Max Brenner -a chocolate lovers dream

The Hudson Valley is located in the perfect spot, especially since the Hudson Valley borders its vibrant neighbor, New York City. I decided to take the train and spend a lovely day in Manhattan. After traveling to Union Square, I lunched with a friend at Max Brenner. Upon entering this popular restaurant, I immediately noticed the chocolate shop in the front and a full working chocolate bar.

Although known for their chocolate and desserts, Max Brenner offers a full menu. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar Waffle Sandwich and my friend ordered the Cheese steak Waffle Sandwich. These are not your typical sandwiches. A crisp waffle is used instead of a mundane slice of bread, enhancing the flavor with each bite. My meal was a house made rosemary-infused waffle with grilled chicken, melting mozzarella, red onion, arugula, asiago crisps and caesar dressing.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Waffle Sandwich

Cheese steak Waffle Sandwich

My friend enjoyed a savory waffle with thinly-sliced sirloin, caramelized onions and a tasty 5-cheese sauce. He described the Cheese steak Waffle Sandwich as “very juicy and full of flavor.” The meat melted with each bite and the cheese sauce complimented the waffle really nicely. The menu is a decent size. In addition to what we have, Max Brenner offers brunch, along with several other lunch dishes. Our waiter informed us that their burgers and mac and cheese are the most popular items on the menu.
For our beverages, we ordered the 80’s Milkshake and the Peanut Butter Turtle Choctail. Both drinks were served in the unique Alice and Wonderland cup.

80s Milkshake

After one sip of the 80’s milkshake, I discovered that this is the best milkshake I have ever tasted. This indulgent drink consisted of milk chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream and a crunchy chocolate shell. The Peanut Butter Turtle Choctail was also heavenly. It was made of dark chocolate ganache, peanut butter, caramel and topped with whipped cream.
Since Max Brenner is renowned for their chocolate, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try dessert. After receiving an entirely new menu just for dessert it was hard to choose just one dish. The menu offers crepes, waffles, fondue, cakes, ice cream and much more. We decided to try the Melting Chocolate True Heart Cake and Shake.

Melting Chocolate True Heart Cake and Shake

This cake is made with both milk and white chocolate. To make the cake even better, a delicious chocolate sauce was available to pour on top of the dessert. There was also creamy vanilla ice cream, red berries and an iced milk chocolate shot on the side. The iced milk chocolate shot is an example of how Max Brenner goes above and beyond with both their presentation and creative creations with their chocolate. We also had the Chocolate Chunks Pizza. This is a dessert pizza, which has melted milk and white chocolate chunks, crunchy hazelnut bits, bananas, peanut butter and roasted marshmallows. I found the Chocolate Chunks Pizza to be extremely delectable. This pizza was like an entire meal by itself!

Chocolate Chunks Pizza

After finishing our amazing meal, we checked Max Brenner’s candy store. With so many creative options on the menu, I know that I will want to return soon.