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Max's Memphis Barbecue Restaurant
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Max's Memphis Barbecue Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Best BBQ in the Hudson Valley for real."
(in 3 reviews)
"Three of us loved the pulled pork with collard greens and..."
(in 8 reviews)
"...here in years since my wife graduated from Bard College."
(in 3 reviews)
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24 reviews in English
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Review from jian cai z.
Red Hook, NY
9/1/2011
I have to say this this place is pretty good! The service was really good. They started out with cornbread. I have to say they were really tasty. I ordered the combo of spicy sausage and bbq chicken. Really tasty. You have to try it out yourself to know how good it is. The sides I got were chili and cole slaw. The chili was good, but not the cole slaw.
I would come around 5:30-6:00pm to avoid the crowd. -
Review from Mandie V.
Catskill, NY
I feel like Max's getting three stars from me is partially my own fault, because I was expecting greatness and got....meh. I feel like Max's is a little confused....this building with columns, and it's a BBQ joint? Alright, enough, it's about the food....
Ok, wait, before I get to the food. The tables are small. Narrow, and small. Once they brought the food out, it was even tighter. I don't know how you can get all up in your ribs and such without injuring your fellow diners. Ok, NOW on to the food...
The cornbread they bring out was fine. We ordered two dinners, you order your protein and get two sides. Hubs got the pulled pork, chili and mac&cheese as his sides. He also had wings. I didn't try the wings, but he devoured them and said they were good. His pulled pork was ROCKIN delicious, and it was an enormous pile of meat. The mac&cheese was...fine. Mine is better, but this wasn't horrible, just nothing special about it to me. The chili had no meat in it, and was alright, a little soupy for our liking. I got the brisket, with cheese grits and baked beans. The brisket was good, didn't realize that there were carmellized onions underneath it, and the horseradish sauce that came with it was pretty good too. The cheese grits were delicious, and holy lord, they took up half my plate! The baked beans...man, I was so disappointed. I love baked beans, and there was a flavor in these I couldn't put my finger on, but I couldn't eat them. There was nothing WRONG with them, just whatever flavor it was I just could not eat. Oh, the salads that came on the plate were unexpected and delicious! That was a nice surprise.
Oh, they sell cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $3. Just another thing that confused me about this place. Low-lit dining room, $3 can of PBR?
It was good enough, we probably would've enjoyed the dining experience more if the snobby folks behind us weren't so friggin loud and obnoxious, but oh well. All in all, we wouldn't drive the hour to go back. -
Review from Gregg W.
West Park, NY
2/4/2012
Service is good, maybe a little bit too hovering for a couple out when no one is waiting for a table. Nice cozy place.
A lot of food, well prepared. Horseradish sauce served on the side was too tame. Come on this isn't Arbys.
Wine by the glass could be upgraded. Maybe offer more than one Chard, the Chilean one offered tastes like bathwater.
Nice beer selection. -
Review from Andy T.
Hollywood, FL
12/31/2011
Max's Memphis BBQ has the best ribs, pulled pork, and mashed potatoes I've had in the longest time. If you like their freshly made BBQ sauce, don't forget to buy a jar or two to take home and impress your friends when you are doing your own grilling.
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Review from Quang N.
Woburn, MA
5/9/2011
Haven't eaten here in years since my wife graduated from Bard College. I still remember the ribs, cornbread, crab cakes and greens from Max's...
Whenever my wife and I have a craving for BBQ we would think of Max's and reminisce about those tasty dinners we had there....
This review is based on my memory of the place and not having eaten there recently. Though it seems some things might have changed in the past few years just skimming through the other reviews, but my wife and I will have to pay Max a visit if we're ever passing through. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Poughkeepsie, NY
3/9/2011
Max's is ok for a local BBQ fix. I don't think there is another BBQ place around so it's certainly cornered that market. It is not overpriced for a restaurant in general, but often BBQ is street food and priced so. Entrees here will range from $16-$25.
The staff has always been young and friendly, though certainly not foodservice professionals...it is a BBQ joint so we aren't expecting first class service. The tables are comfortably spaced apart and it's decorated nicely. The margaritas are very good.
All that being said, the BBQ itself isn't so great. My pulled pork was not as tender as it should be and it was also quite dry. I will say that it's one of my favorite foods and I eat A LOT of it so perhaps I'm a bit more critical than the average customer. The sides are better so it hasn't ruined my experiences. All in all, I like Max's and will continue to patronize. One note--they do tend to close on the early side--sometimes earlier than the time advertised, just an FYI. -
Review from Harold M.
Red Hook, NY
9/4/2011
Not a real barbecue place.
There is nothing I have tried that's good.
Chicken brisket ribs baked beans all edible but zero flavor.
The side dishes the same us the portions are rather stingy. -
Review from Queen G.
Bronx, NY
7/2/2011
This is an ok spot, with some good deals on bbq. They have a .10 cent wing night, and there wings are pretty good. I went with a large group for dinner once, and the dinner wasn't so great, especially for the price. It was a lot of meat! (i know its a bbq place but still). The staff is great and restaurant is cozy. I would come for wing night, dinner is questionable.
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Review from Sam E.
New York, NY
2/14/2011
It is a nice place that is inviting with good service. At the end of the day, however, it comes down to the BBQ. It just simply was not that great. The flavor was not there and did not really do justice to one's expectations.
The final hint was as we drove out from the parking lot we saw the large containers of commercial BBQ sauce piled near the dumpster. A BBQ place that does not make it's own BBQ sauce can't be taken seriously. -
Review from Nora L.
Poughkeepsie, NY
11/19/2010
I was here on a busy Saturday night. Service was a little slow. Ambiance was acceptable, although the place is a bit cramped. There was no wait for a table, though, so there's that.
I was disappointed with the food, though. For a place that claims to be the best in the area, the pulled pork lacked flavor and was tough, and the macaroni and cheese was no better than the average cafeteria. My dining companion had the brisket and also found it lacking.
I love BBQ, and have been to many places, from the Carolinas to Kansas City, and all I can say about Max's is that it is indeed BBQ in the Hudson Valley. It may be the "best" in the area, but it has a long way to go to live up to the standards of other regions. -
Review from Willis W.
Rhinebeck, NY
4/26/2008 1 photo
Me & Max's have been tight for 6 years. Best BBQ in the Hudson Valley for real. The ribs, the pulled pork, the crab cakes, the whole damn menu melts in your mouth baby.
The atmosphere is genuine and warm. The patrons and the staff are always friendly. The staff are my peeps man. I eat here, party here, I DJ here; it's the hot spot in Red Hook.
You can keep Rhinebeck with its fake "New Hamptons" attitude. My ass is at Max's. You sleep on Max's, your ass is missing out. I would give this place six stars if I could. Never have I ordered something and say to myself "why did I order that?" Kenny, the head chef can throw down with the best of them son. MAX'S. It's BBQ. Best in NY. Any Questions?Listed in: Best Places to find me…
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Review from Mike W.
Woodstock, NY
Updated - 8/20/2009
Max's consistently touts the titles "Best BBQ in the Hudson Valley," but really, who's your competition? What gets me is the claim "Best BBQ in the Northeast!" Quite a bold statement considering the far superior Capital Q Smokehouse sits about 55 miles north in Albany.
Here's my biggest issue: the sauce. Fine Max, you prefer the thick and sweet Kansas City style sauce. People like the sweet stuff and you gotta keep up with the demand, but at least offer different varieties for those who don't care for this style! Especially since you don't even make your own sauce. According the the staff, someone named "Kenny" makes the sauce specifically for Max's. Hmm. Not so sure how I feel about a BBQ place that doesn't even make it's own sauce...
Onto the meat. I choose the pulled pork sandwich on my latest visit and was rather disappointed. The torpedo shaped bun, already soggy by the time the sandwich hit the table, lacked the integrity to stand up against the pork and quickly fell apart. The ribs were cooked fine, though I prefer a dry rub opposed to ribs slathered in their sauce.
Max's does do some things well. I really enjoy their BBQ wings, their sides and the chicken sandwich (where the chicken has been cooked with a sort of dry rub). I downgrade this with a heavy heart. Max's, I still like you after all these years but unless you change, I'm keeping this at three stars.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/20/2008
A legendary figure in my life, who also happened to frequent Max's on a daily basis, once dressed up… Read more »
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Review from Lindsay D.
North Babylon, NY
2/19/2008
After a day of learning how to snowboard (aka tumbling down Belleayre Mountain with the words "toeside turn! toeside turn!" providing the background music) a bunch of us decided to head over to Max's in Red Hook for some BBQ.
First of all, the food was awesome - from the free corn bread to the sides (garlic mashed potatoes mixed with corn - my own personal preference) to the entrees my tummy was a happy camper. Hands down the best BBQ in upstate NY outside my parent's backyard (my pops knows his way around the grill).
Second of all, the price was so right it hurt. When we looked at the cost for our portion (three entrees, an appetizer, and two beers) it was well under $70. WHAT?!? Coming from NYC and looking at the amount of food we had been handed, I was expecting to at least drop $100.
Thanks, Max's, for being another awesome upstate NY find. -
Review from Julio H.
New York, NY
5/5/2007 1 photo
Was on my way back from Kingston, New York which had me passing by Red Hook. When in Red hook, you need to stop at Max's Memphis Barbecue. This is my favorite Barbecue place on the Northeast. I had the Beef Brisket which just dissolved in my mouth. I bit the hand off of my guest who attempted to have a taste. Prices are reasonable, the wait staff is attentive , young and pretty (females).
Has a nice bar for when things are busy and you have to wait for a table. -
Review from Bo B.
Cold Spring, NY
3/24/2010
Ate at Max's back in, maybe, '99 or so. Remember good things. Want to try it again.
Anyplace with Memphis in the title (unless they're serving Egyptian food) is a place I will give you a good assessment of. I'll keep you posted. -
Review from Alonna L.
Hyde Park, NY
9/16/2011
Love the wings and homemade bleu cheese. Great atmosphere, friendly staff... Mac n cheese a bit dry but mashed potatoes are fabulous, love the littlecsalad that comesvw entrees also
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Review from John R.
Hadley, MA
Updated - 8/20/2011
Had it recently, much better this time around. Cornbread was still eh, but the chicken was excellent and so was the mac n cheese.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/6/2011
I liked it ok, but not setting my world on fire. Side dishes could be better/more "down home." For… Read more »
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Review from Eve S.
8/2/2010
I'm giving 3 stars but it was really a 3.25ish. My friend's rehearsal dinner was at Max's and to be honest I had lowish expectations. I was pleasantly surprised-normally in a situation like this the portions are small but the portions were quite big-the piece of cedar plank salmon that people had was HUGE. The servers were a bit harried but it all worked out. Can't really speak to what it is like when you are not at an event.
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Review from Jason R.
Manhattan, NY
1/24/2011
Having gone to Bard College (graduated May '10) me and my friends would often come here for Tuesday night wings (used to be 30 cent wings, then went up to 40 cents...damn inflation).
I will caveat that I haven't been here since I graduated, but the wings were always very good. The hot is definitely hot, and sometime in the last year they got a new chef--a Mexican guy I think--so what used to constitute hot is probably more like medium now. For the truly brave they also have a habenero sauce, but even as a lover of spicy food, I had to get the waitress to bring me a glass of milk because my mouth was absolutely burning.
It used to be absolute chaos to get in for wings, because they restricted it to the bar, so unless you got there right at opening at 5 PM you could easily be waiting an hour to get a seat, but I think they've opened up the whole restaurant for wing night now, which helps a lot.
As for the rest of their food, I didn't eat it that often, but it was pretty good from what I had. I had this really great beef rib there, but I think they stopped serving it, sadly. Their normal menu is also about average pricewise ($10-$15 for most entrees I think), but as a college student, I was mostly interested in their cheap wing night.
A few notes on service: the service can deteriorate when it gets really busy. Since I was mostly going there for wings and maybe one or two of their drink specials (like a can of PBR or a frozen margarita which on wing night would run you $2-$3), and spending under $10 (with tip) for a meal that would leave you absolutely stuffed, I'm not really complaining and I'm not going to deduct a star. I would probably be miffed if I was spending more money there, though.
There was also this absolutely miserable bartender who worked there--he actually argued with me when I was trying to order a coffee instead of a drink when sitting at the bar, I was sick and had class afterward, not that either should have mattered--but the bartender before him was really nice and I don't know if the bad bartender is still working there, so I'm not going to deduct a star for him.
For what I went there for, the wings, I liked it very much. The wings were very good and it was a great place to have a weekly off-campus dinner with my friends. The main ding is for the service, it was especially frustrating that it could take a good bit of waiting to actually pay and get out of there. It's on this basis that I'm giving it a 4/5. -
Review from Junah C.
New York, NY
8/4/2010
The ribs here are pretty damn good. Also the pulled pork. I instantly thought that it is much better than any bbq in manhattan, which isn't saying all that much, I know.
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Review from David J.
Woodstock, NY
11/20/2010
Three of us loved the pulled pork with collard greens and garlic mashed. A little loud when busy, but the ambience rocks....my friend said he wanted to redo his house in the style they used. Young staff is inexperienced but very pleasant and get the job done. Portions were generous and prices very reasonable....will definitely be back a third time!
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Review from Morgan P.
Staatsburg, NY
8/11/2010
Very large restaurant with a lively bar that serves up pretty good BBQ (I'd prefer to give it 3.5 stars).
You certainly can't be a snob in this place...it serves all kinds and your bound to get messy. -
Review from Steven S.
Salt Point, NY
11/8/2010
Great decor and I would visit the bar again some time. Food was good, especially the brisket. Service though leaves much to be desired. Our waitress was well-meaning, but as soon as a table of five was seated nearby, we were suddenly ignored for the rest of our meal. We were not brought any water and our second round of drinks, which we ordered when our entrees arrived, only came to the table after we had finished our entrees. We sent the drinks back and got the hell out. Noticed other tables having issues with the non-attentive young wait staff. Be warned.
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Review from Fran T.
Putnam Valley, NY
4/10/2011
The ribs were tough, dry and tasteless. The brisket was dry. The pulled pork was very sweet. The only thing good about this restaurant is that it is close to Bard College where we were going to a concert.
