So glad I tried this place. The choice of wines is wonderful. I ordered chicken wings and waffles the wings were one of the best i have ever had. Waffle for me nothing special kind of dry. Bartenders were super great. Can't wait to go back for dinner read more

Tight very little wiggle room to even walk to your table you're so close you're rubbing elbows with the patrons sitting next to you and check this out our waitress is Chewing gum all the while she is taking our order and talking to us, really I couldn't catch a good vibe here especially when the service is so subpar and I was so looking forward to eating here , oh and the chicken is one degree from burned crispy and the deviled eggs well I never met one I didn't like until I met these... Then had the nerve to wanna rush me to pay with NO I repeat no line waiting for sitting, I am so disappointed !!! read more

The Black forest Pinot noir was amazingly good with Cherry and chocolate notes. I loved the fried pickles and service was wonderful!

This was one of my favorite go to eateries and it's never failed to disappoint; until it did. We arrived at 12:50 pm and there were two people at the bar and two people seated at one table. We were pleasantly greeted and invited to seat wherever we liked. Around 1:10 pm we finally meet our waitress who took our drink order which was only water. Around 1:20 pm, we finally received our water. Remember I said there were only four customers in the restaurant- and this is a weekday and lunch hour so you'd think they'd move a little faster... they didn't. We ordered and our waitress returned to our table FOUR TIMES to clarify our orders and each time she recited our orders to us, it was incorrect. We received our food around 1:50 pm and the collard greens were so salty (and I LOVE salt), I refused to eat them, but I didn't complain. My friend asked for a straw and the waitress brought us to opened straws with her bare hands gripping the mouth of each. I get it, when you go out to eat, you don't know what you're getting or what's really happening behind closed doors; but damn, you have to be nasty to my face ? The Mac and cheese tasted like plain boiled noodles with a watery shreds sauce drizzled on top at the last minute. I was so confused at what was happening with the service and the food, I thought we were being punked. I knew we should have eaten somewhere else when the inattentive waitress told me they stopped selling/serving Luca. The waitress asked if we were done and wanted our checks and we said yes, we got them about 20 minutes later. And no, it still wasn't busy - by this time there were approximately 6 -8 customers and all but 3 were at the bar. They're food to too expensive for such shabby service and salt read more

Let's be honest. You don't come to Max's for the food. You come to be able to tell your friends you got a table or to say you saw Slim Thug and whatever groupie he's with. To be fair, the food should get at least 3 stars, but how crowded and the terrible service make it absolutely not worth it. If you want to go to brunch just to be seen land brag to your basic friends, you should totally come here. read more

I felt amazing going to Max's! Maxe knew what full body reds would fit for me based of what I like and I have to say that I was fully satisfied with her recommendation. I will be dinning here again :) read more

Back in the day when they first opened this place was amazing. Not so impressed now. Overpriced wines and overpriced food. The tomato soup tasted right out of La Madeleine. It has been a while since we've been here and I won't be back anytime soon. Service is great but the food and wine not so much. read more

Horrible service. Rude staff. Atmosphere is cramped and musty. Don't waste your time or money. For their prices, one would expect class. You'll find more class and atmosphere at a Circle K on the interstate. read more

My first visit to Max's was two weeks ago at the suggestion of my best friend. LOVE the Rib Basket...so tender and finger lickin' gooood (does anyone know the recipe for the glaze???); Nacho Mama's Oysters was also good...deep fried oysters that's perfectly seasoned on top of fried wontons (the flavor of which reminded me of the flat chips from Benjy's). NOT CRAZY about their frites...it was cold and under seasoned. Parking isn't that great either. I will definitely come back!!! read more

I had always heard good things about this place and was eager to check it out myself. Boy! Was I EXTREMELY disappointed! I had never felt so unwelcome at any bar/ restaurant in a LONG time. The blond bartender was especially rude! When I asked for a red wine glass, for my red wine, she sassed off at me explaining that there were only 2 clean ones left...hmmm, what should one bartender do in that situation? I am really not at all a picky person, I just want to be treated with a little bit of respect. Not to mention, when closing out my tab, I had to remind the server(s) of what I had. Being in the service industry myself, I STILL tipped 20%. The ONLY good experience I got from this place was the live music set put on by Arthur Yoria. If it weren't for his great music, I would have definitely walked out earlier. A word of advice bartenders and servers at Max's: CUSTOMER SERVICE GOES A LONG WAY!!!!!!!!!! read more

The food is delicious. My boyfriend & I have had pretty much everything on the menus. The brunch menu is delicious. Love the mimosas - mostly champagne with a splash of juice JUST HOW IT SHOULD BE! Love love love the fried chicken by itself or as part of the salads. Especially love that the kitchen is open pretty late so I can get it to go after a night out. Laura and Mike are the best! Only complaints - day old wine used to be 1/2 off but is now $2 off. And sitting in the booths can be chilly. I definitely prefer sitting at the bar. read more

Looking for brunch on Saturday or Sunday? Go to Max's...no really...do it! Just make sure you make a reservation ahead of time - or your in for quite a wait. Their food is amazing - and I highly recommend their grapefruit mimosas! Yum! read more

4 stars with eligiblity for 5! I've been here for Bike and Brunch---I had the fried chicken, which was pretty darn good (it's not "best ever", but approaches). I did see a couple of things I'm definitely going back for--including the Egg Sandwich, and the Egg's All the Way--Wow), A little expensive, and I don't typically worry about expense (grateful!) which probably keeps it from a "5" with the experience already under the belt. read more

I've been here twice, once for a restaurant week in 2013 and another time for brunch. Regular dinner was better than brunch, imo. Both times the food was good, but brunch is a competitive business in this area and I think you can get the same quality of food in a more relaxing (read: less loud) restaurant. Didnt like the grapefruit mimosa, stick to orange. Dinner? The rest of the reviews have it covered. There's delicious stuff to be had from apps, dinner, dessert, and drinks. Make a reservation so you don't wait for 45 minutes like we did at the bar. I think the hostess felt bad for us, because she found a table in the very far back that looked like it may have been IN the kitchen at some point, and sat us there. We were grateful. read more

I've been here a hand full of times. First time I dined here I ordered the fried egg sandwich and haven't ordered anything else since. The fried egg sandwich is so good I've tried cooking it at home. I can't emphasize enough how good that sandwich is. It sounds very basic but it is not. Trust me, try it. And of course they have a great wine selection as well. The only reason I gave them 4 stars is because it's a very small restaurant. So small that someone almost knocked over our table while trying to slide by. Also had a bad experience with a rude waiter. So to summarize what you'll get here Pros -Great food -Great wine selection -romantic ambiance Cons -Very small dining area -questionable waiting staff read more

This is the first place I ate when I moved to Houston this summer. I go all the time now! Love it.. Almost always go for brunch and get the fried egg sandwich. The Max n' cheese is delicious as well. Make a reservation if you're coming around noon on the weekends read more

MAX's Wine Dive - This is only half of the fried egg sandwich and the Max n' cheese - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

First time here, great food and service ! I had Shrimp and Grits, we had fried chicken, chicken fried lobster tail. Outstanding! Chocolate mouse for dessert ! Sinful !! read more

Went for a work gathering. MAKE RESERVATIONS. Pricing it a bit much however you are really paying for the ambiance. Will go again. Only if asked. read more

I really wanted to LOVE this place but it was just okay to me! I love a good brunch butt his was a little blah...I had the southern fried chicken which I honestly have to say was cooked well and juicy but lacked flavor....my bestie had the shrimp and grits which I felt lacked flavor as well....the mimosas were boring....overall it was just okay nothing over the top! read more

MAX's Wine Dive - It's just okay - Wine Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

The good: Food and service. Try the Jake cakes and wings brunch! The not so good: Flies all around, and music a bit too loud. Still, it is a place I would at least try out once if you haven't already. read more

I just don't get what the hype is about this place. The food is average AT BEST, the wine selection is mediocre, the service is garbage, the parking is a nightmare, and worst of all....the music is always so loud at this place it seems like more a club than a restaurant! I have a few friends who live close to here and want to grab brunch occasionally due to the convenient location for them. However, the last two times we went, the music was so horrifically loud at noon on a Sunday we couldn't even converse at our own table, much less hear our waitress or have her hear us. We literally just sat there towards the end trying to enjoy our mediocre food in silence and then just left. I never thought brunch was supposed to be enjoyed with high volume house music; it really ruins the whole experience. I've given this place their last chance, wont be back again for sure. read more

Great atmosphere! Kid friendly environment.... I had the chicken and waffles for brunch and it delicious.. It was busy but food still came out and good timing. Very vivid place and will be returning.. read more

Came here for Sunday brunch with hubby. He ordered the grapefruit mimosa which he loved and I ordered the orange mimosa which was pretty okay. We both ordered wings and waffles. We both loved the wings. I've had better waffles from other establishments. I was really craving waffles but their waffles did not deliver. They were just simply mediocre....nothing special. The customer service was decent. We sat on the patio outside since the inside was pretty crowded. The waiter was very attentive. Overall, the experience was okay. My only recommendation is better tasting waffles. read more

Great food. Great service. COVID safe. I had the fried deviled eggs, shrimp and grits, and the chicken and waffles. Everything was amazing! I'm definitely coming back. read more

Not bad to go for a quick bite. Would've loved to have a wine menu available( it is a wine bar) but it was cool. The food was awesome! *hence the 4 stars* very friendly staff. read more

Wine temp was good. Had the burger. Very dry and not much flavor. The tomatoes were very good and fresh. The selection of wines were pretty good but not that amazing. Service was pretty good. Loud as frat party though. Bunch of ladies screaming at each other and hard to talk without screaming. Food is not the reason to go here and the wine list is just above average. read more

First time going into this restaurant and I just have to say the server Taylor blew my expectations out the water! Not really a wine person but my bf is and Taylor helped out with recommendations and appetizers Needless to say, I had a great cocktail hour and will definitely be going back read more

Really enjoyed having my family visit and bringing them to Max Wine Dive. We all ordered something different and got to share. The prices are a little high for the portions but the service was good and the drinks were good. read more

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I like this place, I just wish the inside was a bit nicer/smelled better...my favorite thing was the honey butter chicken eggs Benedict. The Creme brûlée French toast though wasn't as sweet as I wanted it. I had to drench it in syrup to get some sugar. The service however was excellent. read more

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I have been to this location quite a few times, but last weekend on the 26th of January was a really special night for me and my girlfriend. Our server Maxe was nothing short of awesome and I recommend anyone who goes to MAX's on Washington ave request Maxe for your server. She really made the experience that much more fun and enjoyable for me and my girlfriend, not to mention her knowledge of wines and food there was spot-on! Along with the good meatloaf and wine and intimate environment, our server Maxe was really the cherry on top of a wonderful night at MAX's!!! read more

This place was crowded when I came for a friend's birthday. I found it to be far too pricey for my tastes, hence the average rating. The wine that the waiter chose for us was actually quite good and suited my tastes pretty well. The food also was decent. But the prices! Sigh. I would expect this in New York but the average Houstonian is not used to this. Pros: wine, food, waiter Cons: packed, the music was too loud to speak to someone two seats away from you, PRICES read more

Decor is interesting. Jukebox selection is questionable... sometimes. Wine selection is fair - although it'd be nice to see the "by glass" selection to be a little bigger. The "Reverse Happy Hour" midweek is awesome! During the week, the happy hour menu is brought back between 10pm and 12pm. This is uber helpful for folks who work late. Seating is mainly indoor, but the bar is fairly large. There's a huge booth that can definitely seat a group of 10, if needed. Enjoy! read more

Went to Max's Wine Dive the day after Thanksgiving (2009) & LOVED it! Our waiter was very helpful in selecting our wines for the night - we ended up with a nice bottle of Merlot, Petit Syrah & Sav. Blanc. There were 5 of us for dinner & we decided to order several things off the Menu & share (& since there was an odd # of us - they even gave us "extra" of everything we ordered!) We ordered: Max & Cheese : delicious & very rich! Southern Fried Chicken - so,so good! Not greasy, a nice little kick from the marinade & fried up just right! Kobe Beef Burger (with mushrooms,onions & gruyere) - cooked to a perfect Medium (as requested!), not greasy...just amazing! Wild Boar Pasta - my favorite! The goat cheese with the gnocchi - amazing combo!!!! Rib Basket - sweet, with just a little "zing" - really good! We had such a great experience! Our waiter even brought us out complimentary glasses of dessert wine after dinner!! But, the most impressionable thing about Max's happened after we left! My brother had ordered one of their t-shirts (Fried Chicken & Champagne) & wanted to have it sent to his home in FL. I found out in January that it had never been sent to him (even though we had already paid for it!). I contacted Jeremy (the manager) via email & he was ON it! We communicated via email (along with Laura, the assistant manager) & they send him a shirt right away!!!! How awesome was that?! THEN, a few weeks later - Laura sent me a very sweet note & a gift certificate to Max's!! I cannot say enough good things about Max's - the food, the atmosphere & the staff are just amazing. Can't wait to go back! read more

I've heard many great things about this spot and after being invited for a birthday brunch, we went. The atmosphere is nice but I did expect a bit more size wise. Our server was spot on and very kind. The brunch menu did offer a nice amount of options to choose from and I felt it was reasonably priced. I ordered a mimosa and I just wasn't a fan. There is a perfect ratio of OJ and champagne that I desire and Max's just used too much champagne for me to actually enjoy it. Granted, some people love it this way. I ordered Jakes Cakes and Wings. I have had this combo at several other places such as Cafe Bello, Victor Tangos, and a few others. I must say that Max's ranked at the bottom of my excitement scale. The chicken just wasn't as flavorable as I would have liked but it was piping hot. Now the cakes, they could have kept. It just was not what I expected and I wish they would have included on the menu that the cakes included jalepenos, corn, and bell peppers. I simply desired a simple pancake with syrup and butter. We all discussed at the table how different that was and I don't think anyone will order my plate again. We may return but with other exciting options around, it won't be near the top of the list. read more

Checked out this place for brunch. Excellent service and pretty good grub. Should've tried the fried chicken. Possibly next time. One other mention...$3 mimosas. Grapefruit or orange read more

I am out in Houston to fill in upper management while some of the managers go on vacation, and the other manager who stayed in raved about this place. We drove 30 minute just to get here, and i was famished, waiting to be overwhelmed with great dishes. While the atmosphere was very welcoming, Max's did not live up to the hype. Venizon dumplings tasted like ordinary dumplings, nothing amazing, nor was the sauce that they used to add flavor to them. The house fried chicken dish with marinade started off enticing, but as the chicken cooled it flavor also went with it. I am curious how something looses it's jalapeño spiciness as it cools, as they found out how to do so. i switched with my coworker, and the kobe beef burger was actually good, which salvages this review from getting just one star. Max was not worth the trip, nor the hype. read more

Atmosphere- Tiny place but has free valet. Very crowded even on a Tuesday night. Wouldn't even attempt it on the weekend. Make a reservation! Food- cheapest thing on the non-happy hour menu is $9. For that you either get mac-n-cheese (seriously delicious) or 4 venison pot stickers. they were almost too spicy to taste the other flavors. Not well balanced and absolutely DRENCHED in oil. Wine- great selection but pricey. cheapest red is a malbec for $8. Very good though. Service- extremely attentive and fast. i don't like that they pushed the retail so hard. They brought a price list, explained it, and then did it 2 more times! Once would have been enough. Overall, overpriced, too small, and "dive" is a misnomer. I'll stick with Block 7 or Operto for my wine bars! read more

Been here a few times so my review is a collection of my past experiences. First off, parking here sucks (I guess it's expected being located off Washington)! Before, they had a parking lot in the back, but this particular time I went, it was closed off for valet (I'm assuming it closed for happy hour). The one somewhat decent thing about that was valet was off of tips only, but then again, I'm working on a budget and really don't mind the walk if I park far... SERVICE: When I finally got inside, I asked the waitress what wine she recommended and she made a good suggestion, however, that was the probably the last I saw of her for the night. Happy hour ends at 7:00 and typically, waiters will come around and let you know it's last call for HH prices (or at least they should). Maybe it's because they sat us in the corner, but they pretty much forgot about us the rest of the night. I was not happy about not paying happy hour prices, which is the main reason why I went in the first place. FOOD: We ordered the fried egg sandwich, which was quite tasty! The pulled pork sandwich was alright, but flavor wise, there's nothing special about it. We also ordered the chicken sliders and the macaroni & cheese. Mac 'n cheese was quite tasty, though I'm the kind person that wants meatier dishes. My friend tried the southern fried chicken...though I didn't taste it, the skin looked really crispy and the chicken, juicy. I've also had their kobe beef burger before and that was delicious!!! MUSIC: Huuhhhhh?? Whaaatttt??? Yes, the music was waayyy too loud, which made it more difficult to catch up with friends. All in all, I'd go back for the food, but that alone can get pricey..Wish I could say the same about the service (more so the waitress we had). It'll be a lonnnngggg time before I go back. read more

Truffle oil doesn't make it great (which is on almost everything there) Max's Wine Dive is a trendy, overpriced, terrible service and way too crowded strip mall restaurant! My friend raved about the egg sandwich-so I got it. It was NOT good. Do not be fooled by the other reviews! It needed a lot of seasoning-all the truffle oil did was make it super messy. It took about ten minutes for me to get the bartenders attention to ask for salt and pepper. My friend had the mac & cheese and it was nothing to brag about. When we got our checks everyone's was messed up. He over charged us on drinks that were on special and did not fix it. So he did not receive a tip. I do not recommend this place and I will not go back here. read more

Parking will be valet, street parking which is very limited or the old valet vs. me, race! Can you get to that free spot before the valet sticks a cone in it? This is fun for some if you win but as you are likely to lose, it's a pain in the assets! Free valet parking means a tip s still expected and so factor that into the cost of your meal. My dining partner had max n cheese and loved it. It was light and tasty. I had the fried chicken that people keep talking about. Wow! Crisp, juicy and somehow non greasy. How does that work? Had a glass of prosecco for $8.75 which was a very small looking glass and eerily tasteless and so plenyt left after the chicken was done. Your fried chicken comes with Texas toast on the order of a slab, a generous lump of good fresh dense moist mashed potato and something called collard greens which had there been a war, I might have eaten but as there are affordable vegetables at our fingertips, I wouldn't touch this overcooked leguminous mass with your 10ft pole. Staff sort of friendly although one of them seemed on the verge of tears when I suggested his food hero, Gordon Ramsey, wasn't as honest as his straight talking shows might suggest. Was a tad bizarre. Not to worry though. We ate at the bar and though loud in there, it was quite enjoyable. A new branch is set to open on Fairview in Montrose in autumn 2013 and am sure it will do very well. Wish the menu had more healthy options like the Austin branches. Fingers crossed that the new one hears this sentiment! read more