La Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe

Sadly, my last meal at la mad, I can’t wait anymore. This place has always had terrible service, and I tolerated it, makes me feel like an idiot. I hear the kitchen staff clanking the dishes, the counter folks doing nothing, and the waiting customers, pacing impatiently. Horrible service

Love the staff and all of the people who work here. The food is so yummy and people are so friendly. I always get the chicken Caesar salad and the tomato soup. The dessert is to die for if you Haven’t been here then you need to go.

I normally love this place, but this location absolutely sucks. I went in today for lunch at 3:30 pm, and there was maybe 5 other customers eating when I got there. I ordered a half turkey sandwich and fruit cup to go and a bowl of soup to eat there. I was told that they would bring my to go order to my table. I paid for a drink but never got a cup so I had to go back to the register to get a cup. My soup was tasty, but there was something wrong with the sourdough bread. It was like it hadn’t been cooked all the way, was super doughy, and the bread looked like it was covered in «bread lint», that’s the best way I can describe it. I chose to eat the soup without the bread. After I was done with the soup, my to go meal still had not come out. I left my belongings at the table and walked to the register to ask about it, and in those 5 seconds my table had been cleared and the table buser was also removing my personal items! I immediately retrieved them and also had to ask for another drink cup. I was told my to go meal was at the to go counter, so I walked over there and waited for someone to find my items. Then I was told that I had not paid for these items. Thankfully I still had my receipt to prove that I had! I took a look inside my to go meal and I was missing the fruit cup. I had to wait an additional 5 minutes for someone to scoop some fruit into the tiniest container ever, I maybe got three grapes and a piece of melon. I am very upset with the service at this location, and the quality of food. I liked the location at Preston and NW Highway better, but unfortunately that location is closed now.

I love the La Madeleine’s here! It’s so cute with lots of seating, and the food is SO good. My friends and I love their fruit tarts, and their pasta is good for people who have heavy tastes and/​or a penchant for cheesy flavors. If you order a pasta or some other heavy dish, I recommend drinking something with it! The only things I don’t really like about this particular location are that the plates aren’t always washed thoroughly, and the service you get will differ each time you visit. Overall, though, this is a great place to sit down for a little while, and it’s usually not too loud for you to hold conversations.

I ordered the roasted vegetable, chicken, and goat cheese salad with a cup of tomato basil soup. The soup was, as usual, tasty delicious. The salad, on the other hand, was a soggy mess. I had to bring my plate back up to the counter because she forgot all the roasted vegetables. She added them on then slapped more dressing on without telling me. She was too quick for me to stop her. That just made things worse, as my poor mixed greens were squealing for me to help them as they drowned in pesto dressing. The chicken had good flavor but was dry and crumbled into a flavorful ball of protein. Stick with the soup and you’ll be okay. Stay away from the screaming kids in the back room because that place ECHOES.

20 minutes to prepare a to-​go order of two bowls of soup and one sandwich. Ridiculous! Unacceptable! AND there were only 2 other customers at the time!

I don’t always write Unilocal reviews, but since I’m dying of boredom waiting on my order I figured I’d do something more productive than just nibbling on the free bread. It’s been 30 minutes and counting since I placed my to-​go order and I’m getting hangrier by the second. Where is the urgency? If you’re looking to get your food in a timely manner I suggest that you opt to dine-​in as it looks like those customers get the priority when it comes to service. Two stars because even though I still haven’t received my food yet, I know their tomato basil soup is consistently good.

The food here is excellent but had a VERY rude encounter with a lady at the bakery counter. My aunt asked for blackberry jelly and the rude lady said «you will just have to get what you get». I’m sorry, but when has rudeness and just complete disrespect become part of the La Madeleine staff policy? I will write a formal complaint with this location on this employee.

Whenever I’m in Dallas, I like to go to this location. Located in a pleasant part of town-​like most la Madeleines-​and the food is better than most of the la Madeleine cafes in Houston-​in my opinion. Probably because this is HQ.
My review is mainly about the food and service. I don’t drink the coffee here but I guess it’s good. When I come with my mom, she usually likes to request fresh coffee and she always enjoys her cup. I love the way the duet magnifique is prepared here and everything always taste yummy and fresh. Some items, like the quiche and chicken friand are pre-​baked and sit out under the heaters but it’s always still good. In my experience I haven’t ran into any mean or unprofessional associates here. The employees here are usually courteous and professional enough for a chain café.

We have been going to La Madeleine for more than 20 years – long before corporate came along and changed everything. We have seen quality deteriorate considerably. We rarely eat there anymore (it used to be 1 – 2 times/​week!) but we have continued to buy the 7-​grain bread to use at home, purchasing on average 1 loaf a week. 2 weeks ago I arrived to make my purchase to find that they have changed the size downward significantly, the shape from loaf to round (how does that fit in a toaster?) but the price has stayed the same. Will I continue to pay $ 3.97 a loaf while getting 25% less and deal with a shape that lends itself to nothing? I don’t think so! Sorry, but farewell La Madeleine.

This was a nice place to camp out and study while enjoying some breakfast/​brunch.
I’ve been here one other time and the food was just okay. This time I had the cinnamon French toast. It was a nice surprise to have fruit with the French toast. However, the syrup was very sticky, almost as if they had combined it with honey. Still good though. Very standard.

I wish I could give this place a better review because the ladies that work the line are so nice. The soup is good. The pasta is good. The chicken breast used on the salads is really gross. It’s over seasoned and mushy.

Chains start at 3 stars. Read on for reasons behind the downgrade:
The food is good, but why is their service model so confusing?
As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by an employee that gives you the menu and places your order in the computer before you proceed down the line. As you go down the cafeteria-​style cue (with trays), you’re paraded in front of all these other dishes that look really good. I saw a few items that I would have ordered in lieu of the sandwich I ordered from the menu if I had known that they were an option.
Once we paid (somehow they managed to make that complicated as well, but I won’t go into detail), we sat down. The food took forever, and I was a little worried they were going to mess up the orders… it even took an oddly long time for my iced coffee to come out!
I realize that this is a chain, so the service model is set in stone, but one way to speed things up is to have the people that order from the menu bypass the line and go straight to the cash register (or maybe even bring the check to their table). This model is so horrible, probably any tweak would result in a better solution.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LA MADELEINE?! This morning we commented on how dirty the windows were as we walked in. Then, when I selected a cup for tea, I had to look through the entire tray of cups to find a clean one. There were none. Food was attached to each one. I can’t imagine what they’re kitchen looks like! And the bathroom wasn’t clean either. What has happened? I love the staff and in the past I’ve loved the food. I’m not sure I want to go back. Please FIND A NEW MANAGER!

I had the Croquet Monsieur. It was very good. I also ordered a vanilla latte. Not impressed with the latte, it was bland.

This was a decent place. The food came out fast and the price was fair. However, the food did not have must taste. I probably would never come again, I would rather go to subway next door. That is my best advice, sorry to be such a buzz kill, but dang I needed some BBQ to throw on that chicken.

La Madeleine is as chain as a chain can get, and that is quite okay if you understand what you’re getting before you go there. If you are looking for a beautiful bistro experience, seriously, look elsewhere. If on the other hand you are looking for decently-​executed Americanized French-​fusion, then this is the place to go.
This particular location was super busy the Sunday I went. The line was literally wrapped, but the staff managed to get everyone through pretty quickly and efficiently with a nice attitude– minus the grumpy chef or sous who delivered to some customers-​seriously dude, get over it. I was very dismayed to hear how he spoke to a party of seniors because they did not remember the exact title of the dish. Instead of just describing the ingredients he kept repeating himself and when the gentleman finally understood what he was referring to the guy snapped, «What do you think I just told you?!» It was so undeniably rude and demeaning. The food runner/​chef/​sous guy walked away grumbling, «see what I have to deal with…» It left me and everyone within ear shot feeling very awkward. I prayed that he wouldn’t be the one delivering my food because honestly, at this point I was afraid that he would spit in my food. No kidding.
Thankfully, my food came out delivered by sweet young lady and I was able to tuck in to the Crepes Romanoff and a Potato Galette. The Crepes Romanoff was very delicious. The crepes were delicate and melted in my mouth and the cream had a nice punch. The Potato Galette on the other hand was a complete disappointment. It tasted like left over hashbrowns reheated from the day before leaving the texture to be really dry, tough, and very unbalanced in flavor.
Besides the issue with the food, my other problem was with the bathroom. It was disgusting. I was very dismayed that there was no tissue in the women’s bathroom and that it had not been cleaned in a long time from the looks of things. When there’s a big breakfast and brunch crowd it is imperative to check the bathroom on a consistent basis more frequently and that was just not done.
So at the end of day, I walked out happy with the crepes, but the rest of the experience let this location down. It has been over 5 years since I had eaten there and it may be another 5 until I do it again.

I guess I am kind of nostalgic or just getting old. But things at La Mad seem to be slipping from what I remember them to be. I liked to get the ceasar salad and tomato soup. I remember the dressing being my favorite and recall when I used to send jars of it to people who’d left Dallas for other climes. Now, I think it is unremarkable and a bit too mass-​produced. The same flavors seem to be there but it just tastes different. Same goes for the morning omelet. Again, I used to look forward to a cheddar, tomato and sausage omelet in the run in to work. I remember them being fluffy and hardy but not too much. Today, the egg felt limp and the omelet felt like they rushed it and just threw things together.
La Mad feels more like a french version of McDonalds.

Located near SMU, La Mad is a cafeteria-​style eatery, with ample tables and sassy, kind service.
I met a friend here for coffee only, but noted in the buffet line the fresh individual quiches and fresh-​looking salad greens.
My coffee was good, fresh and hot. This would be a good place to come for a quick lunch; it’s no-​frills and bare bones. Nothing fancy, but would certainly fill you up and get you on your way, and isn’t that all we want sometimes? Indeed.

Cos Lettuce — Check
Grilled/Sauté‘ed Chicken — Check
Caesar Dressing — Check
Croutons — None
Poached Eggs — None
Anchovies — None
Bacon — None
Did I miss any other ingredient that La Madeleine forgot to add? Granted, anchovies and bacon in a Caesar Salad is a variation from the classic but where were the poached eggs and fresh croutons?!
I suppose lettuce, chicken and caesar dressing all combined in one slapped with the name «Caesar Salad» on a board with the price of $ 7.99 makes it a Caesar Salad right? No. Thank you. Sure, it was only cheap; however I feel as though I could have made a better salad at home and it would be like the ones I’d pay $ 23NZD (Approx $ 19USD) for back home at SPQR in Ponsonby. Now that is one overpriced salad but in that regard, price does not matter as you know it’s quality and you’re getting all the ingredients in the above check list.
Aside from that little rant, the service was good. I personally wouldn’t come back here again to order that particular salad. On another note, coffee dates? Sure.