Maxwells Central Park
“I'd def come afterwork happy hour but feels like a good date spot too….”
“Also the mozzarella sticks–I could have eaten a dozen of those.”
“Definitely a welcome addition to the (sometimes) lackluster food-scene in Harlem!”
Maxwells Central Park
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
4 reviews
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We popped into Maxwells last night to check the place out, and were super happy to find what our newly adopted neighborhood has been lacking; a solid local bar.
Walking up, we found a cozy little wind vestibule with their menu on display and a small sign containing two of my favorite words in the English language. Happy hour (I DO NOT have a drinking problem….cough). I really like our new neighborhood; its quiet, has great access to the park and subways, but was in desperate need of a restaurant/bar like Maxwells. There are some solid choices on the west side, and of course Yorkville is a skip and a jump away, but sometimes you just don't feel like hopping on a bus or subway. The restaurant itself has an awesomely modern rustic feel to it; the wood celling is fantastic, the back-bar is classic as can be, and the bar-top is new looking metal (mostly because, well, the place is brand spanking new). That's just it though, everything is so fresh that it can't really be described as old fashion (they try with the antique décor, and old pictures). This ultimately lends a hand to the underlying feeling that this places puts out; a space that is clearly new build, but will someday be a classic pub. It's the same feel, albeit less fancy that I got the first I stepped into "The Smith" on first and 51st, though maybe Maxwells doesn't feel the need to peacock as much as they do downtown, which is A-OK with me as the menu and happy hour prices are extremely reasonable.
We did our usual (read: park at the bar and spark up a conversation with the bartender), and settled in for a "let's check this new place out" post work HH. The staff was exceptionally pleasant, not sure what others have experienced in the past but we had prompt service and friendly banter (what more could one ask for, really). While I can't speak to the food, the menu had everything a pub should and seemed to be right on price point for the neighborhood (12$ for a burger? Not bad at all). The HH prices were also right on point, 4$ for Narragansett, 5$ for most other beers (Guinness is 6$), and a few select wines for 5$. The one thing I will say is that they have smaller mugs for the happy hour pours, which is fine, but I prefer when places meet in the middle and offer up full pours for a dollar off (their normal prices are 2$ more than their HH prices).
Very excited to see how this place evolves in the months to come, but I have high hopes for these guys; I am sure they will find their groove as foot traffic picks up (which is sure to happen), and become a local favorite in no time at all.
Ok, so I know that you guys just opened and I wish I could give you a better rating but I can't.
My boyfriend recently moved a bit more uptown and spotted this place opening on his way home. Him and I are foodies who have grown up in the restaurant industry so naturally we are always eager to try the new places.
On Tuesday night him and I waltzed on in here for dinner. You could already tell that they had recently opened because a nice gentleman who didn't exactly look like he knew what he was doing told us to sit anywhere…a young lady brought us some menus and let us marinate with them for a bit longer than she should have, My boyfriend ordered a moscow mule and i ordered a blood orange margarita. His moscow mule was fine but my margarita was lacking. It didn't taste much like blood orange, or regular orange, or tequila. It tasted like some seltzer with a bit of syrup, splash of tequila and serve.
Their food is nothing better than standard bar food. We ordered chicken tenders to start. Four tiny tenders that took too long to make. My boyfriend then ordered the pulled pork sandwich and I had the chicken and avocado sandwich. The dude seemed to like his pulled pork which was served on a standard bun with fries. Neither of us touched the fries. Oily, brown, not good. My sandwich had more arugula than anything in it, making me wonder why they didn't name this the "arugula and avocado sandwich". I had to salt and pepper it because there was NO flavor. The moment that I went for my second bite I saw it! BROWN AVOCADO! One of my worst nightmares. I don't mean a speck of brown. No. I mean like way mushy looks like chocolate pudding brown. I immediately asked the runner to take my sandwich back to the kitchen. I was not going to eat an arugula sandwich that tasted like nothing with brown avocado. I just couldn't. We ordered another round of drinks and waited, and waited, and waited. So that was the food….
Now, I grew up in the business like I said. I know the first few weeks of opening are iffy. You have to discover the work flow, new employees, this and that but damn. Who is managing this place? While our server was nice, she was very brisk. "Are you guys ok?… cool" "Hows that stuff?..alright". This isn't really a BAD thing but Its not exactly a bad thing to speak more than 5 words to your customers either. I guess who ever is pretending to manage this place took notice and let the girl go. Yes, i said it right.. let her go! But who was going to get me my other drink?? She picked her bag up and walked right out mid way through our time here. Wha wha whaaaat? No body came over to tell us anything. They just let us sit there. So now its like 20 mins after she walked out, right? I want my other drink!…
Finally we waived someone down who explained to us that they're still working on a few things and apologized. I think maybe I'll wait a few more month's before coming back here…
First time coming to this spot, and loved it! It was during happy hour, and one of the few locations that runs it till 8PM. I was impressed by the staff, they did a great job of making me and my colleagues comfortable, even went as far as recommending what to get in terms of food. It's a trendy spot but very unique. It also helps that the weather was warm which allows this spot to open up toward the sidewalk. From a selfish perspective, wish this spot was located more downtown. I would definitely come here again, had a great time. The bartender was great, even giving us a round of beers on him. I'm glad me and my co-hort wandered off to this spot, it was interesting and probably the first time ever ventured deep down 5th avenue like that! Y'all gotta try it yourselves. Enough of me!
Let me blunt: the blonde bartendress with a lovely accent makes this place shine. Everyone who works here should take serious notes to emulate her in every way. Therefore, if the blonde isn't at the helm then do not expect much when it comes to great customer service. No one is rude but they do seem absent minded, and a little inattentive. (Or maybe having someone who is extremely awesome at customer service makes every one else seem lacking?….No.)
However, the food comes out relatively quickly and the decor is nice. This is a nice place to sit down and have a meal in the restaurant-scarce area of 5th Avenue. It is also a Nice place to grab a drink. The price point is very affordable and the quality is adequate.
I definitely like the establishment and can see its potential being this close to Central Park. The Negroni I had was solid, the mozzarella sticks were hot and made of real cheese, and the Maxwell signature burger (which includes a fried egg, Brown gravy and fried onions as well as raw onions) was so delicious I managed to eat it all in one sitting. You have the option of a side salad or fries–just make sure you specify, even if they dont ask.
The food is good, drinks have been good and when the service is smoothed out this place will continuously be packed.