Went for a wedding dinner , food was fantastic ! Huge servings , and staff was terrific ! Definitely a must visit when in Staten Island !

My husband and I celebrated our seven-year wedding anniversary at Max Es-ca. Our waiter, Gregory, was top notch and should probably be teaching his craft at a hospitality school somewhere. The food was absolutely amazing and beat every expectation we had. We will definitely be returning here and bringing friends with us next time. read more

Danny was the best waiter ever! He is so attentive and professional and he made our night. Thank you Danny and Max for an unforgettable time ! read more

This restaurant never disappoints. Food is amazing and service even better. It's become our Easter and Thanksgiving tradition. Highly recommended!! read more

2nd time here...great vibes and great company. The vibe is always positive here and the dj's keep the party rock in'. Absolutely love the chocolate Martini's her and the customer service is awesome...last but not least the owner is on the dance floor as I type and he has major movesssss....dope!!!!!!!! read more

Max's Es-Ca - Girls night...myself and a few of the girls - Italian Near Me - Staten Island, New York

We had dinner at Max's Es-Ca while visiting our friends in Staten Island. We ate in the outdoor tent area that was well heated and spacious, tables weren't on top of another. One of the appetizer specials were stuffed zucchini flowers that were well worth the price. A generous portion of four that were stuffed with ricotta cheese and topped with a creamy sauce, they melted in your mouth. I love Bronzino and always hesitant ordering this delicious fish when not in Southern Europe because in the USA I've has some awful versions. Typically, a good waiter will suggest something else if a particular dish is one of the weakest but Brianna was so confident based on customer feedback, I ordered it. WOWZA! The Bronzino was the best I've ever had! I was served a large portion from the meatiest part of the fish and it was perfectly cooked, flaky, so it retained its sweetness. Topped with olive oil and a medley of Mediterranean staples; capers, tomatoes, onions, olives and lemon. The base was a flawlessly cooked risotto and sauteed spinach. There was a snag, we were seated at 7:30PM and didn't get served our main course until after 10:15PM. It was explained that the small cooking staff was taxed however to soften the wait, we were offered a round of drinks and dessert on the house. Does a free wine and tiramisu wipe away the long wait? This time it did! My meal will always be remember as having the best of one of my favorites! look forward visiting my friends in Staten Island again soon, I know where I will be making reservations! Bravo Max's Es-Ca! read more

Finally got a chance to come here!! SUPER friendly service, our waiter was a delight and was really hustling in the heat to make sure all the tables were taken care of. They did the outdoor seating very nicely with the tents. And the food was SO good, the beef Wellington was my favorite. I'd definitely come back for the wonderful service, atmosphere and food. read more

Very nice restaurant ! Popped in for a mid week dinner and we were pleasantly surprised. Nice atmosphere , nice service and ver good food . I would definitely go back read more

The restaurant was very nice and bar tender was super nice.... But here's the downside: the sauce for the calamari was bland, bland, bland. I asked for no mushrooms and got double mushrooms with my rigatoni. There was also oil all over the dish-that's all you tasted. read more

Max's Es-Ca - It's nice here.. Very nice for a date. The bar tender gave us a shot of a drink called PB&J.... It tasted just like a sandwich! - Italian Near Me - Staten Island, New York

The service was perfect Nick our server was there if needed anything. The food was incredible from appetizers to my main course Beef Wellington melted in my mouth. Highly recommend read more

Max's Es-Ca - Beef Wellington was delicious - Italian Near Me - Staten Island, New York

Best Italian on Staten Island! Love the desserts. Favorite pasta is gnocchi. Patrick is the best waiter. Get a dirty martini :)

The food quality is fair. But it does not make up for the lack of quick service. I had three birthdays waiting for my meal.

Went there twice place looks great like a old rat pack type of place. The food is really disappointing for what you spend plus it all par cooked not fresco seafood was gross complained the waiter he did not understand me if the owner cares fire the whole kitchen disgraceful and lazy . read more

Went here based on all the great reviews. The food was mediocre and overpriced. Seating is uncomfortable, and the configuration of the tables is haphazard, with very few options, that don't put you in the middle of the room. Very few tables against a wall and no booths. Service is excellent and the place is kept spotless. We won't be back . Frankly, we would have been better off in a diner or coffee shop , for a lot less money, and better food. read more

Both times I ate here were great! I loved the food that I ordered the first time so much that I ordered the same exact meal on my second visit and it was exactly the same great quality. Branzino is my favorite, great option for someone who likes salt since it has capers and olives. I licked the dish clean both times. Filet mignon bruchetta, tuna tartar and lump crab meat cocktail are all apps I would recommend. For dessert I recommend the blueberry bread pudding which I could not stop thinking about after my first visit here. The food is consistent, the service is great even during these crazy times, and they are following COVID protocol (which many restaurants on SI are not). read more

Delicious! Only good things to say about the quality of food at this place. Tried many different dishes as I was with a group of people. Everything tasted amazing. Pleasant experience with the staff as well. Will definitely come back read more

This place is amazing, we started with the zucchini flower which had mozzarella and in a lemon caper sauce, clams oregano, and split the filet with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach as well as a side of penne vodka. So pretty much we ordered everything. It was so good and the drinks were strong and amazing as well!!! Perfect place for date night - make sure to ask for Danielle! I will definitely be back here, the staff and the vibe are amazing! read more

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Food here is DELICIOUS. Not a far drive if you live in brooklyn. It's around a beautiful area, and they have a parking lot. The raw bar was fresh. They have a huge selection of sea food. Everything is great, staff is super friendly !! read more

This place is delicious and always a good time. Their prices are pretty high, but I assume it's from them trying to recover from covid. Never had anything I didn't like here. read more

Went again after a year for outdoor dining. Everything was as fantastic as the last time my hubby and I were there. Bread/breadsticks/flatbreads and butter and roasted garlic in olive oil starts the meal. We ordered baked clams and scallops appetizer. These didn't come to our table quite hot enough but I'm not sure if it was just because we were seated outside. Main course was one rack of lamb with spinach and mashed. We shared the main course and they split the dish into two beautiful plates for us. Tartufo and beignets for dessert. A glass of Chianti was perfectly paired with the lamb. I hope they keep the outdoor experience even after they no longer need to because everything was just lovely!! read more

Went this week for dinner, called for reservation same day for inside just Incase ,got a table no problem. Service was amazing (as it always is ) food was delicious. You can never go wrong with This place. Always my first for a nice night out. read more

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We had a very nice waitress, and a very talented chef. I had a salmon and sampled a chicken rollatini, both of which were phenomenally cooked. The right amount of oils, spices, and every bite was soft, delicate. read more

Max's Es-Ca - Italian Near Me - Staten Island, New York

Went to a baptism here! first if it's the warm weather don't use outdoor space! Was very hot even with fans on! No one at my table finished their food it was terrible! chicken cordon bleu was suppose to come with mixed veggies no one got mixed veggies! We were suppose to have a champagne toast, never got it! Would never go there to eat again! servers we're ok worked hard in the hot weather! young man who parked the car was extremely friendly and polite! read more

Awesome food! The waiter was a bit Distracted. Couldn't handle the pressure. That's okay! We had an awesome night

My fav place to go to! Patrick is the best waiter ever. John is an awesome bartender! They're super attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Some tips, go on a Saturday (make reservations) and have dinner and stay for the dj! You won't be disappointed. It's super fun and a more mature crowd. It's my favorite night to do dinner and drinks at esca. If you're looking for a bargain, Wednesday is buy one get one free dinners. read more

Huge portion sizes, so even though it was a bit pricey I wasn't too bothered. Great food and service, but 1 star off due to lax COVID safety measures in the sense that there wasn't enough social distancing in my opinion. read more

Max's Es-Ca - Beef Wellington! Super buttery and the beef was cooked well - Italian Near Me - Staten Island, New York

Came here for the first time this past weekend and had a good experience. we were seated in the outdoor garden which was decorated beautifully .. and we came in the middle of a 'hurricane' lol but even though it was pouring out we stayed dry. I got the chicken rollatini and it was one of the best entrees i've ever gotten. i ate the entire thing in minutes lol. than they brought over the dessert menu and i decided to try the peanut butter cup gelato, this was also delicious! i cant comment on the drinks because i'm pregnant but i'll definitely be back to try them, i definitely recommend! read more

Took our daughter for her birthday lunch today, and the service was great. Food we ordered was delicious. Will definitely go back there again. read more

Had such a delicious birthday dinner there last Wednesday, delicious food , great service , valet. Totally enjoyable , looking forward to going back to celebrate our anniversary dinner on the 28th . read more

Great food great service awesome bartender. I currently live in Florida, but i will definitely return wen I'm back in SI

Came here for a birthday dinner with 13 other friends and had a great time ! It was my first time there , and I'll be going back for sure . The food was really good ... I had stuffed shrimp , buratta mozzarella . Staff is friendly , drinks are good read more

One of the nicest and definitely delicious restaurants in New York nevertheless Staten Island. The stuffed pork chop with the cherry peppers is out of this world. My favorite dish. Max is excellent and his staff is excellent and professional. read more

I enjoyed a dinner here a couple of months ago, and thought it would be a perfect place to celebrate my friends 40th birthday. I made a reservation for 8 people and was offered the table promptly at arrival. We had one couple who was running 10 minutes late, but they sat us and let us order our drinks. I drink old fashioned's and manhattans. Both were not enjoyable. I tasted some white sangria and it tasted sour. Almost like grapefruit juice. We ordered appetizers which were fair. The grilled octopus dish seemed to be mostly potatoes with some slices of grilled octopus sparingly included. Strange. The eggplant was cold. The other appetizers were okay. We then waited for over an hour for the entrees. I enjoyed a linguini with seafood dish. Other people complained of overly salted food. Mine was okay. Desert was standard. All in all I would give them another chance. Service was friendly, but really slow. Food was decent. The price was fair. Roughly $600 including tip. read more

Went at 8PM on a Saturday, crowd filled in shortly after us. Throughout the entire dinner, our server Christina was excellent - attentive and very sweet. Drinks were good. Ordered the baked Brie on the special, and mozzarella carozza - both were delicious. Everyone was satisfied with their meal - my fiancée had the lamb, FIL had the veal chop which he commented how it hot it stayed throughout the meal, MIL got bronzino - she enjoyed the flavor as well as the fact that it was deboned with no head. But the most important part and the reason we came here was my beef Wellington - i told them I want just a little pink, and it was perfectly cooked for me, in a delicious sauce. I was content but chose to indulge in a birthday treat. I ordered the creme brûlée which was honestly one of the better ones in a while that I have had. It was cold and formed, with a nice warm caramelized top. Overall, a great birthday dinner. read more

Staff is very friendly and accommodating. It was my third time dining at this restaurant, food is great, I really love their fried calamari and grilled octopus appetizers. Outside seating is awesome if you want a romantic dinner or just have a nice eating out with colleague or friends. read more

I don't mind paying more for a good food. In this restaurant you're paying more for and ordinary food. The food is so plain you couldn't distinguish between a branzino to a cod fish. The meat is soft but kind of lemony. I can't find a single reason to pay that much for what you get. The only good thing was a service. Our waiter was so good, so professional. The verdict: save your money, go somewhere else. read more

Was in the area and went to check it out. If you don't know the owner or workers they relegate you to the tent which can be an ice box if you don't speak up. They did turn heat on but still felt like eating in a garage. Food was passable but severely overpriced. Four people over 250 bucks with one drink. Will not go back but it wasn't terrible. There are better more reasonable places nearby. The prices just don't equal the quality or atmosphere. read more

Something about this place...is awkward. They have done a good job making this into a popular dinner/night spot. But the central rounded bar that allows you to sit at the bar and see all the dinner patrons having their intimate dinners...makes this a very un-intimate dinner spot and a bad place for drinks at the bar too! OK, onto the food. It is very good despite the lack of veggie lovers options. I dont really care for anything (keep forgetting this, or wishful thinking has me hoping that they will ever switch up the menu - they don't) on the menu 'cept the appetizer of grilled lobster ravioli which they gladly make into an entree for me. Again, it's very good, and it's a classy place...but...not quite a 4 star for me. read more

I had went to this restaurant once last summer and once tonight. Last summer I did enjoy my meal here, But there was a party going on there and my waitress at the time was horrible. Unfortunately, it took 3 hours to get my food that day. Luckily tonight I had am amazing waiter his name was Patricio. I started out with the stuffed crab spring rolls which were great and my friend had the tuna appetizer but didn't care for it. For dinner we shared the prime tomahawk it was cooked perfectly it was served with a delicious cream spinach and mashed potatoes. The only thing I recommend Is that they ask patron prior if they want their steak sliced thin when served. I personally don't like my steak sliced thin like that at all. It was a great steak, cooked perfectly just like thicker slices. I couldn't decide what dessert to order so the waiter made a plate of 3 of my top choices. ALL 3 were outrageous! The beignets were to die for!! A must get here! The chocolate cake was very good and so was the carrot cake. All the desserts are house made and all outrageous! The beignets being outstanding! I'd love to come back here and try some more dishes. Glad this time I had a great waiter and turned me into a regular. They also have valet parking which is a plus. read more

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Luckily I didn't have to pay for my meal bc it was a pharmaceutical rep dinner. Food was avg and way overpriced! The waitress didn't remember our orders. Not a pleasant overall experience. Desserts were good, but I don't think they were prepared there. read more