Max & Butters — Restaurant in Allentown

I did a Google search for “Steaks on Hamilton St” since I was picking up food from another restaurant on Hamilton St as well but I wanted a steak for myself. Max & Butter’s shows up on the search so I check their menu and settled on “The Frenchie” which is an 8oz ribeye (ordered mine medium) with a side of diced potatoes in some tangy cheesy sauce and boy was I disappointed with the steak. I should’ve opened the carry out container before leaving to check but unfortunately I didn’t.

As soon as I got home and opened the box I was so disappointed and upset with what I saw, the steak had a weak almost non existent sear on the outside and was absolutely bland, devoid of any seasoning for taste. I took one bite and said “there’s no way I would have served this to a customer”, one bite and I had to throw the rest of the steak away. The side of potatoes was “okay”.

I’m not one to write reviews and much less negative ones at that but the steaks I cook at home seem gourmet steakhouse level compared to what I got served. My first time ordering from there and unfortunately will be my last due to the terrible 1st impression they left. I truly hope the establishment can improve upon their steak offerings in the future, maybe this was just a one-off but any true steak lover would not return after being served the steak I was. Good luck and hopefully the restaurant can take this as constructive criticism and honest feedback to improve upon the product that comes out of...

Wait, Marta, I’m not done completing my review! 😋

So, it’s Sunday, and we’re due to attend the college wrestling match up the street at PPL Center. We Are. 🐾

We haven’t been to downtown Allentown since shopping at Hess Brothers back in the day. 🤷🏻 The area was clean, updated, transformed, modern, full of folks mulling through the streets. If I had not googled restaurants near the venue, I wouldn’t be aware of such a nice variety. We decided to dine at Max & Butters down the boulevard, tucked sideways on the lower level of the building.

We entered, staff greeted us and since prior reservations took up all the tables, we sat at the bar which allowed us to engage with staff and so, we met the hostess Lara, rockstar servers Raul and Paige and ultimately chief cook and kitchen magician, MARTA. What a delight to view the entire cooking area where the flames were a 1/2 foot high over the commercial stove, frying bacon, eggs and all the breakfast goodies, the smells wafting throughout. Ok, a plate of rib eye steak and eggs accompanied by fresh broasted potatoes. $20 10/10 Then my egg plate, bacon x 5 and potatoes, side of toast. 10/10 $13.95 And that cup of coffee, rich & robust, almost tasted like Turkish coffee, extremely good. $2

It’s the feeling of gratitude and joy when you visit a place after decades away, not knowing the restaurant choices and encounter a truly...

I'm not sure what's going on with this restaurant, but my experience was a complete disaster. Walking in, I was greeted by an eerily empty dining area - not a single other customer in sight. You'd think this would prompt the staff to up their game, but nope.

The food was a major letdown. The dishes we ordered tasted incredibly bland, like they'd been sitting in a flavorless broth all day. Zero creativity, zero passion. It was like eating cardboard.

But the real kicker was the chef. I'm not sure if it was the head chef or just a line cook, but the person I saw in the kitchen looked like they hadn't showered in days. Their hair was unkempt, and their whites were stained. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that's not how you're supposed to maintain kitchen hygiene.

The overall atmosphere of the place was gross. The decor was outdated, the floors were stained, and the whole place reeked of neglect. It was like they'd given up trying to make the place look or feel welcoming.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone. The food is subpar, the chef looks like they don't care about basic hygiene, and the place is a mess. There are far better options out there. Save your money and your stomach, and avoid this dump...