Max Gill and Grill

Had such a great experience taking my girlfriend here for her birthday. Being from the Chesapeake area, we’re spoiled– but given that we’re 1000 miles from an ocean, this place rocked! Excellent quality, and not too pricey, and in one of our favorite neighborhoods in Denver. Well done!

We have been looking forward to trying this restaurant for some time. Unfortunately we were very disappointed.
Four of us went out for Sunday brunch on ⁶⁄₁₃. Business was pretty slow — perhaps ¼ of the tables were occupied. Even with the relative lack of business, the wait staff and the kitchen were incredibly slow. The clam chowder was excellent, but everything else was quite mediocre. Somehow they managed to serve two of us about 10 minutes ahead of the others. A table near us had the same issue.
The worst part was that my wife had a crab benedict dish and fell ill several hours later. My wife is a very robust person. This sort of thing is really rare. I’m told that you should avoid hollandiase sauce at slow restaurants. I guess our experience bears that out. Definitely not going back.

Max’s atmosphere evokes the feeling of a waterfront crab shack on the East Coast, but yet it’s also surely refined and elegant. Their garden patio felt great strung up with the mood making magic of mini lights too.
Once the waiter relaxed and got comfortable with some conversation, he directed us toward seafood, the restaurant’s specialty. Plus we had a viognier that although it was a bit bitey and fruity it went really well with the meal.
Alas, the crab cake fell flat, and didn’t have the texture, color, or taste of crab, yet it had a $ 14 price tag. The meat was mushy, chipped and orange in color. I am from the Chesapeake and can make a much better succulent and satisfying crab cake at home. The pan seared scallops were a bit salty, but otherwise tasty. The slathering side of tomato something was push away awful, but the risotto bed under the scallops complimented the dish. The grilled salmon was just okay.
All in all, the atmosphere was great, the service was good, the wine was nice, and the food was expensive and did not measure up.

Wow, great Sunday Brunch! A really delightful time on the backyard patio… lush tree’s, lights, a rustic fisherman’s wharf vibe. The menu was, by far, more extensive than I assumed, so many great choices… traditional, seafood, southwest, egg benedicts… not to mention the bottomless mimosas at $ 8.50…I was in heaven.
I enjoyed the crab-​cake benedict, fresh asparagus and the best spicy hollandaise I have had on an egg dish. My friend splurged on the lobster roll… the sheer amount of fresh lobster was impressive, it was falling out of the bun, more than enough for me to keep stealing bites… delicious.
Josh T. was our waiter… laid back, attentive and spent an amazing amount of time discussing a variety of topics with us, we really felt welcomed. So much so, that we will be back before the new month is out…
Bonus, it was a festival weekend and Gaylord Street was buzzing with activity, bands, vendors, etc… we ended up spending the entire day there… so fun… Thanks Max Gill and Grill, what a treat!

This was our first experience at Max Gill and Grill. What a wonderful meal we had. I had the seared scallops with lemon risotto and some sauteed pancetta and cherry tomatoes it was finished with a wonderful pesto the salmon with some sauteed veggies and truffle fries that was so perfect I couldn’t get enough. I do have to give a shout out to Julie she was warm friendly and within moments we felt like we’d known each other for a long time. I do recommend Max Gill and Grill. I plan on taking my wife back at another time.

I live in CA, but passed through Denver on my way to the Midwest visiting family. A friend of mine told me to come and I’m glad I did.
Being a bit of a seafood snob, I was curious if it would be as good as what I get in the Bay Area and it was!
The food was fantastic. Our waiter Caitlin was also awesome. So glad I made time to come by.
Try the scallops!

I had a wonderful experience while dining at Max’s! I am not always a big fan of seafood but when I went into Max’s I will definitely come back in the future.
The Fat Max Burger with truffle fries is the way to my heart! Not only was the food out of this world, we had the best server of the evening.
Caitlyn greeted us with a smile and had my fiancé and I laughing the whole night. Our food was fresh, came out of the kitchen in a timely manner and Caitlyn never let our drinks go empty!
I will definitely be coming back as soon as I am in the Denver area! Thanks Max’s and the whole team for an unforgettable night!

Sat out on the patio and ate with my brother here during a beautiful ¹⁰⁄₁₀ Denver day for brunch. The margaritas were on point, as was the lobster roll and truffle fries. I cannot speak for my brother’s surf and turf, but damn it looked good. To top it off, our waitress Katelin was ¹⁰⁄₁₀ awesome and made sure we didn’t go thirsty (had at least 3 margs). Nicest girl ever.
I’ll be back.

Excellent seafood, I first went about 3 or more years ago. Recently I went back because they have a wing night… a favorite pastime of mine. The staff, décor, and location add to the delicious food. This time I sat at the bar and noticed the wide selection of beers on tap. Seafood and beer. Where my summers will be spent!

There’s no such joy as being with your love ones to having a good start day with meal! It is more greater joy to have dine to a food house who offers better and more delighting dishes! Here at Max Gill and Grill, I so loved the place!
Can’t explain how magnificent the surroundings are. The beach-​style Asian motif facility is so unique! The lighting so alluring. The wall-​designs are too creative! I was not only the one who was amazed. My family even asked if there’s reservations for a specific activity that can be celebrated here!
Staffs were also welcoming! They even guided us escorted us to vacant seats, asked our orders then gave an assurance that our food would be delivered on time said! Indeed! We got our orders and time to savor!
With my, crab encrusted tilapia poundy burger with white sauce and side dish big cut fries, I found my satisfaction! Burger was very creamy! While my family fiested on steamed shrimp, chips with side dish salad, lobster sandwich, chopped chicken salad with lettuce, and avocado!
Great satisfying incomparable exceptional experience here!
So much recommendable!

Went for happy hour on a Sunday did patio seating
They have a great happy hour.
Tried oysters ford the first time and they were fantastic.
The drinks were a little weak but still very good.
In a great location in the Wash Park Area
I would defenitly go back.
Staff is also wonderful.
Great first experience

The staff made our evening. So friendly and fun. Turned into a night we will never forget. We just did drinks but the food looked and smelled amazing. Can’t wait to do it again!!!
We love Ellie!!!

Friday night was another treat at Max’s. My partner and I were in the Wash Park area enjoying some drinks throughout the evening, and decided to cap off our night here. When we walked in, we saw Julie. She waited on us a few months ago, and immediately recognized us (impressive). Even though we got there within an hour of closing, we did not feel rushed. We were able to have a few drinks, appetizers (definitely get the crab cake) and our meal all nicely spaced out. My Seafood Linguine was spectacular, and my partner’s lobster, roasted potatoes, and asparagus was all perfectly cooked and tasty. We also heard that they’re improving the cut of beef for their Surf and Turf selection, and we are looking forward to enjoying that during our next visit.
Thank you Julie and Max’s for another great experience.

Just came here for Easter Brunch buffet. Nice atmosphere but my first experience started as waiting 30 minutes past our reservation time, to be sat at a table that we saw empty for 10 minutes. Hostess was not great at providing updates on our table status. Immediately headed to the buffet after we were sat. Definitely had a lot of options. Eggs looked a little worrisome so I bypassed those and really focused on lunch items. Pulled pork, potatoes, ham, shrimp and Mac and cheese were all good. «French toast» was okay but a strange consistency and they had run out of desserts. Also heard soup was average. Server was nice and somewhat attentive. Grapefruit mimosa was also just okay. This place is in a great location, but undecided if I’ll return.

Interesting that the Unilocal ratings are up and down here. I do not live in CO but was visiting and we came here for a memorial dinner for my mom who had passed two days earlier. A few family members are east coasters so we eat a lot of seafood and know good from bad. The inconsistencies posted here tell me the kitchen may be tweaking some changes. I certainly hope the non believers come back and try again. I always try to when I give a restaurant a bad review.
On the review… we came early for drinks and apps and they totally put us in a great spot to kind of do our own thing. The whole staff was just lovely. The manhattan I order was very nicely done. I upped my brand but a friend had the rail whiskey and she enjoyed it immensely (and she was a bartender in a past life). The martinis etc were also liked around the table. We order the steamed shrimp (I’m from Maryland so this was something I wanted to try here), the oysters and the mussels… or and the parm fries. The whole table raved about all the appetizers. The mussels were exceptional in my book (I don’t eat raw oysters) and I could not get enough of the broth. I might add that the shrimp was a smaller portion than I expected, but the shrimps were cooked perfectly, not over steamed like they often are in Maryland.
The dinners were fabulous all around. From the salmon, to the surf and turf, to the red snapper special, scallops, and the ciopinni as well as the prime rib (which on sunday was a crazy $ 15.99 meal). We had a gluten free friend with us and she was able to easily find things to eat.
As wine drinkers too we split two bottles with dinner, a Cline Cashmere and Ramey Pinot Noir. Both were reasonably priced and went well with everyones meals. The list wasn’t huge, nor was it small, but they had a very nice selection for even discerning tastes.
Finally, I must mention our fabulous waiter Tim. What a joy! He knew the menu, the wine, and was attentive without be around too much. He understood why we were there and was lovely. At the end he made the whole table cry by bringing us some bubbly to toast our mom and told us it reminded him of when his grandfather passed. I think we all teared up, including him! He was just an angel and we agreed that we were meant to come to this restaurant for our dinner.
I will certainly be back during my next visit to Colorado. Cheers and thanks to the entire staff at Max. Bravo.

This place is a hidden Jem. Being st paddys it was quieter than usual but we saw that as a plus. We could take our time and had a very enjoyable dining experience.
Had a few of he new drinks on the menu, the summer mule was yummy with elderberry and ginger. And we got to sample a few of the new wines.
Dinner was wonderful and came out pretty fast. Maybe I’m lucky and never had to wait for my food here like other reviews have mentioned. We got the special appetizer which was a twice baked potato with stew on top. My friends loved it and devoured it quickly.
We all shared mussels, the seared Ahi tuna and the grilled mahi. Everything was very good and gone pretty quick.
The best part was our waiter Josh. I’ve been lucky and gotten him twice now and he has been awesome both times. He’s got a great personality, is funny while very efficient and an excellent waiter.
Definitely on my list of fav places. Wished I lived closer…

Update: The GM (who is awesome) reached out to me on Unilocal to let me know that due to the feedback from longtime customers like me, they were tweaking the menu to bring back the fan favorites — the lobster bisque came back, as did the all you can eat ribs and the «create your own dinner» options. He also generously offered us a gift card to visit again, which we did.
I really, really wish I could give Max back the five stars, but I just can’t justify it.
What’s good: As always, the service was wonderful. Our service was helpful in making suggestions, quick to keep our drinks full, and the timing of our food coming out was perfect. As always, the ambiance at Max is great: cozy and comfy, like sitting next to a crackling fireplace. The boy really enjoyed his ribs, and I loved the lemon risotto that came with my surf and turf dish. The battered fries that came with his ribs were so good that I ended up stealing about half of them off his plate, diet be damned! As with last time, the artisinal bread with truffle butter was a delight.
What’s not so good: The chef seems to still be struggling to find the right balance with his flavor profiles. The lobster bisque was back on the menu, but it was a different recipe that was, frankly, not good. It was watery and a bit flavorless, unfortunately. We had to add crackers and hot sauce to make it palatable. By contrast, the gorgonzola sauce on my steak was so pungent that I ended up only eating about half of the steak (plus the filet was a little on the tough side).
Overall, I would absolutely go to Max Gill and Grill if someone suggested it or if I was in the area, but as I mentioned in the previous review, it’s no longer my hands-​down favorite seafood restaurant nor the kind of place I’m likely to drive across town to visit anymore.

Unfortunately my recent experience was less than great and ten times as expensive. Despite having seemingly good service, our large group of 11 had a two hour wait after ordering on Saturday around 7. The drawn out meal came out cold and not amazing. Then, they even charged us for the bread.
It almost feels as if they deliberately delayed our food to get us to drink more and increase our bill. If the grub was fantastic, it would’ve been worth the wait and the price but it was not. Also, the oysters were the smallest I’ve ever seen. Talking quarter sized and smaller here.
This was my second and likely last time dining here. It just wasn’t worth the time or money. As stated, the server JJ seemed super cool and it might’ve just been a back up in the kitchen but it would’ve gone a long way if we would’ve gotten a free round of drinks or something if that was the case.
There are a bunch of great spots in this part of town and this isn’t one of them.

We ate there this weekend and although the appetizers came out quickly, we had to wait 85 minutes for our main course! We were SO hungry! The server kept coming to our table and apologizing, but at the end of the meal we were offered nothing to make up for the wait. No free appetizer. No free dessert. No reduction in our bill. Just the same story again and again that the kitchen was backed up because a large party had ordered right before we did, and that was what was taking so long. We were very patient and did not make a stink but I also assumed that they would be classy and, like every other non-​fast-​food restaurant I have been to where the wait was ridiculous, offer something to us besides an apology.
As for the food, it was OK. C+ or B-​. Not worth the wait, unfortunately.

BEST SEAFOOD IN DENVER. I was here the other night with my wife and two children, everyone had a great time and the food was AWSOME!!! I will be back multiple times with friends!

Best seafood in Denver!!! Awesome place to host your party, reserve the tiki bar in the back, grab some friends and get some shot skis! The new brunch menu is fantastic. Drink specials every day– how can you go wrong?

Attended a friends birthday celebration today and absolutely loved the service and food! I’m so happy this place is evolving gracefully amidst the nouveau foodie-​based Denver market. I’ve been coming to Max’s for over five years and am blown away by the new menu items while keeping the delicious favorites (lobster roll!!). Our bartender, Ellie was so sweet and super attentive. I love everything about Max’s — service, food, but most of all — the friendly neighborhood atmosphere. Can’t go wrong here

Great atmosphere and great food! My husband and I can’t get enough of this place. We live near and make an appearance often. The muscles keep our cravings coming back but also want to throw out a recommendation for our favorite and only waiter TIM who we request and if we can’t get him we don’t go :)! He is on his game and our glasses are never empty! Thanks TIM for making our visits even more special!

I LOVE this place! This is easily my favorite, go to seafood place. Julie is the best waitress ever, which just makes the experience even better. Try the scallops, the mussels, and ANY of the desserts!

Food was great and our server was awesome. Thank You

I ate here tonight and it was a lovely experience. My server JJ was great. He really made the evening. My girlfriend and I were curious about the different oyster varieties they had, and he was super knowledgeable about the different flavors each variety had. The salmon pan seared with the red curry sauce was delicious, too! I will definitely be going back and will also be asking for JJ. Thanks for a great night!

I came here with friends for NYE dinner. I had read the reviews on Unilocal prior to going, and was tentative about the food, as reviews said they had a new chef that changed the menu, and unfortunately, not in a good way.
I was willing to give it a try, but when we arrived, we were informed it was a fixed menu for $ 40 with an additional $ 25 for a wine pairing. I was disappointed that we couldn’t order off the regular menu. The fixed menu had very little options in the way of seafood.
We started with a bruschetta (chef’s choice) that tasted more of garlic than anything else. Next were the appetizers. One person ordered the lobster bisque, and she said it ok. Not great, just ok. The rest of us ordered the ham and pasta with a cream sauce. The description on the menu sounded really good. What came out were cold balls that tasted as they had been deep fried. I’m not sure how this was a pasta dish, I didn’t taste any pasta, and the cream sauce was a couple of white dots on the plate.
We then received the entrees — seafood risotto, ½ chicken and a «crispy» octopus dish. The risotto contained dry, overlooked lobster, and the rice was overcooked and mushy. The chicken was dry, I believe the side that came with that was the only truly good item in the entire meal. The «crispy» octopus was soggy, slimy and inedible, the salad on that dish was lettuce with what appeared to be canned tomatoes on top. The waiter offered to replace it with another item, but we declined as none of our other items were good. It would have been nice if this entrée had been taken off the check, but unfortunately it wasn’t. Our waiter seemed to disappear after this point, and we barely saw him after telling him about the octopus.
Dessert was cheesecake, pecan pie and bread pudding. None of these were memorable.
All in all, it was a meal that was below average and the only truly good part was the company.

Everything was served cold… The only thing meant to be cold were the oysters.
It was a dead night so not sure how you get it that wrong.

Just went there few days ago. It was awesome!!! the food looks good and taste perfect… will come here again…

If you’re in Denver and you love seafood, you have to come to this restaurant. Saturday night is lobster night. They still have the lobster bisque!!! So good!

Omg!!! They have a new menus that mixes new with the favorites!!! Could not be happier. Best staff (Julie) as usual and always a great night out no matter what your in the mood for!!!

I’m so sad to say that the quality of food has really gone down the tubes here. I base this rating on FOUR disappointing experiences in a row. My friend ordered a burrito, and what they served her looked more like a quesadilla. The server’s explanation was that there is a new chef and this is their take on the burrito… a deconstructed burrito. I think what happened was that the tortilla was actually too dry to roll, and this was their solution. Even my trusty standby of salmon eggs Benedict was not so great. Now we’re in need of a new post-​church brunch place.

Alas, since we my first review a new chef has come aboard and axed my favorite dish: their glorious surf ‘n turf. The place still has a great atmosphere – like a Boston lobster house. They have a wonderful fireplace in the front room and a lot of fun décor throughout. But can’t imagine going back there without that great dish!

Made reservations for an early NYE dinner with some friends. We didn’t know there was a set menu but even if we had we still would have gone (though it would have been nice had this was disclosed when the reservation was made). The $ 40 per entrée included three courses. They also had a wine pairing available for an additional $ 25 per person.
The space is and always has been a great space even prior to Max Gill and Grill. The service was prompt (though somewhat empty at this point). The regular menu options looked amazing so we were all very excited to try it for the first time. We all were starving as we were so excited we saved our appetite to eat this night.
The preset menu was nothing like their regular menu with only a few seafood items (lobster bisque, clam chowder, sea bass, ‘crispy’ octopus and seafood risotto). Since we all came for the seafood we all ordered seafood for our entrees except one person. I thought is odd that seemingly popular menu items wouldn’t be offered and instead all new entrees were (none of which are on their their regular menu).
One of the appetizers was described by our waiter as «pasta balls with a cream sauce». It sounded great so several of ordered that. What came out instead were three tiny balls of something, hardly seemed very pasta-​ish but more breaded. None of which were hot but more room temp (they seemed fried so certainly would have been better hot) with a tiny drop of something that must have been the «cream sauce». This was offered after something we didn’t order was delivered to our table. Simple human error which didn’t phase any of us.
The entrees were terrible. The seafood in the seafood risotto was dry. The baked chicken was dry as well (how dark meat can be cooked to be this dry I would have previously thought impossible). The entrée that won «the very worst dish I’ve ever had» was the «crispy» octopus. It was limp, chewing and half cooked. It came along side lettuce with literally what looked and tasted like cold stewed tomatoes out of a can. It was by far the worst dish any of us had ever tasted.
We mentioned this to our waiter who just simply said, «sorry». Considering the entrée was untouched you would have thought it would have been comped or something. Bad bad choice to treat customers who spent over $ 250 on a fixed menu for only 4 people and terrible food. We wouldn’t have ordered dessert but of course it was included in the price. Need I even add that the desserts were nothing to brag about? The bread pudding dry, cheesecake just blah (I make better at home) and I don’t even remember what the other person ordered other than it being described as «not good».
Thankfully we were with great people but this place needs help in a big bad way. I now see the recent reviews, most of which are bad. It’s unfortunate. We would have loved making this one of our local seafood destinations. Yuck!

We have been coming here for a few years and we love this place. Great for the kids, good specials and fun atmosphere. New menu is great, but the very best part is our favorite server Julie. My kids LOVE her! Keep it up

Sorry, guys, but I’m not a fan of the new menu. Max is still super cozy and staff is great, which is why it still gets four stars, but it’s no longer my go-​to seafood restaurant. The new chef took away some our favorite dishes — polenta, risotto, lobster bisque — and completely changed the recipe for what I thought were the best crab cakes in town. And no more «build your own dinner» options, so that was a bummer. Most bothersome though it that this chef tends toward very strong flavors. Overly strong. If you’re the kind of person that loves kimchee, you’ll probably love the new menu. If you prefer subtler flavors, you’re not likely to walk away thrilled with your dinner, especially since the menu often doesn’t adequately explain what you’re ordering. Whatever was on top of that crab cake we ordered, it was not merely brown butter almonds — it was pungent and spicy and unpleasantly unexpected. The green onion aioli was not spicy and subtly oniony as one might expect but very strong and had a weird fish after taste. I had no idea what to expect when I saw «melted leeks» listed as a side dish — turns out the answer was leeks smothered in an obscene amount of butter. Also, while I was excited by the idea of smoked vegetable gratin, the squash was so intensely smokey that it was like eating something that had been dropped in a campfire. I did like the duck fat roasted potatoes, the seafood pasta with saffron tomato sauce (this was actually an improvement from the old recipe), and the rustic bread with truffle butter (though the price for bread and butter — $ 5 — is a bit steep for something most restaurants give away for free).
So overall, Max is still worth the occasional visit, and I’d definitely make the trip if someone else was footing the bill, but it’s no longer my hands down favorite seafood restaurant in town. I guess I’ll have to find another place to fill that hole.

First time here and loved it. Restaurant is casual, cozy and laid back. I opted for the patio and felt like I was at an East Coast open air seafood restaurant. We started with the crab cake appetizer which was succulent and loaded with fresh tasting crab, topped with roasted sliced almonds and some kind of lime sauce. The price for one crab cake was $ 14. A bit overpriced.
My entrée was the Surf-​n-​turf which was amazing!!! Tender sirloin steak, lobster tail, Yukon potatoes and a baby kale salad for $ 32. This was well worth the price. For dessert, we had the deep dish pecan pie with ice cream and the key lime pie… no words… just simply delicious!
Me beverage of choice was Riesling (Relax) and Pinot noir (Carmen road) both pretty darn good.
On the way out, decided to stop at the bar to have the sweet ass mule (back daniels honey whisky, honey, ginger beer and a squeeze of fresh lime)…yummy!
The manager Steve stopped by to ask about our experience and that was nice. Our waiter was nice as well.
I would recommend this place.

A great place for cheap oysters and a decent happy hour near Wash Park. My boyfriend and I are obsessed with oysters so we called around to find a good deal. 99¢ oysters during happy hour. We usually go to Jax, but I think this place has them beat. Their ribs are delicious too! They fall off the bone! Yum. We’ll be back!

The management is so amazing. After my first review, they sent a handwritten note inviting me back. I have to say the customer service here is TOP NOTCH. I so badly want to LOVE this place. They have a very friendly vibe and really care about their customers.
The mules we had were very good.
The music is great!!! The people were wonderful.
The food, I want to say it was amazing but, it wasn’t.
The fish and chips had heavy breading but after peeling it off, the fish was AMAZING.
The cornbread was pretty dense, but not terrible.
The crab dip was yummy and this time the crab cake wasn’t burnt! The tuna pokie was OK. They seem to like to fry things pretty well done, all the chips were just… heavy!
Yummy key lime pie!
Parking was a pain but we finally decided to Valet, which is free and fast!