My husband and I were lucky enough to snag a last minute, late-evening Valentine's Day reservation at Maxie's, which happened to also be during their week-long Mardi Gras celebration. Needless to say, it was crowded and lively, but our table was waiting for us and we were sat immediately. Our server was friendly, attentive, and very helpful with our menu choices, which were limited due to their Madi Gras-only offerings, but also plentiful and varied. My husband decided on the jambalaya, I went with the crawfish étouffée, and we split the roasted Cajun cauliflower as an appetizer. While it's hard for this kind of stew-like, saucy, veggie/sausage/seafood over rice mixtures to present beautifully, everything looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. The jambalaya had a little more of a kick than I prefer, but my husband loved it and my crawfish étouffée had the perfect amount of spice without being spicy. The roasted cauliflower was cooked to perfection and was the perfect way to start the meal. Not pictured is the bananas foster bread pudding that was the perfect way to end it. We both left with extra food to take home and the memory of a wonderful meal and great experience. read more

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Nice dinner spot! The restaurant wasn't over crowded but was steady. Noise level was low,l which was nice for conversation. Our server was great and the manager came by while we were eating to ask how things were and see if we needed anything. Only thing with server was I did ask 3 times for more water, would have been nice if he just saw and refilled. We started with the hush puppies and meatballs. The hush puppies came with a really interesting sauce. The cheese, flavor and texture were great. The chicken meatballs were good also had a nice sauce. I got the 4pc Pressure Fried Chicken sub collard greens for Mac n cheese to share. They nicely split the meal on two separate plates for us. The fried chicken was really good with a delicious crispy breading. The biscuit and Mac n cheese were alright. The Mac n cheese was nothing special at all. The mashed potatoes and gravy were good, potato skins mixed in. Enjoyed the food and variety of options! read more

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Great place for a delicious meal!! We arrived early so no problem with seating. This place can fill up at peak times. Posts of the restaurant can be a little dark, but the interior is cool southern decor. Parking is street parking but that's not usually a problem in this area. We started off with the creole chicken meatballs. They were delicious. Served in a nice seasoned tomato sauce with toasted French bread rounds. Would definitely order again. I had the Pecan-Crusted Riverence Trout which was also hands down delightful!!! It was seasoned well and served hot. Again I'd order this again. Or waitress was super attentive and checked with is often. She gave good input on menu items. She knew an off menu item my friend ordered which made ordering easy. Although I say that I'd order these items again, the menu is expansive so there's do much more to try before I get back around to these two items. In the past I've had the fried chicken with greens and corn bread. I did find the greens a little sweet for my taste. And the corn bread was a little dry so I definitely used the yummy orange honey butter. When you want some good southern food and oysters, this is where you go. read more

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It's been a while since I've been to Maxie's. My friend and I dined there on Feb 19 2026. We were seated upstairs - thank goodness, as the sound isn't so bad up there, even when it's packed. Downstairs, the sound makes your dinner seem like you're in the middle of Lambeau Field with the crowd cheering around you. My friend and I each ordered a drink. Mine was made exactly as I requested and was tasty. My friend ordered a dirty martini and, while saying it was fine, also admitted that it didn't really taste "dirty". I am wondering if the server forgot to mention that it wasn't just a martini, but a dirty one. We split some happy hour oysters (very tasty). My friend ordered jambalaya and pronounced it very tasty. I ordered the fried chicken because it was served with collard greens. The chicken was friend wonderfully - so crispy outside, very moist inside. The mashed potatoes were fine. But the collards - SO disappointing. They were soggy and super sweet. I hadn't looked at HOW they were prepared, so I was utterly destroyed that they were not savory (that is, made with BACON). We both had enough to take home a goodly portion of our meals. Service was very good - everyone was very friendly...but gees, stop interrupting my meal to get the plates. read more

Maxie's. Where do I begin ? Decor was very New Orleans. Very dim, dark red walls, chandeliers and long curtains. Very cute patio vibe. Waitstaff were super friendly and accommodating. Husband and I stopped by to place an order to go. It pains to say this because I really wanted to like this place, but we were both underwhelmed. We order the cheese puppies, chicken croquettes, meatballs, gumbo and a cheeseburger. The croquettes were burnt, the gumbo had a way too much basil. The meatballs good but the cheese puppies were also burnt. My husband said his burger was just ok. Maybe we should had ordered the fish or the poboys, maybe it was just a bad day. Or maybe I should go and eat at the restaurant next time. The only saving grace was the cornbread. That was to die for. read more

A go to spot for soul food and seafood. Happy hour cannot be beat - such great deals including their $2 oysters. Such a good vibe, makes you feel like you teleported to New Orleans! Wait staff is great, as well as their friendly bartenders as you wait for your table. read more

Maxie's - Happy hour oysters - Southern Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We stopped in for dinner and drinks at the upstairs bar and were immediately greeted with a warm welcome and water by the attentive staff. The happy hour oysters were incredibly fresh, especially with the house-made hot sauce and spicy vinegar. They even brought out a basket of warm cornbread without us asking, and that whipped butter was so good that words can't even explain it. With a consistently solid craft beer selection and 10/10 service, Maxie's remains a go-to spot for a great night out!! read more

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Service is always excellent here. We usually sit at the bar and are always so well tended too. This place gets packed quickly too and if you taste the food you'll understand why. We come for Friday fish fry very frequently and it never disappoints. For the first time we tried the cheese puppies which were delicious. The poblano sauce it came with is what really made the dish. read more

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This is a fun place to go with a group, we really enjoyed our waitstaff while we celebrated a birthday. The people who ordered the fried chicken LOVED it, I've had the pecan-crusted trout and that was good, but my jambalaya was more tomato-y and less spicy than I personally prefer. I am probably not the normal demo for those tastes though. read more

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What a great enjoyable evening. So many restaurants seem to struggle with service but not this restaurant. Not only excellent service but everything we ordered was so flavorful! The oysters, mushroom bisque, wings, shrimp, crab cakes and the drinks such as the hurricane were amazing! Our only suggestion would be to give hand wipes (like places do for wings) with the peel and eat shrimp and some honey with the corn bread!!!Such a great experience and we will be back! read more

Very cool vibe with nice decor and tasty Cajun/soul food. Char grilled oysters were gumbo was very tasty and atmosphere and decor was very pleasant. Definitely worth checking out. read more

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Made a recent return to Maxie's after quite the hiatus and it was as good as I remembered. My husband's company had their holiday party here, so the back half of the upstairs was reserved for the group. I didn't realize offered events like this, so great to know! There's a dedicated bar in that back area and both the bartenders were working hard to make all sorts of fancy cocktails for the group. I asked for an espresso martini, and they let me know they make their own version with cold brew. Whatever the version, it was delicious. For the party, they served big family-style dishes. I really loved the jambalaya and white cheddar mac n cheese. Everything on the menu screams southern comfort food (in a good way), and the overall vibe of the resturtant is super cozy. Be sure to book a rez, because it's always poppin' here! read more

Okay, I'm going to dish in a second. But overall - Maxie's is a super cool vibe. The colors, the well-placed low lighting, the appropriate volume of cajun music ... all done in excellent taste. The waitstaff is INCREDIBLE. They all seem to be having a great time, when it's slow, and when it's busy, which is important to see; plus, they help each other out. Waiters, bartenders, bussers, hosts, food-runners - they're often smiling and helpful to anyone. Not only did our waiter Scotty take amazing care of us (a group of 10 on a Saturday night, all arriving at different times; and he had many other tables besides us), but his teammates helped bring drinks, clear the table, and our deliver our food. Everything was timely, fresh, and as far as I know, no errors were made with drinks or food. We were all quite satisfied with our meal. The reason I give 3 stars is, for some reason I do not understand, near the end of our meal, we heard a man yelling quite loudly from the kitchen area AT OUR SERVER. The man (manager I assume) was insisting that Scotty was not attentive to us (and I can't discern a single reason why this would be claimed). Even if he noticed something we didn't -- it could have been a moment of quiet criticism, but this dude turned it into a screaming fit. And he could not have been more wrong. In fact overhearing this exchange (right around the corner, within full earshot of us and the back half of the restaurant) was the ONLY thing that soured our otherwise amazing experience. We then watched who I assume was the same guy (red-faced and angry) sit down at a table very close to us, and our server return a moment later somewhat shaken up. It was awful. We made sure to congratulate him loudly on his impeccable service after that. I don't know if the manager heard or not. But one can hope. This was not my first time here, but it was the first time I've experienced anything like this. Like I said, the team seems solid, our service is always timely and kind (and often, incredibly FUN) even when they're PACKED, the food is bangin', the oysters are fresh and delicious, and EVERYTHING is well priced & spiced! So we will be back. But we really hated seeing our waiter treated like that. For anyone who doesn't know - waiters in WI currently make $2.33/hour. This is below the federal wage rate of $7.25/hour for the same job. They survive off your tips. If they're good, they're great, and GOD BLESS THEM - they must do what they do because they love people. This manager did not seem to appreciate what he had right in front of him. But we did!!!! GO SCOTTY GOOOOO read more

I have been hearing about maxies for AGES now and have wanted to go!! Finally went and I'm sad to say I was quite underwhelmed. I will say the free cornbread is amazing though. I got the fried chicken that came with collard greens and i switched something out for cajun waffle fries. The fries were good, crispy and very cajun-y and the collard greens were overall good as well. The issue I had was just with how DRY the chicken was!! I know chicken breast are generally dry but even my other pieces weren't great. And they don't come with a sauce to get it a little less dry. Ended up taking it home to reheat and dip in sauce to avoid how dry it was. I will say that their cocktails are great though! Would come back for happy hour to try their $1 oysters and drinks!! read more

Maxie's - Southern Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I called in advance for a 11 party graduation reservation and was happy they could accommodate us- they have a large upstairs area perfect for bigger parties! We went during their happy hour and indulged in some $1 oysters which were delicious!!! We had a whole bunch of different apps and entrees- the meatballs were divine and gumbo was smoky and flavorful! For entrees, all of us cleaned our plates; from the jambalaya to the sirloin steak! This place was wonderful! 10/10 recommend! read more

The food at Maxie's is always good. The service is just as good. This is a restaurant to go with friends and be able to have a great conversation because the music isn't too loud. read more

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I thought this place was nothing special and overhyped to me by my friends. Here me out: The place was obnoxiously packed, which normally I don't mind but it seriously felt like they tried to stuff every single person they could in there. Our server (for lack of a better way of putting it) was quite pretentious, annoying and rude to us at our table. He acted like we should have known everything about the restaurant and the menu. It was very off putting. He also took a long time to get us our food. The food itself was very much average at best. The brisket was the most disappointing to me. It had too much smoke flavor and was tough to chew, meaning it was cooked hot and fast (not how you should cook a brisket). I don't think I will be going back and I wouldn't recommend this place to my friends. read more

Maxie's - Mac and Cheese, Waffle Fries, Fried Chicken and Brisket - Southern Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The music was great and so was the food. It was worth the wait, had 7:30 reservations and we had a table by just before 8pm.

Maxie's has a great happy hour! Love going here for oysters! It's always busy and good vibes inside.

Maxie's did NOT lie when they said that they're home to Milwaukee's Happiest Happy Hour. FOOD: I ordered 12 oysters (half and half), a bowl of gumbo, and the Hurricane to start. The oysters were very fresh!! Delicious and beautiful presentation. I got half of the saltier oysters and I'm grateful I tried it. I won't be making it a habit. I guess I prefer sweeter oysters. The bowl of gumbo is solid. The roux (base of gumbo) is a nice darker hue. I prefer darker roux. In true Southern style, this gumbo has okra in it. And Maxie's does an excellent job of cooking the okra. The okra isn't slimey at all. The only element of the gumbo that I didn't really get much of was the crawfish. Then, I ordered the mussels. The mussels were delicious!! I love the sauce that it comes in. I think it's a white wine and lemon sauce. Mind you, all this seafood and a drink came out to $45. Not bad. I walked out stuffed. SERVICE: My waitress was Marianna. I arrived as a humble party of 1. Thankfully, I came at just the right time and was immediately seated. Today, they only had one shucker so the oysters took a lil longer to come out but truly it wasn't too long a wait. Marianna was a great waitress tho. Very attentive and gave updates. 10/10 would come here for happy hour again. read more

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The great: Maxie's cornbread is the best I've ever had. Fluffy, moist, packed with flavor. It didn't even need butter. The drinks are wonderful and very fairly priced. The food was also very reasonably priced considering the portions. The good: The outside patio is a great way to spend an evening having cocktails with friends. The bad: I'm not going to say the food was bad. It just wasn't very good. We had the jambalaya and the fried chicken entrees. The pressure fried chicken was touted as "voted best in Milwaukee".... Milwaukee, whoever decided on that designation shouldn't be allowed to give any dish "best" status. The chicken meat was bland, skin was not crispy. They must have fried earlier and held for service because it resembled no other pressure fried chicken I've ever had. In fact, it was the worst version I've ever had. Collard greens were ok and the mashed potatoes with gravy were the highlight of that plate. The jambalaya was just ok. It too, lacked flavor. The spice level was nice. But, overall a very sad version of jambalaya. It needed more thyme or oregano, and smoked paprika. I make this dish myself regularly and theirs pales in comparison. As a home cook, you'd expect a James Beard award winning restaurant to do it better. Overall, I'd go back for drinks. The food can stay in the kitchen. read more

I've been to Maxie's multiple times over the years and they never disappoint! Most recently we had reservations to celebrate a birthday with dinner and drinks. There were some additional larger parties ahead of us but the wait was not too long. We were able to grab some seats at the bar until our table was ready. Since we don't visit too often, the menu is always new to me. While not exactly spoiled for choice, there are quite a few items to pick from as well as specials. Our party enjoyed fried clam strips, creole catfish, shrimp and grits and fried chicken. Everything tasted great and we all ate until there was no room left for dessert. Our waiter was wonderful, he and the other staff on the second level were very attentive to keeping our drinks full and making sure everyone was happy. I was very impressed since the staff were also tending the other 15 or so tables as well as a party of about 30. Zero complaints on service! It was a bit loud on the second level, but not as bad as the first floor. At the bar, I couldn't hear the people next to me talking, but that was not the case upstairs. One of my only complaints would be that not all wine is available by the glass. And it's not even expensive stuff. My mom is the only one who drinks wine, and she didn't order it because there's no way she can(or should) finish a bottle by herself. I'm not sure what the reason for that is, but it was a bit of a down moment in an otherwise spectacular night for dinner. For those that don't know, there's a large parking lot across the street, the lot next to the restaurant is handicapped parking. Street parking shouldn't be necessary, as it's generally a hassle. read more

Amazing! I've been wanting to try this place for quite some time. I grew up spending summers in the south and weekends in New Orleans, so this menu is right up my alley. My friends had mussels for an appetizer. I'm not the biggest fan so I didn't try them but they really enjoyed them. They said they had a rich buttery flavor and seemed of good quality. The cornbread they bring to every table is perfect! Moist, perfect density, great flavor. I ordered the shrimp and grits. My friends ordered the fried chicken and jambalaya. Shrimp and grits 10/10. It packs a punch with a little spiciness and a lot of flavor. The jambalaya was good but not the best I ever had- 7/10. The fried chicken was so yummy! Crispy and flavorful. Heads up, the mashed potato's and gravy are yummy but the greens are unlike anything I've ever tried. They are very sweet- my friend saying they almost had a syrup flavor. I would skip those. Overall I'd give the chicken dish an 8/10. We had a few specialty cocktails- all yummy. Service was terrific! Portions were large. read more

The ambiance is very nice. The service is okay. Our waiter was attentive. They brought out cornbread which was very cold, first time here so I asked was that how they served it..and the waitress wasn't clear if it was or wasn't... she said she would put under heat and brought back out and was still cold in middle. May have had a nice taste if was heated correctly Ordered Jambalaya which was good taste but lukewarm... the chicken nuggets were good no complaints lol the baked oysters were delicious. Crab cake was bland and lukewarm. The beef rib was good tender and seasoned. The greens were not good to me I do not like sweet greens and they were sweet. The drinks were good. read more

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Was very excited looking at the menu online. Unfortunately the actual menu wasn't the same - and not every dish hit the mark. Fried green tomatoes? Delish. Pork Confit flatbread? Delish. Mac and cheese with brisket? Nope. Brisket was extremely dry. Garlic butter seafood bake? Our friends ate a few bites and were not thrilled. To be fair I'm not sure exactly what they didn't like. Crab and corn chowder? Not like any I've ever had - I expected a mild soup and this was red and somewhat spicy. I didn't finish it. Service was good. read more

I went out to eat tonight with my dad and we had Emily as our server! Emily is a great server!! I go out to eat a lot and don't get very good service anymore. Emily was very sweet + friendly and very attentive! As a waitress myself I can truly appreciate top -notch service. She really made the experience great!!! Give this girl a raise she knows what she's doing!!!! read more

Not your ordinary Wisconsin burger bar. Great New Orleans dishes with excellent beer and I was even lucky enough to have live music.

Very cool ambiance, delicious food, and excellent service. Loved the fried crawfish and oysters. We are already planning a trip back!

This place is amazing, wanted to try something new and this was amazing! They have a great happy hour and also regular menu! read more

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Food was amazing good flavor and still $1 dollar oysters during happy hour! Waiter kept on top of us and was very very good! We got there early so food was upon us very quickly! Atmosphere was pleasant and mellow easy temperament! read more

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Ordered a burger for takeout and it was warm and delicious! Thank your for good service

Visited Maxie's for the first time almost a month ago and I still can't get over how good the pecan crusted trout was! All of the food our table ordered was amazing, but the trout was a true standout. The service was great, despite being so packed (with good reason) and it's definitely a place I'd frequent, when in the mood for a good meal! read more

Maxie's - Sidecars & Fried Green Tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Had a work dinner here and it is a mixed review. The place is nice decorated and was pretty crowded for a Monday night. We ordered a bunch of apps which were excellent. Baked oysters, pimento cheese, meatballs, and the corn bread was great. Service and cocktails were good. The main courses were just ok nothing spectacular. I had the jambalaya which was just ok. Someone else had the Mac and cheese with chicken again just ok. Definitely need to try something different the next time. Plenty of parking and the bar is large but it was packed when we got there. Service was good. read more

I will go back to keep trying different dishes. All the ingredients and spices work together. I love these types of scratch kitchens. The greens have some sweetness and were amazing, the fried chicken portion is generous and the pulled pork mac and cheese were delicious! The coconut lemon cake was over the top. Only critique is the cornbread is sweet, cakes and cold. I'd love a warm, buttery, gritty bread instead. read more

Oh how I love this place if only I lived in Wisconsin I love everything about it. I love the fresh seafood the bake goods, gumbo and desserts. I love that they have great specials and I would highly recommend it to anyone. You can find something great to eat here. read more

We got a reservation for 6:45pm on the Saturday before Valentine's Day. Got the reservation about a week early. Parking isn't obvious if the main small lot is full, but you'll find a spot a couple blocks away. We were seated immediately. The décor is a red and black theme, not gimmicky Mardi Gras besides that week. With chandlers and black and white curtains the place looks classy. Seating wise it's not quite tight nor it's not roomy either. They do have a second floor that I didn't visit. For just drinking they have a full bar, specially cocktails including a Tequila Old Fashion and 11 bar stools at the bar. The wait staff was quick and friendly. They did forgot to put an item in but took ownership of it right away, comped something and the extra wait wasn't long. In order of favorite to least favorite items -jambalaya - the flavor tastes pretty authentic and the meats were smoked were, shrimp soft -corn clam chowder- super good I want to try to make this -gumbo, smoky but not a ton of flavor -corn bread -chicken po boy, it was what it said and good but would have been better with a Cajun sauce instead of mayo, less sauce, and one side still closed -rice and beans kinda average read more

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First time going to Maxie's and was blown away at the food and service! Our server Raya was so amazing and sweet and hilarious, seriously made our night. We had raw and Nola oysters and they both were so fresh and flavorful. I'm a sucker for fresh shaved horseradish! The pulled pork Mac and cheese was to die for! So rich, creamy and the pork was so tender and savory. The arugula and corn salad was perfect to offset the heavy Mac and cheese and the dressing was incredible! Might try to imitate this salad at home:) Anyone who loves southern comfort food needs to hit this place up!!! read more

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This place is incredible! Who knew there was great Cajun food in Milwaukee? Service was great and I had a really comfortable and quiet booth. I had the mussels that were excellent with French bread for dipping into the yummy mussel broth. I ordered the catfish and in between the mussels and the main, they brought out cornbread for noshing with fresh soft butter. The cornbread filled me up and i still had my main to go! I ordered the catfish Creole style and it was perfectly blackened with the awesome tomato-based topping. The plate also came with green beans, spinach, and a huge pile of red beans and rice. Needless to say, the portions are huge and I was unable to finish everything. I highly recommend Maxie's! read more

I had the beef brisket which was dried out. I am not a sauce user so maybe they anticipate people using sauce to mask the poor attempt at smoked brisket. Certainly get alot of fries which again maybe they hope you do not go hungry with the poor attempt at brisket. The only reason I was here was because my BarBq place was closed on Monday, DoubleB's on Greenfield Ave. I am also not into the fish/shrimp thing so maybe if you are the vittles would have been better. My friend had some shrimp crap that he seemed to like OK. Overpriced compared to DoubleB's for what I had and nowhere near the quality. read more

We love Maxie's for their weekly happy hour and the amazing trout. Sometimes it gets a bit busy and the service can be a bit slow. The portion sizes were also excellent for the price, definitely a must visit for oysters in Milwaukee. read more