'Saved by the Max' Matches Show's Legacy with Every Detail

• Photos by Dave Wischnowksy. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @wischlist

CHICAGO, IL - “Saved by the Max,” the long-awaited pop-up diner based off “The Max” from “Saved by the Bell” is open and has been every bit the replica fans of the iconic 1990s television show were hoping for.

According to several who have already made a stop there in the first three days since its opening, the resemblance to the television set is almost too perfect.

“Saved by the Max was amazing,” Dave Wischnowsky, a sports columnist and blogger who has worked for CBS Chicago and the Tribune, wrote on Facebook after dining at the Wicker Park hotspot Thursday night. “Fantastic fun, killer food, incredible nostalgia.”

“Absolutely loved the experience!,” added Megan Guerrero, who posted a 5-star review on the Saved by the Max Facebook page. “We had reservations for 10:30 p.m. and were seated about 10:45 p.m. Employees were excited and friendly. Food was great. Way too much food so we brought our leftovers home.”

Fans of the show starring Marc-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkeley and others had a chance to pose for a photo with Kelly Kapowski’s locker, see a replica of Mr. Belding’s office and look on as the place matched every part of the fictional Hollywood diner detail by detail.

There were several references to the “Bayside Tigers.” Posters were made reminding fans of the show’s most memorable one-liners.

When it was announced earlier this year that a Saved by the Bell pop-up was planned in Chicago, reservations filled up quickly. Owners of the restaurant extended the planned opening period from one month through the end of summer and those slots were taken up quickly as well.

Diners during the first week at the replica’s temporary run at 1941 W. North Ave. had the added joy of meeting Ed Alonzo, who played Max the waiter in “Saved by the Bell.” He even dressed up in his signature ‘The Max’ red shirt.

“He was so nice and happy to be there. He said he felt like he was on set again and what a wonderful job the owners did,” Guerrero wrote.

Menu items all include a reference to one of the show’s six main characters. Options include the “Preppy BLT,” “AC Sliders” and a “Lisa Turtle Milkshake.”

The diner is located at the former Geek Bar inside the Flat Iron building. Geek Bar, which had closed and opened elsewhere under a new name, will return at the end of the “Saved by the Max” run.