My husband and I visited here for lunch and let me tell you our experience as first timers was awesome! Our waiter was knowledgeable and helpful in suggesting meals. He also saw how indecisive my husband was and brought him out samples to try. As soon as we set down glasses of water was being handed to us at our table. I got the Jack Cakes and Wings and they were so delish. The wings has a subtle taste of sweetness that pairs perfectly with the syrup from the Jack cakes that are sprinkled with corn and peppers. I'm so happy I finally made it here and I will definitely be back. read more

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This was my first time at this restaurant! And let me just say it was amazing! The food did not disappoint! And the wait staff is super friendly. I highly recommend this place. Our waiter Tim did a super job with checking on us and suggestions food. Please don't sleep on them. 10/10 highly recommend! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Famous Southern Fried Chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My second time here and I went for brunch this time with a friend! Finally, I get here brunch...I see what the fuss is about! The fried chicken with collard greens and home fries are so dang on delicious! I was pleasantly surprised at how seasoned the greens were The chicken was good and juicy and seasoned well also. Go for brunch! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We came here yesterday for brunch and luckily there wasn't a wait. Normally the reservations are 3 weeks out and the parking lot is packed. Now, even though brunch was great I believe the food didn't taste like normal but it was still good. French toast was crispy on the outside but moist and warm in the inside. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Mediocre food. Definitely way over hyped. The jalapeño buttermilk chicken wasn't even spicy at all and barely even had a layer of crunchy batter (which is obviously what you want in fried chicken). It comes with mashed potatoes, bread and collard greens which were really good. The brownie with ice cream was a super thick piece of brownie (more like a giant piece of cake) and a bit dry. The ice cream was good. read more

The parking space was pretty small. Most spaces were for valet parking... Rarely any self-parking spots. So your best bet is to valet. Valet parking was based on tips. I thought it would take a while to get a table hearing how there were many reservations made ahead of time, but as a walk-in the wait wasn't long at all. We got seated at a table for 4 in less than 5 minutes. We ordered the bosio moscato and sweet red wines. Both were very good! We also ordered their fried chicken. It was very flavorful and delicious. I was not a big fan of their macaroni though... Just wasn't creamy or cheesy enough for my taste. Overall, service was quick-paced, food and wine were good, and our server was very friendly. As a first timer here, it was a pretty pleasant experience. Would definitely come again. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Fried chicken and moscato - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I don't drink but the food here is amazing!! The fried chicken is really as good as they say it is. The happy hour egg rolls with chicken are not the same tho. The hummus has cheese which is very weird. The tomato basil soup is good. So is just about everything else on the menu. I eat here once a week. Friendly staff. Not over priced. Old favorite of mine. read more

Great service, great food, great wine and a discount for locals in same area code. Great for a mid week date night. read more

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It was our first time here so we decided to try their hrw menu which had most of their highlights off the regular menu. The other staff seemed pretty busy but our server was very nice and friendly. To start, we tried the foie gras peanut butter and jelly which was fantastic. Max n cheese, stuffed peppers and the egg sandwich were great. Fried chicken and hrw desserts were okay. I'd love to come back and try their regular desserts. Food was fantastic. Only issue was the timing on the first 3 courses. Foie gras came out first (great!)..few seconds later, they dropped off the hrw salads..(oh ok).. Few seconds after that they dropped off our hrw max n cheese and peppers (hmm that's odd).. Therefore, we had to enjoy all three rounds of food at once. It's better than having a long wait time on food but our table was a small two-top bar table that was already limited on table space. Still, I applaud the small kitchen on their consistency and speed! It's open late, great food, a huge variety of beers and wine..I highly recommend it! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Foie gras peanut butter and jelly - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I came here last week for chicken and waffles. It was pretty good the chicken was fried nicely and was seasoned very well. The waffles were a little dry but they were still good. I ordered collar greens but our waitress forgot to send them out. No big deal. The customer service was a little off but the food was good and the atmosphere was amazing. I ordered a Mimosa with orange juice and it was yummy. I will come back but I will probably order something else when I do. This is a cool Sunday brunch spot and It's kid friendly. Parking was good. You can also sit outside. read more

Great brunch spot with the girls !! Cheap and yummy grapefruit mimosa going so bomb with the fried chicken!! I liked it a lot it was super busy but service was bomb... read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food is delicious. Chicken is their staple and consistently delivers. Not sure why red velvet pancakes are seasonal items it would be nice to know what to expect each visit. There were other changes to the menu as well. Rather than having to ask, it would be helpful if they listed items alacarte. For example in all about the chicken, but I don't need the waffles and they list them together. Egg sandwich is the bomb and plenty huge. We share ours and or another item for variety. Servers tend to kind of forget you near the end. This has happened more than once. If our glasses are empty and food is not being eaten, please either offer us another drink or bring us our check. We usually would love another drink and continue our conversation etc., but once we sat for awhile, drained our glasses the mood has passed. It's my only real complaint. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I'd been wanting to come here and write a review for some time. So, now that I've been a total of four times, I've finally been able to form an opinion. Bottom line for me...best bet is to come here during happy hour, or go for the small plates. My first time here in '09 was blissful with all the deliciousness...max & cheese, drunk bread, etc. The rest of the times have just been average. My most recent visit was for brunch, and I could hardly contain my excitement. Yet it was found to be lacking. I like the fried egg sandwich. It's pretty tasty and unique. Thing is, I will only get it during happy hour when it is pretty affordable, but mostly, much less heavy (one egg). The full blown three egg sandwich oozing with oil is too much for me. I like truffle oil, but not THAT much to where it is unappetizing. My friend's bf had the creme brulee french toast and thought it was too sweet. My friend had the eggs max and thought they were too salty. My fiance had the fried chicken (which I was so excited to finally try) and it was pretty good. Can't beat my dad's fried chicken though. :P Ok, back to business... The wine is great. No disappointments there. But, dessert is not a strong point. The brownie and bread pudding taste like they're straight from the microwave. Boo! So, I realize this is pretty negative for a three star review, but the problem is that as the happy hour menu changed over time, so has my opinion. I still like all the yummy things I tried that first time, I just find it sad that they're no longer on the happy hour menu. It's another case of getting all excited about a place based on a ton of awesome reviews, only to find it not meeting the expectations. But that doesn't make it a total disapointment. read more

Get the southern fried chicken with jalapeno! It's so crispy and not too oily. They also have RED VELVET pancakes here too. We came here during the afternoon. The place gets quite crowded but it didn't take us very long to get seated. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Southern Fried Chicken - House made jalapeno and buttermilk marinated chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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"I would like the crème brulee French toast." And it came to the table a little over a minute later. When a sit-down restaurant serves up food faster than a fast food restaurant, that kind of expedience is a buzz kill. The texture of the French toast remained consistent, as though it had been prepared on-demand. There was no toughness that the toast takes on after a few minutes of sitting. My friend, who had ordered fried chicken and pancakes, got her plate at the same time mine came. Our other friend who ordered a salad with shrimp got her plate several minutes later. I admit that having lived in New York City when the concept of a brunch started and now living in Chicago where brunches are done properly, my view of food preparation may be skewed and unfair. The restaurant seems like a great place to go if you're "in the know" or if you like a certain atmosphere - beautiful people, incredibly beautiful people, people so beautiful that it must hurt. It's charming, but it's fast food. read more

A foodie friend of mine (who just moved from New York), wanted a place with a bit of southern comfort for Happy Hour... So of course Max's Wine Dive was the place to go! We got some happy hour wines for about $7 a glass, and a bunch of small dishes for $6 each.. This included a tray of wings, their very popular fried egg sandwich, the chicken champagne sandwich, and a bbq foldover. The food came out much faster than I expected, and was all really good--- well, some of it ended getting cold b/c we were still enjoying all the wine.. lol.. The last dish we ordered was the bone marrow--- which is a very popular dish. Max's knows this, and the cool thing is that you can get a 2nd piece of marrow for $6 more.. So thats pretty fair and reasonable.. And its great to see a restaurant take that effort to make sure their customers are happy, wine-ed and well fed. I highly recommend this place for brunch and happy hour. You most likely will need to book reservations unless you come early or late.. Thats my one beef with the place.. Everyone knows about it now... lol.. read more

One of my new favorite places! This place is thebomb.com. I heard about this place from my friend who lives in Houston. We made reservations on Friday for Saturday am...and they are a must. The location is very small, but the food and welcoming staff make up for all of that. And did I mention they have free valet?!?! I know definitely the bees knees. So, one has to try what a restaurant is famous for. Therefore, ordered the creme brûlée french toast and the fried chicken. It was all that and a bag of chips. It was flaky, crunchy, and mouth watering. Just a little bit of great from the jalapeños. Before you cringe the creme brûlée french toast is NOT super sweet. The flavor mix is perfect and melts in your mouth. It is a light and inviting flavor, that melts in your mouth. And adding maple syrup will not send you into a sugar tizzy. When you visit Houston this should be on your list of places to visit. If you are thinking of trying Max's Wine Dive...DO IT! You will not be disappointed. Max's Wine Dive won my heart and will do the same for you too! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Creme Brule French Toast and famous Chicken Wings - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great atmosphere, excellent service, but the food lacks flavor - specifically the fried chicken. I've had it on several occasions and each time I've been disappointed. By no means is it bad, but it just doesn't "hit the spot". The quality of the food is superb and for that I can't discredit Max's Wine Dive altogether. The lobster fries are probably my favorite item on the menu. I'll probably be back because it's a favorite for so many people, but it's definitely not my ideal brunch spot. read more

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Best fried chicken.... Dare I say, ever?? Maxs does not disappoint on any of the food. I had the jack cake and wings. Jack cakes were 'different' not amazing but good, but the Chicken, might I remind you, the best. I was craving a Bloody Mary, but oh well, beer and wine only. Food: 5 Drinks: 3 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4 (good music, a little crowded and loud) Price: 4 ( a little pricey, but worth it) Bottom line... Will be back for sure. On a side note, they also participated in the Great Taste of the Heights, and in my opinion had the most difficult dish for an off-premise event (over easy eggs for hundreds of people? Ballsy) and the best dish as well. Not sure who 'won' that award there though. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Jack cakes don't look great in this pic, but they were good... But the chicken? I will be dreaming of it tonight. - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is quite terrible. The food is delicious however the service is absolutely terrible. The staff seemed tor really struggle with large groups. It's a cool place but really needs improvement on the service. The grits were too runny and the Bloody Mary is made with vodka flavored wine. read more

Two stars for an amazing & exhaustive wine selection! I am not sure what it's like to have weekend brunch or an actual meal here. My first attempt to sit at the bar, & have a glass with a bite, was an epic fail. Have heard so many great things about this place, that I'm sure are all true.... but the bar service was very underwhelming on this Tuesday night. A very unenthusiastic greeting from the first guy that spoke to me from behind the bar. I even got a little unsolicited "straight up" talk from the other guy behind the bar! I made a comment, and when he responded with a short, crass comeback, he said to me, "I'm sorry if that hurt your feelings, I'm just a straight up person". I'm like ...huh?! I have no idea how we even got there, maybe he was having a bad night...I'm not sure. Yea, I decided to try a dessert wine that I had never had, and then go elsewhere to eat and fraternize... I might be a little spoiled by the typical Houston hospitality, but I like to feel good about spending my money with folks! read more

Noticed all the reviews before stating you should make reservations so we did. Turns out we didn't need them which was surprising but not big deal. We were seated at a high top right in the middle of the restaurant. It's a small place! We were greeted and offered drinks. We are really wine drinkers and the wine by the glass prices seemed really high. Ended up with the two frozen drinks where were good. After we got drinks or serve disappeared for a while. Finally they came back and we placed our order for the chicken plate and the Houston hot chicken we also had a order of the jalapeño cheese grits. All came out and were very good but again a member of the kitchen staff brought the food out and it wasn't until we had almost finished that our server came back. The food was good and plentiful. Although at the end when leaving the tip I honestly was torn. I just felt like the kitchen staff which brought out both our appetizer and entree and bussed the table should be given the tip. Not the server who we only really saw to order. read more

I was SO underwhelmed by brunch here, I'm disappointed just thinking about it. I'd never been, and so many people have raved about the brunch menu, I figured I'd venture out and give them a shot. Don't think I'll bother again, though. For starters, you have to valet. Yeah, it's free, but I've NEVER been a fan of handing over the keys to my car to someone who essentially gets to potentially steal from me or wreck my car because the little parking tag they hand me releases them from liability. (And if you didn't realize that, READ that little card they hand you next time). I always just tip them and park myself, problem solved. Besides, valet here is kind of disorganized--I walked outside a couple of times, and NOBODY was at the stand, leaving a long line of customers waiting. I just paid them a few bucks and parked my car myself. I prefer it that way. Service inside was ok, but the food was completely underwhelming. Tables are kind of cramped, and of course, brunch is busy. I ordered the chicken and waffles, and I expected more flavor out of the chicken than I got. It was just bland. I could've just gone to Popeye's, at least I know they can properly season chicken there. Waffles were also just ok. I often get breakfast at Baby Barnaby's, and they use a touch of vanilla in their waffle batter. Sometimes it's the little things that can make a dish amazing. read more

The best grits I've ever tasted in life. The atmosphere is great awesome servers were great. Definitely worth a visit. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Shrimp & Grits And some good fried chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Fried chicken is almost as good as grandma's lol. I'm not a fan of collard greens at all but their greens are actually good to me! Atmosphere is nice and perfect spot for wine lovers read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Fried Chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came for brunch on a Sunday. Space is a bit tight, and it's a bit loud, but food and service were both excellent! We ordered the fried chicken and red velvet pancakes. Both were delish and it was great to have some sweet and savory. Portions are enormous, and I was only able to eat 1/2. Loved the honey chipotle dip that came with chicken. read more

First time visit food was excellent, valentines day deal was a little on the high end price wise but the miss's seemed to like it. Food was great and large portions given. Had the chicken mashed potatoes and greens, our server Mariah was outstanding knowledgable and extremely courteous. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

On a lovely evening, a friend and I decided to have our date night here. We settled into a packed bar on a weeknight. With half empty stomachs and sober minds, we embarked into the journey that is the wine list. As a practicing novice wine connoisseur, (translation: I know nothing about wines other than to drink it.) I chose something on the sweeter side, a Riesling wine. My friend chose a red wine that I can't seem to recall now that it's been a few days. We placed our appetizer-only orders with our extremely helpful waiter and off we were into a wonderful night. Bone marrow appetizer: Now it is my understanding that this is a seasonal item on their menu, but oh my. If you can get this, definitely try it! On a plate with two giant bones came a tiny spoon and pieces of delicious crusty bread. Scoop the marrow, spread it onto the little bread crusts and devour away. It's rich, buttery, and melts onto your mouth in a great way. Next up were their special for the night: lobster fries. With steaming hot fries, covered in chunks of lobster, and smothered in a delicious gooey 3 cheese blend, I think I had a heart attack at the sight of it. The richness of the lobster and cheese together was it for me. I went to town on those fries and my poor friend sat there getting in the occasional bite, most likely thinking that this is why he can't take me out in public. Overall our experience was amazing, the crowd was nice, although a bit packed. I can't wait for their new location to open, hopefully with more tables and space. An amazing night was had by my friend, me, and mostly my stomach. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - wines, bone marrow, and lobster fries. :) - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is furnished with dark wood & low lighting. The staff were sociable & hilarious. A friend of mine has been raving about 2 dishes for a while so on the odd night a friend wanted to try a different place I suggested we go here. Parking is limited & a problem so I just used the free valet. Lucky we were only 2 & they had a small table available in the back of the restaurant. We started off with a great bottle of red wine (although the mark-up was about 50%), we continued our food adventure with the famous lobster fries. Now when my friend told me about this dish I had this mental image of 4-5 pieces of lobster in a long rectangular shape just like a huge french fries in a cute metal container (european style). Please be aware that this dish is not on the menu but is always available (according to our waiter). However what I received was french fries, with gravy, loads of mouthwatering lobster chunks & I think there was some cheese too. I just about lost my mind when I had the first bite, MAJOR MOUTHGASM, it blew my mind & my friend's too!!! I felt like I was having a spiritual experience. We have a similar dish back home in Quebec called poutine, it felt like comfort food to me. We decided at that moment that we would keep up with our lobster themed evening. We prolonged our escapade with the lobster mac and cheese, it was delectable. Again they didn't skimp on the lobster & don't regret ordering it for a second. It was creamy & cheesy, just like velvet in your mouth. We concluded this feast with the El Diablo po'boy, a spicy lobster tail (it really was) topped with coleslaw and lime aioli on a pretzel hoagie served with garlic-parmesan fries. The pretzel bun was perfect with this dish, it complimented the flavors beautifully. Needless to say at that point we were too stuffed to try any dessert, maybe next time. In the future I would get 2 orders of the lobster fries & ditch the mac and cheese! I want to try the fried chicken because I heard it was finger licking good. To be continued.... read more

Pretty solid happy hour in the Washington area... we came here last night for our Tues Night dinner club and enjoyed an assortment of wine, appetizers, and entrees. I personally tasted the calamari (pretty good), the pulled pork sliders (decent but small), the fried egg sandwich (yummy, but super super GREASY!), and the fried chicken (tasty!)... the greens that came with the chicken were a little on the bitter side though... the max and cheese came with high expectations, but I'll admit I was a little disappointed... I like my mac and cheese to be cheesy and tasty... the cheese in my opinion wasn't sharp or flavorful enough, and that allowed the truffle oil to overpower the cheese flavor... but maybe that's just my personal preference... My only complaints were the lack of non-valet parking (although valet is complimentary so just tip them) and if you get seated in the back booth... man that A/C is SUPER COLD! I think my food was being refigerated before my very eyes. They need to do something about the vent back there cuz it was blowing straight on our table... Overall, I liked it and I'd recommend it as a place to hang out, have a glass of wine and some fried chicken. read more

Went here for lunch with co-workers and I WILL be back! I love the atmosphere and the food was superbly prepared. Although we sat inside, the day turned out beautifully suited for a patio mimosa! Too bad I had to return to work, but please believe me when I say, I will return to experience the true ambiance! I can't wait :-) **Wait staff = 5 Stars read more

I came here for a Saturday brunch. We made reservations and were seated immediately. Service was very quick and attentive, which was a huge plus. Although they were clearly busy, we never got the sense they were trying to push us out of our table once we finished. Everything was so delicious. I had the Eggs MAX, and sampled the Max n' Cheese and Creme Brulee French Toast ordered by my meal-mates. I tried the grapefruit mimosa and it was very good, if a little small. Definitely coming back for dinner! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Eggs MAX and a grapefruit mimosa :) - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My husband and I came here on a night out. We sat at the bar because we didn't have reservations, which was cool- but there were a lot of empty tables the whole time we were there.... so that was strange. The waitress at the bar didn't write any of our order down- so no surprise that it came out wrong! On the plus side- The chicken was super moist and delicious. Our cheese board was also really good, they ran out of yellow cheeses though... overall a good time! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Yummy cheese board. They ran out of yellow cheeses though - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Went for Saturday Brunch and had a great time! The weather was really nice and the service was excellent! I had the fried chicken with greens and home fried potatoes. The chicken was good not the best I've had but not bad. The greens was heavily cooked in vinegar and I'm not really a fan of that. I notice that people from the east coast do that a lot. Overall I would definitely go back and try another dish. By the way the Build your own Mimosas are a must!!! read more

Would recommend if u are out in about in the museum district the place was very nice inside and out everyone was wearing a mask and we were seated very quickly parking is $6 with cash and $7 with card. I got the chicken and waffles and my boyfriend got the club the lemonade here is AMAZING and so is the mac & cheese read more

Nothing famous about the skinless, unseasoned, fried chicken. The greens were sweet and unseasoned - all for only $18. Don't waste your time or money on their "headliner meal." read more

I have been to Max's in Austin and the Fairview location in Houston so many times! Each time I am NEVER disappointed but my gosh I think I found my new favorite location on Washington!!! The prices are very reasonable! Max's is such a classy and elegant place, always very clean the staff is always very friendly! Our waitress Taylor F. was a complete angel, she was kind, funny, and extremely helpful, she had a beautiful soul!!! I had the Creme brûlée's French Toast and that taste was out of this world (kiss the cook for me)! The caramelized pineapple mimosa was delicious, I was definitely buzzed after a few sips. I recommend this nice little dive 10 out 10! See you soon Max's!! read more

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Came here after a show.... Nacho Oysters... YUM! Kobe Burger... YUM, but rich. Those are the only dishes I remember eating. The only flaw would be the crowd. It's a small joint and I don't think it was such a great idea to have dinner at 11pm since all the drinkers were out and overcrowding the place. read more

Venison sausage, spicy okra salad, crawfish potato salad, oh my! My friend from LA found the special very inventive - the gator bites also very tasty and the HAUTE dog very unusual and satisfying! We had a great time, no wait, for a late Fri night! We'll be back! Great service! read more

It's been quite a while since I came here. It seems like each time I visit there's a new chef and a change in the seating arrangements. As usual the place was packed, wine list was varied and service was mostly fun and consistently efficient. Some regular favorites: Southern Fried Chicken, MAX 'n Cheese, Fried oyster nachos. Tonight's dinner for me was the Drunk bread and scallops. Drunk bread is always good, bubbling and crusty outside, creamy inside. Don't worry, I shared with 4 people! The scallops were chopped and placed back in the shell with a bready topping and broiled. Flavor was good, but I thought they were a bit overcooked. I heard good things about the fried egg sandwich, bone marrow service, and tried some chicken livers with a definite Asian influence. If you're looking for a trendy place to hang out and get good wine and pretty good food, this is definitely still the spot. Get a reservation or get there early, because you won't find a seat otherwise! read more