Exchange Street Bistro

Exchange street was always one of my favorite restaurants. The menu got a little mediocre for a while but seemed to have improved lately. Went there last night and got the fillet medallions. Delicious. There was a butternut squash au gratin. It was also delicious. Almost finished the whole meal when I realized there was paper in the au gratin. Like a paper wrap for storing and heating. Or possibly to line the bottom of the pan. I ate some of it. I showed the waitress. She brought it to the chef who apologized and sent desert and a port wine. It was a nice gesture but I was surprised no one actually came to talk to us. It was a $ 30 plate. Not a cheap meal. I didn’t want it to be free. And told the waitress that. Just surprised the manager or chef never bothered to come and talk to us.

I was pleasantly surprised by Exchange Street Bistro. Putting my faith in my local Malden friends, we came here for a celebratory dinner for many of us. I’m a Boston lover and am convinced that there’s not much going on outside of the city — especially when it comes to food — but I may have been proven wrong.
The three of us were sat immediately at a comfortable corner booth where I had the chance to take in the ambiance and the other patrons. The crowd here doesn’t necessarily fit the «above average but not upscale» feel of ESB, but what may be lost in crowd is made up in service, drinks, food, and presentation of all of the above. Our waitress was incredibly pleasant and very attentive. She educated me about the menu (it was my first time) and made my meal decision quite easy. Before we got to food, though, she brought out our drinks, all unique in their own way, whether it was the beverage itself or the glass (in my case — mason jar) that it came in.
We all received our meals in a timely manner soon after our drinks, and I was not disappointed in my dish. Because I love carbs and seafood, I went for the Lobster Mac & Cheese. For $ 26, it wasn’t a large dish, but it was packed — PACKED — with chunks of lobster. Every single bit, right down to the last one, had a piece of lobster in it. Many restaurants skimp when it comes to this territory, and ESB did the complete opposite.
You will undoubtedly receive a high quality meal and drink for the pretty penny you spend at Exchange Street, but know in advance that you can’t necessarily shake the Malden-​feel from this Malden establishment.

Came here with a coworker after work one day and we enjoyed a great appetizer that was quite filling. Chicken quesadillas. We also enjoyed our entrée meals which I felt were very full on the plate, which is a good thing. Had a few good drinks and the environment was very nice that night. The waitress was also friendly. Thanks!

Great food, service and atmosphere! Bistro burger, fish tacos, haddock all delicious. Never disappoints.

Martinis are out of this world!!! My favorites are the espresso & banana nut bread! Dangerously delicious, seriously! The atmosphere is great, staff is always attentive. No complaints about the food. It is a bit pricey for Malden but a great night out!

Had a great brunch there the other day; just a couple of good, solid, interesting dishes. We ended up splitting among several of us the broccoli rabe spring rolls, the special (shortrib) omelette and the bread pudding french toast and enjoyed them all.
Really want to call them out for how well they dealt with a vegan member of our party — we wanted to have brunch in the Malden/​Melrose area and had a hard time finding an accomodating place. At Exchange Street Bistro, our friend ended up getting a fantastic custom vegan breakfast, at a really good price, and the waitress handled everything very quickly and respectfully. It’s nice to know we have a place in the area that will work for everyone, so we’ll be back!

The food was great and came out on time. The first drink I ordered was really bad, so I asked to order another one. I was willing to pay for the one I didn’t like, but the waiter looked annoyed and seemed snappy with me.
The atmosphere is nice but the bathrooms could use updating.

I have been here for dinner and lunch and it is pretty good place and nice service.

I have never been disappointed at Exchange Street. I even had my rehearsal dinner here and everything was perfection!
Brunch, Amazing.
Tapas, Delicious.
Lunch and Dinner, Top Notch!
Desserts, Out of This World!
Martinis, I dare you to go somewhere else and find a bigger better selection. You can’t, don’t try. Just go to Exchange Street.
On top of all of this, the service is outstanding. Always. There is always someone to greet you, seat you, smile. The servers are great, they are quick and friendly and the bartenders are fun, energetic and can really make a mean drink!
I love Exchange Street and have for years.

Excellent Martinis! Christina the bartender makes an excellent thin mint martini! If you get the chance to have her make your drink do it! Amazing.

Exchange Street Bistro is amazing! I have been there on multiple occasions for a drink at the bar, to dine in or for an event i.e. bridal showers. The private room which you can rent is great and there are many menu options to choose from. I’ve had my sister’s surprise birthday and bridal shower here and the staff is very accommodating and helpful.
The quality of the menu just keeps getting better. Cheers to the chef! I love how they change the menu a couple times a year. They always offer great options for a wonderful price and the best sellers usually stay on the menu. They also have the best martinis in the area, the list is so extensive that it’s hard to decide on which one you want to try first. Highly recommend the Cucumber Elixir made with Hendricks, fresh muddled cucumber, Elderflower, lime juice, and some white cranberry juice. So refreshing and delicious! Strawberry Basil Gimlet is also another favorite.
Service is always phenomenal. The servers are great, but I prefer to sit at the bar and hang with the bartenders. Everyone is really attentive and not ‘in your face’ when they check on you.
Location is very convenient. Just a short walk from the Malden train station on the orange line. Lots of street parking also available, if not. the parking lot is validated and just a short distance away.

The food is fine. nothing particularly outstanding.
My son in law went up to the bar to order 2 drinks. He asked what was their «well rum» (house rum) and the female bartender said «OH! What are you a college kid… You dont want the well. Mind you this wasnt said in a teasing way. it was meant offensive and taken that way. My son in law is a very mellowed natured guy, who gets along with everyone. He felt she was belittling him. After she poured the drinks she exclaimed «thats $ 15.00 plus TIP.
Who asks for a tip? Not appropriate.
To top it all off when he took the drinks to the table there was a fruit fly in one. He took it back up and the bartender began to gripe about the mess it would cause to give him money back. Mind you… she hadnt taken what he’d left on the bar yet… so really it never went in the till.
According to 2 bartenders we asked it isn’t uncommon for dirty bars to have fruit flies in the vodka. One of the drinks was a vodka base.
Cant prove it but it is likely to have been in the vodka not the glass. Either way… YUCK!

The Exchange St. Bistro was hopping on a Saturday night. Known for their menu of Martinis
we sampled the extensive wine list. The food menu included a large unique choice of appetizers. The Roast Sugar Pumpkin Salad was great. The lobster mac and cheese was really satisfying. The scallops and risotto was plain with a bland taste. We will return.

Wanted to try a new brunch spot and I came across this one… saw decent reviews and figured what the heck?
I ordered the everything omelette and my boyfriend got the smothered breakfast burrito. The eggs in my omelette were super fluffy but all the veggies and meats had fallen out and we’re pretty much separate. The home fries and cornbread were the best part of the meal. The home fries were seasoned perfectly and the cornbread was sweet and soft and tasted homemade. The smothered breakfast burrito was tasty too… but didn’t put me in the mind of breakfast. It’s was basically a pulled pork burrito with eggs added inside. Meh.
I was kinda disappointed that I heard the waitress giving the table next to us the «daily specials» that weren’t on the menu and we had no knowledge of. She mentioned a short rib omelette that sounded interesting. I just wish she would’ve informed us of extra options being that the menu wasn’t that lengthy to begin with.
Basically it was ok. Is it worth a try? Sure why not. Am I dying to go back? Not really.

Went here for a bridal shower, but I was extremely impressed by the food. Who really expects great food at a bridal shower? The selections were brunch-​focused with scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes, fruit salad, Belgian waffles, and a chicken, broccoli, ziti Alfredo dish. Breakfast standards were all solid: the bacon was crispy, the eggs were fluffy, the fruit was ripe, and the waffles were cooked to perfection; I especially liked the addition of a fresh-​made whipped cream and fruit sauce to the standard syrup topping. The real star for me was the pasta dish. While I love an Alfredo CBZ, I always find it bland and in need of much pepper. Exchange Street Bistro’s rendition, however, wanted for nothing. I found it a bit heavy on the garlic, which I love, but beware, and seasoned to perfection.
The restaurant layout and décor was nice and slightly trendy. There are several rooms in the back that can be cut down or expanded for events or overflow seating, and there is a generous bar with televisions.
I would certainly go back here for brunch, lunch or dinner to sample more.

Excellency from service to main course.
Would definitely recommend this place.
I had the chicken wings with coconut cream dipping sauce plus Shrimp Fradiavolo.
Delicious

First time here and was impressed all around at the friendliness of the staff, the quality of the drinks and the quality of the food. For a place that focuses on Martinis they have a great beer and wine selection. The awesome bartenders crank out Martinis like its nobody’s business, if you sit a t the bar its entertaining.
I had the burger which was cooked to perfection and very tasty. The fries were awesome as well. Good place for a swanky feel in the Malden area.

Best dinner ever. So we came in for oyster. That was fantastic. Our server (Amanda)was amazing. So we moved on to the 3 course pre fixed menu. We had the risotto and beef stew (soup of the day). Our server (Amanda) recommended that we do that. So we can try both. Was a great idea. Then dinner came and we were full but it was so good we love that too. The sirloin and the seafood scampi. Pictures below. Great price too.

Exchange street is my go to restaurant. The food is excellent, I haven’t found anything on the menu I don’t like. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. I’ve been to a couple of family events catered here (birthday parties a and graduation parties) and had a great time and good food. They’re drinks are amazing, I favor their sangria (both the red and the white). I’m also a huge fan of their bistro wings.
I definitely recommend exchange street bistro.

If you’re big on ambience, or as the French say, ambiance, Exchange Street Bistro might not be your bag. It’s very Malden, in that there’s a TV for every five heads, the cocktail list is a cornucopia of (FILLINTHEBLANK)tinis, and the furniture could have been pulled from the higher end of a dormitory catalogue. I did say the higher end!
But I didn’t come here to eat the seats, or watch the game. I came to grub. And the food is delicious.
Calamari has a thicker, cornmeal coating which wasn’t greasy, and the cephs were cooked tender. She liked the lemony tartar; I stuck with the pomodoro sauce for a dipper and the whole shebang is bountiful, almost killing our entrée appetite. Or as the French say, entrée appétit.
Opted for a sausage flatbread ($ 14), which proved itself to be a multi-​mealer, especially following the squid. Pretty sure I saw signs of a bready, toasted crust under the veritable mountain of house made crumbled sausage and ricotta, but maybe that was the plate. Don’t know, don’t care — if it was the flatware, then I ate a plate. And I liked it.
The scene? Not my bag. The food? My bag. A strong 3.5 with a round up for value!