I've been wanting to come here and finally!!! I really loved everything. We had another couple with us so I got to try four dishes. - lasagna -fried chicken -Mac and cheese -fried oysters -chicken fried steak - chicken sliders Everything we ordered was delightful. I thought the Mac and cheese was wonderful. The fried oysters had a white sauce and I don't like white sauces, but this was fantastic. The wine list is excellent. The boy and I will definitely be back! read more

Max's Wine Dive has an awesome wine selection! Not only does it have a pretty good selection, the waiters actually know a thing or two about the wines (which unfortunately isn't the case at all wine bars)! I've been twice, both during the week. It's a great date spot but I definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. Noise level was pretty loud, but I just assume everyone was having a good time. Food - I ordered the chicken and risotto and my date had the classic southern fried chicken. They were both delicious!!! The southern fried chicken was so tasty, the mashed potatoes were great too. I loved my mushroom risotto and my chicken had a lot of flavor as well. There were plenty of other southern comfort food options like burgers, hot dogs, and steak to choose from. I had a great time there both evenings and will definitely be going back! I hear they have a pretty good brunch too, I have yet to try it out! read more

My wife and I went for Houston Restaurant Weeks. It was not the greatest experience. The food was ok and the HRW portion were much smaller than normal. You would have gotten a much better value just ordering the dishes separately. The service was good, but not great. My wife was discouraged from ordering off the normal menu since I was on the HRW menu, but everything turned out OK. Whatever she ordered, I think duck, turned out really well. I will be back, but never again during HRW. read more

I was very irritated because we had to wait 30 minutes for our table to be ready even though we had a reservation. That just doesn't make sense to me. I feel that the hostess/management should have made it a point to offer us any seats that opened up at the bar, especially since we were waiting so long. 2 stars for them. On the upside, the food was amazing as usual (try the fried chicken and Max 'n Cheese if it's your 1st time!). A lady did offer us a wine list so we could order a glass while we waited for our table. And, the bus boys were extremely attentive with refilling our glasses and clearing dirty plates. But we only saw our waiter maybe twice the whole evening. That was a bit weird. 4 stars for the food and most of the service. read more

This place has really taken a dive from what it once used to be. My first few experiences here were completely 5 star experiences. Last night, we did enjoy the wine (Max's own pinot noir) was great. Service was great except for the fact she totally did not take a cue from our responses/a lot of food left on the plate that we did not enjoy our meals. I ordered their famous and my go to, the fried chicken meal. My date ordered the drunken bread. My first few bites of the chicken breast was great, but then it was a little soggy. The leg was way over cooked, and the thigh was greasy, soggy piece of chicken. I knew their Texas toast would be dry and salty like it always has been (never liked their Texas Toast). I was looking forward to the collared greens because they had always been amazing. These unfortunately were so salty that I hardly ate any. I was so disappointed. My date did not enjoy the drunken bread. She had me try it and it did not have much taste at all. It had a faint taste of a cheese version of a coffee cake. The meals were terrible. If it had not been for the wine and the service, I would have given them 1 or 2 stars. I don't know if I will go back for food, but I would go back for wine. The place is often busy, it was very busy for a Monday night at 8pm when we went but did not have a problem getting a table. They had several large reserved tables, which were never taken the hour we were there. It is loud in there so if you are looking for a quiet glass of wine, this is likely not the place for you. Parking is bad, but they have valet parking so you do not have to worry about it. read more

Went for HRW again but was less than amazed. The oysters and Mac and cheese were great appetizers, but the watermelon salad was mostly arugula. We ordered two burgers medium and got two burgers medium rare. And I noticed other tables getting the burgers and they had more toppings than us. Maybe they ordered theirs with extra toppings?? And one of the burgers was the shape of a cue ball or meatball and was very very pink inside. Son got fried egg sandwich and devoured it but didn't eat the chips cause they were overloaded with truffle oil. Even I couldn't eat them. The not so good: there were 3 of us at the table, they charged us for 4 meals. Waiter looked irritated when I pointed that out to him. Wine we ordered showed $39, but were charged $44 after being told the menu was wrong. They redid the bill to remove the extra meal and the $5 difference in wine so kudos to them! I hope they can move into a larger space as it always so cramped. read more

I had a very enjoyable boozy brunch here a rainy Sunday 2 weeks ago. The place is somewhat small and it does tend to get loud but that doesn't bother me. It was crowded and most of the tables were full despite the ugly weather. The placement of the tables, or at least our table, made it a tad too crowded, people brushing past us to get to the door in some instances. We had a reservation via OpenTable and had no problems, the table was waiting for us upon arrival. The service was great: our waiter was attentive and polite. Foods - We got the Max 'n cheese: creamy and cheesy and perfect! The southern fried chicken was crispy and cooked well, a big portion of chicken. The quality of the collard greens were, meh. For desert we shared Anna's nutella banana stuffed crepes. Stuffed from our meal, we somehow managed to eat it all. My dessert stomach was very happy. We had about 3 mimosas each, I thought the portion was somewhat small BUT they were strong so it wasn't much of a bother. All in all, it's a pricey brunch but definitely worth it in my opinion. Would recommend others check it out. read more

This is the ultimate brunch stop in Houston. And here's a little tip, if you aren't a fan of waiting, reserve a table via Open Table. Not only will you not have to wait, I've noticed that when I do reserve a table, I'm seated at the tall tops; a preference for me. The BEST dish they offer is the fried chicken. You can get it as a meal or order pieces a la carte; something I do no matter what I order. The chicken really is THAT delicious. The vibe is really laid back and also a great place to people watch-- is it me, or do the beautiful people in Houston hang out here on Sunday's. I strongly suggest eating here. You will return...I promise. read more

We went for brunch and there wasn't anything that the 4 of us had that was bad. I had the red velvet pancakes (delicious, just don't use the syrup, it ruins the flavor of the pancake) and others had the omlettes w/ grits (which are fantastic). The plate that stole the show was The Egg Sandwich....fried egg, truffle oil, tomato, alioli mayo (I think), and I am pretty sure the bread was toasted with a little bit of cheese on it. It came with some homemade truffle chips. Fantastic. Oh, and the grapefruit mimosa was incredibly light and the perfect amount of sweet and tart. Very good meal! For happy hour, get the Nacho Mama's oysters. Delicious. Must get them! read more

I'm a huge fan of creme brulee and find myself wanting to try anything/everything that's creme brulee flavored. Once I found out that this restaurant serves Creme Brulee French Toast, I had to give it a try. I met up with some friends for brunch on a early Sunday morning. I was told to make reservations beforehand, and I did. I can see why it's a good idea given how small the place is. Parking was easy since it was early, but again I can see it being pretty difficult during the busy times. I ordered the creme brulee french toast (of course) while my friends ordered the Fried Egg Sandwich and the Southern Fried Chicken. Both dishes looked good but pretty greasy. My heart hurt just by looking at it. I would definitely come back to try their dinner menu and maybe pair it with wine as well. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Creme Brulee French Toast - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Avocado crab toast was amazing. I subbed the arugula for Caesar and it was so delicious. I'm a picky pescatarian, but I loved this place. So cute too! read more

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

Went here for the first time and I tried their fried chicken plate. I must say it lived up to to hype. Mu wife and son had their chicken and waffles which was pretty good they enjoyed every bite. The only thing that was not that great was their greens it tasted like it was drowned in vinegar. I will be going for sure to have the chicken but not the greens. read more

I'm all about finding a restaurant with a good concept and great branding, and everything about a trip to Max's Wine Dive seems to just fit perfectly with the image they've created. Without knowing anything about Max's before one's first visit to the place, it may appear to be just another wine bar, minus a gimmicky name. However, upon stepping inside, it's apparent this place is anything but typical. Max's is a Texas-based chain with a location in most of the major cities in the Lone Star State. The wine is served in wine glasses with the Max's logo plastered across the front, the staff all sport black t-shirts with clever plays-on-words like "You had me at Merlot..." and their most advertised entree is a relatively radical combo: Fried Chicken and Champagne. It all works together to create a laid back, eclectic environment where the wine selection is as long as the food is delicious. The overall menu is centered on comfort food, with anything from pulled pork stuffed peppers to "haute" dogs decked out in chili and onion rings on a sourdough bun. I kicked things off with a glass of merlot, as well as the "Nacho Mama's Oysters," a top-notch seafood appetizer. Sometimes I get concerned when people get too creative with their oysters, but in the case these lightly-fried Gulf oysters have the perfect mix of spice from the habanero salsa and flavor from the garlic aioli. Perfect way to start your meal here. Being the sucker for good advertising and gimmicks that I am, I went with the fried chicken and champagne for my entree. I'm not sure if I still truly understand the chicken-champagne combo, but I can say that the fried chicken was no joke! The buttermilk marinade makes for a juicy bite that comes right off the bone, and the crisp breading and slight honey taste make for a very enjoyable bite of chicken. Throw in the collard greens and mashed potatoes, any you've got a perfect Southern dish that makes you feel right at home (regardless of where home is for you). Looking forward to making it back to Max's to try out the rest of the menu. Enjoy! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - view from the bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food was ok. I would not recommend. Atmosphere is OK. Staff wasn't super friendly either.

I've been here twice now, and I like it. One thing to note -- on peak hours, it's packed. Off peak, it's a great place to lounge. Regardless of when you go, I'd recommend it. Nice wine list for the aficionados, and some pretty good food. I'm not a fan of chicken... but get the chicken. Cracklin Chicken, to be exact. The risotto is to die for. Seriously... can I just get a bowl/plate of that? Can I take some home with me, too? I've also got to say that I was really impressed with the service. Even at full capacity, the waitstaff was attentive and friendly. Those are usually the first things to go when places get filled and busy, but not here. Big thumbs up. Four stars instead of five -- for two reasons. The first is that parking is awful during peak times. Typical in this part of town, but it's still a hassle. The second is that it's either beer or wine. No cocktails. Oh, I know. It's a wine bar... how dare I? Still... sometimes you just want a vodka tonic and you're at a wine bar because that's what your companion(s) want. Really, though... those are nitpicks. I'll be back :) read more

MAX's Wine Dive - They *do* serve just the risotto!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been to MAX's Wine Dive 3 times, and each time I (& Husband) love it. The food is great. The wine is great. And I love the feel of the place. Some rec's though: I like to go during the non-busy hours. That means going at like 4 in the afternoon. If you MUST go on a Friday or Sat. night- MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR SURE! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Cheese Plate @ Max's Wine Dive! - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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They have an excellent bubbles. Fir the sweet wine drinker, I'd recommend the bodio moscato. They have a seasonal menu. I loooove that in small venues. The venue is centered around the bar, which was made of wood. They have intimate hight two seater tables and short tables for four bi wouldn't recommend a larger party than that. They hada lobster tail as a special and I couldn't help myself. It was smothered with a crab lobster sauce. I was surprised by how delicious and cheesy it was! Be fair warned. This place is serious when they say they make comfort food. The portions are quite large! Come hungry and leave happy! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Love the wine glass detail :) - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Stong mimosas!! Most champagne! A definite must for brunch! I had gotten the eggs MAX and while it was tasty, I wasnt a fan of the collard greens. Some of them were bitter and it wasnt a nice after taste. Service was pretty good as well, it helped that the waiter was attractive as well. My friends got the crepe and loved them but personally I though they were tok sweet. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Eggs max and orange juice mimosa - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I have been to Max's Wine Dive a few times now. I haven't been able to stray myself away from their fried chicken for dinner since it is absolutely delicious. This most recent visit was for brunch and boy did I wish I had stayed with the fried chicken as I was pretty disappointed with my meal. I had the steak and eggs. The steak was supposed to be a rib eye and I ordered it medium rare. When I received my plate the steak, if it was actually a rib eye (it was questionable), was the thinnest and most overcooked hockey puck I've ever received. The Texas toast was not toasted at all and the home fries were inedible as they were super greasy. I was a fan of Max's until this brunch experience - if I go back I will be sure to only get the fried chicken as that seems as though that's what they are good at. read more

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

I'm aiming for more of a 4.5/5 but I'll round up! The ambiance is nice, great for brunch and dinner! Wide collection of wine, I came here one night just for dinner after work with a friend, Landon was our server I believe, he was great and very attentive. We end up going with the hrw menu because we are indecisive girls and we needed something to limit us! I had a glass of Cabernet, oyster nachos, watermelon arugula salad, with the chicken risotto (which he recommended, which was great!) and brownies for dessert! Which was good. The caramel on top of the brownie really hit it off. I work down the streets and always pass this place up and I finally got to try it, it was nice. I'll be back! read more

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

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I have visited here for about 2 years now, and this was my 1st BAD experience....Sadly I brought 3 people with me for the 1st time! Our chicken was still bloody....manager said he dont compensate, they replace the meal. Wow. I can tell when a restaurant change leadership HORRIBLE read more

I've been to MAX's Wine Dive several times at their different locations across Texas, and have always left so impressed with my meal and their menu. Everything is absolutely delicious! Their service is always phenomenal and I love the total vibe! This is a great spot for various occasions. I'll always keep this place at the top of my list! read more

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I dream of their champ and chicken & waffles DAILY. I love this place!!! Service is always great. It's cool the kitchen is open to see. Never have issues waiting. read more

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

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Me and a friend of mines went after a long day in a Make Up Class and I really loved it here. I got the fried chicken, collards and mashed potato but please get jalapeno grits..they are a amazing! Cant wait to go back for brunch. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Fried Chicken and Mash Potato was awesome! But get the jalapeño grits! - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Place has great food - a great place to meet up with friends-- but this evening I was told by a manager at 12:25 to wrap it up and leave... (they close at 12) - I was with my fiancé and we were talking as we were waiting for an Uber-- and he said - "I'm going to need y'all to wrap it up and leave" -- what? I asked - "wrap it up" -- ummm... no. read more

Great wine and cute dog photos on the wall what more could you ask for?! Our servers Blake & John were great and attentive. Deviled eggs were so good! They sell their wine so we bought a case. Good selection and price. read more

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So heartbreaking! I wanted to love this! Service was okay unless asking for sugar for the iced tea 4 times bothers you? Very slow service. I got the lobster sliders. More like mayo sliders with dill. You cannot taste it with the bread so I just folded the lettuce and made them bite size mayo sliders! I got a side salad and I was picking out moly lettuce so I just didn't eat it. I wouldn't recommend here. Two stars for good wine. read more

Great food, chill atmosphere, and lots of WINE! Angel was our server...LOVED her energy!!!! Grits and Greens was my fave...chicken and waffles ran a close 2nd! read more

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I love a good brunch so I could not wait to try this highly rated establishment. I met my friend on a Saturday shortly after noon. Surprisingly, we were immediately seated. It was not very crowded. We both ordered the same thing - The Honey-Butter Benedict w/ side of home fries. The menu says that it comes with 2 southern style biscuits. FYI, it is just ONE biscuit that is served cut in half. Other foodies would understand how hurtful this mislead was. Nevertheless, the food was great. The ONE biscuit was perfect - nice & fluffy. Chicken was nicely seasoned and fried perfectly. The true star was the cream gravy that is poured over the entree. Very, very good. Price is kinda steep, but I guess you are paying for the higher quality ingredients...I hope. Definitely will return! read more

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

Like daym. Best fried chicken anywhere...if you haven't eaten the fried chicken here you haven't had real down home..Southern fried chicken. I will say this again..loud for the folks in the back... Houston is a mecca for Amazing food. It's easy to find great food there...so when I rate a place "best in Houston" it's saying something. This place has the best fried chicken in Houston. read more

As a regular here, I'm extremely disappointed in this place. I came here today 9/17/2023, for brunch with my mom. We both ordered the chicken & waffles; and substituted the waffles for French toast. When our food first came out, our chicken was extremely small. I mentioned it to the waiter and she was so sweet she immediately said she'll bring our more. In the midst of waiting for the fresh chicken we decided to taste the chicken on our plate. The chicken was completely pink on the inside!!! As the other chicken came out, I informed the waiter just to let the chef know the chicken was not only small but under cooked aswell. At this point my nerves was bad I'm checking every piece I try. I break apart the new chicken it's STILL completely pink on the inside. I went to break open all of the fresh pieces of chicken and they all were pink!!! SHM!! By this time I asked to speak with a manager. Cody comes over and give a very dry apology, and asked do I want more chicken. UM NO. He then offers to take the plate from in front of me and ask do a I want something else. I said not. He then said he'd be back by to check on us but never came back. I'm more vocal than my mom but we had the same issue. Our tab comes out and everything was on there. You'd think after serving a customer pink chicken you'd comp there meals... Salmonella is real and could be very deadly if consumed. To make matters worst the owner Rocko was there and didn't even swing by the table to check on customers who was served raw chicken. I'm annoyed I didn't get pictures to show how pink this chicken really was. read more

Appetizers were amazing. Ordered Pb&j bites and deviled eggs with grab meat. They were perfect. Mimosas were overpriced and serving size was minimal. Tried caramelized pineapple mimosa and regular house mimosa. Nothing to brag about. We ordered egg benedict and chicken strips with waffles. Eggs benedict was great, chicken and waffles were super disappointing. Even tried drowning the bland strips in chipotle honey sauce, which did nothing. Waffle was also bland. I barely ate a strip and a fourth of the waffle. I'd be willing to give it another try because of the service and attentiveness of staff. Chill atmosphere and nice vibe. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Deviled eggs with crab meat, caramelized pineApple mimosa, pb&j bites and house mimosa. - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been wanting to go to Max's for sometime now, since it always pops up on my Instagram. I finally made it, I can honestly say I was blown away. Since I live at least 30 minutes away, I called ahead to see if there was a wait. The girl on the phone said their was a 30 min wait. So me and my family decided to head over any way. We get there and to our surprise we were seated immediately. Which was great being I had a 2 yr old toddler with me. The waitress was friendly and attentive. The environment was nice for a kid on a Sunday. The Food gets a 10 thousand star. I mean amazing, we went during the brunch hour. We can't wait to go back for dinner.This place is a must try. It's worth the price. read more

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

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I choose this place to eat yesterday and food was horrible the grits were cold the cheese did not melt. and greens were cold. And waffle was cold and hard. I would choose the Fairview location next time. to eat read more

Intimate...I pulled up to the Shepherd location and was not sure of whether I had arrived at the right spot or not. I had only visited the Dallas location and aesthetically it was a lot different. Anyhow, upon entering we were immediately greeted and seated. We arrived just after brunch so we enjoyed a late dinner. We began with the Max and cheese appetizer which was complimented well by the Syrah. The pasta was al dente with a cheesy goodness from the Asiago. I should have added the chicken tenders and made this my meal. I ordered the prized chicken with chipotle honey. It was not as good as I remember. It comes with greens and mashed potatoes. The presentation was cute, but with a $70, it is a bit pricey for my cost efficient palette. read more

Delicious! Amazing customer service and the food presentation is on point. There's a variety of tasty dishes and you've got to try all of them! read more

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

I absolutely loooove this place !!! If you want excellent, classic southern fried chicken, this is the place! And it's also located in a great part of town, with an awesome patio ... everting on their menu is delicious Oh! And they have a Sunday brunch menu! Yay:) read more

I don't think MAX's is what it use to be. After, being extremely hungry we decided to come to the all so famous MAX's wine and dive and I will say it has changed for me tremendously. I was looking for the taste that it once gave and I didn't get it AT ALL. read more

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

Three stars is pushing it. Steaks tacos were bland, wings were anorexic and the tacos were mostly filled with Greens. Not impressed!! read more

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Toast are great! Great service food is the bomb..first time coming here ans the food was great..love the choice of mimosas. Also a very intinate setting. read more

MAX's Wine Dive - Great food..good service..great environment - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas