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On our way to the Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta, we were hungry before our concert, so we decided to give Max Lager’s Woodfire Grill and Brewery a try.
I found out from the waitress that Max Lager’s was closed for a while during the pandemic. I think the loss of business travel and people working remote has impacted the demand for downtown restaurants. But, it’s back open for business.
Now that it is back open, I added it to my running list of Atlanta Breweries.
Max Lager’s Bar and Brews
For such a large restaurant, the L shaped bar is a somewhat smaller than I would have thought. I figured they would have a lot of corporate workers and business travelers stopping in, by themselves, after work or after a conference. Even with the restaurant operating at about half capacity, the bar was full with people. Mostly individuals having dinner and small groups sharing appetizers.
Max Lager’s had 6 of their own beers on draft.
I tried the Back in Biz Marzen which was poured in a very tall glass with a dark brown and red coloring to it. It tasted malty and very delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Even with the high ABV of 7.3%, you couldn’t really taste the alcohol on it.
Usually when I see a brew pub feature beers from other breweries, it is a red flag not to try the beer. Definitely not the case at Max Lager’s brewery.
I later realized that Bold Monk is the brother brewery to Max Lager’s. Makes sense, I tried the dubble from Bold Monk. I was poured from a can, it was very good. Makes me want to go check out the Bold Monk Brewery.
Max Lager’s Restaurant and Menu
The restaurant itself is warm and inviting. The building has exposed brick walls and medium brown wood tones. The restaurant has an industrial vibe with the duct work being exposed. This aesthetic complements the copper colored beer fermenters.
There is a large outdoor patio with city views. I would have enjoyed sitting out there if we were offered by the hostess or had known to ask for outside seating.
The main seating area is deceivingly large based on what you see as you walk in from the street. Upstairs is additional seating and the bathroom.
We enjoyed a seat next to the front window.
Service was decent. Our waitress was a little forgetful. She forgot my beer, twice. I was under the impression she was very new to the job.
Max Lager’s Food
We didn’t have a lot of time, so we skipped over the appetizers. Given my love of chicken wings, I wanted to try them. Maybe next time.
I was in the mood for a steak, so I order the Manhattan, which is a New York Strip steak. It came with mashed potatoes and green beans.
I ordered the steak medium, but it came out medium well to well done. Usually I would have sent it back, but we didn’t have a lot of time and my wife and I hadn’t been out on a date in months. I didn’t want to ruin the night.
The primary thing I enjoyed about the meal was the subtle smokey flavor in the steak from the wood fire grill.
For $34, I had much higher expectations than the value i received. I know beef prices are high, but this was mostly a disappointment.
My wife ordered the Max Burger. It was seasoned a little heavily, but was the better option of the two meals.
Conclusion
Overall, we won’t be rushing back to Max Lager’s anytime soon. The beer was good, the atmosphere was great, the service could have been improved and the food could have been prepared better.
The location is great and walkable from most of the downtown Atlanta attractions. If you are up for a craft brew while touring Atlanta, this is a great place to stop in. It still ranks as one the best downtown Atlanta restaurants due to the overall ambience, bar food and location, however I would skip the steak next time.
The best part of our trip was that we were introduced to one of Bold Monk’s Belgian offerings. We eventually moved up our visit to Bold Monk Brewery because I enjoyed the beer so much.
Max Lager’s Woodfire Grill and Brewery in downtown Atlanta. Their address is 320 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30308.
For more delicious restaurant ideas, be sure check out our directory of reviews to other metro Atlanta restaurants.