Marx Cafe

I ate here for dinner on Memorial Day because the restaurant we had planned to go to was unexpectedly closed. We knew nothing about Marx Café and LOVED it. I had the grilled chicken and the sauce was so good I sopped it up with my bread. The seasonal roasted butternut squash and corn was amazing. The slaw was dry to me, but the waiter warned me that it would be Asian slaw with no mayo. I was expecting an oil/​vinegar dressing, but it didn’t seem to have anything on it. I had a taste of my son’s ribs and they were good. The pasta dishes at our table also looked good and seemed to please. My portion might have been a little small because I cleaned my plate and that’s unusual for me, but I was pretty hungry when we got there.

As the reviews say, this is a nice neighborhood spot for a relaxed meal. To set expectations, the food is unpretentious — I haven’t been disappointed with what I’ve gotten there (though I’ve only been twice). Anchovy crostini was a special appetizer and tasted really good. A new salad offering — orange and fennel — also hit the spot. The waiters really know (or seek to know) the clientele, asking if you’ve been before, which I like. The wood paneling and cozy interior make for a nice spot to hang out.

This is a cute little neighborhood spot. It isn’t a place I would go to impress a foodie with gourmet cuisine, but it is a good place to get a decent, satisfying, casual dinner at a reasonable price. Staff is friendly and relaxed, and the wine list is pretty good.
I’ve been attending a shindig they call «Stormy Monday.» It’s a once a month live music night with a fun, bluesy ensemble that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the bar offers half-​price wine bottles. Last time I was there, not expecting to, I ended up downing a bottle of old vine zin by myself so watch out.
Many people rave about the sagynaki (sp?) but personally I’m a fan of the salmon a la greek, which comes in a unique, creamy ouzo sauce.
Oh, also, I discovered after getting home (the evening of the whole bottle of wine incident) that one of my brand new, not cheap, handmade earrings was missing. I called the bar and the bartender not only remembered who I was and where I was sitting, he went and searched the ground for me and found it while he was on the phone with me. A++.

i love coming here for a drink, and i’m really happy to have this place in the neighborhood. i like their beer selection, i like their happy hour, i like the vibe of the place. it’s great to just chill one night after work, or to catch up with friends. even great for bringing family! as long as you stick with beer or wine.
the food, sorry to say, has gotten terrible and the portions have gotten smaller. its a shame, as the menu is interesting and would make this a stellar neighborhood spot if the kitchen put some effort and consistency into their work. i used to love coming here for appetizers and a nirvana wrap. the food has been hit or miss for as long as i’ve lived in mount pleasant (over 10 years now), but lately i’d say its a 98% miss. last time i went, my wrap was mostly full of iceberg lettuce, paired with a scattering of room temp chewy fries. and the avgolemono soup i ordered to start with (which i used to LOVE at marx) was like a bowl of rice porridge, inedible. i mentioned this to the waiter, who either didn’t understand what i was saying or didn’t care. he brushed it off and walked away, and that’s when i decided i’m done eating here. with better, more consistent options on mt pleasant street (angelico’s, zabver, beau thai, radius) why bother. i’ll keep coming here for drinks, and just take a walk down the block if i happen to get hungry.

As one of the few «gringos» in the place, I still felt more than welcome. Great, diverse crowd. Primarily Argentinean, in fact I was there supporting my friend’s Argentinean rock band. There was serious Latin-​American energy going on here, met people from Peru and Hondurus to name a few countries represented. And there were multiple groups playing rock music– both classic rock and «en espanol». DJ Leo, played a cool mix of classic favorites. The owner, Haris, was very accommodating. Great beer, drinks, and food. I had the «frutti di mare», perfectly cooked muscles, calamari, and shrimp over a rich and smooth marinara sauce. Met new friends, partied with old ones… Can’t wait to visit this place again soon!

Lovely relaxed place for evening out with friends. Highly recommend bruschetta with steak. The least expensive Pinot noir was still great. Service a bit slow but really nice.

Some times it’s really difficult to understand some people … They are never happy, but I think if you have a happy life you happy … If not, you don’t
This place it’s wonderful, nice drinks, excellent beers, food it’s really good and really good price
Services very friendly.
So if you want to have a good time go there, for sure you going to enjoy like I do every time when I go there …
Live is easy … But you need to be in good vibe !!!

Great food. Good daily specials. Live entertainment. Nice neighborhood crowd. Great bartenders.

Everyone there is kind, the happy hour is an awesome deal, and its generally a nice place to spend some time.

Excellent neighborhood bar for hanging out, although the food is really hit-​and-​miss, more miss than hit. If you’re boozing at Marx, best bet when you get hungry is to duck over to Radius for a made-​to-​order slice of pizza, scarf it down, and resume your place at the bar at Marx.

Place looks nice and it’s very casual, but food was subpar, doesn’t even get to generic bar food, beer selection was decent. Price is reasonable, but I wouldn’t come back again. One time deal.

Went there today. The special is 6 dollar Margaritas which with tax is NOT a deal… Then I get Alfredo… it’s 11 unless you get chicken or shrimp which is 3.65 more (They’re the same price). Obviously I go with the shrimp because 3 something extra for chicken is RIDICULOUS! They gave me three nickel size pieces of shrimp. No bread, no veggies literally nothing but mediocre alfredo and three nickel size pieces of shrimp. I’m depressed. I really thought I was going somewhere worthwhile.

Totally enjoyed being greeted by Harris!
Passes from Greece and really knows how to show service and hospitality tickets gas the food was very good and the service was great a quiet restaurant in a local neighborhood though I understand at 11 o’clock it turns into a nightclub

Great spot! I came here for a relaxed date night. The food was good, and I loved the service — our server was friendly, helpful, and a bit of a jokester. Nice cozy spot for a drink or a bite to eat, and the chocolate cake, OH MY GOSH, it doesn’t say so on the menu but it’s flourless. It’s like a hunk of fudge on a plate. So delicious.

I’ve been here more times than I can count over the years for friends’ DJ nights & all I can say is, can this restaurant PLEASE get a fan, or a better ventilation system, for their kitchen? Every time I’m in there the smell of fried food is just really bad & when I get home, all of my clothes smell terribly of fried food & I have to wash them straight away. This is not a huge problem for tops, etc. that are easy to wash but more so for things like jackets. I literally wear lounge wear/​my worst clothes here that I can wash easily. I want to support the DJ nights but after last night, I won’t go back until the fried food smell is rectified.

Funky little spot. Nice staff. Good beer on tap. Artwork on the walls are fun, digital paintings. A little weird but neat, especially if you like boobs, boats and lions. Who doesn’t?
I went for my friend’s acoustic set last night. The stage area is quite small. My friend and I ordered an appetizer sampler platter. I recommend just going for the small plates like tzatziki and hummus over the platter. There was an odd tasting seafood dip that threw off my tastebuds with its fishiness.
Overall, I will definitely come back. Also, the lighting and décor in the dining room is great for pics, so take some shots of you and your friends while you’re there.

The lowdown:
— MOST IMPORTANT: $ 2 off all whiskeys on Sunday — and a killer selection of whiskeys to boot.
— Excellent food… Especially the addictive fries.
— Amazing bartenders and a great laid back atmosphere.
— Great events — a hilariously great 80s dance night and many live music events.
I love this place, and becoming a regular has huge perks. Come at once!

This place is one of Mount Pleasant’s not-​so-​secret secret treasures. They have a great beer selection and during happy hour the food is unbelievably cheap. We ordered this cheese on fire dish once and it was, of course, delicious. But also so darn exciting. Definitely an experience.
It looks like a dump, both from the inside and out, but just trust me that it’s awesome. The waitstaff is friendly, knowledgable and attentive. Go give it a try.

I wanted to like this place so badly, which makes it all the more disappointing for me to have to give them a mediocre review today. My fiancé and I just moved to the area and were looking for a great hang-​out bar, hoping this might be the one, and it had so much going for it. Neighborhood vibe, cute décor, laid-​back atmosphere, creative and unusual drinks, and lovely service all made me bump up the rating to the 3 stars it definitely does not deserve for the food, but I absolutely cannot bring it any higher than that.
The décor is a complete hodgepodge of all different styles, with some pieces by local artists on one wall, the bar and TVs on another, and yet another filled with Marxist references and propaganda. The rustic feel is a touch hipster but in a way that I can still get down with because the clientele and the staff are so much more home-​grown. They have a fun cocktail list and an unusual, if small, selection of beers on tap. We enjoyed our cocktails immensely and were impressed by the size of them.
Then, however, came the food. The appetizers and main plates appear to be wildly overpriced, while the burgers and tapas are fairly normal. Unfortunately, neither his burger nor my tapas were acceptable. His burger was not even seasoned at all, and seemed a pathetic attempt at something very simple. I ordered the eggplant rollitini tapa with the intention of ordering another to round myself out; however, the eggplant was so tough and chewy and the plate so destroyed with cheap melted cheese that I decided it just wasn’t worth it to give them money for more food.
Would have been a really nice night had it not been for the food, and relatedly the price. It’s really a shame because this place had a lot of charm and personality. Oh well — on to the next one.

I give 4 stars just for being comfortable friendly bar.
You walk in here and you will never feel stranger or alone in the city. The bartender welcomes you and as soon as your name is recognized (give your ID to him or say your name if he asks), you will be introduced to everyone (Friendly faces) at the bar.
Then you know you are in for good time. You can just watch 80s or 90s movie playing against another TV playing NFL game. or you can start talking to anyone sitting next to you. or you can just talk to the bartender.
Food wasn’t great (just one I had…) but maybe they have better ones on the menu.
Small selections but good draft beer.
Come by when you don’t know what to do with yourself.
PS: Monday: ½ priced bottle of wine and if you leave any, they let you take home leftover.
Daily happy hour specials. such as $ 2.50 PBR… and ask the bartender :)