Maxwell’s Cafe

Maxwell’s is one of the few places that I’m willing to wait a long time to get into because it is so, so worth it. Everything about this place is warm and inviting, from the random wall décor, to the super friendly staff, down to the omelets and toast. The food is uncomplicated and you get exactly what you expect. Maxwell’s and Breakfast are truly synonymous.

Maxwells does it right, friendly staff, simple yet amazing food, and a nice laid back environment. It’s hard for me to express in words my love for their breakfast, so just trust me… Maxwells is the bomb.

Went in today by myself. Two open booths.
Honestly, the place smelled dingy, cramped, and like a dirty 45 year old greasy spoon dive. Not a problem for me but probably should be a pass for most people.
Sat down in a small empty booth and was told that I had to sit at the counter or sit in the back of the restaurant. No please, No, do you mind. Just rude and short.
So I go in the back and there a lot of empty tables but only 4-​top empty tables and one tiny 2-​top. I go back up front and ask can I sit anywhere and he says yes. I say that doesn’t make much sense to me, then why do I have to sit in the back. He says it is not his rule but the owners. Fair enuff but then he throws out a sassy, it is one of the only rules the owner wants enforced.
This is served with another side of attitude similar to initial non-​greeting.
Well, guess what… You are losing business. I work a few blocks from here and live within 10 mins… take a few guesses what I will be saying about a restaurant that cares more about a dumb seating rule that is as per the rude guy «45 years old», then they care about cleanliness and customer service. I will make a point to tell people to save themselves the trouble of eating there and being treated unkindly from hoody wearing Raider sweatshirts.

Used to go to this place all the time as a kid with my Dad for breakfast, since we were locals. All grown up I decided to revisit and was highly disappointed to say the least. Food was mediocre and the service had definitely declined. After waiting almost 45 mins we were tucked in the back of the restaurant only shoulder length apart from the table next to us. Our waitress was even worse having a very unappealing attitude and just seemed like she hated being there. Upon leaving I did not leave a tip with my visit being so unpleasant. To add insult to injury, getting into our car to leave, our waitress had followed us out only to confront us about why she didn’t receive a tip. Need I say more, since then, I have not been back.

Delicious rosemary bread & huge side salad make LA worth visiting. Wonderful staff & homey atmosphere.

This is a cozy little place full of personality and good food.
I have been here a few times and every time it has been wonderful. The staff is friendly.
Perk: They make coffee and cups available to people while they wait for a table. I just thought this was an awesome idea!
They have an old fashion wood counter where single diners can get to eat without waiting for a table that will more than likely take longer on a busy Saturday morning.
The food has fresh ingredients. I love the fact that they have available the healthy choices that I like as a normal course of business, such as… Egg whites, spinach and fresh tomatoes.
My granddaughter loves it here. The coffee cups are a good size and the refills keep coming without having to ask.
Parking is hard to find — but not too bad. Just know that you may have to walk a block more than likely. But, it is totally worth it!
Definitively recommend!

5 stars for my staple breakfast joint. Every time I walk in, I feel at home. I moved to the west side 2 years ago, and I’ve tried and enjoyed other places, but there’s no place like Maxwell’s. The food is delicious and generously portioned, and the menu is extensive with great prices to match. Not only all that greatness, but the servers take care of you and want you to enjoy your visit.
In relation to that: If they say they can’t seat you in a booth, there’s a reason. House rules. They say the same thing to everyone. I’ve seen them close down the back sometimes and there may be no place to seat a family of 4, if 1 person insisted on having a booth.
My favorite dishes here: California omelette with avocado, tuna melt on rosemary bread with extra cheddar, and their blueberry muffin toasted with butter is the best blueberry muffin I’ve every had.
Shout out to my favorite servers David, Cardell, and Ariel. Great servers, but great people first. Thank you Maxwell’s.

Interesting experience.
I live around the corner and have been trying to eat at all the nearby places, so I came in at 2pm (they close at 3) and in the entire restaurant only two tables were taken and two people sat on the counters. This left about 10 other tables empty, but since I was eating alone I wasn’t allowed to sit on the booth because that’s reserved for parties of 2+ (but the place was EMPTY and an hour from closing)! Not great customer service. He also turned down another guy that walked in maybe 15 mins later because he was closing (215pm now when closing time is 3pm). If he was that close to closing I’m sure sitting me on the booth I requested wouldn’t have cost him a 2 top party. At least they were good on the coffee refills.
Food was good, place is dirty. If not for the service it might be 3 maybe 4 stars on a good day.

Not going to lie, the Mrs. and I decided to give this place a try because Ronda Rousey gave it a shout out in Fortune’s recent feature on her. We live down the street and were always curious about the place anyway. It took a Rousey shout out to steer us from our usual weekend breakfast spots today.
Rousey isn’t a foodie, she is an ass kicker. That was evident after brunch at Maxwell’s. For the prices, the place as okay. There are many other breakfast joints in the area with better food, but I can see why this place has its local following. It’s homey. It’s a little rustic with sweet staff members, quick service and fairly large portions for mostly just under $ 10. I got the eggs benedict with a side plain pancake. The Mrs. got the garbage omelet. Rousey swears by the garbage omelette, french toast and Sauce on Hampton.
The benedict and garbage omelet were both dishes I could have made at home and maybe could have done a better job at it. While the poached eggs were perfectly runny, the hollandaise sauce lacked the trademark buttery-​lemon velvet taste that makes or breaks egg benedict. The hash browns that came with it were brown (not slightly crisp), barely seasoned (if seasoned at all) and mushy. The pancake also tasted like something I could have made at home. As for the garbage omelet, the name doesn’t help its appeal, but my Mrs. says it’s decent taste wise. We love omelets with a thin, even layer of egg around its contents without being overcooked and spongy. The garbage omelet lacks this. The potatoes that came with it were left on the plate, since it shared the same quality as the hash browns.
Service shines here. It’s too bad the food doesn’t quite do the same, but you could do worse for breakfast in this area.
Street parking only.

Classic diner spot with some good peeps.
Great quirky atmosphere, old school charm. Nice people and some old school locals. The place and the people are fantastic.
This hit the spot for some good mood diner food. Big old omelettes, simple /​great coffee, and a comfortable lean back meal.
Get yourself some feel good diner vibes on a Friday. The weekend… probably not going to get a seat. But good luck!

Four words Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.
This place is the ultimate breakfast place for friends, families, co-​workers etc. It’s cute, small, and has a nice homey feel to it with little relics sprinkled around the establishment.
I heard it gets really busy in the weekends so I would encourage you visit during a weekday like I did.
The service is great and the staff is super friendly. Definitely a great place for locals and visitors/​tourist to enjoy a nice and pleasant breakfast.

There are a dozen reasons to eat breakfast elsewhere, some of which I’ve even cited in other reviews but after eating here, I can find little reason to dine elsewhere. I’ve eaten here before but regrettably never posted a review
and for this I am very sorry.
Nestled in LA, just streets fom Venice, Marina Del Rey and Culver City, Maxwell’s offers quaint, greasy spoon environment without the grease. The food is clean and fresh and served with an easy grace by its owner.
I had the bagels and lox plate. It was plentiful in its abundance of smoked salmon, capers, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes with a side of cream cheese. This formidable stack of heaven came quickly and at a third of the cost of which I am accustomed. My coffee came with limitless refills at 1987 prices. The owner also placed a large supply of half and half on the table so that I wouldn’t have continully ask for more. This place is too reasonable to exist in this avericious land of excess but I’m certainly glad that it does.

So I have been living in Venice for over 2 years now and pass by Maxwell’s often. On the weekends it always seemed packed w ppl waiting outside! Well! I finally took the dive and popped in last weekend w my sister and what a cute little loco joint! The food was awesome, the atmosphere was perfect– we sat in a booth near the window — granted it is a smaller restaurant but isn’t that where some of the best food comes from?! I will be heading back this weekend for round two! We got there at ⁹³⁰⁄₁₀ and got seated right away… After 11 is when the crowd rolls in, plan accordingly! Cheers!
We had granola –very fresh, tasty home fries, eggs, bacon, and shared some French toast (gorging! Haha). I think next time we are going to head for the breakfast burrito. Yum!

I absolutely love this small corner brunch place. My wife suggested to come here after church with a few friends. The place is frequented by locals and could be a 15 – 30 min wait because it is that good! Portions are huge and taste good. Waiters are friendly and cater to your needs.
My wife and I were partially full before we got there so we took it light with yogurt and granola topped with fresh fruit. Unfortunately we each ordered our own separate bowls although the portion is huge but it tasted great and fresh.
There is a variety of tasty-​looking food items that I plan to come again but on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same to their beverages but I guess I was looking for a latte and they don’t serve it. All good! Come for the food, the atmosphere and the people.

This is a lost Jem. The place is old, old fashion, old cooking style, all the good old fashion diner that diapered from this town.
The food is always fresh and done to perfection, but stick to the breakfast menu, not the «lunch».
Parking is terrible, non existent, you might get lucky with metered street parking a few blocks away, but its worth it!
No bathroom unless you go out to a very public restrooms in the next building.
Crowded in the mornings, noisy… BUT the food is well worth all the inconveniences.
Plainly explained, its a VERY old place with the (fabulous) old atmosphere.

A solid 4 or 4.5 stars
My hubby is always running by this place so this morning, he finally took us to check it out. We knew there will be a wait since it is Sunday brunch hour (10:45), but the wait wasn’t that bad. Maybe 20 minutes? Apparently you can grab coffee while you wait as well.
Parking was fine. Street parking. Hint: I think it’s easier to walk a block or two instead kd stressing out trying ri find a spot on the same block. At least on Sundays, the meters don’t count.
The place is quaint and can get a bit stuffy. We love the look of the entire place, esp the erratic décor. Plenty of seats if you are a party of 2 – 3 of fewer. Any larger parties will have a much harder time getting seated.
Prices are very fair. Around $ 8 – 10 a plate and there is a full menu. Iced coffee was good. I am a big fan of corn beef hash and this place’s version is near perfect! So good and not all that greasy! I opted for the fruit instead of the hash browns and they gave me the freshest slices pineapples, hard red grapes, and real pieces of oranges! So refreshing to get something other than melons and cantelope.
Hubby had the Garbage omelette and he really liked it as well. A good size omelette and he also get a choice of sides and toast.
Quick good service and we got our food very fast. We will definitely be back.

Tofu scramble whaaaaaaat!!!
I tried this place years ago and thought Id give it a go again. First of all, this place screams local gem. The interior gives it a homey hole in the wall feel. The staff was friendly and cool. The other customers seemed local. There are a lot of great breakfast options. French toast, omelettes etc but… There are also tofu scrambles and tofu bruschetta for those who dont eat dairy, eggs or meat. Great breakfast stop for a mixed crowd. I was disappointed that the oj wasnt fresh squeezed. I will never understand why restaurants ruin a wonderful beverage by serving it weeks old, watered down and out of plastic. Parking can be tough and beware the weekend crowds. The tofu could have been seasoned but I’m not complaining because its very progressive of Maxwells to have a couple of tofu options on the menu. This place is awesome!

AWESOME
Great coffee, unbelievable homemade salsa (grabbing some to take home), incredible hollandaise sauce, omelet was PERFECT.
Outstanding service from Dave from Virginia, went over and above what any recent server has done anywhere.
Like eating at home but better because there are no dishes!
Large portions reasonable prices.

I’ve always wanted to stop in and see what the long line was about and I finally did this morning.
The restaurant is a typical mom and pop diner. You’re greeted by a small counter and two tops at the entrance and a hallway that leads to the back room that has another 10 – 12 tables.
This place has been around for a long time and it shows. The back room looked like it needed a good deep cleaning and was pretty dusty.
As for the food, we ordered the banana walnut pancakes, strawberry pancakes, side of hash browns and bacon. The pancakes were ok, the bacon was salty and the has Browns were probably the best thing about the meal. $ 40 later not sure I would come back.

Great hole in the wall diner on the corner of the road. A huge mom and pop feel inside but the food will wow you. I got the Sante Fe Omelette and it was great! The avocado and sausage portions were not stingy at all. In addition, it came with roasted potatoes and I chose an english muffin.
AMEX not accepted here but you’ll get a nice fresh squeezed orange juice though!