that was covered in stains. Ew. Get your shizen together Max! read more

The ready food is delicious but I feel as if I can get the same quality for much cheaper somewhere else, which is why I don't do more shopping there. The staff is very friendly and I defiantly recommend it if you are only going to be purchasing a few items or don't have a budget. read more

Not impressed....the last few visits have been terrible and Sunday was my final. Went in Sunday afternoon to pick up a couple of things...for the day. Got to till to pay and noticed that the Green Bean Chips that they make that I was about to purchase...had expired. Had them remove rest from shelf. Bought two cupcakes for a Birthday party. Went to eat cupcakes...and they had obviously expired. Hard as rocks, disgusting! Done with this overpriced...poor quality establishment. read more

One of our regular Sunday stops... great selection of breads and cheese but we mostly buy their ready to eat salads and dishes. In the summer we sit outside and eat right off the bowls. Their Guacamole and salsa is something else! read more

When I first visited this store upon moving to the High Park area area, I had great expectations....which were not met. The selection is quite big, but I feel like the quality lags. Every time I went in there hoping to get a good meal (while on lunch) I was very disappointed. It wasn't that the food was bland (one time I chose asian-style chicken, another time I chose a couple of salads), but it definitely did not taste good. I feel like if you are paying that much, (for so little), it should be worth it. I prefer to visit 'Bread and Roses' nearby, even thought the selection might not be as fancy, you can get a good meal. And while I like their artisan oils, salsas, sauces, etc., there are definitely other places that carry the same items with a lower price-tag. read more

Go in here and grab their homemade guacamole and salsa. You won't regret it.

I will never darken their door again! Ordered a Dufflet cake 5 days ahead of time over the phone. The woman took my order and asked for a credit card. I gave her the number but indicated that I wanted to pay in cash when picking up the cake after noon on Sunday. She said that was fine and offered nothing further as to their policy regarding use of my credit card. Saturday morning at 9:12 AM I had to call to cancel the cake because my get together was cancelled due to inclement weather. After calling Max's a woman called me back to say I would be charged on my card! Unethical? I think so. Even doctors and dentists allow you to cancel 24 hours in advance. She said that their policy was explained to me when I ordered - IT WAS NOT! I understand if someone doesn't pick up an order and doesn't call ahead of time to cancel, but surely this policy of theirs isn't legal? read more

Lots of selection, but very expensive! The food from the hot deli is just okay in my opinion. The staff do not know very much about the products that they are selling unfortunately. read more

The food "looks" good but I've had more disappointments than anything else. I tried their crab scalloped potatoes and it was terrible; then I tried their quiche and again- major disappointment. The only good food I've had there is the stuff that is brought in from other suppliers like the lemon/cranberry scones. I find their service very poor as well- I tried to buy ONE cookie once and I was told I had to buy six!!! I accidentally knocked over a jar of jam once with my backpack and the store manager followed me around the store (2 feet in back of me) for the duration of my visit- needless to say, it was not very long. The only good thing about that store is their location and the seating in the front of the store- other than that, their food and service is FORGETTABLE! BTW, I've lived in Bloor West for more than 25 years and there are so many other stores more deserving of my business... read more

This place is awesome if you're entertaining and don't want to spend the day in the kitchen. They have all the dips (their salsa totally rocks, they carry spinach dip, guacamole, artichoke dip, etc) you would need and all the items you'd want to dip with (large selection of crackers, bagel chips, flat bread, etc). There's many different prepared foods as well (savory pies at only $13.99), elegant options too (great for entertaining). This would be the one-stop place for those that do not want to cook, or dine out but want good food. They also carry Dufflet pastries and some nut free desserts baked in a nut free bakery from Cakes by Robert. read more

Once in awhile, I go into this over-priced store to buy little goodies. I love their homemade salsa, that's for sure. Today, I wanted a lemon meringue tart, as well as some pre-prepared goodies, mango salad and yummy veggies. I went to the back to the dessert area, clearly waiting for a very long time (no problem), behind another woman. The young man served the woman in front of me, saw me, and afterwards proceeded to almost serve the woman who came AFTER me. No problem, I immediately ordered. No smile, no thank you from this young man. Then, I went to the deli area, to get my yummy mango salad, again behind someone else. This time, when the other young man served a woman who JUST walked in, when I was CLEARLY waiting for a long time, I said in a very loud voice, THREE times "EXCUSE ME I WAS NEXT". The young man looked at me, ignored me, and continued to serve the woman who was so obviously after me. I have decided to go elsewhere from now on, for my little goodies. It's too bad, it's situations like this that make certain thoughts cross my mind, I can't help it. Is it because of my cultural background that I was not give the friendly or timely service that everyone else around me was given? I hate to think that way, but I can't help it!!! read more

Last weekend we used Max's to cater a memorial for 100 people. Dan did an amazing job, very professional and helpful in both the planning and execution. We got just the right amount of delicious, attractive food. Best of all, the price was right. They came in at the same price as chain supermarkets and the food was so much better than the mediocre food from the chain stores (Marbled cheese? Really?). I would totally recommend them to anyone. read more

I have always loved this place but it has declined over the past couple of years. Especially, the service. It is manned by young people - who need supervision!!! I was in there on Saturday at 5:30 - the two people who were manning the place made it very clear they were cleaning up and wanted to be out of there. The store closes at 7!!! Asking for cheese from the guy - was like a big problem for him, like I was disturbing him. read more

My husband loves the chicken parm sandwich but I wish we had somewhere to sit inside!!

I love exploring Bloor West Village and like someone already said below, never went in before because it looked too expensive. Sorta like a Pusateris. I went a few weeks ago and decided to try a few different things from their pre-prepared section which looked fantastic. I picked up the mango Salad, grilled eggplant and sauteed mushrooms. The mango salad had more heat and kick to it than I expected, but it was good although I would have preferred more mango than peppers. The eggplant was way too spicy, with chunks of hot peppers. The sauteed mushrooms were flavourful. I found the service to be friendly and helpful, but since I knew what I wanted, I can't tell if staff was knowledgeable. Today I got the Atlantic grilled salmon, spinach and mushroom crepe and the mushroom and leek scalloped potatoes. The salmon was a dud and the mushroom were lacklustre. I was full so I only had a small bite of the crepe and it tastes promising. I'll try them one more time, but I think this place has mastered the art of food presentation, but not flavour. On my next visit I want to try their baked section, their pot pies and quiches. read more

It's a great store if you're one of those people who like good food but aren't good at cooking. I think it's a little overpriced though. And they recently reduced their cheese selection :( read more

I have lived in this neighbourhood for 2 years, and have been shopping at Max's for longer. They have a great selection of imported products that I used to love while living in Europe. They also have good suppliers of breads and pastries. However, the prepared food is well below par. It looks delicious but in the past 6 months I have had to return two purchases because they were completely inedible. The chicken noodle soup looked like it had been defrosted and was being sold as fresh. It absolutely stunk rotten and I did not dare to taste it. And tonight the chicken pie I bought for dinner tasted like they had dumped half a cup of salt into a mini pie. I still have a stomach ache from the morsels that I tried. On top of that there is the absolutely unacceptable customer service. When returning my pie this evening I did not have my receipt because I bought the chicken pie only one hour prior hoping to eat it for dinner. The cashier told me she was tired of working at Max's because of how frequently people return prepared food. Then she said that she would refund the pie because it was obviously purchased there. So I took my 7 dollars and said thanks, but then she said next time, no receipt, no return!! I mean, how disgusting. She got defensive because I said the food was inedible and that Max's needs to get a new chef, saying it wasn't her fault and that she was tired of hearing these complaints. So I asked to speak to the manager and low and behold- she WAS the manager!! I told her that she shouldn't be worrying about whether I had a receipt but rather whether they were selling edible food to customers. To the owner of Max's: you have a beautiful store (perhaps now a rat problem) and a great concept. But please sort out your staff, including your chef. You don't want your 'managers' telling customers how tired they are of complaints. And you certainly don't want to be selling food as disgusting as what I ate this evening. I am going to now try and flush the bad taste from my mouth, for the second time this evening. read more

After a while of not shopping here due to concerns over rats, I decided to give it a try. I purchased two giant croissants that cost about 2 dollars each. The top looked nice but in biting into it I could see and taste a layer of raw dough along the bottom. Underbaked! No thanks, Max's. Find a supplier that puts quality about size / quantity. No one wants a giant underbaked croissant! read more

I've always been a little afraid to go in to Max's Market as the place screams "I can't afford to shop here." But it was a rainy Saturday and it was on the way home so me & the old ball and chain popped in out of curiosity. I was not disappointed! It's mostly ready to eat take out & deli stuff but oh my god the quality is fantastic. I would gladly take a bath in the delicious chimichurri sauce (which we simply ate with a loaf of bread, nothing else), and the sample I had of the gorgonzola, mushroom and chicken soup slash pasta sauce was incredible. (Too bad I'm not really willing to shell out 10 bucks for a smallish container of soup). We also had the beef empanadas which were tasty and quite reasonably priced. I have to agree with some of the previous reviewers and say this is definitely a go-to if you are having people over and either can't or don't want to cook everything from scratch. read more

RAW FRICKEN CHICKEN!!! I just bought a habanero mango chicken, and after 3 bites, to my horror, the chicken was RAW! When I came back to the store, all I got was refund and an apology from the poor kid who served me. I asked for the owner, and she never came to see me! How can you not at least show your face to apologize? NEVER again. I have lived in the Village all my life, my friends and family will never step into Max's again. She would not see me! read more

I've shopped at Max's about half a dozen times over the past few years. They have a pretty good selection of breads and gourmet sweets. Most of the store is devoted to ready-made foods which leave much to be desired. The last time I was there I picked up some Indian food (Saag Paneer). It wasn't cheap at $10 for a small plastic container. But, I figured, it was better than something out of a jar/frozen. When I inquired at the cash when it was prepared I was informed that it was made a week ago! I don't know about you, but I usually throw food out after 3-4 days. I found it pretty disappointing that a "gourmet" food store would sell week old "freshly prepared" food at such a price. Yuk. read more