I'll admit, I often rag on Pawtucket. It seems hard to find a good meal - or even a good cup of coffee - in the 'Bucket,' as the city is not-so-affectionately known. So, when I found myself finishing a job in Pawtucket on a Friday afternoon, with no lunch from home, I asked my customer if he could recommend a good sandwich shop. Without hesitation, he pointed me to Exchange Street Cafe. A quick check of Yelp confirmed he did not steer me wrong; now, they can add me to the growing list of very satisfied customers!
Parking in front of the restaurant is very limited, so I parked on Exchange Street and walked a short distance. Upon walking in, I was not immediately impressed. You could say the place has character, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it ambiance. Some of the acoustic ceiling tiles were pretty grungy from dust or smoke. Furniture mis-matched. A television blared in the background. In short, it's quintessential, gritty Pawtucket. But, there were a few bright spots in the place, in the form of original paintings on the wall, which from my understanding, the owner himself created. Apparently, he's as good with a paintbrush as he is with a sandwich board.
I used the bathroom first. It's a spacious, clean bathroom, but I was startled when the light went off in about 30 seconds. It's on a motion sensor, so I had to wave my arm every 30 seconds to reset the light, which was annoying. But that was my only complaint about the whole experience.
After I came out, I was disheartened to find about six people waiting in line (there was only one person in line when I first arrived), as I only get 30 minutes for lunch. I was about to walk out, but decided to stay, and was very glad I did. Three of the people ahead of me got kale soup, so my turn came up quickly. The staff was fast, professional and polite.
I ordered a regular sized roast beef sandwich on a baguette, with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, plus a homemade chocolate chip cookie and a cup of kale soup. The bread was excellent, both in texture and flavor. In fact, the proportion of bread to meat to toppings was perfect. The lettuce and tomato were very fresh. Roast beef was good, although not among the best I've had (next time, I will try either an Italian or roast turkey sandwich). The soup was hearty and flavorful (even for my senses of taste and smell, which were dulled from an oncoming cold), like you would imagine a Portuguese grandmother would make. And the cookie was as good as other reviewers said. I was so full that I was able to save half the sandwich for later. Besides being high-quality food, prices are very reasonable, which makes it an even better value.
At another sandwich shop that I also rated 5 stars, I described the food as almost magical, because it did more than satisfy my hunger; it left me with an overall sense of well-being. Such was also the case after my meal at Exchange Street Cafe. I finally found a good place to eat in Pawtucket! read more