I come here a lot for delicious Filipino food. I recommend you try the chicharron bulaklak to start! Their kare kare is so yummy and the meat falls off the bone!. This was my first time having their lechon sisig and it's a new fave for me. Service is nice and it can it's a family style restaurant. read more

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They're celebrating their 75th year this 2020. I forgot the picture of Max's friend chicken which they were originally known for. The skin was the best part besides the soft moist chicken meat that complemented well with their ketchup. I recommend all the foods in the pics I provided but there are more items in the menu like sisig which is a great Filipino dish too. They all were masks, the servers were super friendly and nice (they even took a picture of us). They won't hurry you up when eating even when the line starts getting long. It's a great place for group and family meals too. read more

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Always a good sign when I see a max's in a city and I was so excited to see it in chi town! Definitely a good Filipino franchise to visit for the Filipino staples. We got an assortment of food such as lumpia, diniguan, fried chicken, pancit palabok, Lechon kawali, and of course sisig! Location is in a good area with lots of parking, next to seafood city and other Filipino stores. Will definitely be back! read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great service! Food was warm and fresh. It was a $20 Uber ride from the city ... it was worth it I guess Chicken was crispy and palabok was tasty. read more

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We ordered Pancit Canton, crispy pata and pork barbecue. All three were really good. We also ordered halo-halo and leche for dessert. They were not so good. While the halo-halo was full of the usual fixings, It was bland. The leche flan was actually not a creamy flan. So, I suggest try their savory offerings. They won't disappoint. Skip the desserts and go check out the Red Ribbon Bakeshop or even Jollibee's halo-halo. read more

Perfect place to eat after shopping at Seafood City! My family and I came up and we shared everything. The BBQ pork skewers and garlic rice were my favorite, but everything was truly tasty. I don't typically eat fish but it was so flavorful! read more

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First time to dine here at Max's in Chicago. It's been awhile that I haven't had their signature fried chicken. I introduced my husband to eat and he liked it. We also ordered the milk fish sinigang, it was also good. I'm used to having batuan and sili in the soup, I guess that was missing in the flavor. We were the last customer, so we waited more or less 30 minutes to be served. Our fried rice looked undercooked, regardless we were hungry and ate it anyways. Good customer service! Arrived past 7pm, but the kind lady in the reception area reserved us a table for two. We were seated in 15 minutes. All the guy servers are helping each other, and friendly to the diners. Mostly Filipino so they can speak Tagalog to you when you order. The restaurant is packed with diners in and out. Tables can be messy but the bussers are there to wipe the table clean right away. I praise the management for making the restaurant stay clear, organized and imbibe a very hometown feeling..loved the Red Christmas decorations. The menu is very limited. Don't expect to order set meals, instead half or full order. The chicken skin was not as crispy as it was in Manila, maybe because the winter weather affects the quality of the food. The kitchen staff do make an effort to keep the flavor very Filipino. Price is reasonable. I'd rather have my lunch or dinner here instead of eating turo-turo style at grill city. Just a few dollar difference but the food here is better. Max's will always be my favorite restaurant for casual yet classy dining. Next time, I'll try the pork belly sisig! read more

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"Sarap to the Bones" as the slogan says! The classic fried chicken recipe brought me back to my younger years in the Philippines. The pairing of Jufran Banana sauce and the seasoned chicken meat,to the crispy skin was heavenly. We also had Bangus belly sinigang which is perfect if you have cold or throat problems. The broth is sour and packed with flavor. Kare kare on the other hand is just okay, we had better like Isla Pilipina. Small rice means three scoop of rice. There are no alcohol served at Max's. I dont know if they allow BYOB. Service was polite and prompt. So why four stars?! Its their toilet! Its filthy and smelly. I hope they can do something about it. Max's has big potential if they can maintain the cleanliness of the place. read more

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My score is an average between the quality of the food and my overall experience. My rating of the food is a 4, but service was a 2. Like other reviews have said, expect to wait a while. The minute I walked in, the waiting room was packed with people having to stand. My mom was told the wait was 45 min to1 hour. Some people who waited almost an hour were told they had to wait another 30 minutes or so because tables weren't ready? Their way of having a wait-list could be more efficient. They don't use a buzzer or texting system that notifies customers when their table is ready. This is problematic because since the wait is so long, many people like to go next door to Seafood City to pass the time and often miss when their name is called, which slows the process down even more. I understand they just recently opened so this is just a suggestion. Patience is hard when you're hungry haha. My family is waiting and they suddenly made an announcement saying that their system was down and they could no longer take card. They could only seat groups paying in cash (which luckily my family was). Everyone in the waiting room was so aggravated and lots of people left, making my wait way shorter than what I was told. We finally get seated and they even pulled a chair out for my lola (grandma). Service was good until we got near the end. We ordered alot of food and it all came out pretty fast with nice presentation. The Sago't Gulaman drink was simply delicious! So flavor and sweet! The Lumpia Shanghai was made different than I'm used to but still delicious. They use a different wrapping which made it less greasy compared to other places. It comes with banana ketchup. Their fried chicken was good, but don't expect their skin to be thick. Out of all the dishes we ordered, I could say the pancit canton was my least favorite. This was my first time having sisig and it was delicious especially when you add lemon! Everyone finished eating and we ordered halo-halo for dessert. We sat for 10 minutes with all these dirty plates in front of us waiting for them to be taken. I even consolidated the plates so it would be easier for servers to take. Not one worker cleaned our table. Our server then came out with the dessert and then left, clearly seeing that our table needed to be emptied from all the dishes. I was just very confused. The server didn't even supply us with enough spoons for dessert. We had to ask a different server to have our table cleared and they didn't even clear it fully.... Whenever we needed something, we always had to ask for it. As a filipino, I did enjoy myself, but this establishment has some major work to do in terms of providing good service. I believe as time passes, they have the potential to become one of the best filipino restaurants in Chicago. So be patient when coming here because they are still learning and growing. read more

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Food was amazing specially the bulalo dish which has a lot of meat. Everything was good except for the Kare-kare. Ox tail with tripe was missing and they should have added some peanut butter to the sauce. There is always room for improvement. The service was good. read more

It was our family's first time trying Max's. Our friends recommended the sizzling tofu and fried chicken. They actually said they prefer Max's fried chicken over Jollibees. We didn't try the chicken this time. Maybe on our next visit :) I think my father-in-love enjoyed his food the most. He got the beef stew. He said it was tasty. He also said there was a big chunk of cabbage at the bottom to make it look like there was more meat and soup, but there wasn't. Overall, it seemed like he enjoyed himself! The rest of the items were okay. If you don't eat pork, shrimp, chicken, or beef then your food will just be okay. The highlight was watching my father-in-love. He was amazed at all the dishes that were being served to different tables. He added this place to his list of restaurants to visit again :) it was nice to see him enjoy himself. For the rest of our party, we'll probably try dessert only. Enjoy :) read more

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I'm Filipina and every so often I have a longing for some Filipino food. I never learned to cook so finding a restaurant that satisfies my needs is a must. I've been to several local spots but wanted to try this place because I heard it's popular in the Philippines. I was told that their fried chicken is a must so my friend and I ordered a half. The skin was crispy, but not battered crispy. The inside was juicy and tender. Thumbs up on the chicken! I also ordered the BBQ sticks which tasted yummy. The sticks were filled so you get what you paid for. My friend had the Lechon Kawali and enjoyed her meal as well. The only thing I would have liked is more garlic in the garlic rice. Overall, great food and friendly service! read more

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The food ! I ordered the fresh lumpia. It was strange because it contained ground meat. There was no jicama, lettuce, garlic in the sauce, and, the wrapper was dry! About the only good thing that I can say is that it was ready on time. Also, the "sago at gulaman" had no banana flavoring! The prices were a bit steep too! The fresh lumpia was $18 for two, the sago at gulaman, $7. read more

2nd time this year. Food is absolutely delicious. We ordered Kare kare, crispy pata, pork belly sisig, special bulalo, pancit canton, garlic rice pandas dessert and halo halo with our sago gulaman. Craving satisfied to celebrate my wife's birthday and her nieces. There were on two tables at 5:00pm on a Friday night being served so we felt very safe. Absolutely we will come back again. Thanks read more

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I used to have to go to Vegas to get Max. It's probably the most expensive Filipino food, but it's quality. I get everything except the chicken lol, since I'd rather have Popeyes, but get some other stuff like sisig or bulalo, and enjoy! read more

Rock solid Filipino food. Well known for the fried chicken but we think the go to dishes here are BBQ Pork Skewers, Garlic Rice, and Pork Belly Sig Sig. That combination at Max's is hard to beat anywhere.. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Classic Pork Sisig - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'd never had Filipino food before, but my buddy and his mom (who's from the Philippines) swore by the place and had been talking about it for months. The hype did not disappoint; my absolute favorites were the pancit canton and the lechon kawali given my low spice tolerance, but my more capable friends adored the sisig (especially the lechon kawali sisig, my Filipino friend said it's the best in the midwest). Really, really excellent, I'll definitely go again if I'm anywhere near there. read more

I like the place but they don't have Liempo like their restaurant in Las Vegas. That's is my only complaint. I go here every time I visit Chicago. read more

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Ever since we took out our aunt from Germany to this place, we've been going back for more! Gina our very helpful and accommodating wait staff has been there all 3 times we've been back, taking care of all our needs. And we actually met the person responsible for all the great things coming out of the kitchen--Chef Miki! Our toque's off to you chef! Of course the best, must-order item on the menu is their signature crispy, fried chicken! Their Kare-kare is rich and silky, another must-have. I think we've ordered almost every item on their menu and I can't find one I didn't like. We'll definitely be back for more. And don't forget the Halo-halo! read more

Worth the visit! Food is well cooked and they really take good care of you! Shoutout to ate Gina and kuya Dong! Will visit soon again. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Lechon Kawali sisig - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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They have a terrible service! Employees keep asking you many times to get your plates while you're eating! We got pissed when 2 employees offered to clean the table and gave us to go boxes even we're not half way done yet and still chewing! We understand there are people waiting but we also waited more than an hour in the line so dont rush us with our food ! We waited for the check 20 minutes with our empty water glasses... it hurts as a Filipino to rate this restaurant a 1 star but it was a terrible experience from food to service and even waiting for the check... they need their employees to be trained... read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Reality of food was served on the right! We were surprised they literally served the chicken with only 4 fries... AS A GARNISH?!!! - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

SOOO happy theres a Max's restaurant in Chicago now. It is definitely really hyped right now so there WILL be a wait when you go. Also, expect them to be slow at first because they are still adjusting to the large crowds and orders. First off, the staff here is really friendly and attentive. There is a large dining area with plenty of seating. I don't think they're utilizing all the space yet because of again, the adjusting of the new opening. For starters, my family and I ordered the calamari. I thought it was really good along with the sauce it came with. For entrees, we ordered the pancit canton, crispy pata, and of course Max's fried chicken. I thought portions were small, but my family (from the Phils and Cali) said that it was their typical portion size. As for taste, everything was sooo good. The crispy pata and fried chicken were perfectly fried. Crispy on the outside and tender in the inside. I loved the atchara (pickled papaya) that came with the fried chicken and wish it had more! For dessert, my family and I shared the buko pandan, sago't gulaman and halo-halo. My favorite was the halo-halo. Definitely shareable between 2-3 people. If you come here during prime hours, lunch and dinner, expect to wait from 1-1.5 hours for now. Try coming before opening if you don't want to wait long! read more

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We were told that wait time was about 35-45 mins. We were accommodated and sat down after 15-20 mins. It's good to overestimate than underestimate so customers are aware of the expected sitting time. We ordered the Max chicken, pork sinigang, lumpia ubod, crispy pata, halohalo, leche flan, and garlic rice. I saw on a previous post of another customer that the Max chicken was salty. I did not have that experience. On the contrary, I thought the skin, although crispy, lacked the flavor that other Max restaurants have. I dined at a franchise in Las Vegas and the skin had a salt vinegar taste. I thought that was delicious and unique; thus, expected the same flavors. I didn't have that on this location. I personally thought the chicken meat was a little dry. The pork sinigang was sour and tasteful. Typical Filipino flavors that can be expected for sinigang. It had a balance amount of meat and vegetables. The lumpia ubod was the star! I never had this dish before and thought it was mouth-watering. I loved the sauce: sweet and a hint of saltiness. It came with two large pieces, topped with minced peanuts. The inside was filled with vegetables, ground meat and small shrimps. I would order it again! I did not taste the crispy pata so I can't speak for it. It was a huge portion of pork. It looked appetizing. The same can be said for the halo-halo. It looked sweet and full of jellies, ice, leche flan, ube and other ingredients. The garlic rice did not have strong garlic flavors. The leche flan was a good size. I thought it was not creamy and rich enough. I found it a tad sweeter --but I still ate it because it's a dessert! Yes, the place gets busy, and I understand that it can be annoying to keep waiting. But as patrons, we need to understand they are trying their best to accommodate every customer on a timely manner. So, even if you have to wait, just try to understand them. They are trying their best. read more

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It's good that Max Restaurant is already in Chicago. The last time I had food from Max's was when my family traveled to New Jersey. I don't remember really eating at Max's Restaurant back in the Philippines so I couldn't really compare however growing up eating Filipino food it's not that difficult to compare. It took me awhile to check what the hype is all about. The location is located at Seafood City so, wanna get groceries after? That's easy and honestly convenient especially that it's off the expressway. Appetizers - that we ordered was Chicaron Bulaklak and Calameres (Calamari) both tasted good Main Course - Kare Kare and Bulalo and Pork Sisig..my thoughts on this...I was hoping for the sisig to be served sizzling hot since that's what it's all about..Nope it wasn't served that way I felt like it was pre heated and was served on that sizzling plate so that was disappointing. The Bulalo was a little bland to be honest. It was good but it wasn't great, I wish they added more seasoning since it was a little bland. Lastly the Kare-Kare it was pretty delicious and to top it off the bagoong comes with it made the dish even better. Most dishes comes with rice and it's a family style restaurant. Most Filipino restaurants are served family style so come hungry for sure. The dessert we ordered the Mango Float. My favorite dessert growing up. It was so delicious! The service was good! Our server Kelly was very nice and attentive and welcoming! I honestly felt like I was back in the Philippines. Overall I had a good experience! I was a little disappointed with how the sisig came out and the bland Bulalo but it's doesn't make me want to not come back. I mean I love Filipino food! I would definitely be coming back. The only downfall too is they don't take reservations on weekends which is odd but I hope that changes soon. Welcome to Chicago finally Max's Restaurant read more

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Newly opened last Friday 12/20/19. They did not have their grand opening yet. We ordered their chicken to go in the first day and it did not disappoint! It's like the chicken in the Philippines! This is my hubby's favorite restaurant in the Philippines and he almost finished the whole chicken! We went to eat at the restaurant today. We ordered the lumpiang sariwa for appetizer. My husband said it is very yummy! We had the pinakbet, sisigand of course the famous chicken , all yummy! Hope they will continue to keep their food good especially the chicken read more

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Ah Max's. For that taste of home. I do like the Crispy Pata here, when its fresh its good. The chicken doesn't taste quite as great as what I remember in Manila when I was a kid, don't know if thats a trick of memory or the chicken/ingredients are not the same. Still most of the dishes here are good examples of the type and if you've had Max's before anywhere else, you know what you are going to get here. read more

My previous review still stands primarily because we got the same exact thing. Why did I drop a star. It's because a lot of the dishes require a specific sauce to match. They unfortunately 1. Did not tell us which goes which. 2 They did not supply us the fish sauce that goes with the palabok which was flat with out it read more

Food is very tasty and servings are huge! The servers are very courteous and considerate. Although my coffee came after entrees were served. I expected it to arrive amongst other orders. read more

A Filipino restaurant located on the exterior of seafood city away from the food court within the grocery store. This place isn't fancy, but it's cafeteria style seated booths make it for a nice and modern sit down-diner type of jam. The service is slow, but friendly especially if you know how to speak the native tongue. Belly up and eat family style if possible. The chicken is what they're famous for, but the lumpia, karay karay, soups, pork bbq sticks, and crispy pata (a must try) are where this place really shines. Get the noodles, garlic rice too and cap it off with some halo halo ice cream because you only live once! PS ask for vinegar on the side to accompany your meal and diplo! read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Crispy pata. Pork with the crispiest of skin. - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing service! Coming from California where we have everything. We also have one in Milpitas and Glendale. Milpitas is the worst. Glendale is okey BUT the service here in Chicago was amazing!!!! They are attentive and fast. Very friendly. Milpitas is the worst. I am trying to see how I can speak to the store managers to voice about a concern but there's always nobody present who manages the place. But Chicago you guys rock! read more

Drove to Seafood City next door to shop around for the first time, and we decided to check out Max's for dinner since my boyfriend was wanting Filipino food. We ordered the takeout duo meal which had a whole fried chicken, white rice, and pork sinigang as well as an order of lumpia and garlic rice on the side. While we were waiting, one of the workers (maybe owner, but unsure) struck up a conversation with us and talked about the restaurant and etc. He was super nice, and even had them include a couple of free barbecue skewers with our meal. Everything was really good. I personally haven't eaten much Filipino food, so I'm not the best person to ask about authenticity. My boyfriend on the other hand, said that the food tasted just like his mom used to make, so I was happy that it met his expectations. The location has a big parking lot and is in a smaller part of Chicago, but I'd definitely recommend it to any of my friends and hope to try out some more of their menu items in the future. read more

Going to keep it short and to the point. Excellent Philippine food !! 2nd visit . Food quality is always top notch. Portions are good sized . A little on the pricey side but you definitely get what you pay for here. read more

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We are from out of state and we are travelling to Canada with our emotional puppy who was inside his carrier bag. We decided to eat in Max Restaurant even it ws way out of out route. We were not welcomed due to the restaurant even we have explained ourselves. For those of you who have fur family with you, Never consider this place as if they were implying to leave our family inside the car in the scorching heat. read more

Well this is the 1st time dining In as I made it a priority bucket list since they opened. I have ordered last year to go and was please of the entrees I ordered but there was some disappointments. 1, the server sitting me down was very forceful of when she chose a booth for me to sit in. I had to sit a certain way on the booth? Another thing I did NOT like also was the fact that despite that I was getting settled down on the booth she assigned me to she then all of a sudden decides to say sit on a another area which she should have made the decision if she was playing safety in regards of this Covid pandemic in deciding. Very unprofessional. Other than that, the food is great but I didn't like how the staff or service members were accommodating in regards of trying to socially distance people if they're not certain. Also on the menu certain dishes were NOT there specially the dessert menu they only had three desserts out of the five desserts that were NOT available which was another disappointment since this was supposed to be a legendary franchise that was better than Jollibee. Menu they had does not show other Traditional Pinoy entree pictures which will not help non Pinoy customers for the 1st time of what to order? Even for myself. I expected service to be operating clearly like clockwork. Not a bunch of staff members being uncertain or don't know how to escort customers or guests while dining in. Especially for me dining in for the first time.Can't have that Pinoy behavior in America which is the reason why the three stars for a upscale Filipino restaurant that's a franchise and I myself am Filipino or Pinoy and don't act that way. Best to just carry out if that's the case if such service is like this. The food is great but the service is lousy. Then again Seafood city the Filipino grocery to store chain operates like that too.Very slow service. As for what I ordered I had the Lechon Kawali Sisig which was delicious and right of the Cast Iron Grill Skillet with lemon garnish, 1 Filipino BBQ pork on a stick, a Calamansi Lime Juice which they did NOT deliver right away like most restaurants. i had to remind them sadly. Steam rice or any rice order is extra in sizes of small or large and last but not least for dessert, Filipino Leche Flan which I found out later was available. So much inconsistencies. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Ambiance - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered a full chicken deep-fried to go and an appetizer order of lumpia. Opened it up immediately when I got home and I must say this is one of the best Lumpia's and crispy fried chickens I've had in Chicago. Great job you guys I will definitely be back. read more

Max’s Restaurant - Chicago - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food and portions were very good. This is a place where you order multiple things and share with the family. The service was fast and kind. Overall very good experience. read more

Classic Filipino food and vibes. Crispy pata and fried chicken are their best and most unique specialities. Love their alternative sisig options such as daing, bangus, or tofu (had the tofu, it was fire). Service is super nice, appreciate Tagalog speaking servers, but as others have said they can be on island time especially when busy. Regardless, the food is still worth the wait. Chicago can never lack these establishments that genuinely represent the traditional culture and food. Sorry but Trader Joe's selling goofy ube flavored renditions of ice cream/pancakes/donuts/coffee don't hit the same as Max's. read more

Finally! Some competition from Jollibee! J/k I actually don't consider them a direct comparison since Jollibee is fast food while Max's is more a sit down restaurant style. I was so excited to see the signs for the anticipated opening around the holidays but knew we'd have to give it some time for the hype and wait to simmer down. The first time we tried to go was on a Thursday during the lunch rush around the holidays. Wait time was 2 hours. Then we tried our luck two weekends ago (and before the global pandemic declaration) and arrived around 11am. The dining room wasn't full and there were only 2 parties ahead of us. We were quoted about 15 mins wait and were pleasantly surprised when the hostess called our party after about 10 mins. We were seated in the inner dining area which is a little more private and had a big screen on the wall. Service was attentive and friendly. We ordered the sago't gulaman as a drink - it was Hubby's first time trying it. He thought it was delicious and reminded him of a similar drink in Taiwan. It was just the right amount of sweetness for me. We split the half fried chicken that came with the steak fries, an order of the Kare Kare, and a small order of the garlic fries rice. Enough food for 2 adults and 2 kids with leftovers to take home. We also tried the chicharon bulaklak as an appetizer but it ended up coming out last after all of the food. It was really heavy rather than the "lighter fare" category it falls under in the menu and greasy. The best was the Kare Kare with the fall off the bone meat and peanut sauce that wasn't overwhelming. Chicken was signature Max's and took me back to when I would go with my family in Manila. The accompanying fries were disappointingly lukewarm and soggy. Be prepared to wait from the time you place the order to when the food comes out. We also had to try the halo halo. Really good portion and everything thrown in - a great combination of crunchy, cool, creamy, and sweet. Kids really liked the ube ice cream and the gelatin. The flan was excellent - we may have to order the regular flan for dessert next time. Happy we had a chance to try it out when we did and glad we don't have to travel to the West Coast or Manila whenever we have a craving for Max's! read more

The service is inconsistent and not very good. The food has a good variety of authentic Filipino food. The location is great either before or after grocery store shopping. The restaurant is clean and updated. Good for lunch. The ambiance is somewhat lacking. read more

It's a great experience. The ambiance is very welcoming and charming. Amazing food and service. Staff are extremely knowledgeable and make great recommendations. Thanks Gina Server and MIKI, jeanna. Great Job. read more