We ordered the suzuki tartare, French onion dip (comes with 2 griddle bread), clay pot mushroom rice, and the turbot. I personally really enjoyed the suzuki tartare and the French onion dip. The tartare is quite small in portion (we finished it in 2 spoons lol), but the taste is flavorful and you can taste the lemongrass & chili in it. The bread and French onion dip was surprisingly so good, it was my favorite out of all the plates we ordered. The turbot was okay, but not my personal favorite. The clay pot mushroom rice was a bit salty for my liking and I felt like the saltiness overpowered the flavor of the dish. Overall, it was a nice restaurant and I had a great time! read more

Maxwells Trading - suzuki tartare and French onion dip - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My wife and I stopped by for dinner recently and had a great time working with Briana on our menu selections and getting a feel for the space. The food was good, with a surprise being the Half Chicken a la Brasa entree being a standout. The asparagus was tasty--although, I'm not sure a vegetable can ever be $23 good--and we also enjoyed the prosciutto gnocchi fritto and the French onion dip. The space is in a strange spot, away from the action closer to the West Loop...so parking is easy, but there's not a lot to spill over into within walking distance, save for spots like The Loyalist or Small Cheval's West Loop location off of Ada Street. The space is beautiful on the inside--and that bar seating is great--but it's a little hollow and spacious in the back, where we were seated for our meal. The lighting is also a little higher/brighter than I would like, but I prefer low-lit and intimate over fully-lit spaces for my dinners in the city. In many ways, the Maxwells Trading building feels like it could be in the suburbs. Also, some people in my network--myself included--care that a 20% tip is automatically included in the bill. If that bothers you, you'll have to raise that with the staff prior to paying, which some people struggle with. As the rating suggests, we thought Maxwells Trading was good, but not a destination. There were no "wow" moments so we will likely stick with other jewels closer to other action closer to the West Loop's main choke points. read more

I've been wanting to try maxwells trading for a while and got luckily and snagged a same-week reservation for restaurant week ($60 dinner)! The menu was a bit different than what we had saw online, but not a big deal. We got the Suzuki tartare and whipped ricotta for our apps. The apps were probably my favorite course of the meal. I thought the tartare was tasty and the griddle bread and whipped ricotta paired well together! I do wish they gave a bit more bread since we had a lot of leftover ricotta after that we just ended up having to eat on its own. For the main course, we got the heritage pork Katsu and Japanese sweet potato. The Japanese sweet potato seems to be super popular. The curry had a good flavor and wasn't really spicy (so good if you have a low spice tolerance) but it's just a sweet potato with bruleed sugar on top. I think it's an interesting combo and was tasty, but I don't feel like it's really worth the price since there's not really anything else in the curry besides some shallots. The Katsu was decent but not that tender and could be a more flavorful. The edge of the Katsu was also seemed undercooked (see pic - left piece). Katsu can definitely have a more pale pink tinge to it even if it's fully cooked but the rest of the Katsu was a completely different color and part of it looked pretty raw. It was just a small chunk so not a huge deal and I just cut it off and didn't eat it. For dessert we had the basque butter cake and royal milk tea tiramisu. I liked the basque butter cake more - it kind of reminded me of a Taiwanese pineapple cake. The basil on top also helped cut some of the sweetness. I wasn't really full before this course, but the cake was pretty filling! The royal milk tea tiramisu was also tasty, but I think I still enjoy the punchier coffee flavor in a regular tiramisu more. In terms of value, depending on what you order, you could be saving a few bucks but you could also just be pretty much paying the regular menu price. I would probably look and compare the prices a bit more before ordering next time for restaurant week to see if it's worth it. I think we basically hit around $60 for one set of dishes at $68 for the other one so we ended up saving $8 compared to the regular menu as a whole. There's street parking outside and the interior of the restaurant is pretty spacious and has a good ambience! I think maxwells trading has a lot of creative dishes, and I'd want to come back to try more outside of the restaurant week menu. I thought the cooking and food quality overall were good besides the slightly undercooked pork. read more

See all

from the moment you walk into Maxwell's, whether it's a Wednesday or Saturday night, you're greeted with every seat filled in the restaurant and likely a line out the door of people patiently hoping to get a seat-- and that's for a good reason! everything we ordered was delivered with care and absolutely delicious. Alisha was our server for the evening and was so kind, attentive, and an overall great time- loved her! read more

See all

Oh man, I'd have to say this is probably one of my top 5 favorite meals of all time. Everything from the appetizers, to breads, entrees, and desserts were all phenomenal. Special shout out was the bread which was a cross between a naan and scallion pancake. And you can't go without the dips. My group ended up ordering all of them. Portion sizes were overall on the smaller side, but still plentiful to share amongst a big group. Our server was super knowledgeable with explaining the menu and also helped us properly order. Will 100% be back the next time we're in the Chicago. read more

See all

I'm obsessed with this place! The vibes are great, the space is open. Very cool vibes. I wish I got our waitresses name, she was fabulous. To start I had a dirty martini, this was good, the olives in it were great. We had a group of 4 so we split a bunch. Some of my favorites were the ricotta and the Suzuki tartar for apps. The ricotta came with griddle bread and this was amazing. For mains the pork katsu and the chicken was incredible. Both were cooked to perfection, so much flavor and so moist. This was some of the best chicken I have had. To end the night we got the butter cake and the tiramisu. I didn't expect to like the butter cake, but it was amazing. A crispy outside with a warm inside. I can't wait to come back, I'm obsessed! read more

Maxwells Trading - Ricotta Suzuki tartare Dirty martini - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Such a fabulous meal. I have been twice now and both times have been spectacular. The food is 100% the star of the show and I haven't had a bad dish yet. My favorites are the Japanese sweet potato (a must get!), brussels fett'unta, stuffed pappardelle, and sea bass. The menu does change periodically, but again, every dish I have tried has knocked it out of the park! Service was great - quick, attentive, and friendly. If you can get a reservation, I highly recommend! read more

See all

Had a party of 6, which was ideal for trying lots of small bites, but there's only 1 table that big. Even though the location is unexpected, the place is big and packed. Prosciutto and Gnocco Fritto - 5/5. Wonderful prosciutto. The fritto is a fried triangle donut that completed well (though pretty much anything would have). French Onion Dip - 5/5. Creamy and rich. Elevating a grocery store item to be restaurant quality? Check. Served with a lovely griddle bread. Whipped Ricotta - 4.5/5. Great combination of honey and cheese. Served with a lovely griddle bread. Half Chicken a la Brasa - 4.5/5. Succulent chicken, great navy bean complement. Much better than I was expecting. Japanese Sweet Potato - 4/5. There's a surprisingly sweet, hard element on top that really changes the dish. Quite fun and tasty. Baque Butter Cake - 4/5. Tasty and fun but not quite as good as I expected given the hype. English Pea Ravioli - 3.5/5. Solid but not memorable. Clay Pot Mushroom Rice - 3.5/5. Decent but not a must get. Solid mushroom flavor, the rice was on the oily side. I didn't find any of the 3 sauces added. Turbot - 3.5/5. OK fish, excellent swiss chard. Old Fashioned - 3.5/5. OK rendition of the cocktail but the five spice took it in a direction that didn't work for me. Suzuki Tartare - 3/5. Fine but wouldn't get again. The peanuts were unusual and didn't add much. Chili kick heavy handed. read more

Unexpectedly became one of my favorite meals I've had in Chicago! Everything we tried was delicious and was the perfect balance of fusion flavors. read more

See all

While the eastern portion of the Fulton Market has been fully overrun by Google, yuppies, and outposts of popular New York establishments like Boqueria, the western stretch has maintained a pleasant industrial feeling that reminds me of Detroit's Eastern Market, accentuated by long avenues and limited street lighting. Maxwells Trading, thus far our best dining experience in Chicago, appears a bit like a beacon on this somber stretch. The Japanese eggplant is phenomenal. We were honestly taken by surprise upon the first bite of the succulently prepared vegetable with notes of sesame and Balsamic. It's served with a so-called "scallion griddle bread," which reminds me of some of the thicker breads common to both Xi'an and the Harbin region. The Caesar salad was also very good with a tangy and unique dressing, although the textures could perhaps have used a bit more contrast. While we were only here for drinks and select appetizers, we certainly hope to return to this inviting relative newcomer on the west side. read more

Maxwells Trading - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Industrial vibes farrr out in West Loop. Slow service but very good food. French onion dip: the bread was sooooo good. Something was a bit off on the dip imo but the bread slapped. Pear tortellini: YESSSS pasta was perfect and the sauce was insane. Japanese sweet potato: meh, didn't love the green curry sauce Turbot: yummm super light and fresh. Tasty sauce. Basque butter cake: felt like a warm crunchy sugar cookie in cake form. Sooo good. Tiramisu: meh, I've had better. read more

A new favorite restaurant. Tons of vegetarian options. Amazing service. The very best atmosphere. Will definitely be back

We were lucky enough to score a last minute reservation at Maxwells Trading - and I'm so glad we did. What an experience. We arrived a few minutes early so grabbed a drink at the bar. I had a mocktail since currently am unable to drink alcohol and it was really nice. They were able to transfer our tab to the table which is convenient. (Don't forget to tip your bartender!) The restaurant is in a more industrial area (pardon as I'm not from Chicago) that seems up and coming. It was a bit tucked away but the inside was really lovely. To the food. Goodness. First off, our server was absolutely delightful, as were every single staff member we interacted with. Our server highly recommended the Suzuki tartare and wow - what a start! We are so glad it was recommended. I want to say when I looked at the menu, nothing jumped out at me but everything we had was spectacular. It was all cooked perfectly, seasoned well, and presented lovely. We ordered an assortment of dishes to share among our party of 5 and the pacing was great. The scallion bread reminded us of a Korean hotteok and we loved it so much we ordered another helping. Pork katsu is usually a dish that is meh for me but this one was juicy and cooked so nicely, it really was delicious. We ordered a dessert and our server surprised us and brought out two additional for us to enjoy. This experience was an absolute 10/10 and the best way for us to round out our eating weekend in Chicago. Highly recommended! read more

See all

Layout: it's trendy and cool! However, if you go in the evening, they have mood lighting so you may need to use your phone's flashlight to look at the menu. Came in on a busy Friday evening. We ordered two appetizers and three entree's. We didn't realize the orders were to share so they brought plates out one by one- we intended to have our own like "order" but not a problem. There was a slight miscommunication- we indicated that three of the party members wanted to each order the katsu, but one order came out. The staff member apologized and we ended up ordering one more instead of two more since we didn't want to wait any longer. I did share the stuffed papparadelle (pictured). It tasted like a shrimp and pork dumpling, looked like an elongated dumping - sure enough on the receipt, it was listed as "shomai" (dumpling). The three party members liked the pork katsu, two out of three liked the accompanying cantaloupe. I thought the flavor was good, though I found it almost crossing my personal threshold of saltiness. This is one of those kind of places where if you're looking for a meal or to be satiated, you will have to order considerably depending on your level of hunger and capacity to eat. We stopped by a taco place on the way home. read more

Maxwells Trading - Stuffed Paparadelle- with pork and shrimp - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Outstanding meal at Maxwell's Trading. Caesar salad, fish dip with heavenly bread, sweet potatoes, katsu pork and redfish were all very good to excellent. Very nice industrial chic vibe and service. Highly recommend. read more

Returned for a collaboration between Maxwell's & Sean Brock of chefs table fame. While my experience was better than my previous I'm still not sold. Beef was way too rare & only a quarter of it has my preference for seasoning. Basque cake was comical. The sauce atop the soft shell crab was the highlight, really incredible. Hush puppies were good as were the accompanying sauces. Awkwardl situation were a special dish was served to Amex customers & I literally paid with my Amex. Overpriced as well for a mere four courses was I was honestly beyond satisfied with the portions. read more

See all

If you were to ask me what type of food this is, I would HAVE no idea what to say. Whatever it is, Maxwell Trading executes this fusion cuisine PERFECTLY. Nothing we got disappointed and it definitely made me interested to keep trying all the new dishes that are going to come out. The atmosphere of Maxwell Trading feels very welcoming. It's not too fancy and not too casual. The open atmosphere really does it give it a family style ambiance. Then the service to was impeccable! I would blink and my dishes would be cleared with my water refilled. See below for the food review! Prosciutto & Gnocco Fritto: I did not know you were supposed to eat these together.. but when I combined them I was hit for with a flavor explosion! The Gnocco Fritto is a perfect balance of crispy with a pillowy interior. The prosciutto was placed on top of these cheese that glued the Gnocco with the meat perfectly. Whipped Ricotta: some of the best whipped ricotta I've had. Nuff said French Onion Dip: this one took me by surprise! They have their own interesting take on it that makes the Super Bowl party favorite feel elegant. Would definitely get again Japanese Sweet Potato: the potato was brûléed which added a nice sweetness and crispy texture. The star was definitely the curry beneath. I dipped EVERYTHING in this stuff Pompano: the fish was well cooked. Nothing too crazy here, just very well executed. Katsu: The ratio between bread and meat was perfect. The seasoning was perfect. Most of all, the meat was so juicy!!! No dryness. Basque Butter Cake: unique, fruity, thick, moist. Checks all my boxes for a butter cake! Must get. ** side note ** the bread was INSANE. Needless to say, nothing missed. read more

See all

So good. The French onion dip with griddle bread was so tasty, along with the soup dumpling tortellini. Interior is very cute and cozy.

Great food, lovely service and welcoming ambience. Cocktails were miss (pisco sour and old fashioned were very disappointing) but overall highly recommend for next date night or group dinner! We order the steak, Caesar salad, clay pot, turbot, Japanese eggplant and sweet potatoes. Everything was delicious and well prepared. The Japanese Sweet potato was our favorite!! read more

Maxwells Trading - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What an incredible standout dinner. There were a group of six of us girls so we got to try a lot of the menu. You can't go wrong with the French onion dip and everyone loved the chicken entrée. We had really great service and I would love to come back again. read more

Inventive dishes were exciting to try! I thought the food overall was solid quality. Nothing particularly stood out as super special and tasted exactly like you would imagine. Sweet potato - This was in red curry for the season and both elements were really tasty. Individually good and together, didn't clash. French onion dip - The bread was delicious and fresh. The dip was creamy and not as heavy as I thought it would be which was good. Prosciutto + frotto cheese + jam + fried gnocci - I don't love this cheese type so didn't love this dish. Almost like charcuterie in flavor combo. Wish the gnocci was more notable but it was just a platform for the mest etc which was okay. Really nice ambience and good vibe for a fun solid time but wouldn't go again just for food. read more

See all

Maxwell Trading is a beautiful restaurant with modern simple Scandinavian decor. The whole dining experience is stellar with focus on Asian inspired variations of toasts, griddle cakes and clay pot rice. The Black Sea Bass and Bone in Strip were misses as the proteins were a bit tough and could be more fresh. I loved their Suzuki tartare though! Each bite was full of flavor and good texture. read more

See all

Wow new favorite restaurant alert! I literally loved everything on the menu and was so full but wish I could have still kept eating! Even from the bread in the beginning, it was incredible-so fluffy and tasty (somewhere between naan and a scallion pancake). Literally very dish thereafter was incredible. The Japanese eggplant was very unique both in texture and taste, definitely give that a try. The clay pot rice was also really tasty! Don't forget to save room for dessert because the tiramisu and cheesecake are mindblowing! Need to come back to try the rest of the menu read more

See all

Great selection of food, beautifully designed interior, and ample parking right outside the restaurant. Highlights: -the French onion dip (definitely ask for more of the scallion pancakes) - it was umami and the best thing we've ordered -basque cake - the crunchy crust mixed with the not too sweet cake and flakes of lavender on top was a dream -soup dumplings tortellini - never had anything like this before and it was a great Italian / Asian dish Pass: -Japanese sweet potato: it was good, but way too overhyped. I'd still order it since it's pretty unique and the creme brûlée texture sweet potato was fun -clay pot rice: the protein amount was VERY small - the flavors were something that reminds me of my parent's cooking, but not worth $40 Our server was kind, but I wouldn't call the overall service at the same level as some other west loop(esque) spots. It was more laid back, which we preferred. read more

See all

Came in for a lovely Valentine's Day dinner. I really enjoyed the vibes of this restaurant. It's large and pretty spacious inside, I appreciate when tables aren't jammed together all close and tight next to each other. Service was fantastic, our server was super friendly and helpful. Now onto the food. We got the Suzuki tartare, chicory Caesar salad (server recommended we get a half portion bc it's huge, and he was correct, glad we got the half portion), Japanese sweet potato, pear and taleggio tortelloni, French onion dip, heritage pork katsu, and finished w the basque butter cake for dessert. The Suzuki tartare was a flavor explosion, the flavor profile of this dish was super unique. The chicory salad was great, sets itself apart from other regular Caesar salads in the best way possible. The French onion dip came w 2 griddle breads, I had to order an extra one bc the griddle bread was so fluffy and soft and flavorful. The French onion dip was real tasty, although it didn't have as strong of a French onion flava as I expected. The pear and taleggio tortelloni was my favorite bite of the night. Handmade delicious pasta with pesto, arugula, and pecorino, it was just fantastic. The Japanese sweet potato had sugar brûléed on top and was sitting in delicious green curry. So my issue with this dish is that Japanese sweet potato is already quite sweet naturally, I understand the idea behind bruléeing sugar on top for crunch, but it was just too sweet for me. But I did really love that it was served in green curry, what a creative and tasty combo. The heritage pork katsu was not like your normal pork katsu, it was a thick pork chop that they battered and deep fried. The slaw it was served with was so delicious as well. I found the pineapples on the basque butter cake to be too salty and too sweet at the same time somehow. But the cake part was super rich and tasty. I would definitely come back here when the menu changes w the seasons! We spot heroed a parking spot nearby, but there's also street parking in the area. read more

See all

Super excited to come here as it's tricky to get a red, we booked about 3 weeks in advance for a table of 4. The day we went was beautiful where the windows were all open and the entire restaurant was covered in the late afternoon glow. Super spacious. The waitress recommended we have about 2-3 items per person and in total we got 8, which was waaay more than enough. Their wine list is incredibly extensive so had there not been someone in my party that knew a lot about wines, I wouldn't even know where to start. As for the starters, the prosciutto with fried gnocchi was amazing, honestly the best thing all evening. The griddle cakes with dips were also top notch: both the ricotta and French onion. After that the meal slowly declined. Both pasta dishes we ordered weren't bad but also not remarkable. The clay pot was good and the salt and pepper asparagus were tasty but not worth coming back for. Both rice pudding and tiramisu desserts were super disappointing so I'd recommend skipping. Overall I greatly enjoyed the dinner, but I'd focus more on ordering the items closer to the top of the menu versus the larger mains. For a Wednesday evening it was pretty empty and could prob snag a spot at the bar next time. read more

See all

I've been wanting to visit this restaurant for a while now, but securing a reservation has not been easy. I can now see why - it was such a refreshing dining experience all around! The ambiance was elegant but relaxed. I loved that many of the ingredients were sourced through urban rooftop gardens. When we were there, they were also selling rooftop grown tulips... So cool! Our server was busy but managed to give us some excellent recommendations. I would never have thought of ordering the hummus, but it ended up being one of my favorite dishes! Light, creamy, and perfectly paired with the peas... Truly the best of spring! The griddled bread though- I would go back just for that. We thought the Japanese curry sweet potato and tartare were delicious as well. Comparatively, I was not as impressed with the pasta dish. The drinks were decent. The meal was pricey, but I think it's worth a special occasion or a treat yourself kind of meal! I'm already plotting my next visit! read more

See all

Delicious! No notes! The service and food were top notch, and the restaurant is very pretty read more

Maxwells Trading - Steak - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

3.75/5 Food was good, but didn't amaze us. The best dish was the Japanese Sweet Potato with Thai green curry - loved the brulee'd top of the sweet potato and green curry. Whipped ricotta was tasty, but they gave us 2 pieces of green onion bread for 2 people. It felt kind of stingy. There was so much ricotta! Soup dumpling tortellini was interesting - def had hints of xiao long bao when eating this and the mushrooms paired wonderfully. The King Salmon was a disappointment. The salmon itself was a little dry and surprisingly lacked much flavor even with the dill and vinaigrette. I was really bummed that we ordered this. Finished off with a basque butter cake. Flavors good, cake good. But damn it's a $19 dessert. read more

See all

Experience a flavor-packed adventure at Maxwells Trading in West Town! With Chef Erling Wu-Bower and Chef Chris Jung at the helm, every dish is a fusion of their diverse backgrounds and culinary passions. The service was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Maxwells Trading isn't just a restaurant - it's a vibrant celebration of global flavors and friendly vibes. See all the pictures I've taken! Come hungry and leave with a happy heart! read more

See all

Huge, tall space that gives some great vibes. The cocktails are all classics with a twist and were really solid. Melon ball and margarita were great. The food was American with an Asian twist and overall was great. I'd come back with a bigger party to able to try most of the menu. The crudo was a standout, really good. Short ribs were very good but too fatty. French Onion Dip was great, loved the bread. The soup dumplings broth was amazing, but the dumpling was a bit too thick and chewy. Great overall, I'd come back. read more

This will officially be a restaurant I always revisit and recommend when I come to Chicago. Wow the flavors were so good and balanced. Familiar but new tastes that have been elevated to unexpected levels and aesthetics. The standouts for me were the dips and bread. The ricotta dip and hummus dip texture and richness were perfect. The bread that you receive with the dip is phenomenal and we ended up ordering more bread (it's a little over $2 a piece). I am still dreaming of the fluffiness and chewiness of the bread. The dips are necessary to order. We ordered all 4 options and they were all great. We went as a party of 7 so we pretty much tried everything and nothing disappointed us. Each dish left us wanting for more. Service was great and I hear there's like a garden area and room for classes! This is the restaurant that keeps coming back in conversation when we talk about our Chicago trip and I highly recommend to all! read more

See all

We were excited to try Maxwells after hearing great reviews and while we left satisfied it live up to expectations as it oddly has more traditional dishes and fusion/creative ones at the same time and neither quite worked. To start we got the last word and margarita to drink. Both had twists on the traditional format and were good, relatively light cocktails to start. The menu is created for sharing and our server recommended 4-5 dishes to share among the 2 of us. For starters we got the soft shell crab with a Singaporean style black pepper sauce and the suzuki tartare. Both were very good and our favorite of the night. The tartare had a nice kick of heat and I enjoyed the seabass pieces. I wish the crab was more crispy but the real star was the sauce which didn't taste much like a traditional black pepper sauce you would get in Singapore but this one had a lot more heat which I liked. We also got the whipped ricotta as we wanted to try the griddle bread. Overall fairly lackluster as the bread reminded me of a thick scallion naan but didn't have much flavor and the whipped ricotta w/honey was standard (I found myself looking for burnt lemon). We ended with the claypot rice as our main which in hindsight we should have tried something else. Everything was well cooked but it didn't have what I love about traditional claypot rice which is 1) the crispy, slighly burnt rice on the bottom and 2) the sauce to mix with rice. The pork belly and mushrooms were on the salty side to flavor the overall dish but it really needed a sauce that wasn't soy or chili crispy to bring it all together. The dish also didn't have a fusion element so comparing to $15 claypot rice in Chinatown, this was pretty disappointing. Finally the service was overall good but we had to get our server's attention multiple times to ask for water, order another drink, etc. Overall it didn't feel like the staff was very attentive. I'd give it 3.5 for food and rounding up because I do love good Asian inspired food but I just thought it wasn't as good as the original flavors and not creative enough to be thought of as something new. read more

See all

Maxwells Trading is probably Chicago's best new restaurant. It features a spacious, contemporary dining room, full of diners loving their food and drink. We sat next to the open kitchen and were amazed at the pace of the three cooks throughout the evening. We even got to meet and chat with Chef Erling Wu-Bower. He's spending more time doing front-of-the-house duties. Very friendly. Believe the menu we ordered from is labeled as Menu #1 and will be replaced with a new one this weekend. What we ordered: - Suzuki Tartare - features diced seabass, with some heat - Prosciutto & Gnocco Fritto - stuff the fried dough with the ham and black currant jam, yum! - Whipped Ricotta - loved the hot honey - French Onion Dip - like eating French Onion Soup on griddled bread - Japanese Sweet Potato - signature item, perfectly roasted, served on Thai curry sauce - Stuffed Pappardelle - braised lamb, house made noodles - Half Chicken a la Brasa - super tender, juicy, finished on the grill - Bavette Steak - perfectly grilled, sliced, served with lettuce wraps and dipping sauces - Basque Butter Cake - warm and gooey, delish! - Forbidden Rice Pudding - sweet, but not the wow of the butter cake Keep in mind your check includes an automatic 20% tip. Spectacular dining at its best. Can't wait to return! read more

See all

TLDR: RUN, DON'T WALK! If you can get a resy, that is. Where to even begin?! Everything at Maxwells was impeccable! We're not talking just about the amazing food, but the cocktails, and service (by our awesome server Lorenzo *woot!*) were also FANTASTIC. His guidance was so helpful. The menu is a lot--but in a good way. It took everything in us from saying "One of each, please & thank you." I don't even know if you can go wrong with the menu. We ordered 2 items from each section of the menu (Beginnings, Dunks, Starch, Substance) and wished we had the real estate in our stomachs to order more! For starters, we had the Suzuki Tartare and Soft Shell Crab. The Suzuki (Japanese bass; a nice lite fish) tossed in coconut, peanut, lemongrass and chili for a nice south East Asian flare was so lovely. The subtle spiciness really revved up our appetite (as if we needed the help)! The Soft Shell Crab cooked in Singaporean style black pepper sauce was just so savory. The crab was fried to perfection; it definitely didn't feel greasy or heavy. I just wanted a bowl of white rice to pour the dish on top of. The whipped ricotta was served with some lovely hybrid bread/naan. It had a very al dente chewiness that was almost reminiscent of Neapolitan pizza crust. Such a winning combo, btw. The Japanese eggplant with the herbs was really refreshing. I absolutely used some of the grilled bread to sop up the sauce! So good. But let's talk about the clay pot rice bc it was so. damn. yummy! The pork belly was so incredibly tasty and juicy. The koshihikari rice alone is a treat (definitely one of the best pedigree of Japanese rice, fyi, that has a lovely subtle sweetness to it). Add the shiitake simmered in soy and the yuba (tofu skin) and you have a mind blowingly good dish... made me want some natto with the white rice. Finally, from the substance section, we ordered the Salmon and the Half Chicken. The chicken was the juiciest damn chicken I've ever had. Didn't even know dark meat could get juicier. I wish I'd taken a photo of it before we devoured it. I dream about the ginger-scallion flavors... also, I hate collard greens but these were surprisingly tasty. I'm pretty sure I even had a second serving of it... the King Salmon in dashi is umami rich and also perfectly cooked medium rare. It was so incredibly soft. I'll definitely be back to try their bone in strip bc I'm a sucker for ssamjang but don't snooze on the chicken, I'm telling ya. Desserts were okay but I'm not a big dessert person. The milk tea tiramisu reminded me of the milk tea that you find in the magical vending machines all over Japan. (It's a very fragrant/floral milk tea, so if you're not a fan of that, maybe don't get that.) I'm a huge fan of the Japanese/Thai/Chinese flavors that they incorporate into the menu. I don't even know where else in Chicago you can get yuba (which is a very traditional Kyoto dish). Definitely will be back for round 2...and 3! read more

See all

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Maxwells Trading on Saturday night. Started with a "French 75" cocktail, and then enjoyed every course we tried, including the tartare, Whipped ricotta with griddle bread, half chicken, and even the sweet potato was mind blowingly good. Everything was truly gourmet and so beautifully presented. We forced ourselves to fit in dessert and were glad we did! Our very professional and amazing server Alisha was the icing on the cake, making us feel very special and providing such good service and advice. We will definitely be back! read more

I'm honestly blown away with how absolutely incredible this place is. A friend and I wanted to grab dinner and heard about the opening of Maxwells so we gave it a try. I made our reservation about two weeks in advance so I'm not totally sure how they are on availability, however, if I were to guess based on how much hype Maxwells has already gotten, it's probably just a good idea to reserve to be on the safe side. I will say, we went around 5pm on a Friday, and it was not packed at all. There were a few parties also seated, but the noise level was comfortable and the music was great. For drinks- there were a few that caught my eye on the menu, but I honestly just asked my waitress if the bartender could make me some sort of rendition on a mezcal maragarita, and I got just that. It was beautifully sweetened with passion fruit and a sugar/tajin rim. My friend asked for a french martini, which they weren't able to make exactly, but what they brought out was close enough and delicious. For food- we went with the chicken a la Brassa and the Japanese sweet potato. Let me tell you, I am an avid Japanese sweet potato lover, and this one has to be the best one I've had so far. It was layed on top of a Thai curry sauce which was savory and then topped with some sort of sweet brûlée that complimented it perfectly. The chicken was juicy and crispy and just amazing. Their menu is small and is made to change by the seasons, so i definitely recommend checking them out now before they switch to their summer menu. I cannot WAIT to come back here. read more

See all

Came here for Restaurant Week with a group of three, and we decided to split everything. For appetizers, we got the Suzuki tartare, Japanese eggplant, and ricotta dip. For entrées, we had the chicken, pork katsu, and sweet potato dish. For dessert, we tried the butter cake and tiramisu. My favorite dishes were the Suzuki tartare, Japanese eggplant, and sweet potato. I was especially surprised by how much I enjoyed the eggplant--the flavors were incredible. The Suzuki tartare was also fantastic, with great flavor and just a slight kick of heat. The sweet potato dish ended up being all of our favorite. I was hesitant to order it since it's not something I'd normally go for, but after reading the reviews, I gave it a shot--and I'm so glad I did. The flavors were unique, and the sweet potato itself was amazing. The only thing I didn't love was the tiramisu. It didn't really taste like a classic tiramisu, and--this might sound odd--but it kind of reminded me of how perfume smells. Overall, it was a great meal, and I'm glad I checked this place out! read more

See all

Definitely one of the top tier meals I've had all year so far. I just had a really good feeling about this restaurant, and I was 100% correct. Such a unique layout. It definitely gave semi-industrial vibes, but it was still sooo spacious. It was basically packed the entire time and for good reason. Getting a weekend reservation definitely took priority planning, but the wait was worth it and I will absolutely be back to try new menus in the future. Not often do you have a pretty much..."perfect" meal, especially when there's so many options, but everything that we ordered was multilayered in flavors and had elements that just WORKED together. Looking at multiple dip options? Just get them all LOL. The French onion dip and whipped ricotta were mind blowing, and the texture of the breads served to dip was insane (crispy exterior, soft and bouncy with a slight chew on the interior.) We ordered the carrots as a main, and while I'm not a huge veggie lover, I loved this. The dish was so unique and the spoonbread was unlike anything I've ever tried before. It kind of gave me a Christmas/holiday season in Spring type of feel from the warm spices, but I was here for it. We were so full by the end of, but had ordered the butter cake AND tiramisu. The tiramisu definitely had the flavor of milk tea which is one of my favorite drinks, and it was a lovely spin on traditional tiramisu. Service was really good overall. Like many places nowadays, they take your full order up front to be able to space out your dishes. We were never overloaded with food at any point, and never waited long between courses. Throughout the meal, we decided we would take leftovers to go, and our server had them removed from the table for us. We were worried that we'd never see them again, but by the end of the meal, our bag was brought out with everything packed up to go. I was impressed because I've definitely seen other diners at other restaurants have their leftovers lost by the end of the night, so it must be pretty well-organized back there to keep track of these things for so many tables! I will say that the ONLY negative was that the margarita was pretty severely watered down. I'm not someone who needs a strong drink or anything, but the flavors were completely muted. I'm keeping this on my bookmarks forever. read more

See all

Genuinely delicious food and thoughtfully curated seasonal menu without being overly pretentious or overwhelming. On the summer menu, I loved the French Onion Dip, the Corn Carmelle, and the Pampano. Pricey, but honestly not as much as I expected and the portions were more filling than expected. Excluding drinks and including tax/tip, my group of 5 paid about $46 per person. read more

See all