4. Restaurants

Max’s Delicatessen

3431 Colonnade Pkwy, Birmingham, AL, 35243
  • (205) 968-7600
  • Store is closed

Max’s Delicatessen Menu

  • Noshes & Appetizers
  • Greens
  • Burgers - Chicken - Etc
  • Big Dogs

Healthy Meal suggestions for Max’s Delicatessen

  • Noshes & Appetizers
  • Greens
  • Burgers - Chicken - Etc
  • Big Dogs

  • Scott G.

    Love this place. They start you off with free veggies as an appetizer right when you sit down. I've had several of the burgers and hot dogs and they're all great. The black and blue burger is my favorite, as well as the chili dog. The Mac and cheese is amazing. Its never very crowded, which I love and its an excellent, cheap meal I.e. My wife and I usually get out for $25 after tip. All of the desserts look great but I have yet to try them. They even deliver. This is a great place and a true gem in Birmingham.

    (5)

  • Ellen M.

    Best known for their Reuben sandwich, we have yet to have a bad meal here. Great burgers, and according to my son, a killer blackened chicken sandwich. Their brisket dinner is outstanding, but they have a very different and delicious Mac and cheese. Absolutely not a fast food restaurant as everything is cooked to order. House made Kosher pickles. The one thing I don't like are onions on every sandwich- but they will remove them! If you haven't been by since the change in ownership a year or so ago, you are in for a treat.

    (4)

  • Casey S.

    Reuben is humongous and just fantastic. The corned beef is delicious and they're not skimpy with the meat here. Sauerkraut is tasty. Like that there is Swiss cheese and Russian dressing but no so much that hey overpower the corned beef. The pickled veggies to start are a nice touch. Had good service too. Lose a star for price though. Little expensive considering there's no side dish.

    (4)

  • Joe L.

    We got everything to go. The number 1 Roast Beef & Pastrami is my old stand by and consistently very good. We also tried the Rubin that was also good. I got the black raspberry walnut salad that I have yet to eat. Others in my group praised the cezar salad. The mac and cheese side was ok, a little milky for my taste. The chocolate Cheese-Cake was amazing and extremely rich. Don't try this without a icy mug of ice cold milk. The lemon was ok, but the caramel was really one of the worst deserts I've ever eaten. I'm not sure if it was just really old or what. I like caramel and I like cheesecake but NOT this. It had some kind of rubbery pellets in the cheese cake that we could not identify. UUhh The only other aggravation that's worth mentioning is that, they were out of the pickled green tomatoes (AGAIN) that they used to keep and serve. They've been out my last 3 trips and tell me they still have them, but I'm beginning to wonder if that's true. Not my best trip to Max's, but still it's on my radar.

    (3)

  • Garrett I.

    Love the potato latkes and the Russian Reuben! There is so much meat on the Russian Reuben...just how a sandwich should be! I have had a burger there too and enjoyed it but I keep going back to my two favorites. I am normally a guy that loves variety so I really have to love something to get it over and over. The pickled vegetables they serve when you are dining in are a must try.

    (4)

  • Cooper V.

    The best pastrami. The best corned beef. Do yourself a favor and eat here. As soon as I venture out and try other menu items I'll report back.

    (5)

  • Mary H.

    This is a cool little hole in the wall my husband and I found one Friday afternoon! And man it is good! Instead of serving bread or chips with a dip, when you sit down, they serve a veggie plate with ranch dressing and home made dill pickles!! Which to me was refreshing and different! I got the chicken salad sandwich and it was very good! Should check it out. It was defiantly a nice light meal! It's also a sit down place and they deliver!!

    (5)

  • Deborah L.

    Craving a Reuben sandwich, we pulled up at 6 pm on a Wednesday night and there were no cars. Shoulda been a clue. Service was perfunctory at best. When we asked about beverages the server didn't even mention that there were some canned Dr Brown soft drinks in addition to the fountain Coke products. Celery sticks served with ranch dressing after we sat down were rubbery and stringy. "Famous Reuben" advertised on a chalkboard tasted like the meat had been microwaved before going on the grill. Not enough kraut, dressing was bland, bread was thin and did not taste strongly of rye. Steak fries were hot but under salted and a little underdone. Will not be going back.

    (2)

  • Julie L.

    Stopped here for a solo lunch and had the Russian Reuben. It came out of the kitchen quickly and had great flavor (especially the pastrami, which can be way too salty at some places). I felt like the price was a little on the high side for what you got though, so I'll knock off one star for that.

    (4)

  • Bert D.

    Read some good reviews so we came here expecting new York style sandwiches. No such luck, the sandwiches were so small my 12 year old was still hungry after. If your looking for normal sized portions go somewhere else. Also waited for 15 minutes to pay the check while my waitress sat at a corner table texting someone obviously more important than us.

    (2)

  • Chelsea H.

    I came here for lunch with my friend today, and it was great! I am originally from Phily (the real philly in PA not MS) so I was pretty skeptical since I grew up around amazing deli's, but I was not disappointed! I started with the matzo ball soup and it was delicious!! My friend had the grilled cheese and it was the most massive grilled cheese I've ever seen, the portions were pretty big! They had quick efficient service. I think our waitress' name was Kathryn/Catherine and she was very nice! I am so glad we stumbled across this place!

    (5)

  • Jason S.

    The pastrami, reuben , hot dog, and corned beef are all very good here. Sweet potato fries are a nice upgrade too. It's nice to have a true deli-style place in The Colonnade. Not much on atmosphere but that's not really the point. Service was serviceable. Good pricing.

    (4)

  • Caleigh R.

    I'm pleased to say I've found something delicious at Max's! Fortunately, I looked over yelp before placing my order and discovered the lamb burger that others have enjoyed. For some reason, it's not on their online menu OR on their regular menu. It has feta, sauteed onions, and tatziki sauce on it--hands down, favorite item from Max's. I've also enjoyed the Reuben and corned beef sandwiches. The noodle kugel is delicious at Max's, also! Steve and his staff are very helpful and I enjoy getting to Max's or picking up to-go from time to time. So glad to have this deli in Birmingham and so close by!

    (4)

  • Bret B.

    This place is great! They have a great selection if good and inventive twists to common foods that make them a treat for the taste buds. The servers were very friendly as well. You can find at least 3 things on the menu that will keep you coming back.

    (5)

  • Marla T.

    I really don't see what others are seeing in this place. The food tastes nothing like the original Max's Deli. We ordered a Ruben. The meat was fatty and thin and tasted like cheap processed grocery store luncheon meat, but worse because of all of the fat. It was thinly sliced and came out more like gelatinous goo. In all fairness, I did ask them to heat the meat, so maybe that was partially the reason. I was so grossed out by the sandwich, I could not finish it. I watched him slice the meat off a large slab of meat, so I know it was freshly sliced. I just don't know what could have happened. If this is how all of their meat tastes, I don't see how they stay in business. On a positive note: The owner seemed to be courteous and accommodating and seemed genuinely interested in getting everything right. He methodically washed his hands and put on gloves. I was pleased to see such attention to detail. The lady who took my order was polite, although somewhat stern. She was very patient however and answered my questions (It was my first time there with the new ownership.) The potato salad was very tasty, but I thought it should have been served at a much lower temperature. It had a strange undercurrent of taste, that told me that it was about to get old. They should have pulled the potato salad. I'm not saying it was old, but I believe it had been in their cooler too long. I ate about one quarter of it before deciding that it wasn't worth the risk and threw it away. If the potato salad had been more fresh, it could have easily been the best potato salad I have ever had. The recipe itself was excellent; not quite mustard based, not quite mayonnaise based, with just the right amount of moisture and sweetness. Finally, the food was VERY expensive and I just couldn't see that it was worth the price. I was so disappointed in the meal, that my husband wanted to buy a cheeseburger from there to see if that would cheer me up, but I declined. I just couldn't see us spending any more money there. Maybe they were having a bad day. I would probably give them another try on another day, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money there, unless I was assured the food would be tasty.

    (2)

  • Michael N.

    The Sinatra playing over the speakers sets the tone as you walk into this classic New York style deli. You can of course get the Reuben which is amazing. The Pastrami is piled high and the spicy mustard available completes the experience. They have a huge menu with some of the best hamburgers in town, quesadillas, brisket plates, Matzo Ball Soup, and so much more. You really can't go wrong. Ask for the pickled green tomatoes. You won't be let down.

    (5)

  • Nikki W.

    Order maxes on the takeout all the time. Are here for the first time at the deli. Great service great food. The latkes are by far my fav! Great lunch and dinner place

    (4)

  • Brandy B.

    I thought the food was great. The sides were so tiny though and it's not cheap! However, they have the best coleslaw I have had anywhere, ever. I must say, the service and manager when we went were not very accommodating or friendly. Service was okay.

    (3)

  • Dax B.

    Stopped in Saturday for a reuben to go and also tried the new burger with ghost peppers and chulula hot sauce. The reuben was top notch as always I ordered the burger medium rare but Steve advised they could only do medium. While I prefer medium rare, it was still plenty juicy and HOT. He said they only use two ghost peppers but between those and the chulula, I was breathing some fire for lunch. It was still very good (and huge) but I would probably go with the chulula on the side next time. I really enjoyed the burger with the griddled (?) onions too. I do not think this burger is on the regular menu but I would order it again. The fries were fine. I also introduced myself to Steve and we spoke about the restaurant and Birmingham for a good five minutes in between my order being prepared and him greeting customers as they walked in. We have never met before but he is a good guy doing his best to offer a unique product here in town. He definitely is dedicated to good sourcing, which sometimes means he cannot find anything locally (ie good lamb, bison, the Sy Ginserg corned beef, etc). Again, his prices are not the cheapest in town but I will put his $11 reuben up against anybody's. It seems to have over a half of pound of meat in it. Not sure I can link to urban spoon but here goes anyway: urbanspoon.com/rph/45/14… I could easily have shared just this sandwich but I was being a fat ass that day so I decided to split the burger and reuben in a moment of pure gluttony. I'm rarely a cheerleader on Yelp or any other review site, but keep up the good work Steve!

    (4)

  • Michelle F.

    Love that Max's is open for Christmas day lunch. Interesting crowd of diners today. Ordered potato latkes as a starter...I am not well acquainted with traditional Jewish food, but these were pretty good to my uneducated palate. Crispy on the outside, not greasy, and flavorful with the house-made applesauce. Ordered the "Rachel" (basically a turkey Reuben), but never made it there...got way too full on the delicious side of mac and cheese. Delicious creamy cheesy goodness. Wasn't thrilled with our server; maybe she was just trying to be helpful and efficient, but KEPT asking for our order before we had time to read the whole thing. Also, she didn't write our orders down and had to come back and ask what we ordered. I think overall she meant well but she was simply annoying.

    (4)

  • Steven H.

    Having grown up in Detroit, which is a great deli city, I'm qualified to tell you that this is very good deli food. The matzo ball soup was world class, with very light fluffy matzo balls and very flavorful chicken soup. My pastrami sandwich was excellent. Great meat and good rye. Try the spicy mustard. Steak fries could have cooked just a bit more and the whole thing cried out for a real Detroit Topor's garlic dill pickle. Service was good and the prices are about right. If you need a deli fix in Birmingham, Max's does the trick and more.

    (4)

  • Art C.

    Matzoh ball soup: excellent. I also think corned beef is now my favorite burger topping.

    (4)

  • Michael P.

    Not really impressed with this place for the prices they charge. My bill was $16 for a Reuben with fruit and a tea. The Reuben was stingy on the corned beef, and there was a lot of fat on it. The rye was over toasted, burned in places. The fruit was not fresh, and was cut at least a few days ago. Much of the fruit, like the watermelon and pineapple, had no flavor at all. I did like the fresh cut veggies that they provide on the table; it's the only reason why I might give them a second chance.

    (2)

  • Taylor H.

    I was a little disappointed. The Reuben is pretty decent but I don't think it's worth the $14 I paid for the sandwich and mediocre French Fries. The service was great but I wouldn't recommend to someone that is a "Reuben connoisseur".

    (2)

  • Elliott W.

    First off -- thanks to Max for being open on Christmas day! Second, thanks for a truly great bacon cheeseburger. I'm a little confused to find bacon on the menu at what appeared to be a kosher style deli, but a fabulous burger none-the-less. We took ours to go as the dining room was packed in one of the few places open on Christmas day. Max was at the counter and told us that the staff and some regular staffers had been there since 7AM when they started the day by prepping and delivering 200 sandwiches to Jesse's place, a shelter affiliated with the Jimmy Hale mission. Way to go Max! The boy and I each had a perfectly cooked, enormous bacon cheeseburger. The outside of the burger was just caramelized, pink in the middle (as ordered), and flavored nicely. Neither of us could eat the whole burger so uncle G. got a free meal. As we waited, I noticed several other very good looking sandwiches -- french dip, brisket, and others. Needless to say, by the time we returned to the hotel, we were drooling. I'll definitely be back to Max's. Excellent food and service.

    (4)

  • Kelly W.

    Great burger and sweet potato fries! Stumbled onto this place on a Sunday evening and glad I did. Great menu variety. The cheesecake in the dessert case looked good, but didn't have enough room in my belly-next time! Friendly wait staff also.

    (5)

  • Susan N.

    We used to eat here a lot from 2011 until 2013 before the ownership changed. We loved the food; we could pretend we were eating Manhattan deli food! One problem we had noted earlier only got worse though: the wait staff were frequently a little "off" somehow. Hard to say what it was exactly; being inexperienced I guess was some of it. They were just kind of spacy and not really attentive and on the spot somehow. The waitresses would be wearing ill-fitting yellow polo type shirts tucked into jeans and many of them didn't need to be tucking in their shirts ( I have this problem also and therefore I don't tuck in my shirts!). With the new ownership also came some sort of cross collection on the wall. I thought this was supposed to be a Jewish New York style deli?? The crosses don't work here, sorry. We stopped going here because of these reasons. It just got too strange. Johnny Ray's gets our business instead when we're at the Colonnade.

    (3)

  • Brandon C.

    Max's is a good locally owned restaurant. The place is not just a deli, but features tasty burgers, hot dogs, and meat and 3 at night. The reuben is delicious. Service is good, but slow at times. Prices are typically in the 12-15 dollar range. The meat and three plates at night are just OK and a bit overpriced. Perhaps the restaurant tries to do too much with its evening menu. It is best to go at lunch, where the pastrami, reubens, hot dogs, and burgers are great. Sides such as potato salad and cole slaw are average at best.

    (3)

  • Ryan T.

    Best burgers in B'ham. Period. Nice 1940's style music and a family friendly deli atmosphere. Our favorite casual place to eat. GREAT COUPONS!

    (4)

  • Christopher W.

    Always pleased with Max's. My fave is the tuna salad sandwich. The service is always outstanding, and cleanliness is always superb. The portions are at times too big, and the price is more on the costly side... But this is an excellent Jewish sandwich shop!

    (4)

  • Leigh D.

    Best Jewish Deli in Birmingham! Although Birmingham is not known for Jewish delis, and this is the only one I know of. My corned beef sandwich was amazing, and my friend loved his Russian reuben.

    (5)

  • Scott M.

    Great food, big portions and they are very good about sending out and accepting coupons which is a big plus. This is some great food.

    (5)

  • Lexi G.

    Came to Max's for dinner tonight. First time in a year. Was looking forward to great food and service. Total disappointment. Come to find out they are under new ownership. Where is the old ownership?!? Food and service was terrible. Frozen hamburger patties and empty glasses. The one and only server disappeared after bringing our food for 30 minutes. only returning with check. The greeter was too busy daydreaming about going home and ignored the empty glasses on the table. Will not return, beware of the new Max's. The best part of our meal were the carrots, celery and pickles that they bring as soon as you arrive.

    (2)

  • Whitney B.

    So. I am not really sure what to think about this restaurant. I have been here once before and ordered takeout for my brother and me, and I thought it was probably the most pathetic sandwich I have ever had. My brother went back by himself, and again said it was one of the worst sandwiches he had ever had. Had I bothered to write a review, I would have given one star. BUT Because of the recent national publicity this place has been getting because of the owner's support for his Hispanic employees after the HB 56 law went into place, and after reading a friend's recent review...I decided to try it again, and I had been seeing a Yelp check in offer...so the mom and I came here for lunch. **Note: If you are a regular Yelper, and you look for Yelp offers.. you will see that Max's has a check in offer to receive 50% off your order if you check in to their restaurant. However, they do not honor this offer. The owner said that he does not have any business with Yelp and he did not approve this coupon. So I don't know what that's about or how that even happened with Yelp. But he did give us 50% off one sandwich. So there's that.** The last time I came here, the place was completely empty during lunch hours and the walls were naked except for the yellow paint and script. This was probably a year ago. Today it was packed with people, and the walls are covered in sports art. The menu is really big. I don't know if they expanded the menu since the last time I was there, or if I just wasn't paying any attention. While you are deciding on what to order, you are given a basket of fresh veggies, some plain and some pickled. I ended up getting the lamb burger and my mom got the Reuben. It took a really really really long time for the food to get to the table,considering one was a burger and one was a sandwich. I realize lamb takes a little longer, but I wasn't expecting that long. It is a good thing we were not on a timed lunch break. I actually really liked my lamb burger, and the grilled onions and feta really gave it a nice touch. The tzatziki sauce was nice too. My mom liked her sandwich, but she said it was really dry and asked for extra Russian. The servers that conversed with us were all really friendly, and the drinks never had a chance to go empty. All in all, it was a decent meal. Had I a good experience the first time, I would probably have given another star. On an end note... on the restaurant's website, the owner has a letter to the public thanking him for the support they have given him during this controversial time and asks for a donation to HICA, which supports the local Hispanic community. That's nice and all, but people need to realize that HB 56 is not singling out the Hispanic community (although it would make sense since the majority of immigrants in Alabama are Hispanic), but HB 56 targets ALL undocumented immigrants. So instead of only supporting the Hispanic community, why not support the whole immigrant community? Why leave the other ethnic groups out? Actually, just last week a German manager of Mercedes was arrested last week because he was not able to provide proper documents when he was stopped for a traffic violation. Thankfully, he was released. German. Not Hispanic. Also, you say nothing in the restaurant comes out of plastic except the mustard. This is not true. A woman had a little plastic tube of mayo on her plate at the table next to us. =)

    (3)

  • Jean W.

    Very healthy menu (Sweet potato fries are the best I have ever eaten!) very tasty sandwiches

    (5)

  • Jessica G.

    If you are looking for the best sandwiches in Birmingham, look no further. The food is kosher and delish. They have the largest portions that you will find anywhere. I can never eat all my food. They serve you a little dish of carrots, celery, and pickles while you are waiting. I know the owner and his family and they are good people. One reason why I really like this place is because of how vocal they were with the immigration reform. I respect Steve a lot for that. I know that they were interviewed by CNN, local news channels, and a network in Mexico while all the hype was going on. He respects all peoples' rights no matter where they come from. I will always support this restaurant not only for that reason, but because the food is just plain wonderful. You can't go wrong with anything on this menu, seriously. They always have coupons in the paper as well. I try not to use them though, because I want them to make a little money off me. I have not eaten dinner here, but I know that they make family meals so that you can go pick up after work and take home for the fam.

    (5)

  • Hot Tub J.

    If Deli is your game, Max's is your new Mecca in Alabama! A real-deal deli with all the right meats. This is a Jewish deli, not an Italian one (where I am from) so don't be looking for a mortadella, cappicolo, genoa salami and provolone sub, OK? You go HERE for the smoked briscut, ruebens, chopped liver, tongue, killer pastrami on rye type of action. And let me share something with you: I am the KING of complainers. Price, service, you name it. ZERO issues here. Zero. Service, tea, food quality, hot fries, potato salad temp, you name it: all A+. Steve runs this place like it is his own. And it is. He has a genuine pride in this store and it shows. He cares what you think of his food and he works hard to earn repeat business. Go support a good guy working hard to make a business that puts people to work and makes great meals for starving deli fiends. The chains make sucky sandwiches and couldn't give a rat's chooch about the city and it's peeps. Max's does. Go Max's!

    (5)

  • Richard L.

    The Matzoh ball soup was awesome, loaded with chicken and stuff. Tried the fried chicken, yes fried chicken at a Jewish Deli, simply done but very flavorful.

    (4)

  • Teresa R.

    My husband and I have eaten here several times and the food has always been bountiful and so reminiscent of NYC that I have automatic love. The corned beef is the best I've ever had outside of The City.

    (4)

  • Steve L.

    I love this place. It is a hidden secret. Steve takes a lot of pride in his restaurant. They serve celery, carrots and pickles when you sit down. My favorites are the turkey Reuban and the Tuna Salad sandwich. Everything is delicious!

    (5)

  • David M.

    So I had forgotten about this place after moving from the 280 area to Highland several years back. Recently though there was a big to-do about people posting bogus negative reviews due to Steve's stand against HB56, so I thought I would stop by and have lunch as a way to support his willingness to say what he felt was right. I had the Matzo ball soup and a turkey reuben (the "Rachel" I think it's called), and I have to say that I was shocked that I could have forgotten how good the food is at Max's. Seriously, this place has one of the best turkey reubens that I have ever had. It is a little on the pricey side, but it's not as if the prices are hidden on the menu, plus you pay for what you get (and what you get is some of the best deli food in the south). Plus the service was great, and even though the place was packed, the owner still found the time to make his way to each and every table and make sure that his customers were satisfied. That's a touch that is rarely seen today and one that I really appreciate. In summation, I just made myself hungry and I think that I'm going to head back to Max's for dinner.

    (5)

  • David S.

    I've just had one of the best hamburgers I've ever eaten. It was huge, juicy, & cooked perfectly. I usually order a corn beef. sandwich. Now I'll have to choose between the two. And I hear their fried chicken is equally as good.

    (5)

  • Kim R.

    Great deli! The corned beef sandwich is the star here, piled high on great chewy bread. Order a root beer and you'll be in heaven. The potato knish is soul warming with a super tasty brown gravy on the side. The egg salad is excellent and quite generous. Doughnuts at breakfast are really delicious, perfect with coffee! The wait staff is very friendly and attentive. You will not be disappointed.

    (4)

  • M. Miranda A.

    I truly enjoy eating at Max's, everyone is very friendly and the food is very tasty.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Max’s Delicatessen

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