"What happens when Nancy Silverton and Phil Rosenthal open a diner? Evidently, eight-hour-long waits, more celebrity appearances than a Saturday Night Live anniversary episode, and rumors of a secret phone number to get a table. After some anticipation, Max & Helen's opened in November 2025 with a menu meant to pay tribute to longstanding legends like the Palace Diner in Biddeford, Maine."
"Lines quickly manifested for Silverton's takes on diner classics, including scorched marshmallow-topped hot chocolate that has its own fan club on social media and a $17 golden-brown waffle crowned with maple butter. But at the heart of the hype, Max & Helen's is still just a diner slinging time-honored dishes to mixed results. If the wait ever dies down, it could become a tenured neighborhood fixture with pretty good - albeit pricey - breakfast plates and friendly faces at the counter."
"Max & Helen's tuna melt sandwich layers a balanced but basic tuna salad between two melted slices of bright-orange cheddar and pan-toasted white bread. On my visit, the bread had become saturated with too much cooking fat, leaving my fingertips greasy and an overwhelming aftertaste. A diner can (and should) be judged by its version of a Grand Slam. Max & Helen's Larchmont Slam comes with eggs prepared to your preference; home fries under a dollop of sour cream; a choice of bacon or sausage;"
Max & Helen's opened in November 2025 with long lines, celebrity sightings, and reports of a secret reservation phone number. The menu pays tribute to classic diners and includes items like scorched marshmallow-topped hot chocolate and a $17 maple-butter waffle. Popularity has created eight-hour waits, and offerings deliver mixed results: a tuna melt had greasy, fat-saturated bread; the Larchmont Slam featured fluffy but undersalted eggs and oddly sweet bacon; the plate-sized pancake carried an overpowering lemon tint. Herb-laden matzo ball soup initially lacked depth and tasted slightly sweet, improving on a return visit. The diner shows promise as a pricey neighborhood fixture if demand eases.
Read at Eater LA
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