Not safe for those with celiac disease. My son was severely sick after eating dinner here. He had the filet minion with root vegetables. How can you mess up a steak?? We will not be back! For a $500 dinner you think they could get the food allergies right. read more

So my FB memories reminded me that I was at Max Downtown 2 years ago so thought I'd finally get around to writing a review! I was in CT to visit a friend and wanted to take her for a nice birthday dinner so she suggested this place. For drinks I tried the Vodka Lemonade and my friend got a Moscow Mule, they were pretty solid drinks. There was some kind of special so we both got the filet mignon with mac n cheese & whipped potatoes--really very good. The salted caramel Baked Alaska we shared for dessert was just delicious (and the merengue on it tasted like toasted marshmallows)! Service was good and the place had a nice ambiance. If this place is still at the same quality it was 2 years ago, then I definitely recommend! read more

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I Went to Max Downtown for my birthday. I got the swordfish special with white asparagus and nage. The sweet potato pierogi with marshmallow and bacon was amazing. Definitely will be going back. Service was great, fast and always around to ask questions. 100% recommend! read more

Max Downtown - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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We had heard that Max Downtown was a great place to go eat. We decided to go and celebrate our anniversary. This place was fantastic. The front of the house was on top of their game. We were seated in Peter's section. Our meal consisted of 2 appetizers. One scallop crudo and a lump crab tostada. Our meal was a striped sea bass which had an amazing flavor. The finale was a salted caramel baked Alaska which floored me beyond words. That was so much better than the appetizers and the meal put together. Thank you. read more

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5/5 experience Decor, food, service, professionalism Will def be back My only regret i did not go there before! read more

A friend brought me here for the first time before we headed across the street to a Wolfpack game. This place is pure class. Our server was attentive and very professional. The food was very good, and I was surprised by the quality/quality of the food that we received for the price! As many other reviews mentioned, their Caesar salad (hold the anchovies) was the best I've ever had in my life. Good spot for a fancy date night in Hartford. read more

Max downtown is the place to go when authentic food is what you want to eat. It is also one of the few places that I always trust the seafood at. I have had issues related to undercooked fish that hurt my stomach before at other places. Last time I came here I started off with the lump crab tostado and my wife Linda had the buffalo cauliflower. She's in her vegan phase! -Ron read more

My boyfriend took me here for our anniversary and it was the perfect place! The biscuits, lump crab tostada, steak, mashed potatoes, and Mac and cheese were all absolutely incredible. For dessert we were able to experience a baked Alaska for the first time and it was amazing! They even brought out little mini cakes for our anniversary. Chris, our waiter, made our night special and had great suggestions. We will definitely be making more visits here! read more

Max Downtown - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

What an incredible experience! My daughter chose Max's for a girls weekend in Hartford for a gymnastics event at the XL Center. Such a beautiful restaurant with wonderful ambiance. We were seated in one of the smaller rooms facing the street with just a few tables. Our waitress was wonderful, attentive, knew all about the menu and the specials and was overall a joy to talk to. We started with the most amazing tuna tartare I've ever had. I followed that up with shrimp scampi that had the perfect al dente pasta and wonderfully cooked shrimp. My daughter had a filet that melted in your mouth. All in all a great dining experience. read more

Another quality experience from another Max Restaurant. Max Downtown is where we decided to have dinner on my sister's graduation and my own birthday. Reservation made for 9 people, seated immediately. Starter bread is served after you order as usual but instead of leaving a basket of bread at the table, they serve it individually. If you want more, just ask. The bread was flakey on the outside, cheesey buttery and soft on the inside. We decided to share a Seafood Plateau for an appetizer and everything on it was quality. They use some jumbo shrimp which I love, really big shrimp. Mussels, clams, oysters, crab salad, octopus, and jumbo shrimp. Everything was fresh and everything was quality. For my main course I had a Slow Roasted Prime Rib with roasted carrots and buttery mashed potatoes. Meat was cooked medium-rare which was how I wanted it, well seasoned, tender and juicy. When I think "Slow Roasted Prime Rib" I have another picture in my head but well what i got was something that looked more like a normal cut of steak that was grilled. They forgot my mashed potatoes and that was when I became questionable whether the food served was even what I ordered but it was still good and still medium-rare so all good. If i find out my order was wrong I will certainly deduct a star making this a 3-Star review. Server was very nice and even provided some graduation cookies for the people who graduated and sadly even myself though it was my birthday and not graduation. My experience here was pleasant, just a little confusing. But if everything was right then that's good enough for me. I'll need to come here again with a group of 2 instead of 9 and then I'll be able to hopefully get a more clear view of how good or bad Max Downtown really is. P.S. they did know it was my birthday, they just forgot and gave me a graduation cookie to make up for it. Bittersweet. read more

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Wow!!! We went for Hartford restaurant week and the menu is an amazing deal!! The prime rib was cooked medium rare and cut like butter. It was so smooth and a healthy portion for the price we paid ($30.19 for the menu with 3 courses). We all had various dessert items but agreed the chocolate decadence item was the best. Smooth, creamy, chocolate deliciousness! I also couldn't stop mySelf from buying a side of Mac and cheese. I must say i am always disappointed by Mac and cheese and rarely order it for that reason but waiter stressed it was locally sourced cheese so I had to. For $8.99 it was the best Mac and cheese I've ever eaten in my life! I have never had it taste so cheesy yet crunchy before and it was a perfect blend of cheese and garnishes!! Highly recommend this place! read more

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When i am on the road (i live in New Jersey) and traveling within 50-60 mikes of Hartford i make the extra effort to go to Max Downtown I love the cultured sophistication the depth and character of the menu and the spontaneous genuine connections to my servers I have been to each of the Max restaurants No other city has the breadth and consistency of the Max Group Michael nissenblatt,md read more

Great spot for happy hour. Steak cooked to perfection. Amazing wait staff. Beautiful ambiance. I would suggest try their happy hour first to see if you like it. You wont be disappointed. I had happy hour first on one occasion then lunch pictured in the photos. I would highly recommend for a nice dinner. Again wait staff are very attentive. Great dining experience. read more

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My husband and I go out to eat pretty regularly but for special occasions, like our wedding anniversary, we try to do something different. My best friend and her family typically go to Max Downtown for special occasions so we made a reservation for our wedding anniversary on Friday. When my husband made the reservation they asked if we were celebrating anything special and he told them. When we arrived they gave us an anniversary card. #NiceTouch We parked on Asylum Ave and as we were walking to the entrance, we noticed a man talking to others and sort of anticipated that he would greet us. He turned and walked inside; he did give us a cheerful greeting when we walked in. The hostess was lovely and took us to our table. Since it was our first indoor visit to a restaurant since the pandemic, I asked about their Covid protocols and she gladly explained them to me. Christopher was our waiter. He was friendly and thorough. I was very surprised however when he brought bread to a table that when he dropped my husbands piece of bread on the mat he did not take it away and bring a fresh piece of bread. For a fine dining establishment, I was also surprised that he did not clear the crumbs left behind from his blunder. We ordered lump crab tostada - delicious... maybe best part of the meal!! For dinner, my husband had Colossal Shrimp Scampi and I had Hawaiian tuna. Both meals were fine... but nothing to go running back for. We had Baked Alaska for dessert. Christopher brought a couple pumpkin bars with the dessert. I'm not a real pumpkin fan so I didn't like them. The texture of the cake part of the bar was really dry. It was a nice adventure but we won't be running back any time soon. read more

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PART II So the first course was MEH! The sauce had no taste. Neither my wife nor I can tell you what was in it. The Black Bass had not taste whatsoever. It wasn't good-it wasn't bad-just tasteless. I understand the plates at a tasting are small but I'd bet anything there was less than three ounces of fish in total between the two plates. There really wasn't enough to even taste the pieces were so small. The only word that comes to mind is underwhelmed. As we're finishing this course we're visited by a pleasant young man in a chef's coat. He introduces himself as Michael and tells us he's our cook for the evening. Michael is a outgoing and we learn where he lives, what his favorite go to restaurant is east of the river and that his favorite restaurant for a special dinner is Ruth's Chris in Newington. We agree on his top pick. As he gets up to leave, I ask: "Isn't normal to inquire if your party has any food allergies or things they won't eat?" "Ah yes," he replies. I tell him beets and cilantro are a hard no for me. That information in hand, Mike departs. Next up an older gentleman appears. Clearly, he is a man in charge. No hello. No how are you this evening? First and only thing out of his mouth is: "Your gift certificate does not include wine." He angrily grabs my empty champagne flute glass, eyes the one in my wife's hand, thankfully didn't grab it away from her, bundles off with all the untouched wine glasses on the table and disappears. To say he was brusque to the point of rudeness is not hyperbole. My wife just said: "Wow! That is one angry man." Dinner proceeded apace. The salad was unremarkable-so unremarkable I can't tell you what was in it. The salad was followed by duck. I'm not a fan of duck, my wife is. She orders it often. She pronounced it the best she's ever had. I'll go with her pronouncement and endorse it as the best I've ever had as well. It was the high point of the food servings. Fish was next. The halibut was ever so lightly overcooked rendering it dry. Take 60 seconds of the time cooked and it would have been perfectly cooked. The fish was also paired with some type of carbohydrate that had the consistency of a bread pudding and contained raw pistachios. It tasted "off" and that aside just didn't pare well with the halibut. Dessert was baked Alaska. It was ok. It sorta reminded me of a Dairy Queen ice cream birthday cake that someone took a blow torch to. Overall, the food servings, duck aside, was a total disappointment. We were also surprised that given the time of year and the abundance of local fresh vegetables and fruit locally, that the menu didn't reflect that local abundance, Service was barely better than the food. Our waiter delivered the food. Other than that, he was MIA. He did a workmanlike job as a server. When I say Keko was MIA. I mean he barely spoke, even when asked a direct question and demonstrated zero evidence of cordiality or hospitality. The only two individuals who did was our bus boy, who despite a language barrier went out of his way to make us feel welcomed and appreciated as customers. The other of course was our Chef Michael. Other than those two people no one on the staff displayed any attempt to exhibit even a modicum of hospitality or a thank you for coming in. Whoever it was that treated us so rudely over Max's self inflected wine kerfuffle-should not be dealing with customers. His behavior was inexcusable and was offensive enough that I doubt we will patronize Max Downtown in the future based on his behavior. The evening end with my wife ordering a coffee with cream. Keko delivered the coffee and a bill of over $52.00. The bill included a coffee, an iced tea, tax, and a mandatory 20% built in charge for a tip. The rating is a 1. The food and its presentation deserved no more than a two while service rates a zero rating. read more

Came here for Happy hour and had a decent experience. There was a good amount of seating for happy hour including tables along with the entire bar. The drinks were only okay, the food was good. Pricey of course and i am not sure if the quality was aligned with the price in my opinion. Service was good though our waiter did appear slightly unkempt and malodorous. Ambiance is always lovely. read more

The food and service are wonderful here, as one expects from the Max Group restaurants. We've eaten at almost all of them and not a one is bad. Prices are a bit rich, but you get what you pay for. read more

The food was good, but the service was really, really slow. And an odd thing happened while the waiter was finishing up taking our order... another worker came up to him and said pretty loudly "the valet needs your help, he's being attacked." And our waiter left the table. As two young girls it put us on edge for a bit, and we were kinda surprised it was never addressed or that we never got any sort of apology. I like some of the other Max location, but won't come back here. read more

Salted Caramel Baked Alaska: best dessert I have ever had. Marshmallow campfire delight

I love this place! Perfect for a business lunch meeting. The atmosphere is great, and food is always good. Highly recommend it. #realtorTatyanaMakarov read more

The hosts and staff were gracious and kind. The patrons ran the gamut of young people in jeans and nice rompers to huffy octogenarians in sweater vests on a Thursday evening. Next time we come, we'll get non-steak foods. The nectarine, whipped ricotta toast was excellent, oysters were perfect, and the sides to the steaks were also delicious. They missed the mark with the doneness of mine, and I regret not listening to our lovely server Shannon, and ordering the pork chop that was the dinner special that day. read more

Max Downtown - Whipped ricotta, nectarine, prosciutto toast. They weren't lying when they said it was whipped. You could've slept on it. - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

We went here for Valentines Day and the food, service, and presentation was excellent! Especially loved the Baked Alaska! They had a pre-fix menu for Valentines day which included an appetizer, entree, and dessert. read more

Max Downtown - Aged New York Strip - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Lovely venue with great HH deals that are decent size portions. We got pomegranate martinits, brisket hash, buffalo cauliflower, and a soft pretzel. Overall amazing. I enjoyed the has and the drinks. the service was excellent read more

Max Downtown - Brisket Hash, Pom Martinits, soft pretzel - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Some of the best steak in the city and not to mention every time I get it for takeout it comes exactly how I want it. This was a great date night and since then I've been ordering their takeout for pick up through DoorDash and every time I am never super happy with the service! read more

Max Downtown - Filet Mignon Oscar - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Don't bring a date here unless you want her grabbed by the host. Upon entering the host grabbed hugged and held my date then shook my hand very forcefully while he chatted her up. When I asked him not to hug my girlfriend, privately at the table, he responded with a loud and incredulous "What?" Which I ignored. He then shook my hand even more forcefully pulling me in and glaring at me on the way out. He seemed drunk. All in all a very unpleasant and vulgar dining experience. read more

Not our first time at max downtown, but likely the last. My wife and I occasionally are able to step away from the kids for a bit and go to dinner. We were very much looking forward to the excellent service that we enjoyed previously. We've been Mac vantage members for quite some time as well, not that it really matters. We sat down, ordered our apps, drinks, food. Drinks and apps came out just fine. Entree comes, my filet was well done when ordered medium. No big deal it happens. If only I knew where our server went. He said he would be right back but didn't actually come back. I had to flag down the assistant manager who took the steak and said they would make me a new one, would be right out just a minute or two. Tick tock, 5/10 mins later the steak comes out, just as my wife finished her entree. So now we have to eat separate. But wait, the new steak is now medium rare, still not as ordered. They offered to bring it back yet again but since we had limited time we wanted to move things along, and again my wife had already finished her entree, didn't want to eat alone. They ended up just packing up the steak to go. Not sure I'm going to enjoy microwaved filet tomorrow but not the point. At this point no comp drinks offered no comp bottle of sparkling water, nothing. On to dessert, ordered baked Alaska and soufflé. Told the soufflé would take 15 mins, no problem, we usually love the desserts here. Not offered coffee, cappuccino when ordering dessert. 15/20 mins go by, our server brings out baked Alaska, soufflé will be right out....asked if we wanted cappuccino, would have been great 20 mins ago but too late. 5/10 mins later still no soufflé and we have finished the baked Alaska. Asked Brendan the general manager for a word and told him we were extremely disappointed with this experience, we rarely get a night out, this is not the max experience we expected. Sorry sorry sorry was the response and he would take a few things off the check. Our server was monotone, not responsive, just came off as not caring. Didn't apologize once. Sort of avoided the table to be honest after the entree issue. Again when you are paying top dollar at the "flagship" max restaurant you expect a high quality of service. This is not a fast food restaurant. I said something to Brendan on the way out about how this was horrible experience and a date night ruined that we don't get to enjoy too frequently. I asked who should contact about my experience, he said he responds to the reviews, so it appears he controls the entire process. Again just an apology from him. I also suggested that the entire meal should have been taken care of which I believe would have been the right thing to do. I recognize Brendan will be reading this so when you do, how would you feel in my shoes, out for a special night with your partner/friend and the same thing occurred. Imagine you had to eat 15 minutes later than the person you came with, because someone couldn't cook a steak appropriately. Is this truly the experience that people should have leaving your restaurant? We both know the answer, you know what you should have done and your team failed. You could have made it right in the moment, taken care of the meal and perhaps even invited us back. But you didn't do those things, you just said sorry. It's a lot simpler to be the manager when walking around saying hello to people, a little tougher when things go wrong. We were really looking for a bit more empathy and perhaps a "how can we make this better" or perhaps "we don't want you leaving upset". But no that didn't happen. read more

I was shocked when I saw that I have yet to review Max Downtown after all my visits. What can I say? I've mostly frequented the bar area where the happy hour is amazing and the drinks are always delicious. Highly recommend the pomegranate margarita they have now, and have also had other refreshing drinks like a cucumber marg and Moscow mule. The bar area can look a bit intimidating as the waitstaff dresses extremely upscale, but it's a place where I've never received anything but the nicest service. In terms of the food at dinner, I've been several times and it's always delicious. My favorite is the prime rib and the starter bread is absolutely phenom. Dinner options are definitely on the upscale, pricier side but this is your place if you're looking to romance a loved one, have a splurge dinner with friends or spoil yourself! read more

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Great bar. Scotty and the staff make killer martini's. . I like the little glass in an ice bath so you can pour slowly and the martini stays dry and cold. Happy hour apps are a bargain. Oysters a buck a piece and I think I like the the buffalo cauliflower better than wings. I have eaten in the restaurant many times. Service is generally excellent . The food is expertly crafted and prepared . I can't speak to the steaks as I am Usually attracted to fish, lamb and duck menu items . Superb wine list with prices to match. read more

Excellent kinds of cheesecake very good service kind and considerate ambience inviting and thoughtful. read more

Max Downtown - A book my mother gave me as a gift of forgiving in person alive. - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Horrible hospitality, I definitely would not recommend coming here if fine dining is your thing. The workers were not helpful at all when seating me and my spouse. As well as so disrespectful, I asked for a menu for the happy hour drinks and they immediately took my table away and guided me toward the bar room. All I asked for was the drink menu, I was still planning on ordering food yet they did not have enough courtesy to even let me see what was on the menu or what food I wanted to order. This place has very poor service and quality. Don't recommend wasting your time here, I'm sure there's many better restaurants with better hospitality compared to this place. (Less racist as well). Update: Disappointed that the owner of this establishment would rather look into my yelp reviews to find some sort of "justification" it seems in my review rather than really addressing the fact that the hospitality was just not up to par. Yes, thanks for the offer to "correct" the treatment I received, but one chance is more than enough to see that this establishment does not handle hospitality well. No, thank you. read more

Went back again and the service was faster than before and no mishaps this time with the order. The chicken dish I ordered was not very tasty though, guess I should stick to ordering steak at a steak house. read more

Max Downtown - Chicken dish - does not look very appetizing now does it? - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Max Downtown offers an upscale experience with fantastic food offerings. The atmosphere can be described as slightly upscale but still fun, inviting and relaxed. Our server Molly provided exceptional service by answering our many questions, offering suggestions and providing the right amount of attention to our needs. The drinks were excellent and inventive, just what we needed to relax before a show at the Bushnell. Now onto the food, the Ahi Tuna Tartare was delicious and fresh. The Whipped Ricotta Toast was light and sat atop a wonderfully toasted bread. The Sweet Potato Pierogi was pleasantly unique and flavorful. You can't go wrong with more tuna and the Seared Hawaiian Tuna was glorious and cooked perfectly. However the star of the show were the steaks. The USDA Prime Tomahawk was phenomenal and the Prime NY Strip Steak was not far behind it. They were both accompanied by a trio of dipping sauces but honestly the meat did not need them. Max Downtown is a great choice for any occasion. read more

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The food quality and Quantity is not consistent. however the food is good. I will definitely recommend to a friend. read more

Really enjoyed my dinner at Max's. I had a New York strip and it was excellent. Very lean, but perfectly cooked and salted. Peppercorn sauce was nice. Brussels were good. read more

Max combines superb food, excellent service (Jason!), and a sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere! If we lived here, Max would be our weekly go-to restaurant! Instead, when we visit again, Max will be our must-visit restaurant! Enjoy! read more

The ambience was very welcoming and high end. We had just come from dropping our son off to college in the area and was uneasy about the dress code but they were more than welcoming. The food was outstanding but the service... (Jason) went above and beyond. After driving so far and spending the day moving our son in this was just what we needed. We had the oysters , tuna tartare, lobster pierogies for starters ! Delicious! For dinner my daughter had the dry aged burger and she loved it . I had the surf and turf ( amazing) my husband had the prime NY strip. Cocktails were great. I just can't say enough about the service from front desk to our waiter .. we now know Everytime we come to CT we will definitely eat here again !!! Thanks Jason and staff!! You made a difficult day all the much more pleasant for our family. read more

Took a client here for lunch (so limited pictures!). Service was excellent; super professional and checked in regularly. My guest had the salmon BLT and liked it a lot. He's a "regular" and said it's one of his favorites. I had their special soup (shrimp and carrot bisque) and a special entree (BBQ brisket). The soup was thin for a bisque but very good with chunks of shrimp. Went super well with their warm fresh rolls. The brisket looked like a huge portion (see photo) but was perched on bread and was somewhat fatty. Carve away excess fat and take off bread and you'll have a nice lunch portion. My sweet potato fries and coke slaw were also very good and fresh! read more

Max Downtown - BBQ brisket special - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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If I could give six stars, this place would fit the bill. Went after their massive renovations and it is gorgeous inside. Gone are the white tablecloths. Enter a more upscale casual look where jeans fit in with the suits. But it is still THE place for a power lunch. A place to be seen. And the place to impress and be impressed. Had a lunch with a freshened menu too. Sure the old favorites are there including the Cobb salad. But there's new items too. I tried the Branzino. And just wow. Never had a dish that looked quite like it. And add some shishito peppers and you have a dish for the 2017 crowd. Service was outstanding in all ways. Some of the best professional waitstaff around. Welcome back Max. You are back where you belong. On top. read more

Max Downtown - Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Overdue review for visit about 1 year ago; some details were lost. Food (1.5/2): My table had a mix of fillet mignon, mashed potato, and mushroom. They were all very well-cooked and well-seasoned. Though as far as flavor goes, they weren't truly amazing. Surprisingly, their cheese-bread appetizer was very good as well. Service/wait-time/cleanliness (1.5/2): Service was amazing, especially given that we had no prior reservations and it was around the pandemic. Very courteous, staff were also compliant. Wait-time was slightly on the slower end even accounting for pandemic. Cleanliness is top-notch. Price (1/1): While the quality of the food itself is not mind-blowingly good, it was definitely worth it given the price they charge. If I'm in the area and looking for some steak, I'd go here again. read more

For good quality food and libations, this is a solid place to catch a professional ambiance, good food, and to mingle amongst Hartfords who's who. The service and hospitality was extremely professional, and the service was excellent. I had the salmon which was cooked perfectly, the noodles were okay, I think next time I will try rice or a salad. For dessert we ordered the cookies - these might be the softest and warmest cookies I've ever had - the ratio was perfect! Lol. All in all great place to eat. read more