Did you watch Saved by the Bell growing up? My siblings and I would watch it after school every day. I have probably seen every episode 5 times. When it was announced that Saved By The Max, a replica of The Max, the diner where Zack, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, Lisa, and Screech would hang out, was opening in Chicago - I had to go.
I bought tickets the day they went on sale and invited my most excitable friend, Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes to join me. You might remember Jocelyn because we went to LA together, and we met Tiffani Thiessen, and she made us ice cream sandwiches. It was one of the best days of our lives.
We were taken away by the level of detail that went into recreating The Max. You feel like you are on the show. Although you enter to the side of the space, passing lockers as you go, the centerpiece of the restaurant space is the iconic door. A jukebox, a KKTY radio booth, and a payphone decorate the space, and songs from the show - including "Friends Forever" play. It's unbelievably fun.
The $35 ticket price includes a lot of food. You get an appetizer, and entree, and a dessert, per person. The only thing you have to pay for at the end of the meal is alcohol and the tip, which aren't included in the ticket price.
Jocelyn started her meal with Snow White and the Seven Dorks, Lebanese spiced chicken wings served with a yogurt sauce.
I had Spano's Seasonal Vegetable which was broccolini that was lightly charred and topped with butter.
Then I had the Kelly Kapowski, a monte cristo made with prosciutto and gruyere sandwiched between slices of French Toast, with a side of Mr. Belding's Fries. Jocelyn had Tori's Fried Chicken.
I had the Snack Attack for dessert - it was made with Twix ice cream, strawberries, strawberry feuilletine, vanilla wafers, sprinkles and a cherry. It was a lot lighter than it appears, and even though I was pretty full, I couldn't stop eating it.
A couple of weeks later, I returned to Saved by The Max for brunch. The brunch menu has some of the same menu items as the dinner menu, plus things like eggs benedict and omelets.
I ordered Tori's Fried Chicken, and I loved the sweet and spicy flavor combinations. The waffle is more savory and is made with Goose Island 312 beer and coconut milk. The boneless fried chicken is served with a spicy Korean sauce and spicy maple syrup.
While tickets for Saved By The Max are sold online, they do take walk-ins. The food is more upscale diner food and the atmosphere is amazing. If you watched Saved by the Bell growing up, you need to check out this pop-up!
Saved by the Max will be open until December 31st, and you can book a reservation by purchasing tickets. Brunch is walk in only.
