Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Max a Mia

    3.8 (336 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order Max a Mia Takeout

    Max a Mia Photos

    MAX A MIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Max a Mia

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tiramisu
    Greg G.

    So I think my last review was at the new location, and probably will complain here about the same things, but anyway - tonight we celebrated my wife's birthday with my kids. Service was great. Food was good. The new location is nice, But... we are still disappointed in the menu changes. The highlight here is the finish- this is the best tiramisu in Connecticut. There is only one place in Boston that beats it, and Max a Mia's is my #2 nation wide. Dinner was ok. Chicken parm is average, the Tuscan salad had different lettuce than normal, maybe because of the stomach bug that is currently in the USA, and the pepperoni pizza was good. The chicken parm was different than last time too, and I am not a fan of the ribbon pasta. To me it was nice service but sub par food. My other bummer, which is big one for me (sorry) is that the Coke didn't taste like it. I thought it was Coke Zero maybe? Our server said it was Coke. It didn't taste right. It set off the dinner. The deletion of calamari as an appetizer is a mistake. The replacement which is a medley of things, including calamari, is not something my family will eat. Not everyone likes shrimp. So after the wonderful experience and ho hum food, we decided to delegate Max a Mia as a good lunch spot.

    Ice Tea!!
    Kat S.

    We have tried to get in here 3 to 4 times! Tonight we got in and so not disappointed! The waitress is adorable and sweet. The Ice Tea is so delicious you do not need sweetner. The chicken parm was cooked to perfection. The sauce has a bitter taste but we like it, it's real italian taste. 1/2 chicken was juicy and so much flavor, zero regrets!! 10 of 10

    d8nner for five
    Dan R.

    "But when I see you darlin' It's like we both are fallin' in love again It'll be just like startin' over" (John Lennon) After a very successful 34-year run at 70 East Main Street in Avon, Max A Mia has started over by moving about two miles west into the Avon Marketplace in a spot previously occupied by Bertucci's. The makeover is stunning and Max A Mia's design team really deserves a lot of credit for putting together such a gorgeous design. The walled bar that used to be closed in is now open and very inviting, and the open dining room furniture and décor look modern and glitzy. Their dinner menu speaks with an Italian accent, so you'll see Minestrone, Arancini, Meatballs, Pasta, Parmigiana, Lasagne, and Pizzas among the fish, chicken, and steak choices. Arianna was our server, and she was a gem. With an engaging personality off the charts, she wowed us with her effortless knowledge of the menu, explaining every minute detail of the cocktail and meal specials we asked about. She started us off with a complimentary basket of assorted breads served with a baked head of garlic and a ramekin of tomato sugo. Three of us had cocktails, a Rio Lowball ($13) with cacacha, sauvignon blanc syrup, and lime quarters, a Paper Plane ($13) with bourbon, aperol, amaro, and lemon, and one of their non-alcohol choices -a Pink & Bubbly ($10). Max a Mia takes non-alcoholic drinks seriously, they were quite a few NA cocktails on the menu PLUS four NA wines ($10-$14/glass) for a Sparkling Reisling, a Riesling, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot. I definitely wasn't in an NA mood, so the Paper Plane was my choice after a discussion with Arianna. She gave me great advice, because it was strong, smooth, and excellent. Our meal choices were from every corner of Max a Mia's menu - two Lobster Fra Diavlos (@ $36), a Brooklyn Chicken Parmigiana ($31), an Eggplant Lasagna ($27), and a Truffle Mushroom Pizza ($19). I was one of the Lobster Fra Diavlos, and I have to tell ya, it was one of the best meals I've had all year. It was one of the evening's specials, and Arianna described it in detail - a half pound of lobster meat, an in-depth explanation of Buccatini pasta, and reassurance that I was OK with a "spicy" sauce, which I enthusiastically am. The lobster was perfect, the pasta was great, and yes... that sauce sure was spicy. We ended the evening with a visit to the dessert menu with a Tiramisu ($9), a Bocci Ball ($9 with bonus points for presentation because it came out sliced), an Affogato, and a big dish of vanilla gelato ($7). I had the Affogato (Espresso, vanilla gelato, house made biscotti) and it was a perfect mix of flavors and textures. Our pre-Thanksgiving family meal was fantastic, and we enjoyed every detail of the food, service, atmosphere, and the manager's visit who came over to chat with us. Five stars for sure. Historical Note So, what became of the old Max A Mia space? Today it's occupied by Dogology pet supplies and New England Puppy Rescue.

    Potato Gnocchi
    Dan S.

    So let's get two things out of the way first: 1) the new space is gorgeous. It's brighter and warmer than before. 2) the food is delish, with new menu items including homemade pastas. But then there's the service. It's frustrating when a server just isn't very good at her job, particularly at a Max restaurant which usually hires the best of the best. Why was service so troubled? Drink orders taking forever to be filled (including providing a half carafe of wine nearly all the way thru dinner). And a missing arancini appetizer that somehow took the kitchen 40 minutes to prepare and sent out about 2 mins before the main courses (and 2 mins after I asked). And the bill had an improper dish on it. Then took another 10 minutes to just get a new bill. Very unlike Max restaurants but take an otherwise great meal into a frustrating one. Loved the gnocchi though and the chicken parm was its usual terrific self.

    My Negroni Sbagliato was so good, but the pour was super light and I sucked it down and just like that it was gone. I cried.
    Paul B.

    I have one gripe about this restaurant group, but I will save the comment for last. The good news first: read my previous review. You will see that we not only love this restaurant, but are loyal to it and come pretty frequently. Recently, the restaurant has undergone a location change from a smaller intimate, dimly-lighted restaurant to a much larger concept, built for better accommodations, larger groups, and shorter waiting times. The food is great as usual. I loved the minestrone that I had, but was disappointed that there was no pasta in it--not a big deal, all the flavors and the pesto infusion on the top blended in quite beautifully and made this a very unique take on a classic minestrone. We love the salad here, there's always a generous protein, no matter what you choose. And the star of the salad is not only the plentiful bocconcini, but those delicious fried polenta croutons. When you ask for bread, you'll get little pieces of focaccia and a sauce that is to die for. One of the greatest things about this restaurant is the sauce and whole baked garlic. OK, so here's my grip. After about 13 years of eating at various Max restaurants, we just hit 1000 points on their rewards program and STILL we have no redeemable points. I tried to sign on to their app but had technical difficulties and had to call someone at their main office to get it rectified. I still ran into some problems and haven't done it yet. Last if we compare to other restaurants we eat at but have similar programs, this one is last on the list for generosity and frequency of rewards. It does no good to have a rewards program that takes close to 13 years and 4o visits to get a small insignificant reward back. At this point, I'm debating whether it's even worth taking up that small millimeter of space in my wallet for this card. Let's do better on this one, dear management!

    Eugene G.

    Five of us finally managed to score a reservation at the new Max A Mia location in Avon. They opened the new location in September and it literally took five weeks to catch a reservation between 4 PM and 8:45 PM. It was worth the wait. We were huge fans of the old location and look forward to tonight. We had a round of appetizers and some bread after we sat down and ordered a bottle of extra dry Prosecco. I tried the grilled octopus that came with a side sauce of hummus - outstanding! Grilled octopus has a unique flavor that is a blend of mildly sweet and slightly salty, with a smoky char from the grill. Its taste is clean and not overly "fishy." Max a Mia nailed it. We also ordered my old standby, the house made meatballs that are absolutely out of this world. The focaccia bread is also made in-house and served with a bit of marinara and some roasted garlic. If there's one reason to come to Max A Mia, it's for the focaccia bread. My entree was Lobster Agnolotti, a lemon-potato ricotta, corn-tomato brodo with a generous portion of lobster meat. This sounds better than it turned out. The lemon potato ricotta was on the bland side, the roasted corn suffered from swimming in a broth that bathed the dish to the extent that the combination of flavors that should've been obvious were badly muted and distracted from what otherwise could've been a great dish. Others had the Bucatini, and raved about the chicken sausage. Another had the Eggplant lasagna, something she orders every time we go, and it did not disappoint. Still another had the Ragu Bolognese, and found the dish to be rich and every bit is good as every other time we had it at the old location. For what little room we had left after all of this, we ordered a slice of coconut cake to try among the three of us, and then two others shared tiramisu. The coconut cake is to die for. It's huge and easily fed three of us with a healthy portion. Toasted coconut, cake that was mildly moist and delicious along with a coconut frosting that will keep you up at night wondering when you can get another slice. The tiramisu was excellent and drizzled along the bottom of the plate was a chocolate ganache that woke up the tiramisu considerably and was a wonderful accompaniment for what is otherwise a dish that has a certain expectation, but this one was special. 5 of us with 2 bottles of Pellegrino and a $40 extra dry prosecco, appetizers, entrees and 2 desserts ate for $275. Our server for the evening was the outstanding professional with a mastery of the menu and paid just the right amount of attention to our table on what was a moderately busy Sunday evening dinner time. Had it not been for my lobster dish, this would've been a five star dining experience.

    Kevin D.

    Family-friendly Italian fare, pricy but not bad Headed to Avon for some fancy oils and vinegar shopping. Had to pick up some grub, so we went to this location. Space is large and inviting, lots of seating and half-booths. The server situation was interesting, we did have a server but they swapped a few times throughout the meal. Unsure why, but it was strange. Menu is small but varied. Salads, sandwiches, appetizers, sides, pasta, and grill sections had a good mix of proteins and flavor profiles. We went tapas style, opting for the squash blossoms, meatballs, and bolognese. Food was significantly delayed, but we eventually got all of our plates. The squash blossoms were battered and fried well. light and crisp, tender inside. the herb and garlic ricotta had a good texture, but absolutely no flavor. The tomato ragu underneath was needed to give it a semblance of flavor, and really carried the dish to acceptable. The meatballs were dense but flavorful. the tomato sauce was deep and rich which worked well with the salty pork umami of the meatball. cheese was unneeded, ricotta was also unseasoned with this dish as well. We did get a small smattering of bread and olives which we tried. really liked their flatbread, their oil is good, their baguette was very crusty but chewy soft on the inside. overall not bad. The bolognese was split between us. wasn't as tomato forward as I would've hoped, but it was much easier on the stomachs. the pasta was delightful. fresh, springy, cooked perfectly and gripped the sauce. entire dish was under seasoned, needed salt, crushed red pepper, and parmesan to really amp the flavors up. but the parmesean was freshly grated which is a nice touch. Bill for the 3 items and a bottle of still water was about 50 dollars, which is a little pricy but not too pricy for italian fare. For a Family-oriented dining location, I can see this being a viable option for the area. our experience was lacking, and the dishes presented were lacking seasoning. Nothing we had was bad or terrible, there is promise in their staple dishes. If they can improve on their experience and their expediting, the prices they charge can be justified.

    Outside
    Rebecca K.

    Just stopped in to Max a Mia. First time since they moved. The place is gorgeous!!! Plenty of seating and the business seems good. Had the calamari and spinach ricotta gnudi. Both were fantastic!! Service was great!!

    Kids homemade Mac n cheese !!
    katie d.

    Five Stars! We had such a great experience here! The service was excellent our waitress was so friendly, had great manners, and made us feel welcome right away. As soon as we sat down, they brought us bread immediately which was a nice touch. We started with the meatballs and they were so good full of flavor and cooked perfectly. For pizza, we ordered a margarita pizza and a cheese pizza, and the margarita was absolutely delicious. We split a Caesar salad salad, and my husband had the truffle bisque. For our main, the kids loved the homemade mac & cheese, and my husband ordered the pork chop... he cleaned his entire plate! I had the Chicken Parm Brooklyn with vodka sauce and cherry peppers and WOW it was amazing. So flavorful and the cherry peppers gave it the perfect kick. Not too spicy! I'm more of a buffalo spicy kind of a gal. We also shared the Brussels sprouts with aïoli and they were delicious too. Deff would re order. Portions were definitely big, which we loved we ended up taking food home. And to top it all off, we tried the butterscotch dessert and ate it so fast there wasn't even time for a photo We'll definitely be back!!!!!

    Michelle G.

    We had an amazing Easter brunch here. Many gluten free options. The best was the popup style bread and marinara sauce. Fun cocktails too. Loved the burata cheese and beet salad. Ordered the steak and eggs and they put the potatoes on a separate plate because of cross contamination.

    Bread roasted garlic, hot out of the oven
    Gail P.

    So we decided to go to Max A Mia at their new location in Avon The food was amazing as always. We ordered the zucchini stuffed flowers that were crispy and delicious one of my favorites . I ordered the Grilled AHI Tuna I asked for medium rare it came out perfectly. My guest ordered the potato gnocchi fluffy little pillows with a touch of Gorgonzola cheese it was a wow . Max A Mia always serve delicious bread with roasted garlic that you just can't resist. For dessert I had to order the coconut cake to go, which is my favorite dessert even though I love chocolate I always go for the coconut cake. Service was good. The server was friendly. It's a beautiful atmosphere . I have to say I miss the old building because this building is very loud and the music was loud difficult to have a quiet conversation .

    Charred Spanish Octopus
    Ana B.

    As part of my birthday celebration we went for dinner at Max a Mia in Avon. We had no reservations, and it was very busy, we still got a table without any wait. They have a nice outdoor patio, unfortunately in late May it is still too cold to comfortably dine outside. It is a bit dark on the inside, but they did set the mood with lively music in the background and a view of the brick oven fire. For my drink, I got the Matcha Milk Punch. I expected this to have some under notes of matcha, instead it was very heavy on rum and it gave me a headache. Our waitress brought us some colorful olives and the tastiest pita bread, along with marinara sauce and roasted garlic. I got the Kale & Escarole Salad from the special menu. This is the WORST salad I have ever had. I'm not sure if something was off with the ingredients of this salad, or if something's wrong with whoever decided to add this disaster to the menu. The greens were ok, very bland but ok. Then there were fried oyster mushrooms, these were super hard, and cold. Like frozen cold. Totally unappetizing. The sugar snap peas were cut in half the long way, there was some provolone cheese and some prosciutto cubes. I wish I sent it back, instead I ate it all, and no one shared it with me. I also got the Truffle Mushroom Pie! What a winning pizza! The crust was charred and crispy. The layers of mushrooms and mozzarella were giving miles of delightful cheese pulls. We also had two other pies, the Margherita and the Pepperoni. Everyone was very pleased with the pizzas. The octopus was very juicy and tender, another winner. Despite my disappointment in my drink and the salad, they make excellent pizzas at Max a Mia. I've also noticed the other patrons ordering Tiramisu, which looked dreamy. I was much too full this time.

    12oz NY Strip Steak

    See all

    Photo of E T.
    67
    36
    2

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 hours ago

    Good food and service but way too noisy to have any conversation at your table. They need to add some noise reduction measures.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    23 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan S.
    524
    1618
    1475

    11 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S H.
    0
    35
    1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 38
    Thanks 18
    Love this 30
    Oh no 5

    7 months ago

    The food is par. It's not the Italian food that I am accustomed to. Coming from NYC, I've enjoyed Restaurant Bricco much more.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Susan M.
    2
    118
    25

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David E.
    35
    25
    17

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sb S.
    0
    13
    0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Al T.
    1
    164
    3

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sara W.
    2
    77
    22

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Susan C.
    0
    104
    136

    1 year ago

    Our evening was not only Delicious the service was excellent. I will be back many times.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Max a Mia

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Italian 4,633 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Buon Appetito

    Buon Appetito

    3.7
    (89 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Great food. Quick service. Place looks and feels very nice, and the food is delish. Chefs a good…read moreguy and knows what he's doing.

    This used to be one of my very favorite restaurants. We arrived as their first guests at 5pm, and…read moreeverything was off to a great start. Our food arrived as the place began to fill up to capacity... still only the chef and his wife running the entire restaurant. My food was dropped off an I waited and waited for the waitress to be back to see how things were, so I could request a soup spoon to use while eating my angel hair pasta. 15-20 min later still no check in, so I used the tiny teaspoon that came with the shredded Parmesan. My lemon chicken was too lemony and not enough other flavors to be entirely enjoyable, but it was cooked perfectly. My friends enjoyed their meals too, but again with en entirely full restaurant and one server, there wasn't a lot of attention paid. We had to wait over 25 minutes just to receive our check. I was left with so many mixed feelings. It was a Wednesday night, but they should have known their reservations were full. This is not an inexpensive restaurant. Atmosphere is nice i side and yes the owner and his wife are very nice... but checking back with your tables moments after bringing their food to see if all is as expected or whether something else is needed, an important part of the dining experience. I don't know if I'll be back.

    Photos
    Buon Appetito
    Veal Parmigiana.
    Veal Parmigiana.
    Buon Appetito

    See all

    Treva Restaurant & Bar

    Treva Restaurant & Bar

    4.3
    (739 reviews)
    7.2 mi
    $$

    Can a restaurant be this good consistently? All the yes…read more I recently went back for a quick lunch and was floored by how good their pastas still are. I had the gnocchi with sausage and broccoli rabe and I wanted to eat it in mini bites to savor every morsel. It's just creamy and melt in mouth delicious. A little salty, a little savory, just a little slight bitter of the broccoli rabe that just works in the best way. Service was professional and attentive. Treva remains a standout in the Center and a must visit for anyone. Top tier.

    Second time to Treva Saturday night. Always busy. All the restaurants are like this in West…read moreHartford but they pack you in so tight you can barely move. To the point where trying to get in to the table my purse knocked over a water glass and it smashed. I'm not large either. Anyway. First time here I felt my dish was much better. I had the Branzino and it was great. This time I had the fruitta de mare and the sauce was extremely bland. Dish felt dried out. Not enough variety of seafood either. Mostly mussels and calamari. Was presented in a weird dish too. I did not care for it at all. They gave me gnocchi for gluten free pasta. It was fine just sauce was bland as mentioned. My boyfriend loved his Orrechiete and it was very good. I will say from the mozzarella bar we had the burrata and the tomatoes were flavored beautifully and the bread also looked quite nice. Bf said it was great. Giving Treva a 4 for last time it was great and everything other than my entree this time was good.

    Photos
    Treva Restaurant & Bar
    The caprese salad with shrimp.
    The caprese salad with shrimp.
    Unreal custom mocktail hand delivered by non other than  Khalid Williams... #1 bartender in CT.  Just ask and hell make you anything special

    See all

    Unreal custom mocktail hand delivered by non other than Khalid Williams... #1 bartender in CT. Just ask and hell make you anything special
    Restaurant Bricco

    Restaurant Bricco

    4.2
    (623 reviews)
    7.3 mi
    $$

    The. Best. Restaurant. In West Hartford…read more The food is unbelievable. All fresh!! Every time we come it just gets better and better. Love the ambiance inside and service is always fantastic. Can't beat Bricco.

    Bricco has become one of my favorite restaurants. Billy Grant really knows what he's doing…read more Talented chef. Saturday night was our third time here and we enjoyed it very much. Started off splitting the Kale salad and I love when places split in the kitchen for you and bring you each your half. Nice touch. Crispy bacon and goat cheese creamy dressing incredible. Cranberries to blend with and it's just a party in your mouth. Sensational. I told the waiter how much I love the Josie's meatballs but wanted the Branzino and couldn't decide so he said he could just bring me one meatball! Just enough as they are quite large. Note if you do this you don't get the delicious creamy cheese like the regular appetizer portion comes with but the sauce and meatball alone are incredible. I believe it comes with 3 on the appetizer portion. Again the sauce - wow! Branzino delicious. Second time getting it. Will have to get something different next time. Bf got the Bucatini Pork Sugo Napoletana and loved it as well. The pasta in the dish looked incredible. I had one bite and delicious flavors going on. Another great dinner at Bricco. The only issue here is even with a reservation we waited 30 minutes. We knew that though going in. Just be prepared to wait but that's how incredible this place is. People love it! Bar scene is fun too. We stayed for a drink after and were well taken care of. Delicious espresso martini to end the night. They brought me decaf from the kitchen special too!

    Photos
    Beautiful interior
    Beautiful interior
    Scallops with cauliflower and Brussels sprouts
    Scallops with cauliflower and Brussels sprouts
    Interior

    See all

    Interior

    Max a Mia - italian - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...