I like this restaurant so much I had my wedding rehearsal dinner here.  (Both the families liked the food very much.)  Max's is the best German food in Pittsburgh -- actually, it's the best German food I've had outside of Germany, and I've definitely had worse meals in Germany as well.\n\nMax's is in a restored hotel, and the decor is very much in the Victorian style of the original hotel building.  The exception is the bar area that's good for happy hour or watching a game, or just having a beer -- that has a lot of neon and a jukebox.  But the bar area is also tasteful and pleasant to be in.  Max's has a full bar, but their real specialty is their excellent selection of German beers, both in bottles and on tap.\n\nI haven't met a wurst I didn't like, and they're pretty much all offered here.  The Braunschweiger sandwich is pretty delicious and unique in my experience, and the schnitzels are very delicious as well.  Another specialty is the kase spatzle (Spatzle noodles with smoked Gouda cheese -- a twist on mac and cheese that ensures that even a picky child will have something to enjoy here), but my two favorite menu picks here are the hassenpfeffer and the spinach salad with warm bacon dressing.  For sides, the red cabbage salad is my favorite, although the sauerkraut is also very good.  I don't care for the German potato salad, however -- I like the kind that has caraway seeds and vinegar, and is served cold, but Max's offers the kind that has an unidentifiable sauce and is served warm.  Some people like that style of potato salad though, and from what I can tell, Max's does a decent rendition of it.\n\nIf you're looking to reserve a room here for a banquet, you have a lot of options.  The basement \"Rathskellar\" is more bar-like in its atmosphere.  It would be a good place for some guys to have a birthday party or something.  For a rehearsal dinner or other formal event, one of the upstairs banquet rooms would be better.  Depending on the size of your group, you can arrange to have a buffet-style dinner, or individuals in the group can order directly off the regular dinner menu.