The food is great (burgers especially). The beer selection is wonderful. My only quip is the service and prices. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for Potsdam, especially when the service can be so terrible sometimes. The bartender makes up for a lot of it though, as he's one of the best I've ever experienced in knowledge, professionalism, and efficiency. read more

I never thought I'd appear in a John Hughes movie. But Maxfield's seems to be run by the Brat Pack. I'm going to update my imdb.com credits list to include my appearance as "Dissatisfied Bar Patron #2" in "Friday Night in Potsdam." I think it's vaguely ridiculous to make 20-year-olds run a late shift (and wear neckties). I think it's really gross that cleaning out the beer lines isn't one of the chores on their extensive clean-up task list (performed well before closing time while their ape friends dick around like they're at a house party with no parents). PBR is pretty bad as it is. No need for it reek and taste of brass and maple syrup overtones. read more

Stopped in during a recent trip to Potsdam. Very crowded and in my opinion a bit understaffed. ... The lone bartender was serving drinks and waiting tables for about 60 people.... great food.....I had the scallop and bacon appetizer and was happy to get 4 perfectly cooked scallops with a delicious sweet sauce and crispy crumbled bacon on top....so much better than the typical bacon wrapped variety. For my 2nd course I had the kale ceasar salad which had lots of fresh kale and tomatoes with an inventive and delicious tangy, citrus ceasar vinegret dressing which really worked. Hire a couple more servers for 5 star next time.... read more

Very disappointed with the portion size. Too small for the price. Salads ordered as an entree are not large so don't bother unless a smallish size is what you want. I looked around the other patrons. Some seemed lovely, and others gave a big snob vibe! Crabcakes were superb and the old charming environment was perfect. read more

Great bartenders. When its warm out the deck is amazing. Its beautiful to sit out over the river and eat. - while you spend time and talk with friends. The menu has good variety. The prices are a little high for college students but it helps the village have some choice. Good soup. Great salads. They have a nice selection of steaks and seafood. I really enjoyed the pasta here. The dessert selection was very nice. I have had several good desserts here but the tiramisu really stands out. This is also a popular hang out after hours for the bar crowd. Lots of beer on tap. A nice wide variety. One of the nicer restaurants in Potsdam. Angelo's has better food but Maxfields is way way nicer. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Potsdam/ Canton area. We love the appetizers here. Bacon scallop and bacon shrimps are highly recommended. The New York strip and the swordfish are also pretty good. The only weakness of the place is the lack of service. read more

Flies buzzed all around us throughout our meal landing on our faces and food continuously. If you add that to the sticky tables that were resistant to release our water glasses and utensils, it makes for a pretty gross picture. I asked for some mustard and I was given a French's yellow mustard squeeze bottle with so much dried crusty old mustard at the top it was hard to open it. When I did try to open, there was more crust and goo on the inside, so I passed because it turned my stomach. The ketchup was pretty clean, so I used that on my burger which was cooked very well and tasted great. My wife, however ordered the bruschetta and wasn't able to eat it. It's her favorite dish that she orders everywhere we go, but here it was unpalatable. Our server was very nice and did a great job for us, although we still paid for the bruschetta even though we politely shared her displeasure about the dish with him. Watching around the place it seemed the other wait staff were also very friendly and doing a great job. Just seems like there isn't enough attention to things in the kitchen or to cleaning the grime and goo off of everything. If you're getting a beer and a burger, you'll probably be ok, but if you're looking for other more interesting foods, consider yourself warned read more

Went for dinner once. Was great, late summer, sat looking over the river on the back porch. Probably the fanciest restaurant in the area. Food was excellent, service was excellent. read more

I have a love-hate relationship with this place. The main thing I like about Maxfield's is they keep the music quiet, and there is plenty of seating as well, especially in summer when school's out. And their beer selection is top notch. What I hate about the place: it's too expensive, there's a cover charge, and they are ALWAYS *severely* understaffed. ALWAYS. But it's a nice bar and you'll feel at home whether you're a 50-something accountant wearing a tie who wants to enjoy a glass of wine in peace or an obnoxious frat boy wearing a Tapout t-shirt who wants to slam eight Bud Lights with your bros (or, in the interest of gender equality, an obnoxious sorority chick wearing a North Face fleece with yoga pants and ugg boots who wants to slam eight vodka & cranberries with your sisters). read more

Gives a mature atmosphere. Great place for a romantic date. Our waitress was kind and friendly. She was informed about their menu and was good about communicating when options were not available. Two of the items we ordered were unavailable, but the waitress was quick to provide substitutes. I ordered the cheeseburger sliders and was not impressed with the quality of my sliders. Particularly, some of the bottom bun was soggy. My mothers through highly of her salmon salad. But the overall rating reflects that of the quality of the food. Was more on the expensive side, but this to be expected from this type of restaurant. read more

Nice atmosphere, food & service can be hit or miss. The outdoor seating is great in the summer time, the bar is pretty decent too. Food can be decent to pretty bad, depending on the day. Same with the service. It's easy to be forgotten here by the wait staff. However, there have been times when things weren't too bad. The dearth of eating out options in potsdam means that I will probably still go there. read more

Enjoyable venue situated on charming Raquette River. Prices are fairly high but food is very well prepared and presented. Was with a group of about ten. My herb crusted halibut was delicious, with beautifully prepared melon and vegetables on rice. Others in party similarly pleased with their choices. Beer selection is ample. Patio next to river has nice ambiance and is cooler in summer evenings than the interior, which appears to have no air conditioning. Service was mediocre. Request for additional beer went unanswered. It took some time to get all meals delivered, and there was some confusion on which meal went where. Getting correct change returned on payment also seemed unusually challenging. All in all, I recommend this place and plan to return myself. read more

Maxfields - Herb crusted halibut with melon and rice. - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

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Food is very good - the salads are great BUT giving 3 stars as you have great beer selections however your beer is too WARM!!! Please fix it! read more

I traveled to Potsdam for work. Maxfield's was recommended by the inn where I'm staying and was a quick walk across the street. The ambiance was interesting and the restaurant is divided into a bar side and a dining side. Visually, it was a warm and inviting space. It is cold and a bit windy here in Potsdan, so when the waiter said that there was a gumbo special on the menu, I went for it. I also ordered a butternut squash soup for my appetizer (I told you it was cold and I love butternut squash soup). The soup was so disappointing. It was extremely thick and not smooth and creamy at all. All I could taste was flour, probably from the roux. It lacked that rich, orange color and was very pale. From the little I ate, I had to remove the stems from the fresh herbs from my mouth. Can you say "a hot mess?" After the soup, I did not hold high hopes for the gumbo. I wanted to be proven wrong -- but I wasn't. It was served over what was suppose to be brown rice but it certainly looked white to me. I have never seen a thicker gumbo in my life. If you can believe it had TOO much andouille sausage and chicken. It lacked the rich broth that makes gumbo so good. It tasted as though the chef tried to rush the roux and it was overcooked; not burned but almost. I make a mean pot of gumbo myself and you can't rush the roux. I had such high hopes for this meal but it was very disappointing. If possible, I'd give this place two and a half stars. read more

We went in...no reservation. Couldn't get a drink at the bar as the wait staff was making all their own drinks. Had an attentive waitress. Special of sea bass with sweet pea and lobster risotto was fantastic. read more

I can only speak to the food I had because this was a lunch at work. I plan on checking out the restaurant based on the salad I had. It was a greek salad with beautiful greens (not wilted), sliced veggies, large chunks of feta, grilled chicken, and a beautiful light lemon olive oil dressing with herbs. Great taste. Very fresh and light. Great job. read more

I give it two stars because the fish was nice and fluffy, but I give it -3 stars because I had originally asked the owner if I could bring my accordion to the restaurant while I ate, but some waiter with the voice of Cleveland Brown told me I needed to put it away. I eventua read more

Great looking old restaurant. Ok food. See the 8/30/2019 review. The fruit flies are still there in January. Bothersome. They come in a variety of sizes. No charge. read more

The atmosphere inside and on the patio is wonderful. There is a great view and feel out of the patio and a charming design inside however, the food was pretty mediocre. I was very disappointed because the dish was posted so well presentation wise and the price was on par with a more upscale restaurant. The food overall was pretty bland. I think had it just had a bit more arsonist and possibly sauce it would have been very good. Overall for the money, I don't recommend. read more

Maxfields - Main course - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

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This place is a gem. The service was excellent as was the food. We were seated on the deck overlooking the river. I ordered the Turkey Club that came with a delightful salad and my wife had one of the burgers with fries. Both were well prepared and tasted very good. read more

Right now five people waiting at the bar for drinks don't know what the waitresses are doing the bar servers are busy serving zero people in the restaurant don't get itit's like everyone's busy but nobody's been taking care of don't come here Oh and be careful of the wet spot outside the men's room on the floor. What the H is it ? Urine ? Waste water ? You'll step in it read more

Decent patio overlooking the river; this is supposed to be an upscale restaurant, not really. Chicken over cooked but they nasty port wine sauce on top. read more

The food is tasty, although significantly overpriced. The staff is attentive. However, the bar frequently smells strange and the dining room is very drafty and the floor uneven (my grandmother tripped and nearly fell over a lump under the carpet). The interior is very old and worn out. The place needs a full renovation of the interior including windows and subfloor. A complete renovation of Maxfields and price adjustment would raise it from two stars to four. Don't bring the old folks here if they have mobility issues. The beer tastes off, which leads me to believe the taps and lines aren't cleaned sufficiently. I might get a burger and bottled beer here for lunch someday, but that's about it. You'll spend the same amount of money for dinner at the 1844 House, where the food, service, and establishment are infinitely better. read more

HOW DOES THIS PLACE NOT HAVE 5 STARS?!?!? The food was amazing and the service was fantastic. I had the Salmon with broccoli, rice noodles, and avocado with a siracha sauce. I LOVED it. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in town. read more

Best one in this area. Been there twice. The food came in time. The food was delicious & tasty. The staff was quick & friendly. The service was all okay. read more

This review is for the bar only! I haven't eaten here! So I was in town visiting a friend for her birthday and this bar seemed to be the place where everyone goes for drinks on Friday and Saturday. It starts getting crowded around 9:30-10PM. There's a $2 cover charge, often taken by one of the busboys. The drinks are fairly cheap and reasonable, especially since I'm from NYC and have to deal with ridiculous amount for a drink, but was surprised as to how cheap drinks are up here. I love that they have Game of Thrones beer here, since I'm a huge thronie fan. But I have a few complaints. Some of the bartenders had no idea what they were doing. I asked for a amaretto sour and the bartender asked me what is that and how to make it. I was flabergasted and ended up getting a beer instead. The bathrooms are kinda gross and are often occupied by couples who use it for either drugs or for sex. The back patio is nice, but be prepared for a waft of cigar and cigarette smoke mixed with marijuana smoke. The other issue is the small steps everywhere that seem to blend into the floor. They have no sign saying that there's a step and I've seen countless number of people trip and fall due to the one step. They should fix that or have signage. read more

So let me start of with saying I keep my expectations pretty low for any restaurant near the Potsdam area, but last night was one for the books. My classmates and I went up to the bar to get a few drinks before returning to our table. I asked the bartender (brunette with the vest and salty attitude) if she could make a maple bourbon cocktail when she replied with "I can't make any of that fancy sh!t right now because we are understaffed." Okay....I then asked if she could make a Sea breeze as I proceeded to tell her the ingredients since there were only a few as she says "uhhh sweetie I know how to make a sea breeze." My friend asked for a mojito and she once's again replied with a sassy comment of "I'm outta mint baby it's cold outside ya know." So, lady bartender if you read this please know I only wrote it because of you. I never right reviews , but there is no need to be that rude to your customers when we were just trying to get some drinks and have a nice night. Also, yes I did see you and please don't stick your finger in your customers drink to replace the cherry. Use a spoon and be somewhat sanitary. read more

Hours posted online are incorrect. They close during the middle of the day from 3-5. Waiter was slightly rude when I informed him the hours posted online were different just as a heads up. Otherwise the place has good food. read more

Come here for a fun friday night to drink with friends. Been here for lunch and it was totally overpriced for the quality. Food was not as fresh as it should have been. read more

Great selection of craft beers, halibut was awesome and the desserts are made in-house. Would give it 5 stars if it weren't for the prices. But overall a very good restaurant! read more

(Note: I've never eaten here, so this review pertains only to Maxfields post-9 p.m.) The only place to go (out) in Potsdam. Well-selected beers on tap. Good music. I miss you. read more

The decor in this place hasn't changed since I was in school there 20 yrs ago. Larry tries to run the place like it's some upscale place in the city and it's not. Too many employees standing around doing nothing. When I walk into a bar on a Tuesday I expect to get a drink order within a couple minutes. Instead I walked in to see no bartender behind the bar (which should *never* be the case) and waited 10 mins before someone showed up to take our order. When we were seated, it took almost as long for our server to come by and greet us and fill our glasses. The only reason I give 2 stars is because the food (Thai chili chicken wings and Tuna Nicoise) was really good. Service sucked though. read more

The food is REALLY good, just the right amount of spice in every dish. I've been there many times and were never disappointed (except that it is a little pricier than other places). get their specials! it's never disappointing. read more

Took a bit for the waiter to be told he was assigned to us... but he told us he was new and his honesty was refreshing. Food was great! I had the Boss Burger... very tasty. My companions both had a seafood pasta dish which they enjoyed. The menu has gotten very small. One of my companions misses the beet salad. Overall very good! read more

The food tasted fantastic, and the menu has tons of interesting choices. I got the salmon salad, which was on the pricier side but well worth it. Figure you'll spend $10-$25 for most entrees here. Why not 5 stars? The bathrooms are really poorly taken care of. And our food took 45 minutes to come out. Even the bread basket took 15 minutes. And this is with the place half full - how does the kitchen handle a real dinner rush? read more

The best part of the experience was the outdoor setting. After that was mediocre at best. Our waiter was incredibly inattentive and seemed distracted the whole time. Did nothing to make us feel welcome and all three meals had issues with doneness. Kitchen related... At the end of our meal not even a do you want coffee or dessert and did not clear the plates just dumped the check and walked to the next table. Meanwhile a table of four next to us had their meal screwed up and one of the kids with them sat there waiting a good 10 minutes while mom dad and brother ate. WTF. This is supposed to be one of THE places to eat when you come visit your kid at college. Good luck. read more

They have a wide variety of beers on tap. Staff is friendly. The food is average. The back deck when whether permits is very nice. Be careful though, check over your drinks bill if you decide to go to the bar. They often overcharge money amounts of 5 dollars or less. I've been overcharged by small intervals on multiple occasions. If you go there I would recommend using cash. Happy hour is always a good time there. This is a decent dinner option for upstate New York where your choices are fairly limited. I give it 2/5 stars. read more

Large beer selection. Not the best selection but alot to choose from. Had the Salmon Salad, was very good. Just a good, homey, old bar scene. That starts deteriorating into a college frat-house around 9:30pm. My favorite part of the visit was sitting near the spot where all of the pseudo-beer-connoisseur young patrons would come over to "taste" the different beers. Then spout off every beer term they had read in some magazine, pretending to know what they were talking about to the delight of the giggling little girls they were trying to impress. That made the whole experience worth it. read more

We waited over 20 minutes for anyone to come to our table. Waiter was friendly, however not very attentive. We ordered a an appetizer, some alcohol, a burger, and their $40 filet. Appetizer was fine, but the main entrees were terrible. The fries for the burger were so hard and crunchy that they were inedible. The filet was over-cooked and tasteless. Even the potatoes were disappointing. I would have tried to get a new filet and fries, however nobody checked in with us until about 25 minutes after we got our food. The most disappointing $80 ever spent... I'll never be back. Go to Maxfields for the alcohol, nothing else. read more

Try the Lagunitas IPA. Nice atmosphere for working professionals looking for a pint after a long day.