Max & Irma’s Kitchen

F*** me! Why haven’t I been here before? Every time my girlfriend lists off a string of restaurants to try, I have never once heard it on the list. To be honest, I was losing hope for this small town. I was going to ask if we could just stock up on Mac and cheese to tie me over until Vancouver.
Anyway, enough about disappointments and more about foodgasms. The service was great! Really attentive, friendly, sweet, prompt etc. She made me feel like a regular.
The Caesar salad was good but not as phenomenal as two other places I’ve been, but really good compared to most places. No anchovies = fake Caesar and this one had anchovies so it was already a step above most.
Now the star attraction I would happily order time and time again was the blackened catfish. It was done perfectly. The fish was moist and the seasoning was great. A bit spicy but not too much. The sides were so good with it. Man, perfectly executed dish. Most people who serve catfish skimp on the size and on the execution. I’ve had so many tiny size ones or ones where they deep fry it because they don’t know how else to do it. You’re in expert hands here, so order it knowing it’ll be having sexy times with your taste buds. Keep the moaning to a minimum so as to not scare away other customers.
The carrot cake was so moist. Yum! Please serve 5 more directly into my face! Please and thank you.
I’m trying to squeeze another visit before I go home. God knows I don’t think I can hold out until next summer.

Came here for dinner at around 6pm upon the recommendation of a coworker. Entered the restaurant to find it very empty. The restaurant has a diner/​de dutch type of décor and feel. On one wall were three chalk boards with the daily specials, wines and desserts. I opted for the main which was (word for word) chicken cutlets with house made lasagna — house made black pepper noodles layered with smoked BC tomatoes garlic sauce local zucchini local grilled chanterelle mushrooms Parmesan serves with focaccia bread with Garden salad to start. I feel sorry for the poor soul who had to write this. The pasta special was equally lengthy in description. They also had a pizza special supposedly made in a wood fire oven but it didn’t sound as appealing as the main.
Food didn’t take too long to come and when it did it was not what I expected. The chicken cutlet was literally a chicken cutlet. Look delicious though.
Taste-​wise, I was not super impressed. The lasagne was not piping hot and fell apart quite easily. The only flavor that I got was tomato sauce. I felt that the chicken cutlet though crispy and generously sized, would have been must more interesting if it was somehow incorporated into the lasagne. Despite being filling, this dish felt and tasted like something that I could have made at home.
For dessert, I ordered the tiramisu. It was surprisingly delicious. I would say that it redeemed my dining experience here.
Would I come back? Maybe. At the end of dinner, I was engaged in conversation with a nice elderly couple that quickly involved several tables. This is definitely a social place.

We difficult time deciding where to eat in Nelson but my parents recommended Max and Irma’s so we thought we would give it a try. Everything was excellent including the wine and salad. We had the chicken brie salad followed by the Greco pizza. The staff was friendly and the service was wonderful. It had outside seating. We would highly recommend it.

lamb shank is great!!!

A very busy place at lunch and for a good reason. The food is wonderfully prepared and delicious. Their soups are amazing, I would give 5 stars but the blue moose in hope wins that last star…(if you are a soup nut) but all in all max and Irma’s is not to be missed in Nelson, just be aware it’s busy, but you’ll be glad you did.
Their smoked salmon sandwich paired with a soup is my top choice.

In a town that’s chock full of restaurants, you need to be either different or consistent to stand out. I’ll give Max and Irma’s Kitchen much credit for the latter — they are a stalwart offer. Different they aren’t — this is a home-​grown version of what Olive Garden has become across the US.
So: food style is Mediterranean, leaning mostly towards Italian. It’s very populist — meaning that they provide what the majority want to eat, rather than going for exquisite creations. The menu is quite expansive, but nothing will really please a true foodie — but that’s not their pitch.
Quality is reasonable; service smart and chatty, atmosphere is bright and always quite lively; prices are fair for a mid-​market offer. And it’s been around for years — it’s a well-​managed business.
In summary — if you are looking for a mainstream, well done, home-​style Mediterranean restaurant, without pretensions, where the whole family will be welcome, then this is the best that Nelson has to offer.