max's oyster bar

i really enjoyed the experience. the oysters were fresh and out of this world. i would definitely return next visit to west hartford.

very nice place and overall, good food. on a busy saturday night, it was pretty noisy. food could have been hotter. crab cakes were tastey but too much breading. scallops were good. the chocolate beignets were awesome and i would go back just to get them again.

high quality food. pros: great food, some of the best lobster ive ever had in ct
cons: very noisy inside so i choose to eat outside

nothing but a faux up-scale watering hole. i went out with my family on friday 22 july 2011 for lunch with the expectation that this restaurant lived up to it's reputation as a fine dining establishment.

firstly, we were treated to a french waiter who was incredibly rude and snobbish. he did not review the specials nor explain the menu. we then ordered the risotto and scallop dish as it was recommended at $15 a plate (a little pricey for lunch comparatively). i would like to say that as a visitor who has dined in fine establishments in sydney, london, new york, and vancouver, this place takes the cake for the worst risotto and scallop dish which is one of my all time favorites that i always order when i travel.

the sauce was watery, the scallops were served broken, and the risotto tasted gummy and as if it had been made the day before. i sent my dish back and received push back from the waiter who explained that presenting a dish where half of the sauce was left off the plate, just happens in the process of being a chef. i had to speak with him further to send it back.

overall, i would not recommend this place to any one unless they were looking for a provincial faux up-scale drinking hole in hartford.

i spent most of this past weekend out of town. after a board of directors retreat in western massachusetts, i headed down to connecticut for a quick overnight stay with my friend alicia . alicia has been living in west hartford for over six months and i was long overdue for a visit. alicia took me on a little tour of her new neighborhood and we decided to stop in at max's oyster bar , one of her favorite restaurants, for a cocktail and a small bite. even though there was plenty of outdoor seating available, we decided to stay cool indoors and grabbed a high top table by the windows in the bar. there were plenty of cocktails to choose from but i decided on one of my favorite drinks - the pimm's cup (pimm's no. 1, citrus bubble, cucumber, lemon). when i was in college, i studied abroad at oxford university and drank one of these cocktails just about every day. i was happy to relive in the memories this past weekend. alicia's cocktail, the d.b.t., came in an adorable mason jar! unlike bos

the food is very good here, but the service is the worst in west hartford. the bar area is especially bad. if you want to pay a premium for bad service from nasty waitstaff, then come on in.

had the pleasure of eating lunch today at max's. the menu was easy to follow, watered very helpful and my lunch was amazing!! had the fluke over brussels sprouts. was my first time to have fluke and it was yummy. if i am ever in the area again, i'll promise you, i'll be back!!!

we had a very friendly scotish waiter who was nice. are food was almost the best thing i have eaten (besides ginza jappenneese which is better)

allstate merchant services finds this restaurant. fresh oysters, great dining! recommend to anyone.

oysters. we miss oysters since we moved to the area and heard this was the place to go but were very dissapointed in the quality

amazing experience. went there on valentine's day weekend to celebrate my girlfriend's and i anniversary, and we had the best service ever from the minute we walked in with greeting cards, to our very helpful server. the food was great and our server was very nice and knowledgeable of the menu and guided us through a great meal. i'll definitely plan to return there with friends and family.

try the chowda. these guys have a dynamite clam chowder! very tasty. any day you go, there doesn't seem to be a recession going on by the look of the patrons.

delicious! i had the pan roasted lobster and it was so incredibly good. the sauce and the fennel were the perfect touch. the service was excellent and i loved the atmosphere.

awesome..... we love this place!!!!! the service is great and the food is awesome. the raw bar is always a delight; and after dining more than 30 times at max's oyster bar, it has never been a disappointment. the jumbo lump crab cakes are delightful.. and for the record they have one of the best price points for veuve clicquot in connecticut. can you say 79.00 for a great bottle of champagne. don't miss this place!!!

always had a good experience.... always have a good experience here. i love oysters, and they always have a good selection, so this spot is obviously good for me. the crowd is a pretentious, but the staff isn't. definitely on the expensive side, but what do you expect for west hartford?