I've loved every drink I've tried here, the ambiance is amazing, and the service is outstanding

Dang, this place is too cool! A huge Tiki Bar/ Restaurant that's fully decked out! They said to have the largest Tiki collection in the US, I think!? Loved that they had individual "rooms" set up where you could enjoy a drink or eat, more privacy and it's just cool! We came for drinks and dessert and I was really impressed that our S'mores dessert was all house made, like the marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate made in house! Mind blown! It was unique and delicious! The chocolate was like a thick mousse, choc pot? Loved it, and you got to toast your own marshmallows at the table! Huge upstairs also! read more

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This place was a real letdown. While the bartender was friendly, they seemed a bit disinterested, which took away from the overall experience. The cocktails looked beautiful, but unfortunately they didn't taste nearly as good as they looked. The menu offered a decent variety, but the food was underwhelming. The portion sizes were either very large or very small, with not much in between. I ordered the jerk chicken, and it didn't have the bold, smoky jerk flavor I was expecting. Instead, it tasted like it had simply been coated with an excessive amount of seasoning. The cucumber salad that came with it, however, was fresh and delicious. The elotes were unlike any I've had before. They seemed to include bell peppers and possibly lettuce, but the restaurant was so dark that I literally had to use my phone's flashlight to try to figure out what was in the dish. The texture wasn't my favorite, and the serving was much larger than what I'd expect for a side. One final odd detail was the restrooms, which are located down a stairwell. It felt a little eerie--though I admit I may have watched one too many scary movies! Overall, this just wasn't a place I'd return to. The atmosphere had potential, but the food and overall experience didn't live up to expectations. read more

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While the ambiance was super cool and our waitress was extremely enthusiastic - the food we tried left much to be desired. The chicken waffle fusion dish just tastes....odd. It almost had a chocolately flavor to the sauce, which combine with being spicy was unappetizing and just too much. I was hoping the ceviche would be better but it came out with 1 inch cubes of mahi mahi which were just too large. Not the same as the smaller chopped ceviche that's more traditional. The shrimp were fine but the fish would've been much better if it was smaller and if they included more variety of seafood like scallop. Overwhelmingly limey tasting and I wish there was some cilantro. Our friends dishes seemed much better (the Asian ground pork dish and the moco loco) and they said they enjoyed their drinks. I would go back with friends for drinks/the ambiance but wouldn't go back just for the food. read more

Love a good theme!!! This place is such a fun spot! Full commitment with the decor and overall atmosphere. A two level restaurant which makes for lots of space for big party's or just a date night. Our server was super friendly and gave wonderful drink suggestions. I can't wait for another girls night here!! Drinks: -Aku Aku: I love a fruity drink with lots of flavor and this was it! Recommended by our server, this was the perfect for me Food: -Budae Jjigae: Similar to a traditional ramen dish this had some great elements such as a soy egg and kimchi. I felt the broth lacked some depth of flavor but overall a tasty dish. -Bonfire: cute little dessert platter!! Great dish to share with the table read more

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Here is another restaurant that's been around for a while that we're just getting to. We were dining with friends who suggested Max's South Seas Hideaway. As we had never been there, we were happy with the choice. We had reservations on a busy Friday night and were promptly seated. I did not realize there were two floors to this restaurant. Our table was upstairs and my wife was recovering from meniscus surgery so stairs were out of the question. We were happy to see they had an elevator in the rear. Were were able to easily access or table this way. Restaurant is decorated tiki style with several bars and amazing decorations. We were able to walk through most of the restaurant gawking at the amazing decor. First, the drink menu was amazing. Having had our fill of alcohol prior to arriving we didn't order anything other than soda but look forward to properly preparing for out next visit. The food menu is just as appealing. There were also a few specials. Our friends ordered drunken noodles with chicken, my wife had the tostada special and I ordered the tiki tacos. Both my wife's dish and mine had pulled pork but both were uniquely flavored and were outstanding. I kept saying, "how could we not have known about this place"? For dessert, we ordered the s'mores. This was quite an experience as you prepare them at your table. We were provided with homemade marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers. We were also given stiff sticks for the marshmallows as the ones normally provided were difficult to handle while cooking them. The s'mores were delicious. If I have any complaints, there we're five marshmallows and five graham crackers meaning your s'more was basically open faced. Kind of chintzy I thought. I asked if it's possible to get more crackers. Our server said, "Sure with an uncharge". Happy hours at Max's look like fun as well with a reduced price drink menu and appetizers. Can't wait to do this too. Overall, great food and great service. So happy to be introduced to Max's. read more

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Max's is the best for cocktails. The decor and vibe is fun and lets you feel like you're escaping to a tropical vacation spot. The food is good but doesn't quite hit the spot for the price point. If you can catch the happy hour it's more reasonable. The servers are knowledgeable about the menu and often give recommendations if you ask. If you're planning to do the happy hour, make sure you check there is not an event happening as they do not honor pricing if that is the case. read more

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Came here on a cousin date, got the scorpion bowl to share and the zombie. The zombie is SUPER strong!!! We ended up dumping it into our bowl to share because the sips were barely making a dent, so we had to use the big straws to make it through. We got the pupu platter and locomoco to share, as well as a side of broccolini. Our favorite was the locomoco. The sauce was on the thicker side, like a light gravy, and it mixed so well with the rice. We sat upstairs and loved the vibe. It was a little bit lighter and felt more casual. The main floor is darker and feels much more intimate. Our waitress was super friendly. We had an excellent time! read more

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Ok, this place gets 5 stars for the atmosphere alone! I've always wanted to visit a Tiki restaurant and this place certainly lives up to its hype. The decor is amazing, go upstairs to check out the fish tank if you get a chance. The food was decent but the star of the show are the cocktails. We also split a pu pu platter. and that was fun. the staff are friendly and everything came to the table in short order. If you are looking for a one of a kind evening out in GR give Max's a shot! read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - Pu Pu Platter - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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We visited for happy hour on our anniversary and enjoyed one of the lounge areas. It was a nice cozy space that was impeccably decorated. We ordered spring rolls and brussels sprouts from the happy hour menu brussels sprouts were hand down my most favorite thing they were perfection. We also enjoyed a few cocktails none of which I remember name wise, but all were good. Are very sweet server brought us out a island bread pudding to enjoy for our anniversary and oh my goodness it was amazing! I can't believe it took us so long to try this place out, but I am so so happy that we did. We will definitely return soon. read more

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Birthday excursion. Great appetizers (that I chose as my main course). Jason was an awesome bar tender. Fun to talk to. Very attentive. Reminded me of Jon Hedder. -Liesa Swejkoski (author of Windy's Last Ride) read more

We had a reservation for a Friday evening in a lounge (the cute little rooms on the side of the main dining room), and it was great! The ambiance was perfect for an elevated happy hour, and the cocktails were all very tasty (I especially enjoyed the "Araki's Mana"). Our server seemed stretched a little thin, so our happy hour turned into 2, but we didn't mind. We didn't try the food this time, but I'd love to come back! read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

This place seems like an oasis in a concrete city. If you ever wanted to go to a tropical environment and have a few drink drinks and maybe a few appetizers or food, this is your place. The staff was very friendly when we were greeted at the door and they continued to be friendly while serving us. They were friendly and helpful with giving advice on drinks and I imagine food if we had done so. I will say the drinks were strong. I am not complaining. I'm just letting people know. If you wanna get the most bang for your buck, this is definitely one of your stops. They had a wide variety of beverages to choose from. I am sure you will find something that will wet your pallet. The interior is unique in a way that you might not expect. It has multiple floors. The upstairs has a full see-through aquarium, which was very unexpected. The main floor has the bar along with little private cabana type rooms you get seated in for a small party. Overall, this place will be somewhere I come back to and try additional beverages or maybe some food. read more

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Max's South Seas Hideaway was the perfect way to kick off our night in Grand Rapids. The tiki vibes were spot on--fun, immersive, and exactly what you'd hope for. We started with the Tiki Bowl, a rum-filled cocktail for two ($27), then shared the Pu Pu Platter, which was an awesome mix of finger foods to sample it all ($36). The atmosphere was such a blast with plenty of photo-worthy spots, and our server made the experience even better with their menu knowledge, great service, and plenty of laughs. Such a fun dinner--thank you! read more

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3:00 in the afternoon, 11 of us were out for a birthday walk just to stop in and have a drink and move on. We have seen a lot of things about Max's and thought we'd check it out. Unfortunately, we didn't have a reservation. 3:00 in the afternoon the restaurant is totally empty and they couldn't seat us together. They could put eight in a booth and three at the bar which was in a different room. We explained that we would only be there for a drink we wanted to see what it was all about, and we would move on. Rules, rules, rules. No tables together, no chairs in the aisle, don't play with the fire or we take your drink away. I'm not 12. We thought maybe it was because we had a large group. But as we were leaving this very small group of older individuals were coming in and they wouldn't seat them because they didn't have reservations, they asked if they were that busy right now? We told them no. read more

My husband and I went on a road trip to celebrate our anniversary. We both have a special place in our heart for tiki and Max's is amazing! Everything and I mean everything was delightful! The food was 10/10 which i don't know if I just picked all the best stuff or the chef was just having an impressive night. The drinks were super tasty, we had the painkiller, Singapore sling, pearl diver and a special shout out to the trade winds which was delicious. The decor and ambiance is out of this world and transports you to literal paradise. Last but not least was our server Haley who was so kind and patient and seemed like such a genuinely caring person which we so appreciated. read more

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We came here for drinks and dessert after having dinner elsewhere. The service was fantastic from our waitress to the bar staff that let me get a neat rum pour, off the 10 page rum menu!, as they were closing down and cleaning up. The bon fire s'mores were amazing! And the three cocktails were delicious! We can't wait to fill our passport!! read more

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Fun vibe with eye-catching decor & tasty offerings. This place has a very extensive mixed drink menu, which was if no interest to us however, the Pu pu platter for two made up for anything we might have missed. Great presentation, too!! read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - Pu pu platter - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

First time checking this place out, definitely did not disappoint. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and the food is absolutely amazing. Would highly recommend anyone interested in checking out a themed restaurant like this. read more

Extremely dark!!! Had a hard time reading the menu and seeing where to go. Bathrooms are downstairs. Had the marooned drink and didn't like it at all and bartender let me switch drinks. A lot of choices to choose from. Jerk chicken tacos were good (spicy). The pineapple salsa was amazing!! Best I ever had! And it also came with like a corn thing that was pretty good too!! read more

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Sitting here at this little gem before the Griffins game. Decent prices for this amazing little place! Highly recommend. read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - Sitting here at this little gem before the Griffins game. Decent prices for this amazing little place! Highly recommend. - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

OMG. This place is an UNBELIEVABLE GEM. If you were wondering where everything went from that big Tiki estate auction went all those years ago--this is where. TWO STORIES OF TIKI SPLENDOR. Food was amazing. Drinks...amazing. Service...yep, amazing too. You could walk around here for hours and still not take it all in. Truly unbelievable. If you have no other reason to go to Michigan--now you have a reason to be here. This is worth a plane trip just to spend some time here. JUST AMAZING.... read more

Came in for a late dinner with some friends and our kids and really enjoyed it. The place has a nice fun atmosphere due to the tiki bar aesthetic. This place is definitely drink forward - they have a huge printed out menu for drinks, but the food menu appears to be digital only. Kids really enjoyed the mock tails they got, and I enjoyed my coconut mojito. Food was surprisingly good! I really enjoyed the Max's Burger, nicely made and a good taste. Waffle fries were also excellent. Service was good - they were busy as it was a Friday night we never were wanting for drinks or anything. Heading back again soon to try out the S'more desert. read more

Everything you want a tiki bar to be, with a space suitable for a big group... a bachelorette party here would be amazing. The food was delicious. My pearl diver cocktail was not very pearly, but was very good. Super special ''hidden' spot for a date night read more

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This place has an incredible Happy Hour (aka Aloha Hour) with many of their specialty tiki drinks available for $6 and food options for $10. The ambiance here is impeccable and it's obvious that a ton of care was put into the decor. My friend and I each enjoyed two cocktails and a food item and were both very pleased! The Aku Aku drink was super refreshing and delicious. I had the fried shrimp And rice (can't remember what it's called) and it was bomb. I would order that over and over again. Perfection! I absolutely loved my experience here and look forward to introducing some other friends to this cool spot! read more

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This was a great place for date night with my husband. Never been here before but we will certainly be back. The drinks were strong, the good was great and our server helped to guide our experience which turned out wonderful. We will definitely be back. read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - The pu pu platter - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Amazing ambiance! Great food! Service was wonderful, too. Can't wait to return again.

I thoroughly enjoy this place. The vibes here are incredible; why this legitimate tiki bar would be in GR of all places I have no idea, but it is legit! I would go here just for the looks and the drinks alone (the mixed drinks are next level and deserve more than I'm writing here) but honestly, the food is also really good! I'd say the only thing that I found just decent was the service, which was not bad but I had no memorable experiences in a good way either. read more

Great ambience! Fun drinks! Good eats! AND!!!! They have tableside S'mores. What more do I need to say?!!! Hahahaha The s'mores.... House made marshmallows and graham crackers! They are so good! No artificial tastes like the store bought kind we grew up with. Don't get me wrong.... I'm eating any kind of s'mores at every opportunity. Before indulging in the s'mores we shared the Hulu huli ribs...the fries and a green salad. The ribs were tender and fell off the bone... The salad was crisp and fresh. Would definitely come back again if I'm in the area. read more

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What a gem!! We made a dinner reservation here mostly for the tiki ~vibes, but the whole experience exceeded expectations. The food was so delicious! And we weren't even trying to order the best on the menu, mostly because we had a heavier lunch so we were looking for a lighter dinner. A lot of options on the menu sounded delicious but too heavy. We ordered: - Tiki Tacos with Smoked Jerk Chicken, Poblano and Pineapple Salsa, Cilantro, Onion and a Side of Elote Corn Salad - Ginger Salad (Mixed Greens, Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Ginger Dressing) - Chicken Satay with Soy Yuzu Marinade, Thai Peanut Sauce - Side of Broccolini Everything was DELICIOUS, with generous portions. The tacos were so flavorful and juicy, the chicken satay cooked perfectly. We really weren't expecting much with the ginger salad, just wanted to add more greens, but this was actually so good!! It was huge and the dressing was light and zippy. The Broccolini side actually came as broccoli. It was tasty but a little heavily sauced. I also tried their Caipirinha, with Guava. Luscious! Not super boozy but very refreshing and tasty, and the guava made it unique. Service was friendly and the dedication to the theme was impressive, with every inch of the walls and even the ceiling designed to fit the tiki ambiance. Super enjoyable time and would definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

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This place is seriously sooooo cool!! The ambiance makes you feel like you're faaaar far away from wherever you came from, I wish I'd taken more pictures of it honestly! The drinks are AH-MAZING!! The bartender we had was awesome too and even checked about any allergies either my boyfriend or I had to make sure even our drinks were safe!! I'd never had that experience at another bar! He washed everything he made this drink in to prevent any cross contamination for me and I was so thankful, considering they do have a wideeee variety of drinks! (I have a nut and tree nut allergy) A heads up, it's pretty dark feeling in there when you first go in there until your eyes adjust, but it's awesomeeee!! Thank you for an amazing experience!! read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - Aku Aku drink - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I simply love Max's. Every time I go there they make me happy. This time we showed up early with no reservations and they sat us in the corner lounge area which is my favorite place to be honestly. We ordered the pu pu platter, a ginger salad, ribs, and the spicy shrimp. Every piece of it was great and provided leftovers for the next day. Oh, did I forget the zombie drinks. If you like rum, you will love the zombie drinks and be careful they are super strong. read more

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What a fun spot to grab a drink! Near downtown, the space is large and decorated like you're in an island jungle. The menu is very large with drinks for any type of person. If you enjoy more sweet and refreshing drinks, order the Puka Punch. It comes with passion fruit and pineapple and is very large! read more

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Drink was 5 stars, food was 2 stars. I will definitely be back for a cocktail, but doubt I will eat here again.

I had not visited Max's in a couple of years, and I'm happy to say its strengths are still standing: the theming and decor are charming, the drink menu is extensive and diverse, and it feels like a unique experience. Service has always been good and attentive, even when busy. What disappointed me this time around was the food quality and pricing. I know costs have gone up pretty much everywhere, but you pretty much can't get a dish here under $25, and the sandwiches/burgers are all around $18. That's a $30 meal with a tip, not including drinks, and not much on the menu here is worth that much for me. Stick to it for special occasions when you want something different. read more

LOVE this place. This weekend marks my second visit here and I'd come back over and over. The ambience is my favorite part - it truly feels like you've been transported to a tropical island. Certainly a nice place to go in the winter when you're completely over the freezing cold of Michigan! Our food was on point again this visit. The crab rangoons are huge and the chicken satay is so tender and delicious. My Mom loved the spring rolls. We also shared the drunken noodles and even got another order of spring rolls togo. Our waiter was stellar and very attentive! Another highlight for me is the nonalcoholic drink menu section. Make sure to check out the entire upstairs and the beautiful salt water tank! read more

Max’s South Seas Hideaway - Drunken noodles, chicken satay, crab rangoons and spring rolls! - Tiki Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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This place is an adventure. You walk in and feel like you have stepped into the Hawaiian islands. The decor is fantastic and the vibe is to relax. There are 3 levels and 3 bars and one is shaped like a ship. Also a giant fish tank on the third level. A must for kids. Now their drink menu is bigger than their food menu. So many choices. I chose the aku aku which is rum pineapple mint so refreshing The food makes you feel like a Hawaiian luau. Poi poi platters spicy shrimp and so much more. I got the green curry hummus with fried naan bread. My companions got the drunken noodles spicy shrimp and vegan green curry Everyone was happy content and full A must go to place read more

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Ok who the heck knew Grand Rapids had a Tiki Bar and a good one at that. Sat at the bar and just had drinks, the service was great, drinks strong and the atmosphere excellent. Reminds me of the Trader Vic's Restaurants. Will be back!!! read more

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Absolutely loved this place. Such an amazing Tiki bar and restaurant that we randomly came across while wandering around Grand Rapids while there for the weekend for a wedding. The tiki atmosphere rivals some of the great tiki bars across the country. The food was unbelievable and the drinks...perfection! Our waiter (and later our bartender when we went upstairs for another drink) suggested the perfect drinks based on what we liked. I wish we had something as great as Max's in the Detroit area. This will be a must-do whenever we return to GR. read more

This is a really unique bar in downtown Grand Rapids which I feel like you have to know what it's about as it's a little hidden off the main drag. Once you walk in you're immediately transported to a tiki wonderland and it's hard to picture walking from 29 degree weather into here! We sat at the bar as it was pretty busy on a Saturday night and proceeded to look over the lengthy drink menu. Woah these drinks are strong ! Haha be careful and come loving rum because these are heavy! Not exactly cheap but I think for the ambience and the craft cocktails it was great. Service at the bar was. A little slow but because they are making every drink from hand , you have to factor that in. The only reason I knocked it down a star was the lack of TVs . I definitely think they are going for a Caribbean feel and they don't want to have TVs at the bar to interrupt that overall feel of the restaurant, but it's just not something we're used to especially with a ton of college games on. Would highly recommend you stop in for a cocktail! Their food looks really good too so I would love to come back and try that out as well! read more

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