The Exchange Pub + Kitchen

In New Albany's heart, a relic reborn,
The Exchange, history's grace adorned.
Built in 1875, Shaders Stable stood tall,
Buggies and horses, a grand livery hall.

From poultry to tires, a changing tale,
Decades unfolded, a varied trail.
Vacant for years, a dormant abode,
Then rebirth ensued, a historic ode.

Eight months of toil, a labor profound,
Reclaimed joists crafted, tables renowned.
Salvaged doors whisper tales of yore,
Wainscoting echoes, heritage's core.

Lunch, midday, and dinner delight,
The Exchange emerges, a culinary light.
Sara, our server, efficient and fair,
In her care, dining beyond compare.

Gorgeous and gracious, she guided with flair,
Through the history-laden, renovated air.
Food that dazzles, a gastronomic feat,
In New Albany's gem, where past and present meet.

I finally had the opportunity to try out the Exchange, it's been on my list for a few years now but I don't get over to New Albany very often.

I was meeting a friend at 5:30 PM, and the traffic from Louisville on 64W was awful, that's beside the point but try to avoid rush hour.

When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find a parking lot behind the restaurant and open spaces! You do have to walk around the building to get in.

I was immediately warmly greeted by several staff! Since I was meeting a friend I just walked around until I found her. The restaurant is very nice, high ceilings, brightly lit and inviting inside. Also, it was well patronized.

Our server was amazing and kept checking on us even though it took a while to figure out what I wanted to order.

The wine list online is different than at the restaurant, just as an fyi. I settled for a cheap glass of red wine and then started to peruse the menu, which had a ton of options.

We started with the pretzel and cheese ($13) and side of garlic Parmesan frites ($6.5). The pretzel was okay, nothing remarkable about it. Wasn't really that soft, but cheese was good. The frites were very good, crispy and well flavored.

The menu items are on the pricer side, so I opted for the twice cooked wings ($16) with Korean gochujang sauce. They were fried very nicely, but the longer they sat the drier they became. Also, wasn't very spicy. It would be a good shareable app, but might skip as an entree.

My friend ended up ordering the verlasso salmon ($31), and said it was very good.

Overall I really liked the ambience and service. I'll be back to try something different.

We went here on New Year's Eve before getting buck wild on the town. This was our first time.

The ambiance was a chill, upscale, gastropub style vibe. The food was extremely tasty. For an appetizer we got the tots that normally includes short rib but they were out of ribs. They were still perfectly cooked and seasoned. For the main course I got the steak frites with a wedge salad. The steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned just right. The salad was good as well. My wife ordered a cajun shrimp pasta dish that she loved

As for service, it was excellent also.

We will definitely be back.

Came here for lunch while visiting the area. Cute spot! Not the best food I've ever had but definitely a good option in this area.

The portions were huge, especially the garlic fries. Everyone in my group had leftover food to take hope.

I appreciated that they had a large variety of options on the menu including vegetarian food. They had a large selection of sandwiches, burgers, typical appetizers like a pretzel, and other typical lunch/bar food.

The staff here were friendly and our booth was comfortable. They had large windows with natural light that enhanced the dining experience.

I stopped in late on a Friday evening to visit The Exchange for beer and conversation with me best friend. Its location in downtown New Albany puts it in a livelier space and it was easy to find street parking. Pulling up to the restaurant, I was immediately impressed with their large patio and glass storefront that gave you a peek at their interior. A gentleman played music on the patio and it was also piped through the restaurant.

Service was a highlight. We were seated immediately in a booth, as requested, and we had a great view of the restaurant. Our server, Sophie, was friendly and talked us through some of the draft beers, even bringing us a few to try. Our appetizer came out quickly as well.

Overall though, the experience here was a bit of a miss. We'd purposefully sat inside because even at 9p the air was incredibly thick and humid; however, the inside of the restaurant wasn't much better. Doors to the patio stayed open and you could feel the hot air coming in. Thank goodness for the large fan! The beer samples were a miss too, and I think it wasn't completely about flavor. They temperature wasn't cold and it made it difficult to think about drinking a full glass. We actually passed on the draught options. And, while warned the beer cheese was smoked, it was extremely smoked and we left most of it on the platter to munch on the plain bread. Last, it is a loud environment so consider this based on your mood or eating group.

Not sure I'd come back for awhile to The Exchange. Driving there I spotted so many restaurant and bar choices, and after this first impression I'm more inclined to try other spots before a return here.

New Albany's best option. Honestly, the vibes and food are worth the trip across the river. Great service and drink options - 100% recommend.

Great atmosphere. Cool building. Exposed brick. Neat lighting and open rafters. Great beer selection

We had a large group come to the exchange.

Some points - the wait staff was exceptional, very courteous, on top of things , understanding when there were allergies or changes to a dish. I got the salmon dish, it was good and a side of broccoli. I would say that many of us got the same dishes and the portion sizes varied significantly, some where big and some small, I am sure that is a difficult task for a large group. They recently changed up the menu so I can't really comment on it. I do know that many enjoyed the appetizers. GF options are available but not really many on appetizers side of things.

Awesome building and really cool decor. I would go back.

Stopped in for a quick drink and appetizer. So delicious! The en fuego cocktail with basil garnish was so good. Ask for it extra spicy though! They infuse their tequila onsite. Goat cheese fritters are a must

In a word, the exchange is inconsistent. I have had excellent experiences and meh experiences. Never a bad time. When it's good, it's very good, but often falls short of it's potential.

My most recent visit, was an early date with my girlfriend. Upon entry, we were not greeted at the host stand. Multiple employees walked by without a greeting. We waited for a few minutes before being greeted. We were then seated immediately because the restaurant was empty.

The drinks were great. Taste and presentation was A+. Highly recommend the cocktail menu. They have an extensive beer menu as well, but this was not a beer night. I had the en fuego which is essentially a mango, jalapeno margarita. My second drink was like a blackberry lemonade and was AMAZING!

We started with the goat cheese fritters. Pass on this. They weren't worth the money and the other apps are likely better.

The GOAT burger was great. It was a cooked to a perfect medium and was sleeping with juice. It made the pretzel bun soft on the inside while maintaining a crust on the outside. The flavors worked so well together. The combination of sweet and savory was mouthgasmic.

I did not like the few bites of the grilled cheese. It has potential to be great, but like many adult grilled cheese, it falls short of the mark. The bread was toasted well and provided an amazing texture. The shaved steak was sub par at best and awful at worst. It was bland. It added nothing to the entree.

I do recommend the exchange. It has a lovely atmosphere and can be excellent.