Friday night Specials: Prime Rib w/Au Jus cooked perfect, Au jus plentiful and seasoned, fresh string beans, garlic mashed potatoes and homemade popovers Petit Filet Mignon w/4 broiled scallops, French fries and coleslaw read more

J R Maxwell - Petit Filet Mignon dinner - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

See all

If you are looking for a dining experience with that quintessential New England pub feel, THIS IS IT! Warm and cozy, great staff, and the food was some of the best we had on the coast! So bummed that I wasn't very hungry when we arrived. I ordered the French Onion Soup and a Side Salad. Both were terrific - but alas the seafood dishes, according to my companions, were amazing! [sigh] It's the perfect excuse to return to Bath and that gorgeous Maine coastline! read more

We were there for lunch 24 May - we each had the broiled scallop and Haddock combo. The portions were very small and the haddock and scallops both were overcooked and dry. Overpriced and terrible quality. Yes, we did let the waitress know that the meal was overcooked. read more

Was there to grab a dinner to go. I don't live in the area so was staying in the area for business. Purchased a $40 scallop and haddock plate. The portion size is ridiculous for the price and management didn't care when I questioned it. Very dismissive. Manager looked at a bartender and said "you deal With him" and then sat down at his computer. Food was very bland, scallops were slimy and you could tell the stock was previously frozen. Won't be back. read more

J R Maxwell - $40 scallop and haddock plate - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

My sister and I arrived on a Saturday for dinner. They seemed relatively busy but were still able to seat us by the large open window as requested. The window was a nice spot too because as the local trolley goes by, everyone gets to yell "trolley!" each time it passes. And the trolley passes every 10 minutes or so. Between three of us, we shared Haddock (requested piccata style), Maine scallops (requested scampi style) w/ side salad, vegetable, mashed potatoes, and French onion soup. The haddock and scallops were very heavily buttered but also lots of garlic. I liked their mashed potatoes but found their Boston baked beans to be of a canned quality. The side of carrots and salad were very simply prepared. The star of the show was the french onion soup which was classically prepared. Overall, the food quality is okay but the environment was causal and comfortable. Staff were nice and the location in perfect in the center of town. Would probably want to try other places in the area before coming again but also wouldn't mind if we returned. read more

See all

Updating my review. They now have a particular special each night. Tuesday is presently taco night. Options on type of taco, protein and fillings. We had the pork carnitas, amazing...it was a pineapple marinade I think with just a little heat for spice. Really good. Pricing was terrific too...just right for a mid week "I'm not cooking tonight" night out. Props to Peter the bartender - we ate at the bar - great drinks and a really nice guy. read more

my husband ordered the prime rib special and the waitress came back and said sorry it's going to take the ovens over an hour to heat up. So he had to order something else. Did they not use the ovens for lunch? We were here for dinner. The portion size is very small. I ordered the haddock which you could tell they cut the fillet in half. It was so thin.. we thought we would try it again, but to no avail same small portions and apparently you have to wait for the oven to warm up to get a prime rib. We had dinner there around 4:30. not sure why the ovens weren't "warmed up" I work in the food industry. It doesn't take an oven an hour to heat up. read more

I haven't been to J R Maxwell's in years, but when I worked at BIW, every payday my supervisor and our crew would call in our order and we would go and eat Ribs, Salad, Fries and a drink(soda) and when we walked in it would all be on the table waiting for us. It was hot, delicious and great staff and also really great company (crew) to eat lunch with. I would go back again if I was in Maine. Maybe in the summer when we are in Bath, again. It says I am from San Francisco, CA, but I am not. I am in Chattanooga, TN. read more

Never have an issue getting a table to eat here when I'm visiting. The service is usually pretty good and friendly. This restaurant is in an old, historic type building and has a lot of memorabilia along the walls, which is pretty interesting to look at. I usually come here for French onion soup and a side salad. The side salad is basic, which I just want for the sake of having veggies. But I really love the French onion soup. It has a a delicious cheese crust on top and is gooey. The house bread they serve is also very tasty, fluffy and I enjoy with my meal. read more

J R Maxwell - French onion soup - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

See all

Just inhaled probably the most awesome French Onion soup I've ever had. The broth was very rich, melt in your mouth crouton and a freaking mound of cheese. We're talking about running down the sides of the crock. Service was swift and pleasant. Something is starting to click in the kitchen at J R Maxwell. Keep it up! read more

Food was excellent but portions vs. price were rediculous! Four scallops, dinky piece of haddock, green beans and a small garden salad - $35! We have been going there for 40 years. Won't be returning. read more

Place is pretty cool, but go upstairs the downstairs is a dark dungeon, bartender was super nice and the food was good, large portion

Sitting in the Pub. A "Beer garden smoking area" was built in the parking lot for Heritage Days. Windows are open and the smoke is filling the Pub. Massive fail Rowan..... read more

We had a great meal here on our vacation to Maine. Our server was fantastic! We tried the bacon wrapped scallops, seafood Alfredo, salmon, mussels and fried haddock. The winner was definitely the seafood Alfredo and bacon wrapped scallops. The blackened salmon was cooked slightly more than we like it but that is probably a personal preference. read more

J R Maxwell - Bacon wrapped scallops - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

Last night (10/03 Friday) ordered Prime Rib for takeaway online, specifying that we would like Creamy Dill salad dressing, au jus, horseradish. I realize that Friday evenings, the restaurant is slammed and I did not inspect the tote bag for order verification ( the bartender was wearing numerous hats - serving drinks, waiting tables and checking out patrons.). So in the interest of expediency, accepted the order and left for home. When home the order did not have the au jus, horseradish and the wrong salad dressing. To add to the misery, the Prime Rib was for shit (cold and desiccated) and the baked potato was tiny. In addition, a 15% tip was given - just for packing a bag - what bullshit! We live in Bath and realize that we do not have a wealth of dining choices, but this experience reinforces that dining opportunities may be best elsewhere. read more

After doing a historic walking tour through the heart of Bath one recent evening, we asked our guide where the best place was that she recommended for dinner. After pausing to give the answer some thought, she told us, and I quote, "Eh. Here in Bath? Well, I suppose Maxwell's is pretty good." Since she knew we were obviously history lovers, she also played up the fact that the restaurant is housed in a historic building. Her response should have told me everything we needed to know but we were super hungry and it was a 3 minute walk away so that's where we headed for dinner. It was around 7:30 and the place was pretty dead. There were only two other tables with diners. Our waitress was friendly but seemed very distracted. When we asked her menu recommendations, similarly to our tour guide of the town, she gave a very lackluster answer along the lines of "well it really just depends." and any specific dish we asked about was just "ok" or "pretty good." Again, should have been a warning. Our table ordered quite a few dishes including: the stuffed lobster dinner, chicken marsala, Teriyaki Sirloin, lobster chowder, shrimp cocktail, the mushroom appetizer (which came out not at all being what we thought was ordered). Overall, the food was a miss. The shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were warm, the chicken marsala breast had a rubbery texture (and was battered which was NOT indicated on the menu), the sirloin was ordered medium and came out medium well. The lobster dishes were by far the best things at the table. If dining here, I'd recommend sticking to those menu items. read more

See all

We have eaten at Maxwell's many times and been more than pleased with the service and the food Had always been above average. However the last time we ate there the food, for the most part, was unacceptable. Beans and mashed potatoes were dried out and appeared to be scrapped from the bottom of the pan; the coleslaw dressing was spoiled (perhaps left out all day); the stuffing and sauce for the stuffed haddock was inedible; the chocolate cake was dried out; and the shrimp undercooked. On the positive side, the service was great, the fried fish and the blackened salmon cooked perfectly. read more

I grew up in Bath and JR Maxwell's had always been our family's favorite restaurant for celebrations and traditions, especially Christmas Eve after Mass. Tonight was the worst experience I have ever encountered at a restaurant. We saw our server once and waited over an hour for appetizers to arrive, which came only after I went looking for our server. The manager/owner then came to our table and was condescending and rude. He basically said it was our problem and we should leave. Which we did with barely an appetizer to show for our 90 minute wait. We experienced something similar in March but wanted to give them another chance. Never again read more

First the good, the restaurant has a great vibe, and charm. The staff are very friendly and welcoming, as well as very attentive. The menu is varied with many options. We visited on a Monday so maybe the kitchen was not staffed with the A-Team. Ordered the nightly special, 8-oz sirloin and shrimp. Ordered the steak medium rare but they came out well done, (no pink). The server gladly took the steak back to the kitchen and soon returned with another steak...again way over cooked. The server was very apologetic and only changed us for the beverages. The shrimp was good and the bread is awesome. Might be better to stick with seafood options when dining here read more

See all

Food is very Mid, burgers aren't tasty. I'd consider this place a tourist trap. The decor looks cool but the cuisine isn't anything special and sometimes you might get served poor quality. I went there with a group of friends and one of the workers gave us an unpleasant attitude. I hope that isn't always the case. It's also pretty empty most of the time. read more

Waited over an hour for drinks, two hours for food and the place was dead and staff didn't care. Owner was very rude to another table that had been waiting even longer. This used to be one of my favorite places... I will never go back. read more

The worst dining experience ever. Wait person did not tell us the market price of their clam plate. There was sand and a big piece of clamshell in the food. My friend nearly broke her tooth. I told the waitperson and she did nothing about it. The batter on the clams was raw and runny. One ice tea, 2 very small cups of soup and 2 clam plates were OVER $100. One filmsy paper napkin. No alcohol. Not fine dining. I called the manager and expressed what happened. He was curt, insisted it never happens (shells). He said he would call me back and didn't. His attitude was arrogant. It was outrageous in all aspects. We are locals and will not be back! read more

Disappointed in the lobster rolls. The bun wasn't full and the lobster was not flavorful.

We dined at this long (1979) established restaurant on a Wednesday evening enticed by the $40 weekday special for 2 that features a choice of entree and 2 sides. It sounds like a great dinner deal - right? Wrong. The food proved to be barely a notch above cafeteria quality. My wife chose baked stuffed haddock, a side salad and garlic mashed potatoes while I selected broiled haddock with the same salad though our dressing choices differed plus Brussels sprouts. This proved to be a one and done experience though I regret having experienced number one. read more

See all

Classic Bath location that gets a solid 3 for the $20/ea wednesday dinner special. Absolutely nothing fancy, but the staples are good. My salmon came with fresh mashed potatoes, and was well cooked and lightly seasoned. The salad was completely unremarkable New England, but the fresh bread was excellent. The service was friendly, if a tad harried, and sequencing is whatever the kitchen can manage. read more

Our dinner at J R Maxwell's was great. We were seated and immediately had our water glasses filled and were served a fresh, warm loaf of bread. This was just a precursor of good things to come. I had the Seafood Broil. It came with haddock, lobster and four of the best scallops that I have had in quite awhile. The seafood was broiled in a honey butter sauce and had a crumb topping. The honey butter was a little too sweet but it was still good. I chose mashed potatoes and the vegi of the day - squash. The potatoes were awesome and plentiful - just as good as my mom's which are my fave! The squash was unfortunately over cooked. My husband had Amaretto Haddock. The sauce was amazing. He added it to his baked potato, dunked his bread in it and even put some of my potatoes in it. He probably would have licked the plate if it wouldn't have embarrassed me to death! My dream menu item would be the seafood broil with the amaretto sauce. I'll probably dream of this tonight! Our server, Kristina, was right on top of everything and just all around super sweet. Oh, and you probably want a reservation, at least on a Saturday night. I'm not sure if we will be back in Bath but if we are we will be sure to return. read more

We usually enjoy Maxwell's. Today we went for lunch and decided to try the crabmeat roll. After all we are on the coast of Maine, how could it not be delicious? The menu said Mkt price which in hind sight we should have asked what it was, but again Mkt price sounds fresh right? The crabmeat , although plentiful, was completely tasteless. It was watery, had little or no mayo, and was stuffed into partially burnt hot dog rolls. And the absolute kicker was the price of these rolls...$32.45 each. Done with JR Maxwell! read more

Great food and customer service. This place knocks the ball out the park. The food is seasoned to perfection and the customer service was top notch. read more

J R Maxwell - Salmon with fries. Delicious - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

Took my mother out to lunch and she wanted to go "someplace different" so we drove to Bath. Funny thing about this place - back in the day (like 30 years ago!) I used to come here for lunch with my dear friend. We were professional women and on occasion shared a vodka gimlet with lunch. Did not do that with mom! We had excellent service, hot tea and some yummy seafood. It isn't amazing food, but the fact that the food was good, reasonably priced and consistent was welcome. read more

J R Maxwell - A very fresh, lightly breaded Haddock Sandwich on a brioche roll - oh, and fries! - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

See all

So we stopped in for cocktails on a Monday afternoon. This place is great. Dog friendly. Mikaela was just the best server. Friendly, informative and helpful. Go there. Enjoy the Higgins Irish Red Ale. read more

This place has a great atmosphere. Super cozy and warm. They serve you a fresh hot loaf of bread on a board right when you sit down. The seafood is fantastic, especially the baked stuffed haddock. Excellent French onion soup. I definitely recommend giving this place a shot. They get really busy. We went at 4 pm on a Saturday and had a great experience. read more

J R Maxwell - Allagash White on draft - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

The waiter was friendly and provided us with exceptional service. Our meal was delicious. The best fish and chips I've had in years. Clam chowder and haddock dinner were delicious as well! Definitely will be returning soon! read more

Food was great had fried pickles to start off with and I have to say best I've had in Maine!! Had the the burger myself which was ok but you could easily tell it was a premade frozen patty which is pretty much the norm up here in Maine but my friend had the blackened chicken sandwich special which he thought was outstanding so I may try that next time around over all good place to eat but it's a toss up on service quality... read more

See all

Despite of the not-so-good reviews, we took a chance. The older lady who sat us, was grumpy and unfriendly, understandable, maybe she's having a terrible night. However, our server was great. It was busy and food came out slow, but it was Friday and there was a wedding rehearsal dinner. For the food, clam chowder was good, side salad was super small and the star of the night was the mussels appetizer and their bread! . Delicious! I got the chicken cordon bleu- it was okay. BF liked his sirloin and my friend enjoyed his sarni chicken. Small portions and expensive. That's all I can say. Will I come back? Maybe. I'm from Connecticut and it's an expensive state, and recently moved to Maine, this restaurant in mid-coast Maine is comparable to CT or maybe even close to NYC pricing. Maybe it's pricey because it's a tourist trap and you're eating in a historic building that's almost 2 centuries old?? Give it a try so you can form your own opinion. But I have to say, the older lady in the front who sat us, made us feel unwelcome. Maybe she needs to retire, honestly. read more

See all

Unfortunately, after a really bad experience for my birthday dinner, we will never return. Our waitress was rude, the food was not the same quality it used to be, and I was never even offered a second glass of wine. I ordered a dish that used to be fantastic, but the seafood tasted old like it had spoiled. Two people from our party became sick after. Unfortunately, I can no longer recommend this restaurant. read more

Second time in for lunch. Service was good. Food was below par for the 2nd time. we both had popcorn shrimp. The shrimp were slightly undercooked and there was no real flavor, just a boring meal. In the past we have had great food, but now that seems not to be the case. Not sure if I can give high recommendations to eat there. We will be eating elsewhere in the future. read more

I went here with my girlfriend the other night, It was a fun and welcoming environment in the heart of Bath. Our waitress was attentive and our food came out fast and hot. I got a lobster roll and my girlfriend got a lemon pepper wrap which she really enjoyed. I think adding a Cesar salad would be nice. read more

LACKLUSTER LUNCH! We were in Bath on the last day of a 10 day vacation and had a great time shopping in all the boutiques and shops. We asked one of the cashier's in a store where to eat (ask the locals, right?) and she recommended J R Maxwell's. We asked what she liked there, what she recommended and she drew a blank and then said "tuna melt?" That should have been our first clue to look elsewhere but we were hungry and it was only a few doors down so in we went. We were seated near the front beside a floor to ceiling screen (no windows) and were happy to have good air circulation... until it began to rain. When the rain started, heavy winds began and it kicked up all the dirt, dust and mold from the street and sidewalk and the restaurant smelled awful! The decor of the restaurant is dated and old... dusty 5-ft wide model ships hanging from the walls, mismatched tiffany style lamps, roping around the bar and nautical decor that looked like it came from a thrift store. As bath was our last stop before getting on the road to head home and we needed a place to eat, we stayed despite our reservations. Our waitress was friendly and treated us very well throughout our meal. The meal however was awful! We both ordered fish n chips, which were flavorless and the tartar sauce was like pure, heavy mayonnaise with no bits of relish in it or any seasonings. Yuck! The fries were heavy and thick but tasted ok. The clam chowder was the worst! It was way too thick, as if it had been simmering for days and reheated. There were hardly any clams and mine had only 2 tiny bits of potato. It was the worst clam chowder we have ever had and we should have sent it back but we paid and left instead. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone and we will certainly not return. The only reason this review gets three stars is because our server was wonderful (we tipped her well) and the bathroom was clean. HORRIBLE FOOD! read more

Sadly, I won't be coming back to Maxwell's after many years of "really looking forward to" meals. The chowder has gone from solid 5 Star to 1 Star. Served warm and thin with an acidic lemon taste. Tiny pieces of potato and indistinguishable bits of clam. The 7 quarter-size seared Scallops were ok and the "house-made" chips were not of this house. I'll miss the old Maxwell's read more

Wow! I had not been here in years and I was impressed. The breading they use is delicious. It is not too rich and complimented the fish perfectly. My mom loved the clams. Great lunch! read more

J R Maxwell - Clams and Chips - American Near Me - Bath, Maine

See all