Don't come here on Sunday before dinner time if you don't want brunch. Everything on the menu had eggs in it and i just didnt feel like it, so I was forced to eat lobster mac and cheese, the only thing without eggs, other than a burger I think, which I also wasnt in the mood for. HOWEVER, the lobster mac and cheese was heavenly, and after I took that first bite, my experience went from bad to wonderful.
Review Source:I can't give an in depth review since I did not try any of the food but I definitely get the sense that Exchange Street Bistro is a cut above most of the restaurants in Malden Square. The bartender was absolutely friendly and helpful in making a recommendation. The tap selection leaves a little to be desired but with Blue Moon available, that can be forgiven.
Review Source:My mom and I decided to host my sister's bridal shower here on a recommendation from someone who was hosting her rehearsal dinner here...and I'm so pleased that we did!
We met with the general manager, who put us completely at ease and made it so simple to plan the event that we wanted. Â We knew that we wanted to have a Friday night shower (who wants to go in the middle of the day and waste a weekend?) and that we wanted it to be cocktails and appetizers. Â He couldn't have been more accommodating for the amount of people we were planning on having and the event that we wanted to have.
The night of the event was great. Â We had our own private room, with a server that was specifically for our party that would get us drinks from the bar. Â Our menu consisted of a cheese and fruit platter, beef teriyaki, chicken, feta and grape skewers, pulled pork sliders, margarita pizza, bruschetta and chicken wings. Â The way that they displayed the food was so nice and classy...no cheesy metal burners here! Â Everything came out fresh and hot and was gobbled up by everyone. Â My favorite (or what I got to sneakily eat in between greeting guests) was the beef teriyaki and pulled pork sliders. Â They were SO yummy and felt like upscale bar food.
I can't say enough great things about this place! Â The parking is so convenient too, if you're hosting a larger group (as we were) since they offer free validation at the garage next door. Â The martinis are great (very strong!) and the staff is so nice. Â If you're looking for a classy, fun place to host an event, look no further!
I could've sworn I did a review for this before, but alas, here's my review with my update.
Last year I went here with friends and I had a Lychee Martini, some amazing food I can't remember, and a chocolate tower of some sorts which was so rich. Â The service was fast and friendly. Â My only beef with this place is that I booked it through Open Table and they never confirmed that I went there. Â It took me three months to get a hold of them maybe three or four times, just get this done. Â They finally did, but it was super inconvenient.
I went here last night with Jess and they had really upped their game. I had some sort of mock-cucumber martini, which was way to strong, but Jess' passionfruit mojito was great. Â We shared bruschetta and the polenta and honestly I nearly died - when I said we shared, it means I at most of the polenta because it was that orgasmic. Â For dinner, I had the butternut squash ravioli which was rich and creamy and I can't wait to eat my leftovers. Â Jess had the lamb dish which she loved - so big she also has leftovers. Â For dessert we shared (evenly) the vanilla bread pudding which was OMG so amazing.
I love this place, I really really do. Â I think If I ate here all time I would be 500 pounds. Â Go here, try the lobster mac and cheese, do a review, then die a happy death.
Exchange Street is a classy little gem in the heart of sketchy Malden center. Don't let the exterior surroundings fool you, inside it is well decorated, has wonderful staff, dim but not too dim lighting, & a martini list that will knock your socks off. As a vegetarian, they offer a fair amount of veg options, which is also definitely appreciated. Overall, definitely worth a visit if you're up for venturing out to Malden!
Review Source:Finally got a chance to try this place out. Came in for lunch and I liked that the place wasnt packed. We were able to relax, talk and catch up not feeling like we were being rushed out, like some places during lunch.
We ordered the brocolli rabe and provolone spring rolls with mustard sauce. OH MY GAWD. Best idea ever, soo delicious!
Friend got a clams and fettucine with white sauce. really tasty.
I got the burger with sweet potato fries.
portions here are big. so be hungry or not surprised to take food home!
staff is friendly and very nice.
I took a look around and I like how up front it has a bar/lounge feel. In back, it's a little more private and looks like it'd be nice to have dinner there! Definately will be back, but for dinner :)
I was so surprised to find food this good and atmosphere this wonderful in Malden! Â We ordered appetizers and entrees, and every bite was incredible. Â Also, the night we were there had live entertainment of a singer/guitarist. Â The wait staff was friendly, the food came out fast, and everything was delicious. Â Conveniently located near the Malden enter T stop, this place is definitely worth a try.
Review Source:I so want to give it 4 stars BUT, the mussels (tasty, plentiful) cost hubby the next day of work. He ate 9/10th of them. I had just 2 or 3 so only a very slight morning surprise for me.  He got the whole wrecked-day.  Service was very good & cocktails - great. The other food items (calamari, spring roll) generous & well prepared.  But should I blame the place for the mussels? Honest, I'm not sure  it's anyone's "fault" but it's hard not to blame the kitchen.  It just may take a while for the memory of the one bad meal to fade.  Maybe the basil gin cocktail will help with that?
Review Source:Manager is rude and borderline insulting. He acts like doing his job is a favor to you.
"Waitress" Michelle was unfriendly and unprofessional. I guess she didn't know her job is to service us; every request was received with an eye roll. Â
Food and drinks were great - just don't ask for more than your server wants to bring over.
I stepped in here for the first time ever for a takeout order so I didn't have the In-House experience. Â The decor of this place is nice, very stylish and appears to have a great bar. Â
My review is based primarily on the food quality really, Â I ordered the "Exchange" Steak Frittes dish and while the steak was tasty the meal itself was lacking. Â For $20 I got 4-5 small pieces of steak which didn't fill me up at all. Â The sweet potato fries were soaked & soggy instead of crisp since they were topped with watery baby arugula. Â The arugula was fresh and good but again because of the quantity of food provided I couldn't give a review over 3 stars for my experience. Â I'll likely come back for drinks but I'm on the fence for having another meal here especially since my appetite is about average.
LOVE this place as it never disappoints. Truly a "hidden gem" in the heart of Malden - Â Exchange Street Bistro has saved us many times from driving into Boston in order to find comparable quality and service (and parking is easy). Today I ordered the lunch tapas special which was their best yet - AMAZING - so I just had to rave about it! The food is creative and fresh and their specials are exceptional. Great value, great service, great food and a great local bar/night life. Â What more could you ask for? Â Oh yeah, love the new look and live music!
BTW's, I rarely write reviews - only when the place is really worth it!
This place had mediocre, over priced food. They publicize coupons on phone apps such as Valpak, but when the bill comes they do not honor them. Â After speaking with the manager Rich, and even the owner John Carlino, they made it clear to me that they had no interest in customer satisfaction. Â I was told to "take it up with Valpak". Â They apparently need a printout version of the coupon...from a phone app...where it clearly says present this barcode on your phone to the server??? And this is my issue to take up with Valpak? Â Good luck to this establishment run by blowhards serving up crap.
Review Source:Call me a sucker, but I love when I get to update a review to add more stars.
Exchange Street Bistro, you've had some work done and it looks goooood.
Decided to give ESB another shot, so my boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night for dinner and drinks. Made a reservation via Opentable, no issues when we arrived. I specifically asked for a seat in the front (bar) room as to avoid the hypnotic vibe of the booths in the dining room.
We were seated in a little booth by the bar and we realized the place had a totally new look! The bar was moved and is now a horseshoe shape, much bigger than before, and a great spot for having a few drinks with friends or a date.
The dining room is updated, also -- more open and much more well-decorated than before.
Decor is great and all, but food and bev is the moneymaker, and both of those were MUCH improved, also!
I got the wedge salad - great - the chicken quesadilla - very good - and the apple cider martini -- faaaabulous! I couldn't even eat the quesadilla because the salad was so filling and delish. The quesadilla was exactly as it should be - chicken and cheese and not a whole lot else, unlike many others that are filleddddd to the brim with grilled veggies (not my thang - if I want a veg quesadilla, I'll ask for one!).
Overall, a WAYY better experience than before! Can't wait to come back with friends!
I've been to Exchange Street Bistro several times now and am happy to give it four stars. It's got great atmosphere, friendly staff, a varied but not over-the-top menu, fancy enough for a date night out but casual enough for jeans and a day of comfort. It's on the pricey side for Malden, but that's the point--it's good food. Treat yourself and come here for the lobster mac and cheese. You won't regret it. There are cheaper alternatives like the angus burger which is also excellent.
Some things to note:
* They have a lot of great specials, including $1 tapas that your server will tell you about and seem to change with each visit.
* I don't like sitting in the booths in the back room because the fabric is dizzying and the lighting is very unflattering--especially for a date (picture interrogation room lighting above your head)
* Avoid the <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestuaraunt.com&s=12111e58b06a3c2e0aa97860d115a84634a6d50e9f5337465d5b595320ae681d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restuaraunt.com</a> gift certs to this place. Way too many conditions. Just go and enjoy yourself. Sometimes they have groupons for it anyways.
*They validate parking at the garage directly across the street. But it's also T-accessible from the Malden Center T-stop (about a 5 minute walk).
Exchange street Bistro is tucked away in the most unattractive part of Malden! but it truly is the highlight of the area! I have been here on numerous occasions both for lunch and dinner and have always had pleasant service and delicious food. the menu is classic but offers an inspiring modern twist on some of the most traditional dishes. their wine and martini list is a stand out on it's own.
Trish that usually works lunch time is very friendly and professional, i have always received best service from her.
Good food, bad service (i.e., Thomas). Â
I had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> gift cerificate for this place, so I took three of my coworkers to lunch. Â I read the fine print many times just to be sure that there were no "catches," and it seemed that a lunch where four people were getting entrees would work. Â We just had to spend at least $35, and we couldn't include drinks in the gift cert amount. Â
So we went in at 12:00 on a rainy Tues. Â No one was in the place. Â We were greeted by Thomas who seated us, and right off the bat he had an attitude toward us. Â I complimented the place saying that it looked great and that they had changed the decor a bit. Â He said, "It's been like this for a year." I jokingly replied that we should go there more often. Â He didn't see the humor. Â
Then we got water, looked at the menus, and when Thomas came back, we showed him the gift cert and asked if it was ok to use it. Â He said, "No, you can only use these with dinner." He hadn't even read it. Â I told him that I had read the fine print, and that it appeared as though we could use it for lunch since it didn't say "dinner only." Â
He said that we had to order at least $35 worth of entrees. Â I said that we'd planned on each getting an entree. Â He said, "No, you have to have at least two entrees that equal at least $35." Â I then said, "Yes, but your entrees are all around $13. Â How could two equal at least $35?" He then said rather snippily, "Yeah, that's why you have to use it at dinner." Â We told him that it really should say that on the gift cert; it's misleading the way it's written. Â He then sighed and took it. Â
We ordered over $45 worth of food, which was very good: gnocchi, pizza, and a chicken pot pie. Thomas brought our meals, and did not say much nor did he smile. Â (Really?? Really?? He has to take it out on us? The restaurant was still very empty; there was only one other table in there by this point. Â Didn't he need our business, I thought to myself.) Â It was all very sad and a bit annoying. Â
So we finished our meals and paid the bill. Â We noticed that he had added an 18% gratuity on the bill. Â I understand that that's something that <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> does since many people don't tip on the original pre-discounted bill but end up only tipping on the reduced amount. Â So we paid the bill and left. Â
I really don't understand those kinds of things. Â My husband and I use groupon, living social, and other gift cerificates and coupons to restaurants all over Boston and Cambridge, and we've never had an experience like that. Â This guy was taking his frustrations out on us. Â It definitely doesn't make me want to go back there. Â Malden has a few good restaurants; I will go to those places instead from now on.
I have since fallen in love with this place and come here often alone or with a buddy. Â They do change their tapas menu often so if you fall in love with something it may be gone in a few months. Â They also changed their tapas time frame which I LOVE!!!!! It's now from 4 pm till close still at bar & lounge. Â They do not have any drink specials though but it's fine because the food choices make up for it. Â
I did have dinner with some friends not too long ago. Â I ordered beef wellington from the prix fixe menu. Â I have never had it before so I had no idea what to expect and have no comparison. Â It was good very tasty and the pastry was nice and flakey. Â It is something I will order again.
Ok... I've lived in Malden for... over a year now? So, how is it that I had no idea about this place?!? Sure, I'd seen some of the coupons that would pop up on the valupak thing that comes in the mail every once in a while, but I had no idea what a diamond in the rough this place was. People, I think we need to start giving Malden some more credit for the restaurants it has!
We were entertaining guests that weekend and were trying to figure out a good place to go for Sunday brunch. The usual was out, and we needed a plan B. Enter yelp to save the day. After mulling over some of the usual suspects, this particular place kept catching my eye. Once I found out people felt there was amazing french toast to be had, I was sold. We promptly trekked over and were shocked. This restaurant is beautiful. Worthy of downtown Boston. And, it's in Malden. Kudos. Everything glistens like its brand new, with a catwalk leading you from the entrance to the hostess station where you'll get a gander of the pretty, green-lit bar.
We arrived around noon, and were seated immediately. Soon after that, our party ordered the breakfast burrito, an omelette, the eggs benedict, and the french toast. Oh... and we sort of got our morning drink on, too. (The chambord mimosa is where its at.) Everyone was stuffed and no one was able to finish. The only downside was the wait between putting in our order and getting our food, but it was certainly well worth the wait.
Ugh. I want to write a great review for this place, but... ugh.
We went to Exchange Street Bistro for a celebration birthday dinner last night and had a great time - until we got our entrees. Â But, I'll start with all the good.
The decor is great. Â Very chic and intimate. Â There are tables in the front and back of the restaurant - back of the restaurant has booths that create the feeling of having a private dining experience. Â The front of the restaurant, even though the tables are somewhat close together, still has that intimate private feel.
The waitstaff was fabulous. Â From the hostess to the waitress to the owner (or manager, I didn't ask), everyone is attentive and friendly. Â A+ customer service.
The selection of wine is pretty decent, especially considering the restaurant is known for their martinis. Â We got a bottle of Shiraz that was delicious. Â And the martinis? Mmmm! We saved our martinis for after dinner - I had an Espresso Martini that was to die for. My dining partner got an Iced Pumpkin Latte Martini that was unbelievable. We savored every sip. Â Delicious.
Ok. Now onto the food - my reason for the low review.
We ordered a whole bunch of food and none of it was particularly great. Â Considering the prices, I was expecting much better food.
To start, we got a caesar salad and the coconut shrimp. Â The caesar was just ok and the coconut shrimp was pretty good - nothing fancy, even though it was presented as a fancy dish.
For entrees we ordered the special - a hanger steak with scallops, twice baked potato, and asparagus, and the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. Â The filet had some sort of demi-glaze, but I've forgotten what it was.
And this is where the disappointment starts. Â I have never sent back a dish or even considered doing so, but when I saw my steak I was super bummed out. If it wasn't a Monday night and I had more time for dinner, I would have sent it back.
I was expecting a filet and the cut of meat I got may have been a filet... but it was definitely a terrible cut of meat. Â I asked for medium and my meat was gray inside. Definitely overdone. The scalloped potatoes were ok. Â The asparagus was the best part of my meal.
As for the special? Â The twice baked potato was delicious, but the scallops were way overcooked. The hanger steak was cooked poorly, medium rare in some places, well done in others. Ugh.
I would suggest going to Exchange Street for drinks and atmosphere, but avoid the food. Â Overpriced, overcooked, and a total disappointment.
What a bummer - I realllllly wanted to love this place!
As mentioned Exchange Street Bistro is a total hidden gem. I have now been there twice, once for brunch and once for dinner. Â I DO need to come in and start working my way through the Martini menu. Luckily I work very close by.
I have not had the issues that others have had with the service. The staff has always been super nice and accommodating. Quick and responsive. One tip that I noticed is that if you or anyone in your party orders an appetizer, you MAY want to tell them to not wait on the entrees. They don't like to rush you, which is great. But I did see some bar patrons get antsy about this.
I look forward to many visits to come
The problem: Â The front of the house is doing their kitchen a huge disservice.
We go for dinner. The food is terrific. All of it. Why two stars?
Let's start with a strong chemical odor that hits us as we come through the door and never lets up. Follow that with Nurse Ratched approaching our table. We recoil. We order a bottle of wine. She brings the wrong vintage. We point out the error. The vintage offered is unavailable. (The wine list has never been updated.) We order a different wine. Meanwhile, we get an edgy visit from Schlubby the Manager. He's dressed like he's just come from the gym. "It's all the same juice", he argues.
This is going down in a place decked out to look swanky and advertised to be fab. (The interior is cool...in a cookie-cutter sort of way. Pussy willow branches, the usual mod "teak" dividers, lots of booths, a back-lit bar.)
All the while, GREAT food lands on our table, though we cringe every time Ms. Brassy Breeches delivers it. Otherwise? The martinis are good. Oh, and you can giggle over the misspellings in the menu as you inhale chemicals and are assaulted by the staff.
If I worked in that kitchen, I'd be furious.
For the love of PEPPERONCINI MARTINIS!
Man. I like wine, and I sure as hell like my beer- but hot damn. Their martinis make me want to pop in a whole season of Sex and the City! All of a sudden, I feel an urge to go into chick-overdrive mode when I hold a martini glass. Is that weird? Do most girls feel like that? Anyways... if you enjoy Dirty Martinis, this will absolutely make your night. Actually, all their drinks will, they have an enormously great selection.
It is also one of the best places to meet up with friends. The decor and music is very trendy and the bar and crowd are always lively at night. Malden has come a long way since I grew up here! One of the best dishes I've had there was the livers that's sauteed with onions and other scrumptious and savory ingredients. It's served on sweet, dense pieces of brown bread. I think there's even some cinnamon in it (clever, you). The flavors work together so well. Note that there is also happy hour here, I think from 4-6ish that includes $1 oysters.
The service has been great every time. During Friday and Saturday nights, it gets pretty crowded, so there may be a wait if you come in late. You could always be safe and make a reservation as well.
Two sets of two words:
Pepperoncini Martini
Do it.
I was here for lunch on a Monday. My drink was good- they have an extensive cocktail list - and I thought the food was great.
We started with hummus - some of the best I've ever had. Hummus is one of those things that's gotten kind of de riguer and bland at parties and on nosh platters, and normally I pass. But this was very, very good, and served with a mint pesto.
The house salad was nothing super special, but fresh and tasty.
My Kobe burger was delicious and cooked rare as ordered, and came with perfectly cooked, kosher-salted, totally addictive fries. Is it just me, or are restaurants doing better with fries these days? Quality fries made for gluttonous stuffing. burp.
I really shouldn't have finished them all, because we sat there drinking and eating and also ordered dessert. I ordered the house made ice cream sandwiches. So - they overdo this a bit. They are chocolate chip cookies of average size, filled with a ice cream: Some chocolate, some vanilla. They gave me SIX. Â SIX, seis, 6. Sigh. I ate one, and licked some of the ice cream out of the other ones.
Being raised as the menopause baby of Depression Era parents, I had pangs of guilt all the way home for wasting those other chocolate chip cookies.
Aside from that, I look forward to coming back again to try the dinner menu.
Jesus Christmas, the Wellington neighborhood is boring! Â Strip malls and half-assed chain restaurants will give you some bang for your buck, but when all is said and done, the experience feels like you've stood in line at the supermarket. Â Blase, sir! Â Blah Say. Â A brother wants to be in walking distance of good neighborhood eats and the Wellington neighborhood is not that.
So my girlfriend and I decided to venture out to Malden Center for some local culture and cuisine. Â It's not quite walking distance, but the T can trick a man into thinking the ride was part of his stroll. Â We invited 2 friends, investigated Yelp for places to go, decided on Exchange Street Bistro and off we went. Â
Our friends drove and found ample parking in front of the restaurant at 6pm on a Saturday. Â We almost passed the front door as it looked like part of the exterior wall. Â "Better to keep away the riff-raff" I thought. Â Inside, the restaurant was classier than I had imagined, definitely leaning more to the Bistro side of the name than Exchange Street. Â High ceilings, deep burgundy walls and some friendly hostesses asking if we had reservations greeted us. Â We were immediately seated in a booth that made us feel totally separate from the rest of the small crowd and our waitress came by momentarily to make us feel at home. Â She was sweet, knowledgeable and, most importantly, human. Â There was nary an R to be heard in any word spoken. Â Toto, I think we are in Malden. Â Thank God.
We started with drinks. Â The drinks at Exchange Street Bistro are huge. Â These bowls that the staff referred to as Martini glasses might hold a quart of liquor. Â Needless to say, we were big fans right away. Â My companions chose martinis from the vast drinks menu and I had the Bourbon Manhattan. Â The Manhattan was standard. Â I wish I asked for less Vermouth, but then again, I should just start asking for a bowl of chilled Makers Mark with some fruit in it.
The apps were good, but not great. Â To be honest, I hate Broccoli Rabe, so the Broccoli Rabe Spring Rolls hardly tempted me. Â Interstingly enough, when it is called rapini in the pork chop main dish, I eat it like its being taken away from me. Â Go figure. The Korean Barbeque Spare Ribs with their sesame glaze tasted like run of the mill Chinese food to me, but I am not a huge fan of Asian cuisine. Â I think this paragraph describes more the cost I paid to eat where I wanted to than the actual meal. Exchange Street does not offer psychological help on the menu, but I am sure the friendly wait staff would listen.
The main courses were much better. Â I had the Frenched Center Cut Pork Chop with roasted Delicata squash, vinegar peppers and sauteed rapini. Â The pork chop was succulent, tender and juicy in a rather large portion. Â The few peppers were delicious, but only made me wish there were more on the plate. Â The squash and rapini were excellent sides, with the rapini offering a hint of garlic and the tender Delicata offering a nice flavor and change of consistency. Mwah! Â Delish!
My compatriots had no complaints about their meals really. Â The Ahi Tuna was adequately portioned and disappeared in a matter of moments. Â The Veal Saltimbocca featured 2 big pieces of veal with cheese over them. Â It looked good and was boxed up for a highly anticipated breakfast meal. Â The Eggplant Napoleon was "too cheesy", but very good otherwise.
I will go to Exchange Street Bistro again as the $200 price tag was okay for the amount of food we received. Â Thanks Exchange Street Bistro for making my awful neighborhood a little more acceptable.
I'm so sad the old chef left. When we first started to come here - it was SO delicious and the menu seemed to change frequently (which I like). The mussels with julienned veggies and garlic toast was to die for, but alas - it is no more.
We have gone back maybe 3 times since the (original or at least last chef) left and all 3 times it's just been ok - pretty boring forgetttable meals.
The menu has been the exact same (except specials) all 3 times over a 10 month period and nothing really stands out that much. The mac and cheese - meh I can make it better at home. The steak - I've had better at so many places. the braised short ribs - I've had SO much better elsewhere. It just felt like the quality of food went downhill and so did the flavor (it was bland).
I do have to say the drinks are fun and tasty (lots of specialty martinis) and a decent wine list. Also the servers have always been friendly, but occasionally on the slow side to bring dishes/refills.
Suffering from what seems to be an identity crisis, the Exchange Street Bistro is a 'see and be seen' establishment nestled smack in the midst of one of the busiest areas of Malden, right down the street from the Malden Center T stop and next to a bunch of closed businesses and a bargain hair salon. Â Â Signs for valet parking seem quite out of place, though certainly adds to the mystery surrounding the beautifully designed storefront.
Once inside, customers simply walk down the long, narrow path and their dining adventures will soon begin. Â It's hard not to notice the amount of activity surrounding the bar that's in the middle of the entire place. Â And there you have the Best of Malden - and yes, I do mean the cougars too - all placed around that bar drinking their days away with the charming (but expensive!) drink and specialty martini menu. Â And while much of the place seems to partake in its own battle of the bands (jazz music blasting from one end, televisions blaring with sports games at another end), your ears will be most attuned to the people at the bar, as with anywhere: as they get drunker, they get louder.
With all the hustle and bustle and bizarre eye candy, I almost forgot that I was there to eat - though in a way, I wish I had. Â The "tapas" appetizer tasted fantastic and came out rather quickly (which may, of course, have been the first indication that something was not quite right) and for $20, it's a steal for two people looking to share all sorts of goodies from teriyaki chicken to mussles to spring rolls. Â And the regular dinner menu and specials all were pretty mouthwatering at first glance. Â Lobster mac and cheese, seared scallops with vegetables, and baked penne with sausage with a pomodoro sauce all stood out to me as potentials, and I went with the penne and sausage. Â
My first question to any server when it comes to an entree that can go either way is if the sauce or the meat are spicy. Â I can't stomach spicy food - what is just reasonably spicy to some will pretty much put me out for the count. Â So seeing the words 'sausage' and 'pomodoro sauce', I had to ask. Â I was told that it was absolutely not spicy and I did not give it another thought.
My penne and sausage looked absolutely delectable and I was thrilled that I chose that over the lobster mac and cheese, though I certainly tasted quite a bit of it across the table. Â A few bites in, though, I realized that the sauce was a little bit spicy. Â Â I got about a third of the way through and I felt like I had eaten five times as much. Â My stomach began alerting me to the fact that things were definitely not OK. Â And to make things worse, fruit flies were rummaging around the table and trying to make friends with my food. Â
I am sure you can probably see where this is going. Â Poor me, I know. Â You're playing the tiniest violin for me and I do appreciate it. Â But my experience with Exchange Street Bistro certainly was more than just the unfortunate incident with the spicy or the undercooked stuff. Â My general blahs towards this place is based primarily around the fact that it's a really weird restaurant and I got the impression that they're a little too eager to make the place chic and frou-frou that they forget the basics: Â good, honest service, clean surroundings, and fresh tasty food will get you far.
Stopped in here for lunch. Somewhat limited menu for lunch choices, but good choices over all. Only three beers on tap, one of which was Bud Light (which barely qualifies as a beer).
Really tasty broccoli rabe and mozz spring rolls with a zingy sweet mustard dip. Tomato basil bisque was exceedingly smooth and decadent.
I ordered the beets and greens salad w/ lemon dill dressing as my meal and was really pleased. My boyfriend ordered the burger and was a bit disappointed. The burger was WAY to large for the bun (a dinner roll sized ciabatta bread) and tasted like plain old ground beef, no seasonings from what he could tell. His plate was redeemed a bit by the super crisp wedge fries, coleslaw, and homemade tasting mayonnaise.
I avoided this place for MONTHS, fearing another, "good...FOR MALDEN" experience. Â But finally I popped in with friends for just dessert a few weeks ago and have to say we were pleased with everything we ordered. Â We had a bread pudding and a berry shortcake and both were tremendous (size and flavour). Â I also really enjoyed my espresso martini--sweet but not cloying. Â We all did agree however, that a place in Malden has no business charging 10 dollars for drinks. Â It just doesn't. Â Not when the best scene and best drinks in Cambridge are available at the B-Side for 7-8 dollars a drink.
I will go back for dinner and am hoping beyond hope that the rest of the fare is as good as the desserts we had.
I give the food a 4 star but the service ehh 2 stars, landing Exchange Street Bistro at a 3 star.
The food is pretty good, especially for a restaurant strangely dropped in the middle of Malden. I got the tuna steak which I tricked my friend who hates seafood into trying. She quickly yelped. "this is the BESSSSST meat i've ever eaten!" Little does she know it wasn't exactly farm raised.
Wow!
Seriously, I sometimes have to cringe when I tell people I live in Malden. Â For me it was a choice of close enough to the city with a sic ass commute for work 30 minutes north. Â I have the best of both worlds. Â But honestly, there was never a reason to chilll in Malden on a Friday night because I thougt it didn't have anything to offer.
Exchange ST Bistro brings some bling to Malden for sure. Â If you live in the area you need to peep this place. Â It's pricey, no doubt. Â But they can definitely back the price.
Ambiance is fantastic - if you didn't know you were parking on a side street in an ehh part of Malden you wouldn't know your were in Malden. Â Kind of like a time warp. Â Woooosh...holy crap check this place out, dimly lit, loungey, nice music, attentive staff. Â Okay, Okay me likey. Â The waitstaff is so sweet....ahem....and I must admit we did have a hottie for a waiter. Â I'm just sayin.
Dinner - I had the Grill and chill: Â A freaking 5 star BBQ Ribbs, chicken, sausage, corn on the cob, potatoe salad and a slab of watermelon. Â Mmmm Mmmmm. Â Never had a nice BBQ'd chicken that peeled apart and melted in my mouth. Â Now this is finger lickin gooooooood. Â Dessert was Creme Brulee - BOO effin Yah! Â Well poured drinks and standard price.
It was such a nice loungey feel to it.  I'm very impressed especially since I've been so against chilling in Malden.  I also liked te manager takes the time in midst of your  dinner and check things out.  Very peronable and a nice touch.
Probably the first time I'll ever say it's worth driving through the city rather than making it a night in  it.
THRILLED!
This is by far my favorite restaurant, in Malden - maybe even Boston. Its a great restaurant with a beautiful trendy vibe, and gorgeous decor. The martini list alone is worth going for.
In fact I went several times just for the martini list, until one night i decided to order dinner and it completely blew my mind! The Big Chopp and the Salmon where unbelievable (my mouth is watering just thinking about it) i have also had the duck, as well as one of the Tapa's chefs specials. Service has always been impeccable.
I frequent this bar and I must say, I have NEVER been disappointed. What a fantastic operation, its worth every penny!
Decor was great, although the restaurant seemed a little out of place. Your view at the dining area is the local dry cleaner and the parking lot of Super Fitness.
Food was unexciting and nothing to rave about. The oyster Rockefeller- it's just a green soppy mess and they could of at least shuck the oysters all the way out of the shell. We had to scrape the sauce off and then use our knife to try to pry the oyster meat off. The sirloin and the filet- Meat was tough and a little chewy, however the filet was drowned in a sauce that I wish it wasn't. Â
Price, I thought was a little steep for what you were getting. I could of paid the same amount at the Great Bay and got a better view with a better meal.
Alcohol- martini list was very good. I would return for drinks and not dinner.
Overall, I would come back just for drinks at the bar and not for dinner. That was disappointing after all the hype I kept on hearing about this place.
I just came in from a business lunch at Exchange st and let me tell you it was very nice, this brand new contemporary large bistro had easy parking, bright colors, and comfy booths. I had the lemon pasta with grilled in season vegetables. We started with the Asian spring rolls. Warm bread, ice tea, and great service. The bar looked very inviting too bad I couldn't have a 2 martini lunch but I might stop by after work for a libation.
This kind of place is long overdue in Malden. I will certainly be back.
I moved to Malden recently and was afraid that I was moving into a town of average ehh restaurants. As I moved in to the neighborhood a new restaurant was opening, Exchange Street Bistro.
It's located in the center of Malden so parking was very easy.
The food was awesome. My friend compared the Lobster Ravioli to making  love where your partner spends an hour on you doing what you like most.  I want to know where she finds these lovers.  I know some of the guys she dated. I don't know if she was saying the Ravioli were better than any sex she has ever had.  Anyway the Ravioli were very good.
We also shared had the Eggplant Napoleon. Another home run. Â Very yummy. If I would have had this by myself I would have had enough to take some home for lunch today. Â
The prices were very reasonable for the quality of the food. I have paid more for food that wasn't as good. The wait staff and everyone was so friendly and nice.
They also have some very good martini's. Â Loved the olive in the pear martini.
This is one place I can bring friends to without having to say well it's good for Malden...it's just good for any where.
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