Pearl Street Station
The Pearl Street Station in Malden is a bit shaky-both in terms of the food and the building when a train passes by.
Atmosphere(7)
The lobby and bar are open and warm. Old street signs, product advertisements, and pictures of sports stars and actors make for enjoyable scenery. But the dining room is a bit loud.
Menu(7)
Fairly large menu featuring barbecue, seafood, and Italian specialties. Nice kids' menu. Phantom wished they served sandwiches after 6 PM. Solid, but nothing very exciting.
Portions(8)
Appetizers are decent, entrees are rather large.
Appetizers(6)
Decent mozzarella sticks. The potato skins were loaded, but with what appeared to be processed cheese. Phantom was also disappointed his salad, which was warm and did not taste fresh.
Food and Drink(7)
The house special Prime Rib was flavorful but a bit chewy and fatty. From the barbecue, Phantom was thrilled by the tangy and tender steak tips and the sweet and addictive baby back ribs. But the fries tasted like they came from your grocer's freezer.
Desserts(6)
Phantom loves Alden Merrell, but he can eat that at home. Dessert menu severely lacks in variety and originality.
Service(7)
Phantom's waitress was friendly and accommodating, though she forget a drink every now and then. And the service station directly in Phantom's sight was quite distracting.
Cleanliness(6)
Unfortunately, Phantom had to brush away prior patrons' crumbs when he sat down to eat. Very messy tables and floors.
Parking(7)
Located in an former train station near the courthouse in Malden. Limited street parking across the street, and additional parking in the Mountain Avenue garage down the street.
Value(7)
Appetizers average roughly $6. Entrees run from $4 to $15. Very fair prices for decent food, although free re-fills on soda would have been a nice bonus.
