Max's Restaurant Virginia Beach, Cuisine of the Philippines: A Taste of Home

I came here on July 8th for lunch with my family to celebrate my mom’s birthday early. I absolutely loved this spot! Definitely authentic and delicious filipino food that tastes so similar to my families cooking. On top of that, our server Jochelle was amazing! She was kind and accommodating even though we had a party of 9 people. I absolutely loved the atmosphere, the food, the service, and everything about the experience!

Max’s has long been a staple of Filipino cuisine, evoking a sense of nostalgia and home-cooked comfort. While I wasn’t particularly drawn to it back in the Philippines—where an abundance of local dining options often outshines chain establishments—Max’s in Virginia Beach undeniably hits the spot. For those craving Filipino comfort food or looking to experience it for the first time, this place delivers. We opted for a spread of Pinoy classics: lumpia, pancit canton, bulalo, and, of course, their signature fried chicken. The flavors were generally on point, with the bulalo emerging as the standout dish—rich, hearty, and generously portioned, it had just the right depth of flavor to satisfy. The lumpia and pancit canton were also well-executed, offering that familiar, savory taste. However, the fried chicken, which is Max’s claim to fame, fell short for me—it leaned towards dry and lacked the robust seasoning I had hoped for. And of course! the Halo-halo finish was spot on! Beyond the food, the experience was elevated by the restaurant’s convenient location, warm ambiance, reasonable prices, and genuinely hospitable staff. While it may not surpass the diverse offerings of home, Max’s Virginia Beach is undoubtedly worth a visit for a comforting taste of the Philippines.

We had to come in for lunch at around 12pmon a Monday before going back to NoVa, and ofcourse, there was minimal crowd. We ordered pancit canton, sizzling tofu and a whole chicken. The pancit and sizzling tofu was a little bit on the saltier side, but the portion is decent for 2-3 people. The chicken is just as good as I remember when I was still in the Philippines. We also got the Calamansi juice (my fave) and mango juice, which both were good. I would say the price of what we ordered is reasonable. Staff is very accommodating and service was quick.

Food was excellent. Had the Memorial weekend special that came with 4 main dishes. Service was a little slow to start when we arrived but expected since they were busy due to the long holiday weekend. But once we got our order in, the food came out quickly and hot. Our server was very respectful and attentive. Overall, great experience and will return again.

Our second time to eat here and I want to see if we can duplicate or maybe make our experience much better. First, I want to say how clean and well designed this place that’s so pleasant to the eyes. The waitresses and waiters are so nice and charming with their Filipino uniforms & beautiful smiles. Now, the food. Just look at the delightful pictures. It all look so good you will salivate. Every one of these pictures of food are memory triggers of the delicious memories I got as a kid eating these kind of food with the family. Yes, they taste so good! Love each of them. Definitely coming back. Oh, did I tell you about the halo halo and the Buko pandan? Heavenly. creamy and satisfying.

It was a busy night. My family and I arrived at 5:30pm and we hit their dinner rush. I’m thankful for the host for seated us tonight because he also made sure we were served in the order in which we arrived. (A lot of pushy customers were trying to order first although, they arrived after us). So I’m thankful for the host and the friendliness of the staff. The food was superb and overall experience was amazing. We will definitely be coming back in the future. Thank you again.

Came across this restaurant before going to a concert at Veterans United Home Loans. Located in a shopping area essentially caddy-corner to the concert venue. This a Filipino restaurant with a cute history of how it started and then made its way to the U.S. Entrees are large portions to eat as family-style. So if you're going to a concert eat as a group or bring a cooler for leftovers! We had the pork BBQ skewers and they were unbelievably tasty. The tenderness and flavors leave you wanting more, even after you've stuffed yourself! They also showcase their Whole fried chicken, which I will need to go back and try. I just plan to bring a bigger party so I can try more items! Service was great and respectful. Every interaction with our server (and anyone that worked there) ended with a "Po" which means "Sir/Ma'am" in Tagalog (one of the main languages in the Philippines). Clean: Yes Changing Table: No Bonus features: It was so clean, I was surprised at how much the walls shined! The stainless steel stalls had no fingerprints or any smudges.

Came here for 4th of July weekend and got the bundle deal. We got seated within a few mins. Everything was good, just like back home except for the Kare2 that barely had any vegetables (pictured) and watered down. Halo2 was mostly gulaman, no banana or lankga. Service is just like back home: attentive, they move a little slow, polite servers. Will definitely come back for the chicken and crispy pata!