To all the people who rave about this place. Why??? The first time I came here, I got their famous chicken. It was like $18 for a small, bland chicken. Then the second time, my mom was craving fresh lumpia with ubod. We come home to open the two tiny lumpias for $14 mind you, and no ubod to be found. We call and they say they're out of ubod. The person that answered my call had the nerve to tell me, "I'm pretty sure I told you we were out of ubod." Yeah- no you didn't. No one informed me when I placed the phone order or when I picked up. Little disappointing. Do not think I'll come back to this place nor can I recommend. I will however give props to the manager, she handled the call professionally. read more

Max's Restaurant - Their overpriced fresh lumpia. - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

First time coming here to eat, servers are really friendly. The food comes served in shareable plates. Everybody's just in a good mood Christmas music playing. I would definitely come back here again. read more

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We had seen this place a few times so we decided to try it today. We arrived and were greeted and seated. We placed our order after reviewing the menu. We ordered 1/2 of the fried chicken and rice and pancet canton which had pork chicken and shrimp. The dishes were nice size its fresh and had great flavor. The chicken was light and crispy. The staff was very friendly checked on us often. The place is really clean and has nice decor and they had up Christmas decore and it was tasteful. I would recommend this place. read more

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I spent close to $20 for this palabok and they must have given me 2 tablespoons of palabok sauce. So I had white pancit noodles with absolutely NO TASTE. It was such a waste of money! I am so disappointed and mad. Why would they do that? They can for sure see that there is not enough sauce in there with a container full of tasteless white noodles. It's really disrespectful knowing that it's a to go order and it's too late to complain cause they're closed. read more

Max's Restaurant - Sauceless and tasteless pancit palabok - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Maxs was amazing !! I was craving filipino food here in Bakersfield and I'm new to town. They didn't disappoint. Pancit was delicious and so was the adobo and the lumpia we ordered. Service was quick and location was clean read more

Food is great. Service is Welcoming. Quite a bit of folks come here for both lunch and dinner. Great place for a small get together , I came for the Crispy Pata and Halo Halo read more

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Wow! This is the most modern looking Max's restaurant! I love the fancy decor and hip vibe when I first walked into this place. Did I forget to mention that the food is also AMAZING? Lol. I especially enjoyed their signature fried chicken. I'm a big fan of the crispy pata, chicharrones, and the halo halo. I couldn't have enough of the garlic rice. The servers were especially friendly and attentive. They're well trained and really attentive to my requests. I was lucky to get there early! I'll be back! read more

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The place, Food, and service are good as expected Everything on the menu looks good and tastes good! Max's most famous Fried Chicken - tastes good and crisp/ A+ all the way! Don't listen to those who rated under 3 stars they don't know what they are talking about food is food at least it is cooked right read more

I havent seen any reviews on the actual space of the Max's and how small and crowded the entrance can be during busy hours. Overall ~very~ small lobby for waiting as well as for people to enter and leave, but the dining area is very nice and grand. It's also a very loud environment so I hope they invest in like a microphone and speakers. Something like an announcing system so customers can hear their name from inside and outside the restaurant. My family ordered for pick up after seeing how busy it was when we arrived (5:35 pm) and poor waitress had to yell for my name to let me know my order is ready. We ordered a Whole Max's Fried Chicken, Max's Crispy Pata, and Pancit Canton. It took about 20 minutes of waiting until my name was called. While I was waiting, I would see the host greet customers and explain the wait time is 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then some customers would leave to probably come back another day at a different time. I highly highly highly recommend calling ahead to learn of the current wait time to plan accordingly! Anyways, enough about that, the food was AMAZING!! We haven't had Max's in so long and we're ecstatic to finally have one in Bakersfield! It was like eating in the Philippines! Definitely will come back but maybe when the crowd dies down a bit hehe. Lastly, if you've gone to other Max's locations, they typically give out a complimentary caramel bar dessert at the end of your meal or a part of your take-out order (for example, how restaurants include fortune cookies). However, this location does not do that. I'm not sure if this is new now for all locations or it's just this specific one. But last time I went to Max's they always gave out a caramel bar per customer as you're near the end of your meal. Just thought I'd give a heads up! read more

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Great customer service, Clean an cute , Food delish. First time here an it was a great choice . Every employee was friendly. Fast service didn't have to wait long for our plates , server check up on us multiple times. Food is yummy , the beef stewards 5pc Delicious. Beef soup was my favorite, the meat so tender many flavors. I recommend to check this place. Best Philippine food in town. read more

Max's Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Max's in Bakersfield is a worthy addition to Max's restaurant group. The food was outstanding! In consecutive nights, we tried the Fiesta Bilao and enjoyed the fried chicken, lechon kawali, and pancit bison. It was an excellent deal! Tonight we had pork and chicken adobo, kare-kare, caldaretta, and pancit canton. Again, they were excellent choices. Best of all, the service was professional and fast, and all of the staff were really nice! Thanks for two great experiences! read more

We arrived on opening day to a beautifully designed and decorated restaurant and greeted by a friendly and warm staff. We were seated right away to a booth that was spacious enough to get in and out of. I can't tell you enough about how excited we were to see the beautiful dinnerware. It was the most beautiful, realist heavy stainless steel we've ever had the honor of eating with at a family restaurant. Our waiter went over the menu with us, but luckily for us, my husband and I both have some knowledge of Philippine foods. The menu isn't overly complicated, nor does it have 100+ items to choose from. We started off with the lumpia. They weren't as crunchy as other ones that I've had, but they were good. The fried chicken was slightly overcooked, but it was still good - I think a dipping sauce would be great with this. We also ordered the garlic rice, and we both enjoyed that. The pansit canton was delicious and topped with some perfectly sautéed veggies - I would have liked it a little more if it was a little spicy. I think that's just what my taste buds are used to, tho. Our overall experience here was great. They were super busy but still had time to make sure our needs were met. I told my husband that we were coming back for the forlks and spoons alone. My husband said the food tasted exactly like it did in the Philippines, and it reminded him of the times he spent there while in the Navy. read more

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We arrived shortly after they opened so it was on the slower side. We were greeted and seated immediately by the hostess and shortly after, isis, our server came to help. Our order was taken quick and came out pretty fast as well. We ordered the whole chicken and so pork belly with an appetizer to start with. The lumpia's were ok nothing I would order again although the pork belly was probably my favorite. It was chopped up on a skillet with onion and my oh my was it delicious. The chicken was moist inside while giving a really good crunch although not my flavor. Over all it was pretty good will come back and try some of their soups when it gets a little colder out. read more

Max's Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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I've been here twice so far, and both times have been amazing it. This was my first introduction to Filipino cuisine, and I was not disappointed the whole chicken was delicious crispy and juicy and the lechon kawali was so rich. Would recommend anyone interested to try. read more

Max's Restaurant - Lechon kawali - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

So glad that Max's opened here in Bakersfield. Their fried chicken, which is their specialty, is cooked perfectly and goes perfectly with that banana ketchup-Worcestershire sauce. On our visit, we also had the crispy pata and sago't gulaman for drinks. Everything is reminiscent of what I was used to in the Philippines as the taste was on-point. There was a slightly modern touch to their restaurant that was refreshing and pleasing to the eyes. Service is typical with Filipino service - attentive and always done with a smile. We did not have to wait when we visited as we went at lunch on a weekday as soon as the restaurant opened. As the menu items are good for sharing, it is certainly worth going back with family or a group of friends. Having said that, I think that serving solo or 2-person meals would make me go back at Max's even more often. read more

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Only had the all star meal. Chicken was bland, like no salt at all. Pancit was delicious as was the pork on a stick. Standard lumpia. Fries lacked salt as well. Sizzling plates that nearby tables ordered smelled amazing. I'll be trying those if I ever go back. Pretty expensive for what you get, but decent service. read more

Very disappointed! Chicken was dry, and only included 7 pc of very salty fries. We ordered lechon kawali sisig, and they brought out lechon kawali. When we told them we ordered the sisig, they brought it back to the kitchen and we could hear them yelling about it. Waiter IRIS came back to our table and started yelling at us "I read your order back to you and you confirmed it!" We told her 3x that it was sisig so it's not our fault if she wrote it wrong. She was extremely defensive, and why do you need to yell at customers and start a fight about it? Such unprofessionalism and rude attitude. It ruined our whole dinner experience. Not to mention, it was also so sour and not good at all. Food is pricey, mediocre at best, slow service, and poor customer service skills. Thanks Max's, but we won't be back. read more

If you love garlic you'll their garlic rice. Overall it was good. I bit pricey bit worth it. read more

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Went here on a Sunday before lunch and I already anticipated it was going to be a long wait. You cant make a reservation thru phone so you have to go there and make it to the wait list. I forgot to take some photos of all the foods we ordered. All in all, i loved the crispy pata, pancit, and the fried chicken of course. What I didnt like was the pork sisig which was "liquidy" or drowned in sauce i didnt know why, we didnt finish it and took it home and made some alterations. The sago gulaman also has less ice and not that cold. Our server Jolina was really great though. Ill try to go there on a non weekend day and see maybe the experience will be different. read more

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Today was our first time eating at Max's Restaurant at this location in Bakersfield. We were absolutely impressed! They gave amazing customer service. Our servers were Iris and Destiny. They were both very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the specialty items on their menu. We are looking forward to going back to eat there again! read more

slow been here 44 minutes it's not busy but really slow still waiting just two of us and slow rude service

Rubber Calamari. My daughter is not impressed. She can't even chew the calamari. Chewy like bubble gum lol read more

Max's Restaurant - My daughter love calamari although she's not impressed with their Calamari. It's Rubber Calamari. - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Service and food were excellent. Iris helped us choose our delicious lunch and was very attentive. The food is authentic. The restaurant is cute and fresh. We will be back soon! read more

Max's Restaurant - Pancit Canton, lechon kawali sisig, garlic rice and fried chicken - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Love the ambience and family friendly atmosphere here. Food is always fresh. We enjoy the pancit bihon and lechon kawali.

We tried this Max's Fried Chicken newly opened in Bakersfield. Very clean, huge parking lot and accessible to fwy. Our server Brian is very friendly , knowledgeable and he always come to us to check if the food is good and if we need anything. All staffs are friendly. Come and try this newly opened Max's Fried Chicken in Bakersfield read more

Lumpiang ubod is good. Love the dipping sauce. It makes a difference rather than eating by itself. The Chicharon bulaklak is best pair with the vinegar and rice. Not a fan of the Lechon kawali sisig. I think I prefer the regular pork sisig, will have to try. The Kare kare is bomb. The sauce is creamy and the veggies are not over cooked. They're just right with a crunch. Good job Bakersfield Max's crew and welcome to Alen County. read more

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The food is good! We always order the fried chicken. Just wish they had more beef options instead of pork because I don't eat pork. They also have this fried fish that my boys like. And of course the desserts are yummy too read more

Chicken very dry no seasoning at all pancit was good lumpia's tiny taste like pre frozen store bought pork belly was decent pork skewers were tasty rice good fish was good halo halo not worth buying at all banana wrap with ice cream is a definite bad do not waste money on this item I'm serious read more

Max's Restaurant - Not worth it avoid - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Fried chicken was chicken boiled in oil, without any seasoning- no flavor & over cooked.- 5 stars Pancit canton was cooked just fine but was way way to salty!! Chicken adobo ive had much better throughout the years but when youboil it in juices for more than 20/ 25 minutes it becomes grainy like sawdust no longer tender or juicey thought everyone knew that like I said - 5 stars.WONT BE Back EVER!!!! read more

Max's is one of my favorite filipino restaurants. My favorite item on the menu is their sizzling tofu plate and pancit canton. Everyone always raves about the chicken, which I still love, but I highly encourage people to try other items on the menu. They have a seasonal fried tilapia in a ginger and coconut sauce that is absolutely delicious! I have gotten it twice this month! They have a beautiful banquet room in the front which resembles the Philippine island in a modern light. My only complaint is the service takes some time. I appreciate they cook all the dishes made to order so all the food I've been served is extremely fresh. I feel as though the staff could do a better job at checking on tables during the waiting period and throughout the meal, but hopefully this gets better with time. read more

They didn't provide customer service support regarding their prices. We shared it was our first time there, and it was expensive. The next day my stomach hurt, but I thought it was my medicine. so I ate the leftovers today and my stomach hurts again. I'll make my dishes for now on. read more

Front desk lady was very friendly to us and also to the children! Server was nice but took awhile to check on us which is fine maybe she was busy. Food: Lechon Kawali was very good btw the picture looks dry but actually wasn't. The Lechon Kawali Sisig was very salty to much seasoning used, Pancit Canton was alright, overall wasn't too bad read more

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I was looking forward to trying this place but found it over priced and small portions

Do not recommend! I had tried to get a small plate on a saturday only to find out their bowls are only available during the weekend. I went back to order the rice bowl special. I paid almost $20. The cashier was on the phone the entire time, could answer basic questions I had and almost immediately dismissed me after I paid. Hardly anyone was there and it should have been a sign. The bowl only comes with a small drink. The bowl was 90% dried out rice, a little bit of sour veggies, a quail sized egg and a few bits of pork fat. The pork and my Dr Pepper was the only thing remotely good. I have had better Filipino food at a better price at a food truck in East Bakersfield. Would not come again. read more

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After reading a positive article in the Bakersfield Californian, my family and I decided to try this new Filipino restaurant. Inside the place looks clean and modern. However there were several issues that lead to a poor rating: 1) police were present when we arrived. We asked what happened and the staff would not say anything. Suspicious. The location is not the safest part of town so made us wonder about our safety 2) we placed our order and, except for drinks, it never came. A table that arrived after us was had an already been served and were almost done and still had no food. We complained to the waiter who kept saying our food was on the way. Eventually after 45-60 min wait we got up to leave and said we were changing to takeout. Had to get the manager involved who said our order got misplaced. Eventually we got our takeout bags. They have a free flan as an apology even though we do not eat sweets. This poor service was unacceptable especially since the restaurant was not even very busy. 3) food was very salty and fatty. I probably will not return, mainly due to poor service and lack of transparency, competency, honesty and appropriate customer compensation from the staff. read more

The place was nice & clean, very chill atmosphere and the staff were all very friendly and eager to ensure we had a pleasant experience, & WE DID! read more

Really great authentic Filipino food!!! Grew up eating it and it's just fun to eat it with your loved ones and family. The servers are amazing, each and every one of them always bring good vibes and always has a smile on their face. Love this location, we always go here when we want a good fix for filipino food and have a little extra money lol. (It could be just a tad bit pricey) Our go-to orders are kare-kare, crispy pata (YUM!!!), chicharron bulaklak, and garlic rice. Oh and can't forget the famous Max's chicken! Everything is always a hit here. read more

I loved the entire meal! We had a half chicken and the pancit of the day (shrimp, bbq pork) and a new dessert of Biko, just like Grandma used to make! The service was fast and friendly, we came around 12:30pm. It was clean and friendly ambience. Loved how they sang Happy Birthday in Tagalog to an Auntie. read more

Max's Restaurant - Fried chicken and Pancit - Filipino Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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First impression walking in was great! Greeted promptly and noticed the wonderful updating they did to the previous restaurant. Loved the brightness & decor of the restaurant. Started with drinks and it took about 5-8 minutes for the server to arrive back to get our order. Food came out relatively quickly. We ordered the Shanghai Lumpia's, Garlic Fried Rice, Pancit Palabak, Crispy Pata, Pork Skewers, and Halo Halo. The lumpias were a great appetizer & give them solid 4/5, very crispy & great taste, The garlic fried rice was VERY delicious yet I am an avid garlic lover (it was heavy on garlic) 5/5. The pancit palabak left much to be desired unfortunately. It was very salty & had an extreme amount of shrimp paste which left the pancit inedible 0/5. The crispy pata was the star of the show! Crispy pork skin with soft pork that was extremely flavorful. Loved the vinegar dipping sauce that was paired with the pork 5/5. The pork skewers were also very delicious! Marinated in what I believe was soy sauce & vinegar and extremely tasty 5/5! For dessert the halo halo was prepared in the traditional style & was a perfect summer treat! The ube ice cream on top was so delicious 5/5! We received our check & waited for server to pick it up. After awhile I walked towards the front to pay our bill and seen our server. They informed me that they were off the clock but would check us out. Was a bit off putting yet I believe the restaurant and staff will eventually find their footing and be successful! I am very excited to have a Filipino restaurant in town that is close by. read more

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Max's is a renowned Filipino restaurant. Quite popular among Filipinos. Its been around in the Philippines since 1945. It's reputation is hinged on their signature fried chicken and a few other Filipino favorites...Crispy Pata, Bulalo, Kare-kare, Sisig, Sinigang to mention a few. Was really happy to hear that Max's was coming to my hometown. Used to have to make a trip to Glendale to enjoy the food. It is quintessentially a taste of the Philippines. Dining is at the core of Philippine Culture. Max's has successfully transcended many generations serving up Philippine favorites. It's presence in Northern America has brought a taste of home to many Filipino expats. This review is written after my third visit to Max's Bakersfield... With the exception of the inconsistency of the Halo-halo, everything else has been as expected--deliciously reminiscent of home. The signature Fried Chicken was seasoned well. Had that delicious thin crispy skin but was a little dry. Missed the familiar moist chicken meat. Bulalo (Beef shank and marrow Soup) is my personal favorite. The soup stock has a rich umami bone marrow flavor with vegetables and beef shank meat that's so tender. Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Pork Shank) is light and crispy outside, moist and juicy inside. The pork skin is crisp like a thin chicharon chip. Absolute indulgence. Served with a vinegary dipping sauce that cuts through the melt in your mouth fatty goodness. The Chopsuey is surprisingly delicious. Texture of vegetables was just right. Would definitely order it again. Was hoping to try the Sizzling Caldereta but it was not available during my last two visits. The Halo-halo (Filipino Shaved Ice) with Ube (candied Purple Yam) and/or Macapuno (Young Coconut) Ice-cream, Pinipig (roasted rice crisps), flan, banana, sweet jackfruit, sweetened beans, and other tropical fruit was perfect on our first visit. Not on our subsequent visits. I will review the other dishes we tried some time in the future because I'd like to talk about their Service. To be polite, it has been less than desirable. All 3 visits suffered some kind of service issue. The staff is polite but they all seemed to lack training and a true sense of hospitality and customer service. During our first dining experience, our server gave us the wrong receipt. I caught the mistake because we didn't order what was on the bill. It took her at least 15 to 20 minutes to get back to us with the right receipt. The second visit, we had to wait 45 minutes in their cramped receiving area. They did not have a wait list. They need to have a basic wait list. A piece of paper on a clip board where the name, number of people dining, and the time they checked-in can be referenced for seating. There is a young man running around with an IPad seating people but missing out on who actually came in to wait first. We weren't served our drinks until after the second entree was on the table...our neighboring table was almost done with their meal and they also did not have water or anything to drink. Isn't that supposed to be the first thing served? Our third visit was just painful. We stood in line in the sweltering heat of over 100 degrees. They did not open promptly at 11am. Opened at 1105 (not to be facetious but when you are standing out in the heat every minute counts). We were 3rd in line and seated promptly. Our designated server took our order but told us she couldn't pronounce the names of the food on the menu nor did she make an attempt to write our order down. Exactly one hour later, I sought out the manager. Everybody who proceeded us was served but we and the 3 or 4 other tables that our waitress was supposed to care for were abandoned. I saw a lot of other hospitality staff walk by and not a single one asked us if we were okay or if we needed anything. The manager apologized and told us the server was new. She also told us that we would not be getting the Kare-kare and Caldereta because they ran out. That was late notification. Their waiters should have a list of unavailable items so customers don't order what is not available. My husband and I stayed until we were served over an hour later. I saw the people in the booth beside us just leave without having been served. The dining experience made me sad. Filipinos are known for their hospitality and good food. It's a shame that a franchise of a renowned Philippine restaurant lacks the caring and warmth akin to its culture and reputation. Their excuse: our servers are new. Sorry. Your staff needs guidance and direction. Cute uniforms but without the initiative and desire to serve, the dining experience fails. Waiting for over an hour for an order to be served is a bit much (especially if you made the effort to show up early for opening and patiently waited in a queue). I really hope they fix their staff deficiencies. If you don't mind waiting for good Filipino food, go to Max's in Bakersfield. read more

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