"Melting Chocolate Heart Cake- can't go wrong with this."
(in 12 reviews)
"ever had a chocolate pizza :) or to the classic hug mug hot chocolate."
(in 29 reviews)
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Max Brenner
Rating Details »
Categories: Chocolatiers and Shops, Desserts
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Greenwich Village841 Broadway
(between 13th St & 14th St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0030
- Nearest Transit:
-
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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508 reviews for Max Brenner
Review Highlights
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I love this place with all my heart! Exterior is not so appealing but the interior is fabulous. Huge chocolate bars wrapped in plastic placed all over the place, chocolate pipes, candles, and chocolate!
Staff is very friendly and food is excellent.
Must try:
- The Best B.A.L.T. (Bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato = amazing)
- The famous Chocolate Pizza (try the original one with only the chocolate and marshmelllows)
- Melting marshmellow crepe (Name says it all)
- Tutty fruity waffles (Strawberries, bluberries, crunchy chocolate waffer ball pieces, waffles, and ice cream!)
- Fondue!
- Do-it-yourself suckao (Thick rich chocolate that you can make yourself)
- Milk chocolate granita (The Alice cup they serve it in is lovely)
after seeing the chocolate pizza from max brenner's on the food network i became obsessed and knew that i would not be satisfied until i tried this ooey, gooey concoction for myself.
i ordered the pizza two ways - one topped with roasted marshmallows and the other topped with a candied, toasted hazelnut crunch.
both slices were delicious and will definitely satisfy any sweet tooth. as for a favorite of the two, i really can't choose as i loved each one equally and both were rich and delicious.
the one thing i would like to see changed is having a thinner dough, as the thickness is a little overwhelming at times. since it's dough with liquid chocolate in addition to the other toppings, it's a little dry to eat - but just keep a cup of coffee, water or any beverage near by and you'll be fine.
this slight negative in no way lessens my love for this chocolate pizza and i don't think it will for others. if you love pizza and chocolate this is certainly a must try.
I honestly would have probably given this place a much better rating if I had ended up coming on a wednesday night; However a series of unfortunate events from the moment I stepped in through the door forced my hand in shaving off two stars.
I waltzed in around 8p looking to score a table for 4, they said it was going to be a 40 min wait, we figured, it's a long wait but we'll manage. We were continuously shoved from one corner into another by hostesses and ended up waiting close to 2 hours.
Charon would have treated people better while he was ferrying them into hell. When I went to one hostess to ask her about the wait I started by saying "We've been waiting for an hour and a half" when she snapped back "so has everyone else"
I'm sure I looked like a fish for about two seconds opening and closing my mouth, two sides of my brain debating on whether I should stay quite or show her she better check herself before she wrecked herself, but ultimately decided against it.
-20 min later still waiting when she shoulders passed me and curses at me to move out of her way. I'll admit my ears were pretty disbelieving, did she really tell me to get the f-k out of her way?
We were finally seated, exhausted from standing for so long and ravenous as well. Our waiter was awesome kudos to you, even given the volume of customers he was still very attentive, checking on us, and our glasses of water.
I ordered the mushroom burger, no onions, with avocado, thankyouverymuch, The lovely Liz W, had the quesadilla, Jim J. munched on a savory turkey crepe, and my darling big sister also had a mushroom burger. Everything was pretty delicious, especially the aioli, I slathered everything in it.
Dessert was okay, I had some cake that I can't even remember the name of, and isn't on the online menu, while my sister had some hot chocolate, Jim had a dessert pizza, and Liz the chocolate soup. Unfortunately people should probably know that the chocolate soup tastes just like the hot chocolate only that it comes with stuff to mix into it...
_______________
Shout outs:
++Dustin a very thoughtful server, intrinsically concerned and respectful, you saved my evening at Max's
+Tory (Tori?) one hostess that was really nice, giving away chocolate to curb my appetite and help with the being light headed
- - I usually never do this because I'd like to think I can sympathize with a stressful food service environment, but you were incredibly impolite, and don't curse at strangers like that Jessica, you never know, they might be a really bored person who likes taking names and writing reviews.
Leave it up to us to come to NYC just as it was POURING rain (it cleared up the day we left). Max Brenner was a welcome refuge away from the freezing cold, endless rain, and crashing umbrellas. We were seated immediately to what the host said was "the best seat in the house". From what I could see, I'd have to agree - we had a perfect view of the entire restaurant and I was able to quietly observe the Willy Wonkiness contraptions in this place.
My sister and I ordered two different types of Chocolate Martinis, both were delicious! My favorite was the one with espresso in it. This was my first time having a chocolate martini so I can't compare it to other places, but all I know is that my tastebuds thoroughly enjoyed it and I had to use all my willpower not to down it in one shot.
We then shared a french crepe filled with hazelnut cream, bananas, nutella with chocolate drizzled on top. It came with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. This was really good! The outside of the crepe was slightly crispy with the filling oozing out of it. I hate it when crepes are mushy, but it certainly wasn't the case here.
I was also eyeing the fondue set and chocolate dessert pizza our neighbors ordered. I know it's rude to stare, but I couldn't help myself!
Dear Max,
You took my Tofu Zen sandwich off the menu, and from the looks of things, it doesn't seem like it's coming back. That was my favorite, even though I can make it at home. The desserts were just OK. We are so over.
Amanda
This is probably the closest I'll ever get to my Augustus Gloop fantasy.
Not of being smothered by his man-boobs, but the way he fell into the chocolate river at Willy Wonka's factory. Such bravery. And how!
Max Brenner is the place to go for all things chocolate. Even though he looks like Dr. Evil on a napkin, and even though they play bump and grind music of all things here (I guess to play on the fact that chocolate is an aphrodisiac? although people tend to come here in groups, and I came here with my SISTER, but whatevs), the man is clearly skilled at his craft.
We ordered the Spectacular Melting Chocolate Smores Sundae, which consists of dark chocolate and vanilla gelato, marshmallow fluff, some dark chocolate covered graham crackers, and chocolate fondue, among other goodies. It comes with a little bottle of white chocolate, which was the only thing I wasn't terribly impressed by, but everything else was on point. Of course you have to like chocolate or smores for that matter to eat this sticky sweet frozen mess. But I loved it.
Sister and I also ordered two hot chocolates: I had the milk chocolate which was melty frothy creamy goodness, and she had the mexican hot chocolate. which was all of the above plus a major kick. I could feel the spices creeping up on me when I tried it. It's very good but not for the faint.
Props to our waiter Dustin for being generally on point with our order even though he was juggling like 12 tables at the same time. Oh, and I like the way he said "sauce". New York accents are the best.
At the front of the restaurant is a little gift shop where you can choose from fresh made truffles, to bath products, and gift cards and such. For those of you with Trainspotting tendencies, they also serve chocolate in a syringe. I didn't try it or anything. I'm just sayin.......
Went here for dessert, and let me just say...yum! My husband and I shared the fondue, and let me tell you, it was amazing. We had the white chocolate and dark chocolate fondue. It even comes with a little fire pit thingy so you can roast marshmallows! Who doesn't love that?!?!
I roasted a marshmallow, and dipped it in the white chocolate...it was heaven! Will definitely go back :)
I grappled with the idea of taking a star off this review because Max Brenner is so expensive. However, it is by far some of the best dessert I've had EVER. So instead of penalizing them for their prices I'm simply going to recommend that you DO NOT eat dinner here. The food is average and overpriced. You need to go to Max Brenner for dessert and coffee.....it's a chocolate bar.....eat dinner elsewhere!
The chocolate here is beyond anything I've ever had. I usually go with the "heart" desserts (ex: The Caramel Heart) which is a rich, moist chocolate cake with a molten center. It comes with various accoutrements depending on which flavor you get. I often go with one particular friend and he gets the tutti fruity waffle without fail. It's a warm homemade waffle with chocolate and fresh fruit.
The coffee here isn't too bad. They make a decent latte which I always need to accompany my chocolate.
The atmosphere is warm with mellow lighting. It is noisy, however, and try not to go during the dinner rush. This place is pretty much always busy though so don't be surprised if there is a wait even at an "off" hour.
Not sure what else I can say, the desserts are stellar if you're a chocolate lover.
There's this whisper in my head whenever I go to Max Brenner. (Okay, there are whispers in my head outside of Max Brenner's too.) "Expensive ... expensive ... whoa, expensive ..."
As a general rule, $13 is too much to pay for dessert, no matter how good it may be. ... The one exception is chocolate fondue, of course. Om nom nom.
That said, the cooling weather makes a visit or two to Max Brenner essential. Yes, their heart cakes are $13. But that red heart with the melting raspberry inside and the raspberry yogurt on the side? Sometimes, you have to show the dough for quality.
One thing to love about Max Brenner, beyond just the chocolate: the hours on the door. "9am til late." Late? Is this ... New York "late" or Virginia "late"? I've lived both places, and they're veeeery different.
On a recent Sunday night, it was New York late. There's nothing more logical than craving dessert after a full day of drinking beer and watching football and baseball, right? (... *blink*) So we decided to see if Max Brenner was open. At 11pm on a Sunday night, the place was still going strong. In fact, there was a wait. Late night craving fix? My scale says woe but my tummy says woohoo!
Note to the wise: do not even think of coming here during peak hours after Halloween. The holidays jam-pack Max Brenner like a line to see Santa Claus.
Oh, and their little boxed chocolates make great stocking stuffers. Mmm...chocolate...
This place is okay and not usually my first choice, unless I really need a place to sit down after a long walk from Canal St.
The chocolate drink is amazing, but the salad/ sandwich is not as good as it is priced. I usually go to the Max Brenner in West Village and the service is below par. Don't really like the seating arrangement. Service is kind of slow.
First of all, I LOVE chocolate, so he's got me there.
Try the red heart. PERFECT! The chocolate syringe is a nice novelty, and I love sharing the chocolate pizza with friends!
Great gift sets for any occasion, especially those involving romance! Ooo la la!
We had brunch here, and it was good. Our server was above average. The food was just okay. Everything had sugar. Even the side of sausage which comes pre-cut and toothpicked on a long tray sitting in individual pools of maple syrup and lightly covered with powdered sugar. The menu just said, side of chicken apple sausage, not extremely sugared meat. The egg dish I had was okay (and thankfully not covered in sugar), but nothing spectacular. They were able to seat a table of 11 without much of a wait, so that was great. The chocolate things we tried weren't that spectacular. I would recommend the waffle fries and onion rings though. They were really good with very interesting dipping sauces. Everything I had with chocolate was kind of meh. Not out of this world, but good enough.
The little chocolate store in the front of the restaurant was cool and the clerks were very nice. They have a pretty big selection of truffles and other confections. We got a few gifts to take home. They have chocolate covered waffles which I wished we had gotten for ourselves.
It was a good experience going here, but I don't think I would go out of my way to go back next time we're in NYC.
Do you like chocolate? Then you will love Max Brenner! The smaller your party is, the more likely you'll be seated asap, even during the prime weekend brunch hours. A wide variety of chocolate-based items available for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and of course dessert. Duh). They also have regular food available, but why anyone would get that is beyond me.
There's really not much else to say. Go. Enjoy. Just be careful not to overdo it.
This fondue is a MUST! The hot cocoa menu is lengthy and does not disappoint!
Great for groups, great for families with kids. Great for tourists. :) The restaurant feels very clean (in a Disney-esque, corporate owned kind of way).
5 stars for Max Brenner!
I am a chocolate lover, hands down. The decor is pretty interesting. I've been here a couple of times and even took my friends here, who lives out of town and they loved it too. Downside, everytime I come here there's always a wait. I love their strawberry milkshake! The chocolate pizza was just too much for me and this is coming from a chocolate lover. I do love their fondue. I find this place more for their desserts rather than for their actual food. I also like their small little shop for chocolates and mugs and stuff. I find the hugmugs really cute!
This place is really a 2 and a half stars.
Over crowded but that's because it is CHOCOLATE and who doesn't like chocolate? But most people here are not foodies, Chefs or anyone with an even moderately developed palette. The chocolate it mediocre but if you are in need of a fix the hot chocolate is all right (Italian hot cocoa) and the 80's milkshake is good.
Other than that the food sucks and the service is horrible. The staff is not organized the management team has no control and there is no flow to the front of the house. I would be scared to see the mess in the back of the house (kitchen).
I have to laugh at some of these reviews, though. It's funny when people write stuff like "everything is covered in sugar" - it's a chocolate place. What did you think it was going to be? Your dentist isn't exactly going to recommend this place... I feel like the food snobs are in full effect here! So what if a place has been on food network? Honestly, it's chocolate heaven so I don't care!
You may spend a little more here, but the food is pretty good and the chocolate? AMAZING. I had the Mexican hot chocolate (dark) and it was divine. Spicy and sweet and very rich. I also had a turkey crepe, and it was good - but the real star of the savory-side show was the cocoa and chili powder dusted waffle fries.
Plenty of chocolate options but definitely recommend the chocolate drinks. And I've heard the S'mores (you toast your own marshmallows) are great, too, but didn't have the opportunity to try them.... yet....
The lines are usually long, I dont like that they serve food too. I get why they do it. I have never tried it, but I would like them to be specialized in chocolate, I would respect them more. I also dont love how close the tables are to each other and if I am trying to enjoy my fondue and the guy at the table next to me, is trying to enjoy his burger, it just messes with my experience in terms of the odors.
Ok, I sound picky now. Their chocolate/desert menu is very impressive, lots of choices, nothing is the best of its category but its a good place to come and get a choice of deserts. I wish the portions were a little smaller so I could try more than one thing each time I go. I also wish the music wasnt so loud, if its a saturday night and I am there, at 1 am, I made that choice over being at a club, so why are you doing this?
Great waffles, Bad service.
Ok, it was my bday and I was lucky to come in and get a seat right away on a Tuesday night.
We ordered two hot chocolates. It was warm! Disgusting. I had to request them to warm it up again and the waiter made a face when I called him right back because he took just one of the cups.
I ordered the banana split waffle (I'm not sure of the exact name) and requested the ice cream to be caramel instead of vanilla. They forgot that and had to bring me a scoop of caramel ice cream upon second request.
And then, they never served us water. I had to request for it after I paid, realizing how much I needed it after all the sweets that I had. And I had to ask two different waiters for that because the first one totally forgot about it. And when the water was finally served, after drinking, I realized the glass was dirty! It had like dried dishwashing soap on the outside. And that was just it.
We brought the glass to the receptionist, told her what happened and she offered to call the manager for it. I didn't even want to deal with that and just told her to tell him/her instead.
This was a cute place known for its amazing chocolate.. Okay so Big deal it's chocolate.. However after my first lick of their chocolate shot served with my "lava type " cake paired with berries and ice cream I was in Ecstasy seriously made me moan.. Amazing way to spend money on dessert!!!
I love chocolate and am willing to pay good $$$$ for it, but I have to say, the whole experience of waiting in line for 1+ hour in a crowded restaurant as the hostesses rudely yell at everyone to move is pretty unpleasant. And the whole system is ridiculous. I mean, I understand waiting in line...it's a fairly common thing in NYC on Saturday night. But (1) we couldn't hear the hostess calling people's names so we tried to move a bit closer to the front only to be (2) yelled at by another hostess to move back into the "Chocolate Shop" which was (3) completely overcrowded anyway. They also completely screwed up the list. Some genius decided to have 2 people in the front w/ clipboards taking down names and then passing their lists to the main hostess desk. But they completely failed to realize that the first hostess to turn in her list would have all of her people called before anyone on the second list, even though they could have arrived at the same time or earlier. And so instead of waiting the 45 minutes quoted, we waited for an hour and a half (while watching people who came in after us get called in). RIDICULOUS!!
But the chocolate is admittedly very very delish, so 3 stars it is.
When I walked in, I had a feeling I stepped into Willy Wonka's chocolate room. The atmosphere was dark and they had pipes that looked like chocolate was running through them. As a girl, I was in heaven.
My girlfriends and I went on a Sunday night and man, it was PACKED. We waited for over an hour for our seats, but I suppose it was worth it.
We were escorted to a table upstairs and we settled on some things to split. We got the banana and nutella crepe, the fondue, and the chocolate pizza. (On another occasion I had gotten the chocolate molten cake thing). Everything was good and it was really fun to be there with the girls.
Chocolate pizza was featured on Food Network's best thing I ever ate, but it was a bit disappointing. Fondue was pretty standard, though i was impressed that they gave you a flame to roast your marshmallows on before dipping them into either dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or caramel. Very nice touch. The chocolate cake was your standard molten cake that you can get from Fridays or Chili's. But the crepe was the star of the night! It was beautifully made and was so DELICIOUS!
The night was fully of yumminess, but due to the wait and the price, i think i'll pass on future visits.
Finally made it to Max Brenner after watching Aaron Sanchez claiming that their Chocolate and Smores Pizza to be one of the best things that he ever ate. In addition to my friends and family that have been going gaga over this special treat.
The place was pretty much like a zoo, super packed. The wait to get a table was 1-1.5 hrs and we decided to get a slice of Chocolate and Smores Pizza to go. The trip to Union Square was worth every single second and the pizza was unbelievable. Literally, the best pizza we have ever had our entire lives. Seriously!
The chocolate and smores melted in our mouths and savored every single bite. We are officially addicted and would definitely come back every time we go visit NYC. Still dreaming and salivating over those Chocolate and Smores pizza.
I want one, NOW!
Corporate. Chocolate.
If you're looking for a streamlined chocolate haven that's reminiscent of the Cheesecake Factory, then go see the bald man. Max Brenner has some pretty good, indulgent treats (as well as normal entree food) that he shares on an international scale. The chocolate cake is pretty rich, and the smores come out like a mini-lab experiment. There's a DIY sundae, and the chocolate pizzas are sugar-overloads that make my teeth hurt. The hot chocolate is rich and heavy but served in cute mugs.
Max Brenner's a fine date if you want to stay corporate - but there are other dessert places that hit the sweet spot better than Brenner. Try Veniero's (it's around the area) or the Chocolate Room (in Brooklyn) instead.
This review is strictly for the Vanilla Profiterole Fondue Skewers.
They give you these skewers with creme puffs filled with some sort of custard, milk chocolate fondue, vanilla sauce and these little chocolate-covered krispies.
The milk chocolate is heavenly and the vanilla sauce I can do without, so I always ask for two things of chocolate and they're nice enough to do it.
I highly recommend everyone go try it!
This place is amazing for breakfast or an afternoon treat. Everything on their menu tastes like heaven melted itself in a fondue pot and simmer in sugary goodness until it hit your lips.
I highly recommend the crepes,waffles, and mochas. All the desserts are obviously good, especially the shakes and smoothies. Try some of their fruit/chocolate fusion stuff, really to die for (I mean, Heaven is already in your mouth, so no worries). AND the one thing you have to eat there that isn't chocolate is the apple-chicken sausage. It will make you stop pretending you are a vegetarian
It can take a while to get seated, but they are pretty quick and have a cute gift shop to entertain you. Seating is tight, but where isn't it in NYC?
The only thing that made this almost not a 5 is the nighttime atmosphere. It turns very chic club, with little light at night, which might be your scene, but I like to savor my chocolate with all my senses and needed to see and hear it.
Really the menu is kinda blah. Here its all about the sweets. They have an extensive dessert menu and the items are really creative. The kind of stuff someone with alot of time could only dream up. Go for dessert, skip dinner.
I love you, Max Brenner.
My extremely wise friend/ food gourmand took me here when I asked her to pick a place to eat... Boy did I luck out. And oh, Ms. Sacci, you've been holding out.
Presentation and attention to detail is incredible, with every glance there is something new to see. With every drink/entree/dessert coming out of the kitchen, more to "ooh" "ahh" and discuss.
I have been dying to try a recipe I've had for awhile called "Chocolate Gravy". Well, they served it with a warm buiscuit topped with sugar. It was devine. Mix that and an eggs/hashbrown breakfast with a warm cup of hot milk chocolate in a "hug mug" and you have one happy girl.
Max Brenner, I will be back. And yes, I will make it my mission to try each and every one of your delicious offerings.
The only thing I have ever had here is the milk chocolate hot chocolate.
(Well, that's a lie. I had the hazelnut and banana crepe, which was AMAZING.)
Back to the hot chocolate. Please just try the hot chocolate. It's liquid heaven.
This review is solely for their dessert, I didn't have any food here...
With that being said, this place must get packed with PMSing women around their time of the month, because its billed as a chocolate haven,..
It was a beautiful evening so the hubby and I were walking around enjoying all the sights and sounds of the city. When Max Brenner and the wafting smell of chocolate tickled my nose. Yep, gotta try this place.
We sat outside on the patio and waited, and waited, and waited until finally we finally got service.
I wanted to get the churro fondue but they were out. Hmm, must've sold out while we were waiting. Oh, well we got the chocolate fondue for two and a hug mug of a chocolate mocha.
My mocha came out and it was creamy and delicious with that deep chocolate taste. yummy.
Then our fondue came out...bread, graham crackers, fruit and marshmallows just waiting to be dipped in the warm chocolate sauce along with peanut butter, and jam.
It was utterly delicious and worth the wait.
Yep, I can imagine all the women here now bitching about their husbands, bloating and general discomfort. They should change the name from Max Brenner to PMS Bitch Spot. Or at least do a marketing campaign...Just Sayin'
This place just might be a good enough reason to move back to the East coast. Their banana nutella crepes are the best ever and all 3 martinis we had were excellent. We tried a total of 6 items and they were all amazing. If you like chocolate, this is the place for you.
An open letter to: Max Brenner.
Maxie, Max, Max. Ya gone and done it again like so many others have, haven't you? When they first told me your place was like a "chocolate factory," my eyes glimmered. I imagined chocolate rivers flowing in abundance, intrusive cocoa vines poking their little heads out, wrapped around bulky chocolate trees, and huge windows enveloping the scene -- with a few midgets dancing and all the rest.
Yes, it was going to be a real production of Maxie 'n' the Choco Factory. And I had won the Golden Ticket and was visiting!
OK, OK, maybe I didn't REALLY expect all that, but I still had pretty high hopes as I stood outside your store front. Waiting for the group to arrive, I scanned the menu. "Chocolate pizza ... not bad," I thought. And then I walked in, and it smelled like factory indeed, a massive factory processing chocolate by the ton.
It tasted like it too, when, after an hour's wait, I finally sank my teeth into the pizza and the familiar taste hit me: Nutella.
Maxie, the pizza was OK. The fondue? Not bad either. But I'm certain that I can make that pizza at home, and it shouldn't be like that. Cuz if I can make it myself, why would I stop by and pay you a visit (and $13)? My point is, it's fine if you're not going to do flowing rivers and vats of chocolate, but if you commit to the pizza concept instead, please do it well and creatively.
Fault me for my big imagination, if you like, but that's how good ideas are born and sustained. You could have done SO many things with a chocolate pizza ... you could have made the bottom layer with cake, the "pizza sauce" with molten chocolate, the cheese with a dash of white chocolate, and then topped the whole concoction with flattened marshmallows in the shape of mushrooms! Or you could have wrapped a molten chocolate cake in a fine layer of dark chocolate carved out to look like pizza! Or it could have been a delicious chocolate cookie in the shape of a pizza, served alongside different pizza toppings (marshmallows shaped like mushrooms, strawberries shaped like peppers, bananas like onions, etc.) so we could build our own pizzas!
See, it took me a minute there to come up with a cool idea. Instead, what did you do? You served me a dry piece of bread with Nutella and store-bought marshmallows crammed on top, and you called it a day. And on top of that, you charged $13 for it! Geez, Max, it's a freakin recession, for one. But even if it wasn't, buddy, the Europeans came up with bread and Nutella way before you did, so give it up already and come up with your own idea.
It's tough love, Maxie, suck it up. Why 3 stars then, you'll ask moping? Well, it wasn't that your performance was terrible ... no, because any fool can make tried-and-true things taste OK, and you did too. So if I was ever having a choco craving and was too tired to walk anymore and passing by here, I might give you another try. But if I really wanted to challenge myself chocomentally, I'd probably make the trek a few blocks down to one of the better bakeries of the village.
That's all. Sorry for trashing your house, Maxie, but truth had to be told ... now go clean up your pad.
Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of
Pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination
We'll begin
With a spin
Traveling in
The world of my creation
What we'll see
Will defy
Explanation
Yep. That pretty much sums up this fantasmagorical emporium of delight. The schnozberries taste like schnoberries!
I'd passed by the other Max Brenner near NYU a couple years ago and had been intrigued by the bald man, so when my colleague suggested we go here for my last lunch in NYC, I said, why not? I do love chocolate, after all.
When we got here the chocolate pipes up above instantly made me think I'd fallen into Willy Wonka's factory, and the quotes on the walls and in the menu confirmed Max Brenner's vision as the same. We started with drinks - I had a chocolate martini, and it was rich and smooth. I expected a more alcohol-y flavor or overly creamy taste but it was neither. It was a pure experience that was both intoxicating (not literally) and delicious. We split an order of waffle fries and the sauce that came with it was a spicy mayo-ketchup kind of thing. Yummy.
For our main entrees, we had a pasta, a quesadilla, and a mac and cheese. Yes, we were on cheesy overload, and the portions and flavors were beyond belief. The mac and cheese was crusty on top, thick all the way through with bacon inside and it came with marinara and sliced tomatoes on the side.
I can't believe the food was so good, but indeed it was. It reminds me a bit of the cheesecake factory, but not nearly as expensive and doubly delicious. Plus the wait isn't as long as CF and the service was fantastic. Next time I find myself in Manhattan, I'll make time to step away to a world of pure imagination.
A great shop/cafe for chocolate fiends. When I used to live in NYC, I would often meet up with my girl friends here for a hot chocolate or fondue before embarking on an energy-draining shopping extravaganza in Union Sq, Noho/Soho.
On the other hand, not such a fan of the food here. Overpriced mediocre fare. As other reviewers have commented, go here for the chocolates and desserts.
Oh, Max, you satisfy my every chocolatey need.....
xoxo
Currently my dad is visiting from Florida. As much as I don't mind being a tourist in my own city, he is the epitome of "those people". (ie; "WOW! This street is like a carnival! Or Disneyland!" -Dad, as we approach 42nd Street at 8th avenue....)
ANYWAYS, I brought him to Max Brenner's and it brightened my whole day!
He compared it to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory at first sight of the chocolate shoppe!
Even though we had to wait a little while, we got to look at all the cool chocolate souvenirs and saved time by browsing the menu which could probably take around 3 hours to read in detail!
The desserts weren't extravagant or anything, but they were fun! We got fondue and chocolate pizza which were both yummy enough.
Service was a little bleh but it was super busy in there!
Overall, if you like chocolate, and a chocolatey atmosphere, and you're with out - of - towners who want to do something fun after dinner, this is a great place.
If you're coming to Max Brenner, have the chocolate fondue set. If you don't, you'll see it on other people's table and regret your decision.
The food was mediocre - I had a plain mushroom omelet, blah.
Expensive for dessert! The atmosphere was great, though. I came here with my siblings and I think it's definitely better for couples. How they presented the food was very artsy and I liked that.
Screw you, Max Brenner, for scamming your customers into paying exorbitant prices for mediocre desserts. Screw me for having eaten here 4 times. But this last time was was the worst... the finale.
We waited 45 minutes for our orders, skipping the savory foods and ordering off the sweets menu. I received the wrong dessert. Notified waiter, who replies 'Oh yah, let me check. Yah, sorry, that's the wrong order. Is that okay?' Uhm, awkward silence follows while I think about how to answer this question. Friend asks, 'How long would it take to get the right order?' Waiter responds, 'Oh, that would take a really long time.' Which totally makes sense since I got the gourmet chocolate air-blown crisp made by elves uh, NO. I got an ice cream sandwich - two cookies (pre-made) with ice cream (I'm assuming pre-made too) in the middle. Fine, I'll keep it. Yet, waiter still charges me for wrong order.
Maybe if the ice cream in front of me hadn't melted all over the table into puddles since it arrived so late I would've eaten more. Or if it wasn't so damn sweet it hurt my teeth.
Such a gimmicky place, Max Brenner is suitable for kids and trying at least once, but not for those looking for quality chocolate. It's plain idiotic to charge $14 for an ice cream sundae. There better be caviar and foie gras and gold leaf and unicorn dust in that sundae. If I want to pay that much for touristy ice cream, I'll go to Serendipity where it at least tastes good. Once is enough.
It is always a great place to go with a group of friends and indulge in chocolatey heaven. Of course not the best top of the line chocolate but I do not think anyone goes to Max Brenner expecting that. They expect a fun time with friends while satisfying a sweet tooth.
The Italian thick hot chocolate is a must have.
I had the granita before...wasn't a fan. it was very watery.
