Max’s Wine Dive

MAX's Wine Dive opened in May and the many promises to be a great addition to the downtown Austin dining scene were kept. This place was designed to be a laid-back and comfortable restaurant, blending a casual, industrial feel with a top-notch food and wine program. They serve "gourmet comfort food" and wines from around the world. The mantra of Max’s is "Fried Chicken and Champagne? Why the Hell Not?" That is good and all, but we opted for the $18 Kobe Beef Burger and it was worth every penny. The burger is served up with some really awesome French fries. The suggest a great Zinfandel to go along with it, but this evening we opted not to have any wine, but all the people around us really seemed to enjoy their glasses, and some, their bottles of great wines. We found quite a few 20-somethings sitting at the bar next to a 60-something – each drinking the same Aussie Shiraz with the "Texas Haute Dog" and listening to killer tunes from the juke box. The music, while great, is very loud. The conversations are just as loud, so don’t expect to come in and have a nice quite dinner. It really added to that warehouse feel.

The restaurant is open until the wee hours of the morning on many nights the pace shines with its "late night menu" and "reverse happy hour." Sunday brunch features fried chicken and pancakes... not to mention some serious mimosas. The restaurant is really unique in the sense that you can purchase that same great bottle of wine and take it home with you. No need to stop at the store and hope you find that same label. The prices of the wine are reasonable and you will find a variety suitable for a king. “Dive” into this place once andI am sure you will want to go back again.