Let’s Talk About: Saved By The Max

I can’t express in words how fun it was to travel back in time from 1989-1993 and have brunch at the Saved By The Max pop up restaurant in Los Angeles! From the second you walk through the door you are transformed back to the early 90’s and literally feel like you are on the set of the show. I honestly felt like Zach Morris or Kelly Kapowski could walk through the door at any moment!

I constantly preach to parents to play more with their children and to allow time each day for imaginary play and dress up. I have also been a guest on multiple podcasts and television shows sharing how important play therapy is for adults in addition to children. So let me stress in this moment, that dress up and imaginary play is not just for kids. Adults like to play, too. In fact, it is healthy for their wellbeing! And this pop up experience allowed me and a few of my girlfriends to dress up from the 90’s and play all morning long! And it gave me a reason to poof up my hair and wear my sleeveless white jacket, big hoop earrings, and jelly shoes!

The restaurant strategically spreads out your meal so you have ample time to walk around and soak up every bit of the restaurant. There are so many picture spots and hidden gems around the restaurant like televisions playing episodes of the show, a memorabilia display case with multiple collectables, and even a gift shop! My favorite picture spots were in front of the lockers and in front of the pay phone! (pictured if you are too young to remember pay phones 🙂

The decor was perfection and everything was such a replica from the set on the show. From the front door and red leather booths, to the jukeboxes, barstools, and more, you were constantly remembering scenes from the show in your head as you walked around.

Each locker was even decorated to match the personality for each character in the show. Look closely inside each locker! Who is your favorite character from the show?

It is best to make a reservation in advance because they will often sell out weeks ahead of time, but you may not know that they also take walk ups! So if you just happen to be in town visiting LA or feel like being spontaneous one afternoon, feel free to stop by on a whim! You can get a full meal in either the main restaurant, in Principal Belding’s office, or even at the bar! And now you can make a reservation until March 2019!!!

When you make your reservation, you pay $40, which includes an appetizer and an entree for either brunch, lunch, or dinner! And if you go for brunch, you have the option to replace your appetizer for a special brunch cocktail, wine, or beer! If you want something more than that, you can pay al a carte when you arrive.And trust me, you will at least want a milkshake! They are delicious!!!

My friends and I each ordered something different to get a better experience of what the menu had to offer. I loved that each item on the menu was named after one of the characters and or was a reference from the show. They also have a full bar and a special drink menu. And I loved that they had plenty of gluten-free options!!

For appetizers, we ordered the Mac & Screech, the AC Sliders, and the Poutine Engel. They were all delicious, but my favorite was the AC sliders, which are goose island and ginger braised pulled pork and Lillie’s Q Gold Barbecue Sauce with a touch of Jameson.

For our entrees, we ordered the Tori’s Fried Chicken, the Bayside Burger, and the Preppy Pastrami. Again, we enjoyed all of them, but the burger was my favorite. But if you are a chicken and waffles fan, certainly order the fried chicken, especially if you like a little spice!