We drop in occasionally and have always found it solid, so we booked Exchange St. Bistro for a brunch after my mother's funeral. We expected 50 - 60 people. More than 85 showed up. The staff didn't miss a beat. The food, venue and service were all just excellent. I really can't say enough about how accommodating they were. Everyone raved. We'll be back more often. read more

Great spot in the city! Amazing meatball appetizers!!! Cool outdoor patio area with kickin Martini's!

Very good service from Dee who was bartending and serving - very helpful as this was my first visit. Oysters were very good as was the onion soup! The pork chop was good but was a bit too sweet for my taste - the vinegar peppers were hardly noticeable- not a bad dish but not a great dish. read more

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Good food with good portion size, pleasant service, casual but nice atmosphere and reasonable prices. Enjoyed my bistro burger which was prepared to order and great fries. Across our party we tried a good variety of the menu with appetizers from the short rib arancini to PEI mussels and steak frites to burgers to pasta. Everyone enjoyed the appetizers and their entrees. read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Bistro burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

They changed the whole menu way better before!. The burger was amazing before sucks no flavor wont be returning

Came here ~40 people at work. Reservation for a space for 1.5 hour. Lunch buffet of pasta, chicken, salad, appetizer, dessert, and drinks. Service was excellent. Waitress was attentive and nice. Food was good but not great. When a party is planned in a private space this is a great choice. I would not come back personally for food. read more

Traditionally one of our favorite places. We have our shower coming up here, but may need to re-think. We got seated around 445. We did not get waited on until 505 or so. The place was virtually empty. A Sunday afternoon full of rain. We ordered two drinks. Both of which took 15 plus minutes to get here. We got the pumpkin martini and the pistachio martini. The pistachio martini came out dark blue. The waitress told us multiple drinks got sent back tonight. Unfortunately, so did this. Every drink we got tonight, she had us try to make sure it didn't need to get sent back. For an appetizer we got the brie. To our surprise, it came out cold. Typically it would come out oozing. Another let down. For our meals we got the chicken quesadilla. It was terribly dry. We also got the pasta. This lacked seasoning and quite frankly, tasted like nothing. The tuna tartare was very good. Extremely well done. All in all, we are having trouble recommending this place anymore. Service is subpar, drinks are both not made properly/take 15-20 minutes to get (please try heading here and you'll surely see!), and the food lacks consistency. Hoping this was an off night. We have been going here for 8+ years. read more

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This is tough because exchange street is either amongst the best food/service you can get or it is so bad you refuse even a to go bad for your fully uneaten plate. It doesn't lean one way or the other. It's evenly a hit or miss I have lived down the street for years and come many times since it's open on industry nights in Malden and for the price I find this lack of consistency appalling. It is expensive. And if you go on a good day it's worth it. If you don't? You'll want to sue. Ambiance is nice ish. If you get a table, waiters service is also rocky. I've had multiple instances, not just one, where the host seats us and we wait 30 min for a server before just leaving. But if you're at the bar? Bartenders are all superb so great and the only food that has been consistently good is the bar tapas menu you can't get at the tables. My bolognese was so overcooked the pasta was in pieces when it got to me and just moving it around broke it into baby food mush or teeny tiny pieces so it was literally inedible. The chili garlic shrimp at the bar was made definitely with just sweet and sour sauce and chili flakes so so obviously but it was very very yummy. I'd recommend that dish for sure. The arancini are just okay and the meatballs are definitely very good. read more

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Came to brunch here on a Sunday and had a nice experience. The servers here are friendly and the prices are good! I didn't have much of an appetite so I ordered a French onion soup which I enjoyed! I also loved that they give complimentary cornbread too. read more

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Food and service is fabulous in this hidden gem of a restaurant. Right on Exchange Street in Malden with a varied menu of exquisite entrees. Fabulous bar menu and best Martinis anywhere in the Boston area. I highly recommend it in the management is so willing to accommodate your private functions as well. Five stars in my book. read more

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Had a girls night out at Exchange Street. I will hold high on my words, they have the best martinis in the area. They have an extensive martini menu, it got a little smaller within the last year but it is still amazing. We started with the drink special which is a great deal, it was a fall apple cinnamon drink (yum). My friend then had the strawberry shortcake and I had the pomegranate, both delicious! We shared the chicken quesadilla and the calamari, I really enjoyed the calamari with the hot peppers. Service was great, she was very very attentive and patience, we were yapping and weren't ready yet for the next round. When we got there the bar was full and the dining room was not as busy. It was a great girls night, this place is always my top choice for suggestions! read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Chicken Quesadilla, Crispy Calamari, Strawberry Shortcake drink and Pomegranate drink - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

This Malden hot spot is the place to be on a Saturday night. We made a reservation earlier that day, and I'm glad we did bother to make one because it was busy. Once seated, we were brought warm bread with sweet butter. YUM! We devoured this right away, and later on they offered us another plate of bread with butter. YES PLEASE. Exchange Street has an impressive martini list, but we ended up going with the February cocktail special, Perfectly Peared Up, which was essentially a prickly pear margarita. The drink was good, and you can't beat $5. For food, we ordered the short rib arancini, crispy calamari, gnocchi, and duck confit pizza. My faves were the pizza and gnocchi. The buttery sauce the gnocchi came with was great to dip bread into. This ended up being way too much food for us, so we happily took home leftovers. Service throughout the night was very friendly and a good pace. Overall, Exchange Street is a solid spot to go with a variety of people. Prices are reasonable, and everyone is bound to find something of interest on their food & drink menus. read more

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We went here for a night out without the kids. The environment is a little more upscale than your average place, but not too pricey, making it a great date night spot. Since we had a sitter we easily placed a reservation online, which was good since the place was full when we arrived at 6:30. What I really enjoyed was that when I say "full", I mean that the tables were taken and the bar area was full. The tables were nicely spaced and you didn't feel like you were on top of the next one. We had the charcuterie board which was a little lacking, mostly fruit and meats with a little cheese. It was a good amount for 2 people, but if we came with other folks I'd go for a second appetizer. For dinner we had the eggplant Parmesan and the steak frites. Both tasted very good and had good portion sizes. The steak was done perfectly and the fries were crispy. Overall we'd definitively go back again. There were a few things on the menu that were tempting so we'll have to try something new next time! read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Eggplant Parmesan - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

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I wanted to share a wonderful experience that we had yesterday for my Dad's funeral luncheon. We had a private room in the back for 25 people. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Our waitress Jess was attentive and made sure that everyone was well taken care of. What impressed me the most was the event prices were very reasonable, and the amount of food was impressive. There were plenty of appetizers and the cookie plate for dessert was plentiful. I would highly recommend you try the Exchange Street Bistro for your private event. Gina O. read more

I had a bereavement lunch here the staff was excellent can't say enough about the amazing food and service. Highly recommended. They did 18 meals all weee excellent, not one complaint or mishap which is highly unusual in this day and age. Kudos to them read more

Good food and good service, but $4.25 for a glass of soda water? Seriously?! Total RIP OFF...

Exchange street is a great Friday/Saturday night spot for drinks and food. Malden is a tough spot to find parking but right across the street from Exchange is a large garage. The lychee martini, Santa's Spiced Eggnog cocktail of the month, and the expresso martinis were great! Also, the bread pudding to end the night was perfect :). The server brought us an extra drink off the bar because they made an extra, what a treat! A bit loud for the places we like to go to but luckily we got a spot in the corner which allowed for great conversation without interruption from the other guests. Highly suggest this spot for their next night out in Malden!! read more

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Always a great time at Exchange Street! The atmosphere is great, I've had awesome service, and the food is amazing. This time, we started with the arancini and I got the short rib with truffle mac and cheese and my boyfriend got the streak frites. Everything was great, the truffle mac and arancini were especially good! Portion sizes are large enough to have leftovers to take home. They also do a $5 cocktail of the month, this month it was a spiked eggnog drink which we both loved! If you need parking, Exchange Street also validates the parking garage across the street. read more

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This was a graduate reservation for my sister in law with a party of 7. This place looks amazing. From the outside to the inside. Unfortunately it was raining so no outdoor seating at the time. Kari was our server and she was great. She was attentive including two other servers pouring constant water for us. To our food. I had the Duck Confit and I was shockingly surprised how good it was. The cheese pull was amazing to see and crust was great. The Duck was seasoned beautifully. Server mentioned that the Margherita Pizza and the Fig & Prosciutto are the most common picked. However, I went with my sister in laws choice and later on, I'll choose the other two pies because I will definitely be back. read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Duck Confit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

Just had a lovely meal at Exchange Street Bistro. The food was great and everyone was so nice, especially Shy who took care of me. Thank you! read more

Went to Exchange Street Bistro in Malden on Wednesday January 15 2025 with Mom and her group we started off with a cup of beef stew it was the soup of the day Then we had the Bistro Burger with Cheddar cheese, Tomatoes, Lettuce, a pickle on the side and French fries Everything was excellent I recommend this place Located at 67 EXCHANGE STREET MALDEN MA read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Bistro Burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

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Recently had a luncheon for 40 people in a private room. We ordered the buffet with salmon and baked haddock, red bliss potatoes and very fresh mixed vegetables. All food was excellent, servers were great, right on top of everything. The make your own sundaes was a hit with everyone. Thank you to all involved in getting this great meal together. read more

I had my baby shower here and it was great. John made sure it went smoothly and was a pleasure to work with. Made the process very easy. Both waitresses (Jessica & Johanna) were so kind and attentive. We went with the brunch option & the food was so good especially the chicken broccoli and ziti. We got to take the leftovers home also which they packed up for us which was much appreciated. The price was very fair and better than most local options with a function room. There was garage and off street parking which made it very convenient for guests. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to have a party or function. read more

I frequent this restaurant a lot and have been for the last four years. there with my ordered some food. The food was put in incorrectly by the server. Because the food took too long I decided I didn't want to eat and waited for my daughter to finish her food. The rude manager came over. with a horrible attitude and proceeded to tell me they took the appetizer off, but I myself ordered my food wrong and in that instant I got upset and told the manager excuse me, this was a server error and you will take this off my bill long story short, very rude no class very confrontational over an issue. That was a mistake on the on the companies end. I put a note on the bill of how rude the manager was and to show you how classless she was. She came outside as I was waiting for my Uber and became now confrontational about the same issue that happened in the restaurant.. she shouldn't be a manager. She shouldn't even be a lead. because she good example I can only imagine what she does for her employees. tacky and classless jobs need to pick a better people. WAY to confrontational for a manager job and I know you can't be paid that much to be a jerk. 10/8/25 read more

I love coming here...it's one of my favorite places in Malden! What I love the most is the ambiance to make it what you want. It can be a formal dining spot, date night, pregame spot, etc. It's nice on the inside and I like the variety between booths or tables. They also have a bar where you could sit and be more casual. Sometimes you have to wait a few minutes for a host but it's never long of a wait. When I've gone on weekends, it tends to be more packed which speaks to its popularity. Their drink menu is great and has a wide variety. You can tell that they are quality as well! I have a few favorites like the Malden, the Mint Chocolate one, and then of course the Undone Piña Colada but there's something for everyone. Their food menu offers appetizers, soups and salads, main courses (meat and seafood included), pasta, and pizza. The sides on the courses are matched up well too. Logistical things: There is street parking (metered) It is wheelchair accessible as they have a ramp leading up to the host desk and then you could request an accommodation for the table In the summer, they have a small outdoor area right in the front of the restaurant Prices are fair in my opinion based on the quality but can definitely rack up quickly The staff is pleasant Drinks made in 10 mins or less, food also came out quickly I'm sure I'll be back but definitely recommend read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Undone piña colada, steak frites with Garlic Parmesan Fries and arugula salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

This is a great spot for dinner and drinks in Malden. We went on a Saturday and it was pretty busy so it definitely helps to make a reservation. Shortly after we were seated, they brought over fresh bread and whipped sweet butter. Bread and butter is my bread and butter so needless to say I was into it. We ordered the short rib arancini, the gnocchi and calamari to start. The gnocchi was definitely a stand out, really great combination of sweet and nutty and savory, while the short rib arancini wasn't my favorite. We also got the duck confit pizza, which was delicious. The duck went really well with the manchego. All told, it was way too much food but we took home leftovers, so totally worth it. Great place overall! read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Calamari, gnocchi, and short rib arancini - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

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This place is hot garbage. My old fashioned was somehow a watered down orange with a dry chunk of cherry in it. Ordered the fig and prosciutto pizza and it was a sugary grease slab with cold shaved ham and arugula piled on it. Got an over cooked puck for a burger, hard baked Brie, and they put wet leaves on my fries with the steak frites that were also over cooked. The seafood scampi tasted like noodle soup from a dented can. Just because you think you're fancy while you're making it doesn't make it taste good. 10/10 not worth it, go anywhere else. read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Cold ham and arugula on fig and prosciutto pizza - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

I came here for a birthday get together. They had two large rooms separate from the dining area which was ideal for private events. For drinks I tried their strawberry basil gimlet and the pomegranate blossom. Both drinks were on the stronger side and fairly priced. Our preset menu consisted of a starter Cesar salad, reminiscent of Texas Roadhouse a personal fan favorite. The entree options were between salmon, chicken or steak with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and string beans. I opted for the salmon which was dressed in a mustard sauce, crispy string beans, and a smooth serving of potatoes. Everything was decently season and cooked. Waitresses did great for accommodating such a large group. Overall, good experience with traditional quality American food. I would be interested in coming back to try other items from their menu. read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Drink menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

My husband and I love this place! It's definitely got an older clientele and is less casual than most places in Malden, but the food is always solid. I like the fact that the menu is a bit more creative than some of the other American restaurants in town, but has enough classic comfort options to please your less adventurous friends. The first time we came was with my in-laws, and everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I got a steak dish that was flavorful and tender. My husband got the fig and prosciutto pizza which was the hit of the night and generous with the portion of prosciutto. My mother-in-law loved her grilled vegetable pizza. Since then, we've come back a few times and enjoyed the fried calamari and the mussels, both outstanding apps with generous portions. We loved the broth in the mussels so much that we had to order more bread just to soak it all up. The bread by the way is great and comes with a lovely sweetened butter. But every time we come, we absolutely HAVE to order the fig and prosciutto pizza. It's big enough for two and the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Prices are very reasonable for the portion size. I also have to mention the service, which is memorable for how friendly and warm it is. Every server we've had here has been a joy. When we come in, we are greeted warmly, and when we leave, we feel like we can't wait to come back. read more

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There was 6 of us in our party visiting from Indiana, Kentucky, and California....they were recommended to us from someone that works at hop on hop off..Rodrigo was our server and he was amazing..we all ordered different dishes and they were all amazing...would definitely recommend this place..great food for the price.. read more

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We've decided once a month to do a nice restaurant with the girls and our journey starts with this beautiful place. You can sit outside in the lovely lit patio or inside with the amazing air conditioning. We were greeted but the manager and walked to our table where water was instantly poured for us. I snuck away to ask If we could do something special at the end for my friends birthday and they were happy to. While we were deciding what we wanted the waiter was very attentive. And every time our water was low je would pour it right away. He was very nice and had a great sense of humor. I wish I remembered his name honestly. Because I'd recommend him to anyone. The bill for 3 people came to about 100 and it was totally worth it. The wings fell right off the bone. I HATE calamari but tried it for fun at this place and it was so crispy and delicious. The bruchetta was the best I've had in a long time. The bread wasn't too crispy. The chicken quesadilla looks like a giant burrito! And omg. The broccoloni spring rolls were my favorite. The waiter brought out a mouth watering Smores Sundae and sang happy Birthday to my friend. They didn't charge us for the Sunday, and we were happy to leave a hefty tip. 10 out of 10 Will DEFINITELY go again Highly recommend for date night! read more

A great local eatery that serves a good amount of American and seafood. Had a nice lunch and brunch here and tried some of the various dishes including quesadilla, steak, and fries. They have very delicious truffle fries and garlic mash. We will be back for more meals in the future. Highly recommend! read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

A first visit on New Year's Eve is not usually the best time to evaluate a restaurant, but unlike many places with limited menus and diminished service ESB was operating a full tilt and the overall experience was excellent, especially noteworthy on this big evening. This is definitely a step-up from most of the fine pubs in Malden and with the exception of a large bar area feels more like a restaurant. We came with 2 friends and were seated at a table in the bar side. We usually prefer sitting at or near the bar because it's more lively but the big trade-off here is the poor acoustics really detract from the dining experience. This is a "shout to be heard situation" and with everyone shouting..... This would have been a 5 star review with that one exception. Some acoustic treatment is needed! Can you hear me now? The menu features apps, entrees and salads. No sandwiches here- except a burger. This is classic American cooking and the accompanying items make the dishes a bit more interesting. Our service was attentive and friendly especially given the busy night. And our meals were all delicious. The bistro salad with salmon and steak respectively were fresh, a good portion and properly cooked. My ribeye was huge, nicely prepared with mushrooms and cooked as ordered. The shortribs were also devoured and enjoyed. For a party of 2, I'd sit at the bar, but with more people, I'd choose the back non-bar area, especially on a busy night. read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

Came to Exchange Street Bistro for an early dinner on a Tuesday evening and were seated right away with no wait. We probably left around 6:30pm and the place still hadn't gotten busy at all, but it was a Tuesday night. The service was great - our waitress was really nice and attentive! We had the New England oysters for an appetizer and they were delicious!! I had the lobster Mac and cheese and it was absolutely amazing! Plenty of lobster in the dish and the cheesy flavor was just perfect! Outstanding!! I had a classic sundae for dessert which wasn't anything special but it wasn't bad either. All in all, an excellent place for dinner (albeit a little pricey) and I would absolutely come here again! read more

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Food , and service was great! We are coming back for the brunch soon!!! This is the second time there. read more

Great food, reasonable prices. Kind of place you never expected To see in Malden. Service is fantastic, bartenders very attentive when sitting at bar, and sitting at table waitstaff rocks. I've also used them for catering and everything was phenomenal read more

Exchange Street Bistro - Salmon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Malden, Massachusetts

Great tapas bar menu at a very affordable price! Rob the bartender is the BEST at making perfect cocktails! Excellent staff when sitting in restaurant area. Had quite a few parties in the function rooms which are very accommodating, clean and professional. Love this place for all the obvious reasons! read more

Martini bar with pretty good food to boot. Went on a Friday evening with a party of four. You should get a reservation. The place was pretty full although it didn't feel too crowded. The ambience has a date night feel with a fairly dark room. On the other hand, there are a bunch of TVs by the bar, so you can catch a game. The Celtics were on the night we were there. They have an extensive martini list! My sister-in-law got a berry martini which was giant and very bright red. Kind of a fun cocktail. I was pretty happy with the food for a place that specializes in drinks. I had a beet salad which also had kale and goat cheese. Tasted very fresh. To balance out that healthiness I also had fried calamari. It was an appetizer size but still quite large. Probably more breading than calamari though. My wife got the baked haddock, which came on a bed of rice with some veggies on top. And my sister-in-law got steak frites, which was another large plate and had some greens. So all in all solid food! read more

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I am so sad. I have never tipped so low. But you all are going to have to stop underestimating the buying power of Black Women. Our money is still green. I left Exchange Street Bistro, on my birthday, THIRSTY and without desert. We arrived and were seated at a table in the middle of a half empty dining room. We were greeted fairly quickly. We ordered the $5 pineapple mojitos. My mom and sister are lightweights. But that was (supposed to be) my first drink of many. We put in for 2 appetizers and ordered entrees. I finished my drink before the appetizers arrived. He then did this thing where all he did was drop off food and ran off. I never got a 2nd drink. He didn't ask if we wanted anything else. He was gone for 15 mins and I went to the hostess and inquired about him. She started making an excuse as he came back to the dining room, checked on a table (of white people), pass the table where my mom and sister were and checked on the other table ( of white people). And left the dining room without stopping at my table. Mind you, we were there before those two tables. When he came back, he did the same thing! And checked on his table on one side of us. And walked right by us. And checked on the table on the other side of us. And walked off. Never came to get the plates from the appetizers (which were tasty - wings, arachini). When I asked the woman bussing the tables where he was, she didn't know and she cleared our table. Including our silverware, which was fine. Happens a lot :) He came and dropped our food off and left. Again, didn't ask if we wanted more drinks. No ketchup for the fries, etc. I had to get up to go get my own silverware from an empty table. I had to get up to go get a steak knife. Food was okay. I'm a great cook and it sucks knowing you can make better dinner, drinks, deserts, as you get treated as a 3rd class citizen. By this point, it was 1.5 hrs later. I was thirsty. I no longer had an appetite. I didn't want desert anymore and I've a SWEET tooth. He surprising came by and asked how everything was and was WALKING AWAY before we could say anything. Still. Empty drink glasses. We asked for to go boxes. Never got them. He came back to check on a white table, without bringing us the boxes. The busser got them for us. I was looking for her as we were leaving so I could tip her directly. She and I were doing all his work. He dropped off the desert menu and I cackled. We got the check, paid, tipped very poorly, and got the hell out of there. No one apologized, nothing was comped. "Thanks for paying a lot of money for mostly mid food and allowing us to treat you poorly." Look. Listen. I don't give a rat's hairy, bony, diseased behind if you have a no discrimination policy. Biases exist and you dismiss my Black lived experience, you gaslight me, when you start that "wE dOnT dO tHaT hErE" bullshit. Especially when you can see with your own eyes what's happening. I'm tired. I try to support restaurants but these things happen and I just want to spend time in my kitchen instead. Do better. Or don't. I don't care. read more

I really liked the outdoor dining option. It creates a pleasant ambiance and can set the mood. The food and drinks weren't memorable. They were ok, but a tad overpriced for me. My partner and I didn't finish even though we were quite hungry when we arrived. The portions were decent. The waiters were fine. A little slow even though the establishment wasn't too busy. read more