It was a late lunch, and there were people sitting and eating in the place so I took this as a good sign. I've had some really great meals in Stillwater, so I tried my luck with a place I hadn't been yet. There are three major aspects to a dining experience; ambiance, service and the food. Marx failed on all three, to a degree that has shocked me into having to write a review on this site. So let's go down the list. The decor dazzles in a way that only a color-blind, manic schizoid choose. Of the dozen or so tables there was not more than a pair that matched in size shape or height. White Christmas lights, loosely wrapped in thin white fabric zig-zag over the main dining area. Bright orange Chihuly-esque lamps hang in a row, mirroring the arc of the crescent shaped bar. There are neon lights embedded in the surface of the bar that pulse in an oozing modulation while shifting through the shades of a simple rainbow. The walls are overcrowded with an array of massive, "modern art," so loud the obvious intent behind the scheme is to drown out or blind what the employees of Marx Fusion Bistro will subjugate upon the accidental customer. Upon seating, a drink list/ book was provided and water offered. The water arrived with menus and the server left. A few minutes later, the server reappeared (having avoided the one other occupied table in that section) and daily specials were read off. The order was taken at that time, yet the point-of-sale computer was overlooked for several more minutes after that. Some odd-sized chunks of bread surrounding a ceramic cup of oil, complete with a floater of a garlic clove and a single blade of rosemary arrived with side plates next. The bottle of balsamic was remembered soon after. At this point, I was growing nervous... so I took the initiative and flagged down the server since the menus were now gone and it was clear now I was not going to be offered the option to get a glass of wine. Some time later, the sole course arrived neatly arranged on a plate that had obviously been left to die under a heat lamp for a long time. When the silverware was dropped off, I was able to use the napkin to slide my plate over 7 or 8 inches so that it was now in front of me. Later, once I had had enough, I was asked if I would like a to-go container to which I declined, one came anyway. On a final note here, my server's attitude and demeanor as well as physical appearance were all quite pleasant, but a few years experience at a Denny's plus a bit of training from whomever is in charge of the front of house would greatly improve one's ability to the tasks of one's job in the correct order. And then, there was the food. Starting with the menu, there were three sections; Salads, Pizza's, and Pasta. I was struggling to see the "fusion" aspect of American Bistro idea of Modern/ Food Network Italian. Some of the cocktails have a fusion like quirkiness to the flavor combinations, that's the bartender. My dining companion ordered the beet/ bacon/ blue cheese salad. I had just had a salad for my previous meal, and I wasn't too jazzed about the pizza/ pasta dichotomy, but upon hearing the fish heavy specials such as a Fruits de Mer, some Scallop concoction, and a Asian themed Mahi Mahi, my interest was piqued. So, I opted for that last one, to witch my server replied, "That one's my favorite." Armed with an $11 glass of Chardonnay, I sipped slowly in anticipation. I was only told twice that my food would be out shortly. Then the big moment came. Off-center of the round, two little fillets overlapped each other, moored upon a mass of garlic mashed potatoes, under a hat of Asian slaw, and sauced with a thick translucent brown and speckled goo. Creeping around the rest of the plate was a series of vegetable piles; the first a stack of a half-dozen green beans, next a dollop of something orange, a single floret of broccoli, finally a fan of five snow peas. There was a lot going on on this plate that looked as if it was still listening to G&R while teasing the bangs of its mullet. And, it's well done. Not a little over - it's cat food. My server never asked for a temp, which I didn't think much of because who in their right mind would cook Mahi past medium rare for even the most squeamish diner? The sauce, basically a thinned out hoisin with a little ginger and sesame seeds. The garlic mash just okay. The veggies; raw but with some darkness at the tips of the floret, and no seasoning - blanched for a whole five seconds and finished via heat lamp, delicious! Not. Asian slaw was really just coleslaw with sesame oil instead of mayo with the addition of a hint of ginger and a sprig of cilantro for a garnish. When it comes to the folks at Marx, it is a tasteless (visual and culinary) philosophy of function follows form.
(1)
Ann Marie C.
Loved this restaurant! Our first time here and would definitely come back. Heard great things from friends and glad I listened to their recommendations. We ordered their evening special of seafood paella. Full of fresh seafood!! Also ordered spinach pappardelle, penne with sausage, linguine lucca, beef carpaccio. All the dishes were delicious! Our server Melissa was wonderful. Suggested great wine, dishes, and recommendations for continued fun in Stillwater. She was attentive to our table. Would recommend reservations as this restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)
Rick C.
I went in with very high expectations, and was mostly satisfied...with the food. The tuna tartar was tasteless. The entree of mahi was excellent. My date was of a different ethnic group than I and many of the FEMALE patrons stared with open looks of disdain and contempt. I don't understand how GAY MARRIAGES are accepted yet a mixed couple isn't! TOTALLY sickened by that and won't be back!
(1)
Judd A.
Awesome place to go for lunch. Get one of the specials! You'll be glad you did. Also a fun place to go at night for martinis! High end but not snooty. Really cool atmosphere!
(5)
Lorraine N.
My two friends thought it smelled like sour mop or urine upon entering and smelled it the entire time we were there-I had allergies so could not detect anything--plus I just had a couple strong drinks elsewhere. We all had a unique drink from the menu --Pimms cup was one and it had Gin in it but suprisingly tasted of cucumber--very light and refreshing. I had a strong and dark with jameson in it and it tasted like a long island iced tea. The other gal got a basil blueberry martini drink and it was good but a little on the sweet side. Drinks run approx 10.00 a piece here. The atmosphere was okay. I would try this place again.
(3)
J S.
Marx can be amazing, but also disappointing. I have dined there many times and had delicious meals, last evening was not the case. Two of our meals were delicious, two were not even close. The paella, at $34, was a huge disappointment-- tiny bits of 'bacon like meat', no chorizo to be seen, dry....:-( Our service was so-so, our server was 'slammed, while the other server (who we wished we'd had) was not busy at all. After spending $350.00 for 4 people, it will be hard to go back. There are many other choices in Stillwater.
(2)
Kristine R.
Wandered in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 other patrons outside. Granted it was 1:00 on a Tuesday. Great, affordable lunch menu. I ordered the Caesar salad subbed chicken for anchovies, husband had pizza. Great portion size for lunch, both meals were up to par with the hype. Lost our server at some point, as the only people outside we wondered if she left. Manager/owner came out and finished up with us. Got the check and was shocked to see a $6 upcharge for chicken on my $5 Caesar. A little heads up would have been nice. Atmosphere and food would bring us back, would clarify any menu questions. 3.5 for lack of communication by our server.
(3)
Amelia K.
This is my first review ever- just had to be done. This place is ridic. I've been probably 5 times and am impressed every time. Love the ambiance (unsuccessfully tried to find their bathroom sink and put it in my new house), food is amazing and service never fails. I've been a vegetarian for 20 plus years and the veggie plate I had last Saturday is the best meal I've ever gotten in a restaurant. Just phenomenal.
(5)
Bobby B.
Very modern and energetic. Very attentive service. Menu selection is an upgrade over other local eateries whom feast on tourists. Here you feel welcome as the crowd relaxes to light live music on Friday evening. One of the best in Stillwater.
(4)
Alec W.
I was a little shocked by this place. The food was OK, the service was terrible. I didn't expect that walking in though. So we were here a week or so ago for lunch during a weekday. Our lunch was a little later in the afternoon so the place was pretty much empty besides a couple other patrons. You'd think this would mean excellent, speedy service, but no, that was not the case. I think we were there for well over an hour when what we really meant to do was just grab something quick to eat, but something we could still enjoy. Mostly I just remember the waiting and waiting. I had the pizza and there just wasn't anything to write home about. It tasted fine, but there was nothing I could point to and say 'Wow, that's really exceptional'. It's too bad, cause it looks like it should be a fun place to go, but ultimately, it was just a boring, bland, generic 'fusion' restaurant.
(2)
Shari H.
Excellent service and amazing food! I grew up in Stillwater and Marx was such a welcome addition to the historic downtown area when it first opened, and is still the best place to go for dinner. It has a chic atmosphere, fun cocktails and amazing desserts, especially the cheesecake. Perfect for an intimate date night, girls night, a bachelorette party, or a great place to bring your parents on a day trip to Stillwater.
(5)
Alysha R.
Had a table of 12 with reservations, service was incredibly slow with drinks, and dinner was very late being served. I ordered the steak and the portion was disappointingly small. I also asked to skip the onion rings for additional mashed potatoes, that didn't happen. Someone at our table had to send her fish back twice to be cooked thoroughly. What I received was not worth what I paid. It was good food- not amazing drop your jaw good. However our server Katie was amazing and super nice, we loved her!
(2)
Sarah R.
Lots of great memories here! It's a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the patio is nice in the summer. For food, it's hard to go wrong. Every special I have ordered has been well balanced, rich, and beautifully plated. Their ingredients taste fresh and are prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors cleanly. There is light fare which is perfect for a snack with wine and heavy, rich meals are also easy to find here for those with bigger appetites, and for cooler winter months! Great area, too, as Stillwater has some charm.
(5)
Alex C.
This place was amazing. The pasta noodles were homemade and delicious. Very impressive. The paella too was delicious and included multiple meats. We order beef carpaccio which was phenomenal. Would recommend to all. Our sever, Melissa, was extremely nice and friendly.
(5)
Greg O.
We had dinner here a few nights ago for the first time. While not perfect, we enjoyed our meal. We didn't have a reservation, but there was no wait at 8:00 on a Saturday night. The interior was fine, but little things like chairs straight from a Super 8 buffet room made the room feel a little cheap. And it was very noisy when close to full. Our waitress was great. You got the feeling she truly cares if you had a good experience. At one point the bartender took way too long to make our cocktails so she jumped behind the bar and made them herself. The food was good. We decided to make a meal of several starters and salads. All were good, especially the beet salad and artichoke lobster dip. They apparently are not used to people ordering like that because all four or five starters came out at once rather than spread out a bit. But overall it was a good experience and we will go back.
(4)
Brad A.
We wound up at Marx at the recommendation of My Beautiful New Companion (at what point do I call her my girlfriend?), who grew up in this town, and whose family has lived here for generations. It's a favorite of hers, and I'm pleased to add my endorsement. Marx is amazing. It's not a big space, but the place is beautifully finished and decorated. Nice artwork on the walls, and the suspended lighting fixtures look fantastic. This is probably as classy a restaurant as you're going to find on Stillwater's Main Street strip. The wait staff was beautiful, gracious, and attentive throughout the entire meal. A nice selection of wines, beers, and other poisons. The food was superb - the preparation, presentation, and taste. During peak dinner hours, you can expect to wait, and for good reason. But even that is handled well - you give them your cell phone number, and you can roam about the town until your table is ready. If you're in a drinking mood, Whitey's across the street fits the bill very nicely while you're waiting for your table, if everything at Marx is filled up.. Reservations are taken for parties of 6 or more. And parking... well... this is Stillwater...
(5)
Ellen C.
This restaurant is charming, modern, intimate. Great place for a romantic date or just for a fun night out starting with a nice dinner. I got the ahi tuna special on basmati rice, as was HIGHLY recommended by patrons and the waitress. It was in a ginger sesame sauce of some sort. The tuna was very fresh, perfectly cooked, but I would've liked more seasoning on the actual fish rather than relying on the sauce to heavily salt the entire dish. The sauce was a little overpowering - it has a very strong sense of identity on that plate! All in all it was pretty good but for the price tag, I would be hesitant to order it again. Their pecan encrusted walleye that is the standard dinner menu looked amazing, as did their mahi mahi special on risotto. If I had special company or was bringing someone to Stillwater as a special occasion, I might come back to try out some more of their seafood. They have a lot of variety and it seems like all the quality of their fish are top notch. Keep in mind though, I"m more of a value kind of girl. Quality is high up there but it's gotta be pretty spectacular for me to think the value is there. The staff here though are FANTASTIC, which really helps amp up the experience.
(3)
Jonathon D.
Possibly the best restaurant in Stillwater. From the time we walked in the service was excellent, with a great band playing! They had several specials going on and our server was quick on it, could remember everything and refilled out drinks throughout the night. The surf & turf was wonderfully delicious! I could finish it all but truly enjoyed it!
(5)
Chia M.
Marx lives up to its great reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp. The service was quick and the food was full of flavor. The portions were more than generous. We were all able to bring home left overs big enough for a second meal. The Italian sausage penne was a cheesy delight with plenty of sausage mixed in. A little tip though would be to call for a reservation. We waited almost an hour for a table at 9pm. Between the bachelorette and bachelor parties and all the other visitors, Marx is quite the hot spot on a Saturday night.
(4)
Chuck F.
I've eaten here a few times, the service is great, the food is even better! Bring an empty stomach and full wallet, well worth the exchange rate.
(5)
Yolinda B.
Ate here last weekend. The service was good and so was the bread. The food in general not so good. The shrimp linguine dish came out as a big peach colored blob with the pasta over cooked and no garnish. It was quite bland. The cannelloni was a monster sized potion of thick green pasta and dry pork. Lastly the Caesar salad is not a Caesar, its lettuce with olive oil and croutons very bland. Gave it a try, won't be back. The inside of the place looks nice though.
(2)
Paula R.
My husband and I generally enjoy Marx. We recently sat at the bar, ordered drinks and dinner then the bar tender spilled my entire drink on my lap and purse. He laughed and said he had depth perception issues. The other bar tender came over and started to wipe the floor apologizing. She asked if she should cancel our order.... We said yes and left. Now we go to Lolo's consistently. Maybe Marx should hire people who love the food industry and patrons.
(1)
Ed L.
A piece of South Beach in Minnesota!! I am a Miami native and felt right at home.... Ambiance: Beautiful, trendy just like a South Beach bar. Young, vibrant, trendy crowd. Elegant and tasty decor. Service: Superb: The hostess, bar tender and waitress treated me very nicely and quick. Price: Pricey but well worth the money. Food: Gourmet.-big portions I had for starters a Bruschetta appetizer w/ apple slices-excellent for the entree Beef Tenderloin Filet Carmelized Onions- wow! out of this world for desert -banana crumcake with whipped cream The restroom puz zled me because there was no sink with faucets. I won't tell you the rest .:-) Eddy Campanaro
(5)
Kate P.
We liked our dinner out at Marx. Good aps, unique menu items. I got the homemade papperdelle (love me some fresh pasta!). We'll be back.
(4)
amy z.
On our first night in Stillwater, we got there later in the evening and starving. The owner's of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place. The decor is very interesting and colorful. We ordered an appetizer, the samosas. These are the only thing I would order again. I had the beet salad and well .... had a hard time finding the beets. Also it was suppose to be with curly endive but it seemed to be more a mix spring greens. There was also bacon on it. Way too much bacon. (Yes I said too much bacon.) To the point that was all I could taste in every bit. P had the linguine with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly too bad it was swimming in the sauce which over powered the cooking of the shrimp. The pasta dish seemed more like soup. I don't think I would go back unless it was for the samosas.
(3)
Shannon C.
Marx is officially the dining gem of Stillwater. Understated and elegant, this small restaurant is tucked into a prime space on Main Street. The lighting is romantic, the menu is robust and ingredients are primarily local, sustainable, often organic. We had an amazing dinner for two (2 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert for $120. The service was second-to-none, and the expertise of all who worked there was a treat to experience. When my boyfriend and I reflect on great date spots, this is always the first on our list....
(5)
Scott I.
Marx has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is extensive and very well thought out. After dining there many times, I'm happy to say I've met Mark many times and can see that he is fanatic about giving customers the best dining experience possible. I highly recommend the filet, which is always delicious and tender. The mashed potatoes with reduction are great, and the little dollup of pureed carrots that are served with it are absolutely incredible. All of the pastas are very good as well, but my favorite is the one with vodka sauce.
(5)
Sean D.
It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I think I've only had their specials too. The service is wonderful, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is outstanding.
(5)
Mike C.
Stillwater is a great little town with many great places, but Marx is always awesome, so I decided to get on board and give them an honest review. We go to Marx about once a month and have always been more that delighted. The menu and the specials are always prepared to perfection, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Our servers are very kind, and take care of us whether they recognize us or not. I'm sure we will continue to stop at Marx for years to come. You won't be disappointed. Hope this helps other pick a great place to eat!
(5)
Susan S.
The cannelloni is amazing, and so is the banana bread dessert. The bartender makes a fabulous chocolate martini. We drove down from the twin cities just to try this restaurant and were not disappointed.
(4)
Ann D.
We stopped here for dinner during a girls weekend, and all four of us loved our food. The lobster artichoke dip was wonderful, the beet salad was divine (I've never had one before, but will definitely order again), my lamb chops were delicious, and I sampled my girlfriends Halibut, and another's pasta, and both were fantastic. Service was elegant. Beautiful place, beautiful food.
(5)
Masil M.
I've been to Marx before for wine, but hadn't had a meal until this last trip. My three is closer to a 3.5 than a 3. The food was good. One of the specials was a fish duo that was done really well. The fish was cooked just right for me, flaky and juicy without having to rely on the sauce to keep its texture. The sauce itself was really nice, not too heavy and pretty good flavor. I tend to prefer foods with powerful flavors and I could have dealt with a little more punch with the flavor, but that's a personal preference. My companions enjoyed their food as well. The service was perfunctory. I would give this place a higher score if the service had been...well, it wasn't unfriendly or bad...it just felt like our server had somewhere else he really needed to be and wasn't super stoked on having a group show up. But I suspect this is not a regular occurrence. All in all, a solid 3.5.
(3)
Ryan J.
This place has an awesome menu from top to bottom. The lobster artichoke dip is addicting. Pasta, shrimp, pork, sirloin - it's all quality food that's worth the price. The wait staff is patient and friendly. The only thing keeping it from five stars is the bar is not on par speed wise with the wait staff, but you should be taking your time having a romantic meal anyway if you order the expensive cocktails, no?
(4)
June N.
I like this place. Very cozy and great lighting. I ordered the chicken penne and it was so large that I had to take half of it home. Great bread and olive oil. Martinis are great there too!
(4)
Caroline '.
I came here as a night out on the town away from my 1 year old... With a party of 12 all in the same boat, babysitters lined up, parents night out! I was highly disappointed! We had a reservation at 730 we didn't get seated until 815 and didn't get served dinner until 10:00! Food just got here... Food is wonderful! Drinks are wonderful! The management did end up comping half the entire tables bill, which did help and was much appreciated. I would give them one more shot but I was extremely disappointed .
(1)
Ryan S.
Marx used to be our top spot in Stillwater. On previous visits the food was very good for the price and portion size generous. Our last experience was sub-par. The wait staff was not attentive and the food was bland and overly salty. I left feeling like I just ate at an overpriced Applebee's. Sadly, we won't be returning to Marx. It looks like Lolo's is the better bet in Stillwater.
(2)
Jeannie P.
One of my favorite places. Specials are always amazing. Menu changes frequently and all of the dishes are unique and different. The space is small and it's always busy but the food is worth the wait.
(5)
Brooke B.
Holy crap, is this place great! Decided to stop in for lunch with my dude and am I ever glad we did. We reviewed the lunch menu and decided to get one of the many delicious-sounding pizzas listed there. Then we heard the chef's specials. As our server described each one, no words were necessary--we knew we were nixing the original plan, we just didn't know which special to get since they all sounded amazing. We went with the jambalaya and a cup of the black bean/butternut squash soup to share. The soup was delightful and seasonally perfect for October. As For the jambalaya: I loved it. Perfect potency and balance of flavors here. I've never been to New Orleans, but my dude has. I asked him how this compared and he said it was just as good if not better. Being former Mayland residents, we were both impressed with the size and freshness of the scallops in the dish here in Minnesota, later finding out they have seafood flown in twice daily. Couldn't resist...had to hear the dessert options. We got the blueberry banana cheesecake. It had a sort of whipped, lighter texture than most. It tasted kind of like banana bread dough--absolutely splendid. We'll definitely be back.
(5)
Barbara F.
Good. Started out great. Bruschetta excellent. Antipasto mediocre. Bread excellent. Then we waited... A while... For our entrees. Pappardelle very good. Jamaican shrimp gets a thumbs up. Two specials - surf and turf and seafood special were great. We ate on the patio - perfect evening but not enough light to see the menu or the food. Service was lackluster by the end of the evening...
(4)
Val B.
Marx was, in my opinion, just alright. I really enjoyed my drink and appetizers. The elderflower martini = great, plus they give you the shaker, meaning you get about 2.5 elterflower martinis. Dinner, which consisted of steaks for both of us, was just OK. We came in a little after 6 and expected a wait, but were seated within a few moments. The restaurant was, well, unreasonably noisy. But it was Friday night, so I wasn't expecting silence or anything At over $100 for two, I expected a bit more but still left full and satisfied.
(3)
Barry L.
This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I just celebrated a milestone birthday here this past weekend. I had the beef tenderloin, which was done to perfection. However, I've never had anything bad on the menu. I can also vouch for the scallops. The wine selection is also exceptional. We had a perfect bottle of pinot noir for $42. The wines by the glass are always fresh, never oxidized, which is impressive considering just how many options they offer by the glass. If you love pairing great food with great wine, you have to try this place.
(5)
Kim K.
Paella was great. The meat platter had one item too salty, otherwise great.
(4)
Jess R.
This was one of many stops as we did a progressive dinner around Stillwater and I am glad we stopped here. The food was tasteful, probably the main downfall was that one of the dishes (Tuna tartar) was chaotic. Too many flavors and the key ingredient seemed to get lost. I had the moz salad and thought it was seasoned just right and very fresh. As a non-seafood lover I might have had a hard time ordering if we had wanted to eat a full meal here. Every 'special' had a seafood element - a drawback for me.
(4)
Carriann H.
I have lived in Stillwater for years and until last week had never eaten at Marx. I am definately going to go back. Since we have five kids we like going places where we can get away from other people's kids! (OPK) This is our new refuge in Stillwater. It's trendy and fresh and there are no OPK to make a fuss or say Mommy so many times that my head feels like it will snap off from thinking they're calling me. We had met another couple here for a special celebration dinner. We started with drinks, which included a watermelon martini with a huge slice of vodka soaked watermelon on it. YUMMMMM. We shared some apps. We ordered the duck confit and the flatbread. I am not a huge fan of duck in general, but this is the best duck I have ever tasted! The flatbread was a good as expected--warm and crunchy and savory. My "date" ordered one of the specials-Seafood Jumbalaya. It was packed with mussels, scallops, calamari, fish and prawns. It was spicy and really tasty. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken. They used the dark meat which made the chicken flavorful and moist. The presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat. But I managed. **grin** Shhhhh. I will be hiding here on date night. But don't tell the kids. Mine or OPK.
(4)
Kelly S.
This is a great downtown Stillwater restaurant. I highly recommend it. It's small and quaint with a modern twist. I loved all the local art on the walls - good conversation starters. The serving staff were friendly and articulate. The food was marvelous and succulent. The only thing that could have helped the atmosphere more is by turning up the music to be above a whisper setting.
(3)
Lisa D.
i have never had a bad meal here. ever. i have also had exquisite service and drinks and desserts and...this is my favorite restaurant and i would go way more often if i could afford to!
(5)
Emily O.
The man & I decided to have dinner @ Marx for the first time before a surprise birthday party we were attending there. We arrived @ 7:00pm on a Friday evening. We were told the wait was 30 minutes so we settled up to the bar for some wine. The wine list was small, but of good variety. I ordered a blend after sampling 2 suggestions from the bartender. My boyfriend ordered what I would call a Man's Martini... :) Rye whiskey, anise, bitters, & something else that slips my mind. He loved it. It came w/ a martini shaker served straight up. By the end of the night, he had ordered another. The bartender was welcoming & attentive & I appreciate good service & entertainment @ the bar, but this bartender was a little overly involved in our conversation, chiming in @ every pause. It got to be a little much. We were seated w/ in 10 minutes - always a great surprise when the wait is much less than anticipated. We sat @ a high top table near the door, allowing us to be secluded, but people watch as well. For dinner, we tried the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad, & bacon penne pasta. The best pasta I have had in a long time. All the food was amazing. After dinner, we met up w/ our group & were seated in the back of the restaurant @ a long table. Service was attentive & paced accordingly to our group of 10. Ambiance is quaint & warm, a little crowded, but still functional. As Cortney S says: next time, wine & apps on the patio. :)
(4)
Vssj S.
I went to the Marx last night with my boyfriend. We had a server who was knowledgable about the menu and wines. They have great salads. We had a very good duck confit crostini to start. Also, shared a really good mahi mahi that was on special. For the price and quality of food, I highly recommend the Marx!
(5)
John H.
We've been to Marx's several times over the last five years. Service and food were outstanding every time. It's truly a gem within the St. Croix Valley.
(5)
A. R.
Been there a couple of times, to mixed reviews. Once, for lunch my friend and I went all out with entrees and wine, and had a wonderful dining experience. Recently, went there with my husband and ordered a bottle of wine, sitting at the bar. The server consulted a book to describe the wine to me, and when we ordered it gave us the world's worst bottle service ever. May as well have pulled out the cork with his teeth. He was also completely ignorant to the fact that we were on a date and enjoying each others company, as he decided to blare his commentary upon us all afternoon. But he gets away with that at his other job at a chain-restaurant, so I understand. I think that if I'm out to enjoy a bottle of wine at a bona-fide wine bar, respect your customer enough to hire knowledgeable staff. The food was pretty good this time as well, but the service left my skin crawling.
(3)
hima s.
We visited Marx during a recent trip to visit my brother-in-law and his wife. It is located in the very cute town of Stillwater, just on the Mississippi River. First things first: I *loved* our server. LOVED. I was being picky about which wine I wanted and she happily brought me 3-4 samples before I made a choice. Second, the atmosphere was very quaint and homey. I was actually accosted at the door by a drunken patron who raved about the food. He must have recognized me as a first-time visitor (the brown skin may have been a clue). In spite of the hilarious welcome, our visit was a delight. Third, the food was fairly good. It was a bit rich for my taste, but that may be a regional difference. Here's what we ordered: - My sister-in-law and I both ordered the homemade pappardelle. The pasta was outstanding -- chewy, delicate, and perfectly flavored. The sauce was another story; that was overly rich and heavy. It actually separated when reheated the next day and the lovely noodles were left swimming in a pool of oil. That was a disappointment. - My brother-in-law ordered the penne with italian hot sausage. I almost ordered that too and was disappointed to see that it was topped with a heavy layer of mozzarella. Ugh. But he was excited about the cheese and happily ate it up. He was definitely a happy camper. - My husband ordered the beef sirloin. The plating was beautiful: a pile of mashed potatoes topped with meat topped with onion rings. Ok, that might sound weird, but it was actually pretty. It was simple, but good. All in all, a good meal. I am already plotting to get my brother-in-law and wife a gift certificate for Christmas!
(4)
Jeff B.
Great bar and atmoshere. Food and service is very good. Nice place to dine with friends.
(4)
Bub N.
Had a seafood/pasta dish. Great meal. Will go back, for sure!
(4)
Roger W.
I didn't expect much and didn't get it. We ordered an elderflower and pear martini and a bacardi "o" mojito both of which tasted great and we didn't feel cheated by the $10 price except for the fact that we could've had better drinks for the same price from Bradstreet in Minneapolis. Appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye dumplings which tasted great, but weren't amazing. We also had the teriyaki king crab and banana wasabi mash which was really amazing mix of flavors and we quickly polished it off. For entrees I got the surf and turf, which ended up being a large ribeye steak with an absurd amount of mushroom sauce over it completely overpowering any flavor the meat may have had. The surf was shrimp tempura with a sort of coconut curry taste to them. They were so much better than the steak however I only got 3 medium sized shrimp. I would've given up half the steak size for only 1 or 2 more shrimp. My date got the * Grilled Angus Beef Sirloin with Guinness beer glaze, bacon, roasted shallots & home fried onion rings which tasted better than my steak as the sauce was not as overpowering. Both steaks were ordered medium rare and were easily medium to medium well. Overall I'd recommend staying away from the steaks, but get some appetizers and drinks from this place. Oh the decor is a little too bright and the place is really loud and a good chunk of the tables are practically on top of each other. I'd recommend it for a group of 4 friends, but not as a romantic dinner. It was a little weird that there was no music as well.
(3)
Brad A.
We wound up at Marx at the recommendation of My Beautiful New Companion (at what point do I call her my girlfriend?), who grew up in this town, and whose family has lived here for generations. It's a favorite of hers, and I'm pleased to add my endorsement. Marx is amazing. It's not a big space, but the place is beautifully finished and decorated. Nice artwork on the walls, and the suspended lighting fixtures look fantastic. This is probably as classy a restaurant as you're going to find on Stillwater's Main Street strip. The wait staff was beautiful, gracious, and attentive throughout the entire meal. A nice selection of wines, beers, and other poisons. The food was superb - the preparation, presentation, and taste. During peak dinner hours, you can expect to wait, and for good reason. But even that is handled well - you give them your cell phone number, and you can roam about the town until your table is ready. If you're in a drinking mood, Whitey's across the street fits the bill very nicely while you're waiting for your table, if everything at Marx is filled up.. Reservations are taken for parties of 6 or more. And parking... well... this is Stillwater...
(5)
J S.
Marx can be amazing, but also disappointing. I have dined there many times and had delicious meals, last evening was not the case. Two of our meals were delicious, two were not even close. The paella, at $34, was a huge disappointment-- tiny bits of 'bacon like meat', no chorizo to be seen, dry....:-( Our service was so-so, our server was 'slammed, while the other server (who we wished we'd had) was not busy at all. After spending $350.00 for 4 people, it will be hard to go back. There are many other choices in Stillwater.
(2)
Ellen C.
This restaurant is charming, modern, intimate. Great place for a romantic date or just for a fun night out starting with a nice dinner. I got the ahi tuna special on basmati rice, as was HIGHLY recommended by patrons and the waitress. It was in a ginger sesame sauce of some sort. The tuna was very fresh, perfectly cooked, but I would've liked more seasoning on the actual fish rather than relying on the sauce to heavily salt the entire dish. The sauce was a little overpowering - it has a very strong sense of identity on that plate! All in all it was pretty good but for the price tag, I would be hesitant to order it again. Their pecan encrusted walleye that is the standard dinner menu looked amazing, as did their mahi mahi special on risotto. If I had special company or was bringing someone to Stillwater as a special occasion, I might come back to try out some more of their seafood. They have a lot of variety and it seems like all the quality of their fish are top notch. Keep in mind though, I"m more of a value kind of girl. Quality is high up there but it's gotta be pretty spectacular for me to think the value is there. The staff here though are FANTASTIC, which really helps amp up the experience.
(3)
Lorraine N.
My two friends thought it smelled like sour mop or urine upon entering and smelled it the entire time we were there-I had allergies so could not detect anything--plus I just had a couple strong drinks elsewhere. We all had a unique drink from the menu --Pimms cup was one and it had Gin in it but suprisingly tasted of cucumber--very light and refreshing. I had a strong and dark with jameson in it and it tasted like a long island iced tea. The other gal got a basil blueberry martini drink and it was good but a little on the sweet side. Drinks run approx 10.00 a piece here. The atmosphere was okay. I would try this place again.
(3)
Barbara F.
Good. Started out great. Bruschetta excellent. Antipasto mediocre. Bread excellent. Then we waited... A while... For our entrees. Pappardelle very good. Jamaican shrimp gets a thumbs up. Two specials - surf and turf and seafood special were great. We ate on the patio - perfect evening but not enough light to see the menu or the food. Service was lackluster by the end of the evening...
(4)
Jeannie P.
One of my favorite places. Specials are always amazing. Menu changes frequently and all of the dishes are unique and different. The space is small and it's always busy but the food is worth the wait.
(5)
Brooke B.
Holy crap, is this place great! Decided to stop in for lunch with my dude and am I ever glad we did. We reviewed the lunch menu and decided to get one of the many delicious-sounding pizzas listed there. Then we heard the chef's specials. As our server described each one, no words were necessary--we knew we were nixing the original plan, we just didn't know which special to get since they all sounded amazing. We went with the jambalaya and a cup of the black bean/butternut squash soup to share. The soup was delightful and seasonally perfect for October. As For the jambalaya: I loved it. Perfect potency and balance of flavors here. I've never been to New Orleans, but my dude has. I asked him how this compared and he said it was just as good if not better. Being former Mayland residents, we were both impressed with the size and freshness of the scallops in the dish here in Minnesota, later finding out they have seafood flown in twice daily. Couldn't resist...had to hear the dessert options. We got the blueberry banana cheesecake. It had a sort of whipped, lighter texture than most. It tasted kind of like banana bread dough--absolutely splendid. We'll definitely be back.
(5)
Ann Marie C.
Loved this restaurant! Our first time here and would definitely come back. Heard great things from friends and glad I listened to their recommendations. We ordered their evening special of seafood paella. Full of fresh seafood!! Also ordered spinach pappardelle, penne with sausage, linguine lucca, beef carpaccio. All the dishes were delicious! Our server Melissa was wonderful. Suggested great wine, dishes, and recommendations for continued fun in Stillwater. She was attentive to our table. Would recommend reservations as this restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)
Rick C.
I went in with very high expectations, and was mostly satisfied...with the food. The tuna tartar was tasteless. The entree of mahi was excellent. My date was of a different ethnic group than I and many of the FEMALE patrons stared with open looks of disdain and contempt. I don't understand how GAY MARRIAGES are accepted yet a mixed couple isn't! TOTALLY sickened by that and won't be back!
(1)
Peter N.
We had dinner plans elsewhere, but stopped in to watch Wisconsin play Arizona in the Elite Eight. We sat at the bar, which was comfortable. I had a basic Merlot which was great. They let me taste the wine first which was a huge plus. My wife had a Hendricks Gin martini which she enjoyed as well. We only ordered and appetizer - Duck Confit - which was really well prepared. It came on a crostini and the duck was very tender. Lee had a great time - the staff was pleasant. We'd definitely go again!
(4)
Greg O.
We had dinner here a few nights ago for the first time. While not perfect, we enjoyed our meal. We didn't have a reservation, but there was no wait at 8:00 on a Saturday night. The interior was fine, but little things like chairs straight from a Super 8 buffet room made the room feel a little cheap. And it was very noisy when close to full. Our waitress was great. You got the feeling she truly cares if you had a good experience. At one point the bartender took way too long to make our cocktails so she jumped behind the bar and made them herself. The food was good. We decided to make a meal of several starters and salads. All were good, especially the beet salad and artichoke lobster dip. They apparently are not used to people ordering like that because all four or five starters came out at once rather than spread out a bit. But overall it was a good experience and we will go back.
(4)
Alex C.
This place was amazing. The pasta noodles were homemade and delicious. Very impressive. The paella too was delicious and included multiple meats. We order beef carpaccio which was phenomenal. Would recommend to all. Our sever, Melissa, was extremely nice and friendly.
(5)
Chia M.
Marx lives up to its great reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp. The service was quick and the food was full of flavor. The portions were more than generous. We were all able to bring home left overs big enough for a second meal. The Italian sausage penne was a cheesy delight with plenty of sausage mixed in. A little tip though would be to call for a reservation. We waited almost an hour for a table at 9pm. Between the bachelorette and bachelor parties and all the other visitors, Marx is quite the hot spot on a Saturday night.
(4)
Chuck F.
I've eaten here a few times, the service is great, the food is even better! Bring an empty stomach and full wallet, well worth the exchange rate.
(5)
Judd A.
Awesome place to go for lunch. Get one of the specials! You'll be glad you did. Also a fun place to go at night for martinis! High end but not snooty. Really cool atmosphere!
(5)
Kristine R.
Wandered in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 other patrons outside. Granted it was 1:00 on a Tuesday. Great, affordable lunch menu. I ordered the Caesar salad subbed chicken for anchovies, husband had pizza. Great portion size for lunch, both meals were up to par with the hype. Lost our server at some point, as the only people outside we wondered if she left. Manager/owner came out and finished up with us. Got the check and was shocked to see a $6 upcharge for chicken on my $5 Caesar. A little heads up would have been nice. Atmosphere and food would bring us back, would clarify any menu questions. 3.5 for lack of communication by our server.
(3)
June N.
I like this place. Very cozy and great lighting. I ordered the chicken penne and it was so large that I had to take half of it home. Great bread and olive oil. Martinis are great there too!
(4)
Caroline '.
I came here as a night out on the town away from my 1 year old... With a party of 12 all in the same boat, babysitters lined up, parents night out! I was highly disappointed! We had a reservation at 730 we didn't get seated until 815 and didn't get served dinner until 10:00! Food just got here... Food is wonderful! Drinks are wonderful! The management did end up comping half the entire tables bill, which did help and was much appreciated. I would give them one more shot but I was extremely disappointed .
(1)
Ryan S.
Marx used to be our top spot in Stillwater. On previous visits the food was very good for the price and portion size generous. Our last experience was sub-par. The wait staff was not attentive and the food was bland and overly salty. I left feeling like I just ate at an overpriced Applebee's. Sadly, we won't be returning to Marx. It looks like Lolo's is the better bet in Stillwater.
(2)
Scott I.
Marx has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is extensive and very well thought out. After dining there many times, I'm happy to say I've met Mark many times and can see that he is fanatic about giving customers the best dining experience possible. I highly recommend the filet, which is always delicious and tender. The mashed potatoes with reduction are great, and the little dollup of pureed carrots that are served with it are absolutely incredible. All of the pastas are very good as well, but my favorite is the one with vodka sauce.
(5)
Sean D.
It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I think I've only had their specials too. The service is wonderful, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is outstanding.
(5)
Alysha R.
Had a table of 12 with reservations, service was incredibly slow with drinks, and dinner was very late being served. I ordered the steak and the portion was disappointingly small. I also asked to skip the onion rings for additional mashed potatoes, that didn't happen. Someone at our table had to send her fish back twice to be cooked thoroughly. What I received was not worth what I paid. It was good food- not amazing drop your jaw good. However our server Katie was amazing and super nice, we loved her!
(2)
Ryan J.
This place has an awesome menu from top to bottom. The lobster artichoke dip is addicting. Pasta, shrimp, pork, sirloin - it's all quality food that's worth the price. The wait staff is patient and friendly. The only thing keeping it from five stars is the bar is not on par speed wise with the wait staff, but you should be taking your time having a romantic meal anyway if you order the expensive cocktails, no?
(4)
Ed L.
A piece of South Beach in Minnesota!! I am a Miami native and felt right at home.... Ambiance: Beautiful, trendy just like a South Beach bar. Young, vibrant, trendy crowd. Elegant and tasty decor. Service: Superb: The hostess, bar tender and waitress treated me very nicely and quick. Price: Pricey but well worth the money. Food: Gourmet.-big portions I had for starters a Bruschetta appetizer w/ apple slices-excellent for the entree Beef Tenderloin Filet Carmelized Onions- wow! out of this world for desert -banana crumcake with whipped cream The restroom puz zled me because there was no sink with faucets. I won't tell you the rest .:-) Eddy Campanaro
(5)
Kate P.
We liked our dinner out at Marx. Good aps, unique menu items. I got the homemade papperdelle (love me some fresh pasta!). We'll be back.
(4)
Bobby B.
Very modern and energetic. Very attentive service. Menu selection is an upgrade over other local eateries whom feast on tourists. Here you feel welcome as the crowd relaxes to light live music on Friday evening. One of the best in Stillwater.
(4)
Jonathon D.
Possibly the best restaurant in Stillwater. From the time we walked in the service was excellent, with a great band playing! They had several specials going on and our server was quick on it, could remember everything and refilled out drinks throughout the night. The surf & turf was wonderfully delicious! I could finish it all but truly enjoyed it!
(5)
Nicole P.
pleasantly surprised. Our party of 5 was seated immediately at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. The Potato & Yam Samosas were a hit, the Walleye Dumplings were pretty good, you could tell it was walleye. The warm goat cheese salad was tasty, the goat cheese was good quality but i would have liked it if the dressing and roasted tomatoes were warm as well. My dish of Seared Scallops was AWESOME. the scallops were perfectly cooked and i got 7 LARGE SCALLOPS i couldn't even finish them all. (usually i get stuck with 3 meager ones) The best dish was a special Sword fish over squash gnocchi with alfredo sauce. the worst dish was my dad's chipotle chicken, chicken was dry and there was hardly a chipotle flavor. Great service, little spendy, we were all satisfied and there were plenty of new flavors.
(4)
Cortney G.
I love Saturday date nights. And Marx provided the perfect spot for a little vino and dinner on a Saturday night. The ambiance in the bar is intimate but not too secluded - aka you can still people watch while you munch on bruschetta and drink a glass of wine. Their tapas are fantastic. Dinner was more just ok - good but not over the top. Next time: wine and apps on the patio. Since it's on the river, I'm sure it'll be divine.
(4)
Adam K.
My wife and I had dinner here just last week, in from out of town. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed when we arrived, but by the time we left, the place was jam packed. They don't take reservations so keep that in mind if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night (or anytime in the summer). Our server was very knowledgeable and explained the menu very well. To be honest, this place barely gets away with calling itself "fusion" food...there really isn't much fusion going on here, just a lot of simple, well prepared (and cooked) dishes. My wife had the beef tenderloin and I had the shrimp linguine, both were quite good and my wife's Mohito was so good I almost got one for myself...almost. The location of this place is perfect, right in the middle of the strip. Portion-wise you get more than enough which is the way I like it. The bathrooms are kind of unique....the washroom part of the bathrooms is a communal area in between the two doors. If you're really into wine you have to check this place out, everyone in the area raves about the wine selection. I've been to a few of Stillwater's culinary offerings and this is one of the better ones.
(4)
Sarah R.
Lots of great memories here! It's a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the patio is nice in the summer. For food, it's hard to go wrong. Every special I have ordered has been well balanced, rich, and beautifully plated. Their ingredients taste fresh and are prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors cleanly. There is light fare which is perfect for a snack with wine and heavy, rich meals are also easy to find here for those with bigger appetites, and for cooler winter months! Great area, too, as Stillwater has some charm.
(5)
Yolinda B.
Ate here last weekend. The service was good and so was the bread. The food in general not so good. The shrimp linguine dish came out as a big peach colored blob with the pasta over cooked and no garnish. It was quite bland. The cannelloni was a monster sized potion of thick green pasta and dry pork. Lastly the Caesar salad is not a Caesar, its lettuce with olive oil and croutons very bland. Gave it a try, won't be back. The inside of the place looks nice though.
(2)
Paula R.
My husband and I generally enjoy Marx. We recently sat at the bar, ordered drinks and dinner then the bar tender spilled my entire drink on my lap and purse. He laughed and said he had depth perception issues. The other bar tender came over and started to wipe the floor apologizing. She asked if she should cancel our order.... We said yes and left. Now we go to Lolo's consistently. Maybe Marx should hire people who love the food industry and patrons.
(1)
Mike C.
Stillwater is a great little town with many great places, but Marx is always awesome, so I decided to get on board and give them an honest review. We go to Marx about once a month and have always been more that delighted. The menu and the specials are always prepared to perfection, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Our servers are very kind, and take care of us whether they recognize us or not. I'm sure we will continue to stop at Marx for years to come. You won't be disappointed. Hope this helps other pick a great place to eat!
(5)
Susan S.
The cannelloni is amazing, and so is the banana bread dessert. The bartender makes a fabulous chocolate martini. We drove down from the twin cities just to try this restaurant and were not disappointed.
(4)
Ann D.
We stopped here for dinner during a girls weekend, and all four of us loved our food. The lobster artichoke dip was wonderful, the beet salad was divine (I've never had one before, but will definitely order again), my lamb chops were delicious, and I sampled my girlfriends Halibut, and another's pasta, and both were fantastic. Service was elegant. Beautiful place, beautiful food.
(5)
Masil M.
I've been to Marx before for wine, but hadn't had a meal until this last trip. My three is closer to a 3.5 than a 3. The food was good. One of the specials was a fish duo that was done really well. The fish was cooked just right for me, flaky and juicy without having to rely on the sauce to keep its texture. The sauce itself was really nice, not too heavy and pretty good flavor. I tend to prefer foods with powerful flavors and I could have dealt with a little more punch with the flavor, but that's a personal preference. My companions enjoyed their food as well. The service was perfunctory. I would give this place a higher score if the service had been...well, it wasn't unfriendly or bad...it just felt like our server had somewhere else he really needed to be and wasn't super stoked on having a group show up. But I suspect this is not a regular occurrence. All in all, a solid 3.5.
(3)
Amelia K.
This is my first review ever- just had to be done. This place is ridic. I've been probably 5 times and am impressed every time. Love the ambiance (unsuccessfully tried to find their bathroom sink and put it in my new house), food is amazing and service never fails. I've been a vegetarian for 20 plus years and the veggie plate I had last Saturday is the best meal I've ever gotten in a restaurant. Just phenomenal.
(5)
Alec W.
I was a little shocked by this place. The food was OK, the service was terrible. I didn't expect that walking in though. So we were here a week or so ago for lunch during a weekday. Our lunch was a little later in the afternoon so the place was pretty much empty besides a couple other patrons. You'd think this would mean excellent, speedy service, but no, that was not the case. I think we were there for well over an hour when what we really meant to do was just grab something quick to eat, but something we could still enjoy. Mostly I just remember the waiting and waiting. I had the pizza and there just wasn't anything to write home about. It tasted fine, but there was nothing I could point to and say 'Wow, that's really exceptional'. It's too bad, cause it looks like it should be a fun place to go, but ultimately, it was just a boring, bland, generic 'fusion' restaurant.
(2)
Shari H.
Excellent service and amazing food! I grew up in Stillwater and Marx was such a welcome addition to the historic downtown area when it first opened, and is still the best place to go for dinner. It has a chic atmosphere, fun cocktails and amazing desserts, especially the cheesecake. Perfect for an intimate date night, girls night, a bachelorette party, or a great place to bring your parents on a day trip to Stillwater.
(5)
JoeNLauren P.
Been there three times in the past two years or so, every time it's delicious but it does seem like each time it gets a little less amazing. Can't quite pinpoint what it is, maybe the service? Despite that, still a very solid place to go. Drinks have always been great, and the atmosphere is so cool. It gets quite noisy, so if that is an issue than I don't recommend a busy weekend night. The meal itself has always been really awesome. The walleye dumplings are solid! And I can never resist the curly endive and beet salad, it's so tasty. I've had their ahi special once and it was heaven on a plate. If I remember correctly, I had the tenderloin last time and it was done to perfection at medium-rare. Overall, a really great place in such a sweet little place on the river.
(4)
Scott D.
The most incredible food on the planet~great place to eat relax and enjoy the good life
(5)
Patti I.
I live in Stillwater and visit Marx a couple times every year. The best thing on the menu--an item that often appears but isn't always offered--is the frutti di mare pasta in a bowl. It's a huge serving of spaghetti with marinara and assorted seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, whatever's in season. Some of the pastas are delicious but too heavy for my tastes. Again, the menu varies but if you see pasta with pistachios or pasta with vodka sauce, I suggest splitting with a friend. They taste good but the richness gets overwhelming. I've had a couple of excellent small steaks at Marx. I like to stick with the simpler ones like a sirloin with red wine sauce. Noise levels can be obnoxious. My cousin was visiting from the Napa Valley and I wanted to bring him to Marx for good cuisine. The food didn't disappoint, but my indelible memory of that meal was a loud, inebriated woman at an adjacent table (copious amounts of cleavage hanging out, lipstick smeared, verbal boundaries obliterated.) I'm not sure what the management is supposed to do when one party dominates the whole restaurant, but whatever it is, the Marx staff didn't do it. That said, usually the service is friendly and not stuffy. Marx can get crazy busy on weekends, so I try to eat there midweek.
(4)
Shannon C.
We didn't love our table/in the bar and teeny-but the rest was fabulous! I had the pork cannolini & my husband had the Maui Maui special both were fabulous! Check it out when in the area. Good wine selection too & full bar.
(4)
James C.
I was here with a friend Saurday Nov 10 2012 server might have been drunk .I was lunch we were the 1st people in the place. The waitress brought our soup the bread after we were done :O( then mixed you our food I am not sure I even got what I orders . Food was fair .:O( soup was salty .
(2)
Trou D.
Enjoyed another fantastic night at Marx's! Chef/Owner Mark was entertaining as always whether it be through his culinary expertise or his outgoing personality. My cousins and I were right at home - Thanks Kris, GM and others who added to an exceptional evening of cocktails and fun in Stillh2o.
(5)
Nichole M.
The chef at Marx must think that adding any and all flavors to a plate constitutes "fusion" no matter how bizarre the flavor combinations nor how much they compete with one another. I was underwhelmed with the Blackened scallops I ordered. The blackening was much to strong and had to be scraped off to make most of them edible. The soba noodles were okay, but the garnish/side vegetables had curry seasoning that tasted TERRIBLE in contrast to the asian/teriyaki sauce (ironically those same curried vegetables were included in my husband's meal further convincing us there is no rhyme or reason how any of these "fusion" dishes are created). The only thing worth eating were the walleye dumplings. Perhaps happy hour with appetizers are the way to go and spend your dinner $$ elsewhere.
(2)
Suzanne B.
A fabulous experience all-around (for a second time). The food was amazing, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere enjoyable. My husband and I both had featured specials and found both meals to be delicious. We went early, around 5 pm, as they do not take reservations for parties under 6 people. A place we will go back to often!
(4)
Amy L.
I have only been to Marx Wine bar for Appetizers and wine in the bar, but I they still have a decent selection. The deserts are pretty tasty, but things are priced pretty high. The service was a little slow, but I went on a Saturday night and they were really busy. I recommend giving it a try at least once and see what you think for yourself!
(3)
Joe M.
Place is awesome. I had the turf-turf-surf meal and my friend had the samon. Home run on both plates. We didnt know what to eat when we got there and we just asked people on the street and they said MARX is the best food in town. They all were right.
(5)
Dayday S.
The place is nice looking, but the food was just horrible. The pasta was watery and undercooked, with sauce and ingredients that were not fresh, not properly seasoned and not properly cooked. The pizza was also not great- the crust was gluey in the middle, burnt on the edges. The sauce was sweet and thin, and the cheese was clearly low quality. There was no seasoning at all, just plain, low grade, not fresh yuck.
(1)
Carriann H.
I have lived in Stillwater for years and until last week had never eaten at Marx. I am definately going to go back. Since we have five kids we like going places where we can get away from other people's kids! (OPK) This is our new refuge in Stillwater. It's trendy and fresh and there are no OPK to make a fuss or say Mommy so many times that my head feels like it will snap off from thinking they're calling me. We had met another couple here for a special celebration dinner. We started with drinks, which included a watermelon martini with a huge slice of vodka soaked watermelon on it. YUMMMMM. We shared some apps. We ordered the duck confit and the flatbread. I am not a huge fan of duck in general, but this is the best duck I have ever tasted! The flatbread was a good as expected--warm and crunchy and savory. My "date" ordered one of the specials-Seafood Jumbalaya. It was packed with mussels, scallops, calamari, fish and prawns. It was spicy and really tasty. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken. They used the dark meat which made the chicken flavorful and moist. The presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat. But I managed. **grin** Shhhhh. I will be hiding here on date night. But don't tell the kids. Mine or OPK.
(4)
John H.
We've been to Marx's several times over the last five years. Service and food were outstanding every time. It's truly a gem within the St. Croix Valley.
(5)
Kelly S.
This is a great downtown Stillwater restaurant. I highly recommend it. It's small and quaint with a modern twist. I loved all the local art on the walls - good conversation starters. The serving staff were friendly and articulate. The food was marvelous and succulent. The only thing that could have helped the atmosphere more is by turning up the music to be above a whisper setting.
(3)
Lisa D.
i have never had a bad meal here. ever. i have also had exquisite service and drinks and desserts and...this is my favorite restaurant and i would go way more often if i could afford to!
(5)
Val B.
Marx was, in my opinion, just alright. I really enjoyed my drink and appetizers. The elderflower martini = great, plus they give you the shaker, meaning you get about 2.5 elterflower martinis. Dinner, which consisted of steaks for both of us, was just OK. We came in a little after 6 and expected a wait, but were seated within a few moments. The restaurant was, well, unreasonably noisy. But it was Friday night, so I wasn't expecting silence or anything At over $100 for two, I expected a bit more but still left full and satisfied.
(3)
Emily O.
The man & I decided to have dinner @ Marx for the first time before a surprise birthday party we were attending there. We arrived @ 7:00pm on a Friday evening. We were told the wait was 30 minutes so we settled up to the bar for some wine. The wine list was small, but of good variety. I ordered a blend after sampling 2 suggestions from the bartender. My boyfriend ordered what I would call a Man's Martini... :) Rye whiskey, anise, bitters, & something else that slips my mind. He loved it. It came w/ a martini shaker served straight up. By the end of the night, he had ordered another. The bartender was welcoming & attentive & I appreciate good service & entertainment @ the bar, but this bartender was a little overly involved in our conversation, chiming in @ every pause. It got to be a little much. We were seated w/ in 10 minutes - always a great surprise when the wait is much less than anticipated. We sat @ a high top table near the door, allowing us to be secluded, but people watch as well. For dinner, we tried the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad, & bacon penne pasta. The best pasta I have had in a long time. All the food was amazing. After dinner, we met up w/ our group & were seated in the back of the restaurant @ a long table. Service was attentive & paced accordingly to our group of 10. Ambiance is quaint & warm, a little crowded, but still functional. As Cortney S says: next time, wine & apps on the patio. :)
(4)
Vssj S.
I went to the Marx last night with my boyfriend. We had a server who was knowledgable about the menu and wines. They have great salads. We had a very good duck confit crostini to start. Also, shared a really good mahi mahi that was on special. For the price and quality of food, I highly recommend the Marx!
(5)
A. R.
Been there a couple of times, to mixed reviews. Once, for lunch my friend and I went all out with entrees and wine, and had a wonderful dining experience. Recently, went there with my husband and ordered a bottle of wine, sitting at the bar. The server consulted a book to describe the wine to me, and when we ordered it gave us the world's worst bottle service ever. May as well have pulled out the cork with his teeth. He was also completely ignorant to the fact that we were on a date and enjoying each others company, as he decided to blare his commentary upon us all afternoon. But he gets away with that at his other job at a chain-restaurant, so I understand. I think that if I'm out to enjoy a bottle of wine at a bona-fide wine bar, respect your customer enough to hire knowledgeable staff. The food was pretty good this time as well, but the service left my skin crawling.
(3)
hima s.
We visited Marx during a recent trip to visit my brother-in-law and his wife. It is located in the very cute town of Stillwater, just on the Mississippi River. First things first: I *loved* our server. LOVED. I was being picky about which wine I wanted and she happily brought me 3-4 samples before I made a choice. Second, the atmosphere was very quaint and homey. I was actually accosted at the door by a drunken patron who raved about the food. He must have recognized me as a first-time visitor (the brown skin may have been a clue). In spite of the hilarious welcome, our visit was a delight. Third, the food was fairly good. It was a bit rich for my taste, but that may be a regional difference. Here's what we ordered: - My sister-in-law and I both ordered the homemade pappardelle. The pasta was outstanding -- chewy, delicate, and perfectly flavored. The sauce was another story; that was overly rich and heavy. It actually separated when reheated the next day and the lovely noodles were left swimming in a pool of oil. That was a disappointment. - My brother-in-law ordered the penne with italian hot sausage. I almost ordered that too and was disappointed to see that it was topped with a heavy layer of mozzarella. Ugh. But he was excited about the cheese and happily ate it up. He was definitely a happy camper. - My husband ordered the beef sirloin. The plating was beautiful: a pile of mashed potatoes topped with meat topped with onion rings. Ok, that might sound weird, but it was actually pretty. It was simple, but good. All in all, a good meal. I am already plotting to get my brother-in-law and wife a gift certificate for Christmas!
(4)
Jeff B.
Great bar and atmoshere. Food and service is very good. Nice place to dine with friends.
(4)
Barry L.
This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I just celebrated a milestone birthday here this past weekend. I had the beef tenderloin, which was done to perfection. However, I've never had anything bad on the menu. I can also vouch for the scallops. The wine selection is also exceptional. We had a perfect bottle of pinot noir for $42. The wines by the glass are always fresh, never oxidized, which is impressive considering just how many options they offer by the glass. If you love pairing great food with great wine, you have to try this place.
(5)
Kim K.
Paella was great. The meat platter had one item too salty, otherwise great.
(4)
amy z.
On our first night in Stillwater, we got there later in the evening and starving. The owner's of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place. The decor is very interesting and colorful. We ordered an appetizer, the samosas. These are the only thing I would order again. I had the beet salad and well .... had a hard time finding the beets. Also it was suppose to be with curly endive but it seemed to be more a mix spring greens. There was also bacon on it. Way too much bacon. (Yes I said too much bacon.) To the point that was all I could taste in every bit. P had the linguine with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly too bad it was swimming in the sauce which over powered the cooking of the shrimp. The pasta dish seemed more like soup. I don't think I would go back unless it was for the samosas.
(3)
Shannon C.
Marx is officially the dining gem of Stillwater. Understated and elegant, this small restaurant is tucked into a prime space on Main Street. The lighting is romantic, the menu is robust and ingredients are primarily local, sustainable, often organic. We had an amazing dinner for two (2 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert for $120. The service was second-to-none, and the expertise of all who worked there was a treat to experience. When my boyfriend and I reflect on great date spots, this is always the first on our list....
(5)
Jess R.
This was one of many stops as we did a progressive dinner around Stillwater and I am glad we stopped here. The food was tasteful, probably the main downfall was that one of the dishes (Tuna tartar) was chaotic. Too many flavors and the key ingredient seemed to get lost. I had the moz salad and thought it was seasoned just right and very fresh. As a non-seafood lover I might have had a hard time ordering if we had wanted to eat a full meal here. Every 'special' had a seafood element - a drawback for me.
(4)
Bub N.
Had a seafood/pasta dish. Great meal. Will go back, for sure!
(4)
Roger W.
I didn't expect much and didn't get it. We ordered an elderflower and pear martini and a bacardi "o" mojito both of which tasted great and we didn't feel cheated by the $10 price except for the fact that we could've had better drinks for the same price from Bradstreet in Minneapolis. Appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye dumplings which tasted great, but weren't amazing. We also had the teriyaki king crab and banana wasabi mash which was really amazing mix of flavors and we quickly polished it off. For entrees I got the surf and turf, which ended up being a large ribeye steak with an absurd amount of mushroom sauce over it completely overpowering any flavor the meat may have had. The surf was shrimp tempura with a sort of coconut curry taste to them. They were so much better than the steak however I only got 3 medium sized shrimp. I would've given up half the steak size for only 1 or 2 more shrimp. My date got the * Grilled Angus Beef Sirloin with Guinness beer glaze, bacon, roasted shallots & home fried onion rings which tasted better than my steak as the sauce was not as overpowering. Both steaks were ordered medium rare and were easily medium to medium well. Overall I'd recommend staying away from the steaks, but get some appetizers and drinks from this place. Oh the decor is a little too bright and the place is really loud and a good chunk of the tables are practically on top of each other. I'd recommend it for a group of 4 friends, but not as a romantic dinner. It was a little weird that there was no music as well.
(3)
Ann Marie C.
Loved this restaurant! Our first time here and would definitely come back. Heard great things from friends and glad I listened to their recommendations. We ordered their evening special of seafood paella. Full of fresh seafood!! Also ordered spinach pappardelle, penne with sausage, linguine lucca, beef carpaccio. All the dishes were delicious! Our server Melissa was wonderful. Suggested great wine, dishes, and recommendations for continued fun in Stillwater. She was attentive to our table. Would recommend reservations as this restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)
Barbara F.
Good. Started out great. Bruschetta excellent. Antipasto mediocre. Bread excellent. Then we waited... A while... For our entrees. Pappardelle very good. Jamaican shrimp gets a thumbs up. Two specials - surf and turf and seafood special were great. We ate on the patio - perfect evening but not enough light to see the menu or the food. Service was lackluster by the end of the evening...
(4)
Jeannie P.
One of my favorite places. Specials are always amazing. Menu changes frequently and all of the dishes are unique and different. The space is small and it's always busy but the food is worth the wait.
(5)
Rick C.
I went in with very high expectations, and was mostly satisfied...with the food. The tuna tartar was tasteless. The entree of mahi was excellent. My date was of a different ethnic group than I and many of the FEMALE patrons stared with open looks of disdain and contempt. I don't understand how GAY MARRIAGES are accepted yet a mixed couple isn't! TOTALLY sickened by that and won't be back!
(1)
Peter N.
We had dinner plans elsewhere, but stopped in to watch Wisconsin play Arizona in the Elite Eight. We sat at the bar, which was comfortable. I had a basic Merlot which was great. They let me taste the wine first which was a huge plus. My wife had a Hendricks Gin martini which she enjoyed as well. We only ordered and appetizer - Duck Confit - which was really well prepared. It came on a crostini and the duck was very tender. Lee had a great time - the staff was pleasant. We'd definitely go again!
(4)
Greg O.
We had dinner here a few nights ago for the first time. While not perfect, we enjoyed our meal. We didn't have a reservation, but there was no wait at 8:00 on a Saturday night. The interior was fine, but little things like chairs straight from a Super 8 buffet room made the room feel a little cheap. And it was very noisy when close to full. Our waitress was great. You got the feeling she truly cares if you had a good experience. At one point the bartender took way too long to make our cocktails so she jumped behind the bar and made them herself. The food was good. We decided to make a meal of several starters and salads. All were good, especially the beet salad and artichoke lobster dip. They apparently are not used to people ordering like that because all four or five starters came out at once rather than spread out a bit. But overall it was a good experience and we will go back.
(4)
Heather D.
Not all that impressed. You can't make a reservation unless you have a party of 6 or more. I was told on the phone as my husband was dropping me off in front of the restaurant that it would be a 30 min wait. One minute after that, I put my name on the list and was told it would be a 45 minute wait. We actually waited 1 hour and 20 minutes to be seated. After we sat down and ordered drinks, they took 10 minutes to get to the table. My husband liked the surf and turf. My food was just ok. Not worth the long wait.
(2)
Brad A.
We wound up at Marx at the recommendation of My Beautiful New Companion (at what point do I call her my girlfriend?), who grew up in this town, and whose family has lived here for generations. It's a favorite of hers, and I'm pleased to add my endorsement. Marx is amazing. It's not a big space, but the place is beautifully finished and decorated. Nice artwork on the walls, and the suspended lighting fixtures look fantastic. This is probably as classy a restaurant as you're going to find on Stillwater's Main Street strip. The wait staff was beautiful, gracious, and attentive throughout the entire meal. A nice selection of wines, beers, and other poisons. The food was superb - the preparation, presentation, and taste. During peak dinner hours, you can expect to wait, and for good reason. But even that is handled well - you give them your cell phone number, and you can roam about the town until your table is ready. If you're in a drinking mood, Whitey's across the street fits the bill very nicely while you're waiting for your table, if everything at Marx is filled up.. Reservations are taken for parties of 6 or more. And parking... well... this is Stillwater...
(5)
J S.
Marx can be amazing, but also disappointing. I have dined there many times and had delicious meals, last evening was not the case. Two of our meals were delicious, two were not even close. The paella, at $34, was a huge disappointment-- tiny bits of 'bacon like meat', no chorizo to be seen, dry....:-( Our service was so-so, our server was 'slammed, while the other server (who we wished we'd had) was not busy at all. After spending $350.00 for 4 people, it will be hard to go back. There are many other choices in Stillwater.
(2)
Ellen C.
This restaurant is charming, modern, intimate. Great place for a romantic date or just for a fun night out starting with a nice dinner. I got the ahi tuna special on basmati rice, as was HIGHLY recommended by patrons and the waitress. It was in a ginger sesame sauce of some sort. The tuna was very fresh, perfectly cooked, but I would've liked more seasoning on the actual fish rather than relying on the sauce to heavily salt the entire dish. The sauce was a little overpowering - it has a very strong sense of identity on that plate! All in all it was pretty good but for the price tag, I would be hesitant to order it again. Their pecan encrusted walleye that is the standard dinner menu looked amazing, as did their mahi mahi special on risotto. If I had special company or was bringing someone to Stillwater as a special occasion, I might come back to try out some more of their seafood. They have a lot of variety and it seems like all the quality of their fish are top notch. Keep in mind though, I"m more of a value kind of girl. Quality is high up there but it's gotta be pretty spectacular for me to think the value is there. The staff here though are FANTASTIC, which really helps amp up the experience.
(3)
Alex C.
This place was amazing. The pasta noodles were homemade and delicious. Very impressive. The paella too was delicious and included multiple meats. We order beef carpaccio which was phenomenal. Would recommend to all. Our sever, Melissa, was extremely nice and friendly.
(5)
Chia M.
Marx lives up to its great reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp. The service was quick and the food was full of flavor. The portions were more than generous. We were all able to bring home left overs big enough for a second meal. The Italian sausage penne was a cheesy delight with plenty of sausage mixed in. A little tip though would be to call for a reservation. We waited almost an hour for a table at 9pm. Between the bachelorette and bachelor parties and all the other visitors, Marx is quite the hot spot on a Saturday night.
(4)
Chuck F.
I've eaten here a few times, the service is great, the food is even better! Bring an empty stomach and full wallet, well worth the exchange rate.
(5)
Judd A.
Awesome place to go for lunch. Get one of the specials! You'll be glad you did. Also a fun place to go at night for martinis! High end but not snooty. Really cool atmosphere!
(5)
Lorraine N.
My two friends thought it smelled like sour mop or urine upon entering and smelled it the entire time we were there-I had allergies so could not detect anything--plus I just had a couple strong drinks elsewhere. We all had a unique drink from the menu --Pimms cup was one and it had Gin in it but suprisingly tasted of cucumber--very light and refreshing. I had a strong and dark with jameson in it and it tasted like a long island iced tea. The other gal got a basil blueberry martini drink and it was good but a little on the sweet side. Drinks run approx 10.00 a piece here. The atmosphere was okay. I would try this place again.
(3)
Brooke B.
Holy crap, is this place great! Decided to stop in for lunch with my dude and am I ever glad we did. We reviewed the lunch menu and decided to get one of the many delicious-sounding pizzas listed there. Then we heard the chef's specials. As our server described each one, no words were necessary--we knew we were nixing the original plan, we just didn't know which special to get since they all sounded amazing. We went with the jambalaya and a cup of the black bean/butternut squash soup to share. The soup was delightful and seasonally perfect for October. As For the jambalaya: I loved it. Perfect potency and balance of flavors here. I've never been to New Orleans, but my dude has. I asked him how this compared and he said it was just as good if not better. Being former Mayland residents, we were both impressed with the size and freshness of the scallops in the dish here in Minnesota, later finding out they have seafood flown in twice daily. Couldn't resist...had to hear the dessert options. We got the blueberry banana cheesecake. It had a sort of whipped, lighter texture than most. It tasted kind of like banana bread dough--absolutely splendid. We'll definitely be back.
(5)
Kristine R.
Wandered in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 other patrons outside. Granted it was 1:00 on a Tuesday. Great, affordable lunch menu. I ordered the Caesar salad subbed chicken for anchovies, husband had pizza. Great portion size for lunch, both meals were up to par with the hype. Lost our server at some point, as the only people outside we wondered if she left. Manager/owner came out and finished up with us. Got the check and was shocked to see a $6 upcharge for chicken on my $5 Caesar. A little heads up would have been nice. Atmosphere and food would bring us back, would clarify any menu questions. 3.5 for lack of communication by our server.
(3)
June N.
I like this place. Very cozy and great lighting. I ordered the chicken penne and it was so large that I had to take half of it home. Great bread and olive oil. Martinis are great there too!
(4)
Caroline '.
I came here as a night out on the town away from my 1 year old... With a party of 12 all in the same boat, babysitters lined up, parents night out! I was highly disappointed! We had a reservation at 730 we didn't get seated until 815 and didn't get served dinner until 10:00! Food just got here... Food is wonderful! Drinks are wonderful! The management did end up comping half the entire tables bill, which did help and was much appreciated. I would give them one more shot but I was extremely disappointed .
(1)
Ryan S.
Marx used to be our top spot in Stillwater. On previous visits the food was very good for the price and portion size generous. Our last experience was sub-par. The wait staff was not attentive and the food was bland and overly salty. I left feeling like I just ate at an overpriced Applebee's. Sadly, we won't be returning to Marx. It looks like Lolo's is the better bet in Stillwater.
(2)
Scott I.
Marx has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is extensive and very well thought out. After dining there many times, I'm happy to say I've met Mark many times and can see that he is fanatic about giving customers the best dining experience possible. I highly recommend the filet, which is always delicious and tender. The mashed potatoes with reduction are great, and the little dollup of pureed carrots that are served with it are absolutely incredible. All of the pastas are very good as well, but my favorite is the one with vodka sauce.
(5)
Sean D.
It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I think I've only had their specials too. The service is wonderful, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is outstanding.
(5)
Sarah R.
Lots of great memories here! It's a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the patio is nice in the summer. For food, it's hard to go wrong. Every special I have ordered has been well balanced, rich, and beautifully plated. Their ingredients taste fresh and are prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors cleanly. There is light fare which is perfect for a snack with wine and heavy, rich meals are also easy to find here for those with bigger appetites, and for cooler winter months! Great area, too, as Stillwater has some charm.
(5)
Alysha R.
Had a table of 12 with reservations, service was incredibly slow with drinks, and dinner was very late being served. I ordered the steak and the portion was disappointingly small. I also asked to skip the onion rings for additional mashed potatoes, that didn't happen. Someone at our table had to send her fish back twice to be cooked thoroughly. What I received was not worth what I paid. It was good food- not amazing drop your jaw good. However our server Katie was amazing and super nice, we loved her!
(2)
Yolinda B.
Ate here last weekend. The service was good and so was the bread. The food in general not so good. The shrimp linguine dish came out as a big peach colored blob with the pasta over cooked and no garnish. It was quite bland. The cannelloni was a monster sized potion of thick green pasta and dry pork. Lastly the Caesar salad is not a Caesar, its lettuce with olive oil and croutons very bland. Gave it a try, won't be back. The inside of the place looks nice though.
(2)
Paula R.
My husband and I generally enjoy Marx. We recently sat at the bar, ordered drinks and dinner then the bar tender spilled my entire drink on my lap and purse. He laughed and said he had depth perception issues. The other bar tender came over and started to wipe the floor apologizing. She asked if she should cancel our order.... We said yes and left. Now we go to Lolo's consistently. Maybe Marx should hire people who love the food industry and patrons.
(1)
Ed L.
A piece of South Beach in Minnesota!! I am a Miami native and felt right at home.... Ambiance: Beautiful, trendy just like a South Beach bar. Young, vibrant, trendy crowd. Elegant and tasty decor. Service: Superb: The hostess, bar tender and waitress treated me very nicely and quick. Price: Pricey but well worth the money. Food: Gourmet.-big portions I had for starters a Bruschetta appetizer w/ apple slices-excellent for the entree Beef Tenderloin Filet Carmelized Onions- wow! out of this world for desert -banana crumcake with whipped cream The restroom puz zled me because there was no sink with faucets. I won't tell you the rest .:-) Eddy Campanaro
(5)
Kate P.
We liked our dinner out at Marx. Good aps, unique menu items. I got the homemade papperdelle (love me some fresh pasta!). We'll be back.
(4)
Bobby B.
Very modern and energetic. Very attentive service. Menu selection is an upgrade over other local eateries whom feast on tourists. Here you feel welcome as the crowd relaxes to light live music on Friday evening. One of the best in Stillwater.
(4)
Mike C.
Stillwater is a great little town with many great places, but Marx is always awesome, so I decided to get on board and give them an honest review. We go to Marx about once a month and have always been more that delighted. The menu and the specials are always prepared to perfection, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Our servers are very kind, and take care of us whether they recognize us or not. I'm sure we will continue to stop at Marx for years to come. You won't be disappointed. Hope this helps other pick a great place to eat!
(5)
Susan S.
The cannelloni is amazing, and so is the banana bread dessert. The bartender makes a fabulous chocolate martini. We drove down from the twin cities just to try this restaurant and were not disappointed.
(4)
Carriann H.
I have lived in Stillwater for years and until last week had never eaten at Marx. I am definately going to go back. Since we have five kids we like going places where we can get away from other people's kids! (OPK) This is our new refuge in Stillwater. It's trendy and fresh and there are no OPK to make a fuss or say Mommy so many times that my head feels like it will snap off from thinking they're calling me. We had met another couple here for a special celebration dinner. We started with drinks, which included a watermelon martini with a huge slice of vodka soaked watermelon on it. YUMMMMM. We shared some apps. We ordered the duck confit and the flatbread. I am not a huge fan of duck in general, but this is the best duck I have ever tasted! The flatbread was a good as expected--warm and crunchy and savory. My "date" ordered one of the specials-Seafood Jumbalaya. It was packed with mussels, scallops, calamari, fish and prawns. It was spicy and really tasty. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken. They used the dark meat which made the chicken flavorful and moist. The presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat. But I managed. **grin** Shhhhh. I will be hiding here on date night. But don't tell the kids. Mine or OPK.
(4)
Amy L.
I have only been to Marx Wine bar for Appetizers and wine in the bar, but I they still have a decent selection. The deserts are pretty tasty, but things are priced pretty high. The service was a little slow, but I went on a Saturday night and they were really busy. I recommend giving it a try at least once and see what you think for yourself!
(3)
Joe M.
Place is awesome. I had the turf-turf-surf meal and my friend had the samon. Home run on both plates. We didnt know what to eat when we got there and we just asked people on the street and they said MARX is the best food in town. They all were right.
(5)
Kelly S.
This is a great downtown Stillwater restaurant. I highly recommend it. It's small and quaint with a modern twist. I loved all the local art on the walls - good conversation starters. The serving staff were friendly and articulate. The food was marvelous and succulent. The only thing that could have helped the atmosphere more is by turning up the music to be above a whisper setting.
(3)
Val B.
Marx was, in my opinion, just alright. I really enjoyed my drink and appetizers. The elderflower martini = great, plus they give you the shaker, meaning you get about 2.5 elterflower martinis. Dinner, which consisted of steaks for both of us, was just OK. We came in a little after 6 and expected a wait, but were seated within a few moments. The restaurant was, well, unreasonably noisy. But it was Friday night, so I wasn't expecting silence or anything At over $100 for two, I expected a bit more but still left full and satisfied.
(3)
Ann D.
We stopped here for dinner during a girls weekend, and all four of us loved our food. The lobster artichoke dip was wonderful, the beet salad was divine (I've never had one before, but will definitely order again), my lamb chops were delicious, and I sampled my girlfriends Halibut, and another's pasta, and both were fantastic. Service was elegant. Beautiful place, beautiful food.
(5)
Masil M.
I've been to Marx before for wine, but hadn't had a meal until this last trip. My three is closer to a 3.5 than a 3. The food was good. One of the specials was a fish duo that was done really well. The fish was cooked just right for me, flaky and juicy without having to rely on the sauce to keep its texture. The sauce itself was really nice, not too heavy and pretty good flavor. I tend to prefer foods with powerful flavors and I could have dealt with a little more punch with the flavor, but that's a personal preference. My companions enjoyed their food as well. The service was perfunctory. I would give this place a higher score if the service had been...well, it wasn't unfriendly or bad...it just felt like our server had somewhere else he really needed to be and wasn't super stoked on having a group show up. But I suspect this is not a regular occurrence. All in all, a solid 3.5.
(3)
Ryan J.
This place has an awesome menu from top to bottom. The lobster artichoke dip is addicting. Pasta, shrimp, pork, sirloin - it's all quality food that's worth the price. The wait staff is patient and friendly. The only thing keeping it from five stars is the bar is not on par speed wise with the wait staff, but you should be taking your time having a romantic meal anyway if you order the expensive cocktails, no?
(4)
Amelia K.
This is my first review ever- just had to be done. This place is ridic. I've been probably 5 times and am impressed every time. Love the ambiance (unsuccessfully tried to find their bathroom sink and put it in my new house), food is amazing and service never fails. I've been a vegetarian for 20 plus years and the veggie plate I had last Saturday is the best meal I've ever gotten in a restaurant. Just phenomenal.
(5)
Alec W.
I was a little shocked by this place. The food was OK, the service was terrible. I didn't expect that walking in though. So we were here a week or so ago for lunch during a weekday. Our lunch was a little later in the afternoon so the place was pretty much empty besides a couple other patrons. You'd think this would mean excellent, speedy service, but no, that was not the case. I think we were there for well over an hour when what we really meant to do was just grab something quick to eat, but something we could still enjoy. Mostly I just remember the waiting and waiting. I had the pizza and there just wasn't anything to write home about. It tasted fine, but there was nothing I could point to and say 'Wow, that's really exceptional'. It's too bad, cause it looks like it should be a fun place to go, but ultimately, it was just a boring, bland, generic 'fusion' restaurant.
(2)
Shari H.
Excellent service and amazing food! I grew up in Stillwater and Marx was such a welcome addition to the historic downtown area when it first opened, and is still the best place to go for dinner. It has a chic atmosphere, fun cocktails and amazing desserts, especially the cheesecake. Perfect for an intimate date night, girls night, a bachelorette party, or a great place to bring your parents on a day trip to Stillwater.
(5)
Jonathon D.
Possibly the best restaurant in Stillwater. From the time we walked in the service was excellent, with a great band playing! They had several specials going on and our server was quick on it, could remember everything and refilled out drinks throughout the night. The surf & turf was wonderfully delicious! I could finish it all but truly enjoyed it!
(5)
Lisa D.
i have never had a bad meal here. ever. i have also had exquisite service and drinks and desserts and...this is my favorite restaurant and i would go way more often if i could afford to!
(5)
Patti I.
I live in Stillwater and visit Marx a couple times every year. The best thing on the menu--an item that often appears but isn't always offered--is the frutti di mare pasta in a bowl. It's a huge serving of spaghetti with marinara and assorted seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, whatever's in season. Some of the pastas are delicious but too heavy for my tastes. Again, the menu varies but if you see pasta with pistachios or pasta with vodka sauce, I suggest splitting with a friend. They taste good but the richness gets overwhelming. I've had a couple of excellent small steaks at Marx. I like to stick with the simpler ones like a sirloin with red wine sauce. Noise levels can be obnoxious. My cousin was visiting from the Napa Valley and I wanted to bring him to Marx for good cuisine. The food didn't disappoint, but my indelible memory of that meal was a loud, inebriated woman at an adjacent table (copious amounts of cleavage hanging out, lipstick smeared, verbal boundaries obliterated.) I'm not sure what the management is supposed to do when one party dominates the whole restaurant, but whatever it is, the Marx staff didn't do it. That said, usually the service is friendly and not stuffy. Marx can get crazy busy on weekends, so I try to eat there midweek.
(4)
Shannon C.
We didn't love our table/in the bar and teeny-but the rest was fabulous! I had the pork cannolini & my husband had the Maui Maui special both were fabulous! Check it out when in the area. Good wine selection too & full bar.
(4)
James C.
I was here with a friend Saurday Nov 10 2012 server might have been drunk .I was lunch we were the 1st people in the place. The waitress brought our soup the bread after we were done :O( then mixed you our food I am not sure I even got what I orders . Food was fair .:O( soup was salty .
(2)
Andrew K.
It was a late lunch, and there were people sitting and eating in the place so I took this as a good sign. I've had some really great meals in Stillwater, so I tried my luck with a place I hadn't been yet. There are three major aspects to a dining experience; ambiance, service and the food. Marx failed on all three, to a degree that has shocked me into having to write a review on this site. So let's go down the list. The decor dazzles in a way that only a color-blind, manic schizoid choose. Of the dozen or so tables there was not more than a pair that matched in size shape or height. White Christmas lights, loosely wrapped in thin white fabric zig-zag over the main dining area. Bright orange Chihuly-esque lamps hang in a row, mirroring the arc of the crescent shaped bar. There are neon lights embedded in the surface of the bar that pulse in an oozing modulation while shifting through the shades of a simple rainbow. The walls are overcrowded with an array of massive, "modern art," so loud the obvious intent behind the scheme is to drown out or blind what the employees of Marx Fusion Bistro will subjugate upon the accidental customer. Upon seating, a drink list/ book was provided and water offered. The water arrived with menus and the server left. A few minutes later, the server reappeared (having avoided the one other occupied table in that section) and daily specials were read off. The order was taken at that time, yet the point-of-sale computer was overlooked for several more minutes after that. Some odd-sized chunks of bread surrounding a ceramic cup of oil, complete with a floater of a garlic clove and a single blade of rosemary arrived with side plates next. The bottle of balsamic was remembered soon after. At this point, I was growing nervous... so I took the initiative and flagged down the server since the menus were now gone and it was clear now I was not going to be offered the option to get a glass of wine. Some time later, the sole course arrived neatly arranged on a plate that had obviously been left to die under a heat lamp for a long time. When the silverware was dropped off, I was able to use the napkin to slide my plate over 7 or 8 inches so that it was now in front of me. Later, once I had had enough, I was asked if I would like a to-go container to which I declined, one came anyway. On a final note here, my server's attitude and demeanor as well as physical appearance were all quite pleasant, but a few years experience at a Denny's plus a bit of training from whomever is in charge of the front of house would greatly improve one's ability to the tasks of one's job in the correct order. And then, there was the food. Starting with the menu, there were three sections; Salads, Pizza's, and Pasta. I was struggling to see the "fusion" aspect of American Bistro idea of Modern/ Food Network Italian. Some of the cocktails have a fusion like quirkiness to the flavor combinations, that's the bartender. My dining companion ordered the beet/ bacon/ blue cheese salad. I had just had a salad for my previous meal, and I wasn't too jazzed about the pizza/ pasta dichotomy, but upon hearing the fish heavy specials such as a Fruits de Mer, some Scallop concoction, and a Asian themed Mahi Mahi, my interest was piqued. So, I opted for that last one, to witch my server replied, "That one's my favorite." Armed with an $11 glass of Chardonnay, I sipped slowly in anticipation. I was only told twice that my food would be out shortly. Then the big moment came. Off-center of the round, two little fillets overlapped each other, moored upon a mass of garlic mashed potatoes, under a hat of Asian slaw, and sauced with a thick translucent brown and speckled goo. Creeping around the rest of the plate was a series of vegetable piles; the first a stack of a half-dozen green beans, next a dollop of something orange, a single floret of broccoli, finally a fan of five snow peas. There was a lot going on on this plate that looked as if it was still listening to G&R while teasing the bangs of its mullet. And, it's well done. Not a little over - it's cat food. My server never asked for a temp, which I didn't think much of because who in their right mind would cook Mahi past medium rare for even the most squeamish diner? The sauce, basically a thinned out hoisin with a little ginger and sesame seeds. The garlic mash just okay. The veggies; raw but with some darkness at the tips of the floret, and no seasoning - blanched for a whole five seconds and finished via heat lamp, delicious! Not. Asian slaw was really just coleslaw with sesame oil instead of mayo with the addition of a hint of ginger and a sprig of cilantro for a garnish. When it comes to the folks at Marx, it is a tasteless (visual and culinary) philosophy of function follows form.
(1)
Cortney G.
I love Saturday date nights. And Marx provided the perfect spot for a little vino and dinner on a Saturday night. The ambiance in the bar is intimate but not too secluded - aka you can still people watch while you munch on bruschetta and drink a glass of wine. Their tapas are fantastic. Dinner was more just ok - good but not over the top. Next time: wine and apps on the patio. Since it's on the river, I'm sure it'll be divine.
(4)
Dayday S.
The place is nice looking, but the food was just horrible. The pasta was watery and undercooked, with sauce and ingredients that were not fresh, not properly seasoned and not properly cooked. The pizza was also not great- the crust was gluey in the middle, burnt on the edges. The sauce was sweet and thin, and the cheese was clearly low quality. There was no seasoning at all, just plain, low grade, not fresh yuck.
(1)
Nicole P.
pleasantly surprised. Our party of 5 was seated immediately at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. The Potato & Yam Samosas were a hit, the Walleye Dumplings were pretty good, you could tell it was walleye. The warm goat cheese salad was tasty, the goat cheese was good quality but i would have liked it if the dressing and roasted tomatoes were warm as well. My dish of Seared Scallops was AWESOME. the scallops were perfectly cooked and i got 7 LARGE SCALLOPS i couldn't even finish them all. (usually i get stuck with 3 meager ones) The best dish was a special Sword fish over squash gnocchi with alfredo sauce. the worst dish was my dad's chipotle chicken, chicken was dry and there was hardly a chipotle flavor. Great service, little spendy, we were all satisfied and there were plenty of new flavors.
(4)
Trou D.
Enjoyed another fantastic night at Marx's! Chef/Owner Mark was entertaining as always whether it be through his culinary expertise or his outgoing personality. My cousins and I were right at home - Thanks Kris, GM and others who added to an exceptional evening of cocktails and fun in Stillh2o.
(5)
Suzanne B.
A fabulous experience all-around (for a second time). The food was amazing, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere enjoyable. My husband and I both had featured specials and found both meals to be delicious. We went early, around 5 pm, as they do not take reservations for parties under 6 people. A place we will go back to often!
(4)
Nichole M.
The chef at Marx must think that adding any and all flavors to a plate constitutes "fusion" no matter how bizarre the flavor combinations nor how much they compete with one another. I was underwhelmed with the Blackened scallops I ordered. The blackening was much to strong and had to be scraped off to make most of them edible. The soba noodles were okay, but the garnish/side vegetables had curry seasoning that tasted TERRIBLE in contrast to the asian/teriyaki sauce (ironically those same curried vegetables were included in my husband's meal further convincing us there is no rhyme or reason how any of these "fusion" dishes are created). The only thing worth eating were the walleye dumplings. Perhaps happy hour with appetizers are the way to go and spend your dinner $$ elsewhere.
(2)
Adam K.
My wife and I had dinner here just last week, in from out of town. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed when we arrived, but by the time we left, the place was jam packed. They don't take reservations so keep that in mind if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night (or anytime in the summer). Our server was very knowledgeable and explained the menu very well. To be honest, this place barely gets away with calling itself "fusion" food...there really isn't much fusion going on here, just a lot of simple, well prepared (and cooked) dishes. My wife had the beef tenderloin and I had the shrimp linguine, both were quite good and my wife's Mohito was so good I almost got one for myself...almost. The location of this place is perfect, right in the middle of the strip. Portion-wise you get more than enough which is the way I like it. The bathrooms are kind of unique....the washroom part of the bathrooms is a communal area in between the two doors. If you're really into wine you have to check this place out, everyone in the area raves about the wine selection. I've been to a few of Stillwater's culinary offerings and this is one of the better ones.
(4)
JoeNLauren P.
Been there three times in the past two years or so, every time it's delicious but it does seem like each time it gets a little less amazing. Can't quite pinpoint what it is, maybe the service? Despite that, still a very solid place to go. Drinks have always been great, and the atmosphere is so cool. It gets quite noisy, so if that is an issue than I don't recommend a busy weekend night. The meal itself has always been really awesome. The walleye dumplings are solid! And I can never resist the curly endive and beet salad, it's so tasty. I've had their ahi special once and it was heaven on a plate. If I remember correctly, I had the tenderloin last time and it was done to perfection at medium-rare. Overall, a really great place in such a sweet little place on the river.
(4)
Scott D.
The most incredible food on the planet~great place to eat relax and enjoy the good life
(5)
Emily O.
The man & I decided to have dinner @ Marx for the first time before a surprise birthday party we were attending there. We arrived @ 7:00pm on a Friday evening. We were told the wait was 30 minutes so we settled up to the bar for some wine. The wine list was small, but of good variety. I ordered a blend after sampling 2 suggestions from the bartender. My boyfriend ordered what I would call a Man's Martini... :) Rye whiskey, anise, bitters, & something else that slips my mind. He loved it. It came w/ a martini shaker served straight up. By the end of the night, he had ordered another. The bartender was welcoming & attentive & I appreciate good service & entertainment @ the bar, but this bartender was a little overly involved in our conversation, chiming in @ every pause. It got to be a little much. We were seated w/ in 10 minutes - always a great surprise when the wait is much less than anticipated. We sat @ a high top table near the door, allowing us to be secluded, but people watch as well. For dinner, we tried the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad, & bacon penne pasta. The best pasta I have had in a long time. All the food was amazing. After dinner, we met up w/ our group & were seated in the back of the restaurant @ a long table. Service was attentive & paced accordingly to our group of 10. Ambiance is quaint & warm, a little crowded, but still functional. As Cortney S says: next time, wine & apps on the patio. :)
(4)
A. R.
Been there a couple of times, to mixed reviews. Once, for lunch my friend and I went all out with entrees and wine, and had a wonderful dining experience. Recently, went there with my husband and ordered a bottle of wine, sitting at the bar. The server consulted a book to describe the wine to me, and when we ordered it gave us the world's worst bottle service ever. May as well have pulled out the cork with his teeth. He was also completely ignorant to the fact that we were on a date and enjoying each others company, as he decided to blare his commentary upon us all afternoon. But he gets away with that at his other job at a chain-restaurant, so I understand. I think that if I'm out to enjoy a bottle of wine at a bona-fide wine bar, respect your customer enough to hire knowledgeable staff. The food was pretty good this time as well, but the service left my skin crawling.
(3)
hima s.
We visited Marx during a recent trip to visit my brother-in-law and his wife. It is located in the very cute town of Stillwater, just on the Mississippi River. First things first: I *loved* our server. LOVED. I was being picky about which wine I wanted and she happily brought me 3-4 samples before I made a choice. Second, the atmosphere was very quaint and homey. I was actually accosted at the door by a drunken patron who raved about the food. He must have recognized me as a first-time visitor (the brown skin may have been a clue). In spite of the hilarious welcome, our visit was a delight. Third, the food was fairly good. It was a bit rich for my taste, but that may be a regional difference. Here's what we ordered: - My sister-in-law and I both ordered the homemade pappardelle. The pasta was outstanding -- chewy, delicate, and perfectly flavored. The sauce was another story; that was overly rich and heavy. It actually separated when reheated the next day and the lovely noodles were left swimming in a pool of oil. That was a disappointment. - My brother-in-law ordered the penne with italian hot sausage. I almost ordered that too and was disappointed to see that it was topped with a heavy layer of mozzarella. Ugh. But he was excited about the cheese and happily ate it up. He was definitely a happy camper. - My husband ordered the beef sirloin. The plating was beautiful: a pile of mashed potatoes topped with meat topped with onion rings. Ok, that might sound weird, but it was actually pretty. It was simple, but good. All in all, a good meal. I am already plotting to get my brother-in-law and wife a gift certificate for Christmas!
(4)
Jeff B.
Great bar and atmoshere. Food and service is very good. Nice place to dine with friends.
(4)
Barry L.
This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I just celebrated a milestone birthday here this past weekend. I had the beef tenderloin, which was done to perfection. However, I've never had anything bad on the menu. I can also vouch for the scallops. The wine selection is also exceptional. We had a perfect bottle of pinot noir for $42. The wines by the glass are always fresh, never oxidized, which is impressive considering just how many options they offer by the glass. If you love pairing great food with great wine, you have to try this place.
(5)
Kim K.
Paella was great. The meat platter had one item too salty, otherwise great.
(4)
Vssj S.
I went to the Marx last night with my boyfriend. We had a server who was knowledgable about the menu and wines. They have great salads. We had a very good duck confit crostini to start. Also, shared a really good mahi mahi that was on special. For the price and quality of food, I highly recommend the Marx!
(5)
John H.
We've been to Marx's several times over the last five years. Service and food were outstanding every time. It's truly a gem within the St. Croix Valley.
(5)
amy z.
On our first night in Stillwater, we got there later in the evening and starving. The owner's of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place. The decor is very interesting and colorful. We ordered an appetizer, the samosas. These are the only thing I would order again. I had the beet salad and well .... had a hard time finding the beets. Also it was suppose to be with curly endive but it seemed to be more a mix spring greens. There was also bacon on it. Way too much bacon. (Yes I said too much bacon.) To the point that was all I could taste in every bit. P had the linguine with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly too bad it was swimming in the sauce which over powered the cooking of the shrimp. The pasta dish seemed more like soup. I don't think I would go back unless it was for the samosas.
(3)
Shannon C.
Marx is officially the dining gem of Stillwater. Understated and elegant, this small restaurant is tucked into a prime space on Main Street. The lighting is romantic, the menu is robust and ingredients are primarily local, sustainable, often organic. We had an amazing dinner for two (2 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert for $120. The service was second-to-none, and the expertise of all who worked there was a treat to experience. When my boyfriend and I reflect on great date spots, this is always the first on our list....
(5)
Jess R.
This was one of many stops as we did a progressive dinner around Stillwater and I am glad we stopped here. The food was tasteful, probably the main downfall was that one of the dishes (Tuna tartar) was chaotic. Too many flavors and the key ingredient seemed to get lost. I had the moz salad and thought it was seasoned just right and very fresh. As a non-seafood lover I might have had a hard time ordering if we had wanted to eat a full meal here. Every 'special' had a seafood element - a drawback for me.
(4)
Bub N.
Had a seafood/pasta dish. Great meal. Will go back, for sure!
(4)
Roger W.
I didn't expect much and didn't get it. We ordered an elderflower and pear martini and a bacardi "o" mojito both of which tasted great and we didn't feel cheated by the $10 price except for the fact that we could've had better drinks for the same price from Bradstreet in Minneapolis. Appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye dumplings which tasted great, but weren't amazing. We also had the teriyaki king crab and banana wasabi mash which was really amazing mix of flavors and we quickly polished it off. For entrees I got the surf and turf, which ended up being a large ribeye steak with an absurd amount of mushroom sauce over it completely overpowering any flavor the meat may have had. The surf was shrimp tempura with a sort of coconut curry taste to them. They were so much better than the steak however I only got 3 medium sized shrimp. I would've given up half the steak size for only 1 or 2 more shrimp. My date got the * Grilled Angus Beef Sirloin with Guinness beer glaze, bacon, roasted shallots & home fried onion rings which tasted better than my steak as the sauce was not as overpowering. Both steaks were ordered medium rare and were easily medium to medium well. Overall I'd recommend staying away from the steaks, but get some appetizers and drinks from this place. Oh the decor is a little too bright and the place is really loud and a good chunk of the tables are practically on top of each other. I'd recommend it for a group of 4 friends, but not as a romantic dinner. It was a little weird that there was no music as well.
(3)
Peter N.
We had dinner plans elsewhere, but stopped in to watch Wisconsin play Arizona in the Elite Eight. We sat at the bar, which was comfortable. I had a basic Merlot which was great. They let me taste the wine first which was a huge plus. My wife had a Hendricks Gin martini which she enjoyed as well. We only ordered and appetizer - Duck Confit - which was really well prepared. It came on a crostini and the duck was very tender. Lee had a great time - the staff was pleasant. We'd definitely go again!
(4)
Patti I.
I live in Stillwater and visit Marx a couple times every year. The best thing on the menu--an item that often appears but isn't always offered--is the frutti di mare pasta in a bowl. It's a huge serving of spaghetti with marinara and assorted seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, whatever's in season. Some of the pastas are delicious but too heavy for my tastes. Again, the menu varies but if you see pasta with pistachios or pasta with vodka sauce, I suggest splitting with a friend. They taste good but the richness gets overwhelming. I've had a couple of excellent small steaks at Marx. I like to stick with the simpler ones like a sirloin with red wine sauce. Noise levels can be obnoxious. My cousin was visiting from the Napa Valley and I wanted to bring him to Marx for good cuisine. The food didn't disappoint, but my indelible memory of that meal was a loud, inebriated woman at an adjacent table (copious amounts of cleavage hanging out, lipstick smeared, verbal boundaries obliterated.) I'm not sure what the management is supposed to do when one party dominates the whole restaurant, but whatever it is, the Marx staff didn't do it. That said, usually the service is friendly and not stuffy. Marx can get crazy busy on weekends, so I try to eat there midweek.
(4)
Shannon C.
We didn't love our table/in the bar and teeny-but the rest was fabulous! I had the pork cannolini & my husband had the Maui Maui special both were fabulous! Check it out when in the area. Good wine selection too & full bar.
(4)
James C.
I was here with a friend Saurday Nov 10 2012 server might have been drunk .I was lunch we were the 1st people in the place. The waitress brought our soup the bread after we were done :O( then mixed you our food I am not sure I even got what I orders . Food was fair .:O( soup was salty .
(2)
Trou D.
Enjoyed another fantastic night at Marx's! Chef/Owner Mark was entertaining as always whether it be through his culinary expertise or his outgoing personality. My cousins and I were right at home - Thanks Kris, GM and others who added to an exceptional evening of cocktails and fun in Stillh2o.
(5)
Nichole M.
The chef at Marx must think that adding any and all flavors to a plate constitutes "fusion" no matter how bizarre the flavor combinations nor how much they compete with one another. I was underwhelmed with the Blackened scallops I ordered. The blackening was much to strong and had to be scraped off to make most of them edible. The soba noodles were okay, but the garnish/side vegetables had curry seasoning that tasted TERRIBLE in contrast to the asian/teriyaki sauce (ironically those same curried vegetables were included in my husband's meal further convincing us there is no rhyme or reason how any of these "fusion" dishes are created). The only thing worth eating were the walleye dumplings. Perhaps happy hour with appetizers are the way to go and spend your dinner $$ elsewhere.
(2)
Suzanne B.
A fabulous experience all-around (for a second time). The food was amazing, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere enjoyable. My husband and I both had featured specials and found both meals to be delicious. We went early, around 5 pm, as they do not take reservations for parties under 6 people. A place we will go back to often!
(4)
Amy L.
I have only been to Marx Wine bar for Appetizers and wine in the bar, but I they still have a decent selection. The deserts are pretty tasty, but things are priced pretty high. The service was a little slow, but I went on a Saturday night and they were really busy. I recommend giving it a try at least once and see what you think for yourself!
(3)
Joe M.
Place is awesome. I had the turf-turf-surf meal and my friend had the samon. Home run on both plates. We didnt know what to eat when we got there and we just asked people on the street and they said MARX is the best food in town. They all were right.
(5)
Andrew K.
It was a late lunch, and there were people sitting and eating in the place so I took this as a good sign. I've had some really great meals in Stillwater, so I tried my luck with a place I hadn't been yet. There are three major aspects to a dining experience; ambiance, service and the food. Marx failed on all three, to a degree that has shocked me into having to write a review on this site. So let's go down the list. The decor dazzles in a way that only a color-blind, manic schizoid choose. Of the dozen or so tables there was not more than a pair that matched in size shape or height. White Christmas lights, loosely wrapped in thin white fabric zig-zag over the main dining area. Bright orange Chihuly-esque lamps hang in a row, mirroring the arc of the crescent shaped bar. There are neon lights embedded in the surface of the bar that pulse in an oozing modulation while shifting through the shades of a simple rainbow. The walls are overcrowded with an array of massive, "modern art," so loud the obvious intent behind the scheme is to drown out or blind what the employees of Marx Fusion Bistro will subjugate upon the accidental customer. Upon seating, a drink list/ book was provided and water offered. The water arrived with menus and the server left. A few minutes later, the server reappeared (having avoided the one other occupied table in that section) and daily specials were read off. The order was taken at that time, yet the point-of-sale computer was overlooked for several more minutes after that. Some odd-sized chunks of bread surrounding a ceramic cup of oil, complete with a floater of a garlic clove and a single blade of rosemary arrived with side plates next. The bottle of balsamic was remembered soon after. At this point, I was growing nervous... so I took the initiative and flagged down the server since the menus were now gone and it was clear now I was not going to be offered the option to get a glass of wine. Some time later, the sole course arrived neatly arranged on a plate that had obviously been left to die under a heat lamp for a long time. When the silverware was dropped off, I was able to use the napkin to slide my plate over 7 or 8 inches so that it was now in front of me. Later, once I had had enough, I was asked if I would like a to-go container to which I declined, one came anyway. On a final note here, my server's attitude and demeanor as well as physical appearance were all quite pleasant, but a few years experience at a Denny's plus a bit of training from whomever is in charge of the front of house would greatly improve one's ability to the tasks of one's job in the correct order. And then, there was the food. Starting with the menu, there were three sections; Salads, Pizza's, and Pasta. I was struggling to see the "fusion" aspect of American Bistro idea of Modern/ Food Network Italian. Some of the cocktails have a fusion like quirkiness to the flavor combinations, that's the bartender. My dining companion ordered the beet/ bacon/ blue cheese salad. I had just had a salad for my previous meal, and I wasn't too jazzed about the pizza/ pasta dichotomy, but upon hearing the fish heavy specials such as a Fruits de Mer, some Scallop concoction, and a Asian themed Mahi Mahi, my interest was piqued. So, I opted for that last one, to witch my server replied, "That one's my favorite." Armed with an $11 glass of Chardonnay, I sipped slowly in anticipation. I was only told twice that my food would be out shortly. Then the big moment came. Off-center of the round, two little fillets overlapped each other, moored upon a mass of garlic mashed potatoes, under a hat of Asian slaw, and sauced with a thick translucent brown and speckled goo. Creeping around the rest of the plate was a series of vegetable piles; the first a stack of a half-dozen green beans, next a dollop of something orange, a single floret of broccoli, finally a fan of five snow peas. There was a lot going on on this plate that looked as if it was still listening to G&R while teasing the bangs of its mullet. And, it's well done. Not a little over - it's cat food. My server never asked for a temp, which I didn't think much of because who in their right mind would cook Mahi past medium rare for even the most squeamish diner? The sauce, basically a thinned out hoisin with a little ginger and sesame seeds. The garlic mash just okay. The veggies; raw but with some darkness at the tips of the floret, and no seasoning - blanched for a whole five seconds and finished via heat lamp, delicious! Not. Asian slaw was really just coleslaw with sesame oil instead of mayo with the addition of a hint of ginger and a sprig of cilantro for a garnish. When it comes to the folks at Marx, it is a tasteless (visual and culinary) philosophy of function follows form.
(1)
Dayday S.
The place is nice looking, but the food was just horrible. The pasta was watery and undercooked, with sauce and ingredients that were not fresh, not properly seasoned and not properly cooked. The pizza was also not great- the crust was gluey in the middle, burnt on the edges. The sauce was sweet and thin, and the cheese was clearly low quality. There was no seasoning at all, just plain, low grade, not fresh yuck.
(1)
Nicole P.
pleasantly surprised. Our party of 5 was seated immediately at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. The Potato & Yam Samosas were a hit, the Walleye Dumplings were pretty good, you could tell it was walleye. The warm goat cheese salad was tasty, the goat cheese was good quality but i would have liked it if the dressing and roasted tomatoes were warm as well. My dish of Seared Scallops was AWESOME. the scallops were perfectly cooked and i got 7 LARGE SCALLOPS i couldn't even finish them all. (usually i get stuck with 3 meager ones) The best dish was a special Sword fish over squash gnocchi with alfredo sauce. the worst dish was my dad's chipotle chicken, chicken was dry and there was hardly a chipotle flavor. Great service, little spendy, we were all satisfied and there were plenty of new flavors.
(4)
Cortney G.
I love Saturday date nights. And Marx provided the perfect spot for a little vino and dinner on a Saturday night. The ambiance in the bar is intimate but not too secluded - aka you can still people watch while you munch on bruschetta and drink a glass of wine. Their tapas are fantastic. Dinner was more just ok - good but not over the top. Next time: wine and apps on the patio. Since it's on the river, I'm sure it'll be divine.
(4)
Adam K.
My wife and I had dinner here just last week, in from out of town. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed when we arrived, but by the time we left, the place was jam packed. They don't take reservations so keep that in mind if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night (or anytime in the summer). Our server was very knowledgeable and explained the menu very well. To be honest, this place barely gets away with calling itself "fusion" food...there really isn't much fusion going on here, just a lot of simple, well prepared (and cooked) dishes. My wife had the beef tenderloin and I had the shrimp linguine, both were quite good and my wife's Mohito was so good I almost got one for myself...almost. The location of this place is perfect, right in the middle of the strip. Portion-wise you get more than enough which is the way I like it. The bathrooms are kind of unique....the washroom part of the bathrooms is a communal area in between the two doors. If you're really into wine you have to check this place out, everyone in the area raves about the wine selection. I've been to a few of Stillwater's culinary offerings and this is one of the better ones.
(4)
JoeNLauren P.
Been there three times in the past two years or so, every time it's delicious but it does seem like each time it gets a little less amazing. Can't quite pinpoint what it is, maybe the service? Despite that, still a very solid place to go. Drinks have always been great, and the atmosphere is so cool. It gets quite noisy, so if that is an issue than I don't recommend a busy weekend night. The meal itself has always been really awesome. The walleye dumplings are solid! And I can never resist the curly endive and beet salad, it's so tasty. I've had their ahi special once and it was heaven on a plate. If I remember correctly, I had the tenderloin last time and it was done to perfection at medium-rare. Overall, a really great place in such a sweet little place on the river.
(4)
Scott D.
The most incredible food on the planet~great place to eat relax and enjoy the good life
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Andrew K.
It was a late lunch, and there were people sitting and eating in the place so I took this as a good sign. I've had some really great meals in Stillwater, so I tried my luck with a place I hadn't been yet. There are three major aspects to a dining experience; ambiance, service and the food. Marx failed on all three, to a degree that has shocked me into having to write a review on this site. So let's go down the list. The decor dazzles in a way that only a color-blind, manic schizoid choose. Of the dozen or so tables there was not more than a pair that matched in size shape or height. White Christmas lights, loosely wrapped in thin white fabric zig-zag over the main dining area. Bright orange Chihuly-esque lamps hang in a row, mirroring the arc of the crescent shaped bar. There are neon lights embedded in the surface of the bar that pulse in an oozing modulation while shifting through the shades of a simple rainbow. The walls are overcrowded with an array of massive, "modern art," so loud the obvious intent behind the scheme is to drown out or blind what the employees of Marx Fusion Bistro will subjugate upon the accidental customer. Upon seating, a drink list/ book was provided and water offered. The water arrived with menus and the server left. A few minutes later, the server reappeared (having avoided the one other occupied table in that section) and daily specials were read off. The order was taken at that time, yet the point-of-sale computer was overlooked for several more minutes after that. Some odd-sized chunks of bread surrounding a ceramic cup of oil, complete with a floater of a garlic clove and a single blade of rosemary arrived with side plates next. The bottle of balsamic was remembered soon after. At this point, I was growing nervous... so I took the initiative and flagged down the server since the menus were now gone and it was clear now I was not going to be offered the option to get a glass of wine. Some time later, the sole course arrived neatly arranged on a plate that had obviously been left to die under a heat lamp for a long time. When the silverware was dropped off, I was able to use the napkin to slide my plate over 7 or 8 inches so that it was now in front of me. Later, once I had had enough, I was asked if I would like a to-go container to which I declined, one came anyway. On a final note here, my server's attitude and demeanor as well as physical appearance were all quite pleasant, but a few years experience at a Denny's plus a bit of training from whomever is in charge of the front of house would greatly improve one's ability to the tasks of one's job in the correct order. And then, there was the food. Starting with the menu, there were three sections; Salads, Pizza's, and Pasta. I was struggling to see the "fusion" aspect of American Bistro idea of Modern/ Food Network Italian. Some of the cocktails have a fusion like quirkiness to the flavor combinations, that's the bartender. My dining companion ordered the beet/ bacon/ blue cheese salad. I had just had a salad for my previous meal, and I wasn't too jazzed about the pizza/ pasta dichotomy, but upon hearing the fish heavy specials such as a Fruits de Mer, some Scallop concoction, and a Asian themed Mahi Mahi, my interest was piqued. So, I opted for that last one, to witch my server replied, "That one's my favorite." Armed with an $11 glass of Chardonnay, I sipped slowly in anticipation. I was only told twice that my food would be out shortly. Then the big moment came. Off-center of the round, two little fillets overlapped each other, moored upon a mass of garlic mashed potatoes, under a hat of Asian slaw, and sauced with a thick translucent brown and speckled goo. Creeping around the rest of the plate was a series of vegetable piles; the first a stack of a half-dozen green beans, next a dollop of something orange, a single floret of broccoli, finally a fan of five snow peas. There was a lot going on on this plate that looked as if it was still listening to G&R while teasing the bangs of its mullet. And, it's well done. Not a little over - it's cat food. My server never asked for a temp, which I didn't think much of because who in their right mind would cook Mahi past medium rare for even the most squeamish diner? The sauce, basically a thinned out hoisin with a little ginger and sesame seeds. The garlic mash just okay. The veggies; raw but with some darkness at the tips of the floret, and no seasoning - blanched for a whole five seconds and finished via heat lamp, delicious! Not. Asian slaw was really just coleslaw with sesame oil instead of mayo with the addition of a hint of ginger and a sprig of cilantro for a garnish. When it comes to the folks at Marx, it is a tasteless (visual and culinary) philosophy of function follows form.
(1)Ann Marie C.
Loved this restaurant! Our first time here and would definitely come back. Heard great things from friends and glad I listened to their recommendations. We ordered their evening special of seafood paella. Full of fresh seafood!! Also ordered spinach pappardelle, penne with sausage, linguine lucca, beef carpaccio. All the dishes were delicious! Our server Melissa was wonderful. Suggested great wine, dishes, and recommendations for continued fun in Stillwater. She was attentive to our table. Would recommend reservations as this restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)Rick C.
I went in with very high expectations, and was mostly satisfied...with the food. The tuna tartar was tasteless. The entree of mahi was excellent. My date was of a different ethnic group than I and many of the FEMALE patrons stared with open looks of disdain and contempt. I don't understand how GAY MARRIAGES are accepted yet a mixed couple isn't! TOTALLY sickened by that and won't be back!
(1)Judd A.
Awesome place to go for lunch. Get one of the specials! You'll be glad you did. Also a fun place to go at night for martinis! High end but not snooty. Really cool atmosphere!
(5)Lorraine N.
My two friends thought it smelled like sour mop or urine upon entering and smelled it the entire time we were there-I had allergies so could not detect anything--plus I just had a couple strong drinks elsewhere. We all had a unique drink from the menu --Pimms cup was one and it had Gin in it but suprisingly tasted of cucumber--very light and refreshing. I had a strong and dark with jameson in it and it tasted like a long island iced tea. The other gal got a basil blueberry martini drink and it was good but a little on the sweet side. Drinks run approx 10.00 a piece here. The atmosphere was okay. I would try this place again.
(3)J S.
Marx can be amazing, but also disappointing. I have dined there many times and had delicious meals, last evening was not the case. Two of our meals were delicious, two were not even close. The paella, at $34, was a huge disappointment-- tiny bits of 'bacon like meat', no chorizo to be seen, dry....:-( Our service was so-so, our server was 'slammed, while the other server (who we wished we'd had) was not busy at all. After spending $350.00 for 4 people, it will be hard to go back. There are many other choices in Stillwater.
(2)Kristine R.
Wandered in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 other patrons outside. Granted it was 1:00 on a Tuesday. Great, affordable lunch menu. I ordered the Caesar salad subbed chicken for anchovies, husband had pizza. Great portion size for lunch, both meals were up to par with the hype. Lost our server at some point, as the only people outside we wondered if she left. Manager/owner came out and finished up with us. Got the check and was shocked to see a $6 upcharge for chicken on my $5 Caesar. A little heads up would have been nice. Atmosphere and food would bring us back, would clarify any menu questions. 3.5 for lack of communication by our server.
(3)Amelia K.
This is my first review ever- just had to be done. This place is ridic. I've been probably 5 times and am impressed every time. Love the ambiance (unsuccessfully tried to find their bathroom sink and put it in my new house), food is amazing and service never fails. I've been a vegetarian for 20 plus years and the veggie plate I had last Saturday is the best meal I've ever gotten in a restaurant. Just phenomenal.
(5)Bobby B.
Very modern and energetic. Very attentive service. Menu selection is an upgrade over other local eateries whom feast on tourists. Here you feel welcome as the crowd relaxes to light live music on Friday evening. One of the best in Stillwater.
(4)Alec W.
I was a little shocked by this place. The food was OK, the service was terrible. I didn't expect that walking in though. So we were here a week or so ago for lunch during a weekday. Our lunch was a little later in the afternoon so the place was pretty much empty besides a couple other patrons. You'd think this would mean excellent, speedy service, but no, that was not the case. I think we were there for well over an hour when what we really meant to do was just grab something quick to eat, but something we could still enjoy. Mostly I just remember the waiting and waiting. I had the pizza and there just wasn't anything to write home about. It tasted fine, but there was nothing I could point to and say 'Wow, that's really exceptional'. It's too bad, cause it looks like it should be a fun place to go, but ultimately, it was just a boring, bland, generic 'fusion' restaurant.
(2)Shari H.
Excellent service and amazing food! I grew up in Stillwater and Marx was such a welcome addition to the historic downtown area when it first opened, and is still the best place to go for dinner. It has a chic atmosphere, fun cocktails and amazing desserts, especially the cheesecake. Perfect for an intimate date night, girls night, a bachelorette party, or a great place to bring your parents on a day trip to Stillwater.
(5)Alysha R.
Had a table of 12 with reservations, service was incredibly slow with drinks, and dinner was very late being served. I ordered the steak and the portion was disappointingly small. I also asked to skip the onion rings for additional mashed potatoes, that didn't happen. Someone at our table had to send her fish back twice to be cooked thoroughly. What I received was not worth what I paid. It was good food- not amazing drop your jaw good. However our server Katie was amazing and super nice, we loved her!
(2)Sarah R.
Lots of great memories here! It's a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the patio is nice in the summer. For food, it's hard to go wrong. Every special I have ordered has been well balanced, rich, and beautifully plated. Their ingredients taste fresh and are prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors cleanly. There is light fare which is perfect for a snack with wine and heavy, rich meals are also easy to find here for those with bigger appetites, and for cooler winter months! Great area, too, as Stillwater has some charm.
(5)Alex C.
This place was amazing. The pasta noodles were homemade and delicious. Very impressive. The paella too was delicious and included multiple meats. We order beef carpaccio which was phenomenal. Would recommend to all. Our sever, Melissa, was extremely nice and friendly.
(5)Greg O.
We had dinner here a few nights ago for the first time. While not perfect, we enjoyed our meal. We didn't have a reservation, but there was no wait at 8:00 on a Saturday night. The interior was fine, but little things like chairs straight from a Super 8 buffet room made the room feel a little cheap. And it was very noisy when close to full. Our waitress was great. You got the feeling she truly cares if you had a good experience. At one point the bartender took way too long to make our cocktails so she jumped behind the bar and made them herself. The food was good. We decided to make a meal of several starters and salads. All were good, especially the beet salad and artichoke lobster dip. They apparently are not used to people ordering like that because all four or five starters came out at once rather than spread out a bit. But overall it was a good experience and we will go back.
(4)Brad A.
We wound up at Marx at the recommendation of My Beautiful New Companion (at what point do I call her my girlfriend?), who grew up in this town, and whose family has lived here for generations. It's a favorite of hers, and I'm pleased to add my endorsement. Marx is amazing. It's not a big space, but the place is beautifully finished and decorated. Nice artwork on the walls, and the suspended lighting fixtures look fantastic. This is probably as classy a restaurant as you're going to find on Stillwater's Main Street strip. The wait staff was beautiful, gracious, and attentive throughout the entire meal. A nice selection of wines, beers, and other poisons. The food was superb - the preparation, presentation, and taste. During peak dinner hours, you can expect to wait, and for good reason. But even that is handled well - you give them your cell phone number, and you can roam about the town until your table is ready. If you're in a drinking mood, Whitey's across the street fits the bill very nicely while you're waiting for your table, if everything at Marx is filled up.. Reservations are taken for parties of 6 or more. And parking... well... this is Stillwater...
(5)Ellen C.
This restaurant is charming, modern, intimate. Great place for a romantic date or just for a fun night out starting with a nice dinner. I got the ahi tuna special on basmati rice, as was HIGHLY recommended by patrons and the waitress. It was in a ginger sesame sauce of some sort. The tuna was very fresh, perfectly cooked, but I would've liked more seasoning on the actual fish rather than relying on the sauce to heavily salt the entire dish. The sauce was a little overpowering - it has a very strong sense of identity on that plate! All in all it was pretty good but for the price tag, I would be hesitant to order it again. Their pecan encrusted walleye that is the standard dinner menu looked amazing, as did their mahi mahi special on risotto. If I had special company or was bringing someone to Stillwater as a special occasion, I might come back to try out some more of their seafood. They have a lot of variety and it seems like all the quality of their fish are top notch. Keep in mind though, I"m more of a value kind of girl. Quality is high up there but it's gotta be pretty spectacular for me to think the value is there. The staff here though are FANTASTIC, which really helps amp up the experience.
(3)Jonathon D.
Possibly the best restaurant in Stillwater. From the time we walked in the service was excellent, with a great band playing! They had several specials going on and our server was quick on it, could remember everything and refilled out drinks throughout the night. The surf & turf was wonderfully delicious! I could finish it all but truly enjoyed it!
(5)Chia M.
Marx lives up to its great reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp. The service was quick and the food was full of flavor. The portions were more than generous. We were all able to bring home left overs big enough for a second meal. The Italian sausage penne was a cheesy delight with plenty of sausage mixed in. A little tip though would be to call for a reservation. We waited almost an hour for a table at 9pm. Between the bachelorette and bachelor parties and all the other visitors, Marx is quite the hot spot on a Saturday night.
(4)Chuck F.
I've eaten here a few times, the service is great, the food is even better! Bring an empty stomach and full wallet, well worth the exchange rate.
(5)Yolinda B.
Ate here last weekend. The service was good and so was the bread. The food in general not so good. The shrimp linguine dish came out as a big peach colored blob with the pasta over cooked and no garnish. It was quite bland. The cannelloni was a monster sized potion of thick green pasta and dry pork. Lastly the Caesar salad is not a Caesar, its lettuce with olive oil and croutons very bland. Gave it a try, won't be back. The inside of the place looks nice though.
(2)Paula R.
My husband and I generally enjoy Marx. We recently sat at the bar, ordered drinks and dinner then the bar tender spilled my entire drink on my lap and purse. He laughed and said he had depth perception issues. The other bar tender came over and started to wipe the floor apologizing. She asked if she should cancel our order.... We said yes and left. Now we go to Lolo's consistently. Maybe Marx should hire people who love the food industry and patrons.
(1)Ed L.
A piece of South Beach in Minnesota!! I am a Miami native and felt right at home.... Ambiance: Beautiful, trendy just like a South Beach bar. Young, vibrant, trendy crowd. Elegant and tasty decor. Service: Superb: The hostess, bar tender and waitress treated me very nicely and quick. Price: Pricey but well worth the money. Food: Gourmet.-big portions I had for starters a Bruschetta appetizer w/ apple slices-excellent for the entree Beef Tenderloin Filet Carmelized Onions- wow! out of this world for desert -banana crumcake with whipped cream The restroom puz zled me because there was no sink with faucets. I won't tell you the rest .:-) Eddy Campanaro
(5)Kate P.
We liked our dinner out at Marx. Good aps, unique menu items. I got the homemade papperdelle (love me some fresh pasta!). We'll be back.
(4)amy z.
On our first night in Stillwater, we got there later in the evening and starving. The owner's of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place. The decor is very interesting and colorful. We ordered an appetizer, the samosas. These are the only thing I would order again. I had the beet salad and well .... had a hard time finding the beets. Also it was suppose to be with curly endive but it seemed to be more a mix spring greens. There was also bacon on it. Way too much bacon. (Yes I said too much bacon.) To the point that was all I could taste in every bit. P had the linguine with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly too bad it was swimming in the sauce which over powered the cooking of the shrimp. The pasta dish seemed more like soup. I don't think I would go back unless it was for the samosas.
(3)Shannon C.
Marx is officially the dining gem of Stillwater. Understated and elegant, this small restaurant is tucked into a prime space on Main Street. The lighting is romantic, the menu is robust and ingredients are primarily local, sustainable, often organic. We had an amazing dinner for two (2 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert for $120. The service was second-to-none, and the expertise of all who worked there was a treat to experience. When my boyfriend and I reflect on great date spots, this is always the first on our list....
(5)Scott I.
Marx has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is extensive and very well thought out. After dining there many times, I'm happy to say I've met Mark many times and can see that he is fanatic about giving customers the best dining experience possible. I highly recommend the filet, which is always delicious and tender. The mashed potatoes with reduction are great, and the little dollup of pureed carrots that are served with it are absolutely incredible. All of the pastas are very good as well, but my favorite is the one with vodka sauce.
(5)Sean D.
It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I think I've only had their specials too. The service is wonderful, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is outstanding.
(5)Mike C.
Stillwater is a great little town with many great places, but Marx is always awesome, so I decided to get on board and give them an honest review. We go to Marx about once a month and have always been more that delighted. The menu and the specials are always prepared to perfection, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Our servers are very kind, and take care of us whether they recognize us or not. I'm sure we will continue to stop at Marx for years to come. You won't be disappointed. Hope this helps other pick a great place to eat!
(5)Susan S.
The cannelloni is amazing, and so is the banana bread dessert. The bartender makes a fabulous chocolate martini. We drove down from the twin cities just to try this restaurant and were not disappointed.
(4)Ann D.
We stopped here for dinner during a girls weekend, and all four of us loved our food. The lobster artichoke dip was wonderful, the beet salad was divine (I've never had one before, but will definitely order again), my lamb chops were delicious, and I sampled my girlfriends Halibut, and another's pasta, and both were fantastic. Service was elegant. Beautiful place, beautiful food.
(5)Masil M.
I've been to Marx before for wine, but hadn't had a meal until this last trip. My three is closer to a 3.5 than a 3. The food was good. One of the specials was a fish duo that was done really well. The fish was cooked just right for me, flaky and juicy without having to rely on the sauce to keep its texture. The sauce itself was really nice, not too heavy and pretty good flavor. I tend to prefer foods with powerful flavors and I could have dealt with a little more punch with the flavor, but that's a personal preference. My companions enjoyed their food as well. The service was perfunctory. I would give this place a higher score if the service had been...well, it wasn't unfriendly or bad...it just felt like our server had somewhere else he really needed to be and wasn't super stoked on having a group show up. But I suspect this is not a regular occurrence. All in all, a solid 3.5.
(3)Ryan J.
This place has an awesome menu from top to bottom. The lobster artichoke dip is addicting. Pasta, shrimp, pork, sirloin - it's all quality food that's worth the price. The wait staff is patient and friendly. The only thing keeping it from five stars is the bar is not on par speed wise with the wait staff, but you should be taking your time having a romantic meal anyway if you order the expensive cocktails, no?
(4)June N.
I like this place. Very cozy and great lighting. I ordered the chicken penne and it was so large that I had to take half of it home. Great bread and olive oil. Martinis are great there too!
(4)Caroline '.
I came here as a night out on the town away from my 1 year old... With a party of 12 all in the same boat, babysitters lined up, parents night out! I was highly disappointed! We had a reservation at 730 we didn't get seated until 815 and didn't get served dinner until 10:00! Food just got here... Food is wonderful! Drinks are wonderful! The management did end up comping half the entire tables bill, which did help and was much appreciated. I would give them one more shot but I was extremely disappointed .
(1)Ryan S.
Marx used to be our top spot in Stillwater. On previous visits the food was very good for the price and portion size generous. Our last experience was sub-par. The wait staff was not attentive and the food was bland and overly salty. I left feeling like I just ate at an overpriced Applebee's. Sadly, we won't be returning to Marx. It looks like Lolo's is the better bet in Stillwater.
(2)Jeannie P.
One of my favorite places. Specials are always amazing. Menu changes frequently and all of the dishes are unique and different. The space is small and it's always busy but the food is worth the wait.
(5)Brooke B.
Holy crap, is this place great! Decided to stop in for lunch with my dude and am I ever glad we did. We reviewed the lunch menu and decided to get one of the many delicious-sounding pizzas listed there. Then we heard the chef's specials. As our server described each one, no words were necessary--we knew we were nixing the original plan, we just didn't know which special to get since they all sounded amazing. We went with the jambalaya and a cup of the black bean/butternut squash soup to share. The soup was delightful and seasonally perfect for October. As For the jambalaya: I loved it. Perfect potency and balance of flavors here. I've never been to New Orleans, but my dude has. I asked him how this compared and he said it was just as good if not better. Being former Mayland residents, we were both impressed with the size and freshness of the scallops in the dish here in Minnesota, later finding out they have seafood flown in twice daily. Couldn't resist...had to hear the dessert options. We got the blueberry banana cheesecake. It had a sort of whipped, lighter texture than most. It tasted kind of like banana bread dough--absolutely splendid. We'll definitely be back.
(5)Barbara F.
Good. Started out great. Bruschetta excellent. Antipasto mediocre. Bread excellent. Then we waited... A while... For our entrees. Pappardelle very good. Jamaican shrimp gets a thumbs up. Two specials - surf and turf and seafood special were great. We ate on the patio - perfect evening but not enough light to see the menu or the food. Service was lackluster by the end of the evening...
(4)Val B.
Marx was, in my opinion, just alright. I really enjoyed my drink and appetizers. The elderflower martini = great, plus they give you the shaker, meaning you get about 2.5 elterflower martinis. Dinner, which consisted of steaks for both of us, was just OK. We came in a little after 6 and expected a wait, but were seated within a few moments. The restaurant was, well, unreasonably noisy. But it was Friday night, so I wasn't expecting silence or anything At over $100 for two, I expected a bit more but still left full and satisfied.
(3)Barry L.
This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I just celebrated a milestone birthday here this past weekend. I had the beef tenderloin, which was done to perfection. However, I've never had anything bad on the menu. I can also vouch for the scallops. The wine selection is also exceptional. We had a perfect bottle of pinot noir for $42. The wines by the glass are always fresh, never oxidized, which is impressive considering just how many options they offer by the glass. If you love pairing great food with great wine, you have to try this place.
(5)Kim K.
Paella was great. The meat platter had one item too salty, otherwise great.
(4)Jess R.
This was one of many stops as we did a progressive dinner around Stillwater and I am glad we stopped here. The food was tasteful, probably the main downfall was that one of the dishes (Tuna tartar) was chaotic. Too many flavors and the key ingredient seemed to get lost. I had the moz salad and thought it was seasoned just right and very fresh. As a non-seafood lover I might have had a hard time ordering if we had wanted to eat a full meal here. Every 'special' had a seafood element - a drawback for me.
(4)Carriann H.
I have lived in Stillwater for years and until last week had never eaten at Marx. I am definately going to go back. Since we have five kids we like going places where we can get away from other people's kids! (OPK) This is our new refuge in Stillwater. It's trendy and fresh and there are no OPK to make a fuss or say Mommy so many times that my head feels like it will snap off from thinking they're calling me. We had met another couple here for a special celebration dinner. We started with drinks, which included a watermelon martini with a huge slice of vodka soaked watermelon on it. YUMMMMM. We shared some apps. We ordered the duck confit and the flatbread. I am not a huge fan of duck in general, but this is the best duck I have ever tasted! The flatbread was a good as expected--warm and crunchy and savory. My "date" ordered one of the specials-Seafood Jumbalaya. It was packed with mussels, scallops, calamari, fish and prawns. It was spicy and really tasty. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken. They used the dark meat which made the chicken flavorful and moist. The presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat. But I managed. **grin** Shhhhh. I will be hiding here on date night. But don't tell the kids. Mine or OPK.
(4)Kelly S.
This is a great downtown Stillwater restaurant. I highly recommend it. It's small and quaint with a modern twist. I loved all the local art on the walls - good conversation starters. The serving staff were friendly and articulate. The food was marvelous and succulent. The only thing that could have helped the atmosphere more is by turning up the music to be above a whisper setting.
(3)Lisa D.
i have never had a bad meal here. ever. i have also had exquisite service and drinks and desserts and...this is my favorite restaurant and i would go way more often if i could afford to!
(5)Emily O.
The man & I decided to have dinner @ Marx for the first time before a surprise birthday party we were attending there. We arrived @ 7:00pm on a Friday evening. We were told the wait was 30 minutes so we settled up to the bar for some wine. The wine list was small, but of good variety. I ordered a blend after sampling 2 suggestions from the bartender. My boyfriend ordered what I would call a Man's Martini... :) Rye whiskey, anise, bitters, & something else that slips my mind. He loved it. It came w/ a martini shaker served straight up. By the end of the night, he had ordered another. The bartender was welcoming & attentive & I appreciate good service & entertainment @ the bar, but this bartender was a little overly involved in our conversation, chiming in @ every pause. It got to be a little much. We were seated w/ in 10 minutes - always a great surprise when the wait is much less than anticipated. We sat @ a high top table near the door, allowing us to be secluded, but people watch as well. For dinner, we tried the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad, & bacon penne pasta. The best pasta I have had in a long time. All the food was amazing. After dinner, we met up w/ our group & were seated in the back of the restaurant @ a long table. Service was attentive & paced accordingly to our group of 10. Ambiance is quaint & warm, a little crowded, but still functional. As Cortney S says: next time, wine & apps on the patio. :)
(4)Vssj S.
I went to the Marx last night with my boyfriend. We had a server who was knowledgable about the menu and wines. They have great salads. We had a very good duck confit crostini to start. Also, shared a really good mahi mahi that was on special. For the price and quality of food, I highly recommend the Marx!
(5)John H.
We've been to Marx's several times over the last five years. Service and food were outstanding every time. It's truly a gem within the St. Croix Valley.
(5)A. R.
Been there a couple of times, to mixed reviews. Once, for lunch my friend and I went all out with entrees and wine, and had a wonderful dining experience. Recently, went there with my husband and ordered a bottle of wine, sitting at the bar. The server consulted a book to describe the wine to me, and when we ordered it gave us the world's worst bottle service ever. May as well have pulled out the cork with his teeth. He was also completely ignorant to the fact that we were on a date and enjoying each others company, as he decided to blare his commentary upon us all afternoon. But he gets away with that at his other job at a chain-restaurant, so I understand. I think that if I'm out to enjoy a bottle of wine at a bona-fide wine bar, respect your customer enough to hire knowledgeable staff. The food was pretty good this time as well, but the service left my skin crawling.
(3)hima s.
We visited Marx during a recent trip to visit my brother-in-law and his wife. It is located in the very cute town of Stillwater, just on the Mississippi River. First things first: I *loved* our server. LOVED. I was being picky about which wine I wanted and she happily brought me 3-4 samples before I made a choice. Second, the atmosphere was very quaint and homey. I was actually accosted at the door by a drunken patron who raved about the food. He must have recognized me as a first-time visitor (the brown skin may have been a clue). In spite of the hilarious welcome, our visit was a delight. Third, the food was fairly good. It was a bit rich for my taste, but that may be a regional difference. Here's what we ordered: - My sister-in-law and I both ordered the homemade pappardelle. The pasta was outstanding -- chewy, delicate, and perfectly flavored. The sauce was another story; that was overly rich and heavy. It actually separated when reheated the next day and the lovely noodles were left swimming in a pool of oil. That was a disappointment. - My brother-in-law ordered the penne with italian hot sausage. I almost ordered that too and was disappointed to see that it was topped with a heavy layer of mozzarella. Ugh. But he was excited about the cheese and happily ate it up. He was definitely a happy camper. - My husband ordered the beef sirloin. The plating was beautiful: a pile of mashed potatoes topped with meat topped with onion rings. Ok, that might sound weird, but it was actually pretty. It was simple, but good. All in all, a good meal. I am already plotting to get my brother-in-law and wife a gift certificate for Christmas!
(4)Jeff B.
Great bar and atmoshere. Food and service is very good. Nice place to dine with friends.
(4)Bub N.
Had a seafood/pasta dish. Great meal. Will go back, for sure!
(4)Roger W.
I didn't expect much and didn't get it. We ordered an elderflower and pear martini and a bacardi "o" mojito both of which tasted great and we didn't feel cheated by the $10 price except for the fact that we could've had better drinks for the same price from Bradstreet in Minneapolis. Appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye dumplings which tasted great, but weren't amazing. We also had the teriyaki king crab and banana wasabi mash which was really amazing mix of flavors and we quickly polished it off. For entrees I got the surf and turf, which ended up being a large ribeye steak with an absurd amount of mushroom sauce over it completely overpowering any flavor the meat may have had. The surf was shrimp tempura with a sort of coconut curry taste to them. They were so much better than the steak however I only got 3 medium sized shrimp. I would've given up half the steak size for only 1 or 2 more shrimp. My date got the * Grilled Angus Beef Sirloin with Guinness beer glaze, bacon, roasted shallots & home fried onion rings which tasted better than my steak as the sauce was not as overpowering. Both steaks were ordered medium rare and were easily medium to medium well. Overall I'd recommend staying away from the steaks, but get some appetizers and drinks from this place. Oh the decor is a little too bright and the place is really loud and a good chunk of the tables are practically on top of each other. I'd recommend it for a group of 4 friends, but not as a romantic dinner. It was a little weird that there was no music as well.
(3)Brad A.
We wound up at Marx at the recommendation of My Beautiful New Companion (at what point do I call her my girlfriend?), who grew up in this town, and whose family has lived here for generations. It's a favorite of hers, and I'm pleased to add my endorsement. Marx is amazing. It's not a big space, but the place is beautifully finished and decorated. Nice artwork on the walls, and the suspended lighting fixtures look fantastic. This is probably as classy a restaurant as you're going to find on Stillwater's Main Street strip. The wait staff was beautiful, gracious, and attentive throughout the entire meal. A nice selection of wines, beers, and other poisons. The food was superb - the preparation, presentation, and taste. During peak dinner hours, you can expect to wait, and for good reason. But even that is handled well - you give them your cell phone number, and you can roam about the town until your table is ready. If you're in a drinking mood, Whitey's across the street fits the bill very nicely while you're waiting for your table, if everything at Marx is filled up.. Reservations are taken for parties of 6 or more. And parking... well... this is Stillwater...
(5)J S.
Marx can be amazing, but also disappointing. I have dined there many times and had delicious meals, last evening was not the case. Two of our meals were delicious, two were not even close. The paella, at $34, was a huge disappointment-- tiny bits of 'bacon like meat', no chorizo to be seen, dry....:-( Our service was so-so, our server was 'slammed, while the other server (who we wished we'd had) was not busy at all. After spending $350.00 for 4 people, it will be hard to go back. There are many other choices in Stillwater.
(2)Ellen C.
This restaurant is charming, modern, intimate. Great place for a romantic date or just for a fun night out starting with a nice dinner. I got the ahi tuna special on basmati rice, as was HIGHLY recommended by patrons and the waitress. It was in a ginger sesame sauce of some sort. The tuna was very fresh, perfectly cooked, but I would've liked more seasoning on the actual fish rather than relying on the sauce to heavily salt the entire dish. The sauce was a little overpowering - it has a very strong sense of identity on that plate! All in all it was pretty good but for the price tag, I would be hesitant to order it again. Their pecan encrusted walleye that is the standard dinner menu looked amazing, as did their mahi mahi special on risotto. If I had special company or was bringing someone to Stillwater as a special occasion, I might come back to try out some more of their seafood. They have a lot of variety and it seems like all the quality of their fish are top notch. Keep in mind though, I"m more of a value kind of girl. Quality is high up there but it's gotta be pretty spectacular for me to think the value is there. The staff here though are FANTASTIC, which really helps amp up the experience.
(3)Lorraine N.
My two friends thought it smelled like sour mop or urine upon entering and smelled it the entire time we were there-I had allergies so could not detect anything--plus I just had a couple strong drinks elsewhere. We all had a unique drink from the menu --Pimms cup was one and it had Gin in it but suprisingly tasted of cucumber--very light and refreshing. I had a strong and dark with jameson in it and it tasted like a long island iced tea. The other gal got a basil blueberry martini drink and it was good but a little on the sweet side. Drinks run approx 10.00 a piece here. The atmosphere was okay. I would try this place again.
(3)Barbara F.
Good. Started out great. Bruschetta excellent. Antipasto mediocre. Bread excellent. Then we waited... A while... For our entrees. Pappardelle very good. Jamaican shrimp gets a thumbs up. Two specials - surf and turf and seafood special were great. We ate on the patio - perfect evening but not enough light to see the menu or the food. Service was lackluster by the end of the evening...
(4)Jeannie P.
One of my favorite places. Specials are always amazing. Menu changes frequently and all of the dishes are unique and different. The space is small and it's always busy but the food is worth the wait.
(5)Brooke B.
Holy crap, is this place great! Decided to stop in for lunch with my dude and am I ever glad we did. We reviewed the lunch menu and decided to get one of the many delicious-sounding pizzas listed there. Then we heard the chef's specials. As our server described each one, no words were necessary--we knew we were nixing the original plan, we just didn't know which special to get since they all sounded amazing. We went with the jambalaya and a cup of the black bean/butternut squash soup to share. The soup was delightful and seasonally perfect for October. As For the jambalaya: I loved it. Perfect potency and balance of flavors here. I've never been to New Orleans, but my dude has. I asked him how this compared and he said it was just as good if not better. Being former Mayland residents, we were both impressed with the size and freshness of the scallops in the dish here in Minnesota, later finding out they have seafood flown in twice daily. Couldn't resist...had to hear the dessert options. We got the blueberry banana cheesecake. It had a sort of whipped, lighter texture than most. It tasted kind of like banana bread dough--absolutely splendid. We'll definitely be back.
(5)Ann Marie C.
Loved this restaurant! Our first time here and would definitely come back. Heard great things from friends and glad I listened to their recommendations. We ordered their evening special of seafood paella. Full of fresh seafood!! Also ordered spinach pappardelle, penne with sausage, linguine lucca, beef carpaccio. All the dishes were delicious! Our server Melissa was wonderful. Suggested great wine, dishes, and recommendations for continued fun in Stillwater. She was attentive to our table. Would recommend reservations as this restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)Rick C.
I went in with very high expectations, and was mostly satisfied...with the food. The tuna tartar was tasteless. The entree of mahi was excellent. My date was of a different ethnic group than I and many of the FEMALE patrons stared with open looks of disdain and contempt. I don't understand how GAY MARRIAGES are accepted yet a mixed couple isn't! TOTALLY sickened by that and won't be back!
(1)Peter N.
We had dinner plans elsewhere, but stopped in to watch Wisconsin play Arizona in the Elite Eight. We sat at the bar, which was comfortable. I had a basic Merlot which was great. They let me taste the wine first which was a huge plus. My wife had a Hendricks Gin martini which she enjoyed as well. We only ordered and appetizer - Duck Confit - which was really well prepared. It came on a crostini and the duck was very tender. Lee had a great time - the staff was pleasant. We'd definitely go again!
(4)Greg O.
We had dinner here a few nights ago for the first time. While not perfect, we enjoyed our meal. We didn't have a reservation, but there was no wait at 8:00 on a Saturday night. The interior was fine, but little things like chairs straight from a Super 8 buffet room made the room feel a little cheap. And it was very noisy when close to full. Our waitress was great. You got the feeling she truly cares if you had a good experience. At one point the bartender took way too long to make our cocktails so she jumped behind the bar and made them herself. The food was good. We decided to make a meal of several starters and salads. All were good, especially the beet salad and artichoke lobster dip. They apparently are not used to people ordering like that because all four or five starters came out at once rather than spread out a bit. But overall it was a good experience and we will go back.
(4)Alex C.
This place was amazing. The pasta noodles were homemade and delicious. Very impressive. The paella too was delicious and included multiple meats. We order beef carpaccio which was phenomenal. Would recommend to all. Our sever, Melissa, was extremely nice and friendly.
(5)Chia M.
Marx lives up to its great reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp. The service was quick and the food was full of flavor. The portions were more than generous. We were all able to bring home left overs big enough for a second meal. The Italian sausage penne was a cheesy delight with plenty of sausage mixed in. A little tip though would be to call for a reservation. We waited almost an hour for a table at 9pm. Between the bachelorette and bachelor parties and all the other visitors, Marx is quite the hot spot on a Saturday night.
(4)Chuck F.
I've eaten here a few times, the service is great, the food is even better! Bring an empty stomach and full wallet, well worth the exchange rate.
(5)Judd A.
Awesome place to go for lunch. Get one of the specials! You'll be glad you did. Also a fun place to go at night for martinis! High end but not snooty. Really cool atmosphere!
(5)Kristine R.
Wandered in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 other patrons outside. Granted it was 1:00 on a Tuesday. Great, affordable lunch menu. I ordered the Caesar salad subbed chicken for anchovies, husband had pizza. Great portion size for lunch, both meals were up to par with the hype. Lost our server at some point, as the only people outside we wondered if she left. Manager/owner came out and finished up with us. Got the check and was shocked to see a $6 upcharge for chicken on my $5 Caesar. A little heads up would have been nice. Atmosphere and food would bring us back, would clarify any menu questions. 3.5 for lack of communication by our server.
(3)June N.
I like this place. Very cozy and great lighting. I ordered the chicken penne and it was so large that I had to take half of it home. Great bread and olive oil. Martinis are great there too!
(4)Caroline '.
I came here as a night out on the town away from my 1 year old... With a party of 12 all in the same boat, babysitters lined up, parents night out! I was highly disappointed! We had a reservation at 730 we didn't get seated until 815 and didn't get served dinner until 10:00! Food just got here... Food is wonderful! Drinks are wonderful! The management did end up comping half the entire tables bill, which did help and was much appreciated. I would give them one more shot but I was extremely disappointed .
(1)Ryan S.
Marx used to be our top spot in Stillwater. On previous visits the food was very good for the price and portion size generous. Our last experience was sub-par. The wait staff was not attentive and the food was bland and overly salty. I left feeling like I just ate at an overpriced Applebee's. Sadly, we won't be returning to Marx. It looks like Lolo's is the better bet in Stillwater.
(2)Scott I.
Marx has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is extensive and very well thought out. After dining there many times, I'm happy to say I've met Mark many times and can see that he is fanatic about giving customers the best dining experience possible. I highly recommend the filet, which is always delicious and tender. The mashed potatoes with reduction are great, and the little dollup of pureed carrots that are served with it are absolutely incredible. All of the pastas are very good as well, but my favorite is the one with vodka sauce.
(5)Sean D.
It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I think I've only had their specials too. The service is wonderful, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is outstanding.
(5)Alysha R.
Had a table of 12 with reservations, service was incredibly slow with drinks, and dinner was very late being served. I ordered the steak and the portion was disappointingly small. I also asked to skip the onion rings for additional mashed potatoes, that didn't happen. Someone at our table had to send her fish back twice to be cooked thoroughly. What I received was not worth what I paid. It was good food- not amazing drop your jaw good. However our server Katie was amazing and super nice, we loved her!
(2)Ryan J.
This place has an awesome menu from top to bottom. The lobster artichoke dip is addicting. Pasta, shrimp, pork, sirloin - it's all quality food that's worth the price. The wait staff is patient and friendly. The only thing keeping it from five stars is the bar is not on par speed wise with the wait staff, but you should be taking your time having a romantic meal anyway if you order the expensive cocktails, no?
(4)Ed L.
A piece of South Beach in Minnesota!! I am a Miami native and felt right at home.... Ambiance: Beautiful, trendy just like a South Beach bar. Young, vibrant, trendy crowd. Elegant and tasty decor. Service: Superb: The hostess, bar tender and waitress treated me very nicely and quick. Price: Pricey but well worth the money. Food: Gourmet.-big portions I had for starters a Bruschetta appetizer w/ apple slices-excellent for the entree Beef Tenderloin Filet Carmelized Onions- wow! out of this world for desert -banana crumcake with whipped cream The restroom puz zled me because there was no sink with faucets. I won't tell you the rest .:-) Eddy Campanaro
(5)Kate P.
We liked our dinner out at Marx. Good aps, unique menu items. I got the homemade papperdelle (love me some fresh pasta!). We'll be back.
(4)Bobby B.
Very modern and energetic. Very attentive service. Menu selection is an upgrade over other local eateries whom feast on tourists. Here you feel welcome as the crowd relaxes to light live music on Friday evening. One of the best in Stillwater.
(4)Jonathon D.
Possibly the best restaurant in Stillwater. From the time we walked in the service was excellent, with a great band playing! They had several specials going on and our server was quick on it, could remember everything and refilled out drinks throughout the night. The surf & turf was wonderfully delicious! I could finish it all but truly enjoyed it!
(5)Nicole P.
pleasantly surprised. Our party of 5 was seated immediately at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. The Potato & Yam Samosas were a hit, the Walleye Dumplings were pretty good, you could tell it was walleye. The warm goat cheese salad was tasty, the goat cheese was good quality but i would have liked it if the dressing and roasted tomatoes were warm as well. My dish of Seared Scallops was AWESOME. the scallops were perfectly cooked and i got 7 LARGE SCALLOPS i couldn't even finish them all. (usually i get stuck with 3 meager ones) The best dish was a special Sword fish over squash gnocchi with alfredo sauce. the worst dish was my dad's chipotle chicken, chicken was dry and there was hardly a chipotle flavor. Great service, little spendy, we were all satisfied and there were plenty of new flavors.
(4)Cortney G.
I love Saturday date nights. And Marx provided the perfect spot for a little vino and dinner on a Saturday night. The ambiance in the bar is intimate but not too secluded - aka you can still people watch while you munch on bruschetta and drink a glass of wine. Their tapas are fantastic. Dinner was more just ok - good but not over the top. Next time: wine and apps on the patio. Since it's on the river, I'm sure it'll be divine.
(4)Adam K.
My wife and I had dinner here just last week, in from out of town. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed when we arrived, but by the time we left, the place was jam packed. They don't take reservations so keep that in mind if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night (or anytime in the summer). Our server was very knowledgeable and explained the menu very well. To be honest, this place barely gets away with calling itself "fusion" food...there really isn't much fusion going on here, just a lot of simple, well prepared (and cooked) dishes. My wife had the beef tenderloin and I had the shrimp linguine, both were quite good and my wife's Mohito was so good I almost got one for myself...almost. The location of this place is perfect, right in the middle of the strip. Portion-wise you get more than enough which is the way I like it. The bathrooms are kind of unique....the washroom part of the bathrooms is a communal area in between the two doors. If you're really into wine you have to check this place out, everyone in the area raves about the wine selection. I've been to a few of Stillwater's culinary offerings and this is one of the better ones.
(4)Sarah R.
Lots of great memories here! It's a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the patio is nice in the summer. For food, it's hard to go wrong. Every special I have ordered has been well balanced, rich, and beautifully plated. Their ingredients taste fresh and are prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors cleanly. There is light fare which is perfect for a snack with wine and heavy, rich meals are also easy to find here for those with bigger appetites, and for cooler winter months! Great area, too, as Stillwater has some charm.
(5)Yolinda B.
Ate here last weekend. The service was good and so was the bread. The food in general not so good. The shrimp linguine dish came out as a big peach colored blob with the pasta over cooked and no garnish. It was quite bland. The cannelloni was a monster sized potion of thick green pasta and dry pork. Lastly the Caesar salad is not a Caesar, its lettuce with olive oil and croutons very bland. Gave it a try, won't be back. The inside of the place looks nice though.
(2)Paula R.
My husband and I generally enjoy Marx. We recently sat at the bar, ordered drinks and dinner then the bar tender spilled my entire drink on my lap and purse. He laughed and said he had depth perception issues. The other bar tender came over and started to wipe the floor apologizing. She asked if she should cancel our order.... We said yes and left. Now we go to Lolo's consistently. Maybe Marx should hire people who love the food industry and patrons.
(1)Mike C.
Stillwater is a great little town with many great places, but Marx is always awesome, so I decided to get on board and give them an honest review. We go to Marx about once a month and have always been more that delighted. The menu and the specials are always prepared to perfection, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Our servers are very kind, and take care of us whether they recognize us or not. I'm sure we will continue to stop at Marx for years to come. You won't be disappointed. Hope this helps other pick a great place to eat!
(5)Susan S.
The cannelloni is amazing, and so is the banana bread dessert. The bartender makes a fabulous chocolate martini. We drove down from the twin cities just to try this restaurant and were not disappointed.
(4)Ann D.
We stopped here for dinner during a girls weekend, and all four of us loved our food. The lobster artichoke dip was wonderful, the beet salad was divine (I've never had one before, but will definitely order again), my lamb chops were delicious, and I sampled my girlfriends Halibut, and another's pasta, and both were fantastic. Service was elegant. Beautiful place, beautiful food.
(5)Masil M.
I've been to Marx before for wine, but hadn't had a meal until this last trip. My three is closer to a 3.5 than a 3. The food was good. One of the specials was a fish duo that was done really well. The fish was cooked just right for me, flaky and juicy without having to rely on the sauce to keep its texture. The sauce itself was really nice, not too heavy and pretty good flavor. I tend to prefer foods with powerful flavors and I could have dealt with a little more punch with the flavor, but that's a personal preference. My companions enjoyed their food as well. The service was perfunctory. I would give this place a higher score if the service had been...well, it wasn't unfriendly or bad...it just felt like our server had somewhere else he really needed to be and wasn't super stoked on having a group show up. But I suspect this is not a regular occurrence. All in all, a solid 3.5.
(3)Amelia K.
This is my first review ever- just had to be done. This place is ridic. I've been probably 5 times and am impressed every time. Love the ambiance (unsuccessfully tried to find their bathroom sink and put it in my new house), food is amazing and service never fails. I've been a vegetarian for 20 plus years and the veggie plate I had last Saturday is the best meal I've ever gotten in a restaurant. Just phenomenal.
(5)Alec W.
I was a little shocked by this place. The food was OK, the service was terrible. I didn't expect that walking in though. So we were here a week or so ago for lunch during a weekday. Our lunch was a little later in the afternoon so the place was pretty much empty besides a couple other patrons. You'd think this would mean excellent, speedy service, but no, that was not the case. I think we were there for well over an hour when what we really meant to do was just grab something quick to eat, but something we could still enjoy. Mostly I just remember the waiting and waiting. I had the pizza and there just wasn't anything to write home about. It tasted fine, but there was nothing I could point to and say 'Wow, that's really exceptional'. It's too bad, cause it looks like it should be a fun place to go, but ultimately, it was just a boring, bland, generic 'fusion' restaurant.
(2)Shari H.
Excellent service and amazing food! I grew up in Stillwater and Marx was such a welcome addition to the historic downtown area when it first opened, and is still the best place to go for dinner. It has a chic atmosphere, fun cocktails and amazing desserts, especially the cheesecake. Perfect for an intimate date night, girls night, a bachelorette party, or a great place to bring your parents on a day trip to Stillwater.
(5)JoeNLauren P.
Been there three times in the past two years or so, every time it's delicious but it does seem like each time it gets a little less amazing. Can't quite pinpoint what it is, maybe the service? Despite that, still a very solid place to go. Drinks have always been great, and the atmosphere is so cool. It gets quite noisy, so if that is an issue than I don't recommend a busy weekend night. The meal itself has always been really awesome. The walleye dumplings are solid! And I can never resist the curly endive and beet salad, it's so tasty. I've had their ahi special once and it was heaven on a plate. If I remember correctly, I had the tenderloin last time and it was done to perfection at medium-rare. Overall, a really great place in such a sweet little place on the river.
(4)Scott D.
The most incredible food on the planet~great place to eat relax and enjoy the good life
(5)Patti I.
I live in Stillwater and visit Marx a couple times every year. The best thing on the menu--an item that often appears but isn't always offered--is the frutti di mare pasta in a bowl. It's a huge serving of spaghetti with marinara and assorted seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, whatever's in season. Some of the pastas are delicious but too heavy for my tastes. Again, the menu varies but if you see pasta with pistachios or pasta with vodka sauce, I suggest splitting with a friend. They taste good but the richness gets overwhelming. I've had a couple of excellent small steaks at Marx. I like to stick with the simpler ones like a sirloin with red wine sauce. Noise levels can be obnoxious. My cousin was visiting from the Napa Valley and I wanted to bring him to Marx for good cuisine. The food didn't disappoint, but my indelible memory of that meal was a loud, inebriated woman at an adjacent table (copious amounts of cleavage hanging out, lipstick smeared, verbal boundaries obliterated.) I'm not sure what the management is supposed to do when one party dominates the whole restaurant, but whatever it is, the Marx staff didn't do it. That said, usually the service is friendly and not stuffy. Marx can get crazy busy on weekends, so I try to eat there midweek.
(4)Shannon C.
We didn't love our table/in the bar and teeny-but the rest was fabulous! I had the pork cannolini & my husband had the Maui Maui special both were fabulous! Check it out when in the area. Good wine selection too & full bar.
(4)James C.
I was here with a friend Saurday Nov 10 2012 server might have been drunk .I was lunch we were the 1st people in the place. The waitress brought our soup the bread after we were done :O( then mixed you our food I am not sure I even got what I orders . Food was fair .:O( soup was salty .
(2)Trou D.
Enjoyed another fantastic night at Marx's! Chef/Owner Mark was entertaining as always whether it be through his culinary expertise or his outgoing personality. My cousins and I were right at home - Thanks Kris, GM and others who added to an exceptional evening of cocktails and fun in Stillh2o.
(5)Nichole M.
The chef at Marx must think that adding any and all flavors to a plate constitutes "fusion" no matter how bizarre the flavor combinations nor how much they compete with one another. I was underwhelmed with the Blackened scallops I ordered. The blackening was much to strong and had to be scraped off to make most of them edible. The soba noodles were okay, but the garnish/side vegetables had curry seasoning that tasted TERRIBLE in contrast to the asian/teriyaki sauce (ironically those same curried vegetables were included in my husband's meal further convincing us there is no rhyme or reason how any of these "fusion" dishes are created). The only thing worth eating were the walleye dumplings. Perhaps happy hour with appetizers are the way to go and spend your dinner $$ elsewhere.
(2)Suzanne B.
A fabulous experience all-around (for a second time). The food was amazing, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere enjoyable. My husband and I both had featured specials and found both meals to be delicious. We went early, around 5 pm, as they do not take reservations for parties under 6 people. A place we will go back to often!
(4)Amy L.
I have only been to Marx Wine bar for Appetizers and wine in the bar, but I they still have a decent selection. The deserts are pretty tasty, but things are priced pretty high. The service was a little slow, but I went on a Saturday night and they were really busy. I recommend giving it a try at least once and see what you think for yourself!
(3)Joe M.
Place is awesome. I had the turf-turf-surf meal and my friend had the samon. Home run on both plates. We didnt know what to eat when we got there and we just asked people on the street and they said MARX is the best food in town. They all were right.
(5)Dayday S.
The place is nice looking, but the food was just horrible. The pasta was watery and undercooked, with sauce and ingredients that were not fresh, not properly seasoned and not properly cooked. The pizza was also not great- the crust was gluey in the middle, burnt on the edges. The sauce was sweet and thin, and the cheese was clearly low quality. There was no seasoning at all, just plain, low grade, not fresh yuck.
(1)Carriann H.
I have lived in Stillwater for years and until last week had never eaten at Marx. I am definately going to go back. Since we have five kids we like going places where we can get away from other people's kids! (OPK) This is our new refuge in Stillwater. It's trendy and fresh and there are no OPK to make a fuss or say Mommy so many times that my head feels like it will snap off from thinking they're calling me. We had met another couple here for a special celebration dinner. We started with drinks, which included a watermelon martini with a huge slice of vodka soaked watermelon on it. YUMMMMM. We shared some apps. We ordered the duck confit and the flatbread. I am not a huge fan of duck in general, but this is the best duck I have ever tasted! The flatbread was a good as expected--warm and crunchy and savory. My "date" ordered one of the specials-Seafood Jumbalaya. It was packed with mussels, scallops, calamari, fish and prawns. It was spicy and really tasty. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken. They used the dark meat which made the chicken flavorful and moist. The presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat. But I managed. **grin** Shhhhh. I will be hiding here on date night. But don't tell the kids. Mine or OPK.
(4)John H.
We've been to Marx's several times over the last five years. Service and food were outstanding every time. It's truly a gem within the St. Croix Valley.
(5)Kelly S.
This is a great downtown Stillwater restaurant. I highly recommend it. It's small and quaint with a modern twist. I loved all the local art on the walls - good conversation starters. The serving staff were friendly and articulate. The food was marvelous and succulent. The only thing that could have helped the atmosphere more is by turning up the music to be above a whisper setting.
(3)Lisa D.
i have never had a bad meal here. ever. i have also had exquisite service and drinks and desserts and...this is my favorite restaurant and i would go way more often if i could afford to!
(5)Val B.
Marx was, in my opinion, just alright. I really enjoyed my drink and appetizers. The elderflower martini = great, plus they give you the shaker, meaning you get about 2.5 elterflower martinis. Dinner, which consisted of steaks for both of us, was just OK. We came in a little after 6 and expected a wait, but were seated within a few moments. The restaurant was, well, unreasonably noisy. But it was Friday night, so I wasn't expecting silence or anything At over $100 for two, I expected a bit more but still left full and satisfied.
(3)Emily O.
The man & I decided to have dinner @ Marx for the first time before a surprise birthday party we were attending there. We arrived @ 7:00pm on a Friday evening. We were told the wait was 30 minutes so we settled up to the bar for some wine. The wine list was small, but of good variety. I ordered a blend after sampling 2 suggestions from the bartender. My boyfriend ordered what I would call a Man's Martini... :) Rye whiskey, anise, bitters, & something else that slips my mind. He loved it. It came w/ a martini shaker served straight up. By the end of the night, he had ordered another. The bartender was welcoming & attentive & I appreciate good service & entertainment @ the bar, but this bartender was a little overly involved in our conversation, chiming in @ every pause. It got to be a little much. We were seated w/ in 10 minutes - always a great surprise when the wait is much less than anticipated. We sat @ a high top table near the door, allowing us to be secluded, but people watch as well. For dinner, we tried the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad, & bacon penne pasta. The best pasta I have had in a long time. All the food was amazing. After dinner, we met up w/ our group & were seated in the back of the restaurant @ a long table. Service was attentive & paced accordingly to our group of 10. Ambiance is quaint & warm, a little crowded, but still functional. As Cortney S says: next time, wine & apps on the patio. :)
(4)Vssj S.
I went to the Marx last night with my boyfriend. We had a server who was knowledgable about the menu and wines. They have great salads. We had a very good duck confit crostini to start. Also, shared a really good mahi mahi that was on special. For the price and quality of food, I highly recommend the Marx!
(5)A. R.
Been there a couple of times, to mixed reviews. Once, for lunch my friend and I went all out with entrees and wine, and had a wonderful dining experience. Recently, went there with my husband and ordered a bottle of wine, sitting at the bar. The server consulted a book to describe the wine to me, and when we ordered it gave us the world's worst bottle service ever. May as well have pulled out the cork with his teeth. He was also completely ignorant to the fact that we were on a date and enjoying each others company, as he decided to blare his commentary upon us all afternoon. But he gets away with that at his other job at a chain-restaurant, so I understand. I think that if I'm out to enjoy a bottle of wine at a bona-fide wine bar, respect your customer enough to hire knowledgeable staff. The food was pretty good this time as well, but the service left my skin crawling.
(3)hima s.
We visited Marx during a recent trip to visit my brother-in-law and his wife. It is located in the very cute town of Stillwater, just on the Mississippi River. First things first: I *loved* our server. LOVED. I was being picky about which wine I wanted and she happily brought me 3-4 samples before I made a choice. Second, the atmosphere was very quaint and homey. I was actually accosted at the door by a drunken patron who raved about the food. He must have recognized me as a first-time visitor (the brown skin may have been a clue). In spite of the hilarious welcome, our visit was a delight. Third, the food was fairly good. It was a bit rich for my taste, but that may be a regional difference. Here's what we ordered: - My sister-in-law and I both ordered the homemade pappardelle. The pasta was outstanding -- chewy, delicate, and perfectly flavored. The sauce was another story; that was overly rich and heavy. It actually separated when reheated the next day and the lovely noodles were left swimming in a pool of oil. That was a disappointment. - My brother-in-law ordered the penne with italian hot sausage. I almost ordered that too and was disappointed to see that it was topped with a heavy layer of mozzarella. Ugh. But he was excited about the cheese and happily ate it up. He was definitely a happy camper. - My husband ordered the beef sirloin. The plating was beautiful: a pile of mashed potatoes topped with meat topped with onion rings. Ok, that might sound weird, but it was actually pretty. It was simple, but good. All in all, a good meal. I am already plotting to get my brother-in-law and wife a gift certificate for Christmas!
(4)Jeff B.
Great bar and atmoshere. Food and service is very good. Nice place to dine with friends.
(4)Barry L.
This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I just celebrated a milestone birthday here this past weekend. I had the beef tenderloin, which was done to perfection. However, I've never had anything bad on the menu. I can also vouch for the scallops. The wine selection is also exceptional. We had a perfect bottle of pinot noir for $42. The wines by the glass are always fresh, never oxidized, which is impressive considering just how many options they offer by the glass. If you love pairing great food with great wine, you have to try this place.
(5)Kim K.
Paella was great. The meat platter had one item too salty, otherwise great.
(4)amy z.
On our first night in Stillwater, we got there later in the evening and starving. The owner's of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place. The decor is very interesting and colorful. We ordered an appetizer, the samosas. These are the only thing I would order again. I had the beet salad and well .... had a hard time finding the beets. Also it was suppose to be with curly endive but it seemed to be more a mix spring greens. There was also bacon on it. Way too much bacon. (Yes I said too much bacon.) To the point that was all I could taste in every bit. P had the linguine with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly too bad it was swimming in the sauce which over powered the cooking of the shrimp. The pasta dish seemed more like soup. I don't think I would go back unless it was for the samosas.
(3)Shannon C.
Marx is officially the dining gem of Stillwater. Understated and elegant, this small restaurant is tucked into a prime space on Main Street. The lighting is romantic, the menu is robust and ingredients are primarily local, sustainable, often organic. We had an amazing dinner for two (2 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert for $120. The service was second-to-none, and the expertise of all who worked there was a treat to experience. When my boyfriend and I reflect on great date spots, this is always the first on our list....
(5)Jess R.
This was one of many stops as we did a progressive dinner around Stillwater and I am glad we stopped here. The food was tasteful, probably the main downfall was that one of the dishes (Tuna tartar) was chaotic. Too many flavors and the key ingredient seemed to get lost. I had the moz salad and thought it was seasoned just right and very fresh. As a non-seafood lover I might have had a hard time ordering if we had wanted to eat a full meal here. Every 'special' had a seafood element - a drawback for me.
(4)Bub N.
Had a seafood/pasta dish. Great meal. Will go back, for sure!
(4)Roger W.
I didn't expect much and didn't get it. We ordered an elderflower and pear martini and a bacardi "o" mojito both of which tasted great and we didn't feel cheated by the $10 price except for the fact that we could've had better drinks for the same price from Bradstreet in Minneapolis. Appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye dumplings which tasted great, but weren't amazing. We also had the teriyaki king crab and banana wasabi mash which was really amazing mix of flavors and we quickly polished it off. For entrees I got the surf and turf, which ended up being a large ribeye steak with an absurd amount of mushroom sauce over it completely overpowering any flavor the meat may have had. The surf was shrimp tempura with a sort of coconut curry taste to them. They were so much better than the steak however I only got 3 medium sized shrimp. I would've given up half the steak size for only 1 or 2 more shrimp. My date got the * Grilled Angus Beef Sirloin with Guinness beer glaze, bacon, roasted shallots & home fried onion rings which tasted better than my steak as the sauce was not as overpowering. Both steaks were ordered medium rare and were easily medium to medium well. Overall I'd recommend staying away from the steaks, but get some appetizers and drinks from this place. Oh the decor is a little too bright and the place is really loud and a good chunk of the tables are practically on top of each other. I'd recommend it for a group of 4 friends, but not as a romantic dinner. It was a little weird that there was no music as well.
(3)Ann Marie C.
Loved this restaurant! Our first time here and would definitely come back. Heard great things from friends and glad I listened to their recommendations. We ordered their evening special of seafood paella. Full of fresh seafood!! Also ordered spinach pappardelle, penne with sausage, linguine lucca, beef carpaccio. All the dishes were delicious! Our server Melissa was wonderful. Suggested great wine, dishes, and recommendations for continued fun in Stillwater. She was attentive to our table. Would recommend reservations as this restaurant is small and fills up quickly.
(5)Barbara F.
Good. Started out great. Bruschetta excellent. Antipasto mediocre. Bread excellent. Then we waited... A while... For our entrees. Pappardelle very good. Jamaican shrimp gets a thumbs up. Two specials - surf and turf and seafood special were great. We ate on the patio - perfect evening but not enough light to see the menu or the food. Service was lackluster by the end of the evening...
(4)Jeannie P.
One of my favorite places. Specials are always amazing. Menu changes frequently and all of the dishes are unique and different. The space is small and it's always busy but the food is worth the wait.
(5)Rick C.
I went in with very high expectations, and was mostly satisfied...with the food. The tuna tartar was tasteless. The entree of mahi was excellent. My date was of a different ethnic group than I and many of the FEMALE patrons stared with open looks of disdain and contempt. I don't understand how GAY MARRIAGES are accepted yet a mixed couple isn't! TOTALLY sickened by that and won't be back!
(1)Peter N.
We had dinner plans elsewhere, but stopped in to watch Wisconsin play Arizona in the Elite Eight. We sat at the bar, which was comfortable. I had a basic Merlot which was great. They let me taste the wine first which was a huge plus. My wife had a Hendricks Gin martini which she enjoyed as well. We only ordered and appetizer - Duck Confit - which was really well prepared. It came on a crostini and the duck was very tender. Lee had a great time - the staff was pleasant. We'd definitely go again!
(4)Greg O.
We had dinner here a few nights ago for the first time. While not perfect, we enjoyed our meal. We didn't have a reservation, but there was no wait at 8:00 on a Saturday night. The interior was fine, but little things like chairs straight from a Super 8 buffet room made the room feel a little cheap. And it was very noisy when close to full. Our waitress was great. You got the feeling she truly cares if you had a good experience. At one point the bartender took way too long to make our cocktails so she jumped behind the bar and made them herself. The food was good. We decided to make a meal of several starters and salads. All were good, especially the beet salad and artichoke lobster dip. They apparently are not used to people ordering like that because all four or five starters came out at once rather than spread out a bit. But overall it was a good experience and we will go back.
(4)Heather D.
Not all that impressed. You can't make a reservation unless you have a party of 6 or more. I was told on the phone as my husband was dropping me off in front of the restaurant that it would be a 30 min wait. One minute after that, I put my name on the list and was told it would be a 45 minute wait. We actually waited 1 hour and 20 minutes to be seated. After we sat down and ordered drinks, they took 10 minutes to get to the table. My husband liked the surf and turf. My food was just ok. Not worth the long wait.
(2)Brad A.
We wound up at Marx at the recommendation of My Beautiful New Companion (at what point do I call her my girlfriend?), who grew up in this town, and whose family has lived here for generations. It's a favorite of hers, and I'm pleased to add my endorsement. Marx is amazing. It's not a big space, but the place is beautifully finished and decorated. Nice artwork on the walls, and the suspended lighting fixtures look fantastic. This is probably as classy a restaurant as you're going to find on Stillwater's Main Street strip. The wait staff was beautiful, gracious, and attentive throughout the entire meal. A nice selection of wines, beers, and other poisons. The food was superb - the preparation, presentation, and taste. During peak dinner hours, you can expect to wait, and for good reason. But even that is handled well - you give them your cell phone number, and you can roam about the town until your table is ready. If you're in a drinking mood, Whitey's across the street fits the bill very nicely while you're waiting for your table, if everything at Marx is filled up.. Reservations are taken for parties of 6 or more. And parking... well... this is Stillwater...
(5)J S.
Marx can be amazing, but also disappointing. I have dined there many times and had delicious meals, last evening was not the case. Two of our meals were delicious, two were not even close. The paella, at $34, was a huge disappointment-- tiny bits of 'bacon like meat', no chorizo to be seen, dry....:-( Our service was so-so, our server was 'slammed, while the other server (who we wished we'd had) was not busy at all. After spending $350.00 for 4 people, it will be hard to go back. There are many other choices in Stillwater.
(2)Ellen C.
This restaurant is charming, modern, intimate. Great place for a romantic date or just for a fun night out starting with a nice dinner. I got the ahi tuna special on basmati rice, as was HIGHLY recommended by patrons and the waitress. It was in a ginger sesame sauce of some sort. The tuna was very fresh, perfectly cooked, but I would've liked more seasoning on the actual fish rather than relying on the sauce to heavily salt the entire dish. The sauce was a little overpowering - it has a very strong sense of identity on that plate! All in all it was pretty good but for the price tag, I would be hesitant to order it again. Their pecan encrusted walleye that is the standard dinner menu looked amazing, as did their mahi mahi special on risotto. If I had special company or was bringing someone to Stillwater as a special occasion, I might come back to try out some more of their seafood. They have a lot of variety and it seems like all the quality of their fish are top notch. Keep in mind though, I"m more of a value kind of girl. Quality is high up there but it's gotta be pretty spectacular for me to think the value is there. The staff here though are FANTASTIC, which really helps amp up the experience.
(3)Alex C.
This place was amazing. The pasta noodles were homemade and delicious. Very impressive. The paella too was delicious and included multiple meats. We order beef carpaccio which was phenomenal. Would recommend to all. Our sever, Melissa, was extremely nice and friendly.
(5)Chia M.
Marx lives up to its great reviews and 4 star rating on Yelp. The service was quick and the food was full of flavor. The portions were more than generous. We were all able to bring home left overs big enough for a second meal. The Italian sausage penne was a cheesy delight with plenty of sausage mixed in. A little tip though would be to call for a reservation. We waited almost an hour for a table at 9pm. Between the bachelorette and bachelor parties and all the other visitors, Marx is quite the hot spot on a Saturday night.
(4)Chuck F.
I've eaten here a few times, the service is great, the food is even better! Bring an empty stomach and full wallet, well worth the exchange rate.
(5)Judd A.
Awesome place to go for lunch. Get one of the specials! You'll be glad you did. Also a fun place to go at night for martinis! High end but not snooty. Really cool atmosphere!
(5)Lorraine N.
My two friends thought it smelled like sour mop or urine upon entering and smelled it the entire time we were there-I had allergies so could not detect anything--plus I just had a couple strong drinks elsewhere. We all had a unique drink from the menu --Pimms cup was one and it had Gin in it but suprisingly tasted of cucumber--very light and refreshing. I had a strong and dark with jameson in it and it tasted like a long island iced tea. The other gal got a basil blueberry martini drink and it was good but a little on the sweet side. Drinks run approx 10.00 a piece here. The atmosphere was okay. I would try this place again.
(3)Brooke B.
Holy crap, is this place great! Decided to stop in for lunch with my dude and am I ever glad we did. We reviewed the lunch menu and decided to get one of the many delicious-sounding pizzas listed there. Then we heard the chef's specials. As our server described each one, no words were necessary--we knew we were nixing the original plan, we just didn't know which special to get since they all sounded amazing. We went with the jambalaya and a cup of the black bean/butternut squash soup to share. The soup was delightful and seasonally perfect for October. As For the jambalaya: I loved it. Perfect potency and balance of flavors here. I've never been to New Orleans, but my dude has. I asked him how this compared and he said it was just as good if not better. Being former Mayland residents, we were both impressed with the size and freshness of the scallops in the dish here in Minnesota, later finding out they have seafood flown in twice daily. Couldn't resist...had to hear the dessert options. We got the blueberry banana cheesecake. It had a sort of whipped, lighter texture than most. It tasted kind of like banana bread dough--absolutely splendid. We'll definitely be back.
(5)Kristine R.
Wandered in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 other patrons outside. Granted it was 1:00 on a Tuesday. Great, affordable lunch menu. I ordered the Caesar salad subbed chicken for anchovies, husband had pizza. Great portion size for lunch, both meals were up to par with the hype. Lost our server at some point, as the only people outside we wondered if she left. Manager/owner came out and finished up with us. Got the check and was shocked to see a $6 upcharge for chicken on my $5 Caesar. A little heads up would have been nice. Atmosphere and food would bring us back, would clarify any menu questions. 3.5 for lack of communication by our server.
(3)June N.
I like this place. Very cozy and great lighting. I ordered the chicken penne and it was so large that I had to take half of it home. Great bread and olive oil. Martinis are great there too!
(4)Caroline '.
I came here as a night out on the town away from my 1 year old... With a party of 12 all in the same boat, babysitters lined up, parents night out! I was highly disappointed! We had a reservation at 730 we didn't get seated until 815 and didn't get served dinner until 10:00! Food just got here... Food is wonderful! Drinks are wonderful! The management did end up comping half the entire tables bill, which did help and was much appreciated. I would give them one more shot but I was extremely disappointed .
(1)Ryan S.
Marx used to be our top spot in Stillwater. On previous visits the food was very good for the price and portion size generous. Our last experience was sub-par. The wait staff was not attentive and the food was bland and overly salty. I left feeling like I just ate at an overpriced Applebee's. Sadly, we won't be returning to Marx. It looks like Lolo's is the better bet in Stillwater.
(2)Scott I.
Marx has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is extensive and very well thought out. After dining there many times, I'm happy to say I've met Mark many times and can see that he is fanatic about giving customers the best dining experience possible. I highly recommend the filet, which is always delicious and tender. The mashed potatoes with reduction are great, and the little dollup of pureed carrots that are served with it are absolutely incredible. All of the pastas are very good as well, but my favorite is the one with vodka sauce.
(5)Sean D.
It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I think I've only had their specials too. The service is wonderful, the prices are fair and the quality of the food is outstanding.
(5)Sarah R.
Lots of great memories here! It's a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the patio is nice in the summer. For food, it's hard to go wrong. Every special I have ordered has been well balanced, rich, and beautifully plated. Their ingredients taste fresh and are prepared in such a way that brings out the flavors cleanly. There is light fare which is perfect for a snack with wine and heavy, rich meals are also easy to find here for those with bigger appetites, and for cooler winter months! Great area, too, as Stillwater has some charm.
(5)Alysha R.
Had a table of 12 with reservations, service was incredibly slow with drinks, and dinner was very late being served. I ordered the steak and the portion was disappointingly small. I also asked to skip the onion rings for additional mashed potatoes, that didn't happen. Someone at our table had to send her fish back twice to be cooked thoroughly. What I received was not worth what I paid. It was good food- not amazing drop your jaw good. However our server Katie was amazing and super nice, we loved her!
(2)Yolinda B.
Ate here last weekend. The service was good and so was the bread. The food in general not so good. The shrimp linguine dish came out as a big peach colored blob with the pasta over cooked and no garnish. It was quite bland. The cannelloni was a monster sized potion of thick green pasta and dry pork. Lastly the Caesar salad is not a Caesar, its lettuce with olive oil and croutons very bland. Gave it a try, won't be back. The inside of the place looks nice though.
(2)Paula R.
My husband and I generally enjoy Marx. We recently sat at the bar, ordered drinks and dinner then the bar tender spilled my entire drink on my lap and purse. He laughed and said he had depth perception issues. The other bar tender came over and started to wipe the floor apologizing. She asked if she should cancel our order.... We said yes and left. Now we go to Lolo's consistently. Maybe Marx should hire people who love the food industry and patrons.
(1)Ed L.
A piece of South Beach in Minnesota!! I am a Miami native and felt right at home.... Ambiance: Beautiful, trendy just like a South Beach bar. Young, vibrant, trendy crowd. Elegant and tasty decor. Service: Superb: The hostess, bar tender and waitress treated me very nicely and quick. Price: Pricey but well worth the money. Food: Gourmet.-big portions I had for starters a Bruschetta appetizer w/ apple slices-excellent for the entree Beef Tenderloin Filet Carmelized Onions- wow! out of this world for desert -banana crumcake with whipped cream The restroom puz zled me because there was no sink with faucets. I won't tell you the rest .:-) Eddy Campanaro
(5)Kate P.
We liked our dinner out at Marx. Good aps, unique menu items. I got the homemade papperdelle (love me some fresh pasta!). We'll be back.
(4)Bobby B.
Very modern and energetic. Very attentive service. Menu selection is an upgrade over other local eateries whom feast on tourists. Here you feel welcome as the crowd relaxes to light live music on Friday evening. One of the best in Stillwater.
(4)Mike C.
Stillwater is a great little town with many great places, but Marx is always awesome, so I decided to get on board and give them an honest review. We go to Marx about once a month and have always been more that delighted. The menu and the specials are always prepared to perfection, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Our servers are very kind, and take care of us whether they recognize us or not. I'm sure we will continue to stop at Marx for years to come. You won't be disappointed. Hope this helps other pick a great place to eat!
(5)Susan S.
The cannelloni is amazing, and so is the banana bread dessert. The bartender makes a fabulous chocolate martini. We drove down from the twin cities just to try this restaurant and were not disappointed.
(4)Carriann H.
I have lived in Stillwater for years and until last week had never eaten at Marx. I am definately going to go back. Since we have five kids we like going places where we can get away from other people's kids! (OPK) This is our new refuge in Stillwater. It's trendy and fresh and there are no OPK to make a fuss or say Mommy so many times that my head feels like it will snap off from thinking they're calling me. We had met another couple here for a special celebration dinner. We started with drinks, which included a watermelon martini with a huge slice of vodka soaked watermelon on it. YUMMMMM. We shared some apps. We ordered the duck confit and the flatbread. I am not a huge fan of duck in general, but this is the best duck I have ever tasted! The flatbread was a good as expected--warm and crunchy and savory. My "date" ordered one of the specials-Seafood Jumbalaya. It was packed with mussels, scallops, calamari, fish and prawns. It was spicy and really tasty. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken. They used the dark meat which made the chicken flavorful and moist. The presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat. But I managed. **grin** Shhhhh. I will be hiding here on date night. But don't tell the kids. Mine or OPK.
(4)Amy L.
I have only been to Marx Wine bar for Appetizers and wine in the bar, but I they still have a decent selection. The deserts are pretty tasty, but things are priced pretty high. The service was a little slow, but I went on a Saturday night and they were really busy. I recommend giving it a try at least once and see what you think for yourself!
(3)Joe M.
Place is awesome. I had the turf-turf-surf meal and my friend had the samon. Home run on both plates. We didnt know what to eat when we got there and we just asked people on the street and they said MARX is the best food in town. They all were right.
(5)Kelly S.
This is a great downtown Stillwater restaurant. I highly recommend it. It's small and quaint with a modern twist. I loved all the local art on the walls - good conversation starters. The serving staff were friendly and articulate. The food was marvelous and succulent. The only thing that could have helped the atmosphere more is by turning up the music to be above a whisper setting.
(3)Val B.
Marx was, in my opinion, just alright. I really enjoyed my drink and appetizers. The elderflower martini = great, plus they give you the shaker, meaning you get about 2.5 elterflower martinis. Dinner, which consisted of steaks for both of us, was just OK. We came in a little after 6 and expected a wait, but were seated within a few moments. The restaurant was, well, unreasonably noisy. But it was Friday night, so I wasn't expecting silence or anything At over $100 for two, I expected a bit more but still left full and satisfied.
(3)Ann D.
We stopped here for dinner during a girls weekend, and all four of us loved our food. The lobster artichoke dip was wonderful, the beet salad was divine (I've never had one before, but will definitely order again), my lamb chops were delicious, and I sampled my girlfriends Halibut, and another's pasta, and both were fantastic. Service was elegant. Beautiful place, beautiful food.
(5)Masil M.
I've been to Marx before for wine, but hadn't had a meal until this last trip. My three is closer to a 3.5 than a 3. The food was good. One of the specials was a fish duo that was done really well. The fish was cooked just right for me, flaky and juicy without having to rely on the sauce to keep its texture. The sauce itself was really nice, not too heavy and pretty good flavor. I tend to prefer foods with powerful flavors and I could have dealt with a little more punch with the flavor, but that's a personal preference. My companions enjoyed their food as well. The service was perfunctory. I would give this place a higher score if the service had been...well, it wasn't unfriendly or bad...it just felt like our server had somewhere else he really needed to be and wasn't super stoked on having a group show up. But I suspect this is not a regular occurrence. All in all, a solid 3.5.
(3)Ryan J.
This place has an awesome menu from top to bottom. The lobster artichoke dip is addicting. Pasta, shrimp, pork, sirloin - it's all quality food that's worth the price. The wait staff is patient and friendly. The only thing keeping it from five stars is the bar is not on par speed wise with the wait staff, but you should be taking your time having a romantic meal anyway if you order the expensive cocktails, no?
(4)Amelia K.
This is my first review ever- just had to be done. This place is ridic. I've been probably 5 times and am impressed every time. Love the ambiance (unsuccessfully tried to find their bathroom sink and put it in my new house), food is amazing and service never fails. I've been a vegetarian for 20 plus years and the veggie plate I had last Saturday is the best meal I've ever gotten in a restaurant. Just phenomenal.
(5)Alec W.
I was a little shocked by this place. The food was OK, the service was terrible. I didn't expect that walking in though. So we were here a week or so ago for lunch during a weekday. Our lunch was a little later in the afternoon so the place was pretty much empty besides a couple other patrons. You'd think this would mean excellent, speedy service, but no, that was not the case. I think we were there for well over an hour when what we really meant to do was just grab something quick to eat, but something we could still enjoy. Mostly I just remember the waiting and waiting. I had the pizza and there just wasn't anything to write home about. It tasted fine, but there was nothing I could point to and say 'Wow, that's really exceptional'. It's too bad, cause it looks like it should be a fun place to go, but ultimately, it was just a boring, bland, generic 'fusion' restaurant.
(2)Shari H.
Excellent service and amazing food! I grew up in Stillwater and Marx was such a welcome addition to the historic downtown area when it first opened, and is still the best place to go for dinner. It has a chic atmosphere, fun cocktails and amazing desserts, especially the cheesecake. Perfect for an intimate date night, girls night, a bachelorette party, or a great place to bring your parents on a day trip to Stillwater.
(5)Jonathon D.
Possibly the best restaurant in Stillwater. From the time we walked in the service was excellent, with a great band playing! They had several specials going on and our server was quick on it, could remember everything and refilled out drinks throughout the night. The surf & turf was wonderfully delicious! I could finish it all but truly enjoyed it!
(5)Lisa D.
i have never had a bad meal here. ever. i have also had exquisite service and drinks and desserts and...this is my favorite restaurant and i would go way more often if i could afford to!
(5)Patti I.
I live in Stillwater and visit Marx a couple times every year. The best thing on the menu--an item that often appears but isn't always offered--is the frutti di mare pasta in a bowl. It's a huge serving of spaghetti with marinara and assorted seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, whatever's in season. Some of the pastas are delicious but too heavy for my tastes. Again, the menu varies but if you see pasta with pistachios or pasta with vodka sauce, I suggest splitting with a friend. They taste good but the richness gets overwhelming. I've had a couple of excellent small steaks at Marx. I like to stick with the simpler ones like a sirloin with red wine sauce. Noise levels can be obnoxious. My cousin was visiting from the Napa Valley and I wanted to bring him to Marx for good cuisine. The food didn't disappoint, but my indelible memory of that meal was a loud, inebriated woman at an adjacent table (copious amounts of cleavage hanging out, lipstick smeared, verbal boundaries obliterated.) I'm not sure what the management is supposed to do when one party dominates the whole restaurant, but whatever it is, the Marx staff didn't do it. That said, usually the service is friendly and not stuffy. Marx can get crazy busy on weekends, so I try to eat there midweek.
(4)Shannon C.
We didn't love our table/in the bar and teeny-but the rest was fabulous! I had the pork cannolini & my husband had the Maui Maui special both were fabulous! Check it out when in the area. Good wine selection too & full bar.
(4)James C.
I was here with a friend Saurday Nov 10 2012 server might have been drunk .I was lunch we were the 1st people in the place. The waitress brought our soup the bread after we were done :O( then mixed you our food I am not sure I even got what I orders . Food was fair .:O( soup was salty .
(2)Andrew K.
It was a late lunch, and there were people sitting and eating in the place so I took this as a good sign. I've had some really great meals in Stillwater, so I tried my luck with a place I hadn't been yet. There are three major aspects to a dining experience; ambiance, service and the food. Marx failed on all three, to a degree that has shocked me into having to write a review on this site. So let's go down the list. The decor dazzles in a way that only a color-blind, manic schizoid choose. Of the dozen or so tables there was not more than a pair that matched in size shape or height. White Christmas lights, loosely wrapped in thin white fabric zig-zag over the main dining area. Bright orange Chihuly-esque lamps hang in a row, mirroring the arc of the crescent shaped bar. There are neon lights embedded in the surface of the bar that pulse in an oozing modulation while shifting through the shades of a simple rainbow. The walls are overcrowded with an array of massive, "modern art," so loud the obvious intent behind the scheme is to drown out or blind what the employees of Marx Fusion Bistro will subjugate upon the accidental customer. Upon seating, a drink list/ book was provided and water offered. The water arrived with menus and the server left. A few minutes later, the server reappeared (having avoided the one other occupied table in that section) and daily specials were read off. The order was taken at that time, yet the point-of-sale computer was overlooked for several more minutes after that. Some odd-sized chunks of bread surrounding a ceramic cup of oil, complete with a floater of a garlic clove and a single blade of rosemary arrived with side plates next. The bottle of balsamic was remembered soon after. At this point, I was growing nervous... so I took the initiative and flagged down the server since the menus were now gone and it was clear now I was not going to be offered the option to get a glass of wine. Some time later, the sole course arrived neatly arranged on a plate that had obviously been left to die under a heat lamp for a long time. When the silverware was dropped off, I was able to use the napkin to slide my plate over 7 or 8 inches so that it was now in front of me. Later, once I had had enough, I was asked if I would like a to-go container to which I declined, one came anyway. On a final note here, my server's attitude and demeanor as well as physical appearance were all quite pleasant, but a few years experience at a Denny's plus a bit of training from whomever is in charge of the front of house would greatly improve one's ability to the tasks of one's job in the correct order. And then, there was the food. Starting with the menu, there were three sections; Salads, Pizza's, and Pasta. I was struggling to see the "fusion" aspect of American Bistro idea of Modern/ Food Network Italian. Some of the cocktails have a fusion like quirkiness to the flavor combinations, that's the bartender. My dining companion ordered the beet/ bacon/ blue cheese salad. I had just had a salad for my previous meal, and I wasn't too jazzed about the pizza/ pasta dichotomy, but upon hearing the fish heavy specials such as a Fruits de Mer, some Scallop concoction, and a Asian themed Mahi Mahi, my interest was piqued. So, I opted for that last one, to witch my server replied, "That one's my favorite." Armed with an $11 glass of Chardonnay, I sipped slowly in anticipation. I was only told twice that my food would be out shortly. Then the big moment came. Off-center of the round, two little fillets overlapped each other, moored upon a mass of garlic mashed potatoes, under a hat of Asian slaw, and sauced with a thick translucent brown and speckled goo. Creeping around the rest of the plate was a series of vegetable piles; the first a stack of a half-dozen green beans, next a dollop of something orange, a single floret of broccoli, finally a fan of five snow peas. There was a lot going on on this plate that looked as if it was still listening to G&R while teasing the bangs of its mullet. And, it's well done. Not a little over - it's cat food. My server never asked for a temp, which I didn't think much of because who in their right mind would cook Mahi past medium rare for even the most squeamish diner? The sauce, basically a thinned out hoisin with a little ginger and sesame seeds. The garlic mash just okay. The veggies; raw but with some darkness at the tips of the floret, and no seasoning - blanched for a whole five seconds and finished via heat lamp, delicious! Not. Asian slaw was really just coleslaw with sesame oil instead of mayo with the addition of a hint of ginger and a sprig of cilantro for a garnish. When it comes to the folks at Marx, it is a tasteless (visual and culinary) philosophy of function follows form.
(1)Cortney G.
I love Saturday date nights. And Marx provided the perfect spot for a little vino and dinner on a Saturday night. The ambiance in the bar is intimate but not too secluded - aka you can still people watch while you munch on bruschetta and drink a glass of wine. Their tapas are fantastic. Dinner was more just ok - good but not over the top. Next time: wine and apps on the patio. Since it's on the river, I'm sure it'll be divine.
(4)Dayday S.
The place is nice looking, but the food was just horrible. The pasta was watery and undercooked, with sauce and ingredients that were not fresh, not properly seasoned and not properly cooked. The pizza was also not great- the crust was gluey in the middle, burnt on the edges. The sauce was sweet and thin, and the cheese was clearly low quality. There was no seasoning at all, just plain, low grade, not fresh yuck.
(1)Nicole P.
pleasantly surprised. Our party of 5 was seated immediately at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. The Potato & Yam Samosas were a hit, the Walleye Dumplings were pretty good, you could tell it was walleye. The warm goat cheese salad was tasty, the goat cheese was good quality but i would have liked it if the dressing and roasted tomatoes were warm as well. My dish of Seared Scallops was AWESOME. the scallops were perfectly cooked and i got 7 LARGE SCALLOPS i couldn't even finish them all. (usually i get stuck with 3 meager ones) The best dish was a special Sword fish over squash gnocchi with alfredo sauce. the worst dish was my dad's chipotle chicken, chicken was dry and there was hardly a chipotle flavor. Great service, little spendy, we were all satisfied and there were plenty of new flavors.
(4)Trou D.
Enjoyed another fantastic night at Marx's! Chef/Owner Mark was entertaining as always whether it be through his culinary expertise or his outgoing personality. My cousins and I were right at home - Thanks Kris, GM and others who added to an exceptional evening of cocktails and fun in Stillh2o.
(5)Suzanne B.
A fabulous experience all-around (for a second time). The food was amazing, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere enjoyable. My husband and I both had featured specials and found both meals to be delicious. We went early, around 5 pm, as they do not take reservations for parties under 6 people. A place we will go back to often!
(4)Nichole M.
The chef at Marx must think that adding any and all flavors to a plate constitutes "fusion" no matter how bizarre the flavor combinations nor how much they compete with one another. I was underwhelmed with the Blackened scallops I ordered. The blackening was much to strong and had to be scraped off to make most of them edible. The soba noodles were okay, but the garnish/side vegetables had curry seasoning that tasted TERRIBLE in contrast to the asian/teriyaki sauce (ironically those same curried vegetables were included in my husband's meal further convincing us there is no rhyme or reason how any of these "fusion" dishes are created). The only thing worth eating were the walleye dumplings. Perhaps happy hour with appetizers are the way to go and spend your dinner $$ elsewhere.
(2)Adam K.
My wife and I had dinner here just last week, in from out of town. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed when we arrived, but by the time we left, the place was jam packed. They don't take reservations so keep that in mind if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night (or anytime in the summer). Our server was very knowledgeable and explained the menu very well. To be honest, this place barely gets away with calling itself "fusion" food...there really isn't much fusion going on here, just a lot of simple, well prepared (and cooked) dishes. My wife had the beef tenderloin and I had the shrimp linguine, both were quite good and my wife's Mohito was so good I almost got one for myself...almost. The location of this place is perfect, right in the middle of the strip. Portion-wise you get more than enough which is the way I like it. The bathrooms are kind of unique....the washroom part of the bathrooms is a communal area in between the two doors. If you're really into wine you have to check this place out, everyone in the area raves about the wine selection. I've been to a few of Stillwater's culinary offerings and this is one of the better ones.
(4)JoeNLauren P.
Been there three times in the past two years or so, every time it's delicious but it does seem like each time it gets a little less amazing. Can't quite pinpoint what it is, maybe the service? Despite that, still a very solid place to go. Drinks have always been great, and the atmosphere is so cool. It gets quite noisy, so if that is an issue than I don't recommend a busy weekend night. The meal itself has always been really awesome. The walleye dumplings are solid! And I can never resist the curly endive and beet salad, it's so tasty. I've had their ahi special once and it was heaven on a plate. If I remember correctly, I had the tenderloin last time and it was done to perfection at medium-rare. Overall, a really great place in such a sweet little place on the river.
(4)Scott D.
The most incredible food on the planet~great place to eat relax and enjoy the good life
(5)Emily O.
The man & I decided to have dinner @ Marx for the first time before a surprise birthday party we were attending there. We arrived @ 7:00pm on a Friday evening. We were told the wait was 30 minutes so we settled up to the bar for some wine. The wine list was small, but of good variety. I ordered a blend after sampling 2 suggestions from the bartender. My boyfriend ordered what I would call a Man's Martini... :) Rye whiskey, anise, bitters, & something else that slips my mind. He loved it. It came w/ a martini shaker served straight up. By the end of the night, he had ordered another. The bartender was welcoming & attentive & I appreciate good service & entertainment @ the bar, but this bartender was a little overly involved in our conversation, chiming in @ every pause. It got to be a little much. We were seated w/ in 10 minutes - always a great surprise when the wait is much less than anticipated. We sat @ a high top table near the door, allowing us to be secluded, but people watch as well. For dinner, we tried the tuna tartare, goat cheese salad, & bacon penne pasta. The best pasta I have had in a long time. All the food was amazing. After dinner, we met up w/ our group & were seated in the back of the restaurant @ a long table. Service was attentive & paced accordingly to our group of 10. Ambiance is quaint & warm, a little crowded, but still functional. As Cortney S says: next time, wine & apps on the patio. :)
(4)A. R.
Been there a couple of times, to mixed reviews. Once, for lunch my friend and I went all out with entrees and wine, and had a wonderful dining experience. Recently, went there with my husband and ordered a bottle of wine, sitting at the bar. The server consulted a book to describe the wine to me, and when we ordered it gave us the world's worst bottle service ever. May as well have pulled out the cork with his teeth. He was also completely ignorant to the fact that we were on a date and enjoying each others company, as he decided to blare his commentary upon us all afternoon. But he gets away with that at his other job at a chain-restaurant, so I understand. I think that if I'm out to enjoy a bottle of wine at a bona-fide wine bar, respect your customer enough to hire knowledgeable staff. The food was pretty good this time as well, but the service left my skin crawling.
(3)hima s.
We visited Marx during a recent trip to visit my brother-in-law and his wife. It is located in the very cute town of Stillwater, just on the Mississippi River. First things first: I *loved* our server. LOVED. I was being picky about which wine I wanted and she happily brought me 3-4 samples before I made a choice. Second, the atmosphere was very quaint and homey. I was actually accosted at the door by a drunken patron who raved about the food. He must have recognized me as a first-time visitor (the brown skin may have been a clue). In spite of the hilarious welcome, our visit was a delight. Third, the food was fairly good. It was a bit rich for my taste, but that may be a regional difference. Here's what we ordered: - My sister-in-law and I both ordered the homemade pappardelle. The pasta was outstanding -- chewy, delicate, and perfectly flavored. The sauce was another story; that was overly rich and heavy. It actually separated when reheated the next day and the lovely noodles were left swimming in a pool of oil. That was a disappointment. - My brother-in-law ordered the penne with italian hot sausage. I almost ordered that too and was disappointed to see that it was topped with a heavy layer of mozzarella. Ugh. But he was excited about the cheese and happily ate it up. He was definitely a happy camper. - My husband ordered the beef sirloin. The plating was beautiful: a pile of mashed potatoes topped with meat topped with onion rings. Ok, that might sound weird, but it was actually pretty. It was simple, but good. All in all, a good meal. I am already plotting to get my brother-in-law and wife a gift certificate for Christmas!
(4)Jeff B.
Great bar and atmoshere. Food and service is very good. Nice place to dine with friends.
(4)Barry L.
This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I just celebrated a milestone birthday here this past weekend. I had the beef tenderloin, which was done to perfection. However, I've never had anything bad on the menu. I can also vouch for the scallops. The wine selection is also exceptional. We had a perfect bottle of pinot noir for $42. The wines by the glass are always fresh, never oxidized, which is impressive considering just how many options they offer by the glass. If you love pairing great food with great wine, you have to try this place.
(5)Kim K.
Paella was great. The meat platter had one item too salty, otherwise great.
(4)Vssj S.
I went to the Marx last night with my boyfriend. We had a server who was knowledgable about the menu and wines. They have great salads. We had a very good duck confit crostini to start. Also, shared a really good mahi mahi that was on special. For the price and quality of food, I highly recommend the Marx!
(5)John H.
We've been to Marx's several times over the last five years. Service and food were outstanding every time. It's truly a gem within the St. Croix Valley.
(5)amy z.
On our first night in Stillwater, we got there later in the evening and starving. The owner's of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place. The decor is very interesting and colorful. We ordered an appetizer, the samosas. These are the only thing I would order again. I had the beet salad and well .... had a hard time finding the beets. Also it was suppose to be with curly endive but it seemed to be more a mix spring greens. There was also bacon on it. Way too much bacon. (Yes I said too much bacon.) To the point that was all I could taste in every bit. P had the linguine with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly too bad it was swimming in the sauce which over powered the cooking of the shrimp. The pasta dish seemed more like soup. I don't think I would go back unless it was for the samosas.
(3)Shannon C.
Marx is officially the dining gem of Stillwater. Understated and elegant, this small restaurant is tucked into a prime space on Main Street. The lighting is romantic, the menu is robust and ingredients are primarily local, sustainable, often organic. We had an amazing dinner for two (2 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert for $120. The service was second-to-none, and the expertise of all who worked there was a treat to experience. When my boyfriend and I reflect on great date spots, this is always the first on our list....
(5)Jess R.
This was one of many stops as we did a progressive dinner around Stillwater and I am glad we stopped here. The food was tasteful, probably the main downfall was that one of the dishes (Tuna tartar) was chaotic. Too many flavors and the key ingredient seemed to get lost. I had the moz salad and thought it was seasoned just right and very fresh. As a non-seafood lover I might have had a hard time ordering if we had wanted to eat a full meal here. Every 'special' had a seafood element - a drawback for me.
(4)Bub N.
Had a seafood/pasta dish. Great meal. Will go back, for sure!
(4)Roger W.
I didn't expect much and didn't get it. We ordered an elderflower and pear martini and a bacardi "o" mojito both of which tasted great and we didn't feel cheated by the $10 price except for the fact that we could've had better drinks for the same price from Bradstreet in Minneapolis. Appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye dumplings which tasted great, but weren't amazing. We also had the teriyaki king crab and banana wasabi mash which was really amazing mix of flavors and we quickly polished it off. For entrees I got the surf and turf, which ended up being a large ribeye steak with an absurd amount of mushroom sauce over it completely overpowering any flavor the meat may have had. The surf was shrimp tempura with a sort of coconut curry taste to them. They were so much better than the steak however I only got 3 medium sized shrimp. I would've given up half the steak size for only 1 or 2 more shrimp. My date got the * Grilled Angus Beef Sirloin with Guinness beer glaze, bacon, roasted shallots & home fried onion rings which tasted better than my steak as the sauce was not as overpowering. Both steaks were ordered medium rare and were easily medium to medium well. Overall I'd recommend staying away from the steaks, but get some appetizers and drinks from this place. Oh the decor is a little too bright and the place is really loud and a good chunk of the tables are practically on top of each other. I'd recommend it for a group of 4 friends, but not as a romantic dinner. It was a little weird that there was no music as well.
(3)Peter N.
We had dinner plans elsewhere, but stopped in to watch Wisconsin play Arizona in the Elite Eight. We sat at the bar, which was comfortable. I had a basic Merlot which was great. They let me taste the wine first which was a huge plus. My wife had a Hendricks Gin martini which she enjoyed as well. We only ordered and appetizer - Duck Confit - which was really well prepared. It came on a crostini and the duck was very tender. Lee had a great time - the staff was pleasant. We'd definitely go again!
(4)Patti I.
I live in Stillwater and visit Marx a couple times every year. The best thing on the menu--an item that often appears but isn't always offered--is the frutti di mare pasta in a bowl. It's a huge serving of spaghetti with marinara and assorted seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, whatever's in season. Some of the pastas are delicious but too heavy for my tastes. Again, the menu varies but if you see pasta with pistachios or pasta with vodka sauce, I suggest splitting with a friend. They taste good but the richness gets overwhelming. I've had a couple of excellent small steaks at Marx. I like to stick with the simpler ones like a sirloin with red wine sauce. Noise levels can be obnoxious. My cousin was visiting from the Napa Valley and I wanted to bring him to Marx for good cuisine. The food didn't disappoint, but my indelible memory of that meal was a loud, inebriated woman at an adjacent table (copious amounts of cleavage hanging out, lipstick smeared, verbal boundaries obliterated.) I'm not sure what the management is supposed to do when one party dominates the whole restaurant, but whatever it is, the Marx staff didn't do it. That said, usually the service is friendly and not stuffy. Marx can get crazy busy on weekends, so I try to eat there midweek.
(4)Shannon C.
We didn't love our table/in the bar and teeny-but the rest was fabulous! I had the pork cannolini & my husband had the Maui Maui special both were fabulous! Check it out when in the area. Good wine selection too & full bar.
(4)James C.
I was here with a friend Saurday Nov 10 2012 server might have been drunk .I was lunch we were the 1st people in the place. The waitress brought our soup the bread after we were done :O( then mixed you our food I am not sure I even got what I orders . Food was fair .:O( soup was salty .
(2)Trou D.
Enjoyed another fantastic night at Marx's! Chef/Owner Mark was entertaining as always whether it be through his culinary expertise or his outgoing personality. My cousins and I were right at home - Thanks Kris, GM and others who added to an exceptional evening of cocktails and fun in Stillh2o.
(5)Nichole M.
The chef at Marx must think that adding any and all flavors to a plate constitutes "fusion" no matter how bizarre the flavor combinations nor how much they compete with one another. I was underwhelmed with the Blackened scallops I ordered. The blackening was much to strong and had to be scraped off to make most of them edible. The soba noodles were okay, but the garnish/side vegetables had curry seasoning that tasted TERRIBLE in contrast to the asian/teriyaki sauce (ironically those same curried vegetables were included in my husband's meal further convincing us there is no rhyme or reason how any of these "fusion" dishes are created). The only thing worth eating were the walleye dumplings. Perhaps happy hour with appetizers are the way to go and spend your dinner $$ elsewhere.
(2)Suzanne B.
A fabulous experience all-around (for a second time). The food was amazing, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere enjoyable. My husband and I both had featured specials and found both meals to be delicious. We went early, around 5 pm, as they do not take reservations for parties under 6 people. A place we will go back to often!
(4)Amy L.
I have only been to Marx Wine bar for Appetizers and wine in the bar, but I they still have a decent selection. The deserts are pretty tasty, but things are priced pretty high. The service was a little slow, but I went on a Saturday night and they were really busy. I recommend giving it a try at least once and see what you think for yourself!
(3)Joe M.
Place is awesome. I had the turf-turf-surf meal and my friend had the samon. Home run on both plates. We didnt know what to eat when we got there and we just asked people on the street and they said MARX is the best food in town. They all were right.
(5)Andrew K.
It was a late lunch, and there were people sitting and eating in the place so I took this as a good sign. I've had some really great meals in Stillwater, so I tried my luck with a place I hadn't been yet. There are three major aspects to a dining experience; ambiance, service and the food. Marx failed on all three, to a degree that has shocked me into having to write a review on this site. So let's go down the list. The decor dazzles in a way that only a color-blind, manic schizoid choose. Of the dozen or so tables there was not more than a pair that matched in size shape or height. White Christmas lights, loosely wrapped in thin white fabric zig-zag over the main dining area. Bright orange Chihuly-esque lamps hang in a row, mirroring the arc of the crescent shaped bar. There are neon lights embedded in the surface of the bar that pulse in an oozing modulation while shifting through the shades of a simple rainbow. The walls are overcrowded with an array of massive, "modern art," so loud the obvious intent behind the scheme is to drown out or blind what the employees of Marx Fusion Bistro will subjugate upon the accidental customer. Upon seating, a drink list/ book was provided and water offered. The water arrived with menus and the server left. A few minutes later, the server reappeared (having avoided the one other occupied table in that section) and daily specials were read off. The order was taken at that time, yet the point-of-sale computer was overlooked for several more minutes after that. Some odd-sized chunks of bread surrounding a ceramic cup of oil, complete with a floater of a garlic clove and a single blade of rosemary arrived with side plates next. The bottle of balsamic was remembered soon after. At this point, I was growing nervous... so I took the initiative and flagged down the server since the menus were now gone and it was clear now I was not going to be offered the option to get a glass of wine. Some time later, the sole course arrived neatly arranged on a plate that had obviously been left to die under a heat lamp for a long time. When the silverware was dropped off, I was able to use the napkin to slide my plate over 7 or 8 inches so that it was now in front of me. Later, once I had had enough, I was asked if I would like a to-go container to which I declined, one came anyway. On a final note here, my server's attitude and demeanor as well as physical appearance were all quite pleasant, but a few years experience at a Denny's plus a bit of training from whomever is in charge of the front of house would greatly improve one's ability to the tasks of one's job in the correct order. And then, there was the food. Starting with the menu, there were three sections; Salads, Pizza's, and Pasta. I was struggling to see the "fusion" aspect of American Bistro idea of Modern/ Food Network Italian. Some of the cocktails have a fusion like quirkiness to the flavor combinations, that's the bartender. My dining companion ordered the beet/ bacon/ blue cheese salad. I had just had a salad for my previous meal, and I wasn't too jazzed about the pizza/ pasta dichotomy, but upon hearing the fish heavy specials such as a Fruits de Mer, some Scallop concoction, and a Asian themed Mahi Mahi, my interest was piqued. So, I opted for that last one, to witch my server replied, "That one's my favorite." Armed with an $11 glass of Chardonnay, I sipped slowly in anticipation. I was only told twice that my food would be out shortly. Then the big moment came. Off-center of the round, two little fillets overlapped each other, moored upon a mass of garlic mashed potatoes, under a hat of Asian slaw, and sauced with a thick translucent brown and speckled goo. Creeping around the rest of the plate was a series of vegetable piles; the first a stack of a half-dozen green beans, next a dollop of something orange, a single floret of broccoli, finally a fan of five snow peas. There was a lot going on on this plate that looked as if it was still listening to G&R while teasing the bangs of its mullet. And, it's well done. Not a little over - it's cat food. My server never asked for a temp, which I didn't think much of because who in their right mind would cook Mahi past medium rare for even the most squeamish diner? The sauce, basically a thinned out hoisin with a little ginger and sesame seeds. The garlic mash just okay. The veggies; raw but with some darkness at the tips of the floret, and no seasoning - blanched for a whole five seconds and finished via heat lamp, delicious! Not. Asian slaw was really just coleslaw with sesame oil instead of mayo with the addition of a hint of ginger and a sprig of cilantro for a garnish. When it comes to the folks at Marx, it is a tasteless (visual and culinary) philosophy of function follows form.
(1)Dayday S.
The place is nice looking, but the food was just horrible. The pasta was watery and undercooked, with sauce and ingredients that were not fresh, not properly seasoned and not properly cooked. The pizza was also not great- the crust was gluey in the middle, burnt on the edges. The sauce was sweet and thin, and the cheese was clearly low quality. There was no seasoning at all, just plain, low grade, not fresh yuck.
(1)Nicole P.
pleasantly surprised. Our party of 5 was seated immediately at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. The Potato & Yam Samosas were a hit, the Walleye Dumplings were pretty good, you could tell it was walleye. The warm goat cheese salad was tasty, the goat cheese was good quality but i would have liked it if the dressing and roasted tomatoes were warm as well. My dish of Seared Scallops was AWESOME. the scallops were perfectly cooked and i got 7 LARGE SCALLOPS i couldn't even finish them all. (usually i get stuck with 3 meager ones) The best dish was a special Sword fish over squash gnocchi with alfredo sauce. the worst dish was my dad's chipotle chicken, chicken was dry and there was hardly a chipotle flavor. Great service, little spendy, we were all satisfied and there were plenty of new flavors.
(4)Cortney G.
I love Saturday date nights. And Marx provided the perfect spot for a little vino and dinner on a Saturday night. The ambiance in the bar is intimate but not too secluded - aka you can still people watch while you munch on bruschetta and drink a glass of wine. Their tapas are fantastic. Dinner was more just ok - good but not over the top. Next time: wine and apps on the patio. Since it's on the river, I'm sure it'll be divine.
(4)Adam K.
My wife and I had dinner here just last week, in from out of town. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed when we arrived, but by the time we left, the place was jam packed. They don't take reservations so keep that in mind if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night (or anytime in the summer). Our server was very knowledgeable and explained the menu very well. To be honest, this place barely gets away with calling itself "fusion" food...there really isn't much fusion going on here, just a lot of simple, well prepared (and cooked) dishes. My wife had the beef tenderloin and I had the shrimp linguine, both were quite good and my wife's Mohito was so good I almost got one for myself...almost. The location of this place is perfect, right in the middle of the strip. Portion-wise you get more than enough which is the way I like it. The bathrooms are kind of unique....the washroom part of the bathrooms is a communal area in between the two doors. If you're really into wine you have to check this place out, everyone in the area raves about the wine selection. I've been to a few of Stillwater's culinary offerings and this is one of the better ones.
(4)JoeNLauren P.
Been there three times in the past two years or so, every time it's delicious but it does seem like each time it gets a little less amazing. Can't quite pinpoint what it is, maybe the service? Despite that, still a very solid place to go. Drinks have always been great, and the atmosphere is so cool. It gets quite noisy, so if that is an issue than I don't recommend a busy weekend night. The meal itself has always been really awesome. The walleye dumplings are solid! And I can never resist the curly endive and beet salad, it's so tasty. I've had their ahi special once and it was heaven on a plate. If I remember correctly, I had the tenderloin last time and it was done to perfection at medium-rare. Overall, a really great place in such a sweet little place on the river.
(4)Scott D.
The most incredible food on the planet~great place to eat relax and enjoy the good life
(5)