Maxwell's On The River - Muscatine, Iowa

Brian L.

Very nice atmosphere restaurant. The service was fair. Not excellent. We sat at the bar and the waitress seemed distracted by other people every time we tried to order. We had to wait about 10 minutes to order until she was finally squared away. I don’t know if they were short of help or she just Considered other people were more priority but either way the food was excellent. Very far overpriced but still very good food. I had the salmon with a side of onion soup and also aside of their specialty button mushrooms. The value though isn’t quite what I expected. Very nice atmosphere. Very eclectic, very modern and decorated very tastefully. I came here in mid January and they still had seasonal decorations up from Christmas, which made it still very nice atmosphere.

Henry E.

Arrived here for supper. We were seated right away. Staff was attentive and friendly. Drinks, appetizer, and entrée came out in a timely manner and were excellent. A long walk to the clean restroom.
(Restaurant is basically in the hotel lobby, and the restrooms are near the pool.)
It's a bit pricey but take your date.

Cheryl R.

We've been to Maxwell's several times and were very pleased. Last night was the last time. Our server was slow and inattentive. even though she was not busy (she was standing at bar). We were seated and given drink list and sat for 10 minutes before she came for our order. Repeated requests for table service, salt and pepper. Salad very difficult to eat as it was in tiny pieces of lettuce, think dime sized. Pork chop ordered was requested to be cooked the least amount possible and was actually very dry and overcooked. The carrots side dish had peanuts sprinkled on them. I don't know how the chef expected you to eat them when you only have a fork and knife! The $300 would have been better spent elsewhere.

Peggy H.

We enjoyed a truly wonderful dining experience at Maxwell 's last evening. The drinks, appetizers and entrees were delicious. (There were 7 of us, so we ordered a wide variety from the menu. No complaints from anyone.) Our servers were terrific, too - attentive and professional. The restaurant was decorated beautifully, with a nice ambience. Our only negative was that it was chilly. But temps were in the teens, with wind a factor. Next time we will dress accordingly. So 5 stars rating for Maxwell's@

Kevie N.

We went at 6 on a Thursday. The drinks were unusual, but very good - the lemon Meringue Martini was nice. The Stracchiatella appetizer was wonderful.
The Ribeye was perfect - didn't need to use A1. The berry cheesecake was great.
The service was attentive and it was a fantastic meal. Will definitely return.

Peter A. M.

Exceeded Expectations

While staying at The Merrill I was directed to Maxwells by the staff when I checked in. Being a veteran of many hotel restaurants and not always being impressed, I walked over to Maxwells to have a look before I went up to my room. What I saw was a very well designed dining area, very new and distinguished. The bar itself was shiny, charming and aesthetic. I went back to my room, had a quick workout in the fitness center, went for a nice long walk along the river, and then went to Warrior Crossfit for a WOD. When I got back to the hotel, I went back to my room changed, showered and heading down to Maxwells.

I was very fortunate to arrive when I did as the restaurant was starting to fill up. I went to the bar and sat down and took in the ambiance for a couple of minutes. The bartender, who served me was a joy to talk to and I also stuck up a conversation with some folks at the bar who were staying at the Merrill as well. As you can imagine from all my activities that day I was famished, so I came with an appetite. Despite that over the last couple of days, I had consumed quite a bit of food. That said Maxwells was a perfect place to have a meal. The food was very well imagined, had just the right portion size and it was very high quality.

I started off with one of the salads on the menu, a harvest salad which was composed of locally sourced items. The portion size just right and the ingredients were very fresh and high quality. My salad was composed of field greens, roasted beets, citrus, goat cheese, candied pistachios with a light coating of apple cider vinaigrette. This was a very appetizing and flavourful salad. Next up was the main and the side. Please note that some of the mains are served al la carte, and some have sides on the plate. The main dish was a summer feature, an amazingly light and flavourful pickerel dish about 7-8 ounces drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette, topped with lightly sauteed mixed veggies. This dish was top-notch, as an angler, I have caught and eaten pickerel shortly after catching it. This was was fresh and not fishy tasting at all. Pickeral itself is a light and flaky fish and should be prepared gently as it was at Maxwell's. They know what they are doing in the kitchen. My side was absolutely delicious creation, grilled and slightly charred asparagus with pecan smoked bacon, roasted peppers, with a light drizzle of balsamic. Wow just amazing, Maxwells is the perfect companion to the hotel as it is an extension of the high standard that defines The Merrill.

Lindsy W.

We go every year as a tradition. Every year is great! Our server/bartender Jace was awesome she had very good recommendations for drinks, and made sure we were well taken care of! Food was amazing as always! Highly recommend!

Deb S.

Stopped in for lunch and had an outstanding selection of salads, sandwiches and sides! The Ruben and Berry burger were delicious. Both served with a side salad. The salads was excellent, fresh and flavorful.

We had sides of clam chowder, sweet potato fries and wings. All were delicious with nice presentation.

Service was excellent as well with nice views from the large windows overlooking the river.

Definitely recommend!