In the 11 years that Maxie’s has been around, other Cajun restaurants have come and gone, but Maxie’s has kept chugging along. Over the years, their focus has changed slightly, but their consistency in quality and creative food has not wavered since the day chef Joe Muench opened it in 2007.
Though billed as a Southern restaurant (in fact, the name used to be Maxie’s Southern Comfort before shortening it due to threatened litigation by a certain liquor company), Maxie’s has always been most commonly known as a Cajun restaurant. In recent years, as Southern cooking has become more popular in Wisconsin, there’s been more of an emphasis on Carolina Lowcountry cuisine and barbecue on the menu.
That shift appears to have gone over well with diners, because Maxie’s is just as busy as it’s always been. Reservations are not taken during weekends (unless you’re a party of seven or more), and the reservations taken during the week are limited. That means there’s usually a wait, but the festive atmosphere, especially at the bars (there’s a bar upstairs, too!), makes this one of the few places where a wait can actually be enjoyable.
While you’re at the bar, take the opportunity to try some freshly shucked oysters (the price varies, but they’re generally around $3 each or $1 during happy hour) or chilled peel-N-eat shrimp ($8.95-$14.50). Chicken wings ($12.50) are huge, smoked, bathed in a sweet and spicy sauce and served with celery and creamy buttermilk blue cheese dip. Fried green tomatoes ($8.95) and fried crawfish tails known as Cajun popcorn ($11.50) are both served with a tangy remoulade for dipping. Once you get to your table, a basket of cornbread and orange honey butter is complimentary. It’s sweet and cakey, unlike Southern-style cornbread, but it’s absolutely fantastic.
No Cajun restaurant is complete without gumbo, and this version is called “Maxie’s Mighty-Mighty Gumbo” with chicken, andouille and crawfish. It’s rich, dark, topped with rice and comes in three sizes: a cup ($5.95), bowl ($8.95) or a jumbo dinner portion served with coleslaw ($13.95). Jambalaya (called “Jambalaya Me-Oh-My-A” here) is also a must ($18.95). This is a thick, somewhat dry version with shrimp, andouille and chicken, but it’s topped with a splash of extra tomato-heavy sauce. The vegetarian version ($15.50) is actually somewhat better, with its unique combination of chewy smoked tofu, spinach, red beans and crunchy pecans.
Shrimp and grits ($18.95) is a perennial favorite and made with a buttery, spicy sauce with tasso ham over creamy yellow grits. Frogmore stew ($19.50) is an upscale version of a Lowcountry classic, with a variety of seafood, andouille, corn and onions in a light broth with French bread for dipping. A crab cake platter ($21.50) has been a favorite of mine for years. The cakes are well browned and topped with a dollop of remoulade and served with red beans and rice, sweet potato fries and coleslaw. Everything on the plate goes together like Thanksgiving turkey and sides.
The regional barbecue section of the menu is front and center now, with St. Louis spare ribs ($19.95-$27.95) and Memphis baby back ribs ($22.50-$29.95) served with abundant sides and sauce. North Carolina-style pulled pork is the best bet for barbecue purists who eschew sauces. Get it as a sandwich or a plate ($12.95-$15.95) served with barbecue beans and coleslaw.
Nightly specials are abundant, both in the form of regular deals and one-off dishes written on the chalkboard. Sundays are family night, for instance, with an ultra-crunchy fried chicken dinner and $2 kids meals (you can get the chicken dinner on Tuesdays, too). Items like meatloaf, fried, soft-shell crabs and étouffée often appear on the chalkboard.
It’ll be difficult but save room for dessert from pastry chef Sarah D’Amato. The chocolate coconut banana cream pie is jammed with bananas and thick ganache under a layer of cool custard. I’ve never had a bad dessert here, from bread pudding to key lime pie, and each dessert comes with a fish-shaped cookie decoration modeled after the restaurant’s logo. Nothing, not even garnishes, is overlooked here. That’s why Maxie’s has real staying power.
