Max's Bistro & Bar

I'm usually much wordier :-) but the title of my review says it all. more

Our party of two beat out the after church crowd by about 20 minutes. Warmly greeted at the door, ushered to a table, we rejected, and selected a more suitable table. A group party of 12 was already in progress, with gifts, in the back, by the restrooms. Our female server was polite and smiling. She gave us our menus, gave us some time, brought us our drinks, read the specials, and returned to take our order. Everything on the lunch menu sounded delicious. I ordered a New York steak. Joan (not her real name) ordered the turkey sandwich. I ordered hot coffee and Joan ordered hot tea, which she selected from a box. We munched on fresh baked seasoned bread, dipping it in oil and vinegar. Appetizers were offered, but not ordered. more

Max?s Bistro has become quite the Fresno staple. Whatever your fancy -- be it fresh baked bread, premium wine or the latest in French-inspired California Cuisine -- Max?s is sure to satisfy your every whim. To begin, we tasted the Thai Coconut Prawns with Mango Coulis and Thai dipping sauces. The textures of the succulent prawn, crispy coconut and sweet sauce all worked together marvelously.Also from the appetizer list were Crab Cakes with house-made tartar sauce, which were nice and crispy and not at all on the heavy side. What came next was Seared Scallops with celery root, Granny Smith apples and a lemon emulsion. The Strawberry & Spinach Salad featured ripe strawberries and baby spinach with feta cheese tossed with the bistro?s house-made poppy seed dressing. Jane especially enjoyed the fact that the strawberries are fresh from Fresno?s own farms. And now, for the piece de resistance? The Max Burger. With a generously portioned grilled patty topped with sharp cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, dijon mayo, lettuce, tomato and grilled red onions, this may SEEM like an ordinary burger, but ordinary it is not! Max?s offers a daily fish special, and the one we sampled today was the Pan-Roasted Alaskan Halibut, served with potato cake, spinach and citrus verjus coulis. The fish was perfectly succulent and each of the plated flavors worked beautifully with one another. Gingered Strawberry Shortcake and Molten Lava Cake were some heavenly morsels. The Lava Cake oozed a glorious hot fudge filling. Paired with vanilla ice cream, this dessert leaves you wanting nothing more. Max?s seems to have perfected the upscale food with a laidback atmosphere bit. Bon appetit! more

Upon entering the artistically decorated dining room one can't help but feel they have been transported to a vacation hotspot. The menu is equally satisfying and well priced for the high quality. My pomegranite martini was delightful and the service was excellent. It was a lovely place to celebrate my birthday. The food was amazing! more

Max's bistro & bar is consistantly a cut above fresno's dining scene. The food is great. Fish specials are... more

Max's bistro & bar is consistantly a cut above fresno's dining scene. The food is great. Fish specials are to die for. The service here is done rea... more

A real disappointment. I went to Max's to have a nice dinner this evening. What I received was a snub job by the wait staff. I have dined at Max's on many occations, and have always received excellent service, but not this evening. I arrived at the restaurant shortly after 8pm. The tables in the restaurant were 2/3 to 3/4 full. I was a single diner. After a brief wait, I was seated at a small table. The busboy brought me water as I waited for the server to acknowledge my table. He never once looked in my direction (even when he was serving the table next to me - he just walked on by). After waiting a reasonable amout of time, I got up to leave. As I walked past the reception area, I told the hostess what had happened and why I was leaving. She appologized. I left the restaurant feeling sad that a local patron was treated like that at a locally owned restaurant. I went to a near-by chain restaurant after leaving Max's and had a good dining experience (good service, good food). more

Went there with a group of 24. They add a 20% gratuity and they added $50 + to our bill. Said they just added someone elses order to our bill but they certainly added the 20% tip to the extra charge. We will never go back. Cons: Too expensive for what you get, too high of an added tip, cheat you on the bill more

Scott has done an amazing job with this place. Great combination of food from casual style entrees to genuine bistro fare. Good value for dinner and the addition of take-out pre packaged foods is nice too. You absolutely must have one of the Lemon Bars. more

this is definitely in the wrong category!!! this is upscale bistro food. so yummy. the sweet potatoe fries are teh best thing in the world!! more

The decor in this little gem in Northwest Fresno is stimulating. With a great winelist, good food and decent service, this is a great place for a romantic dinner. Don't forget to try the sweet potatoe fries. The servers are great with suggestions. The deli is nice for take out items. more

Dessert to die for, I highly recommend the Creme Brulee, Olive Bread, Chocolate Cheesecake, and ALL cookies. You don't find food as good as this very often. The menu has a good assorted collection for everyone interests, all of good quality and taste. Pros: Dessert, Bakery, Easy Cons: Busy, Mildly Expensive more

I went to Max's on the recommendation of a friend and I am very glad. Being new in town, I was looking for an excellent, locally-owned restaurant. I have tried almost everything on the menu and many of their specials and they are always perfectly perpared and well presented. For those that have had mediocre service, I suggest asking for Micah. We were lucky enough to be seated in her station on our first visit and she was wonderful and friendly. Now, we always ask to be seated in her station when we go. Pros: Sevice, locally owned, Try the specials Cons: can get crowded, small tables, menu selection more