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Max Downtown - Steakhouse in Hartford, Connecticut

Max Downtown

4.5 (860 reviews)

185 Asylum St, Hartford, CT 06103

Fine dining restaurant
American restaurant
Bar
New American restaurant
Restaurant
Steak house

About Max Downtown - steak house in Hartford, Connecticut

Upscale spot with prime cuts & seafood, extensive wine list, cocktails for expense account crowd.

Customer Review Summary

Max Downtown impresses with exceptional food and drinks, earning high praise for unique flavors and beautiful presentation. The front-of-house staff is welcoming, with timely service, though some waitstaff may have off days. While the overall service is noted as top-notch, individual experiences vary with mixed feedback on certain servers. Guests appreciate the atmosphere, food options, and specific dishes like French onion pierogi and lobster bisque. Valet service and hosts also receive compliments for their friendliness and effectiveness. Many reviewers express a willingness to return, highlighting memorable experiences and solid recommendations from knowledgeable staff. Despite some minor seating concerns, the dining experience is deemed worth the investment for special occasions. Overall, the restaurant stands out as a favorite choice for its vibrant atmosphere and commitment to quality service.

Key Features

Service options

  • Curbside pickup
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great coffee
  • Great dessert
  • Great tea selection
  • Great wine list

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Late-night food
  • Private dining room
  • Small plates
  • Vegan options
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Catering
  • Dessert

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Cozy
  • Romantic
  • Trendy
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists

Planning

  • Dinner reservations recommended
  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards

Children

  • Good for kids
  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Paid street parking
  • Valet parking

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.5 out of 5
5
632
4
129
3
51
2
17
1
31
Based on 860 reviews

Tim McLaurin

4 months ago

I would give the food and mixologists 6 stars if I could. The drinks and food were truly amazing. The food temp was perfect. The presentation beautiful. The food flavors came through as fresh and lively. The drinks were unique and had crisp and subtle favors that were more crafted than mixed. Front of house team were welcoming from the moment we arrived. Table was ready perfectly on time. As we were walked to our table we had multiple wait-staff members welcome us with smiles. The wait staff on our table was mediocre at best. He did his job when needed but may have been having a rough day. I had a couple of moments where I had a desire to ask a heart-felt, "Sir, are you OK?" we saw other team members enjoying their tables. An unfortunate downer to the amazing atmosphere and decore.

Sally A.

1 year ago

Max’s Downtown anyone reliable Max Group owned dining experience. It was a timely visit as we went to another steakhouse the weekend before and in comparison the other steakhouse ranked higher in our book from a food perspective. But there are many reasons to still enjoy Max’s Downtown. - service - atmosphere - food options Overall it was great and j just love the atmosphere and every single person is always so kind. The French onion pierogi, baby gem Cesar, oysters and chicken were spot on! I want o explore their cocktail many a bit more next time.

Roark Perry

4 months ago

Excellent food, with excellent service. We had a large group and we all really enjoyed the food. I thoroughly enjoyed the roasted colossal shrimp a la vodka

S Rod

7 months ago

We had a great experience here. Adriana and Peter met us with smiles at the front. We were sat with Jason who was able to make recommendations when we couldn't decide and made our night very enjoyable. I also saw an old friend, Rumi who made sure we were enjoying everything. I have only been here twice and will certainly be returning. The food was great and the service was top notch

Chef Shanna-Kay Henry

1 year ago

Birthday celebration & we are happy we chose max to celebrate it , the server Amy c was great , the food was excellent,very effective and friendly valet service plus host . We went on a busy night which was very surprising on a Wednesday but the service was still top notch. Only problem was the seating were a bit too close . We will definitely come back.

Taylor Lynn

1 year ago

We were very on the fence about booking this reservation as we did not want to risk having an expensive meal that was not worth it. Max Downtown was worth every penny. The service was top notch and more importantly all of the food was fantastic. We tried the lobster pierogi and crab tostada per our servers recommendations and both were fantastic. Don't skip the espresso martini, they are wonderfully dark and freshly made. It was refreshing to have a dining experience where the servers clearly cared about making your meal worth it. We will definitely be returning for our next special occasion.

Marty Zase

Max downtown is definitely one of my favorite restaurants and our Valentine's Day dinner just added to that. Then the Nantucket base scallops were exceptional and the lobster bisque is not to be missed. Service was superb and we had a totally exceptional night.

Michael Santana

2 years ago

Awesome dining experience. Phenomenal service. Arrived in town earlier than expected so I phoned in to check on our reservation. Busy night, but the hostess was gracious enough to accommodate 9 of us in their ample lounge/bar area to start with some drinks. Enjoyed a perfect sidecar. At dinner, we indulged in the Lump Crab Tostada for starters. Highly recommend. It was so beyond good that we ordered it twice. The Roasted Sea Scallops were deliciously delectable. An electric atmosphere fills this expansive restaurant, and the presentation over all was impressive. Drinks were a little slow at first but then the pace picked up. Understandable on a busy night. It was the first of three nights celebrating my wife’s birthday. The Chocolate Molten Soufflé didn’t disappoint! A big shout out to our waiter, Milo. He moves with a sense of urgency, attentive to every word being said, and carries himself as if he were the owner. Impeccable service.

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11:30 AM–10 PM
Monday 11:30 AM–9 PM
Saturday 5–10 PM
Sunday Closed
Thursday 11:30 AM–9 PM
Tuesday 11:30 AM–9 PM
Wednesday 11:30 AM–9 PM

Price Range

$50–100