Max's Opera Cafe Reviews

Stopped for dinner prior to going to a show. The food was excellent and more than I could eat. Had their sliders and a salad. Bother we’re more than enough for my appetite but very tasty. The service was great and the waiter ended up singing several songs with the piano player. Happy hour pricing at the bar is worth it for the sliders and drinks.

Stopped here for a late lunch with a friend, but had some trepidations after the inedible Joe's Special I was served earlier in the week at Max's Palo Alto. What a surprise! We had the best Pastrami Reuben Sandwich ever! (It's my all-time favorite sandwich, so I've had quite a few.) Delicious, well-balanced ingredients, and the bread was just right, not soggy. Sweet-potato fries were piping hot, with a tasty chipotle-aioli dipping sauce. This is the Max's I remember! Good food; good, cheerful service---everything but the singing. Oh, well... that Reuben Sandwich made it memorable even without the musical waitstaff.

Nice place to go to get a bite a drink as well as excessive desserts. I would definitely recommend and will be coming back. Quite a convenient location to the Orpheum theatre.

I will try to be fair--but our meals were poorly cooked, dry, barely warm, and thoroughly disappointing. The waiter intimated that he had another party scheduled and that we should be finished about 1 1/2 hours after we arrived. They replaced overcooked prime rib with more overcooked pieces, and finally substituted a "rare" ribeye steak that was so undercooked, it seemed they were simply sick of our complaints and threw a piece of raw meat at the table. The hostess/ manager finally apologized and reduced our check considerably. I am attaching a photo of the steak to illustrate our concerns. Draw your own conclusions.

My first visit to Max's Opera Cafe was a pleasant surprise. The very elegant restaurant was filled with patrons having an early dinner before heading to the opera, a few short blocks away. Because my companion and I did not have a reservation, we were seated at the bar which fortunately offered the full restaurant menu. Our meals were both delicious and filling. The bartender managed to be friendly and attentive while efficiently dispensing drinks for the entire restaurant and taking meal orders for patrons seated at the bar. Two special treats were hearing a waiter come out to sing "happy birthday" to a dinner guest in a lovely tenor voice. Later (to honor of a personal friend who was also celebrating a birthday), the same waiter came out and sang a song from an opera. I don't know Italian or anything about operatic music but it was lovely. I look forward to returning (next time we'll make a reservation!)

We had gone there for dinner at around 830 pm on a Sunday. The restaurant was quiet with only a few tables patronised. It was disappointing to see some trays/racks stacked up near the entrance. Spoilt the first impression. There was a pianist who entertained us with a couple of songs. We were probably the only table who applauded at the end. The food was underwhelming with the fish tacos rather soggy. The saving grace was the carrot cake which was one of the best we had tasted. That helped notched up at least another star for our rating in an otherwise not so memorable dinner.

I have been eating here for 20 years, and continue to be delighted with the tastiness and consistency. The corned beef, or pastrami Reuben sandwich is my favorite, and compares favorably with the best in New York. Hard to believe? Try it yourself. It is a great combination of rye bread, cheese, sauerkraut, and perfect meat. They will also do a mixed combo, mixing the pastrami and corned beef. Other favorite dishes include the Tuna Melt, and the crab cakes. For dessert, I like the plain cheese cake, which is one of the best anywhere in the US. This deli is a rare find... enjoy!

I usually love to take out-of-town guests to maxes Opera Café for a true American/daily experience. This time we went for only dessert. I ordered the chocolate macaroon and it came with A sprinkling of chili powder and powdered sugar! It was supposed to be cinnamon! Everything was corrected. They do need to greatly improve their management etiquette as the poor waitress was left responsible for correcting the issue.

Good food , great value , entertaining staff. Didn't know what to expect when we went in and we were pleasantly surprised, The meals were good, big portions and hot and tasty. Liked the memorabilia and photos on the walls and really enjoyed the performances that we saw, some real talent and entertainment.

This was our second time there. Dinner before a concert. My northeastern roots tempted me to order a cheese steak hero, Philly Style. Big mistake. It was odious. A large glob of tasteless meat with goopy cheese on a soft equally tasteless bun. I managed to force down a half of the sandwich. Rest was enjoyed by my dog the next day. My wife had a mediocre Cobb salad. Another example of a overpriced poor restaurant deceiving the public on a daily basis, servicing what they call something akin to "deli cuisine". Check off another restaurant from the list.

Good average American food with no taste and no fancy presentation. Some what over priced for the cuisine. Good wine list. A Piano bar adds to that older San Francisco style.

Getting a table here is like going to the dentist.. Not fun. The restaurant is disorganized and loud. Food is unremarkable across the board.

Well, Max's Opera Cafe is an established restaurant in the heart of the Civic Center. What they serve is NOT HAUTE CUISINE, but it is very tasty, very fresh, and plentiful. The BIG salads are delicious and will serve as an appetizer for three or four people. The menu is varied, and the serving sizes of everything from soup to nuts are BIG. The service is professional and friendly. The regular hostess is simply perfect. And, Max's is a hop, skip, and a jump from the San Francisco Opera House and the San Francisco Symphony. Give Max's a try. I love it.

I've been going to Max's on and off at the opera plaza for better than 15yrs and have always found very satisfying. I recently went and was amazed at how far they have fallen in the past year. To start, a minor thing, asked for my sandwich on an onion roll, came out on rye, they offered to fix it but, the second thing is that the wait staff didn't seem to have a clue as to what was going on and i was afraid my meal would either be forgotten or changed. No big deal, ate the rye. When asked what the soup of the day was the waiter was hesitant and couldn't really describe it but said it was kinda like a bisque. I'm not sure what it was, and my wife that i was just being a pan until she tried it and the best description she had was pan drippings, I didn't think it have THAT much flavor and it definitely wasn't a bisque. Table behind us asked for coffee 3 times, the third time, three different wait staff showed up with one cup of coffee. I'm not sure if this is managements fault but the chef should have been fired on the spot for serving the "special" of the day soup and the staff definitely needs some direction.

Went here for brunch. Service was extremely slow, though I did feel sorry for our server--from what I could tell he was the ONLY one working and the place was only getting busier. Still, we had to ask repeatedly for the bill when we were finished. It felt like we were constantly being forgotten. Food was average.

Although we used to frequent Max's Opera Cafe, we had not been there for several years. This time, my wife very much enjoyed her chopped vegetable salad and my spicy Buffalo wings were excellent and plentiful. However, my side Caesar salad was just plain boring, brought to a semblance of life only by the addition of the dipping sauce for carrots and celery that came with my wings. My wife's ice cream sundae was just OK.

Great place to visit before and after performances at the San Francisco Opera House. Pleasant waiters, good variety of food, quick service, and close by-walking distance Just a nice touch to your day/evening out.

Good location in terms of SF Symphony, Ballet, Opera and lectures, and less expensive than most of the other pre-show places nearby. I had the cobb salad - it was huge and was fine (it is just a Cobb salad after all), and my partner had the corned beef on rye that was also perfectly acceptable. He ordered a key lime pie: what arrived was an entire medium-sized pie, that was pretty terrible. The crust was heavy and wet and had an odd off-taste, and the filling was over salted. I have had the Russian cabbage soup on a prior occasion that was quite good, so our conclusion is that this place is a good option for cheap eats prior to a show if you are careful about what you order. Corkage is $15.

A group of 3 we took the short walk from Civic Center Bart to Max's and arrived at 6 p.m. on a week day. We were seated immediately and though our order was not taken for a while we received our meals and were out by 7:00 p.m. for our 7:15 event. We ordered the Pear & Candied Nut Salad, the Caesar Salad, Potato Latkes, and the California Chicken Salad with avocado. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the serving of fries was generous. It was very affordable for the location and decor but probably not a "must-do" when in the City.

Hit maxes post movie after not having been for several months. It's your standard "amped up" deli fare from Ruben's, soups & potatoes all the way to salads, steaks, prime rib and more. Generally speaking the food is good, with large portions. Nosh and appetizer menu section very good my favorites tonght being the Greek Mezes, Crab Cakes and Steak & Shrimo Mojito bites. I've had a couple for poor service experiences to hadn't been since the summer, and I recommend not going diring shift changes because you can get lost in the mix (that's less the waitstaff's fault then less than stellar management of the floor). But it's great if you happen to be going to the movies next-door or have guests in town. Parking is pretty easily assessable and it has a super diverse menu so when you've got finicky eaters or those who have diet specialties you can usually find someting for everything. They have some great desserts including supersized macaroons and and a full bar

This was a fun spot for dinner. Not very attentive wait staff, but the food was great and when the waitress did attend to us she was friendly. We shared a reuben which was plenty for 2 of us and others in our party had fish and chips and a salmon sandwich. We took pie home with us and it was a whole (albeit small) delicious pie

Near City Hall, Civic Center, Opera/Symphony here is a perfect diner for good eats and great price. Decently priced with fast friendly staff, they will ensure you are fed and on time for any showings or performances. This is also a great location to do any meetups if if you have business near the Superior Court or City Hall.

I have been impressed with how consistent the food and service is here. The waitress made my young boys feel special when they were out on the town for dinner before the Nutcracker ballet. My husband and I were able to enjoy a great meal with adult beverages while our boys ate from kids menu. Timely service and great food. What more could you ask for?

We've gone here for years but have watched the quality gradually decline. Matzo ball soup amazing as we've never had matzo balls like this-they taste like no others and aren't recognized by taste as matzo balls. Chopped liver sandwich was runny with way too many onions. Hamburger and mac and cheese the kids had looked ok.

You will not have to wait hours to get a table at Max's; and you will not be subjected to techies and hipsters while you eat. But you will be able to enjoy good food at reasonable prices with good service. They could use more help at the bar.

Max's was mentioned by our walking tour guide. Very busy and very hectic, but they were very efficient and the food was great.

... but that’s about all to recommend Max’s. Indifferent service and below average food. The portions are large. You can do better.

...and that's not really a compliment. The food was decent and our server, Rose, did a good job serving our large party. It seemed like a great place for the over 60 crowd. The restrooms weren't clean.

All of our food was good, my tuna poke was a bit chewy in places though. As an appetizer, it was a generous enough portion to count as an entree for me. Others in our group had beet salad, fish and chips and crab cakes. I guess maybe that is the challenge with a cafe/diner is that there are so many choices and genres that they never really specialize in anything. Don't get me wrong, it was good and the service was very good, but the food is just normal good. Perfect for lunch though. I would give 3.5 stars if I could as the servers were very nice.

I went to dinner with some friends and was very happy with this choice. The service was perfect. The food was to die for and the portions were quite large. I fully recommend the tri-mushroom fettuccine if you like garlic. The patty melt can be made with a veggie patty. Two sandwiches and fries is what you'll receive. The Herb Roasted Turkey Breast and Stuffing has large portions of turkey and potatoes. The stuffing was fair in taste. The Roasted Vegetable Pasta has firm, fresh veggies. Price wise, it is a bit more on the expensive side, but I found it to be well worth it. The only thing preventing me from giving a 5 star rating was the piano player. He was incredibly loud. So much so that you found yourself shouting to have any kind of conversation with the members of your party.

I've been a fan of Max's for a long time and I miss their former location near Union Square. I came across their Opera House location while on a long walk and stopped for lunch. Best chicken salad sandwich I've had in a while. Hearty portions are enough to share.

This is place has delicious food, good drinks, and a wonderful atmosphere. But the service just plain didn't cut it. I started wondering if they were a server short and recruited a busser to play the part. Our sever never came around to get our drinks, instead he showed up after we'd been sitting their about 15 minutes and asked "ready to order?" Throughout the rest of the meal he didn't really come by too much or say anything, very standoffish. He also brought our check while my wife was in the restroom and didn't offer us dessert or coffee or another drink or anything. If the service had been better I would have given them at least 4 stars. If anything just get an order to go.

location, location, thats all its about. There is really nothing on the menu or service that demands the prices they charge. Poor service / slow, poor food, just not good quality. And overpriced. The kids menu hot dog is offered at 9 dollars !!!! a hot dog ! Was there YEARS ago and it is still the same, slow service with no smile, and overpriced bad food.

Don't let the name "cafe" fool you. This is a nice retaurant with a fairly robust menu of comfort foods, sandwiches, salads, and several other dishes that were tempting to try. I decided on the "Famous" reuben sandwich, and it was very good. The desserts are large, and can easily be shared. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Nothing to dislike. Food was Great and service was excellent. Parking a little tight but manageable. If you have a chance EAT HERE!

Good food and prices are reasonable. Very convinient if you are there for the show at the Opera House (it's within walking distance a couple of min from the Opera House). We always visit before or after the ballet.

Had a business lunch. Menu had lots of great choices. Ordered hot pastrami. Came cold but looked delicious. The pastrami was very tasty, but the bread was just plain cold sliced rye bread and the sandwich had no personality. Ordered with potato salad which was pretty bland. My friend ordered the soup (cabbage) and salad (beet). Again very pretty, but not much flavor. Salad had no dressing. When requested, they brought her plain olive oil! Bottom line, $16.50 for a mediocre sandwich. Service was marginal. Did buy brownies to go and they were very good. It was a good location for a group of 12, but generally there are much better places to eat in San Francisco.

This place continuously has great food, great service, and a great atmosphere. My husband and I came here as a mom & dad only getaway and have been craving Max's for awhile. We both ordered sandwiches and my husband got a chocolate martini. All were excellent. Good portions as well. We will continue to return each time we come to the bay!

Anyone who knows San Francisco knows it can be pricey. Max's is a fantastic bargain by SF standards. The food is excellent.....the portions huge! And the prices a very very reasonable. A couple can easily share an entree. And if you are attending the ballet or opera....you can walk!

My wife and I have been eating at this Max's for decades. It is centrally located in San Francisco and both street and garage parking are nearby. On out last visit we were hosting 7 other people: My niece and her husband, their two teenaged sons and their three elementary aged girls. We chose Max's for a family gathering because the menu is varied, the portions gigantic and the atmosphere family friendly. The service was almost spot on and the waiter knew to get food to the three younger ones fast. There was ample variety on the menu for everyone, the food came out of the kitchen quickly and was up to Max's normal high standards. The one small issue is that the meals on the kid's menu came with ice cream and it took a long time to get to the table, not good when three little girls are getting squirmy. Our lunch was not cheap but I considered it a value, blending costs/quality/service.

Large, well appointed restaurant with comfortable seating. The wait staff is professional and efficient, even on a day or night when you are on a schedule for the Opera, Symphony, ballet or movie; all of which are very close by. Menu is large with many choices for appetizers, sandwiches,full dinner selections and delicious looking deserts. My companion and I split an order of delicious potato latkes as a starter. It arrives with a side of applesauce and sour cream. There were enough latkes for three. I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie as my entree. It was huge with a great crust on top and load of large chicken chunks and vegetables in a creamy sauce. The portion could have served three or four.I was stuffed. My companion was not very hungry, so he ordered the Russian Cabbage soup as his main course. He remarked that it was not only filling but incredibly good. I had to bypass the luscious looking deserts. My companion had a large, thick chocolate brownie. He loved it and ordered another to go to eat during the intermission at the Opera. Tip: Fridays and Saturdays there is a Prime Rib dinner on the menu. We saw one being served and it looked great. Given the size of the portions, prices are reasonable. This is definitely a wonderful restaurant for pre theater dinner.

Great service very friendly and quick to cater for your needs. Fab live entertainment and as for the food, huge portions and really tasty!

B+ Good food, well prepared Generous portions. Live piano. Efficient service. Convenient if attending nearby performances.

Max's hires fine musicians who actually serenade the diners from time to time! The food is terrific and what you would expect from a nice diner/cafe. One difference, the portions are huge! Bring big appetite or share. Old world fused with new. Burgers and poke with avocado. Enormous pies and desserts. Good bar. Fast service. The best part? live piano with favorite tunes!

Not only is Max's Opera Café employ GREAT talent, it also delivers wonderful Deli/café offering's with generous portions. We always have fun there. WE ARE SUPER SAD IT IS NO LONGER AT THE STANFORD SHOPING CENTER :'( Shame on them if they were kicked out because of ridiculous rent hicks!!!!

I really enjoy their fish and chips. It is excellent. The fish are perfectly friend and the mayo dressing with the fries make it an excellent combo. I look forward to my Friday lunch these days. Don't get out there every Friday but on the ones I do this is my goto dish.

We had dinner at Max's prior to a concert at the San Francisco. It's slipped over the past several years. Service wasn't the greatest (painfully slow), and the quality of food isn't what it used to be. We started with the Thai Shrimp Lettuce Cups (bland and sloppily put together), then I had the Honey-Lemon Roasted Chicken (highly recommended when I inquired, but a little too sweet, too much sauce), and my colleague had Jambalaya Fettuccine (he said it was "filling", not exactly a ringing endorsement). For dessert I had the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake which was very good. I was disappointed. Not sure if I'll be back. There are other options near Davies Hall.

I live in the neighborhood and have been going to this place for the past 8 years . This place has really gone down hill. The food is average , way overpriced and very noisy. The workers sing for "entertainment" but none of them can carry a tune. Not sure if I will frequent this place again .

This is a great place to go on a rainy night when the movie next door has sold out and/or you want some comfort food or a liver dish! It never disappoints over the years! Generous portions.

I went for breakfast and for what I received for the money I had to go get a snack somewhere else. This place is way over rated and i will not go back. Service was slow, had to ask for my check and it took 10 min plus i never received a second cup of coffee.

I've been going to Max's in San Francisco 3 or 4 times a year for over 25 years and always enjoyed it until recently. It suddenly changed so much I thought it must have been sold. They've cut both the menu and the portion sizes way down. Neither of which is the problem. I've always gone for the pastrami or corned beef sandwiches. Now both are dry, not sliced properly, the bread tastes stale and while I don't expect the meat to be piled high, these are very stingy sandrwiches.

We stopped for a late lunch after visiting the Asian Art Museum on a Sunday. Not many restaurants were open late afternoon and Max’s was very quiet. The food was okay and not much change from many yrs ago. My veggie omelet was quite tasteless. Our friends order the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, which they liked. The berry pie was very good. Basic deli and comfort food with large portions. Great location for a bite before or after the museum, city hall, Davies Symphony Hall and War Memorial Theater.

On my way to work one day in San Francisco, I stopped off at Max’s for a quick bite. I’ve been on this earth for nearly six decades and I’m certain that I was the youngest one in this crowded restaurant. I spotted pastrami Reuben on a very deep lunch menu and I went for it instinctively. I asked for well done fries and mayo. I saw at least four servers attending to the customers on this busy afternoon. Although I was seated immediately, it took a while for service to take my order. Service was and kinda inattentive – the waiter kept wanting to pour soda pop into my iced tea. Twice. I wasn’t overly disappointed. How can you when you’ve got a delicious, reminds-me-of-Brooklyn, pastrami Reuben with trimmings on your plate? I realize that it’s a busy lunch hour and the place was hopping. I’ll come back.

When you've got plenty of time, this is a fine restaurant for a leisurely dinner. When you're in a jam, rest assured that you can still get a fine meal there--at the bar. For instance, a juicy burger with an excellent salad will satisfy you no end, and get you out the door in 30 minutes. Where else can you do that?!?

We came to Max's at 4:30 to eat prior to a holiday show at the Symphony. Full disclosure, this was on a Sunday just prior to Christmas and the Nutcracker was also running, so there were lots more little kids and large parties than you would normally expect. Even at 4:30, the staff already seemed to be struggling a bit to keep up with the crowd. We were a party of 5 and they put us at a booth for four with a chair at the end. The service was cheerful, if not particularly good. Max's has some rules about how you'll get your ketchup before your food, but we had to ask for ours. As we did for water refills and extra napkins for the rib eater. The food is simple Americana: burgers, BLTs, ribs, salads, pork chops, pot pie, etc. The portions are large and the food is good but not great. We also ordered dessert (cheesecake, coconut macaroon, brownie sundae, cake) and the dessert portions are huge and we ended up taking leftovers back to the car in the parking garage prior to the show. We did get to hear a couple of people sing along with the piano player and one waiter did an AMAZING job of La Vie en Rose. Obviously, San Francisco has many great restaurants, but for a pre- or post-show meal, especially if you have kids in tow, this is a reliable spot, but err on the side of grabbing an early reservation before the restaurant is jammed.

Just as I said in the title, it's average, like me going to a pub and picking up an average gal to take home. Unsure about the prices, I guess overall I would go here to sit bye the window and relax, or to have some long epic date talk, like in a focus features film. Their desert is good, i'd try that. If you're a healthy eater, like myself, there are actually a few options, but not much. If you're looking for a younger crowd, look elsewhere, Jack Nicolas and Ellen have invaded the spot! Since the location is better than the one in Redwood City I'm giving it 3 stars. Open you wallet, and enjoy an ok taste ride.

I frequent Max's Opera Cafe pretty regularly as it is close to my work and I know that I will get quick service. To be honest, I am not a fan of the live music, but I just typically ask to be seated further away from the piano. The food is pretty consistently well prepared...they have changed hands, and some of the standard things that I liked there have changed up a bit, but it hasn't really bothered me. I typically enjoy the more basic items...burgers, sandwiches, soup, etc. Their sandwiches and soup are especially good as take-out!

This turned out to be a better , and cheaper- place before the Opera than the Opera cafe itself - Huge portions- My Chicken pot pie leftovers lasted two days!

Have been visiting this restaurant for many years on visits to SF and have always found the food and service to be good. Not fantastic, but nothing to complain about either. Serves are almost always huge even by US standards and if ordering dessert, my recommendation is to go for the smaller serve - the cheesecake is very good.

My favorite part is the piano player and that a server always sings when he or she has a break. Lots of talent there. We always eat here before performances because the food is predictably excellent and the service is spot on. The portions are a bit big so there are always left-overs. Appetizers suffice for average appetites. I see enormous servings go to other tables, so go there with appetite.

I chose this restaurant because it just a couple of blocks away from the Symphony Hall where we had tickets for a 7:30 performance. We were seated promptly in the room near the grand piano, and our drink order was taken right away. We enjoyed listening to the selection of classic songs, and one of the waiters even sang a few numbers. My husband had fish and chips, and I had chicken marsala. Both were tasty and filling, and we had plenty of time to enjoy our meal and still make it to the symphony on time. Great location and nice ambiance.

great for pre- and post-performance dining. Love the live music. Can't get enough of the Reuben sandwich and many mustard flavors.

I have eaten here for several years before or after performing arts events. It is the most convenient informal larger restaurant to the Opera House and Davies Hall (excluding the restaurant in the Opera House Basement). I am disappointed by the new menu. Smoked salmon is no longer served. Cole slaw is still served and is very reasonably priced, but it is not on the menu. Ask for it as it is the best value in the house. Most entrees are between $15 and $20 which means that with drinks (many wines by the glass are over $9), tax, approximately 5% mandatory health insurance reimbursement charge, and tip, it will cost between $60 and $80 for two people to eat here, and $100 if the very tasty desserts are also ordered. That is excessive for what is essentially a noisy upscale diner. On my last visit my salmon filet sandwich was undercooked. Service is very friendly and very prompt if you tell them you need to get to a performance. If you can tolerate the noise and prices, the location makes it a convenient place to dine before or after the performance, but I wish there were alternative choices in the middle category between fast food and semi-elegant dining.

Max's Opera Cafe is a delightful place to meet for lunch or dinner. Great food, great drinks and an impressive array of desserts. I chose a soup-salad combo (half of a BLT) and a cup of clam chowder. My companion opted to try the fish and chips. I decided to indulge in a margarita that was advertised on the table. As always, I was happy with my food and with the service.

Obviously, there are so many food options in San Francisco, but you can’t beat the location and fast service at Max’s. I highly recommend making a reservation before a show at the Opera House. The food is good, the portions are huge, and the people are nice.

This is a large, stylish, light and airy cafe located next to the principal performing arts venues of the City and across from City Hall. Yet prices are reasonable and affordable. We were there on a Sunday evening when there was live piano music--great American songbook--classy. After perusing the menu, which included many deli standards, we decided on a tapas supper, assembled from the extensive appetizer menu, and accompanied by a quite good, reasonably priced Malbec. Everything, stuffed mushroom caps in marinara, crab cakes (deep fried, not Maryland style), and sliders, was excellently prepared, with food left to take home. Service was prompt and pleasant. We noted that the cafe was popular with families, and the staff catered to children. There is a full bar.

We have been eating at various Max's for more than twenty years. We have seen some locations close, but the food has always been good. We ate there Saturday night before the opera with friends. My latkes were okay, but their food was terrible. Chicken pot pie was soggy and almost inedible. Ceasar salad was brown and the anchovies were dry and stale. Service was abominable. We were seated at least 15 minutes before our order was taken. No salt, no bread basket until we reminded a passing busboy. Our server just didn't care. Diner at the next table returned his food twice. We will eat elsewhere next time.

We went to this restaurant for an after-movie light supper. Not really too impressed: service was brusque, food was average and unimaginative. The young bartender was fun to watch, but not much else was happening here.

I just love their soups, and their hamburgers are great too. Service was attentive & quick, and this is a place I am always happy to return to.

Perhaps it was the time of year (weekend prior to Christmas) but when a group of us went to Max's following a delightful afternoon at the Asian Art Museum, we were confronted with a huge crowd lined up to get into the restaurant and eat prior to the San Francisco Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker. We were a party of 6 and had a reservation, so this didn't really bother us. The hostess desk was a massive place of confusion. Even though we had a reservation, the host refused to even acknowledge us and told us to get back in line. After a 20 minute wait, during which time a number of other diners had already been seated, the host finally came over and we were told that the only available table was for a foursome, but they'd squeeze in two extra chairs. It was really tight!. If it hadn't been for our waiter, who was exceptionally accommodating and efficient, we probably would have left. Because of the holiday, Max's only offered a limited menu and they allowed no substitutions. The food was really spotty. I ordered a pastrami sandwich, which supposedly is a specialty of the house. It was the worst pastrami I have ever tasted. A total glob of grease and fat! Several of our friends had potato latkes. They were OK but nothing special. My wife ordered tuna fish which usually is on the menu. It was not available. I probably will go back to Max's during a less hectic time of year, but I wouldn't recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a relaxing place to dine prior to an opera, ballet or symphony concert. They just haven't got their act together.

Max's is an institution in SF, especially in the Civic Center area where there are few other restaurants within walking distance of the Symphony, Opera and Ballet. It has always been known for great deli food and a huge menu choice of other options. I recently returned after not having gone in a while and I'm sorry to say their prices have risen and they quality has declined. This would have been a 4 or 5 star rating in earlier years, but now $15 will buy you a pastrami sandwich with the rye bread falling apart and soggy fries and I paid $30 for a steak that came to me raw (I asked for medium rare) and for an extra $3 they offered a "garlic puree" that I envisioned as an aoli type topping but was actually a few cloves of cooked garlic sitting on top of the steak. I will give them kudos for service--we needed to get in and out fast and our waiter was very accommodating and efficient. Unfortunately you come to restaurant for the food first. This used to be a place to go with good food at $$ price range--now it is substandard food at $$$ prices. I'd say find an alternative for your next pre-entertainment dinner.

Having eaten here several times in the past, we expected better. The main courses were mediocre and the veggies were cold. The one good meal in our dinner party was a salad. The location is great if you're going to a play, an opera or the symphony, but the food was just not up to par. Too bad.

This is the third time I visited this establishment and it will be the last. My first visit made me want to come back. After the second visit, I was on the fence. After this last visit, never again. We were seated at a booth. The table was disgustingly sticky. When I told the host that the table was sticky, they gave me a look that said, "What do you want me to do about it?" He then asked, "Do you want to move to another table?" No, I'd rather have my arms stick to the table. The second table was almost as sticky. Debating whether we wanted to stay or not, after sitting there for 10 minutes with no server coming to our table, we opted to leave. Very disappointing. This place has really fallen into the dumpster.

Dining at Max's is a must if taking in an opera or show/concert nearby.. They could be very busy so allow more time than you think to dine before a performance

I've been going to Max's Opera Cafe in San Francisco's civic center for Thirty years. It is close to San Francisco's Symphony Hall and, of course, the San Francisco Opera House (home to both the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet). I have rarely had a bad meal there. I frequent it often. Last Sunday I took a small group of friends to the San Francisco Ballet and followed up with dinner at Max's. We ordered a lot of food. The appetizers and a large shared salad were very fresh and tasty. Most of us ordered seafood entrees. I ordered the seafood paella which had chicken, shrimp, sausage, and mussels in a saffron rice. Actually, the dish, at least at first, seemed O. K., but as soon as I tasted the steamed mussels, I knew that there was a problem. The mussels were NOT fresh. They tasted metallic and had an ammonia-like aftertaste. Our waiter did not come around to see how everything was, so I took my plate to the front of the restaurant to bring the problem to our waiter's attention. The waiter said he "would deal with it." Within five to ten minutes our waiter came back to the table to say that the chef and the owner/manager (Max!) both checked on the mussels and determined that there was "absolutely nothing wrong with them." Now, in my long career I have been a waiter for some years. Wherever I worked, the policy was always this: DO NOT ARGUE WITH THE CUSTOMER. DO NOT TELL THE CUSTOMER THAT HE IS MISTAKEN/WRONG. APOLOGIZE AND THEN OFFER THE CUSTOMER THE MENU AND ASK HIM TO CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE. The waiter did NOT know how to handle the situation. I got up and looked for the manager/owner (Max). Max just stared at me and said, "There is NOTHING wrong with the mussels." I told him that I was not trying to make a big ruckus but that the normal way such an issue is handled is as I described above. Again, the manager/owner just stared at me and said, "There is nothing wrong with the mussels." He just stood his ground. How ignorant/rude is that??? Max's has been the brunt of some poor reviews by local restaurant critics--so much so that one of the restaurant's slogans is "Critics NOT welcome." Perhaps they think they are being clever. The fact is that criticisms should be honored and handled in a professional manner. I will not recommend Max's ever again.

We were there on a Thursday for lunch. The restaurant was not crowded. Very slow service. It was 30 minutes from the time we were ready to order until our sandwiches were served. The couple next to us sat down 5 minutes after us and were served 5 minutes before us. My wife had a turkey sandwich. It was slightly dry. I had Max’s Reuben special for $17. The portions were small. It had half the amount of corn beef and half the amount of sauerkraut that is normally on a Reuben at a lower price. The corn beef and sauerkraut were not that tasty. Even the half pickle was mediocre. The best part of the meal was the tray of different types of mustard. We will not be back.

My first experience here was wonderful with the exception of the piano player who was way too loud, so I was looking forward to returning. This visit wasn't as good. I ordered the three mushroom fettuccine since it was so tasty, my companion ordered the turkey dinner. My fettuccine was okay, but not as good as the last time. The turkey dinner, they forgot the stuffing and brought it out a short time later, which wasn't really worth it since it was literally a spoonful. The service wasn't as good either. Our waitress could be found more off to the side staring off into no where than attending to her customers. If this had been my first visit, I probably wouldn't return.

Good place with average food. The portions are very large but the quality is average. Friendly service

My son and I came for a celebration lunch and found very little to celebrate. We were seated for 10 minutes before we saw our waitress, and a full hour before receiving our meals. My tuna melt was a soggy, greasy disaster and the side of cole slaw was on the edge of being spoiled. My son's kid's meal -- chicken tenders and fries -- was fine, but nothing to write home about. By the time we saw our waitress again, it was time to give us our bill -- and we never got the ice cream that was supposed to come with the kid's meal. Wish I had gone across the street to McD's.

The patty melt is terrific and gigantic! It was perfectly cooked, as were the French fries. Max's is attentive to the bread. With the three separate meals, each of us had a different kind of bread. Mine was grilled perfectly and tasted great! I love Max's variety of mustard, which is a staple there. The potato salad, though not my favorite potato salad, is unique to Max's (thinly sliced potato pieces, rather than chunks). Its "dressing" is well-seasoned and subtle. We ate mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and there were few others in the restaurant. We had excellent service. Our food was fresh and served with care. We're always glad that Max's is in the neighborhood. It's a treat! And I didn't even have one of their best-and-biggest-in-the-world macaroons, which I love!

This is an upscale restaurant in downtown San Francisco. The service is impeccable and the food was great.

Had tickets to a show and wanted someplace close to the theater. Made reservations at the last minute. It was perfect. Portions were bigger than humanly possible to consume, so we were sad to have to leave our leftovers behind, but overall a great spot for us for the evening.

Just a few years ago, I loved Max's. Combination of tasty pastrami sandwiches and opera singing waiters was amazing. Two nights ago, however, I decided to try the restaurant again, just before the symphony. I made a BIG mistake by ordering something other than the usual deli food---a shrimp louis salad. It looked good. Nice big shrimp on a bed of vegetables, with the classic "louis" or thousand island dressing. The taste, however, was what you would expect to find in a Bakersfield Applebees. To begin with, the shrimp were tough, woody and not completely thawed out. I couldn't believe the icy center of each cardboard-like shrimp, so I offered one to my business colleague, and he found the icy heart of the shrimp to be equally nasty. The vegetables tasted like they came out of those hermetically sealed plastic bags, where they have been lingering for months. I assume the sandwiches and burgers are still good. Stick with them! And the pianist (no opera singers this time) was excellent.

We've been to max's before and enjoyed and recommended it to friends before. So as we were in San Francisco we thought we would take a trip to Max's but we were greeted by a very aggressive and hostile hostess who marched about the restaurant barging into people so we decided to take or buiness elsewhere.

Max's is a reasonable lunch spot if you are in the area, but I would not go out of my way to get there for lunch. Have eaten there a number of times, including several recently, and they are consistent. Max's idea of adding chicken to a wrap or salad seems to invariably mean fried chicken. Their matzoh ball soup broth is good, but the matzoh balls themselves are just short of leaden. Their sandwiches are deli generous size. I have also had drinks after hours at Max's and their prices are on the high side for what you get. Service is generally quite attentive, and the servers are professional and friendly.

We have eaten here for years. Service was great, food large portion more diner quality. Deserts can be split . Waiters often perform. Meals average $16 per entree .

The wife and I went here after a night at a great night at... you guessed it.... the opera. The fist thing to tell you is if you go after the opera; head over directly, as they stop serving food at 11pm. The nachos were AMAZING; but a bit overpriced. It's great for what it is - late night eating near the civic center.

My husband and I are rather unfamiliar with the area around the Opera House in San Francisco. After walking a few blocks around the area, we came across Max's Opera Cafe. Having arrived 2 hours prior to the show (a holiday matinee of the Nutcracker) we thought we may have arrived too early. It turned out to be perfect because an hour into our lunch, the line to get in extended outside the restaurant. I don't know if it was because of the holiday, but the restaurant had a great energy and was very festive. I had a salmon caesar salad which was perfectly cooked and was delicious. Service was excellent. It's also definitely family friendly! We will definitely return!

I have been here multiple times as it is close to the opera/ballet and symphony halls. My last two meals have not been good. I ordered a medium rare lamb burger, thinking it was not gourmet food and anyone could do that appropriately. It came to me not just well-done but burnt! While I did not send it back--I should have as this was the worst food experience I have ever had. Also, waiter staff was way short so service was not good and I really can't say anything positive other than the location! And as you can see by my other reviews I am far from a grumpy person.

Stopped in for a quick lunch and was truly surprised, the staff and food was wonderful. I would enjoy trying dinner here at my next visit. I enjoyed a french roast sandwich.

We had dinner at Max's Opera Cafe in San Francisco. Conveniently located near the theatres. The positives are this menu offers a lot of options which is good if you are there with a family. We were a large party with kids and adults. One person had the 1/2 order of nachos. It was pretty with different colored chips but not great tasting. Same with the roasted beet salad. The macaroni and cheese ($14.95) was marginal. Had very little flavor and three people got three different serving sizes at our table. The bread with our meal was wheat sourdough which was good and some weird raisin bread that tasted awful and contaminated the other bread in the basket. The french fries are thick cut which they serve with a huge selection of mustards. It wasn't a terrible dinner, but it was way overpriced for what you got and didn't taste that great.

6 family members ate a late lunch at Max's. The pork sliders were awful ,and the Asian chicken salad was mediocre. The portion size was generous, the location was great, and the service was attentive.

When I am hungry after a long day of working, Want to meet friends, what ever the occasion. This restaurant has a wonderful variety of food. The service is always very good. The price is excellent. This is one of my mainstay places when I am staying at the SFO Airport Marriott.

Nice and comfortable, clean room, friendly service. Very relaxed lunch with old friends. I had a delicious grilled salmon salad with capers and olives. It was near my hotel and the opera house where I had tickets. Very pleasant, would definitely go back.

This is a somewhat Jewish style restaurant near the cultural center of San Francisco. And it's across from City Hall. So it gets a lot of local politicos and artsy folk. There's a rather trendy neighborhood nearby (Hayes Valley,) so it also becomes an eatery for some of those living there. The menu is extensive with comfort style food. There's also a full bar. The soup choices include ethnic - matzoh ball and Russian borscht. And the desert menu is a killer! Otherwise, the menu is normal with rather rich foods except for some of the salad choices. At times there's a pianist keying some mellow tunes. They also take requests. It can be a fun experience.

I had lunch at Max's with 9 business colleagues. The service was fast, efficient and very friendly. The pork bun wrap looked excellent. It competed with the Rueben (which is ALWAYS excellent) as the best sandwich. The chicken salad sandwich was a bust: too much mayonnaise. The salads all looked terrific, but the Kale Salad looked the best. The chicken soup was disappointing. It was good, being passable, but not remarkable like so many of the lunch items at this restaurant.

The Wandering Yank here again. I met a friend recently for a light dinner. Service was attentive, the beer and wine selection was excellent, and I greatly enjoyed my fried calamari appetizer. Lots of glass to watch the Van Ness commute traffic going by. Draft beer would have been an improvement, but that's a minor quibble. Definitely on my list the next time I'm in the Civic Center area.

At the outset, let me say I have been going to this restaurant since it opened , at least 25 years, and at one time it was one of my favorite restaurants. I no longer work in the Civic Center area, so my recent experiences have been pre-theater dining. And, I am sad to report, my last few dinners there were just not very good. The menus may or may not still have Max's Rules, but they are just not followed anymore. After a poor meal last time, I decided I would give it one last try this week. I figured a pastrami sandwich would be a safe bet, as their deli items were always some of their better items. Well, the pastrami was OK, but the rye bread was terrible. It had no crust, was too thin so the meat soaked through the bread, and it wasn't fresh. One of the rules was the bread was baked daily. Another was that the bread had a crisp crust. It tasted like they bought the bread at the supermarket- but supermarket bread would have been fresher. I spoke to the manager, and he had a new sandwich made for me which was only slightly better. When I said their bread had changed, he told me they still baked their bread in their commissary, but just three times a week. It clearly had not been baked that day (Saturday), and for a $16 sandwich (plus SF benefit surcharge), I would expect a fresh baked bread with a real crust. Other issues- one rule was that condiments would be on the table before your food arrived. No such luck. Another was that if the french fries were not crisp, send them back. They were soggy- had obviously been sitting out. I was getting frustrated with the food by now, so I got potato salad instead. No rolls were brought to the table- we had to commandeer rolls headed to another table. On the positive side, my wife said her turkey dinner was OK, but for the prices they are charging, the food just isn't worth it anymore.

I do not get to San Francisco that often but I have had occasion to eat at Max's several times in the past and found it to be fun, friendly and the food filling and tasty. This was not the case this past weekend. The crab cakes were wonderful but my burger was dry, the bun stale and the fries cold. Other people at our table had similar issues as well. I only hope this was just an off night for Max's. I will say the lady singing show tunes and opera was wonderful! GIven the opportunity I'll try Max's again but it might be awhile.

I had the soup and salad. The food was really good. I had the daily special which was the gumbo. Mmmmm I haven't had good gumbo in quite some time. The service wasn't bad but could have been better.

Went to Max's opera cafe before a performance. Food was plentiful but poorly seasoned.l Simple turkey sandwich was almost tasteless as was matzo ball soup. Even a scoop of coffee cream for dessert was tasteless in contrast to a a scoop of good chocolate ice cream. Chefs need to work on their flavoring of dishes. Just putting a number of things in a salad or entree is not enough. This cafe is located a block from the opera house and ballet venue. It is important that it provides better and more tasty food.

We stopped in here for a drink and a snack and were pleasantly surprised. The calamari was cooked to perfection and we had fries as well which were also good. Loved that our server would every now and then wander over to the piano man and sing, it was great. I also appreciated that when we arrived we were asked if we liked to sit nearer or further away from the live music. It's kind of diner'y' in a classier way. Also felt neighborhood'y'. We enjoyed it.

I just moved into The condos behind this restaurant. I came downstairs on Thanksgiving day to just grab a quick bite at the deli. However the deli was closed. I heard live music and noticed that Max’s was open during the pandemic. I took a look at the menu and decided I would sit down and have a proper Thanksgiving meal. I asked the wait staff if they had room for just one person. The server said of course and took me to my table. I did apologize for the way I was dressed. I did not know I was going to a real dinner. He assured me all was good and made me feel at home. I ordered the Thanksgiving plate the featured both turkey and ham. As a chef I have made this meal a million times. I love that I was given a choice of dark or white meat. I will eat both but I do not care for the white meat. The stuffing was amazing and everything was beautifully cooked on my Thanksgiving play. The only negative I found, if I was being really picky, was the bread was dried out for both the sourdough and the raisin. The following night I took a friend to give it a try a second time. We were not all that hungry. We just wanted to get a quick bite. We started with the fried calamari. The calamari was absolutely delicious. I will be going back again at least for that. I had the patty melt and my friend had the burger. Both were cooked perfectly at the temp requested This is a great atmosphere during this pandemic time. The patio is completely covered. There is plenty of heat lamps to keep you warm. Right now because of the holiday it is beautifully decorated with a Christmas feel. If you’re wanting a nice place to eat during these crazy times this is your place. I look forward to the time when we can all eat inside again. I’m sure the food will be even better at that point I want to say a special thanks to all those who participated in pulling off the Thanksgiving meal for those of us who didn’t have family to go home to this year. What a great surprise! I may just decide to do this every year. No dishes, no cleanup, just relaxed and enjoying the moment!!!

Try the soups and salads at Max's, and it will still feel like your grandma is in the kitchen hovering over you. The soups are healthy and full of comfort: Russian cabbage soup, chicken matzah ball, clam chowder, chili and a daily special. There are a variety of large salads, including a Greek, albacore tuna, Cobb, Chinese chicken and beet. The sandwiches and desserts are still oversized. Prices are reasonable and service is quick and efficient. It's an easy and filling lunch destination on Van Ness Street in San Francisco.

Stopped by last night for dinner (Dec 27th) and at 6pm the place was packed...Nutcracker audience pre-show. Thinking we would speed things up, we were encouraged to sit at the bar and eat. The guy next to me was complaining to the owner that he waited 45 mins for his burger and most of his plate was cold. Thew final blow was that Max's menu no longer offers BRISKET. Hold on...this is a DELI??? If you want authenticity, skip Max's friends!!!

Max's has always been known for its huge servings of food but I think they've toned that down a bit in recent years. A large restaurant, they can cater to significant crowds, many on their way to all the local entertainment spots, which includes SF Jazz as well as the above. I'm vegetarian so can't comment on their meat dishes but my non-veg wife always appreciated them. For me it's a great beet salad and pasta with delicious warm rolls (love the warm raisin roll) as a free appetizer. There's also a full bar and a grand piano where staff sing standards or opera in the evening. Desserts can still tend to be huge but delicious and lots of options

When I was a kid my dad took me here for a breakfast (to the location right behind the Westin) and it was as delicious as I remember it. great service, great food, and very large portions. These people do it right!

The food is very good, the portions are large and the service is fast. This is an excellent choice before the opera (afternoon or evening).

Went to Max's last night for the first time in many years. Food is as good as ever, with portions that result in lots of take home packages. Among us we had hot corn beef sandwich on rye, chicken Marsala, fish tacos and red snapper, followed by the strawberry rhubarb pie and cheesecake. We left with full tummies and smiles on all of our faces. Disappointed that no waiters were singing, and the restaurant was two-thirds empty -- what's with THAT? But all in all, a great experience. I plan to go to another Max's later this month on the Peninsula.

A really nice place to have a good lunch. We ordered the NY steak and were really happy about it! Good meat, nice cooking, very nice waiters. Just in front of SF city hall, very convenient!

We would usually stay downtown and patronize the Max's on Geary Street which was located in the.....Hotel G, no, the Hotel Frank, uh wait I meant the Maxwell, sorry, the Raphael. Sheesh, no wonder the restaurant closed! Anyway, we went to the opera and Max's Opera Cafe is a two block walk north on Van Ness Avenue. Listen, I've had Reuben sandwiches at famous New York delis, in LA, and not one of them compares to Max's. I had the corned beef Reuben. It was served on toasted marble rye with thousand island dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese (sorry kosher fans, I couldn't help myself). I've never tasted anything like it. The meat was so flavorful it brought tears to my eyes. Fries were thick and hot. I had a caesar salad and I could tell the dressing was homemade, you could actually find anchovy bits in it. She who must be obeyed had a thick and delicious hamburger. We were attended by gracious and helpful wait staff. It was a memorable experience. This may be part of a chain but it's not Denny's!

Max's Opera Café was for many years a bustling, popular eatery with excellent food and service. Always packed to capacity with lines of patrons waiting to be seated. All this changed years ago when owners sold. You could shoot a cannon through this place now and never hit anyone. So sad, I miss the original Max's😔

This place has really deteriorated. We have been going there for 25 years or more, but it has been about two years since our last visit because of our move from the Bay Area. It was abominable. We arrived at 5:30 well before the opera. It went bad immediately. It took at least 10 minutes to simply get a wine bucket for our wine that we brought. We had to ask twice. Service was slow even though they were not busy. The ahi appetizer dressing had too much mayonnaise detracting from its flavor. When the entrees finally arrived, my French fries and Pastrami were lukewarm. I told the server who took it back. My wife's Cobb salad arrived 10 minutes later after we again reminded the server. When my Ruben was brought back, the fries were warm, but the sandwich was unchanged and cold. I asked for the manager who came over. I explained the service problems to that point and asked for a new sandwich. My wife's salad was mediocre. The lettuce was mostly iceberg, tired and not chilled. It came with below average blue cheese dressing. Only the chicken breast was adequate. Our friend's salmon was overcooked. The rice was served on the plate from a scoop. They made no effort to even adjust the mound for presentation. A new sandwich was brought. It had too much thousand island dressing and too little sauerkraut. The Pastrami portion was small, thinly cut (not New York style) and over grilled. Again mediocre. It was not until half way through the opera that I learned that the meat was obviously bad. Overall, an exceptionally poor experience. The worst dinner at an Open table restaurant that had been a good convenient restaurant to the War Memorial Opera house and Davies Symphony Hall. Avoid it. It is obvious they no longer care.

best breakfast in town.. amazing try the carmelized onion mushroom omelet with latkes...unbelievable

I hadn't been to Max's since the Sacramento location closed, and I was excited to see this one on our way out of The City. Sadly, I was disappointed in the quality of food and service. Our waitress infrequently visited our table. The food took nearly 30 minutes to arrive. For the first time, the kids did not enjoy the mac n cheese, and our other dishes were just OK. The overall atmosphere just wasn't what I remembered.

We stopped in for a late lunch and ordered sandwiches, which were unexpectedly large deli sized and great tasting. Service was very good as we were there in between the busy hours. It is a little on the pricey side, but we would return.

This was a pre-concert dinner so we had time constraints. We were seated immediately and our waiter brought us ‘adult-sized’ waters right away. We explained that we had limited time. He said it would be no problem. As we waited for our food a pianist played jazz standards. Then we heard our waiter singing “La Vie en Rose,” beautifully. Our food arrived, Caesar salad to share, burger, and a brisket sandwich and fries. Our food did not disappoint. Our pre-concert dinner was thoroughly enjoyable. We plan to come back soon.

I've eaten here many times whenever I come to San Francisco. My husband loves their corned beef sandwiches and I, as I have celiac, love their gluten free options. It's a bit pricey but worth it. Good service and ambiance. I love to hear the piano in the background while eating, and from time to time have somebody sing. Definitely recommend this place but if you're planning to eat dinner, better make reservations, as this restaurant is packed prior to the opera next door.

Had been here over thirty years ago when I lived in San Francisco. Returned because it was one of the few restaurants I remembered that was still here. Glad to see the quality, food, and service are STILL consistenly good afer all these years. They also serve half-pieces of dessert...GREAT idea for those of us who want it all, but not so much of it!

Great Carrot Cake!!! We stopped into this popular place for a light dinner and dessert! It was packed but worth the wait.

Whenever I am in San Francisco since 1983, Max's Opera Cafe is my favorite restaurant for casual meals, gracious meals with pals, reunions, and even my daughter's wedding reception! The food is fantastic - to live for! Tremendous choices from pot pies for Mid Westerners to Pastrami Sandwiches for New Yorkers, and everything in between including tremendously enjoyable salads, soups, and appetizers. Some nights, you can catch the pianist and Opera singers as they perform through your dining experience. The bar is full and will make you anything you can imagine. Did I mention the service? Very very good. And if you speak a foreign language, chances are a staff member will speak it as well. Bon appetite!

The food at Max's is always great. Enormous portions! You can easily split and share many entrees and desserts.

Just like the ballet which keeps on getting better and better, Max's remains an old standby, but they continue to create new gems.. Yesterday I had an amazing poke and cucumber salad. It is more comfort food not upscale cuisine. I miss the chicken liver salad but it seems that it is not a current favor so it has been taken off the menu.

We had an early evening snack after seeing a movie. The Chinese Chicken Salad was very tasty. My husband got the Matzo Ball Soup which he liked. We both enjoyed a gentleman who played the piano during the second half of our meal in this Saturday evening. My husband also enjoyed the two adult beverages he got (Lemon Drop and Peach Tart).

Myself and partner visited here on Friday for lunch. He had been here before so it was highly recommended It is a very nice restaurant however the service was extremely poor. Our waitress kept vanishing and forgot to bring some dishes to both of us. Delaying in clearing starter and general uninterested attitude from her I felt. I noticed other diners were also forgotten by her. The food was nice enough but not cheap so you would expect better service We were going to get dessert but to be honest we could not be bothered waiting around. The guy we eventually got bill from was lot the friendliest either and I have to say Max’s - you should have done much better!!!

The food here is always good, we seek it out whenever we are in SF. The service can go either way. When the busboy brought us bread there were only 3 pieces for a table of 4. We asked for more bread and ended up with about a dozen rolls all at once. Same with the water. Still very enjoyable.

The chicken pot pie is delicious!! We sat in a booth in the front window. Nice view of the area from almost any table.

Our waiter must have been very overworked or maybe it was more important to chat with other employees ... We had the chicken and spare ribs -- both great. We had a banana split with caramelized banana and toasted peanuts -- EXCELLENT!!

My wife and I went to the San Francisco Opera the other night and wanted to have dinner before the performance. We chose Max's Opera Café since it was just two blocks away from the opera house. The menu is very large and varied, and included a lot of deli offerings. My wife ordered the Half Sandwich and Bowl of Soup. She loved the Matzo Ball Soup. However, the chicken salad sandwich was very disappointing because the bread was dry and tasteless and the filling so full of mayonnaise that she could not eat it. I ordered the Famous Ruben and loved it. It was a very large serving, the Corned Beef was very tender and the grill was perfect. We would definitely return.

I came here with a couple of friends for a pre-Philharmonic bite and drinks. The draft beers were reasonably priced and quite good. The Grey Goose martini was definitely watered down! The California Chicken Melt and Lamb Burger were decent. The Roast Beef "Au Jus" (in quotes because it tasted nothing like proper au jus) was awful. There was plenty of it, but plenty of tasteless leather, is still tasteless leather. And the restaurant was not at all crowded, but it was a challenge getting our waiter's attention the entire time. I had been here pre-pandemic and remember it being much better than it was this time around.

Stopped in for a half sandwich and cup of soup. Soup of the Day was New England Clam Chowder, there were a lot of veggies to fill up the soup, and few clams. Had Corn Beef sandwich, it was GREAT as always. Would not get NE Clam Chowder again unless I am in New England.

Pastrami sandwich used to be big enough for two persons. Now, at $17, small amount of pastrami on very thin seemingly day-old rye bread, small amount of potato salad with too much mayo - oh, and a pickle. Matzo ball soup - $2 more with the sandwich - great deal except that the soup was more like chicken vegetable with a large tasteless matzo ball. When Max's opened many years ago, it was a terrific restaurant. No more.

Max's has the very best deli sandwiches in the Bay area in my opinion. I's sure their dinners are great as well but I can never resist their plentiful selections of sandwiches. I always try to bring out-of town guests there. Service is fine when they are busy as well.

I booked a rez here for our pre-Nutcracker dinner on a week night with two families, three kids in tow. We had left ourselves loads of time to have dinner and enjoy the Opera house long before our 7 pm curtain. The other family arrived first and were told they did not have my rez. They were told it'd be a half hour wait so they put my name on the list. I got there a few minutes later and was told the same thing, no rez, have to wait. There was a long long list of penciled in names at the hostess stand. About 8 of those parties had little stars next to their names. I was told that all those waiting parties were the ones who had had reservations like us. The place was packed, the staff was frazzled and the manager seemed out of it. Mind you, I know this restaurant and it's mediocre food already since we live here. I only booked it so we'd have a quick easy and close kid-friendly meal. We waited for about 15 minutes after which we were told the wait time would be another half hour. There was no way we would have made our curtain time, must less had time to wander around the Opera house, so we left and went to another place in that complex. This was particularly bad since the other mom had ordered the tickets and I was to organize the meal. Terrible. Never again.

We enjoyed two different soups (Matzo ball chicken and Mexican vegetable) with caesar salads for a lovely lunch. Both were full of flavor and delicious. For dessert we ordered a piece of the gluten free cheesecake to share. Four people would have been satisfied with that generous helping but we gainfully finished it off. I would recommend Max's any time if attending an event at the Opera House. Valet parking is just around the corner and then it is a short walk. Make sure you have enough time, the restaurant was busy and service a little slow, but waitstaff very helpful.

The service was extremely slow. The food was marginal at best. Do not order the Greek appetizer plate, it was the worst I've ever had anywhere. My sons asparagus dish was bland. Last time I had the Rueben sandwich which was good but messy.

The food choices were good and not too high brow for a family dinner. Staff were competent and friendly. Live piano music improved the atmosphere, but didn't take away from the family friendliness. Visited with kids (9 and 11) and had no issues whatsoever. Food choices were good, quality was great and servings a good size - so good all around. Location near the Opera an obvious draw card for those having something to do in the area.

First, location, location, location. But the service is often non-existent and even a bit rude. As if they just can't be bothered. This isn't the place it used to be. My one consistent go to is the Cobb salad which is both healthy and plentiful. And not too pricey. But the rolls were all dry. Next time, I will ask for a new order. You could have broken your teeth on them. Last time I was here I ordered a Reuben, which was really odd. Instead of the meat being a nice light rosy colored it was brown like Roast Beef. It didn't even taste like Pastrami, sad. And it was so greasy and wet it just fell apart all over the place. I also ordered a Lemon Drop cocktail (it was my 70th BD) and I think the Vodka just skimmed the rim. Really weak. So I will probably go again at some point, order the Cobb Salad and hope for at least pleasant service.

A post-opera trip to Max's for a late dinner proved to be somewhat of a disappointment. The menu looks inviting, and the house rules are cute, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so they say. As a place for a deli sandwich, it is not recommended. The corned beef had the texture and taste of processed meat, not the juicy, fatty cut of a real deli. The bread, supposedly baked fresh, was a rye that felt like white bread, and was so crumbly that the sandwich couldn't be held to eat without falling apart. The fries chosen to go with it were greasy, perhaps making up for the dryness of the meat. All in all, a less than satisfying experience, especially at the price.

My wife and I were staying at a timeshare nearby and we ate dinner here twice during our week visit in the area. The restaurant fits well with a fine or casual dining atmosphere and you can dine here in casual dress without feeling unwelcome. They have an extensive menu with a variety of prices. The live piano music and occasional singing was also nice however, the overall restaurant noise level can get a little loud at times.

It started with tables so close together that It was almost impossible to sit down, then came the worst meal in recent,Emory. A corned beef sandwich: the meat was ice cold in the "hot" corned beef sandwich. Then again, it was also tasteless. The accompanying fries were cold and soggy. Only the chocolate cake was good. All this took place when the restaurant (?) was half empty, at 5:45 pm. This was a colossal disappointment, as was the land tasting chopped liver sandwich my wife had. Max's used to be good... No longer.

We have been going to Max's for a convenient dinner before our evening ballet subscription for more than a decade- we eat there at least twice a month during the ballet/opera season. The quantitites are always huge but the quality of the food has been consistently slipping for the past few years. The only thing that kept us coming was the convenient (to the opera house) location and Larry, the truly fabulous piano player. But even Larry couldn't save last night's dinner which was greasy, sitting around for quite a while on a steamtable and inedible. Last week my Reuben sandwich was just a soft mass of mush. This week the Cheese Steak sandwich was a sodden mass of gluey onions stuck together with greyish cheese on top of unrecognizable roast beef. The french fries were soft but there was a huge pile of them. The wait staff didn't even notice that the whole plate was full when they took it away. The expresso machine has been broken the last few times we've been there - you can get an espresso but not a latte or cappucino. The wonderful singing staff has been trimmed and largely replaced with a constantly changing group of poorly trained wait staff. We are now handed from a charmless maitre'd to a clueless incomprehensible waitress. Your food is delivered by someone else from the kitchen and your plate taken away by someone else. All this leaves very little incentive to add to your tip but Max's does that for you by adding a ridiculous 5.5 % to your bill for the cost of complying with the SF health care act- this has become a scandalous way for restaurants to pad their own income- very little of this goes to the employees. Put that on top of a 10% sales tax and a 20% tip and you are adding more than a third to the total cost of your bill- a glass of 'cheap' wine will cost you more than $15 here. Your dinner bill adds up very quickly. The housekeeping has also gone to the dogs- the glass food cases at the front of the restaurant that you pass while waiting to be seated are filthy and smeared with a film of grease- more like a cheap Tenderloin sandwich shop. With so many new restaurants on nearby Hayes Street this place will be left to the unknowing tourists. We will miss our old haunt- we'll probably come back occasionally and have a bowl of soup (the soup was good) just to hear Larry. If they lose him, they're dead.

I ate several times at Max's due to staying above in Opera Plaza. They warn you the food (particularly the desserts) is excessive and it is, but not in a good way. Portions are American large, flavours are a little extreme and not at all balanced. The salted fudge sundae I had was at the same time both so sweet and so salty that I ended up vomiting it up when I returned to my apartment. It's a shame because the atmosphere here is good, and the staff are too. Of particular note is the cocktail pianist (trio on a weekend) who is really good. It was worth coming here just for a drink to soak in the music. The three stars are mainly for him.

I have always loved Max's...be it at any of the many locations. The food is plentiful and a deli lovers delight. Share the sandwich and soup the first time there...it may be more than enough!

We were caught in a massive traffic jam on our way to the city from the north bay; I had to call to push our reservation back, which the hostess did most cheerfully, then we were 15 minutes later than the new time. Still, the hostess greeted us with such pleasure, seated us at a quiet window table, and the busboy was there in seconds with a bread basket and water. Our server was just as prompt, very friendly and pleasant, and our food (Guy's Chicken Salads) arrived within 5 - 10 minutes after we placed the order. I would agree that the menu seems more limited than in the past, but they also had a long list of specials available, so perhaps that's why the menu has been pared down, to allow more seasonal specials. Extra bonus--our server treated the restaurant to a lovely rendition of "Someone to Watch Over Me" with the live pianist, and still managed to pay plenty of attention to taking care of us and her other tables. Even with the traffic delays, we were done with adequate time to get to our concert at Davies Hall down the street. A bit pricey for what you get, undoubtedly, but the location is hard to beat for a quick pre-concert meal.

Ok, ok. I admit it. Chef Gordon Ramsey's long running TV show Nightmare Kitchen is a guilty pleasure. But I was never convinced that the food served to Ramsey at the beginning of each show was authentically as bad as it looked and he said it tasted. Obviously it as a ploy to kick off the drama, right? I mean, nobody with an ounce of self-respect would set themselves for such derision. Well, maybe I was wrong about that. Because I just had my own Nightmare Kitchen at Max's Cafe at the Civic Center I frequent the Max's in Redwood City and have for years and just love the Guy' s Chinese Chicken Salad with the fresh chopped cabbage and herbs, wontons, sweet and sour Asian dressing topped with a generous portion of some of the best, perfectly fried chicken breast tenders covered with a super crispy panko bread crumb and peanut crust. Well, the SF Max's didn't get the memo, or recipe as it were. A smattering of very tough, somewhat microwaved, greasy, grayish chicken sat atop a bowl of wilted cabbage awash in dressing seemingly applied hours prior to my order. As I speared the first chicken thing and lifted it from the bowl the heavy fishstick-like crust succumbing to its own weight peeled away and dropped back to earth, as did they all. I returned the dish, which our waiter happily accepted admitting that this dish often fosters this type of response. I then asked for the Thai tofu and soba noodle salad. No better. So, Chef Ramsey I owe you an apology for doubting the veracity of your show starter food disasters. Food that bad really does exist.

The sandwiches were good with a very large serving of french fries 🍟. It was very busy at lunch time. Nice atsphomere.

Was with a party of four. We were seated in a fairly empty section and then immediately experienced our assigned server wizzing back and forth en route to other tables, all strenuously attempting to flag her down. She made no attempt to acknowledge our presence with as much as a 'hello, I'll get to you as quick as I can.' After perhaps 15 minutes and in desperation, one of our party went up to the bar to make an independent attempt to order us cocktails. That was a story in itself. Then finally we were privileged to place our dinner order. The rest of our party opted for a hamburger sandwich, which proved to be a fairly good choice. Me, I ordered brisket of beef. It was more accurately titled 'beef fat, with sparse, random marbling of beef'. Totally repulsive. The meat buyer and certainly the chef should have caught and rejected this horrible piece of meat. Our server's efficiency could be rated close to 'nil'. Soon, other nearby dinners were attempting to get her attention so that they might receive their checks, depart and most likely de-stress. It was like flagging down the Super Chief with a cigarette lighter. Instead, this arrogant server took a 'break' and plunked herself at the microphone next to the piano player and belted out a song, while her entire station awaited condiments, their checks, second drinks, refills of water, etc. Much as my fellow diners consider ourselves patrons of the arts, being en route to the San Francisco Opera and supportive of aspiring talent, this inappropriate display and neglectful arrogance by our sever was just 'too much'. My complaint to the server about my grossly fatty brisket was acknowledged with a quick quip akin to 'nice shoes'.

Great diner style place. Huge prportions. I ended up eating here twice. Try the Reuben and save room for the cocoanut macarrons. The menu is huge with a wide variety of items.

Enjoyable games for the kids, good burgers and good company. It was a great experience. I had their great Reuben.

Can't believe they don't do the old Jewish classics anymore! NO chopped chicken liver on rye and several other classics missing from the menu. The latkes (potato pancakes) were totally tasteless and a bit oily. Service was good but not special. It used to be a nice place to go.

After our holidayflight to San Francisco we were ready for Some real food. The deskmanager of our hotel suggested Max's. There we were served by this very welcoming, helpfull and superfriendly guy called Miguel who served great tasting burgers and delicious fries.

Our reservations were for 5:30 and we arrived at 5:00. There was a queue so we approached the manager (Andre) to check in and let him know we were there for our RESERVATION. He refused to look up our reservation and told us that we had to stand in line with all the other waiting people. By 5:30 we were at the front of the line and THEN he checked us in. Our buzzer to tell us that a table was ready didn't go off until 6:10 .. by which time it was too late for us to have a sit down dinner and get to our 7:00 performance. Two or three times during our wait we made attempts to engage him productive conversation ,,, asking his advice. He was rude and his attitude let us know that he had a restaurant full of people and couldn't care less about us. We finally ordered togo food. Max's used to be a favorite, but no more!!

A great place to have dinner. The food is wonderful and provided in great variety, the opera is perfect and entertaining.

We love coming here. The Reuben is out of this world. Portions are generous. The one mac and cheese we ordered for our kids could have fed the whole family. Everything is done just right. Desserts are also phenomenal. But my favorite part is the bread--sourdough and raisin rolls--both equally amazing.

We haven't been to this location in years. We were in the neighborhood having attended a People in Plazas concert in front of city hall. Just 2 blocks to Max's. My wife had a Reuben Sandwich and a Dr Browns cream soda and I had a shrimp Louie. The delis in New York don't do any better. Also had a great server. It was a 5 star deli experience.

We were in San Francisco on a Saturday afternoon because we had an appointment with Story Corps at the public library. We just wanted to get a bite to eat and get back over the Bay Bridge, but we didn't know the area at all. My husband found a McD's on his cell phone, which my daughter and I nixed. Come all the way to SF and eat at McD's? No. Well, Max's was just across the street from the McDonald's. It didn't look open, but upon closer inspection we saw people sitting at tables inside. We were pleasantly surprised. I asked about the soup of the day. Monte, our server, brought me a sample so I could determine for myself. We ordered potato latkes as an appetizer. They were fried, but not greasy. They came with sour cream and applesauce for dipping. I had the pear/walnut/cranberry salad and had enough left over to feed my entire family of three the next day. (I brought it home.) I tried the matzoh ball soup. Would have liked several small matzoh balls rather than the one large albondigas-type matzoh ball Max's serves, but I liked the broth, the noodles, the chicken. I ordered the veg-artichoke-mushroom sandwich to take home with me. My husband ordered the beet salad. Beets were fresh, sweet, flavorful. My daughter ordered the California chicken melt. We did not order dessert, but we saw them in the display window. They look amazing. The restaurant was clean. The restrooms were clean. The décor was fun. Monte, our waiter, was attentive and kind.

Great service and yummy dessert. Stopped for coffee and dessert, we each had a latte and shared the apple/cranberry cobbler, plenty for two. Really yummy. Being. A veteran I asked for military discount, the gave me 50%, wow, was not expecting that. Not sure if they due that all the time, but was greatly appreciated. Left a huge tip!

All the classical components were there, avocado, bleu cheese, tomato, bacon, chicken. But the preparation was more 'rustic'. In a good way. The chicken was herb grilled, a light balsamic dressing, cheese not crumbled, lettuce coarse cut. It all worked. I had to pass up several other choices that appeared to be equally appealing.

We LOVE Max's in Burlingame! Great food.....great service....but this place.....no words can explain how fun this place is! We waled there for me (Matzo Ball Soup is my FAVORITE!) and waht followed was just plain fun! Crazy busy! We decided to sit at the bar for dinner, WHAT A SHOW! The bartender was on spot (with way tooooooooo many people) And kept up with the customers, orders AND all the stories going on! I know I'm going on about service and you're probably thinking the food is not all that...WRONG! It's all fun....AND FOOD!!! Amazing cocktails, wine list, beers, but the food it FRONT AND CENTER! Desserts....omg.....we have 3 in the frige now! GO....FAST....NOW!!!!

My wife and I occasionally dine at Max's because it's very convenient to Symphony Hall. Previous visits have been pretty good, but last night was a strikeout. After a 30-minute wait (they said it would be 20-30), we were seated. Water and bread came out within a few minutes. So far, so good. That would be the last time we would be offered either. After 45 minutes, our sirloins arrived, delivered by a grumpy old dude (not our waitress). We both had ordered medium rare; both were well done. We called over our super busy waitress and she took them back to the kitchen. About 30 minutes later, they came back out. Mine was medium rare; my wife's was mooing it was so bloody. If you can't get a medium rare steak from a restaurant after two tries, it fails in my book. My wife ate a few bites, but we had to get to the symphony so didn't send it back a second time. She took a doggy bag and we fed it to our dog when we got home. The accompaniments were just OK...creamed spinach and a baked potato. Again, a hard dinner to screw up, but that they did. Never were we asked if we needed anything (water, bread, please?) Not sure if we'll be back. Will probably look for a new option near the symphony.

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants. It's been at least 5 years since I ate at this particular restaurant. The menu used to be large and varied. We went in last night and was given a short, limited menu. The restaurant was about 1/3 full at 7:00 p.m on a Sunday night. The service was slow and we were informed that the calamari appetizer we requested was only available at the bar. The crab cake appetizer was moist and tasty. The Caesar salad was dry and bland. The chicken buffalo wings were good and spicy. The pasta with mushrooms was bland. For dessert we had B-52 (very good), however the brownie my son got was dry). Will not return and would not recommend for the price.

It is always a little boisterous at Max's whether it is the mumblings of approval as people tuck into comfort food like matzo ball soup and meatloaf or juicy steaks, roasted chicken or obscenely large deli sandwiches. There is something for everyone at this upper Van Ness institution. Open late, it is am ideal spot for a decadent dessert after the symphony or opera. Be sure and have the mushroom starter with pesto and cheese. This creation by famed restauranteur, Dennis Berkowitz is always a good choice.

I used to love going to Max's. Then the owner changed a couple of years ago. The menu became less interesting and more expensive. But the worst is the service. The team is really incompetent, like I've never seen before. I keep going back due to it's location near the theater, but I regret it every time. They even have staff using the bathroom as their dressing room - which is oddly creepy, and the waiters take up the stalls so you can't even get in there. Overall, an awful experience. If you must go, get a table away from the piano - they guys sings way too loud. Big desserts are the only plus.

If you like going to a restaurant with service that ranges from indifferent to hostile, with cafeteria-grade food, one will find in a hospital, and an ambiance that resembles a neglected senior center, then Max's Opera Café is perfect! The first clue that this will be the experience is a prominent sign that says, "Critics are Not Welcome." This is a wise strategy, as they would rather you not know that you are in for what could be rated one of the worst restaurants in San Francisco. If proximity to Davies Hall and the Opera House is your priority, I strongly recommend a cold sandwich from their snack bar instead. It will be a better culinary and service experience.