Happy Hour: Maxwell's American Pub

My husband is definitely the socialite at our house. If he ever gets the option of staying in or going out, he’ll always choose the latter. So this Saturday when a few of us were looking for an afternoon happy hour, we turned to Alex for some local happy hour advice. He suggested Maxwell’s American Pub.

Maxwell’s is located off Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. It’s in a skinny, brick building, often overlooked by people driving by. Maxwell’s has been a local favorite for years, but it was almost destroyed in 2008. The building, also home to Scandia Furniture, caught fire on a February morning. Luckily, the fire was put out, repairs were made, and Maxwell’s once again became a favorite downtown corner bar.

We arrived just before 5:00 and found parking right away. The new credit card parking meters make street parking so much easier – good move Minneapolis. We were lucky to snag the last table inside. The pub is pretty small so it fills up quickly. We looked over the happy hour menu and got our order ready.

Our server stopped by shortly after we sat down – she was quick, but not the most welcoming person in the place.

The afternoon happy hour at Maxwell’s is fantastic: $2.25 for tap or bottled domestics and rail drinks, and half off appetizers from 3-6 pm. Alex started with a Michelob Golden and a Eric and I went with a High Life tallboy.

The second we decided on Maxwell’s, Al and Eric agreed that someone would have to get the wings. Al happily volunteered. They were smothered in hot buffalo sauce and served with a generous portion of bleu cheese for dipping. Normally $8.75, they were a steal at $4.50.

Al and I decided to split the wings so we could get another app to share. We settled on the Max Nachos with the added homemade guacamole. The nachos are normally $9.50 with an extra $1.95 for the guac, but half off on happy hour. You also get a choice of chili or chicken to top off the nachos. I would have nixed both options if I were ordering for myself, but sometimes in marriage you have to compromise. We got the chicken.

The nachos were guilt-fully delicious. A heaping plate of chips topped with everything. Tasty, but I could have used more heat to counter the cheese and sour cream, and the chicken was a little dry.

The guys ordered one more beer before happy hour ended at 6. In the end, we spent less than $20 and got our fill of food and beers. And did I mention this is their daily happy hour?!! As you can see, we left some happy campers!

Atmosphere
A cozy escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Service
Service – good. Hospitality – lacking.

Presentation
Typical American sports bar.

Taste
We scarfed down the food, but I think that’s because it all paired so well with beer. The nachos were a little plain, but the wings were perfect.

Value for Dollars

Usually I find myself comparing happy hour specials to the great deals I find in my neighborhood. I think this was the one time that Downtown prices beat ours in Northeast! We got a lot of bang for our $20.