Maxwell Alley

Stopped here for an early dinner on Saturday night. Was able to get an indoor reservation and we were seated promptly. Service was very calm and friendly. Cocktail list was nice — we enjoyed our drinks (pretty and thoughtful). Fairly contemporary offerings and around the $18-20 range. Food menu was small. Not sure if they plan to up it when they get more of a handle on things. They should. Not that it needs to be large but I felt it the apps and small bites lacked any substance. $8 sourdough with butter isn’t a a great offering (1 of 3 choices up top for small bites. Menu was printed on a plain piece of paper. Odd. Those small negatives aside, we really enjoyed our entrees and dessert. We tried a variety and everything was well executed. Most importantly, patio is lovely and interior feels nice and they were fantastically patient with our baby stroller (lots of families out on date nights). Give them an A+ for making us feel welcomed.

Maxwell Alley is just the restaurant Jersey City needed! My husband and I had a little date night here and we felt like we were transported out of downtown Jersey City for the night to Manhattan or Europe. We started with some cocktails. The Maxwell Alley Martini is fresh, fun, and delicious! However, as avid wine lovers, the wine list is what we were most interested in. (This is not your Aunt Linda's wine list -- Sorry, Aunt Linda.) Featuring rare bottles that are thoughtfully curated, we were so happy with each bottle we selected. (A 2021 Brendan Stater-West Saumur Blanc 'Les Chapaudaises' and a 2022 Chantereves Hautes Cotes de Beaune 'Paris L'Hopital.') All of the food we ordered was so delicious, too. (The menu focuses on seasonal produce, house-made pastas, and thoughtfully sourced protein.) I have to specifically highlight the guanciale pasta as it is one of the best pastas I've ever eaten (and I studied in Rome for a semester). We are so happy to have this new restaurant in Jersey City and can't wait to go back again (and again, and again).

Maxwell Alley in Jersey City offers a delightful dining experience! We started with their delicious sourdough bread, which was a perfect beginning. For our main courses, I thoroughly enjoyed the striped bass, which had a lovely, subtle hint of yuzu – a fantastic touch. My friend's duck breast was also excellent. While the service was a bit slow, I still very much enjoyed sitting outside, and I hope it's a bit faster on my next visit. Overall, a great spot!

My wife and I stopped by for a Sunday night dinner and were pleasantly impressed with the food here. Every dish is well thought out and extremely flavourful! We ordered the Mahi mahi Crudo which was bursting with flavour. Wish it came with a few slices of toast to absorb that delicious broth! We also ordered the Kale salad which was again delicious (probably the best salad I've had in years!) albeit a tab bit on the salty side. For our mains, we did the Squid Ink pasta. The texture of the Pasta was lovely and the only protein was mussels. I wish the dish came with baby scallops or some shrimp to balance out the mussels. The Martini is a must try and the wine selection is great (way to go Mark). The highlight of our visit was Camello. He is a treasure to this place. He was extremely professional and gave us amazing recommendations. Definitely one of the best places we've been to in a while! Well done Mark and Kati!

Food: I would recommend the beef tartar and duck breast. Beef tartar is pretty fresh and the sauce goes well with the beef. The duck breast is not super soft but in combination with other ingredients are well balanced, both textures and flavors. The mackerel crudo is interesting with strawberries but not that impressive. The ink squid one has good texture but a bit too salty for my taste. The dessert...was way to sour. My mouth is still watering while I'm typing this review thinking how sour it was. Service: It's still a new and busy restaurant. The food came out relatively fast. For people who don't drink alcohol, the restaurant can make mocktails that are not on the drink menu. The waiter was nice and handling a lot of tables. Space: We sat in the indoor dining room. The distance between tables is pretty tight and close to others. It's a bit loud but you can still hear each other without yelling. The lighting is great, not too bright and not too dark. When we walked out, the indoor patio looked even nicer and quieter. Overall, I'll come back when my mood strikes.

Incredible environment that makes feel you feel like you have stepped out of Jersey city and into Tuscany. The service is impeccable. I appreciate how we ate at the bar but they put in Our apps and entrees separately to ensure our meal wasn’t rushed. Additionally they work to have all their staffed knowledgeable on all wine and dishes- I wouldn’t have ordered the prawn special without the description I received. The staff’s informed opinions on the wine, near quality, and the ambiance made this an incredible dinner I would have never anticipated. I’m excited to return for casual dinners and special occasions with visitors. Highlights included the sourdough bread and butter, lamb tartare, and pasta tonnarelli which was incredible

The best spot. Amazing cocktails and delicious food. I loved Mango Mango cocktail. And we had asparagus, carrots, sourdough bread, olives, stake. Everything was fantastic! Highly recommend. Also there is a cafe during the day time.

Maxwell Alley has potential, but it's sort of in the first act of "She's All That" (or "My Fair Lady" or "Princess Diaries" or insert any other movie where the protagonist has a makeover). You can see the beauty just under the surface, but you gotta remove the natty hair and ugly glasses first. - Fluke Crudo: Interesting, creative take by adding strawberries, but the fermented tomato water was WAY too salty, while the fluke was a bit too thick for proper crudo presentation - Lamb Tartare: Same deal with the creativity of adding ramps and such, but the tartare was again way too salty. I also wouldn't have served this with what was basically potato chips--they were too thin and kept breaking when we tried to dip - Squid Ink Sorprese: The best dish on our table with a winning combo of mussels, yuzu kosho, and bottarga. My main complaint is that the portion was too small. - Duck Breast: While the meat was juicy, the skin was burnt. The leek puree lacked flavor, and the potato dumplings were kind of bland, but the green peppercorn jus was fantastic. Drink-wise, we tried the Mango Mango. It was creamy and tasty but had about as much liquor as an Amish nun. And at $22 a pop, it cost more too. Service was kind of hit or miss, and none of the staff were particularly friendly. They weren't rude either, but they weren't too warm or welcoming considering the place was brand new. We skipped dessert although the options looked interesting. It just didn't feel right--like debuting Rachael Leigh Cook when she still has caterpillar brows. However, I wouldn't mind coming back in a few months when she's learned to walk in stilettos.

Can't believe this place is only a 3 star! What an amazing addition to jersey city. I've been dying for a restaurant just like this - great food, great drink, and attentive staff. I do agree that it can get hot in there but I'm just assuming that will be corrected.

*BUTLER CAFE ONLY* I really enjoyed my iced americano here. Espresso was caramel-like with just the right amount of chocolatey. Barista was nice. Ample seating to enjoy your coffee and work/read. Or literally stare off at the wall, they do have some really pretty wall paper accents. Ambiance was great and felt like a secret oasis. The decor here is clean and calm, and nature focused which made it a great space to chill. Music was chill, alternative Spanish music. Loved it. I tried a house made blueberry cake-- it was OK. A little too wet and actually kind of bland for me. But I would def return when in the area.

Great experience. The service was top-notch. We really loved our server. The food was delicious too. I really think this is a restaurant JC needs more of. Their cocktail menu is fantastic too. The Mango, Mango, Mango is a standout. But the Easy as Pie is up there too. All in all, really enjoyed our experience and it made for a great date night. Very chill and fun. I think if I had one complaint it's that my potatoes were a little cold. But, is that really much of a complaint?

Decent spot and would come back. My main note that I cannot stress enough - TURN THE DAMN AC ON! Tables are a bit uncomfortably close to each other as well. The food was good but the menu is small. Everything was cooked well but had flavors on it I didn't really love. For example - the duck was cooked perfectly but had an odd glaze on it. The chickpeas were perfectly toasted but had a strong seasoning on it. I will say the sourdough Tonnarelli was AMAZING. You have to get it if you go. The service was good and the waiter offered suggestions which was helpful.

Maxwell Alley has potential, but it's sort of in the first act of "She's All That" (or "My Fair Lady" or "Princess Diaries" or insert any other movie where the protagonist has a makeover). You can see the beauty just under the surface, but you gotta remove the natty hair and ugly glasses first. - Fluke Crudo: Interesting, creative take by adding strawberries, but the fermented tomato water was WAY too salty, while the fluke was a bit too thick for proper crudo presentation - Lamb Tartare: Same deal with the creativity of adding ramps and such, but the tartare was again way too salty. I also wouldn't have served this with what was basically potato chips--they were too thin and kept breaking when we tried to dip - Squid Ink Sorprese: The best dish on our table with a winning combo of mussels, yuzu kosho, and bottarga. My main complaint is that the portion was too small. - Duck Breast: While the meat was juicy, the skin was burnt. The leek puree lacked flavor, and the potato dumplings were kind of bland, but the green peppercorn jus was fantastic. Drink-wise, we tried the Mango Mango. It was creamy and tasty but had about as much liquor as an Amish nun. And at $22 a pop, it cost more too. Service was kind of hit or miss, and none of the staff were particularly friendly. They weren't rude either, but they weren't too warm or welcoming considering the place was brand new. We skipped dessert although the options looked interesting. It just didn't feel right--like debuting Rachael Leigh Cook when she still has caterpillar brows. However, I wouldn't mind coming back in a few months when she's learned to walk in stilettos.

I loved this place. Just moved to JC recently and still trying to find the good restaurant options. Tried a few places in the area so far to varying degrees of satisfaction, but food here was excellent. Every dish I tried (except maybe dessert) was really well executed and delicious. Ordered the sourdough bread, lamb tartare, tonnarelli, and duck. All were fantastic, high quality dishes with a lot of flavor. Lamb wasn't gamy, duck cooked to perfection, and pasta had incredible chew and love the pepper component. No complaints about food, except my one comment was on dessert. Got the chocolate panna cotta and mine was really solid and too stiff, too much gelatin maybe. Didn't care that much because the rest of the meal was awesome! Service was a little slow to start but very friendly staff. I'm glad this spot opened up here, will absolutely be back to try more!!

The food is fresh and creative. The service is okay. Ambience is really nice for summer especially the patio area. The tres leches dessert was really yummy

I was excited to see how the restaurant looked because I use to go there when it was Gringo's. I walked in with my family, husband & son, to grab a drink and was immediately asked if we had reservations. We responded, unfortunately, we do not and I asked if we can make reservations. The host responded that they had no more reservations because they were completely booked. We said "oh ok". The place was totally empty, not one person in there. While we were starting to walk out, my husband said to the host "can we not sit at the bar to have a drink"? and she responded "oh, you said you wanted dinner". Never once any of us mentioned dinner. As soon as we were approached the question she asked us was if we had reservations. Me and my family felt like she was very dismissive and like if we weren't welcomed.

I've been here twice - once just for drinks and once for dinner and drinks. The ambiance is great at the bar (where I sat both times) and the decor and vibe throughout the restaurant is really cute. The bartender who served us last night was so sweet and attentive, and she gave us great recommendations (she actually recommended each of the dishes that we ordered and we weren't disappointed with any of them). The Mediterranean martini is delicious if you're looking for something a little more refreshing in the summer, but I also ordered a ketel dirty martini (my go-to), which was actually one of the best I've had in JC (idk why it's so hard to find a good one here). My mom who's a wine lover had the chenin blanc and loved it. We had the house baked sourdough and cucumbers to start which were both delicious, the cucumbers had a really unique flavor profile. For mains we had the sourdough tonnarelli - which is a must order in my opinion, probably the best pasta dish I've had in JC - and the halibut which was also good and balanced, but the pasta was much better in my opinion. I typically prefer to head into the city if I want a really good overall dining experience, but Maxwell Alley is definitely delivering that here in JC. Will be back for sure!

The first thing I noticed was the uplifted interior from the previous restaurant. The space has calm, warm lighting, modern fixtures, and colorful wallpapers layered over other features. Service was attentive and kind. The food was great! Highlights include the braised carrots with a decadent tamari caramel- that flavor was insanely good. The sourdough tonnarelli was tasty and the guanciale was superb. The drinks were creative and had fun presentation. Mango Mango Mango! Is a must for a coffee/espresso-adjacent drink. The clarified milk goes perfectly with the cinnamon cream. Some over and under salting, along with a couple inconsistencies in the cook on some meals are holding it back from a five. I'm excited to come back soon and push them to a 5!

Lavender & Ricky were amazing. Awesome bartenders, and super attentive to service. It was Lavenders FIRST DAY and she absolutely killed it. So cool to see as another bartender. Loved the wine list, very affordable glasses and bottles, and creative cocktails. Will definitely be back. Thank you all and congrats on such an awesome space :-)

We had the steak, duck, lamb tartare, all were fantastic. My wife said it was the best duck she has ever had. Wine list is fantastic, cocktails were superb. Prices are great for this level of elevated farm to table fare. Alex our server was great, 10 out of 10 date night.

REALLY want to LOVE this place but overall not a great experience. We went opening night which always has bumps. Food was pretty good but it took 3 hours to get through our meal. Our main courses came out prior to our apps. All of this was fine (as it's opening night) but we were completely ignored by our waitress the entire time. The owner was quite rude as well when we tried to speak to him. We tried their coffee this AM and was disappointed again. Really unpleasant staff, they didn't really present themselves as even open. There's tons of potential but they are just missing the mark On a positive note they did a great job with the remodel and I love the wine list. I just wish the menu was a little friendlier to a quick bite during the week and the staff was friendlier. Going to give it one more try for dinner....

Lavender and Ricky were amazing. Cool Vines did an amazing job with the wine list, the food is perfectly paired. As a picky person, I will absolutely be coming back here. Lavender blew me away for her first day, and Ricky was an unbelievable trainer and supporter. SO looking forward to the future here. Amazing job everyone!

My husband and I had dinner at Maxwell Alley this week. I had the Striped bass and my husband the Duck. We shared the fluke, olives and chickpeas for appetizers and had Pana cota and très lèches as dessert. Food was delicious . We had many questions about the chef as the flavors were so unique. A must try in Jersey city.

We had such an amazing evening at Maxwell Alley. The service was warm and attentive, and the food was both inventive and delicious. It is hard to find a place in the area that offers something truly out of the ordinary and good, but this one absolutely delivers. The flavors were not just familiar or simple. Each dish was clearly well thought out with great attention to texture, balance, and creativity. The only thing I was a bit disappointed by was the handmade pasta across the pasta dishes. It was consistently too thick, making it hard to enjoy the way the rest of the meal invited us to. I am only pointing this out because everything else was truly spot on. The ambiance and decor are lovely, inviting, cozy, and full of character. I am especially looking forward to sitting on the patio when the weather allows. Welcome to the neighborhood and best of luck. We are happy to have you here and excited to come back.

Service was great and drinks were fun and creative! Food was very solid and balanced we got the Braised Carrots, Stracciatella, Sourdough Pasta, and Duck Best dish was the Duck, very flavorful and all the items on the plate worked very well with the Duck. The Sourdough Pasta wasn't the best, lacked flavor and the Guanciale was limp and chewy. I would expect it to be crispy to provide a crunch to the dish. Menu is small and my opinion lacks protein options, lots of carbs and veggies.

Jersey City has been starved for more restaurants like this! It's wild to see some of the negative comments--almost like people actually want this place to fail. Sure, there are a few minor kinks to work out (as there are with any new restaurant, especially one with a menu and cocktail offering this ambitious), but hot damn, they're getting so much right. The space is exquisite, with a breezy, California-inspired vibe--truly unlike anything else in JC. It's effortlessly cool. The cocktails are both creative and well-executed. On our last visit, I went simple with a Whiskey Sour, and it was excellent--fresh, balanced, and clearly made by someone who knows what they're doing. The wine and beer list is also thoughtfully curated and full of interesting choices. The food menu is seasonal and has changed each time we've gone, which I love. They're taking some big swings, and they're landing. The salads are bold and mouthwatering, the pastas are fresh and comforting, and the entrees are consistently impressive. If I had one critique, it's that the pacing felt a bit rushed on our first visit--our entrees arrived while we were still finishing our appetizers. That's a pet peeve of mine, but honestly, I chalk it up to a new team still settling into their rhythm. I'm not going to slam a place with this much potential over something like that. For context, I've long considered Razza, The Roxy and Corto the best restaurants in JC (even though BYOB drives me a little nuts). But Maxwell Alley is absolutely on track to join their ranks--and I really hope the city gives it the support it deserves.

It hurts to write a bad review, I never do it... especially because I'm all about supporting small businesses, BUT, this was a poor experience. I'll start with the ambience, it's beautiful! The server and the wine specialist were very sweet. The food was okay and we got the steak for two. It was served in one big plate, great, but we didn't even get normal plates to eat, instead appetizer plates to put our steak on. And we had to ask for a steak knife. As expected, the butter knifes don't quite do the trick. The steak was the perfect temperature and really nice. The sourdough bread was good and so were the olives. The steak came with fried chick peas that looked like fish sticks. They were okay. We didn't even finish the steak. Not because it was too much food, but because we could hear the owner talking behind us... more on that later. The wine list was impressive, but not quite as advertised. The CA wine is supposed to be from the Central Coast, but the bottle we ordered was bottled in the Alexander Valley (which I LOVE, but NOT the Central Coast) and the vineyard is in El Dorado county! That's NOT the Central Coast NOR for the Alexander Valley, it's the Sierra Foothills! Isn't this place owned by the same people who own Cool Vines (wines)? Which brings me to the owner. As we wrapped up our dinner and we said we'd try it again in the future, we over heard the owner (loud speaker) talking to his friends voicing his objections to recent one-star reviews. They laughed about it and the owner went on and on. That is when we said we will not try it again. That's when we told our server we appreciate him, tipped 20-percent (low for us) and walked away so very sad. We were so excited to try this place and we hope they succeed because we love our neighborhood and we love small businesses, but sadly we won't be back. And we'll also skip Cool Vines now, which we frequently visited. We wish them the best and hope they succeed.

Tried to give Maxwell Alley a second chance, but they made sure we didn't make that mistake a third time. Arrived well before closing, but apparently the kitchen had other plans (ones that didn't involve feeding people). The hostess made it clear we were a bother just by existing, which really added to the ambiance. Still haven't had the pleasure of trying their reportedly "fine" food, but at this point, I think we'll survive. Plenty of better spots in Jersey City that actually want customers.

Very disappointing. Staff was very helpful but wine was advertised from the wrong region after a quick google search, no dinner plates, had to ask for steak knives and when the arrogant owner arrived went to a table of people he knew and talked about disputing poor reviews and laughed off feedback instead of listening to customers who are paying to dine at his new restaurant. We were excited for this restaurant to open but will not be going back or to cool vines again. A subpar experience and don't want to support a restaurant owner who goffs at customer feedback.