Max's Taphouse

steebo777

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

My wife and I hit this up when visiting family in Baltimore. I was very excited to try this place out and it DEFINITELY delivered. The vibe is really cool on the inside as it is a big bar with a lot of TVs but still a great beer bar feel.

The selection was some of the best I have ever seen. A ton of Belgian brews as well as everything from around the country. I drank FW 15 on tap most of the night but there was so much more.

Food was delicious bar food and came quick.

You have to order everything at the bar, but it was always VERY quick. We chatted with various bartenders throughout the night, and after finding out we were from Michigan and had a fairly sizable tab, he offered us ANY bottle from the cooler for free. Top notch class all the way.

I will go back here as soon as I can, excellent place!

01-09-2012 16:38:22 | More by steebo777

moreyeel

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

There are not a lot of pubs I walk into that have a draft list that has more then 50% of beers I have not had (moved the scale this trip), and Max's has that kind of list. From expected to eclectic the beer list is an exploration in beers you have never heard of. Lots of Danish beers (port city?) that are rare in bars across the American beer scene.

Beer culture bleeds through the walls, from the old skool beer tags to the massive tap and bottle list.

Food is really good and reasonable.

You can try a taster (5oz) of any draft beer for half the pint price, not a great per OZ deal, but way fun if you want to knock beers off your new bucket list.

There are all kinds of specials and the bar service only staff is super knowledgeable.

Only negative, the sample glasses (1/3) have a cleaning chemical taste that a rinse would fix. The small volume of beer cannot overcome this character.

Great Beer, Check (BIG TIME)
Great Staff, Check
Gorgeous waitress that knows her beers, Hell Yeah!

If you are in Baltimore and miss this place, you are just stooopid.

12-13-2011 03:19:39 | More by moreyeel

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

Me and my buddy went to Max's on a Tuesday afternoon, and had a blast! The selction is ridiculous (they had 102 beers on tap when we were there)! They have tons of rare & one off beers that you won't find anywhere else. I had Stillwater/ brewers art Red wine barrel Debutante & Duclaw Retribution! Delicious! The service was outstanding, our bartender Bob was a really nice guy. I bought a vintage Mikkeller Black Tie to go afterwards and he gave me a complimentary beer snifter glass! We will be going back every tuesday we can possibly make!

10-18-2011 21:57:53 | More by Rickythejeweler

coldriver

Texas

4.14/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Visited on day 4 of our June 2011 Northeast pub crawl. For lunch time it was already well-populated - you get the feeling that this place gets wall to wall later on.

Huge tap selection (as well as bottles) including many local brews I've not seen elsewhere. Great updated menu was a plus and our server was knowledgeable and attentive. Sat next to an older gentleman who's lifetime goal is to sample 10,000 beers (he's up to 8,800) and he was going wild with the selection. Great vibe - lots of friendly laid back types enjoying great beer.

07-31-2011 16:42:56 | More by coldriver

nickthetick

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3 | $$

This place is usually what you would expect from a fells point bar any night of the week. I have been there on fridays when there is no room to move and my most recent trip was a wednesday and there was a perfect patron to seat ratio. The servers are knowledgeable and as attentive as can be give the overload of people on certain days. The selection is unbeatable for anyone in a 100 mile radius at least. 70 taps (I think) and at least 150 bottles if you can not find something to tickle your fancy then you are un-please-able. The food is typical bar food and is nothing to crazy but good overall. Their prices seem about right, standard for most bars.

Overall this place is pretty awesome. The selection is unbeatable, bartenders are pretty awesome, and their events and specials are great!!! I'll be making a trip, most likely once a week down there and I'm a 20 minute car and 20 min metro ride away.

Edit: My numbers were terrible guess-ta-ments. From the website "With 140 rotating drafts, 5 Hand-Pumped Cask Ales, and a world-spanning collection of approximately 1200 bottled beers in stock"

07-28-2011 02:08:45 | More by nickthetick

clayrock81

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

First off I never give 5s b/c, well, that's a whole new ball o' wax about philosophy and stuff. BUT, if I were ever to I might as well to this place b/c the # of bottles and taps alone are outstanding but the variety is second to none in any beer bar I've ever been to. Not only did they have Italian drafts and bottles I'll never find elsewhere (there was an Italian beerfest) but just the # of diamonds in the rough (odd beers you have to work for to find) is amazing. To top it off it also has one perk that I have to look for - they sell Bud Light, which is only thing my wife drinks so she was happy. I like sports and there are TVs everywhere showing that so I have no problem w/ myself and fellow beer geeks rubbing elbows w/ sports fans. Top it off w/ the fact that the place was supercrowded (standing room only) yet the bartenders never left me hanging and it's in a nice neighborhood in Balty (Fell's Point) and you have proof that this is one of the best beer bars in the country and a must see if you are in the area.

07-18-2011 12:08:33 | More by clayrock81

ssimpson89

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | $$

Fell's Point has a great old time neighborhood feel to it and Max's adds to it.

Cool atmosphere with a mix of young and old, locals and I even played pool with some sailors form Europe. Very relaxing and low key with awesome beer. Who could ask for anything more.

One of the best selections I've seen in a good beer bar. One of those lists that takes 10 minutes to peruse. You have to order a pint of something you know to drink while you decide what you are going to have.

This is a must stop if you are in Baltimore, you won't regret it.

07-16-2011 03:57:47 | More by ssimpson89

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

A short walk up Broadway from the water taxi landing in Fells Point. 102 taps which includes 5 casks and hundreds of bottles what's not to like about this place? Taps are for the most part quality stuff, Mikkeller, Cantillon, Bruery, Green Flash, JP, DFH....Heavy on the imports. Only a few of the taps are wasted on things like Blue Moon, How are they able to turn over 102 taps of mostly quality beers? EDIT: Slow moving beers are placed on House Discount. Check the chalkboard in back of the bar for the discount beers. Thanks to johnmichaelsen for the tip.

Enjoyed a Heavy Seas Plank 1 on cask which was excellent and a Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast which was excellent as well. For food we had a Blackened Tilapia sandwich and a Kobe burger both were excellent. They also have a Elk burger and
Wild Boar burger which both sounded interesting. It wasn't super crowded when we were there on a early Friday evening, but it was very loud, mostly people talking as the music was not overly loud. You do have to go to the bar to get food or beer, there is no waitstaff.

This place is worth going out of your way for if you are in Baltimore, make the trip to Fells Point.

07-09-2011 13:24:02 | More by FLBeerGuy

asabreed

New York

4.88/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This is one of the musts in Baltimore. As my friend told me, however: "Be prepared to spend a lot of money." This is certainly true, but it's one of those times -- as long as you don't drink so much that you don't remember what you're having -- that he's right. That said, of course you can go and have two or three and leave, but there's just so much to try.

The atmosphere -- and granted we were there on a Friday night -- was a little chaotic. It's expected, I suppose, but I still am not a huge fan of going to places where it's tough to get up to the bar, though people are usually pretty friendly and will let you through. Ideally, it's best to meet someone there fairly early in the evening, someone who already has a seat at the bar, and have them order drinks for the crew, or one or two, depending on your party.

I have to give a huge credit to the bartenders; despite the claustrophobia, the service is usually very good. And not only that, but in all of the chaos, they make sure to have proper and heavy glassware, which enhances the experience, especially when you're paying a decent amount for good beers.

The list was pretty nuts, in my opinion. A lot of things I hadn't heard of. Specialty brews, and almost every brewery I could think of was represented at least somehow, even if they only had one style or one particular brew from a brewery. I say the prices are fairly expensive, but again, if you're looking for those hard-to-find brews, this is your place. And they have enough to keep the folks who aren't beer nerds or connoisseurs happy.

Glad I got to experience this place. I'd definitely go back if I'm in Baltimore again. But remember, to make it a better experience, bring your wallet, and don't go during the peak hours.

06-26-2011 19:30:26 | More by asabreed

Scottw86

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

This is a great place. The beer list is impressive and the prices are decent. The bar is very long with lots of seating and the bartenders are great. The beer list is constantly changing so there is always something new there every time. Max’s will usually have a good amount of people all day long on the weekend during the summer, and the atmosphere is really good too.

They also have a large bottle collection that you can browse, but bottles are pretty expensive. Stick to the tap list and you'll have plenty of great choices including some rare Belgians.

06-20-2011 23:44:43 | More by Scottw86