The Big Easy

The Big Easy used to be Maxine’s back in the day. In those wild and wooly days of yesteryear, I was bartending around the corner, and would sometimes stop in here on an off night or after hours for a few drinks and/​or dances. The layout looks the same — like the inside of a ship. Two levels of seating in an oval dining room. Large dance floor still holding down the main deck.
I stopped in for breakfast earlier this week. The door was propped open and I wasn’t certain they were doing morning business. They were. I was greeted by a warm smiling young woman who walked me into the smaller barroom, where I chose a table close by the front windows. They were still setting/​cleaning up, but made me feel quite welcome.
This kitchen is Halal, so I ordered a Beef Bacon, Egg and Cheese on an Whole Wheat Roll. As you can see from the photo, the sandwich was big and loaded. I enjoyed every bite. The coffee was fresh brewed after I asked for some, and it was very tasty. I think that was Chicory mixed in as a nod to Café du Monde in NOLA.
This is a great place for an early morning meeting or just a quiet solitary breakfast. It was fun to be back in the old joint, and to see it was being so well cared for.
For downtown Trenton, this is a definite gem.

I love this place. I’m here all the time picking up lunch. Their fried fish, sauteed spinach, and mac n cheese is delicious!

Best Fish and Grits, hands down!!!
Limited menu today because of a prior commitment. I was blown away by the tasty fish n grits. Excellent customer service as well !!!
Please check out this cozy spot when in the Trenton area.

Had a very pleasant fruit-​salad snack here during a Philadelphia-​New York bike ride. Friendly owner. I liked the outdoor seating, too.

I was here for a birdal shower on a sunday afternoon. I had been here before when it was known as Maxines but dont remember the set up being so nice! (The things u dont look for when you’re 19 and partying it up lol) anyway, it has a beautiful set up. Two levels, high ceilings, lots of space, dance floor. Since it was a shower the food was buffet and it was delicious. We had salad, fried chicken, mac and cheese, green beans, and potato wedges. All of the food was very good but the mac and cheese was hands down to die for! I could go and just have the mac and cheese and be completely satisfied. It is a byob so be sure to bring your favorite bottle to match the amazing food. The staff seemed very nice and we’re very accommodating as we set up and took apart at the beginning and end.
If you don’t know what you’re looking for you may miss the sign that says the big easy, so look carefully. If you get lost look for the huge «maxines» on the front of restaurant.
Def. A place to check out! We will be back when in area!

Ever heard of «Campylobacter Jejuni»? Neither did I until my gastroenterologist just mailed me my test results. It’s a bacteria found in animal feces, most commonly associated with poultry. I ordered the jerk chicken off a street vendor setup in front of this restaurant, operated by the owner himself. 24 Hours later I came down with terrible food poising that kept me out of work for 5 days and sent me to the ER. Either the chicken itself was contaminated with feces (IE: not butchered, cleaned, or cooked properly) or the workers themselves handled raw and cooked food without practicing proper hygiene in-​between. Naturally that is my first, and last, time ever eating at this establishment.

They hosted a catered event for my organization, and the service was absolutely flawless. I especially enjoyed the Oreo pie, amongst things. I returned on my own to get the salmon caesar salad. The best, please don’t change a thing on that recipe.
In all, between the 4 times that I visited – my catered event, a friend’s catered event, a drop-​in for some good ‘ol soul food and a Friday evening sidewalk experience, it was very good.

Get the mac and cheese, get the shrimp… save room for desert. And Don’t forget to bring your own wine!
If you want to go out and have a great meal on a decent budget, come to the Big Easy. The service was excellent. The waiter was helpful in recommending something good and we had the cook himself come and give us a sample of their pasta dujour to see if we liked it.
We ordered the Jambalaya that was made just like in New Orleans, with an extra kick of spice and enough sausage to feed 3 people! We also ordered the medallions and shrimp, which came with 2 sides. The medallions could’ve used a little more seasoning, but the shrimp were grilled to perfection! The sides were also amazing… by far the best being the mac ‘n cheese.
The waiter talked us into desert, pie a la mode and the presentation alone was worth it! Take a look at the pic, salivate, then go get it.
This is a HUGE place that looks like it was a lot of fun once upon a time. Sadly nowadays in this part of town, it seems like a lot of people are not going out to eat. The tables are set all over the place, including on the dance floor. I wish this place did have dancing and a bar (it’s BYOB), because the ambiance has this cool R&B vibe. I will definitely be returning, apparently they have poetry nights and live music on different days of the week.

When you’re overnight in a city like Trenton, where not even a Subway restaurant can stay open after 6 pm, you’re stuck with slim pickings. The Big Easy should be able to take advantage of its proximity to the Marriott Hotel 500 feet away. But then, it would need decent offerings.
My first meal was without a doubt the worst I had eaten in the last five years, and part of that five years includes time spent working in military bases in Afghanistan (where the food usually isn’t half-​bad, I admit). It was a chicken and vegetable thing on a bed of rice, covered with a cheese substitute that would even be up to Velveeta’s standards. I held my nose and ate it, because it was 9 pm at this point, and in DT Trenton, that’s all you get.
Against my insticts, I returned a week later because of the paucity of options and had something from the «soul food» menu. (Menu is enormous, by the way.) They did better by some barbecue chicken with greens and sweet potatoes, though nothing was really distinctive. It was edible to say the least. Afraid to try anything else, I had this meal a second time a few weeks later. It saved me from giving the place one star.
But the carry-​out service isn’t even very friendly. Considering how little business this HUUUGE restaurant obviously gets, you’d think they’d be grateful for a carryout person who even tips. But they can’t even thank me for an order on the phone, hanging up after I’ve completed. And they’re brusque when you pick it up in person.
No worries though. The Big Easy will close within a year, leaving someone else to expand on Trenton’s piddly dinnertime options.

I ordered the stuffed flounder with yams and green beans for my sides. When I got my food home, I had Mac and cheese and collard greens. The Mac and cheese were okay, but the greens were very bitter. I would’ve enjoyed my meal a lot more if it were actually what I’d ordered. I’ll give them a pass for being a new business though.