Max Brenner

I used to visit often here as I am a Huge chocolate lover, however over the past 6-12 months I occasionally visit. I love the food (although slightly over priced) however I find the service and seating arrangements disappointing. It can get beyond busy here, with lines out the door just to order. Its the busy days that are frustrating, you can wait up to 20-30 minutes to order, then be given a number for your order but then there is no table to sit on? On several occasions we have been and our food has been ready before there is a table to be seated at! I only visit now on the odd occasion I can go during a working day.

As a self-confessed chocoholic, I was over the moon when Max Brenner opened its doors at Westpoint as I live around the area. My absolute favourite item from their menu is the Banana Split Waffle Sundae - HEAVEN! I also like the Suckao, Italian Thick Chocolate and the Mexican Spicy Chocolate - YUM!

However, I don't go here as often as I would like nowadays for a couple of reasons: (1) Menu can be a little steep on the pocket, but for a once in a while treat, I guess its ok; and (2) This is probably the main reason why I don't go as often anymore - the lack of customer service and the overall environment of the Blacktown store's site. I feel that the staff are not very attentive and are more interested in carrying on their own personal conversations with either other staff or their friends loitering at the store. If the store were to go through some changes, in particular, change in staff's attitude and improve customer service, I would consider making regular trips here again.

I visited Max Brenner Blacktown yesterday and I can honestly say there are good and bad points.

Bad: I waited at the counter for 5 minutes for someone to serve me. I had to ask a waiter walking past who would take my order, and it turned out that the disinterested looking guy on the register who wasn't really doing anything was supposed to take it. I guess just standing next to him and looking at him and the menu behind him and…. waiting wasn't enough, I had to walk right up and ask "would you like to take my order". Otherwise it seemed like I would have been there all day.

Good: The food and the drinks were very nice - fresh, tasty and served promptly with a smile.

I would try it again but with reservations. If I was this guy's boss, I would counsel him to try and least show some interest in the customers. While eating there, I watched a customer walk in/out/in/out looking at the various items for sale in the display area. Not one staff person asked if she required assistance (and it wasn't even busy). It's a shame that a place like this is likely to lose customers through an apparent lack of interest….

I confess, I am not a chocoholic. I understand that this might be some cause for concern... nonetheless, I am not immune to the charms of Max Brenner.

Their menu is a little steeply priced for my likes, considering their portions are not spectacularly large, and the flavours can become rather tiresome and repetitive. If I attend Max Brenner, I usually do so for their Belgian Waffles with chocolate sauce. Simple and homely, they are a delight to otherwise ordinary days, a dependable feel-good option. The chocolate sauce does not smother the waffle, but is enough to cover every bite taken.

Their Italian Hot Chocolate is also a great option. However, I would caution drinkers to allow for an ample amount of time for the drink to cool, as it burnt my tongue the first time. It is incredibly rich, however, and is virtually impossible to finish -- so upgrading to a large might not be necessary if you can only have your chocolate in measured doses.

As this is predominantly a chocolate cafe, I would caution cafe-goers to stay away from their coffee choices. Their flat white is horrendous, I'm sorry to say, and does not particularly resemble coffee. If you are perusing their menu, they have much better options.

Service depends on the day and time that you attend. If it's nighttime, be prepared to wait at least 20 minutes in the line - it can get tiresome and one occasion I even left the line. However, during lunch time their turnover rates aren't overwhelming and the wait periods aren't drastic. Staff have always been friendly and polite, so there's no issue with that.

I've decided that whether you consider the prices reasonable depends on how you value and rejoice in chocolate. As I have an ambivalent relationship with chocolate based products, I consider their prices to be a bit high. While their desserts are yummy, they are not necessarily mind-blowing. Still, it's a dependable place and not one that gets old too quick.

The food is absolutely delicious for any chocolate lover, even though the menu is quite expensive! The service is relatively good, even though the store is generally quite busy making it hard to find a seat. The only negative points I could make about max brenner blacktown is that they do not take bookings meaning that you have to line up for a table at times, and that they have a surcharge on weekends!