Max’s Restaurant of the Philippines

Found an item I truly believe is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Kawali Sisig! Wow, I just order that and I’m satisfied. Add a little banana sauce and you’ll wanna slap yo mama!

Poor service of the new staff except for the usual server that we see when we eat here. I don’t really know his name. But he’s the bald guy (sorry po). Buko pandan serving is small for the price you pay for.

Servers here seem to hate their jobs. Kinda sad because Filipinos are known for their hospitality but somehow, I don’t feel so welcome here. The food’s magnificent though. Maybe the Daly City branch has a better vibe?

I have had the joy of having a Pinay mother in law, a great lady and am awesome cook.
Being an avid cook my self she taught me many nuances of Filipino cuisine. Her fried chicken and tapsilog were tops in any book.
I knew of Max’s from long ago, but had never eaten there.
A hankering for Pinoy style chicken had me stopping in to order half a chicken and tapsilog.
What an utter disappointment.
The chicken half was «TINY» the whole chicken could not have been even 2 lbs.
Dry and overcooked it was horrible. $ 14.00 plus …
The Tapsilog looked as though it had been held since the breakfast hours and then burnt to black crisp on a grill.
The only salvation is that the eggs were cooked well.
Mabasura, ayoka na, patooy !!

Unilocal states the place is open at 10am but yet to find out it’s 11am. Disappointed and hungry at the same time. I don’t have the patience. NEXT!!! Lol

Usually Max’s restaurant in Milpitas is my usual spot and I love the food there. Since my family and I were in the area we decided to give this location a try hoping that it would be the same. The service was decent and the food was not good. Won’t be going back.
— bangus sinigang: soup was not sour and fish was still frozen in the middle.
— pork sisig: decent but i had better
— Bicol express: meat wasn’t crispy and sauce was bland
— fried chicken: crispy skin, but very dry

We go to this place whenever we crave for some fried chicken and other filipino dishes! They renovated the place, its very pleasing to the eyes but i miss the soft comfy booths. The service and food is good for the price. My family especially loves the chicharon bulaklak lol :)

After a pleasant photography session (at SC Photography) early evening on Sunday, 3÷6÷16 my business partner and I found through Google Max’s Restaurant, and also Karilagan Restaurant (both Filipino restaurant) which is within a .5 mile radius. First we went to Karilagan and we stood at the counter waiting to be greeted and seated but no one even bothered to glance at us nor motion to us to acknowledge our presence. We stood there for about 15 minutes with no recognition. I told my company that we have to go now. He told me to give it a chance because there are good reviews in Unilocal.But, not only that I am very impatient when treated that way, but also as soon as I entered the restaurant, there is this very strong fishy smell that I cannot stand (as I am very sensitive to smell when it comes to my food and the place I eat at). So, we finally walked out (and still not one even bothered to ask if we need help)! At that point, I felt so relieved that I am out of that smelly place.
We rushed over to Max’s Restaurant which is in the same block. This is my first time to go to a Max’s Restaurant (because I was skeptical in the past about Filipino restaurants: I am a true Filipino by blood and heart but majority of Filipino restaurants are just not competitive when it comes to price point and food quality).
Here is my summary:
THE RESTAURANT: Standalone building, very well designed in both exterior and interior, nice subdued lighting, very nice furniture and their positioning helps with ease of flow, very clean
THE STAFF: Very friendly, very professional, clean appearance, responsive, helpful
FOOD SELECTION: Management must have spent a lot of dollar on the menu book (hardcover and beautifully designed), wide range of familiar and authentic Filipino dishes
We ordered BEEF NILAGA which is beef shanks slowly braised with aromatics until very tender. This is the best I every had (although I do not eat beef, I tried the broth and the vegetables). The broth has a very natural flavor so much so that you can almost claim that they did not add any artificial flavoring (beef or chicken base). And, if they did, it was very well controlled (not over-​powering). It was done so simply that there are only string beans and chopped cabbage as vege’s (there are no carrots that makes the broth sweet which is unpleasant to me, there are no potatoes that makes the broth cloudy and mushy which I am not really fond of). The BEEF NILAGA is just as authentic and pure as it comes at Max’s.
Then we had the SISIG which is a concoction of chopped deep-​friend or roasted pork belly seasoned with either soy, salt, pepper, vinegar, chile, onions, tomatoes, lemon, mayonnaise — a very regional dish in the Philippines. At Max’s, the SISIG was just perfect. The chopped pork had both crunchy and very tender textures. The saltiness is very well balanced and the flavors were just right!
OVERALL EXPERIENCE: I am always glad to see Filipino restaurants that can be placed alongside the likes of good and sensible international restaurants here in the US. Max’s at El Camino Real in South SF is definitely a winner! And, the price point is just right!

I come every once in while since 2004. I must say that the quality of the food is not what it used to. The Kare-​kare has diminished in serving size, including the amount of vegetables in it– minimal to say the least (one piece of bokchoy and a bunch of cabbage).
As for the cleanliness of the bathroom, well, this takes the cake on why I only gave this place 1 star. Another customer in a nearby table slipped because the floor was wet.
Our wait staff wore so much perfume that I almost could not eat my food because of the smell. The place is small so I can easily pick up her scent.
I’m so sorry to see this place go down the drain. I really used to love it here.
Go to Karilagan next door instead.

This place is good but definitely not the best filipino food I’ve had. Their kare kare is creamy and I love how they have green beans and bokchoy. It could’ve used more meat though, especially since it is family style. Their palabok sauce was a little too runny for me. I like the thick sauce that stick to the noodles. My coworker loves their fried chicken so it was good to try. The skin was good but that was about it. It was regular. This place is pricey too for the amount of food they give. You can go to a whole in the hall place for cheaper and more food.
If it’s your birthday, you get complimentary ice cream and the staff sings happy birthday to you in tagalog! And they have the sound system play the entire song in the background, it’s a production! LOL.

I wanna start out by saying that I am picky about Filipino food because my Mom and Grandma makes really good Filipino food. I don’t like it greasy, too salty, or too sweet. Max’s is pretty good. There are some greasy dishes, yes, but overall the flavors are there and they taste authentic. The fried chicken is very delicious. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy and it pairs very well with Jufran (banana ketchup) and Worcestershire. The service is also pretty good. Although sometimes they tend to hover. Overall, I will continue to come back here for some solid Filipino food.

I’ve passed by here on many an occasion and it has seemed that the place was always packed. This even led me to walk in and peruse the menu once with a definitive decision to try out the place.
On a Wednesday night the boyfriend and I decided to get Pieology but upon remembering and passing by this place for the umpteenth time we said why not? The place wasn’t as packed as usual but we still waited a few minutes to be seated.
I have to admit I am definitely not the foremost expert on Filipino food but I’ve been to enough food trucks to have an idea. We ordered the lumpia, fried chicken, kare kare, and the pancit palabok. The girls next to us had ordered similar items so I had a good feeling we chose right.
The food came steadily, and despite other Unilocal reviews, it was hot and seemingly fresh. The first item that arrived was our pancit palabok. The noodles looked delicious and in my excitement I stirred them around only to find vermicelli when the menu explicitly said thick noodles. I asked the waiter if the noodles were suppose to be thick and he gave me a strange look and said «oh yeah we ran out of those». I was only upset because I was expecting thick noodles and I would have like to have been told I would not be receiving them. And unfortunately I felt the dish did not benefit from this substitution as the vermicelli could not soak up such a thick sauce.
The famous and mostly advertised chicken was well breaded and had a nice crunch but the meat was thoroughly dry, almost unpalatable. The french fries that accompanied it were also quite dry and brittle and just tossed on the plate.
The lumpia was small but full of flavor, probably the best part of our meal. It came with a tangy sauce that only enhanced the deliciously of the fried morsels.
The kare kare was severely lacking in seasoning and flavor and after a few bites we couldn’t even bare another scoop. It also came with a sauce that, without observing our neighboring diners, we would have never known to mix in. The sauce did aid in the flavor but not by much.
They were not very welcoming or helpful to first timers and the food wasn’t anything I’d write home about. Overall it was a less than mediocre experience and I wouldn’t be inclined to come back.

What a terrible dining experience. The only upside was the Filipino hospitality of the service.
For starters, the restaurant was a filthy, disgusting mess. Looking around, there were so many tables that were in desperate need of bussing, and it’s not like the restaurant was busy to the point where bussing was impossible.
I have a management position in the food industry and if you’re working Front of the House, your number one priority needs to be bussing tables: 1) How are you going to seat people in a timely manner if you’re taking centuries just to clear off some plates, silverware and glasses? 2) If your restaurant looks disgusting where customers can see, what does that tell them about the cleanliness in the parts of the restaurant that customers can’t see… like the kitchen?! 3) It’s quite unsanitary and not the most pleasant dining experience if you’re having dinner next to a table that hasn’t been bussed in 20 minutes.
Additionally, the bathrooms were disgusting. Toilet paper was all over the floor and a bloody tissue was left on the sink in what would otherwise be a clean and brand new-​looking bathroom. Again, it goes back to the point I was trying to make about cleanliness throughout the restaurant.
Furthermore, the food was just bad. The only dish that actually tasted good was the garlic rice, which is pretty hard to mess up. We initially wanted the beef sisig, but the server didn’t know until last-​minute that they were out of beef, so we ended up with chicken sisig — it was terrible. No flavor whatsoever, nothing «sizzling» about it and just a very poorly put-​together dish. The pancit canton was decent, but nothing spectacular. As for the lumpia, I could have gotten better quality from the frozen section of a Filipino market. I don’t know what they put inside their lumpia, but it did not taste like it should have… and it’s pretty hard to mess up the inside of lumpia.
Overall, I definitely can’t come back to this particular Max’s. I grew up going to the Max’s of Manila in Glendale (SoCal) and their food and dining experience were pretty on point, but unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the Max’s in South City.

Giving this place a 4 stars just because it’s my family’s go to restaurant for literally EVERY occasion. If it’s my parents’ birthdays, mother’s/father’s day, or just any holiday and my family can’t decide where to eat, you will be sure to find us here.
My parents aren’t very adventurous when it comes to food. They usually stick with things they know and are used to, so that’s why we always end up here most of the times. I’m not saying this place isn’t good, it’s just that I’ve been here far too many times.
What I usually order:
— calamari and lumpia shanghai: the calamari was different the last time I went, it wasn’t as thin, flaky, and in rings, which is what I prefer)
— fried chicken: this is a must have here since they are famous for their fried chicken; you have to eat it w/​the banana ketchup or else you’re gonna think it tastes like regular chicken.
— bangus sisig: I don’t know how to describe this… it’s just good and my family always orders it
— mango juice
I have tried other things on the menu, like their silog, lechon kawali, pinakbet, kare kare, and miki bihon, but I usually avoid these things when I go without my family because I prefer my mom’s cooking of these Filipino dishes.
Their halo halo is pretty good too. It’s definitely my favorite compared to the other ones I’ve had at Tapsilog Bistro, Red Ribbon, Jollibee, Manila Bay Cuisine. They have the little red/​green jello and the rice krispies on top which other places don’t usually add!

Giving this restaurant 4.5 stars for their famous fried chicken and crispy pata (crispy pork knuckle). These 2 items are off-​the-​hook.
As far as Filipino restaurants go, this has to be one of the more attractive ones in terms of décor and whatnot. So kudos to that. Service is good esp. if you are lucky to get the veteran servers assisting you (there are about 2 or so who have been there for years).
Note — Since Max’s recently opened a sister restaurant in Gellert Blvd., I notice that the service at the El Camino branch had declined a bit. However, it could’ve just been a fluke. :)

Go to Patio Filipino instead.
I wish I could give Max’s ZERO stars. I also wish I saw all the recent 1 star reviews for Max’s before going here.
After asking 5+ times (we lost count after 5) over the course of an HOUR for a glass of water for my wife, a woman finally brought a carafe of water to the table. When my wife said she did not have a glass, the waitress yelled at my wife.
Lessons for the waitstaff:
1. It should not take 5+ requests and over an hour to get a glass of water
2. Don’t yell at customers.
Like I said, go to Patio Filipino instead for better service AND better food.

Food was delicious and it’s a nice, clean environment. However, the service was just ok. We were greeted with smiles and didn’t have to wait too long for a table. But it took a while for our food to arrive, had to ask the waiter for the drinks that we ordered and when it came time to pay, the credit card machine was down.

Authentic Filipino food that will make you food coma soon after eating. My friend did all of the ordering for me so I can’t remember the specific dishes we tried.
I suggest that you ask for lemon to help cut all of the fat in the meat dishes.
I can recall ordering the fried chicken, a ribs dish, garlic rice and pork sisig. All of the above was enjoyable.

Quick review for a quick lunch:
If you don’t have a Filipino friend or parent to cook for you, options for Filipino food in the Bay Area can be scarce. Luckily, there are places like Max’s. I’d only ever been to Max’s in the Philippines, so I was eager to try the American version and I’m glad I can say that the food here is legit. Although they’re most renowned for their fried chicken, they have a variety other Filipino dishes, like sinigang, bangus, dinuguan, kare kare, lechon kawali… Straight up comfort food.
This is my favorite Filipino fried chicken. It kind of reminds me of a juicier, slightly less crispy version of fried chicken at Jollibee. What’s awesome is that you can get a whole chicken fried that way! One day, I’ll try it.
The restaurant interior is clean and uses the same décor as in the Philippines. Service is friendly and timely. Prices are reasonable. Best of all, they have Jufran banana sauce on all the tables.

«I’d like to order the lechon kawali…»
«Sorry were out of that.»
«Ok no problem, we’ll have half a fried chicken then, the beef soup, and the palm heart lettuce wraps.»
«Ok.»…waiter walks away… comes back…“sorry, actually we’re out of the lettuce wraps.”
«So what other salads do you have?»
«No. Nothing. Only the sizzling tofu platter or chop suey.»
«Well can you make a salad?»
«No, sorry.»
Yeah… Bu-​bye.