Review Max's Corner - Essendon

I could not say how much it was a terrible experience. We head there for a cup of coffee as it was the closest place open after 4 pm. Their coffee was not a coffee at all I tried to force myself to drink it but I could not. In addition, the shop is not that clean some spiders 🕷️ webs 🕸️ cover most of the selling and corners. I hope they can give more attention to that point as well as their barista too. It would be a huge advantage to hire a good specialist barista if they can. I do not recommend this place. Good luck.

Service wasn't the best. Although the food was absolutely beautiful. very well cooked. Reasonably prices ane well presented

Had my function here for my mum's birthday and everyone had a great time. Lance was really accommodating and made sure all my guests were tended to. Food was really good and would definitely book another function in the future. Kudos to the team

Appalling customer service. We ordered our meals and two drinks. We managed to get our eye fillet, garlic prawns and 2 kids meals before our drinks were ready. When we asked the waitress, Marie to cancel our drinks she responded we will be getting charged for them either way. We then asked to speak to the manager and never got approached by the manager on shift. There was no acknowledgment about how we felt about the issue and they weren’t trying to make it better. We have been coming here for over 10 years and tonight they have lost us as customers. It’s really disappointing.

Their food is so yummy and very generous in portions. Came here with my nieces and nephew, and they loved their breakfasts. Great customer service and we’re coming back again!

Standard every day corner cafe. Average food. Average vibe. Great meeting space upstairs 👌🏼 and cute little touch they left on the table

Made a booking for Dinner on a Sunday night at 6pm. The guy who took my booking said I should make a booking due to how busy they were. When we arrived they were all packed up. When I said I had a booking he said he wasn't busy so decided to close....

we visited it 2 days ago for breakfast and it was excellent, excellent fresh fruit juices and coffee which met my expectations. Excellent service.

Today was our first time we were so impressed by the manger Adrian's attitude and the respect he showed to everyone he encounter including all the staff and kitchen staff. We will with out a doubt be back and will not hesitate to recommend this place to all of friends and family. The food was fantastic and great value for money and the friendly and inviting atmosphere was a perfect start to our Sunday. Adrian and the team on this morning should be commended for such wonderful service.

I had my 40th birthday celebration at Max's Corner and I cannot praise the food and service highly enough. We booked out the main room for around 50 people. The lead up to the function was excellent - great communication. Adrian who was in charge for the night understood our needs and the staff was amazing. Always smiling, never stopped, AMAZING food and plenty of it. It was one of the best birthday's I've ever had. I highly recommend Max's Corner for any function. It is family friendly, as well as we had 12 kids there and they had a ball. Thank you to Adrian and the team on the night who worked so hard to make the night such a memorable one!

Came here on Saturday and really enjoyed everything! Our waitress seemed experienced and was really helpful with food recommendations. Food was reasonably priced and none of us could fault any of our meals - everything was delicious. As soon as our waitress found out it was my birthday she organised me a chocolate cake with candles in it which was a really lovely gesture, thanks for a great experience guys! :)

Thanks to Adrian and all the staff for a great day for my daughters Baptism. Great friendly service and great food. Adrian was a pleasure to deal with and made it a truly great day. Highly recommended�

Unbelievable service ..fantastic food .great sized portions and Adrian was the most polite efficient waiter ive ever met ...i recommend this place to everyone

Been there a few times now for various family occasions, the staff are very friendly and obliging, and the food is consistently great...totally recommend Max's Corner

Had a family function for a Sunday lunch. The service and food were fantastic and the place was extremely organised. Our waitress, Rachel, made sure we were well looked after the entire time, she was wonderful. Will definitely recommend and look forward to going back there again.

Celebrated my sister in laws baby shower yesterday in function room. I must say your staff are just amazing assisted me with carrying my presents and carrying pram upstairs. They were so lovely and bubbly and the food was just beautiful. First time being here and will be back again. Thank you

Took my parents here for a Sunday lunch and even though they were busy with a function we got a table without a booking and had amazing service. The waitress was lovely and had a laugh with us too. Great time.

Gina for president! Always makes me feel welcome and runs around Max's Corner like a woman on a mission high fiving and blowing kisses to everyone she knows in her path.

Fantastic love going there for breakfast or lunch food is nice and service fantastic go every Sunday

Went to Max’s for dinner haven’t been for years. The service was excellent as was the food. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Won’t wait so Long to come back �

My plate came out with my food and dirty fingerprints over it....not happy ��

Not impressed one bit 2day guyz, left n cancelled order after waiting just ova an hr for our breakfast, 2servings of eggs on toast isnt that hard!

Best place ive been to in Melbourne friendly and professional staff,great menu, inviting atmosphere relaxing and chilling ill be back regularly just loved it cheers Max's

Sensational coffee, generous food servings and great menu. Attentive, helpful and happy staff. One of my first stops when I arrive in Melbourne !!

We celebrated our daughter's 21st at Max's on Saturday night. Thank you very much Adrian for all your attention to detail with planning, wonderful food while looking after dietary requirements, and your attentive staff all night. Thanks Adam, Dean & team. It was the perfect venue for our special celebration.

The staff at Max's are always pleasant as it sitting outside. Had breakfast there this morning with a friend. My avocado on toast with fetta accompanied with a tasty rosti was very good. However, my friend's eggs and bacon on toast was unappealing. In fact, the presentation was pitiful. You can do better than this Max's. There is so much competition in the area now. Improve on such a simple request.

We celebrated our parents 50th Wedding Anniversary at Max's Corner. We highly recommend this place for a private function. Adrian was an attentive manager who could not have done more for us. The food package was outstanding value and our guests were impressed by the quality, variety and amount. Adam worked efficiently and tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly. Overall a perfect afternoon.

Friendly staff who actually have normal conversations with you, good atmosphere, great food, top notch juices and coffees & decent prices would definitely recommend to anybody.

Came here for lunch and was taken by surprise. I absolutely enjoyed my experience here. The lamb salad is a must, and the veal on the lunch special is also amazing. Really appreciated the friendly staff here, they are genuine. Kudos to the chef. Would return.

Very good food. Loved the pizza. <br/>Located right in the middle of a busy street. Easy to access.<br/>Friendly service. <br/>Child friendly ambience <br/>We go there often

Great food, great service and great value. The food is always tasty, well seasoned and staff pay attention to the details. So many options to choose from the menu.

Our stay here for dinner was comfy and enjoyable. The food was tasty and good service, plus the good chats. We ordered Arancini Balls, Wedges, Bolognese, Minestrone and Vegetarian Gnocchi. After we ordered our food it arrived pretty quickly. We chatted and ate with the music which was the perfect volume and wasn’t annoying. The food was tasty and a normal size for all 4 of us and we finished it. <br/><br/>As I have already said the service was good and food was very tasty.

Absolutely love this place... Pizza, pasta, soup, and some delicious looking cakes (I’ve yet to try) as well as amazing service, and relaxing atmosphere. <br/><br/>The staff are absolutely lovely, always down for chit chat and are attentive to the needs of customers. <br/><br/>I would also like to add that in terms of dietary requirements (I am vegetarian), they are accommodating to the point where I can change the ingredients (this may be determined by how busy they are but always worth a shot) <br/><br/>Overall, great if your in the area or down for a drive to Essendon. Definitely coming back (the third time)

Staff very friendly and attentive.. food is ok but we went there last night for dinner. All meals are ok... i asked for chilli oil and realised when i got the bill they charged me 50cents.. i have never been charged for chilli oil anywhere else.. Only problem main was the scotch fillet was order medium to well done... was rare - sent back.. was same plate they just seared the same piece of meat... still under... desserts were ordered... creme brulee, ti ra misu (how it appears on the menu).. coffees... waited 10 mins to get told no creme brulees.. you should already know that when offering desserts... okay os we got the ti ra misu. Took sooo long to come out.. i had finished my coffee..when it did arrive we couldn't eat it.. no coffee taste .. it was done with a cheap ass italian liquor called Marsala... avoid avoid avoid.. basically if your passing and you want an ok meal... and great coffee... give it a go.. if you want great ... look elsewhere

E: “Nobody puts baby in the corner” is the famous line from Dirty Dancing, however if it’s Max’s Corner, I’ll be sure to bring my baby. After my experience today, I’m definitely going to be back with Kevin.<br/><br/>From the minute my family walked into Max’s Corner, we were greeted with friendly smiles and a warm welcome very much alike coming back home after a long time away. The staff didn’t just attend to us when we needed, but made us feel so welcome and like family. Every conversation with our waiter felt meaningful and genuine, instead of the usual, I’m-going-to-ask-about-your-day-because-I-have-to attendant small talk. My parents were unsure what to order, however they were provided with amazing suggestions from our host without question. Incredible experience and ambience from such wonderful staff.<br/><br/>In terms of food, our pastas were one of the best I’ve tasted. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t taste like a “high end Italian restaurant” with the tiniest of portions, but instead, tasted what I can only imagine would be the dish your cute lil Italian Nonna makes you when you tell her you’re coming over for a Nonna Night. I guess even though I’m from an Asian ethnicity, I have a Nonna now. A Nonna named Max.<br/>Firstly, the portions were HUGE!!!!!!!! (The photos are an illusion, I swear). For someone who usually finishes every piece on a dish, finishes my partners/friends meals and also has desert after, I can honestly say these portions were huge. So huge that I had to take some home in a take-out container.<br/>In terms of taste, I swear as I was chewing each chunky piece of beef covered in the most hearty, delicious bolognese sauce, I could close my eyes and picture myself lazing on beautiful green grass overlooking the Leaning Tower of Pisa. People say love is a feeling, yet I could taste it in this meal. I could taste the love and hardwork put in to this meal. Hearty and homely is the best way to enjoy your pasta and that’s exactly the best way to describe my dining experience at Max’s Corner.<br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Ambience: 3.5/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Value: 3.5/5<br/><br/>Overall: 3.75/5

A nice place to dine casually and catch up with others. The staff are helpful. I have tried the trio dips entree, the grilled chicken salad and the eye fillet here; all were decent meals.

Waiting for my car to get 4 new tyres fitted I decided to try this place out for and found they are up there with all the others within short walking distance with good food and service it has a nice atmosphere with plenty of tables both inside and out I would recommend trying it if you are ever in the ares

Brilliant friendly service. Always welcome. Food great. Really good variety on menu., Really reasonable prices. Definately recommend. Indoor and outdoor seating available.

Had brunch here today for the first time since it was just ‘Max’s’. Ordered the Eggs Florentine, with hollandaise on the side and added mushies. My eggs were cooked perfectly! The salmon, delectable. Spinach wilted wonderfully. I had to though, query my order twice with the waitress, who although was initially accommodating, was fairly.. assertive (I’m being polite here.. - felt like I was being put in line, and unnecessarily, by my mother?) my order arrived with no mushrooms, and then with hollandaise all over everything.. Even though rectified, the hollandaise is quite potent also, very acidic and no creaminess at all. I had to totally leave it. Shame on how some parts were really good, others - not so.

Amazingly presented food and so delicious! Great comfortable outdoor seating. The staff were absolutely wonderful! First time having experienced great food, great venue and great staff! They were so friendly, courteous, attentive and so humble! They did not make us feel like they were busy on a Saturday night... we were attended to constantly. Thank you Max's corner!

Pizza's awesome. Good place to go after shopping at DFO. Service is good, made table for 7 in no time. Atmosphere here is just ok, would love to go back for other specials. 👍

Never had the food but i always come in for a coffee and cake. The coffee is made well, staff are friendly and the desert is wonderful. What i love most about their deserts is the portion size, my partner and i always share and fight over the last bite. Hopefully i will come in soon to try the food.

I've been meaning to try Max's Corner for years. Driving by at any time of day, you'll find people either eating or having coffee in the outdoor dining area (even at around 10pm when most other venues in the area are long passed closed). <br/><br/>Decided to finally book dinner, as they do $12 parmas on Tuesday night. $12! I wasn't expecting much in the way of size or sides, but I was wrong on both counts. Parmas were huge! Chips were those golden, crunchy, melt in your mouth variety you wish for with any parma. Salad was sizeable and fresh, with the inclusion of olives..! (bless you Max's Corner for knowing a great side salad) <br/><br/>We'll be back, no doubt about it. Friendly, attentive service with simple and well executed food.<br/><br/>Coffee is also top notch.<br/>

Great Sunday morning ambience, food was great- I highly recommend the open burger. Their service was terrific, particularly the way they looked after our son. Thanks to all at Max's Corner, we'll be going back.

The best local place to go to for a late night coffee! Best tandoori chicken pizzas and $12 parmas on tuesdays you can't go wrong. I come here almost once a week.

Service was like being at a 5star restaurant. Staff everywhere. No need to wait to get served. Very organised. Food came out within 10 mins. Perfect place

These guys just want to make your dining experience all about what you want. <br/>Why wouldn't you give this place a GO<br/>Good healthy fresh produce served with a smile. <br/>I have travelled the world and I would ray this place as extra special, with great food and service <br/>Try this Snitzel 2 eggs and chips AS GOOD ASYOU CAN GET. <br/>

Great service, staff were real nice but menu nothing special and food is pretty ordinary. So much potential though good spot to hang out and have coffee

Great breakfast served. Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff.  Had the avo and poached egg which was very tasty. Scrambled eggs and bacon were perfectly done and the egg/bacon wrap was yummo. Cannot fault their coffee it was right on point. Will definitely return to try out the dinner menu. Highly recommended for all.

I would recommend Max's Corner for anyone who is in the area and feels like going for a quick coffee. I have had dinner here on many occasions and would recommend the Chicken Parmigiana.

A very nice place to come and eat or just sit with a coffee and your dog😊its on a busy corner and l love sitting outside just watching the world go by..... Really good quality foods, all great tasting and really good coffees also. I have only eaten here in the mornings or early afternoons but have never been disappointed😊l would always recommend trying Max's corner. There is a fantastic atmosphere that comes with sitting outside, l always find the staff are very happy and also the patrons 😊many times I've had great conversations with the elderly regulars that come with their dogs for the big breakfast 😊

Came here for a function. Staff were very friendly and efficien, overally well mannered and handled kids well. Coffees were quite nice too! Definitely coming here again with friends for lunch next time.

Shame- have been looking forward to this, came with my partner. The women next to me was having a great looking seafood pasta, the service was ok. I asked for a recommendation steak or pasta? The waiter assured me steak was fantastic. Ordered an eye fillet med/rare. Ended up with a med/well glued steak that came in 3 pieces, full of sinew. The mash and spinach were lovely. Alerted the staff, they offered to have it recooked, however by then the entrees were settling and I wasn't hungry. They offered me coffee or dessert on the house. I was then charged for the steak I couldn't eat and dessert. Very disappointing, my partners meal was lovely. Won't be back for dinner.

My dining experience at Max's Corner (us locals just call it Max's) has been consistently good across lunch and dinner occasions over the past 12 months. Service has always been prompt. Staff have always been friendly, even remembering me as I walk past from the tram stop. The food goes a step ahead from standard cafe fare, a fusion between cafe and restaurant dining. My only gripe is you can no longer order the bar menu after 6pm. The meals in the bar menu are lighter, such a an open souvlaki with chips. The atmosphere has always been bubbly, with the option to sit outside which is usually teeming with customers. All in all, a perfect spot to catch up with friends if you're a local but points lost due to reduced menu options after 6pm.

The service was very slow, ignored most times - even though I had the waitress apologize. When we finally ordered the food took forever to come out, the starter came out with the mains. The open souvlaki was very dry - don't recommend it. The only reason it's getting a rating is because I'm hungry and the saganaki was nice, but jot hard to get it wrong...

For the most part the staff are truly lovely (two in particular), the food is fine, the coffee good, and the vibe relaxed. I've never been blown away by the food, true, but I am able to relax, and that's a small miracle with a 2 and a 1 year old in tow.

I love going to Maxs Corner the food and drinks are great. the service is second to none and ambiance is fantastic. What a great local place to go to!! Make sure you check it out and say G'day to Adrian!!

Food, service and professionalism are all below average. Food is rather expensive, considering the poor quality. Staff are not friendly and they appear to not enjoy their job even the slightest. The pizzas are the best dishes they have to offer, but even those aren't fantastic. It's a shame because it has such potential given that it's one of the few restaurants in the area.

Unprofessional Corner... To the MANAGER of Max's Corner. I loved almost being kicked out of the cafe (after being a regular and coming here to eat every weekend) for the reason of my 8 year old brother having his subway roll with him. I loved your professionalism, the way you yelled at me in front of all the customers especially when you started raising your voice and walking away. <br/>Keep up the stale food and horrible customer service. I am proud of you and your degrading character. <br/><br/>Warmest Regards,<br/><br/>Angry Sister.

Frozen food at gourmet price. Ordered the $25 chicken parma and chips... rubbery, burnt chicken and chips clearly defrosted from the packet. Overpriced garbage... save yourself the bill and get a TV dinner from Coles. Same thing.

Good food and ambience.... Had lunch....place had a good Vibe...bit slow in service...not a place to grab a quick bite.....okay if you have lots of time....food was excellent with generous portions....definitely go there again overall I'd give it a 3.5/5

Just had the salt and pepper calamari with salad. OMG amazing. Great friendly service, definitely will come again. 10 out of 10

Terrible.. Attended Max's for dinner Sunday night and was very unimpressed with each of the 5 main meals that were ordered. Each plate of food returned to the kitchen with more than half still remaining on the plate. Open souvlaki was dry and flavorless, Chicken Parma was extremely oily, calamari was like rubber and pasta very disappointing. Definately don't recommend this restaurant and will not be retaining!

Best Nutella Calzone Thus Far. The four of us attended Max's Corner on Boxing Day, where we were greeted by a very sociable bubbly waitress. Our requests were an appetiser of cheesy garlic flatbread, and then the following foundations of chicken scallopini, chicken schnitzel with plain gravy, marinated lamb and a margarita pizza with extra cheese, chilli and sun-dried tomato. All meals were served promptly and in high abundance. The fiancé's cream of mushroom was exceptionally balanced with succulent quadrants of chicken. My friend's marinated lamb was sizzled to a perfect ratio- not too well done, not too rare. The chips (with the chicken mains) effortlessly ranked above average in seasoning, and cooking method. My margarita pizza should have involved a more profound depth of cheese considering my cheesy emphasis to the waitress. -Perhaps optionalizing divergent cheese coordinates other than mozzarella to fascinate the cheese-buds of fellow dairy cravers? But I must profess that Max's Nutella calzone is the most awe-spring, lip-smacking, diet-ailing guilty pleasure that I've ever locked lips, eyes and tongues with. Max's Corner comprise the audacity and that absolute prerogative to haughtily commend themselves on their signature sweetening. Favourite.

Calamari a big no no. Had the calamari which was tiny pieces of calamari which were really salty and over cooked. Would have had better calamari at a fish and chip shop. Have been there numerous times before and food is generally good.. not sure what happened!

GREAT !!!. Three of us called in for a quick early very light dinner on Saturday night. Approached immediately on entering and shown to a table with menus. Delightful, helpful staff. Meals arrived in a very timely manner and they were delicious.<br/>Staff here are to be commended for their friendliness and fabulous service.<br/><br/> A MUST visit !!!

Great coffee.... Would go back just for the coffee!!!!!

It's so nice when you come with your stinky children, large prams and giant nappy bags and are still greeted with friendly helpful service. Even helped lift the pram up the step. We will be back.

Always great food n customer service. my fav place to eat in essendon

Average. Overall average on everything except the burger which had vegetables in it, (said prime beef on menu) was well below average. If your going to charge $19 for a burger you could try a little harder then that. Wood fired pizza was ok, menu selection had nothing interesting on it at all and coffee was average. When is someone in the area going to do something worthy of good food.

What It's All About!. Excellent service - very friendly staff and prompt. The food was delicious, although menu needs more sizable starters. Ambience is great & evening was very affordable. This is my new dining out favourite, can’t believe I hadn't been sooner.

Relaxed dinner. Had dinner here the other night. Staff were friendly, though a little unaware at times. Cokes came in glass bottles which is a tick from me. Garlic pizza was good as was our mains (Parma, Scaloppini and Risotto). It's not the cheapest place around, but it's one of the better ones. Take away cheese cake was great too. Definitely going back.

Great customer service - always. Really nice coffee and food. They are totally accommodating and helpful with kids - though they really need a kid's menu as the portions (even for adults) are huge. We are at Max's often and always enjoy it and definitely recommend it.

Loved the flour less pear tart/desert & the apple crumble is a must :) <br/>Great local place !

Had brekkie here good service food okay im just fairly fussy when it comes to omelets and it was thrown together and looked messy on the plate. Although it tasted fine was awkward to eat. Average meals average prices will give it a go one more time.

Diner review. Went there today with a group of friends, usually we go to other cafes in Essendon. My fruit salad was very good the service was fine but somehow the chef didn't make one of our meals so the diner cancel it and ordered a yogurt cup instead( which was very nice ) but when the bill arrived the original item ordered was on it. One would think a quick explanation to management and all would be sorted out quickly not so !! Diner was given the third degree actually bordering on rudeness . Seriously!!!why couldn't management check with waiters discreetly . Management needs to realize that there are some fantastic places for breakfast very very close to their establishment . Our group actually has breakfast out at least two to three times weekly ad we certainly will not be returning !

Really likes it! Great place for a catch up with friends. Good coffee. The Parma and pasta's are also yummy

Been here almost every week for the past 6 months due to their baked eggs, the other foods they have are inconsistent but the coffee is nice and the baked eggs to die for

Waited an hour for our food.. Toast was burnt and the hash browns were covered in oil.. Avocado must have been from the freezer cos it was way too cold.. Expensive for two breakfasts and two juices.. Will never go back!

Came here for a quick bite while waiting to catch up with a friend. I like the open space and I've been here a couple of times before. Food nice enough, but it wasnt a quick bite. Too many questions to clarify my menu choice and staff very young, which I often find a bit of a problem! But the vibe is friendly and bright and it's all very affordable. I'll no doubt come again, but not in a rush!

This is the nicest cafe in Essendon!! I love all the sweets and the coffee is really nice.I always try to get the warm chocolate plum with ice cream or the lemon meringue! They're so delicious and lovely! The service is friendly and polite. The price is acceptable! Looking forward to have your desserts again! You're doing a really great job! Keep it up!

Best pizza and parma!. Really love this cafe!<br/>it's family friendly and a good hang out place for young people- caters for everyone!<br/>I love the chicken parma's and pizza's!<br/>I'm also a fan of the creme brulee!<br/>Staff are friendly and attentative!<br/>Will go back!!!

Our regular weekend breakfast spot. Always has good food, great coffee and friendly staff

Yum. This place has amazingly delicious food, complimented by lovely staff!

Keep walking!!. We caught up with a friend for a few drinks (elsewhere) and after time had gotten away from us, this was the most convenient place to get something to eat as it was after lunchtime and they were still serving food.<br/><br/>I wish we had kept walking to find somewhere else or went to Coles and made our own lunch!<br/><br/>We were seated out the front which was nice enough and ordered drinks. My friends cider arrived along with a lemon lime and bitters which was mostly bitters and disgusting. I was then informed my drink was unavailable, so I ordered another drink, minutes later the waitress returned to inform me that was also unavailable. I settled for water.<br/><br/>We place our order for lunch and waited for some time...<br/>The parma arrived... about 5 minutes later, the other 2 meals, which were both pasta's. But not what was ordered. A further 5 minutes later the pasta's returned, which strangely had traces of the original meals that were sent out (penne and spaghetti now mixed together), which by this time nothing was surprising us!<br/><br/>It was clearly time to go home.<br/><br/>With the amount of (Quality) competition in the area and my hatred of paying for lacklustre food, I can guarantee there will not be a return visit.

Food is shocking. Yuk and over prices

I’ve lived in and around the Essendon area my whole life, and for as long as I can remember, in one form or another, there has been Max’s. Starting off as a tiny little cafe Max’s has now spread out to envelop the majority of the corner of Mount Alexander Rd and Leake St. With more outdoor seating than you can shake a stick at its a popular spot to stop for a coffee, its not unusual to pass on a warm summer night to see the place packed to the brim. Talking to people about Max’s in the past I’ve always got the same feedback – “The food is good, but the service is terrible” or “it was nice, but they messed up my order” from multiple people at multiple times, and stopping in for breakfast on occasion I have been victim to it myself – One time walking out after not being served 15 minutes after being seated. But th