Max's Restaurant, Cuisine of the Philippines, Winnipeg

I rarely make complaints, but this visit to Max was unacceptable, and I hope sharing it helps improve the experience for future guests.

I have 13 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including at one of Winnipeg’s best establishments. I understand how restaurants operate, which is why I normally overlook minor issues. However, this experience was far below the standard I expect.

After my kids’ doctor’s appointment, we arrived expecting a short wait, but it took nearly an hour to be seated—even with clearly empty tables. The environment felt unwelcoming, as if we were forcing ourselves in rather than being invited. Staff moved at their own pace with no sense of urgency. There was no visible host, and vacated tables sat uncleaned and unreset for a long time, leaving guests waiting unnecessarily. Staff came in and out of the kitchen with food but barely communicated with waiting customers.

Once seated, our food took well over an hour to arrive. I requested water three times, but it never came—I had to leave the table and get a water bottle from the car myself. Customers’ time and experience were not treated as a priority; staff clearly dictated their own pace rather than serving efficiently.

I had a baby, a toddler, and a six-year-old with me. My wife was extremely tired, having had a long and exhausting day, and we were simply hoping for a calm, relaxing meal. The delays, unhurried service, ignored requests, slow table turnover, and unwelcoming environment made it impossible to enjoy that experience.

I share this feedback because I know restaurants can do better. Clear communication, a visible host, attentiveness to guests, efficient table turnover, and genuinely welcoming customers would make a meaningful difference.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 1

We had a blast celebrating our son’s birthday. The staff serenaded him. Nice food and so are the staff. Waiting time is fair. Overall, the place is highly recommendable. - Representing Regina 😊

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Food doesn’t taste good. Just a waste of money. Kare kare looks kare kare but doesn’t taste like one. Lumpia sariwa very salty. Bagoong tartare like straight from the bottle. Pancit canton taste like soy sauce.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

Almost 10 minutes waiting for someone to greet me at the entrance. Only 2 tables seated... So why is there no one at the counter? Why is my takeout order 28 minutes late to be ready? So disappointing. Spend your money elsewhere.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

I have been going to Max’s for a few years now and the food has always been consistent, staff are very friendly and attentive, and the ambience is quite upscale. If you’re looking for quality Filipino food, I’d highly recommend Max’s Restaurant for a dining option, special occasions, or catering. Max’s has catered several family gatherings and their attention to detail is high quality.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Exceptional experience at Max's Restaurant in Winnipeg! The service was outstanding, and the owner went above and beyond, visiting our table and others to ensure everyone felt welcome. Our server was incredibly friendly and attentive. The food was phenomenal - every bite was delicious and flavorful. Highly recommend for great food, service, and genuine hospitality!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

New restaurant I tried, had great service and good food options. Nice to introduce people to chicken adobo and other Filipino food. Cool interior.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 5

Abysmal service. Mid food. Great atmosphere.

Service is atrociously slow. Think waiting 5+ minutes to order and 30+ minutes to get the food. The server can forget your order! We waited for a halo-halo that we eventually canceled since our server forgot to note it down

Food isn't anything special, you can pretty much get anything they have in store in different shops but better

Atmosphere is great though, spacious and they have a very high ceiling to give that chill vibes

Imo, it's a forgettable space, though it should be enough for family gatherings

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Halo-Halo

This is where I wanted to have dinner with my family for my birthday. So glad it did happen, so proud of being a Filipino. Thanks again for the Ice cream treat :)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The trio was excellent ( rice, choice of pancit, choice of sinigang plus crispy pata), the price very affordable
Sarap to the bones

the service crew are very good specially the manager. Thank you!

Had my son’s first birthday here. Food was good and the guests loved it. The coordinators, Frank and John were very accommodating and helped us decorate the area.

Overall we had a very pleasant experience. If I would make one complaint it would be that the food didn’t have any labels on it, even though we requested for it ahead of time. Many of the guests were non Filipino and not familiar with the food, kept asking questions.

We will be looking forward to booking parties in the future. Thank you.

1.5 hours waiting for a table. Promised 1 hour for food to be prepared. Followed up after 1.20 hours and came back with food in less than 10 minutes. The food was cold (rice, karekare and chicken), and No utensils; I asked for utensils after a few moments_ but they said there were no available utensils yet. It took us less than 30 minutes to eat. I went directly to the staff for containers and for the bill, but there was no staff on the floor, so I needed to do a search. We went there at 1130am and left at 330pm. What a waste of time.

Had our daughter’s baptism reception at Max’s and everything went beautifully. The team there was a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process (planning to execution, and event post event follow up). Very professional and kind team.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Staff were friendy. Service was fast. Quite busy on a Wednesday night. Last order 7:30 pm. Closes at 8 pm. Pre-booked good for 8 pax a week in advance. ?

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Filipino Pork BBQ Skewers, Sizzling Tofu, Kare-Kare Beef Peanut Stew, Leche Flan