Mr Max Izakaya Restaurant

"My new favorite restaurant in all of DFW! The best, most authentic Japanese food I've had in my life. Incredibly unique atmosphere, quick service, and really nice staff! I highly recommend getting the squid!"

"My favorite place in the whole dfw. Always a wait because it's worth it. If you plan to arrive after 8pm you might as well plan on just going another day. There's a line outside by 430pm usually lol. It's a very small place but not so noticeable once you're seated. I personally think the best area is the bar seating overlooking the kitchen and grills. I've never been much of a fish enthusiast until I came here. The grilled miso salmon I could eat all day, hell the regular one as well. The teriyaki yellowtail and the yellowtail collar are both really good. I think any grilled fish they serve here would be good. There's so many things I could list out that are great but it would be quicker to list the things I dislike. Shout out to the staff as well. Some of the most hard working people I've seen in the kitchen. It's busy from the time they open til close and they're getting the orders in and out very quickly. They've always been nice to me every time I've been here. This place has been a part of a lot of good memories and I hope its open forever."

"Mr. Max is in an unassuming strip mall off of a busy intersection of Irving. As people who refuse to eat anything we can get at home when we travel, we were excited to try this izakaya restaurant. We assumed we could try sushi and sashimi in addition to izakaya, but we were only partially correct. The first disappointment was that, though they claim you make reservations, no one ever answers the phone for you to do so. It wasn't a big deal, but they already had a waitlist when we arrived at 5:14 (14 minutes after they opened) on a Thursday evening. We were second on that waitlist and were looking at a 30-45 minute wait. It turned out to be 45 minutes, which we waited in our car in the parking lot. The interior looks like a Japanese house or a large izakaya. Seats are lining the bar which runs the length of the dining room and overlooks the kitchen. There are also traditional Japanese low tables, where you remove your shoes, climb up, and sit in a shallow well area. I can't imagine how easy it is for disabled persons to manage this, but I'm sure, with a good amount of help, it's possible. The other disappointment with this restaurant was a younger server who was very cold and curt. We greeted her, thanked her, and bussed for her, but she never broke a smile, gave us a "You're welcome," or engaged other than to ask us what we wanted and drop off food. An older lady was a lot nicer and we wished she would've come by more often. We ordered quite a few things that were on the menu: -Blue Fin Fatty Tuna: absolutely amazing and melt-in-your-mouth tender. -Grilled Miso Marinated Salmon: a bit overcooked, but well flavored. -Grilled Beef Tongue: thinly sliced, great caramelization, and tender. -Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna Sashimi: amazing in texture and flavor. This was a special, so I don't know if they always offer it. - Edamame: basic with salt. Nothing special. -Grilled Squid: devoid of flavor except char, but nicely tender. -Tako Wasabi: raw octopus in a pungent wasabi dressing. It was addicting. -Grilled Shishito Pepper: charred and pleasant. More than half had spice. -Grilled Mackerel: meaty and well-seasoned with perfect caramelization. -Grilled Yellowtail w/Teriyaki: meaty and juicy. Exceptionally flavored. -Fried Chicken Wings w/Nagoya Style Seasoning: the meat wasn't seasoned, only fried and topped with seasoning. It lacked flavor. -Takoyaki: Husband really enjoyed these octopus balls. He said they tasted like a delicious seafood meatball. I had the Lime Chuhai (very refreshing) to drink, and my hubby had a Sapporo. There was no sushi, only sashimi, and for our very large order, we paid $176, which included tax. I recommend you visit Mr. Max, but be prepared for a worthwhile wait."