The Exchange 1874 — Restaurant in California

Such a disappointment. Firstly, I’ll begin by saying we knew we were taking a chance on this restaurant for our Mother’s Day brunch because of the mixed reviews and low overall rating (Yelp). (Red flag) But, we decided to give it a go since there weren’t a lot of options in Lodi. Big mistake!

The one bright spot was Tiffany, our server. (She’s also the reason for a 2 star review and not a 1) She was fantastic! Attentive, professional, with a good sense of humor, and managed the disappointments of receiving cold eggs & potatoes quite well.

So here’s where The Exchange 1874 missed Big Time;

Fixed Menu - ok, didn’t know that when making the reservation as there was nothing on their website, nor any mention of it when making our reservation, but we’ll be flexible. Hey, it’s Mother’s day after all.

Main Course; Eggs were cold, a couple of our plates had potatoes that were cold, and one of the spinach & mozzarella omelette had NO CHEESE. The eggs Benedict were made with the entire English muffin, which made it impossible to cut and take a bite. So, we had to dismantle the entire thing before we could cut it and take a bite. Yeah, no. Desserts; Blueberry Bread Pudding - just alright. Espresso Crème Brûlée - texture was weird and inconsistent, some being very thick and others runny.

Lastly, the price; I told you there was a fixed menu that we didn’t know about, right? Well, it came with a SURPRISING (not printed on the menu or the website) price tag of $75, which DIDN’T include the drinks, whether you chose the bottomless mimosas or just tea/coffee. By the time we paid for those, tax and tip, we laid out $110 per person. For mediocre food. In LODI!!

Another red flag I should have taken more seriously? They don’t respond to their YELP reviews. Which tells me as a consumer, they really don’t care.

My lesson learned? Ask about the menu and the price, AND if you’re going to check reviews, BELIEVE them. Even on Mother’s Day when there aren’t...

2nd time going here. The first time I went, I got the filet… it was perfect! Taste cook, sides. The best steak I’ve had in a while… however, when I cook ent this time, I opted to just order the same thing I had the first time. My first bite I knew it was different. This time the steak was slathered in a blue cheese and grilled onion… i should have read the description, I just figured it would be the same… that was my fault. Not only did my filet have blue cheese, but my gratin was full of it too. I was able to stomach the steak, but only after removing as much of the blue cheese as possible. The gratin was not palatable. A word to the wise, read the description, as this restaurant is a seed to table location, their menu often changes, and what you ordered last month, may not be the same this month. A little note to the chef, please get rid of that dish. The last way it was prepared was perfect, why change a good thing? I like going to a restaurant where some of the menu items don’t change, having a rotating menu is cool, but keep a few good ones the same all the time. And please… NO BLUE CHEESE! lol great ambience, drinks,...

I had lunch there today and it was outstanding. The food was excellent (I had the Lamb Wrap, others in my party had the Ribeye Sandwich) and the service was exactly what you'd want: attentive without be cloying, friendly without being too buddy, buddy -- in a word, well-trained and professional.

The Lamb Wrap was absolutely stunning -- full of flavor and fresh! Apparently they make their own pita on a daily basis and you could taste the freshness! And, the ground lamb with spices was flavorful, juicy, and perfectly balanced with fresh mint! I'm normally a burger guy but I think I've found a new favorite!

I chose a draft beer with this meal but have had several of their signature cocktails previously and they'll all hits! One thing I really appreciate is when a restaurant keeps their draft beer really cold and their lines and taps clean. The Exchange 1874's beer is really cold and their taps and lines are perfect. (I hate getting a draft beer when you can taste the system's neglect!)

One more thing -- whatever you order, make sure you get some of their fries. The oil is clean and the fries are crisp, light, and hot...