Having heard a glowing recommendation from one of my trusted friends, I choose to make Max Chophouse the location for a special occasion dinner for my GF and I one cold Rochester evening. The restaurant definitely has an unassuming exterior (located in a small strip mall off of Monroe Ave) but the interior is welcoming if not a little bit dated.....don't let that scare you away though since the food and service were both top notch. We had a reservation, arrived early and were still promptly seated. Unfortunately for us we were seated next to a boisterous bordering on belligerent table housing a gentleman who was amongst the worst restaurant patrons I've ever seen or heard. Continuously rude and annoying to the waiter, he almost ruined a great experience for us. I can't blame that on the restaurant of course and the service made up for that in spades. I would go as far as saying it was the best service I've ever had. Our main waiter was engaging without being intrusive and easily read the mood of our table and joked around with us and was very informative when I asked questions about the food. Not a ton to say about the food other than it met all of our wishes with some minor quibbles here and there (some due to our selections and not the actual product served to us). We had the steak tartare (our first time) which we enjoyed a great deal. There was a dry aged Kansas City bone in strip special and flavour was definitely worth the extra few bucks. I can't get enough of dry aged! We also split a burger, which like the steak, was perfectly cooked to our order. I wouldn't say the the accoutrements to the steak and burger (sauces etc) were noteworthy but that is a minor issue to me as I care much more about the base product. Definitely recommended for a nice dinner out in a classic steakhouse environment and for people looking for phenomenal service and a solid dining experience. read more

I've been to Max Chophouse twice now, and both times have been very good. I had the filet mignon, and it was cooked perfectly. I also tried the broccolini, mashed potatoes, honey thyme carrots, and xxx Mac and cheese. All were delicious. Our waitress was very nice and attentive to our somewhat large group. I would recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a good steak. read more

Max is fantastic! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and while the all-white deer and antelope heads on the wall may not be for everyone, I think they add a cool, modern-safari feel. The food is amazing. My boyfriend and I had a reservation, but they were running behind, so we were given a complementary shrimp cocktail with the most gargantuan shrimp I've ever eaten. The seasonal local apricot salad with a goat cheese-stuffed squash blossom was delicious, and the Malbec we ordered went great with the steak. We split creme brulee and chocolate pot-de-creme and I still can't figure out which was better. Overall, super delicious but super expensive. But worth it. read more

We went to this restaurant last night for a special dinner, and sadly were pretty disappointed overall in the food department. Most of us ordered rib eyes, as we love the marbling which gives these steaks their great flavor, softness, and juiciness. Sadly, what we were served was meat which was hard, bland, and certainly NOT a ribeye. The steak given to us was more like a strip steak in texture. So, we paid $53 per ribeye, to be served a steak that was basically not at all reminiscent of other ribeyes we've gotten at other top-ranked steakhouses elsewhere. Also, the steaks were lukewarm when served to us. Why?!? Also, don't order the Brussels sprouts. They were over cooked and soggy. On the positive, the ambiance is lovely, and the staff very nice. That alone does not make up for the food though. It was atrocious. read more

A few forewarnings-- the $$$ means, yes, don't get stickshock when you see the menu. Steaks come a la carte, and then you can get sides, well, on the side, a la carte. Also, the restaurant is very small, so make sure to get your reservations in ahead of time. This is the best steak i've had in Rochester-- hands down. It was cooked perfect, and the filet was indeed a filet. There were no fatty remnants or tendon grissle pieces. The decor is rather interesting (as is the location) but you come here to eat and spend time with the people with you... not to stare at the wall and make judgement on the choice of decor. Ordered the filet, the 6oz, with their truffle butter (huge fan of truffle taste) and since I was with a group (of 5), we ordered a bunch of sides (which came in healthy portions) including the mashed potatoes, pomme frites, mac and cheese, and brussel sprouts. All were great. The beet salad was tasty to start off. And everyone was happy with desert- most noteably the peanut butter pie. Their wine list was fairly lengthy.... nothing special to note. I would highly recommend this place for a good steak dinner. read more

We visited here a few weeks ago. We loved everything about this place! Starting with the staff: everyone was extremely friendly. The food was fantastic as well. If ordering steak it's a bit on the pricier side, so you have to prepare for that ($30-$50), but everything else seems pretty reasonable. Another highlight of the night were a couple guys at the bar who bought us some drinks after having a short conversation. Extremely friendly people, great resturant and staff. read more

Hello food lovers....this is an updated review of Max's Chophouse. I frequent quite often now that I've been living back in the lovely city of Rochester. Let me tell you that I LOVE or it may be LOVED Max's for steak. Best steak in town. I've taken quite a few steak snobs/connoisseurs and I can tell you I've turned heads and changed minds...even some of the most fickle. HOWEVER, there have been changes abound recently at Max's...and I'm not sure for the better. The previous chef has left as well as the former manager, the elegant oenophile and certified sommelier, Jeanine. She was great at picking out just the right wines and was fantastic with the customers. I had Brussels Spouts last week and they were a bit too sweet and mushy. Not good. The ice cream was fabulous and the french fries were good, but missing some nice sizzle and crunch...many were a bit limp. I'm a bit concerned about going to try out a steak, but will have to with the new chef. I cannot bring my steak aficionados there and not have it be perfect! Right now...I give it a 4 star....but it may be 3....more to come...stay tuned! read more

Max is my go-to steakhouse in Rochester. I've had excellent food and superior service every time I've gone. Prices are high but I've never had a single dish that wasn't worth the tab at the end of the night. The only thing I've experienced that was unpleasant was first time I went. I was seated at the very first table in the front room on a very cold winters night, before the little entry vestibule was built, and was hit with freezing air every time the door opened. With that vestibule in place, I assume that no longer occurs. As a result I always reserve a table in the rear dining room when I go now. I find that space very quiet, relaxing and more conducive to a fine meal. Because the bar can get very busy, the long narrow dining space in the front room appears tight and crowded. However, it looks like a good space for casual apps & drinks. read more

Lives up to the hype. Max is known as one of Rochester's finest restaurants, and it delivered. I went with my wife. We started with oysters, which were served with 3 different sauces. All were very good. We each got fillet mignon, and both were cooked perfectly - tender, and bright pink in the middle. The rub that they used was a little salty, but this could have been a difference in taste or a small mistake. We were honest about it with the waiter and he offered to have new steaks prepared -- that would have been unnecessary. The sides were a good size and two to share were appropriate The wine list is divided into old world and new world for both red and white, and there are plenty of choices. We ordered a napa valley bottle and had it corked at the end of our meal, which was not a problem. BTW Tuesday is Booze-day, per our waiter. There is a prix fixe menu that includes all you can drink glasses of wine. Not bad at all. read more

My boyfriend and I went for dinner there this past Saturday to celebrate my birthday and our experience couldn't have been better! Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive and the food was great! My boyfriend and I both ordered the filet mignon and both of our steaks were cooked to perfection. We also had the frites, brussel sprouts and mac and cheese to share and they were all very good. We will definitely be back! read more

I had a phenomenal dinner hear, Amazing Ribeye. We had sides of Mac and Cheese, and creamed spinach. Great drink menu of wines and spirits. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great fine dining experience. read more

My wife and I went here right before the most recent lockdown. The food is amazing, bartenders were extremely friendly. Great experience overall. I would highly recommend the ribeye! BEST in town. read more

The absolute best dinner I had during my weekend stay in Rochester. Been to MANY steakhouses in NYC and this one was too notch. Great service, amazing wine, and a rib-eye to die for. Glad to be able to introduce my friend who lives here to this place. We will be back. read more

I love me some steaks and I have never had one with this high of quality and taste. I've brought my girlfriend there and we really enjoyed the laid back ambiance. I like how the small setting and the service was very professional. This is the sort of place I would go to celebrate and next time I hope to bring even more people. read more

Four of us went to max last night and had a great time. Donny the bar tender is a great server I had an ice cold glass each time I ordered my bottled beer. We ordered family style a 42 oz porterhouse steak cooked to perfection mashed potatoes the super mac and cheese and the Brussel sprouts. I highly recommend this place ! read more

New menu same great steaks. Three of us shared 42 ounce bone-in porterhouse. ($100)) special. 30 oz of steak servings. Waitress looked at our party and said it would feed us. She was right. Cooked perfectly to requested medium rare with excellent charring on outside. Great residual drippings on plate (comes sliced). No sauces needed although we used some of Max upscale version of A-1 steak sauce. We loved our collective steak! We loved the side of Max Mac n Cheese. We liked then Brussels sprouts (Revelry has better). We ordered drinks. The Manhattan on the Rocks was a plebeian well drink diluted with too much ice. (Revelry has inspired Manhattans). Service was perfect. We had a great meal. Can't ask for much more than that. read more

Rochester's Best Steakhouse - NOT!!!! My companion and I were looking forward to dining at Max's Chophouse, because we had heard good things about it from reliable sources. Our reliable sources were, in this case, unreliable. This had to be one of the most disappointing dining experiences I have had in Rochester. Our first impression on arriving was the rather tacky ambiance -- plastic reindeer heads were hung on the walls -- a Holiday decoration you might think but NO this was late January. We were seated at a small table in the rear of the restaurant facing an open door leading to the kitchen area and could not help but notice the annoying rock music playing in the background. We asked our server (who acted like he really did not want to be there) if he could turn it down and he did but just barely. OK so far, not so good. We were there on Prix Fixe Tuesday but ordered off the regular menu. At Max's Chophouse, EVERYTHING is a la carte. My companion and I both chose the filet mignon -- I the 6 oz and he the 11 oz. To accompany our meal we chose a Meritage wine and that was very enjoyable -- in fact it was the only thing we enjoyed about the meal. When our steaks arrived we instantly noticed that they were smaller than described on the menu. Now we are not big eaters and I rarely finish my meal but when I am paying $27 for a 6 oz. steak and $41 for an 11 oz steak, (and ONLY the steak) that is what I expect to get. Our steaks were no bigger than 4 oz. and 8 oz. respectively. They were perfectly cooked as ordered but extremely salty. The accompanying bernaise sauce was thin and rather tasteless. For sides we shared a Wedge Salad with Blue cheese and Bacon and the Mashed Potatoes. The Wedge Salad was just OK, the bacon garnishment was hard -- similar to Bacon Bits and the added cubes of cucumber gave the salad an off taste. Rather than creamy, the mashed potatoes (served family style) were downright soupy with lumps -- and were also salty. We skipped coffee and desert. Our bill,without tip,came to $140.00 -- value NOT received. Needless to say we will not be returning to Max Gyphouse. read more

Wow! What a gem! We were in town for just a night and based on other reviews decided to give this place a try. It's a nice small intimate setting with white table cloths and the level of service that implies. We sat at the bar and had a great night. My steak was cooked perfectly and the oysters on the half shell were amazing. The drinks were perfectly made and the level of service was 10/10. read more

I actually don't know why I opted for 2 stars other than that I'm sure there's something worse out there and I don't want to be unfair. I lived in San Diego/ LA for a long time and had amazing steaks at places like Donovan's (SD), Arnie Morton's in Burbank, and Cut in Beverly Hills. I realize my experiences make me less likely to accept just any old steaks. Having said that: Rochestarians, don't accept this as fine dining! I ordered a medium rare filet which was actually more like a ball shaped lump of meat that was so unevenly cooked that it was actually cooked to several different degrees throughout. My husband ordered a medium rare ribeye that came out medium to medium well and when he politely asked for it to be replaced it took more than 20 minutes to get another overcooked ribeye. I have never experienced anything more ridiculous at a so-called fine steakhouse. They did comp the steak, but seriously, they should have paid us for eating any of their steak. The Mac n cheese was just strange and the fries were who cares. The only thing we had that was quite good was the steak tartare and marrow appetizer. I don't usually remark on ambience or location, but this place is in a strip mall and is dark and uninviting at best. My booth seat was covered in crumbs when I sat down an hour after it opened for dinner. GHETTO. And the hostess had an attitude. read more

Sad to review like this but $200 is a lot of money to spend on an experience like we had tonight... Bartender was excellent and perfect.. Then we sat at our table... Very first thing? Offered "rationed" bread.. We then ordered our apps and entrees , apps arrived timely enough--Roasted Beet Salad and Shrimp Cocktail tasted exceptional! Entrees were another story altogether; mine arrived first but was way under salted and no one even asked how it was... then we waited and waited and waited for my husbands entree, his steak, which finally arrived--without his side, so then we waited another 5ish minutes at least for his frites which arrived unapologetically even later and soggy. No apologies, no explanation, for the wait. So we cut our losses, asked for the check, and left. Next time, if we decide to go back, we will be sure to sit at the bar where the service matches the price scale. read more

Great food. Staff is great, specially Ben the bartender who totally rocks. But it really sucks that they no longer carry the Parker House rolls. How hard could they be to find? read more

When my husband told me he made a reservation to Max's, all I immediately thought was $$$!! Well, I wasn't wrong about that but it was so much more!! We walked in and immediately greeted by the host who took our coats. The dining room is so small and intimate, which I liked. We started off with the crab cakes for an appetizer, they were amazing and you could tell they were 100% fresh and handmade. The waitress then rattled off some of their specials which were all steaks -- we went for the Cowboy Ribeye to share (the steak alone was $80 but was big enough for 4 people, easy)! The sides were separate so we ordered mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. We did wait about 30 minutes for our meal but the waitress told us it would take that long due to how we ordered our steak, which I didn't mind waiting because I had wonderful company! The host brought out fresh warm rolls while we waited though! Our meal was amazing, the mac and cheese had so many flavors and cheeses and potatoes were creamy however, the steak could have been a little more done with the medium rare we ordered but no complaints!! We took 50% of it home to enjoy the next day. Upon leaving, the host even helped put my coat on - who says chivalry is dead?! I'd go back - once we can afford it again! read more

The only place to get a steak in Rochester. Ribeye all day long. Just take the rest home with you. It's so worth it, no matter what kind of aging process it's gone through. The Caesar is delicious. Great date spot. read more

We celebrated my hubby's birthday in March. We ordered some oysters and champagne to start, a gigantic ribeye bone-in steak for two, and a side of roasted broccoli. We took the leftover steak pieces home and fed them to our Havanese pups. A delish time was had by all members of the family. Note that this is a little, unassuming place. But it's a cute joint with serious steak chops. read more

The best place to work and eat cooks always do there best SHOUT OUT TO THE CHEFFS ROB &LUIS

Had a great cowboy steak that was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The crust that was seared on the outside was perfectly seasoned and the steak sauce was really good. We got oysters for an appetizer that were really good. No real downside except it is quite costly. Would definitely recommend for a special occasion. read more

The food was fantastic!! I believe everything is a la carte. The ambience is ok, and its VERY small. It can be loud if all the tables are filled. Get reservations on Friday and Saturday night. read more

Best steaks in Rochester. Everything is good right down to the sour dough rolls. Only downsides are that it's very pricey and everything including sides is a la carte. Plan on $100 per person but worth it for those special events. read more

Highly recommend! The best steak house in town and the only place serve dry aged steak. Although it is sad that this is considered the best restaurant in Rottenchester NY. read more

Dinner at Max Chophouse.....super yummy gruner veltliner by the glass. The poutine appetizer was a different take on the dish, very yummy. The escargot was cold . The bartender was very attentive (we ate at the bar). By the way...his 90 year old grandmother actually won Publishers Clearinghouse!!!! Congrats Granny! read more

Went to the Chophouse for the first time last night and I was not disappointed. I had heard a lot of very good things and a couple of not so good things about this restaurant. This steakhouse lived up to the hype. The food is as good as it gets right down to making sure that your steak is prepared the way you want it. The terms Well done, medium, rare and all the countless variations can be very subjective depending on the chef but our host Josh went to the trouble of describing how the chef went about his job. The result was an impeccably presented strip sirloin steak just the way I wanted it with pommes frittes and a watercress salad. At no time were we kept waiting but never harassed with incessant attention which can be just as bad as never seeing anyone. All in all it was a great dinner with great service in very comfortable surroundings. read more

Definitely pricey, but it's the best steak in the city. And OMG the mac and cheese is superb too. The restaurant itself is in a strip mall, and it definitely doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor is very traditional, and I get the feeling it's where Rochester's well-to-do are regulars. Service is great too. read more

Passed on the $87 ribeye and went with the $47 ribeye that we shared. First we shared the wedge salad which we enjoyed. Bread and service good. Steak did not have the tenderness or flavor we had hoped for. French fries served family style and good. Apple crisp-like dessert was too hot for the ice cream. Enjoyable overall. read more

I went to this restaurant for the first time on Friday night for a birthday dinner with my parents and boyfriend. The whole experience was absolutely perfect. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable. We started with a nice bottle of semi dry Riesling from Fox Run Wineries. It's was good but sweeter than I imagined. Our server brought out a hot bread basket. I picked a rosemary sea salt bread and it came with a curry butter, which was delicious. We ordered the crab cake appetizer which was really good as well because it was mostly made of crab. I hate when you order a crab cake and it's mostly breading, but this was not the case here! Since I was at a chophouse, I had to get a steak. I ordered the 6 ounce filet mignon. It was so delicious and cooked perfectly. It comes with a sauce (I got the bone marrow) but then you also can add flavored butter to put on top. And we ordered four sides for the table to split. We got the macaroni and cheese-OMG!! We also ordered the roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and shallot butter, creamed spinach with Parmesan, and carrots. I don't really care for carrots normally but these were out of this world. It's a tad pricey but if you want good service and phenomenal food, you need to pay more. We will definitely return! read more

Best steak ever. We put ourselves in the hands of our personable and knowledgable server and he did not disappoint on food or drink suggestion. We split a 46 ounce porterhouse between 4 people and had a fabulous meal at a reasonable price. Not cheap but worth it. read more

Coming from the DC area, I was looking for a "sophisticated", yet comfortable restaurant to spend time and have good food with. Seems all restaurants in Rochester have gone the way of the Bistro. I have been away for over 20 years and miss the old classics of Alexander Street. I was very pleased to find this restaurant and its' charming size with out being crowded. Service was attentive and not overbearing. The food was all fresh and noted as fresh and local, but server could not tell me where the meat came from. I trust that they follow through with their locavore claims. I felt pricing was good value and not shocked, but I come from a more Metro area. We had a very pleasant time and I would return. Have nothing bad to say about this place. Thanks for making our evening special. read more

I arranged a group of 9 for a business dinner here and start to finish excellent is all I can say. Most but not all of us had steaks. My strip steak was delicious and cooked perfectly. Lobster that someone else had was also perfect. Sides, salads desserts and service were all great. Max is small, feels like NYC and is definitely the place to go for steaks in the Rochester area. read more

I went there the night before dental surgery expecting this to be my last steak for 9 months It was not disappointing. The service was excellent, the bartender suggested her favorite martinis and the steaks were melt in your mouth good. read more

Best place for steaks in Rochester. I've been many, many times over the past few years and have enjoyed every visit. I no longer live in Rochester so I've only been to Max's a few times this year. Besides the food, the next best part about Max's is, or was our favorite waiter, Greg. I say is or was because the last time I was in town I made a reservation on a Friday night and requested to be seated in the back with Greg. To my surprise he was not there and we had a very new and inexperienced waitress. She was fine but not 5 star restaurant excellent. So, if anyone knows if Greg has moved on to a different place please let me know. My wife does not eat steak and it was great to have a waiter offer to have me call early in the week and request a certain type of fish, etc to be made for her so we could both enjoy a fantastic meal. If you love steak you should order one of the specials. I have tried them all and my favorite is the bone-in, dry-aged ribeye. Just a fantastic steak. As others have noted everything is a la carte. Oddly enough one of the best is the mac and cheese which is always different and only one with a heavily smoked cheese was not to my liking. Great wine selection. If you are with a group that is up for taking a chance they sometimes have some mystery wines that are excellent but of a variety they are no longer ordering. Pick red or white and you get an extraordinary wine for about $50. Overall, this is a great place. The specials are expensive but well worth it, especially if your date also enjoys steak and you can share one. If not you can make a pretty amazing Philly steak sandwich with what's leftover if you go for a big one on your own. From people I've gone with they report that the lobster, chicken, duck, etc is very good as well. read more

Made reservations for my brothers 21st birthday... man was it worth it. From the outside the place looks like a regular diner but the atmosphere inside provokes comfort and intimacy. Appetizers: Braised Octopus - Octopus was not tough and seasoned well. The toasted chick peas were a compliment. The overall mixture of ingredients made this an exciting dish to share. Maryland Style Crab Cake - Was cooked perfect and had great flavor. However, I did expect more from the Jalapeno aioli and do wonder if they had used fresh crab or canned. The dish was a bit small to share with more than two people. Hand Cut Steak Tartare - This was a treat. Again, the overall mixture of ingredients was perfect and made it a perfect finger food on top of crostinis. Dinner: Prime Ribeye (18 oz.) - While it was one of the most expensive steak's on the menu it was much cheaper than any of the steak's they were serving that night as specials. Three of us had order the Ribeye rare, the other black and blue (which is what I should have ordered), and we received exactly just that. Again, it was expensive but the cut and quality of meat was worth it. I would have been disappointed with the quality and most likely would not have bothered ordering a steak if we had gone to a restaurant of lesser scale to save some money. The steak's are served a la carte so we had also ordered sides (i.e., Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Mushrooms & Onions, Mixed Greens, and French Fries w/ Parmesan and oil) all of which were family sized, enough for the four of us to evenly share. Service: Typically when the food is this good, I can become quite passive in regards to bad service. Only as long as it is timely and food is served at the correct temperatures. Though our waiter was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the different wines and pairings. Was able to adapt to our mood which can be at times obnoxious due to the intimacy of the place. Just overall inviting. For the occasion, Max Chop House was perfect. Looking forward to going back someday. Definitely want to try Max of Eastman soon. read more