The food is good just a little heavy.

The food is good just a little heavy.

This was my first time at T. L. Maxwell's and it will not be my last. First we were greeted by the owner Terry as we entered the establishment. He welcomed us and...

This was my first time at T. L. Maxwell's and it will not be my last. First we were greeted by the owner Terry as we entered the establishment. He welcomed us and then handed us off to be seated by one of the very attentive staff. Our waitress was sharp, knew the menu, and had great recommendations. She was able to explain all of our meal choices and compare them to others so we knew what we were getting.

I too was at the 50th birthday dinner at Maxwell's this past week; a restaurant that has a reputation for excellent food & service. The gathering was in the banquet room that most people...

I too was at the 50th birthday dinner at Maxwell's this past week; a restaurant that has a reputation for excellent food & service. The gathering was in the banquet room that most people don't even know exists. A room that's off of the main restaurant, allowing for a party's privacy, set with round tables covered in white linen, a full bar & even a stage for the antics of a more melodramatic group if one should be so inclined.

As people entered the room they were encouraged to help themselves to stuffed mushroom caps & crab cakes that were on a table in chaffing dishes that were replenished as needed. As the guests settled in & the dinner hour arrived, Mr. Maxwell did in fact address the guests, letting them know their choices for the evening & telling an old joke that was intended to break the ice & set a celebratory mood, which it seemed to do, given the laughter in the room. The evening's offerings did consist of the items that "Mr. Phelps" noted, all of which sounded excellent. Orders were taken & the food began to arrive almost miraculously. First the green salad with the house dressing, yes, the dressing was a little strong in the vinegar department. However, given "Mr. Phelps'" discriminating palate, I'm surprised that he mistook the sliced zucchini in the salad for "dehydrated cucumber slices". Then the main course; the rack of lamb seemed to be the big winner given the reviews that I heard around the room. I myself had the fillet (no, I'm not Pete Tittl), which was perfectly prepared & the flavor was outstanding. Maxwell's does an excellent Chicken Piccata so no complaints there &as for the salmon, most people seemed to be happy with it. Then there was the dessert; the Chocolate Kahlua dessert is very much like an extraordinarily rich mousse & the Malva Pudding is just that. For those of you who've never experienced it, it's very much like a simple bread pudding. Yes, a dense sponge cake covered in a simple sweet sauce that works for most people but obviously not everyone. All drinks, with the exception of alcohol, were also included in the $40 price. The service was impeccable. Every need was met in a timely & complete manner & a good time was had by one & apparently almost all.

I believe that the only "rip off" of the night was that an invited guest would be so bold as to use his invitation to publicly humiliate the proprietor of an establishment that has served his community well for many years. And that in these shaky economic times, with so many individuals closing their doors,that a Bakersfield local would slander someone that continues to contribute to the community overall. Of course, this person is the same person that would have us believe that simply because he knows the name & retail price of a $10 bottle of wine that we should all sit up & heed his advice. What's truly "plain & simple" is that the review given by "Mr. Phelps" was not only inaccurate based on the opinions of the 58 other people in the room but also in shamefully bad form for a guest.

I'd like to take a moment to thank Maxwell's for a very enjoyable evening. The staff was fabulous & the meal was great. I look forward to many more years of celebrating with you! And since we're using an alias let me just call myself "The Birthday Girl".

 Absolutely the worst meal I have had in Bakersfield in the last 20 years.

Maxwell's was the location for a 50th birthday dinner. Before the dinner was served, Mr. Maxwell told...

 Absolutely the worst meal I have had in Bakersfield in the last 20 years.

Maxwell's was the location for a 50th birthday dinner. Before the dinner was served, Mr. Maxwell told a dirty joke that would have been more appropriate on a 6th grade playground than  in a fine restaurant. Then, he previewed the dinner menu: Salmon with a creamy garlic dill sauce, rack of lamb, chicken piccata, and filet mignon with a brandy, garlic, pepper corn glaze. It didn't sound bad at all. The desserts were a Malva, pound cake with a sweet reduction of some sort, and a chocolate dessert. When he said how much Pete Tittl loves the Malva, I cringed. When Pete reviews, he eats a steak. Other than that, Pete wouldn't know good food if it came up and bit him on the ass.

The salad was first. A paltry handful of red lettuce with an anemic tomato wedge and a few dehydrated cucumber slices was dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette that was horribly over salted and heavy on the vinegar.Can you say inedible?

Next, a plate of salmon was presented. The fish had clearly been sitting in a warming oven or some such nonsense for a while. The fish was over done, and the sauce was full of what appeared to be garlic from a jar. The rice pilaf was terrible and the vegetables- flaccid broccoli and zucchini - were tasteless.

 40 dollars for food my date described as " not as good as Hometown Buffet."

Her filet was perfectly medium rare and cold.

When we saw the dessert, she said," It reminds me of something I used to see in the school cafeteria."

She was referring to the Malva, a miniscule slice of pound cake, soggy with what seemed to be sweetened condensed milk with a few drops of vanilla extract.

One of my table mates commented that the bread tasted like ," dirty metal."

 The 9 dollar glass of  Mark West Pinot Noir, a wine that retails for 8.99 to 10.99 ,was further proof that Maxwell's is a restaurant that is  a rip off, plain and simple.

I haven't eaten in the restaurant proper, but you can bet that I won't waste my time or money.