Restaurant Review: Max's Mexican Cuisine, Azusa, California

Max's Mexican Cuisine in Azusa was packed when we went for Mother's Day. The restaurant has a main floor with a loft above for additional dining. There were four of us and though it was crowded at 1pm we were still seated within 10 minutes.

The service is very good. The wait staff brought chips and salsa within a couple of minutes after seating us. I felt the chips may have been a bit stale but the salsa was tasty and spicy. Those who don't like spicy foods may have felt it was on the peppery side.

Mexican food is similar among restaurants unless it's specifically Yucatan or some other regional flavor. This was the case at Max's. I enjoyed my meal, yet I didn't feel it was much different than what I would have eaten at most Mexican restaurants in the Pasadena to Azusa area.

I had an enchilada and chile relleno, my wife and daughter had a chicken tostada and my son had a shredded beef burrito. I also had a margarita and since I only drink a few ounces of wine per week, the drink made me a bit dizzy by the time I finished.

The entrees are standard price from $ 6.95 to $ 9.95 even on Sunday with a large a la carte selection. Dinner for four of us with the drink was $ 44. There are also plenty of seafood items available.

Despite the crowd, however, we were able to carry on a nice conversation. Ambiance is important to me and I felt that Max's has a nice atmosphere conducive to a pleasant dining experience.

I was impressed by the service as I mentioned earlier. We were in an out-of-the-way section and yet there was plenty of help to wait on us, fill waters, and clear the plates.

Max's Mexican Cuisine is located at 635 N. Azusa Ave slightly more than one mile north of the 210 freeway at the Azusa Avenue exit.

I recommend it for a pleasant dining experience. I plan to go back. The next time I would like to order some of the soups offered on the menu and the seafood dishes.