Maxwell’s Tavern

Lol… I have to laugh as I write this. I’ve never walked into a half empty bar before and had the waitstaff act so annoyed that they have customers to deal with. Sorry you have customers that want to give you money for things. This is just another AnyBar USA — don’t expect anything more.

Insanely nice staff, great vibe, great food! I ordered a beer that had just run out, so they gave me a craft beer on the house!

Maxwell’s Tavern just goes to show you can not expect even average service at a pub. Sat down here last Saturday with three other people and luckily was in a good mood or else I would have left. Took OVER 15 minutes for our waitress to come to the table, another 15 for her to take our order, and then much more time waiting for our drinks to show up of which were brought out incorrectly and mixed up.
Do not go here unless you are strictly getting a drink from the bar.

I went here for a concert held in the back room one weekend. The concert itself was awesome, and the back bartender was great. My main complaint with this venue/​bar was with the rest of the staff I encountered, specifically the bouncers or «security».
From the moment I arrived, they were rude and downright hostile towards my friends. They yelled at at least three people in my party for different reasons and towards the end of the evening I was actually worried they would get into a physical fight with one of my friends. The bouncers were so angry and I felt really unsafe because of them. It was overall such an unpleasant experience that I doubt I’ll ever return or recommend this place to friends.
I guess go if you like the band who’s playing, but don’t expect to be treated with any respect from the staff there. I understand they probably deal with a lot of jerks, but I felt like they handled the «situations» (i.e. a friend unknowingly standing in the wrong part of the hallway) very unprofessionally.

Too many TV’s. I liked Maxwells for the music and the people and the lack of television sets. Now like every other bar in Hoboken it’s like a Best Buy TV showroom.

Not to be one of those people who says «the old Maxwell’s was better,» but whatever — I’m going to be one of those people. I came here within the first month of opening and had a wonderful experience. The service was impeccable, the drinks delicious, the food filling and fresh. But it has become a sinking ship.
My past few visits to Maxwell’s have been brutal, aside from one bartender (an older woman) who is incredible. Aside from her the bar service is slow and unresponsive, the waitstaff in the dining area doesn’t understand how to write an order ticket or take a proper order, and the food lacks in flavor and execution. Inside scoop is that the chef refuses to change his ways and there is an internal battle in terms of menu/​execution of dishes. Apparently some staff are fearing going back asking for changes in dishes or tweaks???
My last time there, and I refuse to return after this, my wrap came out with barely anything in it and absolutely no flavor. It was also missing a few key ingredients. My friend’s disco fries has zero flavor even after being covered in a bland gravy. And our waitress took 45 minutes to even ask for our order. Also, the dining area was way too loud to even hold a conversation — that mixed with the bands playing in the other room…
Advice to Maxwells… get a new chef and better train your staff. Revamp the menu a little bit and then host another friends and family for some honest feedback.

Totally dead inside. We came as a group. I watched someone at the bar order a beer and the draft produced a glass of literally half foam. That was our queue to leave. I don’t take chances on improperly chilled beer.

This review is only for the back concert venue area of Maxwell’s.
I moved here from Austin/​Houston with high hopes for the live music scene. Judging by some of what I had read online, Maxwell’s was the place to go for live music… apparently that was a little outdated. It was closed when I moved to Hoboken, so when it eventually opened again I was thrilled. While they don’t have a lot of events (and not high profile concert appearances) they’re one of the few options for live music locally.
I spotted on the Facebook page that an Audioslave/​Nirvana cover band night was coming, so I convinced the girlfriend to come relive my high school experience with me. The cover was only $ 10, and we quickly made our way into the back room. It wasn’t crowded for this show, but I can see how it could potentially become pretty uncomfortable. The back area has insulated walls to help with sound quality (and I’m sure not piss off the neighbors) and its own full bar (great for not missing any of the show). The bands themselves were great.
I’m looking forward to more concerts in the future here, and eventually checking out the front bar and the trivia nights they seem to advertise weekly!

I came Maxwells with a couple of friends for lunch and to watch some college football. Surprisingly it was somewhat empty, but that may be due to the fact that it was the holiday weekend. Maxwell’s Tavern is a local sports bar that has a rich history of having many acclaimed performers. It has a reputation of being a staple in Hoboken.
The décor of the bar it is nice and simple. In my opinion a sports bar is supposed to make you feel comfortable and have many TV’s around so that it does not matter which seat you sit at, you can always watch multiple games. Maxwell hits the nail on the head in my opinion regarding these two factors.
When we arrived at the Maxwells we sat at the available tables. The bartender was also our waiter and was very friendly and engaging. He made great at making «small talk» and offered his honest opinion regarding the menu. He also knew we (6 of us) wanted to watch a particular game and indicated that when a major NHL game was over that he would switch the main TV’s to our particular game so that we can also get the commentary. Its things like this, which truly make an establishment great! Also, when he indicated this, it made my out of town guests feel very comfortable. As for the food, it was good for bar food and was cooked exactly how i ordered. I would recommend the «Hoboken Hot Burger!» They also have a good beer selection. I would highly recommend this establishment to anyone.
I would rate Maxwell’s Tavern as follows: Décor 4.5 Stars, Food 4 Stars, Location is 4 Stars, Price is 4 Stars and Drink Selection is 4 Stars.
The views expressed are of my own and are my true personal experience at this establishment. My personal experience may not reflect this actual establishment, their quality or someone else’s experience at the establishment.

This place is a nice local sports bar! Lots of TV viewing and ample seating. I came on a Saturday afternoon to watch a game with some friends, we chose where we wanted to sit (not many people we’re there since we went Saturday after thanksgiving, I’d imagine people were out of town). The server who was an older gentleman was very amicable and loved that we were there to watch a game; he would come chat with us and make sure everything was alright. Our food came out pretty good: I enjoyed a black bean burger with regular fries. Nothing phenomenal for this burger but the flavor was definitely there. They have a decent selection of beer and the server was pretty knowledgable in each. I would recommend coming here to watch a game with friends, it’s a fun environment.

Unsure why I haven’t been to Maxwell’s sooner.
I’m always on the hunt for a bar with live music in Hobo/​JC, I’ve known that Maxwell’s delivers and for some reason I just haven’t gone yet. In any case, I finally came in over the weekend and am already planning my next return!
The front area is just your standard run of the mill bar but they have a large private space in the back where you can generally find live music on weekends. There is a ten dollar cover charge which is kind of annoying but for that charge they book at least two bands who play for a few hours. So, at least you are getting your moneys worth.
There is also a small stage area at the front of the bar and they had an acoustic duo playing at the same time as the band in the back room. I would definitely prefer to see a band in the back space because the sound quality is much better. The combo of a loud bar and a weak sound system made it super tough to hear the band which was sad because from what I could hear they sounded fantastic.
If I was going to come out to grab a drink and have a normal bar experience then I’d probs hit up a spot that is closer to my area. But, when I want live music (aka always) I’ll check the schedule here and come through if the band looks solid.

The «new» Maxwell’s has tasty food and a good happy hour. I would have given the experience 4 stars, but the service was just ok. We had to ask multiple times for utensils, napkins, and refills on our drinks. The bartender who was serving us was friendly but overly focused on two other patrons at the bar.

Maxwell’s Tavern has a nice area to work with especially considering their history. They have the main area set for live bands and all that. The back area they are trying to get more dancing going on. I guess the setup is a little weird since nothing points out that a DJ is in the back room. I’m sure this will eventually become popular.
The bartender who was «serving» us was rude and not friendly whatsoever. He was tall and boldy and I hope he reads this or it gets to him. He seemed like he didn’t even want to be bothered, When he did make the drinks, I think he forgot to add liquor… We kindly reminded him to add less sprite the next time. This was definitely a turn off so I’m pretty sure I won’t be rushing back here anytime soon.

The food is good, the bar is nice, and the staff are very nice. Beer selection is okay, but it is an iconic spot in Hoboken. It was better before it was shut down, I used to love the concert hall and saw some awesome concerts there, that were dirt cheap. Worth a stop in.

Good location, ambience and a decent pour on the drinks but the food sucks. The wings made me sad and the three pizzas our table of nine ordered were an embarrassment.
I gave this place 3 stars because we came in 2^nd on trivia night. Which was nice.

Came by for a few drinks while in Hoboken on a Saturday night. Was happy with the nice selection of beers on tap and enjoyed a few with some friends while watching the Mets game
The atmosphere is a bit loud, which is fine for most bars but if I was eating dinner here it would have probably bothered me. If they got rid of the sit down tables adjacent to the bar it would free up a lot more room in the middle for people to stand and drink (or at least ditch the chairs). Otherwise this a good spot to stop by with a group of friends for some drinks

HATES CHILDREN. The high chairs and booster seats are covered in cob webs and are clearly just for show. The staff makes it very clear that kids are not welcome.
They BLAST the music and sports/​tv so loud, you can not possibly communicate verbally with your friends. This place has gone down hill tremendously under new ownership.
We (my friend and I who both have 3 year olds) asked the manager if they would perhaps turn down the TVs/​Music and he snapped at us immediately and fiercely «NO!!!»
Please, do NOT bring your children here. BIG mistake. Food sucks, staff is rude, super loud, over priced, cesspool. OMFG. NO!!!

Stopped in for a drink, and it was awesome! I had one of their specials — whiskey grilled lemonade. I definitely recommend trying it. I’m also going to have to figure out how they made it!
From what I noticed it seemed great for groups of people to grab dinner and not feel squished.

I’m not sure what went wrong here? As far as I know this was a place where legendary bands have played– Maxwell’s is known for it’s shows.
I guess they’ve revamped the place and are now serving food as well but not really hosting too many shows.
I went here for brunch– brunch! How could that ever go wrong? — My blueberry pancakes were not fully cooked — the server was nice and the cook even nicer for making me a new stack. However, the new stack was burnt crispy all around the bottom — it was sad, I mean come on they’re just pancakes! My scarmbled eggs were alright and the potato hash tasted, well.different.
My friend was also disappointed with her plate — steak and eggs. The steak was already cut when served– fine. It just tasted weird though not even ketchup helped. They also dont serve fresh orange juice. I don’t know maybe LA has spoiled me… But fresh orange juice is rather common now.
Anywho don’t go here. Ever.

I stopped in for dinner one night and was not impressed.
Décor: The inside is a pretty standard bar/​restaurant, nothing too special. I mean, it’s nice but nothing out of the ordinary. There are a lot of tables, so if you have a big group it’d be fine. And I also like that you enter in the front door (unlike the old set up).
Bathroom: Clean, well lit, but small. Very small. It pretty much should be a one-​at-​a-​time use.
Staff: Someone needs to light a fire under the staff b/​c they are slow. I was in on a Friday night and it wasn’t THAT crowded. Yet I had to wait to be seated (b/​c the hostess was nowhere to be found — come to realize later that she has to go get ALL the to-​go orders from the kitchen… not a good system)., I had to wait about 10 to even meet my waiter and order a drink, and then had to wait again (with my table completely empty of anything) for the waiter to ask if I needed the check. C’mon, people, get a move on here.
Food/​Drink: I had a beer, which was fine (they have a decent selection), wings (oh, wait, no I didn’t b/​c the waiter forgot to put the order in), and a regular burger (it was just ok, but was a good size/​thick!) with home-​made chips (yum!). All-​in-​all the food was just ok, nothing that special — of course, I just ordered a regular burger, but still.
Value: The prices are about what you would expect. But with the service, I feel like I was over-​charged.
This is the second time I have tried this place — the first time being a similar experience (which I held off on the review, thinking I’d give them a second chance) — and I doubt I will return for another meal.