Went in expecting the same generic fried seafood options as every other mid-priced southern Maine vactionland diner/bar/cafe and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. Easily the best of the five or so lobster rolls I ordered at different area restaurants on this particular trip. Bun was perfectly toasted, lobster meat was plentiful and tasted fresh and salty and not like a fridge interior. Front of house folks were really nice. Look forward to returning.
(4)
Allison N.
Maxwells is a no-frills bar and restaurant. Whenever I'm in town I stop by to grab some authentic Maine seafood. Everything is caught fresh from Maine waters and most likely fried and/or drenched in butter. Forget your diet for one night! The scallops I ordered were huge and plentiful. They had the most delicate crust on the outside and were sauteed in wine for a tender inside. The captain's salad is smothered in lobster, shrimp, and crab. It's a steal for $14. So I'll explain my 3 stars: The crabcakes are thin on crab and thick on breadcrumbs, making them more like crab-flavored bread patties. The ambiance is also pretty eh. But at least the walls are decorated with pieces of local history, such as the signs of stores that used to be on Front Street. If I were rating on seafood alone this joint would get 4 stars.
(4)
Esmeralda D.
My hubby and I live in Bath, and eat out maybe twice a week. However, we've finally given up on Maxwell's. The food is bland and lackluster, which could be somewhat forgivable if the service was great. It is not. In fact, the night we brought some out-of-town guests who are African-American, the host and our server were downright hostile.
(1)
Nina W.
A good place to come for seafood year round in Maine. They have a pretty cool little bar in the bottom of the restaurant. The whole restaurant is made of wood planks and feels very maritime. Great service and pretty decent food as well!!
(3)
Samantha B.
This restaurant will always have a special place in my heart--but for all of the wrong reasons. My boyfriend and I were spending the weekend at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Maine and decided to stop here for an afternoon lunch. We are an interracial couple, both Harvard grads mind you, and we were reduced to our skin colors at this restaurant. We entered, waited upwards of ten minutes for anyone to acknowledge us. Finally, a man who we believe to be the manager or owner approached us and asked, "For two?" We replied, "Yes, thank you." The restaurant was empty, save for two or three other couples, and his reply was, "Well, let me see what I can do for you." He left, began to clean tables, and never returned. It is safe to say that this restaurant denied to serve us because of the color of our skins.
(1)
Kelly B.
Very cozy place, food was ok not amazing but ok, soup was fantastic! I must say this place is a little confused though, it's got the fancy atmosphere but then has big screen TVs with football on. So.... Kinda confused.
(4)
Charles G.
We were there for lunch recently. I had a Ruben and my wife had a burger. Both were good. The serving was large. I could have easily split the sandwich along with a cup of soup. My wife enjoyed her burger. The food came hot and the service was prompt and friendly. Lots of refills on the ice tea. I can't say we sampled the entire menu but what we had will bring us back for more.
(4)
Stephanie M.
Came to dinner with my boyfriend and his parents the afternoon after Christmas; we braved the ice storm and blizzard for it! The restaurant was so cute and cozy, I wanted to just sit around in it all day. I had the seafood broiler, which was so unique and delicious. I only made it through half, but the honey stuffing was so surprising and a good compliment for the seafood. Of course to me the quality was over the top (not too much pulled-out-of-the-ocean seafood in NYC or Ohio lol), but the family loved the place. I nibbled off my bf's pile of fried seafood, which everything was spot on.
(4)
Shannon W.
The steak sandwich comes whole on a hoagie roll. Gotta cut it up yourself, crab cakes were not all that, for the price we paid ...
(2)
Debbie H.
Visited with family last night. Warm bread, salad, and Philly cheese steak soup were tasty. Loved the crab stuffed mushroom appetizer and broiled seafood dinner. Too full to try dessert!! Only negative was that we waited quite a while between soup, salad, and main course.
(5)
Monica S.
I had both lunch and dinner here while in Bath. I'd have to say the clam chowder was pretty delicious huge chunks of clams. The lobster melt was fabulous with so much claw meat! The coleslaw was not my thing I prefer a creamy based where this was vinegar with poppy seeds? The dinner I had was excellent and enough to fill you until dinner the next day. Try the dill dressing on your salad it's fabulous. The broiled scallops were a great alternative to the steamers. The huge lobster was cooked perfectly and dessert was fair. I had the strawberry shortcake. The biscuit was a bit tough.
(4)
Joe H.
I have been to JR Maxwell's at least a dozen times over the past few years. Although I have never had a bad meal, the portion of fried clams on this last visit was a joke. According to their menu, you will be served a "generous portion". My small 5X8 plate for $20 had about 8 clams on it. Okay... maybe the clams are a little pricey right now. I am not aware of the market value, but don't put a "generous portion" unless you mean it. If fact, do what most restaurants do and serve the same amount every time so people know what to expect and have a price that indicates "market value". Everyone else's seafood dishes looked to have good portions. It was just the fried clam dish that was skimpy. Good thing for the free bread!
(3)
CJ P.
Visited for our 21st anniversary, love the vintage naval theme expected in a steak & seafood restaurant just down theme street from Bath Iron Works shipyard. Even though it was a busy Friday night around 6 when we arrived, we were seated within 3 minutes. Very friendly and courteous wait staff, clean floors, tables, and restroom. I enjoyed the prime rib with rice pilaf and side of fresh horseradish, my wife loved the fried mixed seafood platter. Topped off the evening with a classic vanilla Creme Brule.
(5)
Kurt W.
While looking at the menu on the outside of the resturant, I was told by 2 different people that it was the best place in town. The potato and chive soup was outstanding. The buffalo bites almost stop me from eating anything else. When I was done with the meal, I should have done that. They were perfectly cooked and had the right amount of hot sauce of them. The menu prices were on the high end. Nothing worth getting was under $17. I got the beer batter fried shrimp and I was disappointed because it seemed like it was fried in dirty oil (Time to change the oil!) The exciting part of the meal was finding scallops mixed in with the shrimp. Not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. JR Maxwell's loss I guess.
(3)
Flo A.
We had prime rib, pepper steak and chicken marsala. All were delicious! The waitress was so friendly and even brought us a sample of a soup we asked about. Service was attentive and the food was some of the best we have ever eaten.
(5)
Robert K.
Wow surprised by the negative reviews. I have been going here since the mid 90's and it has always been great. So good I came back tonight. Haddock superb, fried clams excellent . Had carry out from bar. Bartender friendly and attentive. Overall great.
(4)
Catherine F.
Nothing fancy--consistently reliable fresh fish. I onlly get fried haddock, shrimp & scallops but they are always plentiful and delicious. For fine dining go elsewhere.
(4)
Bob L.
Dill dressing! * Drops Mic *
(4)
Tdboo F.
Great food & staff - yummy bar. Comfy atmosphere. Try the boathouse brown ale :-)
(4)
Mike R.
First of all, I will not write a bad review unless it is totally aweful...and this place was aweful!!! Two of us arrived during the NFC playoffs which the server was more interested in then waiting on his customers. I guess that's is what it is since he was a football fan. We ordered salads to start, They were limp and very cold as they were made a day or two before and sat in the refrigerator until served. I ordered the Baked Stuffed Haddock with a vegetable side dish, Sweet Snap Peas. The Haddock entree was so full of buttered bread crumbs that you had to "fish" through them to get to the smallest piece haddock. I left half of the dish of buttered crumbs. It was not edible. The side was Snap Peas set in a small bowl completely dripping with butter. It could not be eaten. My friend ordered the Steak Special with a Baked Potato. The Steak was cooked to order but both the Steak and the Baked Potato came to the table luke warm at best. It was if the Entree had set prior to coming out probably to serve both dinners ant the same time. The waiter never came back to the table to ask if our meals were to our liking. The game was more important! If I were to come back to Bath, J R Maxwell will not be on the list of eateries we will be going to. "You have to get a terrible meal in order to appreciate a good one" This one was terrible.
(1)
Matt P.
I only write reviews for really good places and really bad. Maxwells is somewhat fun when the right bartender downstairs is working. However this is going to be a very bad review due to the horrible rude service I received. The bartender with short curly hair and glasses is a a very rude person. The moment we walked in she made comments about cologne and then didn't like how I set money on the bar down by commenting about it which I found very strange and then was upset my friend changed his mind about paying with cash instead of card. She is clearly a miserable person in general and we left immediately. Not like they can risk losing business considering how empty it is all the time. She clearly needs to be fired or get an attitude adjustment. I will never be back and will be sure to tell everyone to stay away. Pretty bad for a touristy spot. Stay away and go to Byrnes Irish bar or public house.
(1)
Michael T.
At least the beer and mashed potatoes were good. The rest of the meal (haddock stuffed with crab) was tasteless and forgettable. Friendly staff but don't go for the food.
(2)
Sara W.
We ate here while vacationing in the area. We had walked through Bath earlier in the day and fell in love with the town. We returned for dinner and decided to give this place a try. It took a good 20 minutes for the waitress to come to our table. She did apologize for the delay and we did notice she had a big area to cover, but we were very hungry and the slow service got annoying after a while. My husband ordered the blackened haddock which he raved about. I ordered the shrimp and lobster bake which was the night's special but got salmon brought to me. Had I known that it was a case of the Server entering my order wrong, (receipt/verified this) I would have just kept the salmon. It did look very good. But I was told that my dinner was accidentally given to another table and it would just be a few minutes for my correct meal. Since I was hungry, I worked on my sides - rice pilaf and baked potato. (The rice pilaf was very good.) I think they rushed correcting my meal and when it finally arrived, it looked rushed and I was turned off and barely touched it. What we thought would be a quick dinner before settling in for the night turned into a very long and drawn out experience. While the food was decent, the service really left something to be desired.
(2)
Sarah G.
Skip it. Everything was overly fried and just not good. The interior was dingy and dark.
(2)
Joey V.
3 stars for this restaurant is very deceiving...this is a very good restaurant. Limp salad? The captain salad is full of fresh seafood and bright greens...You can get a small for $10 or a large for $16 and the large was overflowing with seafood, 3 lobster claws, maine shrimp and crab. I had the clam chowder and it was outstanding...$5 for an overflowing bowl...Then I had the Fettuccine Alfredo with Maine Shrimp..$10 and a big plate. The coleslaw was also excellent.
(4)
Chris L.
The wife was demanding a "date night," whatever that is, so I took the opportunity to actually sit down at Maxwell's for a real dinner. My love of this place was reaffirmed. First the very few downs: temps outside were hovering around 0, and we were seated in front of the large front window. While picturesque, it was also pretty frickin cold during dinner. I'm okay with wearing my fleece while eating, but wives like to be seen in their going out attire, so you might draw some conclusions about how that went. The other issue, also wife-oriented, was that the breading on her haddock was too thick, overshadowing the prize underneath. Simple enough, she just scraped off most of it and dug in. Just ticky-tack stuff. Maxwell's clam chowder continues to destroy every other iteration I have ever had, and I am a dedicated, life-long fan of clam chowder. My shrimp was perfectly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and had that indescribable smell that seems only to be had in a Maine seafood restaurant. The rice pilaf was clearly fresh, homemade, and perfectly seasoned. Great meal. The surprise of the night gets its own paragraph. I had never before had Maxwell's tartar sauce. Tartar sauce is something I've been eating all my life, and not with particular delight, because it's mayo-based. Starts out pretty good, then makes you feel gross. Or so I thought. Maxwell's sauce appears to be sour cream based. Blew my mind. Changed my life forever. One more reason why Maxwell's is a uniquely fine restaurant in a fine little town.
(4)
Jt W.
While on business in Bath, I've had the opportunity to eat at Maxwell's a few times. The results have been decidedly mixed. The chowder is great. The chicken fingers, halibut and the clams were all good too. Sometimes the service has been good. Other times, the service was awful. It took 2 hours for a simple lunch with 5 people one day. Another night it was 20 minutes before we even got drinks. And while some of the food has been quite good, other things have been pretty bland or worse. The chicken cordon bleu was pretty meh. A teriyaki steak was flavorless. But last night took the cake. Two of us got the filet and it was so bad that both of us sent it back (I haven't sent a steak back to the kitchen in 40 years). It was disgusting - the meat was literally rotten. So the service is mixed...and stay far away from their steaks.
(2)
Kate P.
I thought the prices were quite reasonable and the service quite fast. I was able to get a BLT and chips (which appear to be homemade) and a pickle for under $6. I have gone twice for lunch and once for dinner and always left full and satisfied. I would say that the clams were quite greasy, though. Still they did have a nice flavor. The decor was nice and their is a relaxing atmosphere. I liked it well enough that I went back the next day.
(4)
Keith A.
The food is three star. Decent and solid fare. The clam chowder is deserving of a fourth star. Best I have had in and around Bath, ME.
(3)
Oliver P.
Clam chowder was wonderful, one of the best around. The lobsters in our lobster dinners seemed undersized for the price, but they were fresh and flavorful. The martini was generous. The setting was pretty boring.
(3)
Hillary B.
This place was good in the 80's...when you didn't have other options in the area. However, now with the abundance of restaurants serving fresh quality local ingredients, one meal here with frozen items, microwaved sides, and wilty limp salads just doesn't cut it. I am forced to dine here periodically because my parent's like it. I can't remember the last dish I liked. And the interior matches the drab tired menu. Yuck.
(1)
Charlie K.
Works for us. Best clam chowder ever. Broiled haddock all the way. Soft, puffy bread? Yes please.
(4)
BL W.
Reasonable service and food for a summer weekday lunch. Not overly memorable in either a positive or negative sense.
(3)
Blaze F.
We had lunch & a pre-dinner beer here on a rainy, rainy day. What a nice place to eat & rub elbows with the locals. The lobster roll here really put a smile on our faces. It was everything you want a lobster roll to be--sweet, tender, fresh meat in a reasonable quantity. Good lobster to mayo ratio. Toasted, buttered bun. The clam chowder was really good--nice flavor. It reminded me of the chowder my grandmother made when I was growing up. Nice. Later, we sat at the bar upstairs & listened to the locals gossiping about someone who had returned to Bath for the summer. Evidently she summers in Bath regularly & is always looking for a new bed to sleep in, if you know what I mean. Ehem. Every familiar face that came in got the update on her return to town. By the time we left, I had my Maine accent back! It was great!
(5)
Jane P.
On a dark and stormy night in Maine... ...we needed sustenance after a long day of shopping in the outlet haven that is Freeport, ME. We headed back to the camp via Bath, ME and stopped at Maxwell's for a bite. It was late, and the restaurant and bar were almost empty, but the woman behind the bar was gracious and friendly. We savored every drop of the delicious lobster stew - a rich and flavorful bisque-like soup brimming with large, generous chunks of lobster claw meat. The escargot, served with points of buttery parmesan toast were also yummy, but nothing could outdo that fabulous lobster stew (a fair deal at only $10 a bowl). During the course of the small meal we discovered that the woman behind the bar was one of the owners. And unfortunately I lost my notes and can't remember her name. Regardless, she was super friendly and told us all about the history of the restaurant. Can't wait to return next time we're in Bath!
(5)
Kristin W.
Enjoyed a quick dinner in the pub tonight. We skipped the appetizers and ordered fish sandwiches and chicken tenders. My Dad enjoyed the coleslaw and chips while I loved their garden salad with blue cheese. They also offer carry out which is helpful if you are staying at the hotel down the street. Service was great and the bartender was very friendly.
(4)
Nola T.
My husband and I chose this restaurant for a quiet candlelit late night dinner (8:45pm, they close at 10:00pm). We were happy that it was quiet, only one other couple dining in our section. The ambience was great and we were enjoying ourselves immensely. The food and waitress were good and our experience began very nice until our main course, when the bus girl decided to clean the nearby tables, including the table next to ours. Spraying windex, slamming glass dishes on top of the glass tabletops, she continued to abruptly shove the chairs, hitting the tables each time. All the while having a loud conversation with another employee about friends texting at some wedding, etc. We kindly asked her to please be quieter, she was disrespectful, left, only to send in the other girl to finish the noisy job! Our experience was horrible!! If you're looking for a pleasant experience, this restaurant is not for you.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Don D.
Went in expecting the same generic fried seafood options as every other mid-priced southern Maine vactionland diner/bar/cafe and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. Easily the best of the five or so lobster rolls I ordered at different area restaurants on this particular trip. Bun was perfectly toasted, lobster meat was plentiful and tasted fresh and salty and not like a fridge interior. Front of house folks were really nice. Look forward to returning.
(4)Allison N.
Maxwells is a no-frills bar and restaurant. Whenever I'm in town I stop by to grab some authentic Maine seafood. Everything is caught fresh from Maine waters and most likely fried and/or drenched in butter. Forget your diet for one night! The scallops I ordered were huge and plentiful. They had the most delicate crust on the outside and were sauteed in wine for a tender inside. The captain's salad is smothered in lobster, shrimp, and crab. It's a steal for $14. So I'll explain my 3 stars: The crabcakes are thin on crab and thick on breadcrumbs, making them more like crab-flavored bread patties. The ambiance is also pretty eh. But at least the walls are decorated with pieces of local history, such as the signs of stores that used to be on Front Street. If I were rating on seafood alone this joint would get 4 stars.
(4)Esmeralda D.
My hubby and I live in Bath, and eat out maybe twice a week. However, we've finally given up on Maxwell's. The food is bland and lackluster, which could be somewhat forgivable if the service was great. It is not. In fact, the night we brought some out-of-town guests who are African-American, the host and our server were downright hostile.
(1)Nina W.
A good place to come for seafood year round in Maine. They have a pretty cool little bar in the bottom of the restaurant. The whole restaurant is made of wood planks and feels very maritime. Great service and pretty decent food as well!!
(3)Samantha B.
This restaurant will always have a special place in my heart--but for all of the wrong reasons. My boyfriend and I were spending the weekend at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Maine and decided to stop here for an afternoon lunch. We are an interracial couple, both Harvard grads mind you, and we were reduced to our skin colors at this restaurant. We entered, waited upwards of ten minutes for anyone to acknowledge us. Finally, a man who we believe to be the manager or owner approached us and asked, "For two?" We replied, "Yes, thank you." The restaurant was empty, save for two or three other couples, and his reply was, "Well, let me see what I can do for you." He left, began to clean tables, and never returned. It is safe to say that this restaurant denied to serve us because of the color of our skins.
(1)Kelly B.
Very cozy place, food was ok not amazing but ok, soup was fantastic! I must say this place is a little confused though, it's got the fancy atmosphere but then has big screen TVs with football on. So.... Kinda confused.
(4)Charles G.
We were there for lunch recently. I had a Ruben and my wife had a burger. Both were good. The serving was large. I could have easily split the sandwich along with a cup of soup. My wife enjoyed her burger. The food came hot and the service was prompt and friendly. Lots of refills on the ice tea. I can't say we sampled the entire menu but what we had will bring us back for more.
(4)Stephanie M.
Came to dinner with my boyfriend and his parents the afternoon after Christmas; we braved the ice storm and blizzard for it! The restaurant was so cute and cozy, I wanted to just sit around in it all day. I had the seafood broiler, which was so unique and delicious. I only made it through half, but the honey stuffing was so surprising and a good compliment for the seafood. Of course to me the quality was over the top (not too much pulled-out-of-the-ocean seafood in NYC or Ohio lol), but the family loved the place. I nibbled off my bf's pile of fried seafood, which everything was spot on.
(4)Shannon W.
The steak sandwich comes whole on a hoagie roll. Gotta cut it up yourself, crab cakes were not all that, for the price we paid ...
(2)Debbie H.
Visited with family last night. Warm bread, salad, and Philly cheese steak soup were tasty. Loved the crab stuffed mushroom appetizer and broiled seafood dinner. Too full to try dessert!! Only negative was that we waited quite a while between soup, salad, and main course.
(5)Monica S.
I had both lunch and dinner here while in Bath. I'd have to say the clam chowder was pretty delicious huge chunks of clams. The lobster melt was fabulous with so much claw meat! The coleslaw was not my thing I prefer a creamy based where this was vinegar with poppy seeds? The dinner I had was excellent and enough to fill you until dinner the next day. Try the dill dressing on your salad it's fabulous. The broiled scallops were a great alternative to the steamers. The huge lobster was cooked perfectly and dessert was fair. I had the strawberry shortcake. The biscuit was a bit tough.
(4)Joe H.
I have been to JR Maxwell's at least a dozen times over the past few years. Although I have never had a bad meal, the portion of fried clams on this last visit was a joke. According to their menu, you will be served a "generous portion". My small 5X8 plate for $20 had about 8 clams on it. Okay... maybe the clams are a little pricey right now. I am not aware of the market value, but don't put a "generous portion" unless you mean it. If fact, do what most restaurants do and serve the same amount every time so people know what to expect and have a price that indicates "market value". Everyone else's seafood dishes looked to have good portions. It was just the fried clam dish that was skimpy. Good thing for the free bread!
(3)CJ P.
Visited for our 21st anniversary, love the vintage naval theme expected in a steak & seafood restaurant just down theme street from Bath Iron Works shipyard. Even though it was a busy Friday night around 6 when we arrived, we were seated within 3 minutes. Very friendly and courteous wait staff, clean floors, tables, and restroom. I enjoyed the prime rib with rice pilaf and side of fresh horseradish, my wife loved the fried mixed seafood platter. Topped off the evening with a classic vanilla Creme Brule.
(5)Kurt W.
While looking at the menu on the outside of the resturant, I was told by 2 different people that it was the best place in town. The potato and chive soup was outstanding. The buffalo bites almost stop me from eating anything else. When I was done with the meal, I should have done that. They were perfectly cooked and had the right amount of hot sauce of them. The menu prices were on the high end. Nothing worth getting was under $17. I got the beer batter fried shrimp and I was disappointed because it seemed like it was fried in dirty oil (Time to change the oil!) The exciting part of the meal was finding scallops mixed in with the shrimp. Not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. JR Maxwell's loss I guess.
(3)Flo A.
We had prime rib, pepper steak and chicken marsala. All were delicious! The waitress was so friendly and even brought us a sample of a soup we asked about. Service was attentive and the food was some of the best we have ever eaten.
(5)Robert K.
Wow surprised by the negative reviews. I have been going here since the mid 90's and it has always been great. So good I came back tonight. Haddock superb, fried clams excellent . Had carry out from bar. Bartender friendly and attentive. Overall great.
(4)Catherine F.
Nothing fancy--consistently reliable fresh fish. I onlly get fried haddock, shrimp & scallops but they are always plentiful and delicious. For fine dining go elsewhere.
(4)Bob L.
Dill dressing! * Drops Mic *
(4)Tdboo F.
Great food & staff - yummy bar. Comfy atmosphere. Try the boathouse brown ale :-)
(4)Mike R.
First of all, I will not write a bad review unless it is totally aweful...and this place was aweful!!! Two of us arrived during the NFC playoffs which the server was more interested in then waiting on his customers. I guess that's is what it is since he was a football fan. We ordered salads to start, They were limp and very cold as they were made a day or two before and sat in the refrigerator until served. I ordered the Baked Stuffed Haddock with a vegetable side dish, Sweet Snap Peas. The Haddock entree was so full of buttered bread crumbs that you had to "fish" through them to get to the smallest piece haddock. I left half of the dish of buttered crumbs. It was not edible. The side was Snap Peas set in a small bowl completely dripping with butter. It could not be eaten. My friend ordered the Steak Special with a Baked Potato. The Steak was cooked to order but both the Steak and the Baked Potato came to the table luke warm at best. It was if the Entree had set prior to coming out probably to serve both dinners ant the same time. The waiter never came back to the table to ask if our meals were to our liking. The game was more important! If I were to come back to Bath, J R Maxwell will not be on the list of eateries we will be going to. "You have to get a terrible meal in order to appreciate a good one" This one was terrible.
(1)Matt P.
I only write reviews for really good places and really bad. Maxwells is somewhat fun when the right bartender downstairs is working. However this is going to be a very bad review due to the horrible rude service I received. The bartender with short curly hair and glasses is a a very rude person. The moment we walked in she made comments about cologne and then didn't like how I set money on the bar down by commenting about it which I found very strange and then was upset my friend changed his mind about paying with cash instead of card. She is clearly a miserable person in general and we left immediately. Not like they can risk losing business considering how empty it is all the time. She clearly needs to be fired or get an attitude adjustment. I will never be back and will be sure to tell everyone to stay away. Pretty bad for a touristy spot. Stay away and go to Byrnes Irish bar or public house.
(1)Michael T.
At least the beer and mashed potatoes were good. The rest of the meal (haddock stuffed with crab) was tasteless and forgettable. Friendly staff but don't go for the food.
(2)Sara W.
We ate here while vacationing in the area. We had walked through Bath earlier in the day and fell in love with the town. We returned for dinner and decided to give this place a try. It took a good 20 minutes for the waitress to come to our table. She did apologize for the delay and we did notice she had a big area to cover, but we were very hungry and the slow service got annoying after a while. My husband ordered the blackened haddock which he raved about. I ordered the shrimp and lobster bake which was the night's special but got salmon brought to me. Had I known that it was a case of the Server entering my order wrong, (receipt/verified this) I would have just kept the salmon. It did look very good. But I was told that my dinner was accidentally given to another table and it would just be a few minutes for my correct meal. Since I was hungry, I worked on my sides - rice pilaf and baked potato. (The rice pilaf was very good.) I think they rushed correcting my meal and when it finally arrived, it looked rushed and I was turned off and barely touched it. What we thought would be a quick dinner before settling in for the night turned into a very long and drawn out experience. While the food was decent, the service really left something to be desired.
(2)Sarah G.
Skip it. Everything was overly fried and just not good. The interior was dingy and dark.
(2)Joey V.
3 stars for this restaurant is very deceiving...this is a very good restaurant. Limp salad? The captain salad is full of fresh seafood and bright greens...You can get a small for $10 or a large for $16 and the large was overflowing with seafood, 3 lobster claws, maine shrimp and crab. I had the clam chowder and it was outstanding...$5 for an overflowing bowl...Then I had the Fettuccine Alfredo with Maine Shrimp..$10 and a big plate. The coleslaw was also excellent.
(4)Chris L.
The wife was demanding a "date night," whatever that is, so I took the opportunity to actually sit down at Maxwell's for a real dinner. My love of this place was reaffirmed. First the very few downs: temps outside were hovering around 0, and we were seated in front of the large front window. While picturesque, it was also pretty frickin cold during dinner. I'm okay with wearing my fleece while eating, but wives like to be seen in their going out attire, so you might draw some conclusions about how that went. The other issue, also wife-oriented, was that the breading on her haddock was too thick, overshadowing the prize underneath. Simple enough, she just scraped off most of it and dug in. Just ticky-tack stuff. Maxwell's clam chowder continues to destroy every other iteration I have ever had, and I am a dedicated, life-long fan of clam chowder. My shrimp was perfectly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and had that indescribable smell that seems only to be had in a Maine seafood restaurant. The rice pilaf was clearly fresh, homemade, and perfectly seasoned. Great meal. The surprise of the night gets its own paragraph. I had never before had Maxwell's tartar sauce. Tartar sauce is something I've been eating all my life, and not with particular delight, because it's mayo-based. Starts out pretty good, then makes you feel gross. Or so I thought. Maxwell's sauce appears to be sour cream based. Blew my mind. Changed my life forever. One more reason why Maxwell's is a uniquely fine restaurant in a fine little town.
(4)Jt W.
While on business in Bath, I've had the opportunity to eat at Maxwell's a few times. The results have been decidedly mixed. The chowder is great. The chicken fingers, halibut and the clams were all good too. Sometimes the service has been good. Other times, the service was awful. It took 2 hours for a simple lunch with 5 people one day. Another night it was 20 minutes before we even got drinks. And while some of the food has been quite good, other things have been pretty bland or worse. The chicken cordon bleu was pretty meh. A teriyaki steak was flavorless. But last night took the cake. Two of us got the filet and it was so bad that both of us sent it back (I haven't sent a steak back to the kitchen in 40 years). It was disgusting - the meat was literally rotten. So the service is mixed...and stay far away from their steaks.
(2)Kate P.
I thought the prices were quite reasonable and the service quite fast. I was able to get a BLT and chips (which appear to be homemade) and a pickle for under $6. I have gone twice for lunch and once for dinner and always left full and satisfied. I would say that the clams were quite greasy, though. Still they did have a nice flavor. The decor was nice and their is a relaxing atmosphere. I liked it well enough that I went back the next day.
(4)Keith A.
The food is three star. Decent and solid fare. The clam chowder is deserving of a fourth star. Best I have had in and around Bath, ME.
(3)Oliver P.
Clam chowder was wonderful, one of the best around. The lobsters in our lobster dinners seemed undersized for the price, but they were fresh and flavorful. The martini was generous. The setting was pretty boring.
(3)Hillary B.
This place was good in the 80's...when you didn't have other options in the area. However, now with the abundance of restaurants serving fresh quality local ingredients, one meal here with frozen items, microwaved sides, and wilty limp salads just doesn't cut it. I am forced to dine here periodically because my parent's like it. I can't remember the last dish I liked. And the interior matches the drab tired menu. Yuck.
(1)Charlie K.
Works for us. Best clam chowder ever. Broiled haddock all the way. Soft, puffy bread? Yes please.
(4)BL W.
Reasonable service and food for a summer weekday lunch. Not overly memorable in either a positive or negative sense.
(3)Blaze F.
We had lunch & a pre-dinner beer here on a rainy, rainy day. What a nice place to eat & rub elbows with the locals. The lobster roll here really put a smile on our faces. It was everything you want a lobster roll to be--sweet, tender, fresh meat in a reasonable quantity. Good lobster to mayo ratio. Toasted, buttered bun. The clam chowder was really good--nice flavor. It reminded me of the chowder my grandmother made when I was growing up. Nice. Later, we sat at the bar upstairs & listened to the locals gossiping about someone who had returned to Bath for the summer. Evidently she summers in Bath regularly & is always looking for a new bed to sleep in, if you know what I mean. Ehem. Every familiar face that came in got the update on her return to town. By the time we left, I had my Maine accent back! It was great!
(5)Jane P.
On a dark and stormy night in Maine... ...we needed sustenance after a long day of shopping in the outlet haven that is Freeport, ME. We headed back to the camp via Bath, ME and stopped at Maxwell's for a bite. It was late, and the restaurant and bar were almost empty, but the woman behind the bar was gracious and friendly. We savored every drop of the delicious lobster stew - a rich and flavorful bisque-like soup brimming with large, generous chunks of lobster claw meat. The escargot, served with points of buttery parmesan toast were also yummy, but nothing could outdo that fabulous lobster stew (a fair deal at only $10 a bowl). During the course of the small meal we discovered that the woman behind the bar was one of the owners. And unfortunately I lost my notes and can't remember her name. Regardless, she was super friendly and told us all about the history of the restaurant. Can't wait to return next time we're in Bath!
(5)Kristin W.
Enjoyed a quick dinner in the pub tonight. We skipped the appetizers and ordered fish sandwiches and chicken tenders. My Dad enjoyed the coleslaw and chips while I loved their garden salad with blue cheese. They also offer carry out which is helpful if you are staying at the hotel down the street. Service was great and the bartender was very friendly.
(4)Nola T.
My husband and I chose this restaurant for a quiet candlelit late night dinner (8:45pm, they close at 10:00pm). We were happy that it was quiet, only one other couple dining in our section. The ambience was great and we were enjoying ourselves immensely. The food and waitress were good and our experience began very nice until our main course, when the bus girl decided to clean the nearby tables, including the table next to ours. Spraying windex, slamming glass dishes on top of the glass tabletops, she continued to abruptly shove the chairs, hitting the tables each time. All the while having a loud conversation with another employee about friends texting at some wedding, etc. We kindly asked her to please be quieter, she was disrespectful, left, only to send in the other girl to finish the noisy job! Our experience was horrible!! If you're looking for a pleasant experience, this restaurant is not for you.
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