Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery

Atlanta, United States

3.4

Open now

22 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 404-525-4400
Website:
www.maxlagers.com
Address:
320 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA, 30308
Downtown
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.2 miCivic Center
0.3 miCarnegie at Spring
0.4 miLuckie at Cone
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Garage, Street, Validated
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Open now
Local time (Atlanta) 21:55 Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Sunday 4:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Description

Specialties

Max Lager’s was one of the first restaurants to bring the fresh and natural wood-​fired menu concept to Atlanta.

All the menu items are prepared daily from scratch. Wood-​fired steaks, burgers, seafood, ribs, and pizza are Max Lager’s signature items. An inspired selection of entrée salads and pastas add variety to the American menu.

Max Lager’s offers an outstanding range of beers. Award-​winning master brewer, John Roberts, creates these flavorful and exclusive Max Lager’s recipes. We also offer Max Tap Rootbeer, carefully brewed by JR, as well as seasonal sodas including cream, ginger, orange, and grape.

In keeping with craft-​brewed beer, the wine selections at Max Lager’s are drawn from small American wineries, preferable family owned. The distinctive flavors of these craft-​made wines mirror the distinct flavors of Max Lager’s food and beer.

Max Lager’s also offers a variety of fresh-​squeezed fruit drinks, including Maxaritas and Hard Lemonades. Cheers!

History

Established in 1998.

Established in 1998 by Alan and Cindy LeBlanc and John Roberts, Max Lager’s was one of the first restaurants to bring wood-​fired cooking to Atlanta. And as the oldest brewery restaurant in Atlanta (and Georgia), Max Lager’s keeps things fresh with their hand-​crafted beers and fresh and homemade offerings from the grill to the table. Wood-​fired steaks, seafood, burgers and pizzas are complemented by gourmet salads to offer a balanced variety. From our Lamb Sliders and Georgia Peanut Strips to our San Francisco (udon noodle) salad and house smoked Niman ranch pork chop, our boutique wines from small family-​owned wineries, international bottled beer list, and our fresh squeezed cocktails, Max Lager’s keeps guests coming back!

Meet the Business Owner

Cindy L.

Business Owner

Cindy joined her husband Alan and her nephew John (JR) in this venture from the start. Her passion for farm to table foods comes from her mother who was raised on a farm during the depression era. From her regular Saturday jaunts to the farmer’s market with her mom in Northern Calif, Cindy learned the keys to selecting great product and the care necessary to maintain freshness, even with a bushel of peas!

Alan had the formal Cornell Hosp. training and the informal training in his parents’ inn and restaurants and JR was brewing beer in Boston when they decided to form their brainchild baby. Both Cindy and her husband were fresh from traveling and working in Russia and Eastern Europe in real estate development (Cindy’s a CPA and earned an MBA in real estate), and decided to plant roots in Atlanta and make Max Lager’s their base. They travel regularly to France and Belgium to enjoy the freshness and flavors of the French countryside and Belgian beers.

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22 reviews of Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery

No registration required
Place rating: 1
Monmouth Junction, NJ
Food is amazing and our waiter was super nice she was very patient as this was our first time and she explained the menu items and their chocolate cake is to die for absolutely drama cake
Food and service was great !! You would wonder why 3 stars
Since the food was so good I went back there the next day and I asked for a table for 1 now on Monday note they were relatively busy and tied up and the lady at the counter said sit at the bar and I requested can I have a table and she said there is a wait and I don’t know how long it will take I felt it was a bit rude
I just told them I will be back and they lost a star there I just felt since they were full they didn’t care about a single solo guy eating dinner
But go there for the food as the food is really good !!
6⁄15 I went back again and boy have they lost a client for good if this restaurant has a policy that every solo diner needs to sit on bar that’s a downright nasty and cheap behaviour I am absolutely disgusted by the way they treated me today if U are in town solo forget about this space they won’t honor ur presence at all
The guy said two tables are reserved if u want sit at the bar but we don’t have a space for u
Insulting BEHAVIOUR to their patrons I think they only want big parties
I have travelled across countries and dined at the finest and not so finest places but their attitude is just out of this world !!
Place rating: 3
Stuart, FL
Food was nothing special. Their smoked chicken wings are SO smokey that I couldn’t eat them. A little TMI but Daniel said he tasted them in his mouth for the entire rest of the day.
Their cheese flatbread is pretty standard issue. The beer is good though.
Place rating: 5
Cornelius, NC
This place is pretty amazing. My wife and I made a meal out of appetizers. The wings were amazing, spinach and artichoke dip was full of flavor and the Mac and cheese might be the best I’ve ever had. I would highly recommend this place if you are in the area and looking for good food with a good atmosphere and professional friendly staff.
Place rating: 1
Forsyth, GA
Terrible service. There were 20 tables available on a sat night and the manager would seat us. He gave me a line of lies but wouldn’t seat us.
Place rating: 3
Tallahassee, FL
Conveniently located for convention-​goers in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Max Lager is a safe, if hardly stellar choice.
The server was solicitous and helpful, but we waited 45 minutes for the main course to arrive.
The Caesar salad was served without croutons.
But my NY Strip steak, mashed potatoes and green beans was tasty, as was my wife’s Sausage and Fennel Pizza.
The IMOS Porter Stout was outstanding, and highly recommended as an order choice.
Were it not for the 45 wait for the main course, I would have rated this venue 4 stars.
Place rating: 4
Charlotte, NC
Found this place on a whim just wandering around downtown. Neat spot with great beers and great food. A little pricey but for the area it’s about norm.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
If Max Lager’s were just a bit cheaper, I’d probably give it four stars. But it’s Downtown Atlanta, which, I learned over the course of five nights visiting, has nothing affordably priced whatsoever. That’s probably the cost of eating within sight of your hotel, but still. Went one night as part of a party of fifteen on a Thursday night. It was fairly busy, but not enough to justify the food, which was ordered all at once, coming out over the course of twenty minutes. I had the fish and chips ($ 16), which, in fairness, was plentiful and very good (although fish and chips is pretty hard to mess up).
Other features: house-​brewed beers (the regular IPA and the seasonal porter were both excellent, and my friends enjoyed the ones I didn’t get to, so, what I’m saying is «Try the beer»), a spacious interior with high ceilings and lots of exposed brick, an outdoor patio behind the main restaurant. Dinner menu overall is heavy on steak, chops, and seafood. Next time in with a party of four, I did the basil pesto salmon ($ 24), also good if a bit steep.
Service is corporatized in that annoyingly over-​rehearsed way, but our server on the second night was nevertheless very knowledgeable about his product. In any case, I liked ML enough to do it twice, but I have a feeling that if I lived in Atlanta and got to know the area a bit better, it probably wouldn’t stick in my regular rotation.
Place rating: 3
Fayetteville, AR
Food was yummy! Trout was crispy and hot. Service was a little slow-​maybe they’re a little more laid back here than in our hometown.
Place rating: 4
Hatteras, NC
Ate here two nights in a row on a recent visit to Atlanta… I was surprised and disappointed to discover how boring downtown ATL is at night… the streets were empty… this seems to be the only cool place… the only other options were Hooters, Hard Rock Café and Subway.
The space is very inviting… high ceilings, brick walls and the smell of the wood burning oven. The menu is diverse and they brew their own beer on premises.
I had the mussels and the brisket sandwich the first night and the pasta with sausage and fennel the second night and I washed them down with the house red ale. The food and beer were very tasty.
The place was busy and noisy with good energy and decent service… the best scene we could find in downtown Atlanta.
Place rating: 4
Carrollton, GA
My first time going here was a few days ago on a Sunday and I loved it! The restaurant is in a good location and looks very nice!
Our waiter was very nice and patient as their was eight of us and only one had been here before. We started with the beer sampler and spinach dip. I’m not a beer drinker and the beer was pretty good! The spinach dip and chips were great and taste very fresh.
I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken with potatoes mixed with corn and collard greens and a side of macaroni and cheese. Everything was portioned excellent and cooked perfectly. The chicken was crispy but still juicy and the collard greens had a little sweetness to them but not too much. The food was great! For desert we shared the fried cheesecake. Again, not a big fan of cheesecake but this was sooo good!
My only complaint was that after we got our food our waiter disappeared and we were celebrating a birthday but somehow our candles got lost. Other than that I highly recommend Max Lagers!
Place rating: 4
Lincoln, NE
Favorite meal I had in Atlanta! I had the Georgia Air Lift beer (made with peaches!) and loved it. My chicken flat bread was great too. My friend enjoyed her Mac and cheese. Overall, really tasty and fun!
Place rating: 4
Kansas City, MO
Fun spot for a big group.
Lots of food and drink options so even the pickiest of eaters should be able to find something.
Note to management — always keep a candle INSIDE the candle holder on the tables, or make a sign that says, «not edible»…our group got great laughs out of that one…
Place rating: 5
Atlanta, GA
Max Lager’s is one of the best restaurants downtown. I send a ton of guests their way and have yet to get a bad review about it. I have been multiple times and love the staff and food! The fried cheesecake is now one of my favorite desserts! I normally can’t say no to a Max Burger but I decided to try something new and I wasn’t disappointed!
HOUSE-​SMOKED HICKORY PORK CHOP
–Grilled chop, whipped potatoes, collard greens, jalapeño gravy, fried onions
CARAMEL PECAN CRUNCH
–Rich chocolate brownie cake with caramel and pecans
I give this place a five star rating every time! Definitely make sure to schedule a reservation during the desirable dinner hours on the weekend!
Place rating: 2
Warner Robins, GA
My wife and I came here with our 16 month old for dinner. We chose Max Lagers because the menu looked great and they had several kid options.
The food was delicious. I had the Low Country Trout and my wife had a sirloin. Her steak was a little over cooked, but no one asked how it was (but she wouldn’t have sent it back and said it still tasted good).
We REALLY wanted to love this place. We really did. The atmosphere, location, menu selection are all great.
But our waiter, Garrett, messed up the whole experience for us. He had a canned statement for his beer recommendation and couldn’t suggest any cocktails to my wife. The only thing he said was, «no we don’t have a cocktail menu, but I’m sure the bar will make you whatever.» That is not what we expected. A place that touts their beer selection usually will put similar effort into their cocktail menu/​knowledge.
The next issue was we ordered an appetizer, reminded Garrett about our appetizer after 20 minutes and it never came. I assume he forgot to put it in. Our food ended up coming out 45 minutes after we ordered it and I told him to cancel the appetizer. Well it still came out and he said we wouldn’t be charged for it.
My wife’s glass of water stayed empty for at least 15 minutes and was only refilled after I flagged Garrett down.
After all of this, on a busy Saturday evening, a manager never cane by our table to ask how everything was. I wanted to tell him there was, what seemed to be, a training issue with Garrett.
The thing that bothers me the most is this place is a family restaurant. But when I asked if the men’s restroom had a changing table for my daughter, the hostess said no, the women’s restroom didn’t have one either. But there was a private room in the upstairs area that I could change her on the floor. I obviously did change her diaper on the floor, because I had no other option, but this is totally unacceptable. If you have a children’s food menu, you are a family restaurant, and you need changing tables in your facility. No one should have to change their baby’s diaper on the floor of a restaurant in downtown Atlanta.
If the food wasn’t so good, this would have been a 1-​star experience. Hopefully this was an issue isolated to one server. But, they really need to accommodate family’s with children.
Place rating: 4
Atlanta, GA
The proximity to the office and the ambiance makes this restaurant a great lunchtime choice, especially if you’re sharing a meal with coworkers. The menu is very «all American» — typical burgers, salads, and sandwiches. My coworkers ordered the poblano burger (which looked delicious) and the buffalo chicken salad (I’m always a fan of buffalo chicken anything) while I had the gumbo, which was delicious, filling, and warm for a brisk day! I also noticed mussels on the menu, which I’ll have to try when I come back sometime.
Of course, this place is also a brewery so when I check it out again, I’ll need to take a peek at their drink menu!
Place rating: 3
Atlanta, GA
When a friend reserved this place for a birthday party, I’ve wondered why have I never heard of this place, but after dining here it became clear.
Anticipate to pay for parking ($ 10 – 12), which is kind of expected if you’re in downtown, I guess. The place was easy to find, and I liked the décor inside, casual ambience with exposed bricks you would see in a standard brewery restaurant. Since we’ve made a reservation, we were seated promptly.
The server recommended the Helles as a traditional classic beer from this brewery, which I was told the smoothest one they have. Some friends tried the Hopsplosion and they loved it too.
As an appetizer, we ordered the Artichoke dip, which was taking surprisingly a long time that we became worried we might be getting our main meals before the appetizer. But soon we learned we didn’t even have to worry about that because our main meals took even longer. We had to flag a couple of different servers for refills on chips because they kept forgetting, and by the time they brought the refill chips, we were already eating our meals.
I think my expectation for Southern Fried chicken was way high, because I became disappointed very soon. Chicken didn’t have much taste to it and side of mashed potato with some kind of jelly mixed to it wasn’t that enticing at all. By that point, I was just trying to eat as much as artichoke dip instead of my meal.
I honestly wished I’ve tried a different item on the menu or not come at all. The service wasn’t bad, but just slow due to a busy night. Everyone on my table said food was average at best, except for one person who really liked his bbq ribs. I give this place 2.5
Place rating: 4
Raleigh, NC
Max Lager’s is a stone throw’s away from many businesses in the area. I had the opportunity to dine here after having super serious business in the area.
Menu items average $ 15 and peak at $ 20. I picked The Texan — a top sirloin with a spice rub served with fire roasted garlic tomatoes and hand-​cut fries. I ordered the steak rare like a true carnivore. Rawr.
Everything about the steak was beautiful. The presentation and the lighting created the opportunity for a good photo. Unlike Michael Bay movies, Max Lager’s provides both style and substance.
Despite my love for rare steaks, I tend to prefer my steak to not be drowning in blood. The chef at Max Lager’s allowed the steak to rest for the perfect amount of time. There was no trace of blood, and the steak was the perfect taste and temperature. The sides tasted just as good as the steak. I was unsure about grilled tomatoes, but they were surprisingly delicious.
I matched my meal with the HOPSPLOSION!!! IPA (Max Lager’s styling choice not my own). Here is the description, «Hopped with a technique known as „hop bursting“, copious amounts of Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic, El Dorado and Azacca are added at the last minute to give this IPA a luscious tropical character bursting with notes of pineapple, mango, orange and guava.» The fruit flavors were pronounced but not overwhelming. It helped balance the 100 IBU rating.
I have to disagree with Hank Hill. A wood fire grill delivers flavors that propane simply cannot deliver. Max Lager isn’t necessarily the greatest restaurant, but it delivers a quality steak and good micro brews at a reasonable price.
Place rating: 3
Tampa, FL
This is probably one of those places that you think is great or ok depending on what you order.
I have to admit, I’m probably not the best judge of this place, because I ordered the blackened caesar salad. I had high hopes for it. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything special. Anyhow, I’m not judging this place based on my salad, but on my dining companion’s ribs. He asked almost everyone what the best dish was. He ended up deciding on the ribs. And he was disappointed. He left about half on his plate. He said it was ok, but nothing great.
The good news is the atmosphere here is pretty awesome. There was a 20 minute wait at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night. That’s how popular this place is. We sat at the bar while we waited for a table. The beer selection is extensive. I’m not a beer person, so I really can’t judge, but I was impressed by the list.
This place is good to take someone to, because it is laid back yet nice. I just think we stumbled upon the two average dishes.
Place rating: 4
Louisville, KY
I’m giving four stars for the service and the space. I went with eight colleagues for a late lunch. 1:30pm on a Friday is a great time for large groups coming without a reservation. Two of my colleagues ordered beer, which they said was good (the IPA in particular). I ordered a side of fried green tomatoes, which came with a slightly spicy-​sweet sauce. Really good. The tomatoes were thickly cut, which I like. I also ordered the grilled Scottish salmon Caesar salad, which hit the spot. The salads are pretty big.
The servers are really nice and attentive without being overly familiar (I hate that).
Place rating: 4
Pompano Beach, FL
I really liked this place and had a terrific first visit. I was in town to watch my Brewers take on the Braves, and Unilocal was screaming this place out. Thanks Unilocal,once again.
I started off with a couple of in-​house drafts, which included White Oak White and the Altered Ryeality. The White Oak White is lower in alcohol content. I would say it’s a safe pick. Goes down easy, light and smooth. The Altered Ryeality is a little stronger with a hint of citrus. Both were really good.
I started off with an appetizer — flatbread with marinara. Really good. Loved the marinara in particular.
I was in Atlanta so I wanted to invest my tastebuds in local fare … Southern Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes and collards. The bartender, who was terrific throughout, explained that the collard greens were stewed in brown sugar and spices. To me, this was the highlight. Terrific collards! I told him it was like eating dessert. The fried chicken was good. Mashed potatoes were good.
I finished off with key lime pie, with a raspberry sauce that was really good.
I will most certainly return when I’m in Atlanta. Great service behind the bar, good food, good in-​house brews and highly recommended dessert.
Place rating: 4
Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Schöné Atmosphäre. Essen ist in Ordnung nichts umwerfendes. Bedienung sehr freundlich. Preise in Ordnung. Um mit einer Gruppe von Leuten abzuhängen absolut empfehlenswert.
Place rating: 2
Friedrichsdorf, Hessen
Kurzer Lunch, kurze Bewertung: Ich hatte ein alkoholfreies Bier (O’Douls) aus der Flasche, insofern ist zum Hausbier nix zu sagen.
Zu Essen gab es Wings in BBQ-​Sauce, nicht Home-​Style (mit Udon Nudeln — wer macht denn sowas?) sondern klassisch mit Sellerie und Blue Cheese Dressing.
Die Wings waren alles andere als knusprig und die BBQ Sauße erinnerte eher an eine fade China-​Süß-​Sauer-​Soße — schade!