Max

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51 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009-7441
New York, NY 10009

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(212) 539-0111
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Max - New York, NY
Reviews
( 25 )
( 35 )
( 6 )
( 9 )
( 15 )

Best

This little hole in the wall Italian restaurant is fantastic. A rustic, down-to-earth, no reservation needed home cooked place that serves phenomenal pasta. You need to come hun...

Worst

I've been hearing about this place for a while, but I don't know why. From start to finnish, every thing was OK, just OK. The service left a lot to be desired, to much ""beautiful...

Mmmm! 12/6/2002

On the upside: The accented waiters are usually handsome and flirtatious - at the very least friendly. The food is excellent, with phenom appetizers, a good wine list and more than reasonable prices. On the downside: There is always a wait. It is frequently full of people who have had WAY too much wine. The hostesses, though lovely to look at, are petulant and not good at their jobs. Overall it's totally worth, a must if you live in the area. Pros: Warm, Inexpensive, Good food Cons: Crowded, Mildly disorganized more
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A lap full of red wine 12/4/2002

I have never had such a horrible dining experience. The staff was incredibly rude. We were seated in the most uncomfortable, high traffic position. A passerby spilled a bottle of red wine all over my boyfriend and I. No one apologized to us. The waiter told us it was our fault for moving the table. In the previous position, I kept getting hit in the head. Then, when we wanted to leave, the waiter ignored us continuely as we asked for the bill. Finally, we just left, soaked with red wine, without paying. Pros: Inexpensive Cons: Service more
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Greasy Food with Greasier Hosts 12/4/2002

I ate here with a few friends and had the worst time of my life. horrible service, unapologetic waiter for mishap, so cramped i got knocked in the head a few times by patrons walking through with big bags. desserts were good. more
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What they do, they do well 9/24/2002

The description ""like mom used to make"" is pretty accurate. Mom's food is always great, but she is also not a five star chef. The food here is good, hearty and simple, though I would not say particularly outstanding or interesting/inventive. What they do, they do well. Further, the atmosphere is nice and laid back. Go here for quality homestyle dishes, and you won't be disappointed. I am always a fan of the Ravioli of the Day, but don't forget to try the homemade gnochi, which comes with plenty of mozzerella. Pros: straight forward, warm environment, inexpensive Cons: too simple at times, kind of small menu more
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stop fake reviews 8/29/2002

The food at this restaurant is NOT yummy. I have eaten here twice and tried differant dishes and whoever is writing these fabulous reviews must be working there and trying to promote it. I think their back bar is popular but that would be the only reason to go here. more
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Like momma's home cooking 8/22/2002

The food is tasty--very much like homecooked food. Everything on the menu is good and their specials are inventive. The waiters are cute and have sexy italian accents. Very casual which is nice if you just want to drop by. You can't beat the prices for such good quality. I have tried every pasta dish and I can't say a negative thing about their food. Pros: inexpensive, awesome food Cons: too crowded, long waits, no reservations more
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Going Down Hill 8/20/2002

Now that it has a name for itself, Max has really let its food quality go downhill. The first time we went the dishes were yummy and the meat sauces were meaty. When we went a few months later, the sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee and we couldn't tell the meat sauce from the vegetarian. Perhaps their former cook quit. more
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reviews sound ""homemade"".. 8/18/2002

I just can't help to note that too many of Max's reviews strongly sound as the were written by their staff itself.... Despite this ""little"" feeling I must agree that the place is not bad and the food really affordable. Just I don't find it to be so much the top of the top as somebody writes..also considering that you literally eat elbow to elbow with the stranger next to you and you are delivered the check while still eating the maincourse (I swear once it happened during my appetizer time!!!) in order to make room for the next fellows to come. Pros: unexpensive Cons: already-seen type, overoverovercrowded, bad service more
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Buonissimo 7/31/2002

The menus at the downtown and the uptown (Max Soha) restaurants are the same, and the food at both spots is absolutely delicious. Of the two, I prefer Max Soha for its more sophisticated atmosphere. more
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max's is the best. don't tell anyone! 7/23/2002

the food is amazing and won't hurt your wallet either.... but keep this place a secret, because once people find out about it you'll never be able to get a table. more
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Outdoor dining 6/16/2002

The most enduring quality that Max had to offer was the outdoor dining in the middle of alphabet city. We were seated promptly and the wait staff was very attentive and service oriented. The house chianti was a little too dry and I would not recommend it. However, the spaghetti in lamb sauce was fantastic. Pros: Service, Food, Hostess Cons: Wine, Small Bar more
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bustling 6/12/2002

this place was hopping in the middle of the week, with birthday parties, groups and couples. too bad the bar area is so small because they really pack them in here. decent Italian food at a good price. extensive wine list also--would definitely go back Pros: ambiance Cons: service more
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nice little place 5/27/2002

I recommend this place. They have a great patio which would be perfect for a group. The food is very simple but good. more
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Max'ed out 5/15/2002

Nice basic Italian at amazingly low cost. Lamb ragu is good. Just be prepared to wait--and to dine crammed elbow to elbow with weekend East Village party-crashers. more
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Menu for Max


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Editorial

  • Young, thickly-accented waiters work a narrow room of fewer than 30 seats. Occasionally, Italian hip-hop that sounds suspiciously similar to Public Enemy circa ""Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos""...

  • 10/6/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Payments: Cash
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Alphabet City, East Village
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