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Nestled in the heart of downtown Lancaster’s booming restaurant scene is one that’s different from the rest. Not to be mistaken for a diner with its bright blue 50s inspired chairs, Max’s is more than that. It’s located where the bougie Aussie & the Fox used to be and barely recognizable as such. There’s nothing fancy or pretentious about it. No chalkboard noting local farms where the food is from. But there is a giant neon sign behind the bar where assistant manager Michelle Malec mixes up Max’s famous boozy milkshakes. The same bar that people from all different walks of life pile in around for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late night fun. “We want you to eat too much, drink too much, take selfies with your friends...just like you would on vacation,” says Megan Titter, who co-owns and runs the restaurant alongside her husband and chef Matthew Titter. The menu is a vacation from strict diets for sure.
The fun part is a common theme in the food. After all, the restaurant is named for the couple’s son, Maximilian. “The bar is counter height because it’s open to everyone, so sometimes kids will sit next to an octogenarian talking about soda jerks,” who illustrates. “Max’s is a place to come and be happy and have fun,” says Megan.
“This menu and concept was driven by all the things I was hungry for, but there was no place to get them,” explains Matthew. As a chef, he was often driving home late at night, longing for a place like Max’s where he could grab a bite. He wanted to bridge the gap between the city’s offering of coffee shops and restaurants with $14 burgers with his “everyday eating concept.” Their food is also at an “everyday cost point,” Matthew explains, with the burger starting at $7. “The burger has become the gateway drug,” he jokes. It is so popular, they go through about 300 pounds a week of the “super fresh” custom blend served up on locally made Alfred and Sam’s rolls. Meanwhile, conversations with college students who live above the restaurant evolved into “stoner food” appearing on the menu in the form of Frito pie—a pile of Fritos with chef Chad Corradino’s special chili on top. Corradino was formerly the chef at The Belvedere, so this is quite a different style of cooking for him, but Matthew can’t say enough about Corradino’s comfort food capabilities in the kitchen at Max’s.
Some of the menu offerings “might tug at the heartstrings of a childhood memory,” says Matthew. The crispy fried chicken with hot sauce and blue cheese on top of a waffle is his favorite thing on the menu. “Waffles have become our vehicle of creativity,” Matthew says. Megan agrees, “The waffle game is strong.” Waffle Wednesdays sometimes feature fancy versions like braised pork with coleslaw, onion rings, and duck confit. And customers love the birthday waffles made with jimmies.
Max’s serves all-day breakfast, including a cereal bar for the kids and kids at heart. There are a couple vegetarian options, like a sweet potato hash and surprisingly nice salads, amid a mostly indulgent menu.
If you go, ask for the “secret shake menu” with expanded special offerings. And watch for the take-out window to open again this spring with walking street food options like waffles to go and ice cream.
A late night bar menu from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. features “tots and kookiness” like sloppy joes, hot dogs, and of course Max’s burgers. It draws everyone from millennials out on the town to partygoers dressed in suits and gowns after a wedding or gala.
Max’s also hosts a Sunday Supper Series once a month. Check the website for details and reservations, as some are family friendly while others are geared just toward adults.
“I feel like we’re the luckiest people in Lancaster. With the amount of hours we work, we [still] get to see all of our friends. The community has been really awesome from a support standpoint,” smiles Megan.
Max’s Eatery
38 W. King St., Lancaster / 717-984-6286 / maxseatery.com
