Maxson's Pride of Oregon, a paddle wheel boat, is truly a hidden gem. The friendly crew described its history--built in 1989 as a replica of the Rosie O'Shea paddlewheeler. A portion of its journey from the shipyard to the Rock River was actually made overland. The interior of the main deck is appointed with attractive woodwork, and there is a bar. The upper deck is open air. Ample seating is provided. This was a lunch cruise and our group was seated and served upon our 11 AM boarding. The quality of the food (catered by Maxson) and service exceeded our expectations. We began with rolls and a generous tossed salad with Italian dressing. Our entrée choices were beef bordelaise, fried catfish, and a vegetarian plate. The fork-tender beef was cloaked in a red wine sauce and the fish, though heavy on the crust, tasted fresh and was greaseless. Our sides were fresh steamed veggies and a twice-baked potato. Chocolate cake was served for dessert. There were pitchers of lemonade and water on the table, and coffee and tea were offered. Our leisurely cruise upriver lasted two hours and ended at 1:30. Travel is limited to a 7-mile-long navigable stretch of the Rock River. Narration was provided at various points of interest. We spotted at least two bald eagles onshore. Just delightful! read more

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Horrible buffet never again! I can see now why only 4 people were there for lunch! Too bad nice venue

I arrived 45 minutes before closing, but they sat me anyway. There is a state park across the river that I'm going to visit after I have lunch! My burger was perfect and the fries were also perfect. These guys also do a fish fry on Fridays and a prime rib special on Saturday. Great restaurant inside and outside! read more

Maxson Riverside Restaurant - Burger with avocado jalapeño, tomatoes, and onion. - American Near Me - Oregon, Illinois

Honestly I've been a couple of times and have not been impressed with the flavor of the food but the folks there are very nice and it's a beautiful location. Was hoping to find that local gem. read more

Service was pretty good. View from the restaurant and outdoor seating is awesome. Burgers are "all cooked to the same temperature." - from frozen. Same as the twiced baked potato. It was fine. read more

Maxson Riverside Restaurant - A sea captain - American Near Me - Oregon, Illinois

Well the place is gigantic and very nice views of the river and river boat. If you just wanted views great. Food was average- not worthy of a review- I will not be returning. Food left out too long and at wrong temperatures on the salad cart - including warm soup- not healthy for long periods. I would avoid things that need to be cold or hot. The chips- obviously they let the oil sit and go bad. This must be changed. Could this be because the paddle boat is the main attraction? This place has everything going for it but the food and seemingly policies of reusing - not realizing that the moneys in return clientele not saving an extra bowl of soup or reusing salad greens. Throw everything away regularly. Simplify menu- hot and very fresh will win. read more

Maxson Restaurant really came through for me this Mother's Day, and they didn't even realize how big of a deal it was. My parents recently moved to Rockford, and taking my dad, who has dementia, out to eat can be a challenge. So, I messaged them on Facebook for a reservation, going out on a limb, but they were booked solid. Even though it was booked, they offered to pack up some of their buffet for us to pick up (which I have never had anyone offer before). It was such a relief not to have to take my dad out, and they gave us tons of food AND IT WAS ALL AMAZING! Plus, they were super cool about accommodating my last-minute planning and changing my pickup time because of traffic coming from Chicago. Huge thanks to them! I'll definitely be singing their praises to anyone who'll listen, and Mom and I are definitely planning to dine in there soon. Seriously, thank you, Maxson! read more

Maxson Riverside Restaurant - Look at all this food for three people! - American Near Me - Oregon, Illinois

I'm reluctant to write negative reviews because my goal has never been to do harm to a business. However in this case I feel compelled to say something with the hope that ownership there is willing to make a change. First let me say that the wait person was prompt, nice, and professional. That's why there are 2 stars. I don't need to get specific, but the food was inedible. I'm no food snob and I'll eat almost anything. I never send food back and recognize the difference between food I don't like and food that I can't eat. This food was poorly stored, poorly prepared, and poorly presented. We didn't eat it nor drink the drinks they brought out. It was that bad. Again, my goal here is not to trash the place, but to hopefully generate an opportunity for them to take a step back and evaluate what they are doing. I don't want to encourage folks not to go there, but instead to provide feedback to help them right the ship. It's a cool looking place, right on the river, but they won't stay open much longer if something drastic isn't done. I wish them good luck. read more

Went late in the year, as the fall colors had set in. Beautiful views. Very few diners at lunch, so we were not surprised to have good service. Very friendly. The food was very decent, with a nice salad bar. Look forward to going back when we are in the area. read more

Highly recommend this place. My buddies and I did a long bike ride from Rochelle to Oregon and with most places under Covid restrictions, they carried out a beautiful prime rib dinner with sides, salad and dessert. Richie, the manager was a great guy and we highly appreciated his five-star service. He delivered all of our dinners to our hotel room. Definitely will be back at this place again read more

The Friday Fish fry is awesome and the Rock River scenery is world class. Staff was friendly and eager to serve.

Took my family here for a Mother's Day brunch buffet. The view was great. Only gave us one round of rolls (no more orange rolls). Food was average at best. Very bland and dry. Dessert table looked great but everything was very dry and none of them had much flavor. Service was ok. Wasn't a big fan of them automatically adding the gratuity onto the bill. At $34/person, I expected a lot more. Not nearly as good as it used to be. Definitely will not be going back. read more

COVID update: The owner and manager aren't wearing masks even when carrying food out. Visit at your own risk! read more

Maxson Riverside Restaurant - Outdoor patio on the Rock River - American Near Me - Oregon, Illinois

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Have not been here in a very long time, but I do have fond memories of this place. My late Father brought our family here for a buffet on a Sunday in June, 2009. This restaurant is definitely family-friendly, especially for senior citizens who really seem to love the buffet meals. I don't remember the food being exceptionally great, but it was not bad either. I have also posted a picture taken of my husband and son at this restaurant. The next time we visit this area, we need to go to this restaurant again and get another picture. read more

Maxson Riverside Restaurant - Photo of my husband and then-8 year-old son at Maxson Restaurant in June, 2009. - American Near Me - Oregon, Illinois

I had the baked cod. My wife (Vegetarian) had egg plant parmigiana. Veg options available by special request. Booked ahead of time. Dress is casual, I wore shorts & t-shirt. The cod was perfect. Delicious butter sauce. The eggplant was on point. Nice and tender. The orange rolls are a nice treat. After dinner we had a cocktail and went topside for the river cruise. The paddle boat was built in 1989 I am told. The decor is of that era. The dining area was clean. Clean carpet, no musty smells. The engines were running when we boarded. Not very loud, quiet conversation can be held. I wear hearing aids. No diesel fumes or bad smells of ant kind. $42 per person was well worth the money. We will be back with friends. read more

Maxson Riverside Restaurant - a paddle boat docked at a dock - American Near Me - Oregon, Illinois

If you haven't been here for awhile or not at all... It's worth the trip! Yes the view of the river is beautiful but the food is fantastic! Freshly prepared and not your everyday place! I have only eaten here twice since the new owners have taken over in 2014 but both times the food was amazing and the service was great! My first trip was with my 13yr old daughter who loved the food and the view. My second was with my husband. We can't wait to come back and enjoy the beautiful outdoor deck or the Riverboat, when the weather is a little warmer. I think we will try the Sunday Brunch next time. Great place for a party too! From one foodie to another you wont be disappointed. Kudos NEW OWNERS!!!!! Your doing everything right! read more

We were guests of a wedding. I ordered the salmon and my partner had the chicken. His chicken was dry. The portion sizes were small. The waitstaff seemed inexperienced (served from the left and cleared from the right which is a no-no in the service industry). They also were overwhelmed but I'm guessing this is because they were very young. Don't get me wrong, they were courteous and polite (they called me ma'am!) Our reception occupied the top floor. The stairs were steep and narrow which posed a threat to drunken guests or playing children. The wedding was staffed by one bar tender who moved slower than molasses. The decor was outdated, in bad shape, and had an overwhelming odor of mildew. Perhaps our experience would have been better if we were downstairs and actual patrons of the restaurant? I most likely will not come back to find out. read more

this place is horrible the view is good but the food is so much. It coast is over 40 dollars and you had to pay more for drinks and if I am paying 40 dollars I should be getting it on the side the staff were good and kind but the food was so small and I expected more and we got cake after and it was so tiny and They weren't as many people so you should of been able to get a little more and the boat it's self was in need for a cleaning or something to make it look great but in all it is bad but the people were kind and great views but everything else is terrible. I will never go again. read more

Service sucks. I tried to order a beer for 15 minutes and I was the only one in the restaurant

We have been getting take-away regularly during past several months. Their food has always been delicious and service great! Everyone has been masked when we've been there. Our only complaint is that they give you too much food! It's at least enough for two meals for us. read more

I really wanted to like this restaurant. The staff was so friendly and the view of the Rock River was lovely. However, the kitchen staff seemed to be having an off night. The chicken wings were a special and three of us in our party ordered the all you can eat wings but each of us ordered a different flavor. When the wings came out, they were all on one plate and even the waiter couldn't tell us what flavor they were supposed to be. The members of our party who ordered the fried cod said the batter was hard for them to chew. The waiter also dropped one of our entrees on the floor. I think they were just having an off night and I'm willing to go back and try them again. read more

I will not visit here again. The service is aweful and the food, too. Our salad was frozen. Who freezes salad? What a waste of such a wonderful resource. read more

This review is in response to my experience with the management of this company. Since My original review I have been contacted multiple times demanding that I remove my review and give them another try, as they are under new management. When, I have declined to do so, they have other employees reach out to ask as well. It is to the point where it could be considered borderline harassment. My original review is an accurate description of my experience visiting here. I did not fabricate, nor exaggerate anything. In fact, I gave both positives and negatives about my experience. I am fair in my assessments of businesses. If you look at my review history, I am liberal in 4 and 5 star reviews. The majority of my reviews are in that category. So If I had a bad enough experience to warrant a 2 star review, it was earned. I am even less inclined to come back than I was before. I imagine that if they are this relentless about a negative review, I'm scared that if I had the same opinion when I came back they would harass me more. I will not be back, and I won't be recommending them either. All of my friends are Yelpers too and I wouldn't want them to feel bad about describing an honest experience because it may lead to relentless Shame on this company. I feel that if you have made the improvements you claim to have made, let your customers prove that to you by positive reviews. They would eliminate mine all together! Please stop contacting me. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Went here for a wedding this weekend. I have to say that the scenery at this place is beautiful. They have the rock river right there, the greenery is beautiful. They really have so much that they could capitalize on here. The building and the restaurant are nice on the outside. The inside is nice too, they could do a few cosmetic updates like paint the walls etc... But it's nice either way. The staff was friendly and very efficient. The reason for my two star review is for the following reasons.... First, they have this huge steam boat that could really be something special. However, it's clear that the boat needs some attention. The awning is sun bleached, the boat is rusting, and the paint job really needs to be touched up. For a place that tries to make this their selling point, they really seem very uninterested in making some much needed repairs. The pictures on their website have to be very old because the boat does not look like this. How lovely would it be to have a wedding reception going down the rock river? I can tell you that I would love the idea. However I would hate the idea of the photos of my wedding on such an ugly boat. Second, the venue provides chairs for the guests to sit in, but they give cheap white plastic lawn type chairs, and they're dirty looking. I asked how much they paid for the venue and I can tell you for the price I would have been extremely upset if this was my wedding. I hear this place is always booked, and I have to assume that it's because there isn't much competition in Oregon. My only advice to this company is invest in your business. It has a lot going for it. I want to like it, but it looks and seems like the owners don't really care about it. People will pay to make their wedding beautiful. If you want a mediocre wedding go here. If you want something elegant and unique look into the pier in Chicago. It costs $40 a person for the yachts overlooking the city, no decorating required because they are already decorated beautiful and the skyline and fireworks will leave a better impression on your guests read more

We stopped by for lunch and had the buffet. To be honest it was a terrible experience and I wished we had not stopped. The food was either over cooked or just tasted like mush. We had to wait a while for drink refills and there was only one other family there and they had two waitresses. The decor is dated but does sit on the river and offers some great views. Just disappointed in our experience. read more

Lobster and shrimp were great. Awesome view!!!!!!! Looking forward to going out on the boat next time.

From what I understand now this place is under new ownership and I haven't been back since the new owners have taken over the first time I went we had a good time the food was alright but the tour from the river boat was the real star for that night my wife and I had a great time and really enjoyed the fresh clean air . read more

Had a great time at dinner tonight with my husband. Food was great, scenery was beautiful and I couldn't have asked for more from my small community. Great job!! read more

It'd be great if I could add a half star to make this review 4 1/2 stars, but that's not possible. What can I say? My wife had the prime rib (queen cut) and it cut like butter and tasted like a five star presentation. My half slab of ribs were tender and tasty; and I'm not a person who eats ribs at restaurants often. (In 9 years I've eaten ribs at 2 restaurants...I'm picky). Awesome food, great server and definitely worth the drive from Elk Grove Village!! read more

We visited Maxson's for brunch last Sunday. The food was good- I did not eat the fish but the guests I was with did not like the fish. It was a buffet. Great selection. The waitstaff could not have been nicer! Gaylyn took care of us. We ate outside. Beautiful view. We will be back when the boat is up and running soon!!! read more

Had a wonderful time! Great service! Best Prime Rib I have ever had!

This was my first time here and I can't wait to go back. I've already contacted them about a reservation. The boat! Was awesome it looks like it was just redone. Everything was so beautiful and clean. The food WOW I'm not a salad type person but I tried it. Great salad and dressing. I chose the fillet. (Oh they asked (the chef) us of we needed special meal consideration and told us the choices before we boarded.) The food was truly amazing. I asked the assistant chef what was on the steak they had done their own bourbon sauce of some magic sort. The first bite of the steak wad soooooooo awesome. Even my picky (he's like a miniature Gordon Ramsey) 9 year old thought the food was great. The boat ride was fantastic. I talked to another passenger he said it wad his third time eating there and couldn't wait to go back either. These new owners are so friendly and really care about your experience. They greeted is when we arrived to start our adventure and one of the chefs was there to welcome back when the boat returned. She asked about our trip and the food. She really listened to us she sought out my son (she remembered that I had a little one with) and asked him about his to and meal. Wow. There was a anniversary couple on our cruise. Every member of the boat crew made sure to talk to them congratulate them. It really was a fantastic trip. We went in the 4th of July and were back in time to see fireworks nearby. One of the other guests mentioned she would have liked a fireworks cruise within earshot of one of the chefs. The chef was thrilled about the idea. Fingers crossed they'll do it next year. I know I will be in contact to see if it happens do we can book ours. Really a wonderful and caring people. Oh I read another review that mentioned no wheel chairs. That I didn't understand and there happened to be two wheelchair bound people there when we arrived so it is wheelchair accessible. Oh and it's only a few minute drive from rockford or I90. read more

I stayed at the Paddle Wheel Inn and ate at Maxon's while I was there. The food and service were Outstanding and the view of the Rock River was beautiful. A great place to get away to and find some peace and quiet. Sincerely, Diane G. read more

While the setting deserves 5* and the host deserves 5*, the managment deserves zero. The food is horrible. We had a 50-person event there in 10/19, and the food was so bad. The mgmt should fire the cooks, then fire themselves. Gordon Ramsey, where are you? The $15 walleye fingers (you heard it) were fried to a crisp, veggies boiled and bland, baked code arrived with mystery sauce all over it (not what dieters ordering baked fish nor the menu explained), the meatloaf had to be spit out it tasted like rotten meat, chicken wings horrible (how can you screw up a wing?), chicken pieces over fried. Basically, the cooks have no clue what they're doing! But the worst was not being offered more water pitchers, and then the old man owner came to our tables and expected us to place our dishes in the gooky busboy tub ourselves while he held it at the end of our long table. I am not doing that. How horribly unprofessional that was. I waitressed for years and eat in many kinds of restaurants and have never seen this. Then my friend left them a $100 tip for our group of 38. She has class, they don't. read more

Have been going to Maxsons for over 40 yrs., this is the first time that I have to complain. We went to the Sunday buffet. The food selection was limited especially salads and desserts, not what we have normally experienced at Maxsons. They ran out of roast beef an hour before the buffet closed, also desserts . I will say the quality of most of the entrees was good. However the orange rolls that Maxsons are famous for was very disappointing. Not at all the same roll, small and very dried out like they had been sitting out for a week. They used to be served at the table, warm from the oven. Also we were given our bill before we had finished eating, I think so the help could eat which was at a table in the main dinning room. It is a beautiful setting and so much could be done with the restaurant . I understand they recently reopened with new owners but I am afraid they will be closing soon. It was Father's Day and the restaurant was very empty. Although it has been one of our favorites we will not be returning. read more

I've been going here for 25-30 years. The new owners are great. They have brought in the best food I've ever had here. I can't stop thinking about the clam chowder. The riverboat is one of those things everyone should experience. I'm very happy this place is in good hands. read more

I want to give these folks 5 stars. My parents came here for their 63rd anniversary on 4/12 for brunch. The service they got was awesome. Waiters went thru the buffet lunch for my dad who needs to walk with a cane. The food was awesome and they ended their meal with a great cheesecake courtesy of the restaurant. We will definately be back. Kudos to the new owners for giving excellant customer service. read more

We have been eating at Maxon's for years. We have eaten the buffet and ordered off the menu. Lunches, dinners, riverboat cruises, wedding receptions and meetings. We have never had a bad meal. We especially enjoy watching the wildlife out on the lawn. Over the years the staff has always been pleasant and helpful. The food wonderful. read more

We had our ceremony on the deck at Maxson's and the reception inside on the main floor. It was so easy to work with the staff at Maxson's. They did a great job with everything. The food was great, the service was great, and I could go on and on. Their prices are very reasonable. I'm so glad we chose Maxson's for our wedding venue. read more

We had our wedding ceremony on the riverboat in September 2016 and it was amazing! During the planning process the staff was so helpful and flexible it made planning a breeze. It was such a unique venue for a wedding and our guest loved it, as did we. We had the ceremony on the top deck of the boat prior to the cruise. My husband and I wanted a unique place to hold our ceremony and we found it! The food was also delicious and I couldn't recommend Maxson Riverboat more to future brides for their weddings! This will wow your guests and they will never forget the experience. read more

Had the Sunday brunch and was very disappointed, even if the food were fresh the selection was poor. Food was awful, cold mashed potatoes, cold gravy, stale bread. Everything tasted like it had been left out all day. Was charged $41.88 for 2 people and would have felt screwed at $10. The view was nice and they could do so much with the place but we don't plan to ever go back. read more