I took my friend here for her 50th birthday. It was during restaurant week. 4 courses for $35. What a mess. The service was terrible. When the waitress brought out our meal, we reminded her that we didn't get our salad. She wanted to bring it out and put our food (steak) back into the kitchen. Are you kidding me? We said no, to just wrap the salads, which were raw tuna, btw. What a terrible experience. OUr food was cold. The butter was not melting on top of the mashed potatoes. The place only had about 6 tables dining. And, let me say this. We sat there forever waiting for her to ask us how our meal was. She passed us at least 5 times and never made eye contact with me. When she finally did come over, she said that her manager told her to take $15 off the bill. And, she wanted to argue with us when we told her of our disappointment. The manager never came over, either. I enjoyed my mussels, but will never go back again. read more

Colors light expired nov 19,2019 . It's January 21st 2020. When I asked for a new one I was told the whole Case was this date. There was a guy at the bar drinking coors I feel bad for him!! Hostess and a waitress were dancing instead of helping the bartender With table service. And was hesitant even when I waved her down. read more

Very disappointing - my wife and I went to Max's for our anniversary. Once we were seated we ordered drinks. I also asked for water. Fifteen minutes went by and nobody came over to us. Servers walked past us several times and didn't even look our way. We got up to leave and and told the manager (I guess that's who he was) that we were leaving. He asked if something was wrong and we told him. He didn't even apologize or ask us to stay (very dismissive). About 5 minutes after we left we received a text message saying that they cancelled our reservation. If they would have been as attentive to us as patrons as they were so quick to cancel our reservation , we would have stayed. Really bad business to just let somebody walk out without even trying to get them to stay, let alone receiving a text message within 5 minutes that our reservation had been cancelled. Clearly we are not important to them as patrons... read more

Not a five due to prices! But it's seafood joint so can't blame them for price point. Came here to check out the menu and ended up staying. Great homey place. Street parking avail if small private lot gets full. Town it's located in is not the greatest so keep your belongings with you and don't forget to lock your car. Anyway. We walked in an hostess asked if we had reservations...we said no...he says it's better if we do...but seated us anyway...I did not appreciate that! You would think he would just seat us without being negative about it. It's not like they were crazy busy. There's a solo musician setting up to play live music at the bar area. nice small bar for after work drinks or happy hour. Enough chatter! We got bread with some sort of sour cream butter (unhealthy but yummo). Mussels in spicy red sauce was delish! You can choose hotness level as well as type of sauce (white, red, thai, another I can't recall). Bf got chicken gumbo...well liked and tastey. Main course for bf was broiled mix (flounder, clams casino, scallops in bacon, sweet baked potato, mixed veggie) satisfied man, no complaints. I got special of soft shell crab with tomato grits and black bean avocado salad. No complaints either! My two faves grits and ss crabs...it was win-win for me. We ended up having leftovers cause we stuffed our faces fat. Too bad we didn't have room for desserts, next time. Oh yea they have nice limited beer list. This is a nice place to bring parents, out of towners, and seafood-friendly dates! BUCK A SHUCK OYSTERS...Monday and Tuesday's!!! Def will be back for this...lastly I was saddened that they ran out of skate! I guess come early next time, this is one of my all time fave fish. read more

So glad I stumbled across this place..fresh and tasty seafood and pastas! The bar had live music and such a great vibe . Anxious to come back! read more

Food was pretty good. Service needs help. We came in on a slow Saturday around 6pm and sat at the bar. We were two of four people sitting at the bar. At first, service was good but after we got our food and first round of drinks that was about it. We were going to linger all night and try many of the bar items. With every simple question we asked the bartender, he would respond while walking away from us to sit and watch the game. He did talk a lot to his co-workers, so I guess he's social. Shame, we were very disappointed. Service is everything at a place like this in Gloucester City. read more

We had lunch here on Wednesday afternoon around 12:30. There were four other tables of 2 or 4 guests, and the server said it is not normally this busy for lunch. Unfortunately, she appeared completely overwhelmed by the numbers, so service was slow. It was also quite chilly in there. I started with a cup of the gumbo, which was good, but would have been better with some seafood. I also had the Grouper Ruben, which was disappointing. The fish was a flat deep fried white fish, that could have been anything. I will take their word for it that it was grouper. The "grilled rye" was just toasted, and the Gruyere cheese was missing. The sandwich was tasty, mainly due to the pepper slaw and dressing. My other half had the burger. She said it was OK, but not exceptional. We have not been here in quite a while, and I was looking forward to the quality of the fish sandwich they had in the past that made the trip worthwhile. Unfortunately this was not to be. read more

The food was inconsistent and disappointing. The service was unprofessional. Spent $24 on an entre that was ill conceived and worth half it's price. At least they had Chimay. read more

We started at the bar while waiting for our table. Table was ready before we ever got served 10-15 minutes later.server was not attentive and seemed to disappear often. Apps were delivered timely. Entree took more than an hour to be served. Bronzino was good, mixed seafood was small portions and broccoli rabe was shutter. Overpriced for location and portions. read more

Upon arriving to Max's I had high hopes. This restaurant had good reviews. The decor is beautiful and our waitress was good. Service was a bit slow as the dining room filled up. The menu is all over the place with seafood, Asian food, Italian food unfortunately the food flavones were also all over the place and the ingredients were not high quality. The food left me wanting more for my money. I am happy to pay good money for a decent mea. Max's should redo the menu and rethink the quality of their ingredients. read more

I love Max's WHY - well mostly b/c of the bartenders! I drink EVERYTHING - so when a bartender suggests a drink (Martini) and they make it EXTREMELY WELL not once but twice??? Old fashions -Martinis - Red Wine the bartenders have never steered me wrong. Oh and the Thai mussels ARE PHENOMENAL! read more

I had been here previously with a group of 10 and had a pleasant experience. Last night, not so much. My mom got an email touting the Mardi Gras specials as Max's- etouffe, muffaletta, Bloody Mary, etc. We couldn't wait. We were seated right away, and it took a while before the waiter came over. We asked about the Mardi Gras menu. Only a few items were added to the regular menu. I asked about the Bloody Mary, if it had veggies in it. All I could think about for two days was the Bloody Mary from the Corner Oyster Bar on Decatur St in New Orleans. Chockful of pickled veggies, even a piece of garlic on the pick. So delicious. The waiter took forever to bring our drinks. He brought 2 Bloody Marys by mistake and forgot my dad's soda. The Bloody Mary was pretty lame. There were a couple little olives on the pick, and a giant piece of celery to make up for the lack of veggies. I had to load it up with salt, pepper, and horseradish. There was no horseradish in it at all. After another long pause, we got to order our food. The apps came out a little slow but not bad. Everything was very tasty. We ordered the crab imperial and the mussels in red. The salad course came out next. The waiter forgot my mom's dressing. And he didn't come back. Around this time we noticed two tables next to us hadn't ordered and they were there a long time already. Then we noticed a bus boy (?) starting to bring people bread and water. We grabbed him for the dressing because the waiter just disappeared. My boyfriend had to go to the bar for more beer. We noticed the a woman in a sweater (manager?) starting to take orders. We saw the waiter, he came back a long time later and made sure he remembered our entrees (?!?), and told us our food would be 5 minutes longer. It was a really, really long time since we had ordered. Finally the entrees came, and the waiter apologized because the chef was new. We waited on my dad's entree to come last. And we waited. And finally it came. Note on the food- most of it tasted very good, but there was some "false advertising". My dad ordered jambalaya and he could not find a piece of crawfish in it. I ordered the muffaletta, and it was a ham sandwich with olive tapenade. Not a piece of pickled anything on it, and not even a nice thick layer of tapenade. I've even made real muffaletta myself, and it is not that hard. My mom had to send her dish back because the chicken was too tough to chew. It was obviously sitting under a heat lamp and/or microwaved to reheat because it was sitting there so long waiting on the other entrees that the waiter couldn't remember we ordered. We ordered a couple more beers, which the waiter spilled all over as he brought them, and commented that "that just goes with the rest of tonight". He did offer my mom a free dessert for the entree problem. Overall, Max's is a good restaurant. I will go back there. I'll just remember not to order anything on a special menu. And I hope for Max's that this waiter doesn't work there much longer. And they need to get a jar of pickled vegetables. They can use it in several ways on their menu. it will greatly enhance a couple items. read more

Just had a delicious lunch at Max's! They have a new chef and the food is amazing! Our party had the shaved brussel sprout salad. It had just the right amount of acid with candied walnuts to balance it out. Then we sampled the buffalo shrimp that were freshly made and yummy. Some at the table had shrimp bisque with good size chunks of shrimp and a delicious broth. For entrees we had crab cakes, mahi tacos, & fried shrimp. Again all were fresh and wonderful with homemade dry wedges. We topped off the meal with 4 fabulous desserts, chocolate bread pudding, creme brûlée, cannoli, & key lime pie. They were all so good I couldn't pick a favorite. The Jersey Blueberry martini was great, also. We'll be back for sure! read more

I always have wonderful food here. It's av shame that the service is always awful. The bartender couldn't even tell me the difference in the sauces that the muscles were served in. She had no clue about the cocktail menu. When i asked her what drink is her favorite on there she replied she doesn't drink them so she doesn't know. I would go there more often if the service was better but they always disappoint read more

This place is not only much nicer than I expected, but the food was excellent! I definitely recommend coming here and will be back soon. They had an excellent selection of seafood and we also got steak which was cooked to perfection. read more

First time there tonight and was pleasantly surprised. Looks like it belongs in Olde City part of Philly. Quaint atmosphere, good service and wonderful food. Soup was excellent as the salad was nice and chilled and fresh... We will be back.. Great place that is hidden away in Gloucester city. read more

I have been to Max's about fifteen times. I went to high school about two blocks away. Gloucester may seem a bit rough at first glance but the people are real and Gloucester has heart. The food at Max's is just excellent. You're really missing some good food if you don't go. You can dress casually and feel right at home. The setting is basically neighborhood tavern. You enter through the bar. (Take a look at the beautiful woodwork on it.) You can eat in the bar, but the adjoining dining rooms are better. There is a parking lot right across the street. They are open for lunch and dinner. The bar features a good selection of imported beers and wines. An outstanding dinner choice is the Planked Salmon. It comes with asparagus and sweet potato. It's just great. The Key Lime Pie and Bread Pudding are good too. The prices are reasonable and Kathy, Noreen and the other great servers will take good care of you. They are very nice people. Tell them Gus sent you :) It's located one block below Broadway going toward the river. I have never had a bad meal here. read more

This is the most awesome pub/restaurant that almost no one knows about in the Delaware Valley. Max's Seafood Cafe is an old traditional corner taproom in a rowhome community near the Delaware River in Gloucester City, New Jersey. It looks awesome inside .... yeah you could use this for a movie set if you needed a centuries-old pub to film. Greeted warmly when we stepped into the bar - Flyers game on the one TV - and then taken to the dining area. Our waiter said he was in training. Well he was so cool and attentive that we'd ask for him anytime - his name was Marcello. The food for our party of four was awesome all around - not one complaint .... so I'll just mention my dishes. Loved the red mussels, the green salad was really tasty, the cedar plank salmon with pecans perfectly cooked, and the raspberry white chocolate bread pudding totally awesome. This is quite a gastro pub. As it was a Monday night and not overly busy, Timmy the chef stepped into the dining room to see how everything was going. That was so cool of him and we learned that he is only 26 with no formal training except that he's worked in restaurant kitchens for years growing up. He's def got talent. All in all, this is a total thumbs up experience - worth driving to and finding. The whole evening was feel good .... and the staff, food, and atmosphere at Max's were the main reasons! read more

Upon arriving, I was immediately attracted by the victorian decor of Max's Seafood Cafe. I pronounced it 'a diamond in the rough'. Yet, for me, it stopped there. The service was okay, the waitress didn't really seem like she wanted to be there. I ordered the baked tilapia, which I thought was good, but not great. It had a lobster sauce which was creamy and salty and didn't give the fish justice. The fried onion was a very nice touch, but I had trouble distinguishing the different parts of the dish because it was just smothered in the sauce. I imagine many of the other dishes to be great, so if I were to come back here again, I would consider a pasta dish. I tasted the broiled stuffed shrimp, which was very good, and the cedar plank Salmon was a bit undercooked. The presentation was very nice and they have a very extensive list of beers. They don't have many options for vegetarians, which I suppose is okay considering its a seafood cafe. Overall, I would come back here another time, but I was not truly impressed with my first visit. read more

The grilled bluefish was excellent. Probably the best grilled bluefish I've ever had which I was surprised to see on the menu. As for our other meals flounder, cod and crab cakes were good too. The grilled bluefish was the tastiest. Might not be on their regular menu though as we were there for restaurant week. Service was very friendly and attentive. read more

Been here once before, Wouldn't normally go to a seafood cafe since i don't eat seafood. But I had their chicken parm! an it was the best chicken parm i've ever had! good price for the amount they give, friendly staff. Kind of hidden away on the corner of row homes, but they have their own parking lot! so you don't even have to park on the street! if you love seafood this is the hot spot to come! read more

Ate here once. The food here was pretty good. The entree portions are not going to fill you up. The bread samplers are delicious and I even requested more. Service was good. Slightly pricey for the size of the portions. read more

While the food was good some of the portions were small. Had the blackened scallops for appetizer. Only came with two. Both were very good. Ordered the crab cakes came with two small crab cakes with rice and cole slaw. The entire entree was excellent. For desert I had the key lime pie, I've had much better. The wasn't much in the way of key lime but there was much more of whipped topping. I would not get it again. Service was very good. Overall the food was good, portions on the smaller side and prices being on the higher side. read more

The best clams and mussels EVER... $5 a dozen during happy-hour

Order the Thai mussels' you won't be disappointed. Also, ask to be seated in Rojas' section, top notch server, very informative and bilingual. read more

I've gone here many times - they really need to focus on quality as it's all over the map - sometimes you can get something great - other times its a disaster. The salad that comes with every meal looks like it's been out on sunny shelf all day - with a weak little cup of dressing, that's never changed regardless of the chefs which have rotated many times in the last few years. They do better just not serving this. The seafood is a mixed bag - often the mussels are sandy and oysters have shells in them. A lot of cheap fried fish is served and they serve the same other 3 fish dishes the same way for years and years with no variety and no imagination to change anything expect for a very rare special menu for a holiday, often just the same items on a smaller menu. The wait staff looks depressed and could not care less about anything except leaving as soon as possible. The staff doesn't last long here and management never cares. Decor has waned and is quickly getting outdated as its very dark and somewhat depressing - it's also not so clean - check the ceiling fans - caked in dirt... They try and bring in a crowd with a band or singer and that fails as it just jams up the small bar and the rest of the place can't hear it anyway. The food prices are fair but the drink prices are insanely too high - $12 or more of a martini - $10 for a drink on the rocks? Not even in Center City do they get that high. Ultimately the menu is too big -- if they cut the menu to a few very good things, lost the side salad nobody wants, brought drink prices in line, updated the interior and got some good staff including investing in a good chef (someone people know for example) they could really do well - I don't think they ever will - I expect to see them on a make-over show to save the place before it finally gets sold. read more

A friend and I dined at Max's after not being there since new owners took over. We were a little disappointed that their won't as many seafood selections as before. We were greeted by Our Server Britney with a bright smile. She was very helpful in describing our questions about different dishes. My friend raved about the fresh oysters on the half shell. We ordered thia mussels. Delicious. Thanks Britney for suggesting these. Mussels were cooked to perfection. The buffalo shrimp was amazing. A nice change from fried shrimp. The only complaint I have is the mussel bisque. Tasted like tomato sauce with over cooked We found the staff very cordial. Especially Britney. We will be returning on a Wednesday nite for $1 oysters and of course we'll ask for Britney as our server. read more

Great mussels, anti pasta etc. All fresh food and delicious. Excellent beer selection and wine cellar is top notch.

We have come here once or twice a year for about 4 years now and I have to say it has really gotten better and better. Our recent visit was by far the best. The drinks were a generous size and the blue point oysters were delicious as were the little neck clams and the generous portion of crab dip, which came with grilled pita triangles. The Roasted Herb Crusted Cod Filet with creamy clam sauce, minced veggies, & crisp potato cake was prepared perfectly as was the Cedar Plank Salmon with its pecan crust, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted sweet potato, & cranberry chutney. The wine was a generous pour at a reasonable price and we ended the evening meal with a tasty apple tarte. It is a true gem that might be seen as off the beaten path from Philly or Cherry Hill, but well worth the visit. read more

Had the shrimp and. Crab fra Diablo and it was fantastic. Just over the bridge kind of hidden away but worth finding!

A most excellent gem in Gloucester City. We are not fans of seafood but ordered the chicken parm and it was the best we have ever had. If you are in town we suggest you to check out this establishment. Yummy. read more

I've been here multiple times since I was a child and I can honestly say it's still great! The specials are always amazing, the mussels are great, and the staff is great! Service is always fast and with a smile, always great reccomendations on wine. read more

Hidden gem! A quaint, unassuming little restaurant with great character and most importantly delicious food. Don't come here often enough but when we do, it never disappoints. read more

Max's is our favorite date night location! The food is always delicious and the menu is always changing so you can try new dishes all the time. read more

I stopped in on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed an excellent dirty martini and delicious friend oysters. My server was Brittany, and she was very knowledgeable about the food. Max's has an unbelievable happy hour on Saturday (1:00 - 6:00) and it is a great perch to gather with friends. read more

Had dinner here tonight can't wait to come back. I had one of each oyster, Thai mussels & for dessert 2 more blue point oysters. So fresh & delicious. Our server Brittany was a delight. She knew the food & helped make ordering very easy. We will be back & definitely request Brittany. Thanks for your excellent service. read more

It was my first visit to Max's to celebrate a milestone bday. We went monday September 9and had Amy as our server. She was wonderful and attentive and our food and wine delicious. I highly recommend a visit and ask for Amy to wait on you. She is wonderful. read more

wonderful! went there to celebrate passing the bar and the chef gave us free dessert - never had it before there and it was amazing - i will definitely be adding it to my list. the buffalo calamari is a great twist and the oysters are always fresh and delicious. between that and the free salads that come with the meal - im always full by the time dinner comes. but the cedar salmon and the fried seafood medley are always delicious the next day too. great drinks and a great price - if you want good seafood without having to get fancy - i highly recommend this place read more

Awesome doesn't begin to describe Max's. Every time I've gone I had a great experience; professional and polite staff and above excellent food. Some menu choices are a little different than your norm but that's what makes it unique. If there is room left for dessert, I have to recommend their key lime pie w/pistachio graham cracker crust--the BEST! read more

This is a go-to place for my hubby and I for a date night. Great happy hour specials and awesome decor in the bar area. Dinners are a little pricey so we usually just stick to the bar menu. They have a great selection on tap. read more