Maxwells | Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in West Fargo

I visited for the second time since I was underwhelmed the first visit over a year ago. I thought maybe it was an off night and I just didn’t select the right item from the menu so I should go e them another try.

On my first visit I ordered a special which was a Bison Tenderloin. Presentation was nice and you could tell they took time to plate it nicely. It was cooked correctly however the flavor was lacking. I’m a purist when it comes to steaks of any kind and like the meat to speak for itself. This one did not. It was resting in a bordelaise which is usually the first clue that something is being doctored or masked imo. The meat and cooking of it should stand out on its own with everything else plated complementing it. The mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables it rested on were good and seasoned well but it’s a sad day when your mashed potatoes outshine the star of your show. So disappointed in that.

Now to the return trip two nights ago to give it another chance and this time with even less expectation. Atmosphere was nice and service was very attentive as it was the first visit. We started with the cheese board and added the cured meats. Presentation was nice. Cuts of cheeses were ehhh and nothing special. Could have had some really good cheese but not the case. The cured meats were good and I was glad we added those otherwise I had just as soon cut a piece of cheese off of a block out of my own refrigerator which are much better cheeses than what was served. These cheeses tasted no better than the cheap off brands at Walmart. Waste on that part for sure.

I decided to try the ribeye and get what I felt would be a good feel for restaurants ability. Upon ordering I was told by the waiter that they did have a 18oz bone-in wagyu ribeye as well if I was interested in that. I hesitated because I really didn’t need an 18oz steak but thought why not. I love wagyu and haven’t had any recently so let’s do it. Upon receiving my order the presentation was again nice and thought out. It rested on a bed of mashed and some veggies however I immediately noticed the size was not that of an 18oz steak. Obviously some weight is accounted for in the bone but even the bone was small and having cut and cooked many ribeyes I knew this was not a true 18oz. I would say it probably come in around 12oz including the bone with about 3/4 inch of thickness to the whole thing.

Again there was a bordelaise sauce but it rested beneath the mash and was not bathing the steak so points for that. Especially since this was wagyu or at least supposed to be which brings me to the steak. This WAS NOT Wagyu! I have had Wagyu of various grades and this Wagyu if it were indeed that would have been akin to the Wagyu burger from Arby’s. The steak taste was good but not the distinct Wagyu flavor that comes with it if you’ve had it before. I have had various grades of it from the most expensive to the cheaper grades and I could have gotten a better cut of meat from ALDI. I would rate this as just a ribeye that you could get from anywhere that cooks a steak. Take your pick of places and I guarantee you it would be just as good. It was a little overcooked and came out medium instead of medium rare. If you’ve cooked Wagyu you also know this is very easy to do and you don’t have to cook it long at all unless you want to ruin it. When paying $99 for a steak one would hope for a decent steak. Obviously at this price this was a cheaper grade of proclaimed wagyu, again I’ll die believing they just called it that, but it wasn’t great at all. It wasn’t bad and tasted ok but it wasn’t the steak it should have been by a long shot.

My recommendation if going here is to steer clear of the overused buzz word of Wagyu and just get the $46 ribeye. For that price it might be ok but it won’t be anything to write home about given my last two experiences. Service and atmosphere were great but at the end of the day it’s all about the food and that’s what I go for. Sorry to be disappointed yet again but I will go elsewhere. Wished Fargo actually had...

I am usually not the one to really write reviews but would like to share my experience. My husband and I had date night and I was pumped about going to have dinner at Maxwells. First of all, we haven’t gone in a very long time. And secondly, heard great reviews about how wonderful Maxwells is and was so excited to try out the food there. It was quite a disappointment. When we arrived we were placed at a table that seems to be in the front entry way. There is no ambience or anything about it that makes it seem that it is fancy in anyway. Which is whatever. I had my husband and that’s all I need. We ordered an appetizer. It was ahi tuna with noodles. It sounds delicious and couldn’t wait to try it. It came on a fancy concrete board and I was thinking this looks legit. Ahi tuna was over cooked. Season on it was nice. Noodles were cold so it was odd compared to the warm tuna. Anyways, noodles were so salty. Seems like it was soaked in soy sauce over night. So no other flavor than salty soy sauce. Sesame seeds were a nice touch. My husband ordered lamb chops. We never had that before so didn’t know what to expect. Plating was very nice and presentable. Lamb chops were under seasoned. Sauce they had on the plate was a bit bitter but the mash potatoes were on point. I ordered the house special of the night that sounded amazing. It ws Mahi Mahi with sticky rice and mango purée. My fish was not seasoned. It was bland that was overcooked and way too dry. It had the taste of charred grilled but nothing else. Sticky rice was nicely seasoned and sweet but consistency was way too mushy and wet to be sticky rice. Our server asked us how it was and I said it was ok. He could tell and asked how it could be better. I just told him it was bland and he brought over more purée sauce to help with taste but nothing could help the plate. Service was great but food and ambience was a disappointment. I was looking forward to it so much that when I walked out, I was still hungry and way over paid for a meal I was not happy with. Now every time I drive by, all I can think about is the bad experience we had there. Definitely, will not...

My BFF and I had dinner here for my birthday a few weekends ago, it was both of our first time there and it was a pretty nice dining experience. For both of our entrées, along with two mixed drinks it ended up coming out to about $200, so it's not cheap. Anyhow, the reason for the 3-stars is because I had ordered a rib eye steak medium-well, but when it got to the table, it was much more rare than I'd expected it. For this place to be considered "fine dining" and as expensive as it is, I would expect the chefs to get something basic like that right the first time. Not everyone is perfect, I get that... However, I overheard my server mention the mishap to one of the chefs and he yelled out "well what am I supposed to do" very loudly (as they have an open-style kitchen). From that, it seems as though criticism doesn't seem to be received well among the kitchen staff. To their credit, my server did ask me if I wanted them to put it back on the grill, but I declined bc I was really hungry. I tried eating around the rare parts, but it was just impossible as most of the steak was rare. My server must have seen me struggling to eat it, and again offered to place it back on the grill to which I finally surrendered. Once it was re-cooked, everything was fine. To end on a positive, the hostess and server were great! And my BFF said that her entree tasted spectacular. Would recommend, but would caution to double check your steak for your desired doness before...