Exo Cafe
“I got to try their fish handwich and chimichurri and they were both delicious and with perfect ratio of bread to meat/filling/toppings.”
“Sunday brunch for around $20 a person including tip gets you a drink alcoholic and non alcoholic options, and an entree.”
“This is one of my regular brunch spots for meeting up with my lady friends in Queens.”
Exo Cafe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I have wanted to try Exo for a while, but never went in because the outside (colored lighting, loud music you can hear on the sidewalk) kind of made me shy away. I didn't want to eat dinner with friends and be yelling over club music. Finally, I say, "Why not!" and strolled in.
I was pleasantly surprised. First off, the music was not nearly as loud inside as it was outside. They have couple tables downstairs which could be cute for a date night, and then the bar/group area is upstairs. They were showing Monday night football and each seat was filled.
We had their chicken poppers, fried dumplings, wings, and cheese sticks. No one was interested in their salads obviously. I wasn't too thrilled with the cheese sticks or wings, but I would certainly order the dumplings and chicken poppers again. During happy hour you can get some of the appetizers half off and wine for $4. I could do that every once in a while.
But the stars of the night were the boozy milkshakes. Wow. There was a salted caramel one that was delicious. I'm looking forward to going back. I'm a fan!
My go to place for brunch in forest hills! Sunday brunch for around $20 a person including tip gets you a drink alcoholic and non alcoholic options, and an entree. I always get their chimichuri handwich which is marinated skirtsteak in chimichurri sauce paired with fries and wasabi slaw. They have pretty good mimosas and bellinis too! Lunch is also really well priced, it comes with a drink, soup or salad, and an entree for around $15 a person with tip!
I was here once. That visit was good enough to not want to return. Drinks sucked. I mean it's really not difficult to get your mixology right if you measure the ingredients. No shame in that game. We also order some apps and they we not memorable. The crowd was weird. It's a pretty large place so if the ambiance and drinks were better I think we could definitely make this a go to spot.
I decided to check out their happy hour.. I ordered the fried sesame chicken.. It was average, the sauce was too sweet.. The service here was horrible though..
Exo is one of the first "trendy" spots on Austin St before Austin Public and Station House stole the thunder. Unfortunately, it's never really caught on as a hotspot perhaps because it tries to be too many things – lounge, restaurant, grill, bar. The ambience and decor are my favorite aspects of this place with its cool stone facade and open multi level seating. However, the kitchen is kind of too slow for a restaurant and its menu reflects more of a bar/grills. The Chimichurri Handwich is pretty good but overpriced. The Honey Chicken Kebab was a bit burnt and okay. Overall, Exo tries and I'll give it another chance during brunch or HH. Maybe ill discover its niche soon.
I have only ordered take out through Grub Hub for Exo Cafe but each time the food has come quickly & perfectly. I ordered the same thing both times: chicken quesadilla & Bailey's cheesecake. My God, both are awesome. The reason why I'm giving 4 stars is solely because I have not been able to experience the ambiance, service, & drinks yet. One day I will definitely make it there but from where I stay when on Austin Street, it's a bit of a hike & we tend to walk to restaurants a little closer on Ascan or Austin. However, sometimes I'm craving something for dessert & out of all the restaurants nearby, Exo Cafe has the best to offer. Words can't describe just how good the Bailey's cheesecake really is. Layers of brownie as a crust, creamy & really flavorful Bailey's cheesecake with a layer of chocolate mouse & a thin layer of chocolate ganache on top. Oh My God; it's incredible. The quesadilla is crispy outside & filled with cheese, chicken, & sautéed onion & peppers; it's delicious. If you're in the area, I would definitely go to Exo Cafe or order take out because it's really good. I always want to try other things but sometimes when you find something that is already so awesome, it's hard to break free & try new things. Next time however, I will be!!
Mediocre food, OK service, average prices (although you expect slightly better quality for what you ARE paying for).
It's disappointing because the menu descriptions and Yelp pictures look amazing — and I kind of want to go back and give it a second change and try other things (maybe it was an off day when I went), but then I think about what I ate last time….and then I kind of don't want to go back anymore.
Brunch food/service: friendly waiter. Brought us a cute basket of small corn muffins. Really a nice touch and something different than regular rolls.
Chicken and waffles — A thin, floppy waffle. Not the thick, golden brown, I envisioned, with a crisp sturdiness from being cooked fresh. Wonder if they were pre-cooked and then nuked in the microwave or half-heartedly heated up in the oven. When you cut into a good waffle, there should be an audible crunching sound. Chicken drums?? HAHA, pathetic excuse for chicken. Would be nice if they gave you something more substantial, like one hearty drum and a wing, not three tiny pieces of some frozen shit they fried up. Had no batter or flavor on them. Just greasy and tiny. Some slices of fruit to fancy it up, but not impressed.
So I never do this but I'm bumping my little saggy review up to a stellar one. It just HAS to be done. Despite my hesitation, I revisited EXO last week with my mother on a late Thursday afternoon. Surprisingly, I was blown away by the service. Our waiter was James and though he said he'd only been working there for a few months, he easily surpassed both previous experiences at EXO and arguably most experiences elsewhere. He was witty, honest, and knowledgeable about drinks, specials and food selection (I hate when people ask "how does this taste *points at everything on the menu*" but he handled it from my mom gracefully with a SMILE and a few jokes.) My only negative was that James had to leave halfway through our meal so we didn't get to show him our appreciation directly through his tip — hence this very necessary review!!
On to the food. We had the appetizer sampler and the wings, by recommendation of James of course and everything was amazing. There were cheese sticks that were different than anything I'd ever had (I thought they were mozzarella sticks at first — wrong) but they were good. It was a LOT of food for two people, so we were more than satisfied. Oh they also carry my favorite wine, which is a plus and it was on happy hour special (SCORE!) so turns out I'll probably be back, but I'm peeping through the window to see if James is working first!!