I love Max! Growing up we go here for special occassion. We often order the chicken, kare kare (peanut butter stew) and sinigang (tamarind soup). When they opened a Max in Houston... of course I need to stop by. I have been here 4-5x and I am noticing the change when it first started. I must say the first time they opened, tasted like home for me. However the flavor is starting to change and becoming more bland as if its missing ingredients or spices. For example the Kare Kare is lacking the roasted smokey taste to it and less peanut flavor that makes Max kare kare delicious. The milkfish/bangus was fishy (malansa). Milkfish was one of the fish that I can eat that is not fishy or leaves an after taste. This one does and i love eating the belly but I couldn't eat this. However my friend LOVES it. This is the second time she ordered this. I loved it when she ordered it last time, but no repeat this time. Pinakbet (sauteed vegetable in shrimp paste) was delicious. I've ordered this several times and still have not disappointed me. I wish I could give them 5 stars because its my beloved restaurant but taste is changing. I even wrote them last time I ordered the chicken because it was just not right. Please bring back the quality!!! As for service yes its slow when its super busy. Last time I visited it was super quick! read more

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Don't waste your money. What a disgrace! Not worth the commute or drive. If you are bringing family or friends to this restaurant. Just set your expectations very very very very low. read more

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So SLOW. 1 waitress NO host. Omg. It's a Tuesday. Perhaps hire more ppl. Will have to look for another place to eat when I fly in. read more

Finally made it to a Max's when visiting Houston of all places Our party of 9 was seated quickly and food came just as quickly. Best of all the fried chicken lived up to the hype. Alllllll the hype. Pancit bihon was a big crowd pleaser as well as the pata and sigsig. Will definitely make time for Max's anytime we're near one again! read more

If you're in the area, and wanting an authentic Filipino food. Stop by at Max's restaurant here in Houston, Texas. The staff here are so nice and very helpful. We were greeted by Nancy, who was such a nice, pleasant lady and was very helpful. She was very accommodating. Prices here are reasonable and They even have specials/promos that they are running. This weeks is a classic Duo which has Crispy pats and pancit. You can't beat that! read more

The service was very fast and good! Thank you, Lynne! Ang Sarap din yung crispy pata!! read more

Max's Restaurant - Ube Icecream - Filipino Near Me - Houston, Texas

We asked them to not add eggplant to our food as I am allergic. When investigating the food when it was served we found pieces of eggplant still in the food. So what they really did was before they brought it to the table, they just remove the eggplant. I don't think these Filipinos understand how food allergies work. If the Egg plant touches or is cooked in the food, the whole dish is already contaminated. I started to feel my throat swell and I started coughing Enough to where I had to go outside and get my allergy medicine. If I was severely allergic, this could have sent me to the hospital or worse. read more

Max's Restaurant - Eggplant skin - Filipino Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Wow! So glad to stop by here for lunch. Our server RJ was fantastically super on it! Excellent service. The food was delicious. Enjoy the photos, you will love Max's read more

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I'm from California, and our first experience with Max's has always been good. That's why when they opened here in Houston, we were really excited because we missed their chicken Sisig. We came on opening day and waited 2 hours, only to find out that they no longer had the chicken Sisig on the menu, so we ordered the "famous" fried chicken, Laing, Pork Sisig, and fried calamari. The food was okay but it wasn't the best, and definitely not worth the two hour wait. Fast forward to our LAST visit, where we decided to give them another chance, cuz at this point they have been open for awhile.. We called ahead of time because we heard that they now had chicken Sisig on the menu and we do not live very close so I just wanted to confirm this. Once we got to the restaurant it was empty. Not always a bad sign, so we thought nothing of it. As planned we ordered the Chicken Sisig, in addition we ordered lechon kawali Sisig, half order of fried chicken, and the small order of rice. (Honestly I feel like rice should of been included but, I digress), the chicken Sisig is the biggest mistake. I remembered it being really good and flavorful, but what we received was a sizzling plate of chicken salad and a side of disappointment. It was disgusting, and even after mixing everything together, I still somehow got a spoon full of mayonnaise, the chicken was semi cold, and it was dressed with a small green pepper on top. (I am fully aware that mayonnaise is a component in some Sisig dishes but I dont think it should be like this- check the picture and zoom in) The service was acceptable, however we literally were the only people in the restaurant, we never got refills or checked on by the waitresses until we were getting ready to leave and handed our check. The food came out to about $56. It has been 2 days, and I checked my bank statement, the final charge came to $86.29. This is terrible. I did not give them a $30 tip, and this is very disturbing that a restaurant and their employees would charge this to my account. I held back on writing this review because I try to patronize Filipino restaurants in Houston because there are so few of them, but this is unacceptable and their customers should know that they would do something so dishonest. I will reach out to the restaurant, and hopefully will be able to come to a positive conclusion, but I definitely will not be back. read more

Max's Restaurant - The chicken Sisig advertised and the chicken Sisig I received at the restaurant the other day. Zoom in. - Filipino Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came here on my way to the airport going back to LA. I ordered sinigang liempo, fried chicken, lumpiang ubod and pansit palabok. Everything that ordered met my satisfaction. I feel that the prices were just fair because I don't cook Filipino food. Service was a little weird at first but I got used to it. Definitely recommended if you're in Houston and craving for some Filipino food. read more

I would rate it 4 but since they are still refining the menu and new cooks, the food just a bit of w/o taste but given the people working here they made it more enjoyable. Thanks Sherman read more

Max's Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Had to go Pakbet, Daing na Bangus and Fresh Lumpia. After that, i think I'll pass on what they are famous of, Spring Fried/baked(?) Chicken. In the Philippines Maxs is one of our favorites. Uhhhhm will definitely try the chicken soon. We tried the Maxs in Vegas i guess but their serving was generous. . Here poquito. Haha read more

Max's Restaurant - Max's - Filipino Near Me - Houston, Texas

Max's Restaurant recently opened in Houston a few months ago, and it's received mixed reviews. I understand how difficult it is for Filipino food to enter the food industry and be widely accepted, and being Filipina myself, I try to support Filipino restaurants in my local community. My partner and I went today, Friday mid-afternoon. The restaurant was half full, and we were thinking that the service may be slow based on previous reviews, but our experience was excellent! We were seated immediately. Our server, Lynne, bless her heart, was the quickest and sweetest! I also speak Tagalog, so I think it helped me connect to the hostess that seated us and our server, Lynne. There are nuances when speaking Tagalog that help a native speaker connect more deeply with who we're talking with. Regardless, I think even if you didn't speak Tagalog, you'd still have a great experience as everyone there is bilingual and can speak English as well. Anyway, I've broken down this review into three parts: service, food, and environment and décor. Service: As mentioned, we were quickly seated. As a reminder the restaurant was half full. There was a large party in the middle, and a few families. Still, we were seated and served quickly. We also got our food in less than 10 minutes. Our server, Lynne, was quick and whenever she brought our food out, she would update us on the food that we ordered but haven't received yet. Food: We ordered the Max's Fried Chicken. It was decently sized, so my partner and I don't understand the reviews saying that the chicken is small (what size chicken were y'all expecting? a turkey? that's a different bird...). The chicken was good! It wasn't dry, and the skin was crispy, flavorful, and well-prepared. Our second order was the kare kare. I don't know how to cook this at home; my mom usually does it. Kare kare is one of my favorites, so I like trying it out at restaurants. IT WAS DELICIOUS! And the bagoong that they offered on the side took up the taste a notch. Absolutely delicious! I asked about the bagoong and where they get it from. Lynne, our server, said that they made the bagoong in house. I got a second because my partner and I finished the first bagoong. The third dish we got was the pinakbet. This is another favorite of mine that I don't cook at home because of the distinct smell. My mom cooks pinakbet in the outdoor kitchen, but I don't have that. Haha. So I will take advantage of ordering it and trying it out at restaurants. I was impressed by the pinakbet. It had a loaded mix of vegetables (as it should). Their pinakbet had okra, green beans, ampalaya (bitter melon), squash, shrimp, and eggplant. All the vegetables were fresh! You can tell when vegetables have been sitting out for a few days versus a fresh batch. Lastly, we got the sago't gulaman for a drink. This is also one of my favorite drinks from childhood besides taho (I hope they can include this in their menu one day). This drink brought me back to my childhood memories in the Philippines. Additionally, my partner loved all the dishes and drinks. He is not Filipino, and this was also his first time trying out Max's fried chicken, kare kare with bagoong, pinakbet, and sago't gulaman. He was also impressed at the cooking and mentioned that each dish was prepared well because he could taste their unique and distinct flavors. I add this last part about my partner because kare kare with bagong and pinakbet, in particular, require an acquired taste of these foods (unlike adobo, pancit, and lumpia that have entered the mainstream palette). My partner giving Max's Restaurant's food a great review also says a lot about how well their chefs prepared and cooked the dishes. Environment & Décor: The restaurant was clean. All the employees were wearing masks, and we appreciated them taking more safety precaution. Décor was also consistent with their transnational branding. Additionally, menu was well designed. The pictures were clear, of quality, and they had a variety of options. We highly recommend Max's Restaurant. I would take many of the negative reviews you read about this place with a grain of salt, especially if they didn't describe to you what specifically they didn't like or justify it in a way that was constructive and respectful at the same time. Lastly, if you're Filipino and reading the negative reviews, I recommend going there and trying it for yourself. Honestly, we need to support our fellow kababayan in the food industry first and foremost than believing the negative reviews; we need to give Max's Restaurant a chance by going there and experiencing it ourselves. We'll definitely come back to continue to support our Filipino community and restaurant here. Thank you again, Lynne! read more

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We had to wait until 11:15 to be able to enter. They were supposed to open at 11:00am. They're food was just ok. Their Lechon kawali was mostly fat (not worth the price). Their best dishes (in our opinion) was the Lechon kawali sising , Chicharon Bulaklak, and the Pinakbet. We ordered their Sinigang Baboy and Kare-Kare. The waitress forgot about us ( not checking to see if we needed a refill on our drinks. All in all, we will NOT be back. The food was not worth the prices. read more

Max's Restaurant - The sign inside - Filipino Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food is pretty good. Servers are extremely friendly Filipinos. Our server told us about the garlics rice serving size (small is 3 cups and large is 5 cups of rice) good size portions. Most people come here for their special fried chicken. It is not the America out southern type fiend chicken with batter on it. It is pretty good. read more

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I just don't have words for how I feel about this place I ordered my food total was about $45 bucks now I'm not Pinoy but this food was horrible the Laing was enough for about 3 spoons full the calamari is store bought looks like sun's club or restaurant depot the Kari Kari is full of mostly fat on meat and no taste pictures attached unbelievable if it was not for the distance I would take it all back read more

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As a filipino I sure do know authentic taste of MAX Resto. I wont recommend the Houston location based on my personal experience but I certainly wont stop anyone from trying it . What I share is only based on my personal experience on this location. 1st the taste of the foods Ive tried at this location (Houston) is not what I expected of a MAX chain. The chicken which is their leading product was a bit bland to my taste and to my surprise dry unlike the usual moist chicken. The Lechon Kawali which is a favorite of mine was not crunchy which is what you would normally expect of a Max Lechon but disappointedly the taste, presentation and portioning was not up to par based on the MAX food chains Ive tried namely; MAX San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Chicago, Las Vegas & New Jersey. I was hoping it was that one time but Ive given it 3chances each time with hopes that it improves, but so far it has not passed my standards of a MAX quality. Sorry, but again thats just my personal opinion based on my personal experience read more

The ribs were good but they were cold. everything else was good. The waitress was very nice.

Ordered the fried chicken which is really crispy on the outside and taste really good. I just hoped they came with the original banana ketchup instead of tomato ketchup. The "lumpiang ubod", which is my favorite, did not look like the original one Max's prepare, the wrapper was a bit hard, smaller and unfortunately, it's spoiled so just went directly to the bin. I hope this can be avoided in the future. read more

The food is absolutely amazing. We had a great time eating. The atmosphere was awesome. Until next time!

We ordered palabok,whole chicken,Kare Kare,sisig,lumpiang sariwa,and Chicharrón bulaklak. And everything that we order is disappointing except for the chicken I guess. Kare Kare is blend,no veggies,color is yellow,the meat is hard and just not worth ordering. Sisig is okay but it's all fat!!!! Palabok is way too dry and not enough sauce. In another word THIS PLACE IS over rated NOT NO WORTH TRYING . Or THEY NEED TO FIND ANOTHER CHEF . I wouldn't recommend this place !! read more

First of, this is the worst representation of what Max's chicken is back home. It felt like we were at a party, they gave us Styrofoam plates with plastic utensils and drinks served in small plastic cups. Small portions for the price, some of our meals were cold, our fries were not cooked and getting a server was impossible. We waited an hour just to get seated.. if this is how they will continue to operate I don't see this staying open long. read more

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no, seriously max houston,you have plenty of time to prepare good service prior to opening. You guys need to upscale your food satisfaction-time of preparation and service wise-dine in or togo. The reason why you are getting these reviews is because you have failed to meet the american standard expectations when it comes to executing how the food prep/timing/staff ratio/customer satisfaction goes to meet the demands on your first opening. The management should review their plan because although you guys are newly opened that is still not an excuse to give everyone unsatisfied. read more

My family was looking for good authentic filipino food and this place is it. The food was absolutely incredible. The servers were kind and attentive. Everything we ordered tasted like home. It was worth the 3 hour drive here. New favorite spot for filipino food will definitely be a returning customer!!! read more

I've been always honest of rating the restaurant especially when I enjoyed the food and the price is right. Our experience was not good on this restaurant. The Max chicken was tiny and salty, French fries was cold. Pansit is full of pork fats and salty also lumpia ubod was sweet nothing really inside just palm root overall was a waste of money and time. First and last on this restaurant never coming back. read more

Yummy Filipino restaurant. Just a warning, though: they are serious about following traditional Filipino time here. However, if that is ok with you, get ready to put Filipino heaven in your mouth. It is located in the small but growing Filipino complex near the TMC area. read more

The chicken was good and the waiter Kent gave us excellent service. Besides that food is not great. Chopsuey had lots of cornstarch and two shrimps lol... the krispy pata is okay... no I'm not going back to this place again. read more

It is not about the food, it is all about the service. We sat down for 30 minutes and no single server bother to ask our order or handed any drinks or water. Till we ask one of them that we are ready to order. Waited for more than 2 hours till our food is servd, and it is still completely messed up. 2 of our orders are still missing, soup was serve last until we are almost done eating. Too bad for this kind management. They need to step up their game read more

Food: Great tasting. Took a little but that's because it was made at a high standard. Service: Lynne was very nice. She always checked on us and made sure everything was okay. This place deserves at least 4 stars. read more

Food was ok service was horrible. Staff makes you feel Like a 2nd class citizen if you do not speak tagalog. Really disappointing was really looking forward to eating food I grew up eating that my mom would make. She waited on every table around us but ignored us. Tried to kill her with kindness and smile. But had no effect. read more

This place has super affordable pricing with decent portion!! It's super spacious so can have a larger party here. The waitress was super nice and very knowledgeable of the menu. read more

I loved Max's fried chicken growing up in the Phils. But here, nothing special to crave and get back to. Small whole chicken and taste just fine, not so tasty kare-kare, fatty lechon kawali, pansit canton ingredients are simple and the spring onion garnishing were not fresh. The kare-kare, pancit and garlic rice were served not warm enough. read more

Servers are great, food can be better. I've been to their other locations in California. It's different, the famous max chicken is dry. They put cheese on top of the beef kaldareta not my choice I would've left it off. This not the traditional Max I'm used to... read more

The Max's chicken is my all time favorite in Max's, the chicken is not dry and tastes good. We tried the all you can eat they offered before and was disappointed because all the food were cold. They failed to put the food in the food warmer. We weren't able to appreciate their delicious food because it was so cold. read more

First, the restaurant do observe the COVID 19 basic protocols. Servers are friendly. But my experience was disappointing. Plates are styrofoams and plastic spoons and forks, and cup. Food, disappointing except for their legendary fried chicken and lechon kawali. Nilagang baka is bland I had to ask for salt. Only 3 pcs of meat with 1 bone. Chinese cabbage is old with the telltale sign of black "molds". Cabbage was cut so huge it filled up 3/4 of the bowl and I can't separate them to eat bec the center of the cabbage is still intact. Pancit bihon saucy and soggy, with couple of small thin meat cubes and small shrimps plus some veggies. The taste is off with what I know. Sago gulaman too sweet I had to dilute it 3 times (like add water while consuming it). Halo halo is ok, nothing special but $3 more than other places. I will not go back soon. I will give the place time to readjust and work out the kinks if they will. read more

We waited for 1.5 hours to get inside and when the food were served - it seemed liked the food were sitting in the kitchen for quite a while. Chopsuey was not appealing , Karekare with 3 pieces of meat and the sauce was already like a jello. Lumpia I of was dry. Lumpia I of was kindda dry -- Only the pancit with Miki was the better dish -- So sorry - but I will never visit your store until next year. !!! read more

Fantastic filipino food reminds me of home in Santa Mesa. Great service as well. The soups are delicious and so is the lechon Kawali. I would recommend this place to eat. I drove from Missouri City to eat here read more

Had the best lunch at Max's Restaurant Houston! Delicious food, great service, and excellent atmosphere. Love their fried chicken, garlic rice, pork skewers.. yum! Irene (our server) was phenomenal. She went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our dining experience. Looking forward to next time! read more

We were the last customer to get in after waiting for 1.5 hours. I thought it was worth the wait but boy I was sooo wrong! Keep in mind that most of the customers has left and tables remained uncleaned around us while we eat our food. We had the worst service. We barely saw the waitress. We finally got our food but the waitress gave our garlic rice last and cold. No refill on water eithe....Please improve your service. read more

Foods is good and customer service is super .. keep it up .. the quality of food, the portion and the cleanliness of the inside ..