Maxwell Alley

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!

Maxwell Alley is a stunning new addition to the Jersey City dining scene, completely transforming the former Gringos space into a warm, sunlit escape with a beautifully designed interior and ample outdoor seating. The cocktail and wine program is among the best in the area - thoughtfully curated, well-executed, and backed by a knowledgeable team that clearly knows their stuff. We loved the salads and pastas, each full of flavor and finesse, and the dessert was a perfect finish. A welcome new go-to for dinner, drinks, or just a great vibe. 5 stars though - incredible potential and a few kinks they’re working through (we went week 2 of service)

Hands down the BEST restaurant in Jersey city. The cocktails- insane. The pasta freshly made everyday in house. Same as the bread. And the service 10/10. The wine selection is expansive, the owner is also of coolvines which makes this place extra special because of the knowledge & personal touch they bring to your dinner. Reservations are getting harder to grab peak hours, so i recommend going for brunch or early week night. The best evening I’ve had in a VERY long time.

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.

We finally checked out Maxwell Alley in Jersey City after hearing all the buzz. Ambiance: The space is beautiful — creative lighting, modern décor, and a cozy vibe both inside and out. The outdoor patio is especially nice, perfect for a relaxed evening. Service: Attentive and prompt. The staff was friendly and made sure we were well taken care of throughout the evening. Food: The food was a little underwhelming. Baby romaine salad was good— fresh, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. It went downhill from here. Both the mains came out room temp/could. The pasta was fine. The duck breast, however, was a bit of a miss — slightly undercooked and lacking flavor compared to the other dishes and came out at cold. Drinks: Cocktails were solid, creative, and well-made. Pricing & Extras: This is on the pricier side compared to other restaurants in the area, which would be fine if everything was consistent. At this price point, if the salad turns out be the best dish, then something is amiss for sure. They also add a ~3% credit card processing fee, which felt unnecessary for a higher-end restaurant. This left a bit of a sour taste at the end of the meal. Overall, Maxwell Alley has potential with its ambiance, drinks, and some standout dishes, but the food consistency and added charges keep it from being a top pick right now. I hope they improve the quality of food & service.

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!

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).

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.

Lots to like about the newest addition to the downtown JC scene! I stopped in for brunch with a few friends that are regulars and have been a bunch of times already. They love it so I had high hopes. What I loved: -The housemade ricotta toast was delicious. Loved the garlic confit mixed with the creamy ricotta. -I got a side of mushrooms with my toast and they came out so perfected seasoned and prepared. Could have eaten a whole bowl of them. -We also tried the biscuit and jam and was so flaky and buttery. Highly recommend. -BEAUTIFUL space. The inside is stunning, the patio is beautiful and just covered enough that you won't be sitting in the sun. They have this room that is basically open air that looked so cozy on a nice day. Perfect vibes. -I didn't get a cocktail on this trip but instead we all stuck to coffees. My latte was delicious and piping hot. Their front of house looks like a seperate biz: Butler Cafe, so that must be why their coffees and lattes are so great. Other things: -It was a bit of a wait. Not a big deal at all for us but might be tough if you were looking for a quick lunch/dinner. -The brunch menu was pretty limited. Almost everything was an egg dish, which is why I opted for the ricotta toast. -High prices and small plates. Yes, my ricotta was delicious. But $17 for one piece of toast seems high. Without the side of mushrooms I would have been pretty hungry. -They are new so I hopefully this is a quick fix but they don't have proper mugs for hot drinks. My friend got a hot black coffee and it was served in a class cup. She couldn't hold it at all so ended up pouring it into a paper to go cup. Might return again but probably not for brunch. Either way, welcome to downtown JC!

Food: 4.4/5 Service: 4.4/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 The sourdough is thick and soft. The crudo is one of the best versions I've ever had of this dish. Refreshing but also rich. The tonnarelli is good but hard to get on the fork. The duck breast is a larger portion size than expected. Sabrina is a friendly server. The ambiance is great. It's nice that there's an indoor section with good seating and a tented outdoor section.

The restaurant was really nice, I liked the atmosphere and Our server was really great (personable, friendly and had a great vibe). The food was overall very good. The salad was delicious and I recommend you get the sourdough bread with it, it was an amazing pairing. The poached halibut was good, but our favorite was the pasta. The dessert was weird, I didn't expect the panacotta deconstructed and there was a salty component just did not work. (Pushed it aside) The saving grace was the berries were very sweet and tasty.

*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.

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.

The menu was extremely limited and left some in our party unable to find a satisfactory entree. The portions were small and presentation was below average. There was no cream available for the coffee and the coffee was served in not a coffee cup but in an "on the rocks" glass from the bar. The lack of a handle made it impossible to pick up the hot coffee which came black with a single sugar packet. The prices were excessive for the meals provided. The wait staff, though trying their best, seemed disorganized and under trained. The dining room lacked ambiance as it was bathed in a sickly yellow light. The warehouse acoustics absorbed no sound making the room so loud that conversation was almost impossible. Stay out of this alley.

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!

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?

This place is maybe the best restaurant in jersey city, what a wonderful addition! We made a reservation on a Friday night and everything we had was excellent. Cocktails were beautifully crafted. We had sourdough pasta and duck which were both delicious. My only notes would be the dessert was not as excellent as the rest of the meal but it was all around a great meal, we can't wait to go back.

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!

We had one of the best meals of our lives here. And I do not say this lightly. Definite foodies, I am the daughter of a chef and my husband is an amateur chef. We have traveled around Europe and indulged in some wonderful meals, but this still makes the top of the list. Who raves about asparagus? We do...now. The asparagus appetizer was out of this world. Hand made bread and pasta hit my carb loving palate like a dream. While we've paid much more for steak tartare, this was the very best we've ever had. A Lucious, frothy cocktail and perfect wine pairing added to the experience. The biggest surprise came at meal's end as carrot gelato on top of crumbled carrot crackers and topped with a candied carrot. What an unexpected but delectable treat! We highly recommend this jewel of a restaurant.

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.

Incredible meal, every course hit. The service was 10/10, thank you to Travis. New favorite Jersey City spot. Recommend the outdoor patio

Went for brunch the first time about two weeks ago. Server was super friendly but also very efficient. Tried the biscuit on a whim and really enjoyed it, and my friend and I shared the ricotta on toast as well as the frittata. We also tried a few cocktails and our favorite was definitely the Breakfast Martini. SO GOOD. I would honestly come back just for that. I would love to try their lunch or dinner menu next.

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 :-)

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....

This was so disappointing. Good intentions, bad results. Let me start by saying it's a beautiful space. But the service is a weird experience. Even though they are so polite and smiley, they seem to lack experience. They don't pick up empty glasses, they don't change plates for the mains, or bring you knifes for the meat if you don't ask. They don't ask you if you want another drink. They bring food before the drinks. But this is all forgivable of the food is good. The menu looks promising but we didn't like anything. Trout crudo had a really fishy and just blunt flavor. The tomato salad was also surprisingly bad. It had a weird flavor. The chickpeas are exactly what you expect: air fried type chickpeas with spices. The duck was again blunt and so was the tonarelli which is essentially a cacio e Pepe with pieces of fat. The only thing we ate was the sourdough which is delicious. The menu is also a bit limiting. It's a shame cause we really wanted to love this place. Overall the idea is there but the execution needs work.

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.

Visiting from Brooklyn and popped into Maxwell Alley for brunch - what a treat that was! The menu was very different - no pancakes or french toast. Creative dishes and probably the best bloody mary I've ever had. The service was casual but very professional. We sat in the beautiful front dining room but wished we had picked the patio. Guess I'll have to come back another time! Delicious!

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.

This place is fabulous!! Wonderful ambiance, great friendly bartenders, and a menu that will blow your mind and satisfy your hungry desires. Do not miss going here VERY SOON!!!

The food was okay, very small portions even for entree! Service was okay and the staff there would not make my husband and I to come back. Food took too long!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Overpriced, mediocre, slow service. Couldn't wait to leave. Was very disappointed. So many other places we would have rather eaten.

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.