Maize + Mash — Restaurant in Glen Ellyn

I recently visited Maize + Mash in Glen Ellyn, IL, with five friends for a post-dinner cocktail, and unfortunately, our experience was deeply disappointing. Upon entering, we were given glasses of water, and shortly after, I accidentally knocked over a glass, causing it to break. From that moment on, the atmosphere shifted noticeably.

We were never served or attended to, and after about 20 minutes, a gentleman approached us, stating that we had to leave due to being "too loud" and for breaking the glass. What struck us as unprofessional was that we were never asked to quiet down, move tables, or even given the chance to be served before being told to leave. We are a group of women in our 40s, simply enjoying conversation. While we may have been loud with six people talking, at no point were we approached or politely asked to adjust our volume.

Even more concerning was the assumption made by the staff that we were intoxicated, despite the fact that we were never served any drinks. The assumptions made about our behavior were not only incorrect but also unprofessional. The manner in which the situation was handled was puzzling and felt more like a personal vendetta than the actions of a professional establishment.

When we inquired further, we were told that the establishment often deals with late-night patrons who are over-served. We felt unjustly singled out, embarrassed that we were told to leave, and disrespected by the way the situation was handled. After reading other reviews it seems as though other customers have also had issues with Matt/Matthew.

As a result of this experience, I have decided to cancel a large event I had planned for my husband’s birthday at this establishment. I would like to acknowledge that the manager, Jennifer, was kind and professional during our meeting the following day, but the unprofessionalism displayed by Matt/Matthew who told us to leave and the two female bartenders is something I have never encountered before. Unfortunately, we will not be returning to...

I have had mixed experiences at Maize and Mash. When it is good, it's one of the best restaurants in Glen Ellyn. When it's not, it can be a bit disappointing.

Part of this is because they have an eclectic and adventurous menu. My favorite menu items are the short rib poutine and the short rib red wine reduction grilled cheese. For cocktails, I am a tequila/mezcal person, but their house cocktails for those liquors are too bitter for my taste (one is a mezcal cocktail with coffee bitters). They have a good variety of beers on tap, however.

The restaurant has beautiful decor (old school tin ceilings) and has comfortable seating and friendly staff.

I have come several times to try and work through the menu and this brought me to an awkward scenario. On my birthday, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger off the menu. I'm usually an adventurous eater so this is rare for me. The bacon, must have been under warming lamps for a while so it was very tough. So tough that it cracked my front tooth. I am not exaggerating here. I had to get veneers.

I liked this place enough before this that I did not complain openly until now and decided to try one more time...

Over lunch, I ordered Moroccan flatbread and a side of gumbo. I wasn't very pleased with either. The gumbo didn't taste either fresh or have much flavor. It was also more like jambalaya as the rice was mixed in and had mushy texture. The flatbread... was a bit unexpectedly bland and dry. My partner did not like their meal although I cannot recall what she ordered.

The poutine still remains the best I've had outside quebec. So i can't give less than 4 stars even if i lost a tooth.

So, mixed experiences. But, honestly, your mileage may vary. It's certaintly better than many other restaurants in downtown glen ellyn in its...

Edit: I’m updating my review to 4 stars, because the owner, James, reached out to me and went above and beyond with rectifying the situation. Not only was he incredibly kind and helpful through the situation, he went the extra mile to ensure that my most recent experience with the restaurant didn’t end on a bad note. Thank you, James! Your amazing customer service means everything.

My waiter spilled someone else's red wine on my white sweater and didn't offer any reconciliation for it. He asked if I wanted him to try to dab it out with the same napkin that he used to clean the rest of the wine with. There was no resolution, barely any apology. Although, I never expect any compensation, it would've been nice. I've worked in the service industry, and the courteous thing to do was at least comp something. I was given the full bill as if nothing happened, not even an additional apology. It was just me with my (hopefully) salvageable sweater stained with red wine.

In hindsight, I wish I had gotten a manager involved but it was a busy Saturday night and I truly didn't want to be there another minute. I wanted to give the waiter the opportunity to make it right knowing that it was an accident. I accept the fact that comped items aren't mandatory and I still ate my meal so I didn't mind paying for it but I'm still appalled at the fact I saw him go to the back and chat it up with his coworkers as if this wasn't his fault.

The experience was bad enough for me to want to give 1 star, however, I added another one because my...