Off to visit the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, my wife and I were on the prowl for a good restaurant in which to enjoy a late lunch… and Maxwell’s on Main (www.momsmaxwellsonmain.com) appeared to fill the bill quite nicely.
Located right in the center of Doylestown at 37 North Main Street, just a few steps from the Bucks County Courthouse, the restaurant was super laid back, majored in American fare with a hint of Southern flair, and had received positive marks on Yelp and tripadvisor. The perfect spot for a casual chow-down – or so we thought.
Once the food hit the table, however, it soon became painfully clear that Maxwell’s had only two things going for it: its primo location and an incredible beer selection. The quality of the cuisine, or so it seemed, was totally superfluous to the operation. The menu read infinitely better than it tasted. I’m not saying that the food was beneath contempt – but it was pretty damn close.
We started with the deep fried dill pickles, an appetizer that has become all the restaurant rage of late and upon which we have become totally hooked ever since digging in to the superb version served up by the Washington House in Sellersville, PA (second place goes to the White Dog Café in Wayne, PA).
Rather than sliced lengthwise, however, Maxwell’s turned them out crosswise, in the shape of coins… and one look at the sloppy presentation, piled haphazardly on a small plate, and you knew you were in big trouble. The pickles were inordinately chewy, tasted vaguely & unaccountably of cinnamon, and were sided with a ramekin of “Mom’s dipping sauce,” which turned out to be an inferior variation on the Thousand Island dressing theme. Not the kitchen’s finest hour, to say the least.
… But this was nothing compared to what followed. My wife chose a luncheon special, Caesar salad topped with a grilled salmon filet. The salmon was moist and flaky, quite good actually, though hardly a feast for the eye.
Many grilled or pan-roasted fish dishes are served skin side up, as this adds a bit of color and drama to the proceedings – that is, as long as the skin is crisp and attractive, which was certainly NOT the case here. Its gray & mushy appearance did little to enhance the appetite. This was one filet that should have been served, as salmon usually is, flesh side up to display its still orangey countenance. The seabed of Caesar salad looked – and tasted – tired. This was a generic effort at best.
At this point, all might have been forgiven if my selection had had any redeeming gastronomic value whatsoever… but it turned out to be the real horror story. My tuna melt was served open faced; and the topping of melted Swiss cheese smelled… yes, smelled rancid. Its disgusting aroma filled the air even before it arrived at table. And, as if to add insult to injury, the accompanying fries were limp and underdone. To the restaurant’s credit, the dish was immediately removed from the check. But how this malodorous offering managed to escape the kitchen undetected is a complete mystery. Perhaps the chef suffers from anosmia as well as from a chronic inability to turn out edible cuisine.
As a professional restaurant critic, I make it a practice of returning to an establishment two or three times before penning a review… But, to tell you the absolute truth, the food at Maxwell’s was so bad that I simply don’t have the stomach for another go round (if you’ll pardon the pun). One visit was more than enough, thank you. Once bitten, twice shy, as the old saying goes.
If you’re considering a sojourn to Maxwell’s for anything more adventurous that a brewskie, caveat emptor!
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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