Creative and delicious menu that was extremely enjoyable to share. We especially loved the tartar, mushroom rice, catfish, and pork belly. Our server was exceptionally warm, knowledgeable, and attentive. Highly recommend! read more

I genuinely think Maxwell's Trading is officially my favorite restaurant in Chicago. I had been wanting to try this place out for the longest time and was so happy to come in on a Friday evening for a celebratory meal. We went with some of their classics, specifically the French Onion Dip, Japanese Sweet Potato, Flank Steak, and Butter Cake; we also got the Green Bean Salad. Genuinely, I loved every single thing that we ordered--every bite was amazing. I loved the pillowy softness of the bread for the dip, as well as the textures of the bruléed sweet potato. The flavors of each dish were so complex and cohesive. I truly have no thoughts on improvements. I wish I could eat all of these again! The environment was very intimate with dark lighting, which was perfect for a date night. The service was solid, but I think our waiter I was absolutely blown away by every single dish and truly want to come back to try everything else on their menu. Truly recommend this restaurant a billion times over. read more

See all

Very creative menu and interesting choices Vegan options Excellent - knowledgeable, prompt service The homemade bread for the dip was really something special. I really love the fish that was served with a very light sauce the vegetarian meat and broccoli, tofu Dish appetizer. The small plate idea is really good And let you select many options and shared along the table The only thing that wasn't wild about was the short ribs because I found them to be fatty. Overall very happy with this meal and would definitely come. We sat outside and we're not bothered because there was no street traffic. It was also much quieter than Inside read more

See all

I am still thinking about this dinner! My husband and I visited Maxwells Trading to celebrate his birthday. I loved that it was in an area with free street parking. The inside was much bigger than I expected with a large bar, open dining area, private dining space, and open kitchen. The aesthetic was rustic yet modern and bright. The menu is divided into categories and it is recommended to dine as shared plates. Our server Bri suggested, for a party of two, to order four dishes; one from each category. We ordered all at once and Bri timed our night perfectly for us. They started us off with complimentary bubbles to set the celebratory mood which was so kind. We later also ordered the Milk Punch and Sake Martini to enjoy. The Milk Punch tasted tart and fruity with a smoke finish. My Sake Martini was bright, refreshing, and easy to drink. For bites, we started with the Softshell Crab and French Onion Dip. The crab was easy to separate, the meat was flavorful and I loved the black pepper sauce paired with it. The French Onion Dip had a good portion of sauce to bread. The onion flavor was more subtle but everything tasted fresh. For mains, we shared the Japanese Sweet Potato and Soup Dumpling Tortellini. These were displayed as two of the chef's favorite dishes on socials. The Japanese Sweet Potato had a green curry sauce which had subtle heat as well as a brûlée top to add a sweet note. The Soup Dumpling Tortellini may have been my favorite dish. The pasta was fresh, filling was packed with flavor, and the broth was amazing. Highly recommend! Before dessert, we were given a liquor palette cleanser which had a black licorice taste. It was surprisingly good! We finished our night with the Basque Butter Cake. The cake paired with a corn sauce and blueberry compote. This seemed to be a popular dessert and it did not disappoint! Overall, we had the best night celebrating at Maxwells Trading. Bri did amazing with service, timing, and making recommendations. We left feeling full and celebrated which is all you can ask for! read more

See all

Excellent food and service! Every dish we ordered was outstanding and so unique. The flavors of each dish really came together. This is easily one of my top places to eat at in Chicago. read more

My favorite meal from our Chicago trip! Maxwells serves New American with some Asian influence and every single dish we ordered was so flavorful and unexpected. Our meal was pretty mushroom heavy, but in a great way. Standouts were the Japanese eggplant and Japanese sweet potato. We loved the brulee top on the potatoes. And highly recommend getting one of the dips just so you can try the bread it comes with! So soft and fluffy but crisp on the outside. I've never had anything like it. The mushroom rice was also so unique with the house made sauces that really elevated the taste. Lastly, the basque cake!! Soo buttery and soft, we couldn't stop eating it. You really can't go wrong with any of the dishes I'm not familiar with the area, but it seemed more industrial and not too busy. And it matched the interior design of the space Service was wonderful and helpful ! read more

4.5 Sometimes a place gets a lot of hype and you leave disappointed...this is not one of those times. Everything we had was good and I will be thinking about half of them until I can come back. Our favorites were the gnocco fritto, the eggplant, and the sweet potato. People forget how good vegetables are when they are treated with some love. The staff was friendly & attentive. The space was open & modern. Already planning return visit read more

See all

Service was spectacular (until the end, when they were clearly DONE). We had a bit of a wait to be seated after our reservation time, but the hostess offered us a drink menu and suggested we get a drink from the bar, which made us not care so much about the fact that we weren't seated yet. Cocktails were creative & delicious. The food was very good. The French onion dip was amazing (if you like truffle oil, which I do!). The chicory caesar salad was good, nothing to rave about and a little over-dressed, but good. The sweet potato curry dish was super interesting (and tasty). The turbot was okay, but definitely could've used some salt. Another Yelper mentioned tiny portion sizes & leaving hungry, but that was not our experience at all. As recommended by the server, we shared one dish from each of the 4 menu courses. We couldn't finish everything and left quite full. This would've been 5 stars if not for the very end of the meal. I had just gotten my dessert cocktail (a toasted sesame espresso martini) when the restaurant went from dimly lit to full-on GTFO brightness. Chairs were being put up on tables, and it was very clear that they wanted us OUT. I work in a wine bar. I get it. At closing time, you're ready to go. But don't let people order more drinks if you're going to kick them out 10 minutes later. I feel like last call and get out of here time are way to close together here. I would not have ordered (and abandoned most of) that last drink if I had known they'd be kicking us out so soon. read more

See all

I had a really nice dinner here. The vibe and service was totally great!! The food was really good, my only complaint was that the cheese dish came with a bowl of whipped cheese and honey and only two griddle cakes, and then they charge you for any additional bread. Kind of feels like they should give you enough bread to enjoy the full dish- especially at the price. Other than that everything was great. read more

See all

Came to this place without any expectations, and was blown away. Probably one of the best meals I've had in the city, everything was amazing. The ambiance is beautiful, and the service is top tier. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

Innovative food combos that dazzle the palate. Soup dumpling tortellini was divine. Great wine list. Interesting desserts. Would definitely go back. read more

Finally made it to Maxwells Trading and overall had an enjoyable meal. The menu has a lot of Asian-inspired influences, and while some dishes felt more successful than others, the kitchen clearly has a strong sense of balance, texture, and flavor composition. We started with the Prosciutto & Gnocco Fritto. The combination of the cheese and black currant-pepper jam worked beautifully together, and the fried dough was a pleasant surprise -- light, airy, and almost donut-like with a hint of sweetness. The French Onion Dip had great flavor, although the texture leaned a bit too mayo-like for my taste. That said, the grilled dipping bread was delicious and reminded me of Taiwanese scallion pancake in a good way. The Short Rib was good, though not necessarily the most memorable dish of the night. The kalbi-style flavor profile felt somewhat familiar (almost like an elevated Trader Joe's frozen kalbi), but the accompanying kohlrabi and Korean melon were unexpectedly refreshing and ended up being one of my favorite components on the plate. The standout for us was actually the Half Chicken a la Brasa. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and somehow all the different flavor influences -- ginger scallion, aji verde, yuca -- came together very well. The yuca itself was excellent. We happened to see the chef and had the privilege of chatting with him for a few minutes. He was incredibly warm and down to earth. When we mentioned how interesting the chicken dish was, he laughed and said it was basically "everything in the fridge," which somehow made us appreciate the dish even more. For dessert, we ordered the Satsuma Verrine and loved it. The meringue on top was the sweetest component, while the whipped cream stayed light and fresh. The bottom layers combined citrus jelly and maybe curd where you could actually taste the fruit itself. A very elegant and balanced ending to the meal. Debating between 4 and 5 stars. If 4.5 were an option that's what I would pick lol read more

See all

Still an exceptional meal start to finish. The tables seem a bit closer and the two top round ones at the front don't have much room for plates, but we continue to love the food and sincere hospitality and service. Easy free street parking for now. read more

See all

Chicago restaurants really keep impressing me and this one is incredible. Opened by James Beard finalists Erling Wu-Bower and Chris Jung, the menu blends Asian influence with American flavors and you can taste that creativity in the dishes. The prosciutto & gnocco frito was so good!! Everything worked together so well, it felt like elevated charcuterie 9.5/10. The griddle bread with French onion dip was even better!! That truffle flavor in the dip was insane and the bread had the perfect texture 9.7/10. The tortellini soup dumplings were a little overhyped for me, 7/10. We got the bone-in strip medium and the texture was perfect. Loved the potato pavé that came with it, 7.5/10. The Basque butter cake was overhyped in my opinion and just tasted like a standard butter cake, and I'm not the biggest butter cake fan, 6/10. Cocktails were AMAZING. Sweet, strong, elevated, and reasonably priced 9.5/10. Service was perfect. Friendly but not overbearing. The vibe is dim and intimate, and even though the place filled up fast, it didn't feel too loud since the space is huge. We had window seats and it felt like the perfect date night or celebration spot. read more

See all

Went here after hearing so many times how good the food was. The food was pretty good, but it certainly didn't crack my top 10 Chicago restaurants. The overall rating would probably be higher if it weren't for the service, which was honestly very disappointing. It took about 20 minutes for our server to come over after we were seated, and the rest of the experience didn't exactly improve from there. It also makes a lot more sense why they bake in an automatic gratuity (conveniently, it always seems to be the restaurants with the worst service that do this). We got the whipped ricotta and French onion dip, both of which were great and definitely required extra bread. Unless you enjoy drowning your bread in dip until you can no longer taste the bread itself, you're going to need more. The short ribs were good... until a fly decided to camp out on them and eventually die there, right in the middle of the restaurant. The corn pasta was good, very strong corn flavor and pretty much exactly what you'd expect when ordering corn pasta. The steak was also good, but definitely not one of the best steaks in the city. I did like the potatoes that came with it. The experience as a whole was pretty mediocre, and at this point I probably wouldn't go back simply because the service headache wasn't worth it. The crowd was also extremely hippie and just not really our scene, although that's obviously personal preference and not really a reflection of the restaurant itself. That said, I've heard consistently great things about this place from people whose restaurant recommendations I really trust, so I can only assume we caught them on a massive off night or maybe just a bad server. Although the table next to us also found something in their food, and the table on the other side was missing food because their ticket apparently got lost, so maybe it really was just an off night. Good food, but unfortunately the service and overall experience left a lot to be desired. read more

See all

We came in during Restaurant Week but didn't end up ordering the Restaurant Week menu. The space was cute and very busy! I'd heard so many great things about this place, and while I definitely thought it was good, it didn't totally live up to the hype for me. That said, I do think restaurant quality can dip a bit during Restaurant Week. We tried a lot of dishes since it's more of a share-plates style restaurant. My favorite dishes were the Suzuki Tartare, Ravioli Doppio, Pork Chop au Poivre, and the whipped ricotta. I'd happily order everything again, all the dishes were great, just nothing that felt truly over-the-top amazing. We also felt like the service was a bit cold; not rude, but not quite what you'd expect from a restaurant at this level read more

See all

Food was extremely flavorful and intentional, drinks were well curated and service was impeccable! read more

Maxwells Trading - Tomato & Peach Salad - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oh this place has ambience and interesting food and overall continues to solidify Chicago as a great food town in my mind. Service was solid. Definitely was fun even early. Challenging bc they don't open up reservations until two weeks before the date you want. The scallion pancakes were perfectly described by the server as a mix between the Chinese pancake and naan. Get the French onion soup dip for sure. Hot honey and yogurt was fine but ok to skip also. The best was the Caesar salad - different than your usual and so fresh and delicious. The bruleed yam with curry merged sweet salty and spicy perfectly. Okay to skip the toretellini dumplings in soup dish. read more

What a fantastic meal!! It's a perfect place for anyone who is vegetarian. The whole space is huge! It still somehow has such a homey and cosy feel to it. Everyone that worked there was very nice and out waitress was helpful with suggestions. Beginnings: we got the silken tofu and chicory cesar. The silken tofu was interesting mix of flavors and very unique! The chicory cesar was a good hearty salad that felt so fresh. The prosciutto and gnocco fritto was our favorite! The gnocco fritto with the mix of caprino/prosciutto/black currant was so so good. Griddle Bread & Dunks: we got the whipped ricotta, japanese eggplant, and french onion dip. The french onion dip was my favorite! Such a good mix of flavors, esp if you love truffle. The whipped ricotta was light and airy. The japanese eggplant was a bit more "hearty" and the flavors were great. The bread that came with the dips was so good. Starch: the soup dumpling tortellini and ravioli doppio both were made very well and were both very good. Substance: we got the mapo cabbage, turbot, and pork katsu. The mapo wasn't too spicy but perfectly balanced! The turbot was my personal favorite - the cook on the fish was perfection and the butter sauce was amazing. The pork katsu was cooked perfectly with a nice crunchy outside and well cooked meat on the inside. I do wish there was more sauce for the katsu though. Dessert: Basque butter cake was our personal favorite! The red bean brownie was such a different take on the brownie and it was very good! We opted to get more of the whiskey forward cocktails and you cannot go wrong. The "after dinner drinks" included their take on espresso martini and it was definitely spirit forward but very good. I love that their menu features a lot of what they are able to grow on their roof garden! read more

See all

Loved everything that we ate here! The ambience is nice too. It's on a quieter street and gives you a feeling like you're not in Chicago when you're inside. The service was great! Everything that we ate was flavorful. The French onion dip with griddled bread was the highlight of our meal. Will definitely go back and try more dishes. read more

See all

My partner and I celebrated our anniversary here and we had a good time. We started with the Suzuki Tartare and I loved how citrusy this was. It reminds me Southeast Asian laab. We also did the Japanese Eggplant and had a side of Griddle Bread with it. The touch of the herbs added a bright flavor to the savory-ness of the eggplant and the griddle bread reminds me of a thick scallion pancake. The Soup Dumpling Tortellini is actually one of my favorites! It just worked so well. We tried the Mushroom Claypot which seemed like a popular item. It was pretty good and had great umami from the mushrooms, but this one didn't stand out to me as much! The Pork Katsu was cooked perfectly but I wish it was crispier. Nothing stood out on the dessert menu so we went elsewhere. I liked the ambiance of the restaurant and enjoyed how spacious it is so you aren't sitting so close to others. The modern rustic design is also very nice. There is plenty of free street parking available. Overall, it was definitely something new for us and we enjoyed it. I'd be open to possibly returning when the menu potentially updates to a new season! read more

See all

We came here for a date night at the recommendation of a friend and so glad we did. The appetizers were really stellar -- French onion dip (unfortunately my husband couldn't have it bc was not gluten free) was mind blowing and Japanese eggplant was quite delicious as well. The main fish dish we got was just okay but everything else more than made up for it. I was pregnant so got a mocktail and my husband got a cocktail and we both enjoyed it. They were really accommodating to my husbands gluten allergy -- marked ip the menu with what was gluten free and what could be made gf with modifications. We sat outside but I went inside to go to the restroom and the vibes were HOPPIN. Would be nice to try inside next time. The bill was a little pricy but definitely aligned to the quality of the food and experience. read more

Maxwells Trading - Sweet potato curry - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This place was unbelievable! Hidden gem in the west loop. Everything was fantastic. From the service to the entrees nothing was wrong. We stated with whipped ricotta, humus and Japanese eggplant. For starches we had the Japanese sweet potato and ravioli doppio. For mains we ordered half chicken, pork chop and bone in strip. read more

Honest-clean-tremendous. Super exciting menu.. my sister n i genuinely struggled w not ordering everything. We landed on the prosciutto & gnocco fritto, the Japanese eggplant, the soup dumpling tortellini, & the pork chop au poivre. Kinda hard to fuck up prosciutto w fried bread.. so good. Peppery fruity jam n funky cheese w it too. I would eat it as a snack daily if i could.. Japanese eggplant is a cold dish w again lots fresh & funky flavors. Nice portion & light contrasting textures. Soup dumpling tortellini another temperature shift.. really cozy brothy rich n porky bites. Another dish i would eat daily if possible.. Great service w sparkling wine really kept the night humming along. The pork chop au poivre was delightfully huge.. i loved how it was served & the pork was tender & fatty & juicy. Crazy. I'd have liked the au poivre to be a bit more peppery like I'm used to.. but it was still a very delicious sauce. Red bean brownie sundae was also really fun to eat. They brought out a candle for my sisters bday which was also very sweet. Such a special restaurant & perfect for celebrating! read more

Maxwells Trading - Menu on 4/16 - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Maxwells Trading is one of my new favorites in the city! Every single dish was impeccable. The melding of flavors was unreal! Plus, the service was top notch. They were incredible with allergies. read more

See all

i love how unique the dishes are here. there aren't a ton of veggie options, but the ones they do have, they do so well. the french onion dip was my favorite thing!!! the bread they serve with this dip is insane (you will probably end up ordering more, it's that good). drinks looked so good too. the restaurant is beautiful and i love the open concept of the kitchen read more

Maxwells Trading - french onion dip with breads - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Truly exceptional! I had a bit of a tough time initially getting a reservation but I lucked out with a notify setting and snagged one the day before. Street parking is plentiful but there are also spot hero spots pretty close by. We didn't initially know which door to enter as it's either not marked or we missed it, but once we found it, we were warmly greeted. With our reservation, we had to wait 5-10 min but the spot was busy (even at 5:45!) so it's understandable. I was quickly helped to get a glass of wine at the bar (delicious - and a really nice and interesting wine list btw). We were seated and quickly greeted (in a great spot by the window so we could see everything - including the kitchen area from our particular table). It was a really hard menu because it was hard to decide...it all sounded good and reviews mention way too many options to try in one meal. In the end, we went with the prosciutto, French onion dip, Japanese sweet potato and the pork katsu for dinner. This was plenty of food - but not much overwhelmingly so. I'm also not such which items were my favorite but I think the prosciutto and pork were standouts to me though all were really good. The little donuts and the bread with the first two dishes were delicious (and came out HOT...watch those fingers if you are breaking them apart). The French onion dip was quite good - bit the bread was the best part of this dish. The sweet potato was delicious but the ends with skin were a bit bitter (rest was good) and the sauce was divine - great to dip the pork in. The pork was perfectly cooked. For dessert, we had the butter cake and asked for it a bit deconstructed as one of us didn't want all of the toppings - that worked great! I love a butter cake and this one didn't disappoint. Service was helpful and not overbearing - the place was busy but we weren't rushed at all. I would say it's a pricey menu but portions are good and the quality of the food is high. Bathrooms were wayyyyyy back in the back - very clean and nice soap (always a nice touch). We'll definitely be back - it was a really relaxing and cozy but also lively vibe and the food was great. read more

Loved this place! My son took me here for dinner when I visited him and gf. Loved the interior design of the place. Now onto the food...the French onion dip was excellent with the hot bread (the Best!!!)...the chicory Caesar salad was great w/ fennel...Suzuki tartar was different from other tartar, great with peanuts...Soup dumplings tortellini with maitake mushrooms were good too. We shared the pork katsu and redfish. They're both delicious. The waitress was friendly and professional. She forgot one appetizer and we figured it might just took longer to prepare. She apologized, brought it to the table quickly, and took it off the bill; that was unexpected. I can see why this is one of my son's favorite restaurants! read more

See all

Here's a sharper review that conveys your frustration while sticking to the facts. A factual review is more likely to be taken seriously by other diners and by the restaurant. I came here for my birthday with four friends, expecting a memorable dining experience. Unfortunately, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons. We were seated in a back room that felt like an afterthought--completely disconnected from the rest of the restaurant. It quickly became obvious why. We could barely get our server's attention all night, and service was painfully inattentive. The food was incredibly underwhelming, especially considering the hype and the price point. Our server insisted the chicken was a "must-have," but it arrived dry and flavorless. Aside from the bread and the eggplant spread, which were genuinely delicious, almost every dish disappointed. The cocktails were decent, but nothing I'd go out of my way to order again. What really pushed this experience from disappointing to infuriating was the billing. When I made the reservation, the restaurant charged a $200 reservation deposit, which I had no issue with. The problem? The server never bothered to apply that credit to our final bill. Because it was my birthday, my friends generously split the check and wouldn't let me pay, so none of us realized until later that we had been charged both the full bill and the additional $200 deposit. I honestly don't care whether this was the server's mistake or the restaurant's system. Either way, it's a serious operational failure. At this level, there should be safeguards in place to prevent something this basic from happening. My friends and I have dined at restaurants around the world--from neighborhood gems to Michelin-starred establishments--and we've never experienced a restaurant forgetting to apply a prepaid reservation deposit. For a restaurant that positions itself as a premier dining destination, this level of service, food quality, and operational incompetence is unacceptable. One good bread basket and an eggplant spread cannot make up for an evening of mediocre food, inattentive service, and a billing mistake that should never have happened. I left my birthday dinner feeling frustrated instead of celebrated. My friends and I certainly won't be returning, and I certainly can't recommend Maxwell Trading based on this experience. read more

I had heard of good things about this restaurant and my friend said she'd come with me again as they change their menu's for each season. I like that as it makes you want to come back. Our waiter was very welcoming as I told him it was my first time there and he explained everything to me. I also love how long the bar is and it's very spacious. Most times, the bar is crowded and people have to squeeze by each other, but there's plenty of space between seats. For starters, my friend and I ordered the prosciutto & Gnocco Fritto ($18) and the Japanese Eggplant ($17). These were great starters as you have some savory mixed with a sweet jam sauce and some vegetables to start. For the entrees, we ordered the Turbot ($49) and Black Sea Bass ($37). My friend had mentioned that Maxwell's is known for their fish so I decided let's order two fish dishes. They did not disappoint. I normally get nervous with fish entrees as it can be dry at times or not very flavorful, but they did a great job. I really enjoyed both dishes as they had different flavors and sauce. The only thing was we wished that we could have a side of rice to go with the extra sauce. Our waiter said we could order the clay pot mushroom rice but we didn't need another entree when we just wanted a small bowl of rice. For dessert, we ordered the basque butter cake which seemed very popular at other tables. The mix of the fruits with the pastry that had a crunch on the outside but soft inside was perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal overall and I would highly recommend! read more

See all

Beautiful restaurant with amazing food and service! If you let them know you are vegetarian, they will bring out a separate menu for you. All the dishes were incredibly flavorful and unique. Some of my favorites were the French onion dip, whipped ricotta dip, cucumber tofu app, mushroom clay pot rice, and the pea ravioli. The griddle bread that comes with the dips is also delicious and served hot! The cocktails and desserts were also excellent! read more

See all

Very interesting and unique place. The cooking style is focused on meeting sweet and savory components to complement one another. I do love that they have climate controlled greenhouses on the rooftop growing their own produces. The service was knowledgeable and prompt, and the setting is dimly lit and open style. I had a great experience thank you! read more

See all

Overrated. We had the French onion dip, mushroom rice, salad, and stuffed pasta. French onion dip - they charged us $5 for extra cakes even though other tables received extra cakes for free. They also didn't let us know it would cost extra. The dip is mid and the cakes were good. Salad - generous portion, but I hate raw mushrooms Pasta - I don't love the shape. I prefer regular ravioli. Also just too greasy. Mushroom rice - I could make this at home for a quarter of the price. I think this place gets a lot of hype bc overall Chicago food is really mid unless you're just eating hot dogs and Italian beef everyday. read more

See all

Finally got a seat at this restaurant! Even though we got to the reservation on time we still had to wait 15 or so minutes to sit down. We ended up ordering the onion dip, the white fish, the mushroom clay pot rice and the butter basque cake for dessert. All were pretty good but the clay pot rice was soooo addicting, especially with all the sauces mixed in. Overall quite pricey though read more

See all

A little off the beaten path but that allowed us to find on the street free parking. Service was elite but food was good not outstanding. The ricotta app was absolutely delicious and a fav for me read more

See all

Even before Chicago Magazine rated Maxwells the #1 new restaurant in Chicago (April, 2025), getting a reservation here was a challenge. I won't bore you with my travails, but the Missus and I celebrated our Anniversary here, and yes, this innovative restaurant deserves all the accolades it receives. The weird location does offer the advantage of plentiful free street parking. The décor is not extravagant; apart from the soft lighting, the dining room looks like a factory lunchroom. But the open kitchen and a high staff-to-customer ratio suggest that you're in for an extraordinary experience. Our well-paced meal began with complimentary sips of bubbly. Our astute server noted my Missus' aversion to cheese and we shared a chicory Caesar salad with the Parmesan served on the side. A half-size portion of this huge salad was more than ample for two. Next, we shared French onion dip with griddle bread (knowing there would be more dip than bread, we requested 3 pieces and were not charged for the extra piece). The bread was scrumptious but I'm less enthusiastic about the dip, not a far cry from the ubiquitous Dean's. Our entrées were stellar. A generous portion of black sea bass garnished with watercress was swimming in a flavorful Asian soy-based broth that did not overwhelm the delicate taste or texture of the fish. The "Heritage Pork Katsu" is a sort of German-Japanese fusion; a breaded pork cutlet plated with a dot of wasabi and an interesting salad of julienned apple and celery root in a tangy mustard vinaigrette. Our server made a point of saying that the pork would be cooked medium-to-well, but the dish arrived all but squealing "Oink!" and had to be sent back to the kitchen. This was the only gaffe we encountered and ultimately that dish came back fork-tender superb. Finally, we shared a piece of Basque butter cake, a rich and indulgent take on pineapple upside-down cake. French press coffee was served, but the only sweetener they offer is "raw sugar" (gotta bring your own stevia). Watching unsuspecting diners enter the all-gender restroom was a hoot! read more

See all

Maxwells Trading has been on the top of my list of restaurants to try in Chicago and it did not disappoint. Although quite loud, the industrial space is open and very aesthetically pleasing. Also, they have amazing service; we were given complimentary glasses of rosé for a special occasion we were celebrating. We made this reservation about a month in advance for a Friday night, and we were excited to try the french onion dip which we heard raving reviews about. There were a great selection of drinks and food to pick from as they rotate through their menu seasonally. French Onion Dip (5/5) - Phenomenal! The scallion pancakes were the perfect pairing with the dip and we could not get enough. If you had to only get one thing on the menu, I would suggest this. Mushroom Clay Pot Rice (3.5/5) - Being Cantonese, I'm very picky about clay pot rice dishes and this one was good but not enough flavors. I do wish they had their pork clay rice available but nonetheless, the rice paired well with the steak we got and was crispy on the bottom! Bone-in 18oz Steak (4.5/5) - One of the best wood-grilled steaks I've ever had. Very lightly seasoned and tasted so fresh. Incredibly high-quality meat and melts in your mouth. Overall, an amazing experience and I can't wait to go again! read more

See all

Had the most amazing meal there with my friends. All the flavors and textures of the dishes were well balanced and delicious. Also located in an off the beaten path cool industrial corridor. Can't wait to dine here again. read more

Coming from California, I had assumed I was quite familiar with the "farm to table" concept. I quickly learned there is room for improvement on the theme, as Maxwells Trading took it to the next level. Everything on the menu looked intriguing - we were indecisive, so our server helped us select a few starters and large plates to share. I ordered an NA Paloma to drink, which was crisp and refreshing, and the salted rim was a nice touch that balanced the sweetness of the fruit. I don't recall the names of all the dishes we ordered, but everything was unique and perfectly executed. Highlights from our meal include the tangy and herby Japanese eggplant (my favorite), clay pot mushroom rice (and the sauces + salt it's served with on the side), and the fresh griddle bread (like a fluffy scallion pancake) to soak up all the dips and sauces. Everything was presented beautifully and prepared with fresh ingredients. Additionally, each dish was creatively influenced with global flavors. For example, the Japanese flambeéd sweet potato was served with a red Thai curry sauce, and the rice with mushrooms was perfectly crisped in a Japanese clay pot. For dessert, we ordered the Basque butter cake - which is exactly as rich and decadent as it sounds. The restaurant was sleek yet homey - the lights were dim, and the restaurant was completely full and buzzing at 7 PM. While we were here for a business meal, I could also picture myself here with friends and family. While I'm sure the menu evolves with the seasons' bounty of fresh produce, I'd love to come back and try more of Maxwells Trading's dishes. read more

See all

Had a great meal at Maxwells. Huge restaurant in the west loop, diverse menu, lots of good stuff. Service was friendly, drinks were good. Highlights of the night - suzuki tartare (great flavors, but seriously small portion), the chicory caesar (perfectly dressed, and a huge portion!), the zucchini stuffed pappardelle was insanely good. The clay pot mushroom rice was decent but very substantial, and the turbot was cooked well with a delicious beurre blanc sauce. Definitely want to return to try more of the menu read more