Max's Delicatessen
3431 Colonnade Parkway (off Hwy. 280)
968-7600
www.maxsdelionline.com
A February 2009 City Scene review says the goal of the owners was to create a New York style Jewish deli here in Birmingham. How well did they succeed? "All in all you're going to like Max's but still harbor a longing for those special places in New York City," Tom Gaskin writes. The menu is "ambitious and extensive." Don't miss the potato knish with brown gravy, he says. or the New York cheesecake. Also good are latkes, chopped liver, beef brisket dinner, Rueben sandwich, and hot pickled tongue sandwich, he said. Not so good -- soups, grilled chilled chicken sandwich with avocado and bacon. We've been a couple times ourselves (we would go more often if we lived closer) and loved the Reuben, the chopped liver/pastrami/tomato sandwich, and Chicago-style hot dogs.
Deborah Lockridge
in Birmingham Restaurants: 280 Corridor
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5 Comments
Reader Comments (5)
I thought the chix soup was the best I've ever had!
The food is the best of its kind in Bham and maybe the southeast. The portions are hugh and the price is fair. The soups have gotten better as they have more time in business. The owner said that making soup at home on the stove was far different then a 100 QT pot... try the corned beef you will be a raving fan..
My sister is the biggest fan of lox and bagles I've ever met. When she learned that a New York style deli had opened in Birmingham AND served breakfast, she was dying to try it out for no other reason than to get her mouth around some traditional lox and bagles. We went for breakfast on a recent Saturday morning and found the place to be nearly empty. The staff was above and beyond friendly, with each of them checking on/serving us at various times throughout our visit. The manager even came outside (where we were sitting) to speak with us and inquire about the meal.
We began with complimentary donut balls dusted with cinnamon and sugar. There's probably a name for them, but you'll have to forgive my ignorance. I chose the make-your-own omelette dish, which was served with 2 slices of challah toast and a side of mixed fruit. Little Sister was pleased as a pig in you-know-what with the lox and bagles! Ample thickly sliced pieces of seasoned salmon, real cream cheese and your choice of bagle were served with lettuce, onion and tomato. It was exactly what she craved with enough left over for breakfast the next day (or a snack later on, if I know her). My omelette was perfectly cooked and very satisfying. I can't wait to return and try the corned beef hash for breakfast or one of the sandwiches for lunch.
Went for lunch today and the latkes with homemade applesauce were incredible! So was the triple decker BLT. Service (in the middle of the lunch rush) was good also.
Some friends had recommended Max's Delicatessen, so in the weekly quest to find what we wanted for Sunday lunch, we decided to brave 280 and give it a try. The bad news is that now I'm going to be compelled to brave 280 regularly and probably in weekday traffic. I do not recall having a meal this delicious in a long time. Every bite was perfect down to the crisp kosher pickle spear which had an incredibly complex and appealing flavor. The corned beef on the Reuben was delectable; the beef on my friend's burger, while a bit done for "medium," was that incredibly rich flavor that only top quality, carefully seasoned beef can give and the portion was so generous that it dwarfed the huge onion roll. We split an order of latkes with brown gravy. If I had brought the spare stomach, I would have wanted an order of my own. The brown gravy was another example of the care taken with each item -- perfectly seasoned, rich and complex. The menu has so many options that it will take many trips to try everything I wanted to order today. I have an intense sense of gratitude for the folk’s at Max’s going beyond the normal fare and creating such extraordinary food.