What a pleasant experience. We went here to grab a quick breakfast. The ambiance of the cafe is very welcoming and cozy. Our waitress was super cute in her angel wings halloween costume equipped with a halo and all :) I ordered an egg omelette with spinach, feta, cheddar, caramelized onions, and pesto; french toast with whipped cream, which came with breakfast potatoes, and wheat toast; and a side of turkey bacon. At some point during our meal, a woman who I assume was the owner asked if we were enjoying our meal. We replied yes ty, and a few moments later, she returned with a fresh order of turkey bacon saying that the one I had looked too well cooked. WOWWWW I was flawed. How thoughtful and sweet of her. He had a breakfast burger and buttermilk pancakes. For drinks he got a mimosa, and I got a cinnamon toast crunch drink. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and will definitely be back when we're in town. Ty Cafe Madison read more

See all

Good food, always a line but worth the wait! Staff is attentive and friendly but not imposing. Some of the best brunch food in the 518. They use individual containers of coffee creamer, but will get you milk or half-and-half, just ask! read more

Breakfast burrito and mimosas are prefect! Cute cafe to visit with amazing food and staff!

When I used to live in Albany from 2008 - 2016 this was my #1 spot for breakfast/brunch so you know I just had to come here on my quick weekend trip. I got my usual - super breakfast with chocolate chip pancakes. My favorite thing about Madison's are the potatoes. I repeat THE POTATOES!!! I attempted many times to recreate these at home but never have had success. These pancakes were HUGE like size of my head huge. And the bacon - always cooked to perfection! My eggs were so fluffy I felt like I could crawl right into my breakfast and use them as pillows. Our usual go to drink was also pomegranate mimosa and on this holy day of Brunch our holy grail of mimosa was so large my husband got tipsy off of one (he will never live that down). The Breakfast Burger: ok like why has no one ever done French toast buns for a breakfast burger. We've seen donut buns but let me tell you that French toast buns is #1! This entire thing was BANGING! I can't stress enough how much I adore Madison's and I compare almost every brunch spot I go to to them. read more

First time at Cafe Madison. I utilized the check in on yelp (party of 3). We were able to get a table quickly. Our waitress was incredible, very attentive! The food was delicious, I had raspberry oatmeal pancakes with scrambled eggs & side of bacon, yum!! The water was flowing plus I had a couple of Irish coffees, my favorite! The millennials in my party had large portions one had stacked French toast, the other Brie & berry crepes, they didn't share but it looked amazing!! Great meal & fun brunch, Thank you Cafe Madison read more

Cafe Madison - Waters, menus & waiting on Irish coffee, yum - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

My fiancée and I are in love with this place. As an Albany native, every time we return home, we have to hit up this spot. Their corn beef hash breakfast is hearty and delicious. The addition of cheese sauce on top on top of the hash really brings the dish up to the next level. My fiancée always gets their Chesapeake Beni. If you're a fan of fish, the crab cakes are perfectly cooked and flavorful, with both a soft tenderness and a slight crisp to the outside texture. It was hard for me to believe when I first saw it, but the crab cakes are perfectly complemented by the hollandaise sauce and eggs. You get this awesome light fish flavor with creamy lemon from the sauce, then the egg matches the texture along with its own unique flavor. Some other things we love - the dill bread. If you're a fan of dill, getting this is a must! The dill flavor is strong, but not overpowering. It's been toasted to perfection every time we come. I could order a loaf of this for a meal and be happy. Their parfait is light and delicious. It's hard to find a parfait locally that really is made with fresh fruit, not previously frozen or in some sort of sweetened sauce. That's what sets this apart for me. When you try this, you can tell it's fresh. The granola is light and crunchy. This is a great light meal that's super refreshing. Lastly, the cocktails they have are fantastic. There always seems to be something new or seasonal to try. They also have a great selection of coffee based cocktails. Definitely check this place out! read more

Adorable neighborhood cafe serving good, homey food and the most fabulous selection of house made breads. The Irish soda bread made my morning! Also loved the nice strong coffee. read more

Cafe Madison - Mediterranean omelette with side salad (instead of home fries) and Irish soda bread toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Great place to eat. Service is wonderful. This past summer there was a bee issue (not their fault) but besides that the Dodd is off the chain read more

I've been to both locations. The original Madison Ave location and the fairly new Northern Boulevard location. Mainly on weekends for brunch with family and friends. There is usually a very long wait at the Madison Ave location even with the wait list. However, the Northern Boulevard location is perfect. We love it. Bright, open space and the decor is so creative! I have to mention the background music they play is an entire vibe :). Most times we get seated right away either indoors or in the charming tent area used for outdoor seating. If there is a wait, it's never been more than 15-30 minutes. The food is delicious, service is great and the added bonus for me is they have delicious vegan options! I'd absolutely recommend. read more

Tied for my favorite brunch spot in Albany. The regular menu is excellent, and the (themed) specials menu never disappoints, making it a challenge to decide my order! Fun boozy brunch cocktails and plenty of non-alcoholic options! Be sure to get there early during prime brunch times because there's always a wait for seating. read more

We have enjoyed Cafe Madison for years on our trips to the Capitol region. We are pleased to see their expansion and highly recommend the lemon ricotta pancakes for brunch with a side of Irish bacon! The Irish bacon is a treat you rarely see on menus. read more

Disclaimer: I went to the restaurant during COVID-19 The esthetic of Café Madison is spot on, a nostalgic feel without the blight that generaly comes along with this type of style. I was unimpressed with the service, the waiters seemed rushed and were very quick to take our order and leave. The food.. well I've definitely had better. When I go to a restaurant, I expect to have food beyond what I can cook at home. The Hashbrowns were dry and underseasoned, I did find an accidental piece of roasted garlic which was itself delicious. The rye bread was soggy with butter eliminating any semblance of crispiness. The Omelet, good but not good enough, the flavors were there; delicious smoked salmon, cream cheese, and chives were all fresh and tasty. Smoked salmon is salty, and the mixture of ingredients was uneven, so it felt like I would get salt pockets. At the end of the meal, I ordered an espresso. Very disappointed, not only with the espresso, which had no crema, but I was given no sugar or sweetener and needed to bother the waiter. I finished most of my plate as I was ravenous, but the hashbrowns didn't even get past my animal side. Disclaimer: I went to the restaurant during COVID-19 read more

See all

Great service and loved the fact that you could get in line virtually via the Yelp app - that really sealed our decision to come here. As far as the food, it's a bit hit or miss, but most of the items we tried were a hit. The Fall special Benedict with the curry hollandaise, pumpkin + ground beef was a definite hit. Unfortunately, the regular Eggs Benedict was a bit of a miss, the not sweet almost wilted tomato really ruined the meal and the avocado that was added for an upcharge was already oxidized, discolored and not tasty. Not fun paying an upcharge for diseased avocado :(. Everything else was top notch and I'd definitely recommend this spot for brunch. I would probably just skip the Eggs Benny next time unless it comes off the special menu. read more

We just had Roasted berry crepes and the California omelette ! Both were truely excellent. I can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Food was tasty. Surprisingly awful coffee and no refills were offered. No spoons given, had to ask for them twice. Inattentive inexperienced waiter. Nice atmosphere. I ordered the Stacker; French toast was really yummy but meat was very hard and almost no scrambled egg. Delicious OJ, not the sour watered down kind usually served at many eateries. A bit pricey. read more

Went on a weekday. Food and service were wonderful. Parking is very limited and the place is hard to get into on the weekend.

amazing food and love the servers here, never disappoints. Pancakes 10/10, and the ultimate BLT not pictured is also a must try, if you can even fit it all into one bite! read more

Cafe Madison - omelette and pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Their food is always good! We had a slight problem but their food is good. Even if you have one bad experience, you should give them the benefit of the doubt and try one more time. Glad we did. read more

Long live Cafe Madison. It should be no problem if they can keep up the hype and still serve as a popular brunch option. Seriously, if you are not there within the first two hours of opening, you'll most likely have to wait for at least an hour in line...especially on the weekend...and it gets even harder if your party is greater than 2. Their weekly specials are listed on FB and their regular menu on their website. My go to is still the basic breakfast (eggs, toast, choice of meat, home fries, juice, and coffee) + raspberry oatmeal pancakes. But the quality has seemed to gone somewhat downhill since my last visit...overcooked home fries (dark brown to black), pancakes with egg shells in them (not fluffy, but weirdly crunchy), and mediocre service. Yes they are a busy place but it should not mean quality should suffer...and hence I had to take a star away from my previous review. All in all, a hot spot for brunch for those eager to fill their hungry souls and don't mind the wait nor small corners. Hoping to give it another go! read more

What a crazily busy brunch place! It's always packed-full of people. If you ever want to eat here, make sure to make a reservation or be ready to wait at least 30 minutes and maybe up to an hour. The staff are all pretty friendly, but they're quite busy! They are all very knowledgeable of the items on the menu and are super helpful when you're conflicted among some choices. Highlights below: Coffee: Heard quite good things about this. I don't drink coffee, but everyone I come with always raves about it? Themes: They have seasonal and miscellaneous themes! For Halloween, almost all the waiters had fun costumes, and they decorated the heck out of the place! There was a weekend of Mean Girls Brunch, and they had appropriately themed drinks. They also have specials on the menu regularly. I think this is one of its strongest points, and it's definitely makes every experience different and fun! Omelet: I had one of their special omelets for brunch, and it was super tasty! It was buffed up with stuffings on the inside, and the eggs and cheese were well balanced together. It's a huge serving, and I definitely had enough to take home! Pancakes: These pancakes are yums. I don't know how to mess that up. Everyone loves the items they get, and I don't think I've heard bad things about the specials! Definitely a place that I would love to come back whenever I have sufficient time to wait in line! This one is worth the wait, guys. read more

See all

The location is great, but the food I really couldn't have any appraise, absolutely no taste, the guy waiter is rushing us even when the food is not finished. read more

Cafe Madison - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Worth the wait! Delicious oatmeal raspberry pancakes! Very friendly service! The restaurant felt a bit to crowded when you sat at your table but the food was worth it! read more

Cafe Madison - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Great restaurant in Albany NY! Friendly waitstaff, nicely decorated inside, and more importantly, great food! I had the Madison Plate. A croissant dipped in French toast batter, topped with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cheese sauce, and a side of delicious home fries. Plus I added a piece of chorizo on the side. This was delicious, croissants are awesome by their self, but dipped in batter, yummy!!! The sausage and bacon, eggs, covered in a cheese sauce, well, enough said, delish!!! Home fries were seasoned, nice and crunchy, and the chorizo link was very tasty. I'll go here again. read more

See all

Came here after a night shift to just calm down as well as start my "date myself" era. I was really nervous walking in but was greeted with smiles, no worries I was a table of one, great fast service and the food was to die for. A huge mimosa and the best pancakes I've had in years. It really made my day coming here and took me down memory lane as I used to come all the time during college. read more

café Madison my favorite place for breakfast the ambient is always good for always Amazing and services always good to

I enjoyed it ! Definitely would try other things on the menu The wait was very long but worth it ! My waitress was very nice and was on it ! The place has a warm homey vide to it . Our food was Fresh, nice hot eggs and thick bacon the way I like it ! I just wish the potatoes were cooked more read more

Cafe Madison - So good ! The Madison Plate , cheese sauce on the side. & Cafe Salad with Salmon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

The worker on the phone was in a rush. The food was good but not worth $50.22. I did like the lay out and the theme of the restaurant. My cheeseburger omelet was so thin barley any eggs used. read more

Cafe Madison - Pancakes (2 orders) Cheeseburger omelet, homefries Grill cheese Beni, home fries $50.22 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Normally the food is great. We went on Mother's Day morning not realizing they had a buffet only. We should have turned around and left. The pizza at the pizza station was all cold, Some kind of scrambled eggs....french toast also cold. Was really looking forward to their eggs benedict. Next time we will be sure to check before we go. read more

First time visit and ordered hamburger. waiter ask how cooked and ordered medium, pink please. Burger was very overcooked and no condiments on bread or side. Burger was basically not edible. Service was slow and not very attentive.. read more

Definitely a disappointing visit. I placed a to go order through their online portal. As I arrive I walk up to the bar where 2-3 staff are working. I patiently wait before interrupting given that at least one of them is counting patron tickets. 2 minutes turns to 5 minutes and turns to almost 10 minutes...of waiting to simply pickup a to go order. During this time I've made eye contact with several of the employees and offering a greeting to one as an attempt to get some customer service so that I may be on my way. Unfortunately, I have to pull what appears to be a management level individual walking the floor and ask her if I could receive the to go order that I have already pre paid for. To ice the cake as I'm walking out one of the waitresses just drops the door closed in front of me after holding it for three others to pass through. You kidding me? Absolutely ridiculous. Would not visit this location if you don't have to. read more

first, I'd like to say that our food was amazing. Plenty hot enough, delicious flavor and served quickly. Prices are super reasonable. The downside of our visit was that despite it not being very busy, my hot tea order had to be requested twice while everybody's coffee was served immediately. The waitress never came by to ask how things were during our meal, not even once. Another member of our party never received her side of rye toast, when it came time to pay the bill the manager did take a few dollars off for that. And the condiments on the table were all sticky from previous diners, seeming to have never been washed off between parties. read more

Food is good, has great flavor. Service can be bad at times, sometimes they have an Attitude. But servings and portions are great.

I have to say the Brunch was very good. American cuisine with a twist. Eggs Benedict with Irish Bacon was delicious. We ere in a rush but didn't mention it to the waitress. But, our food came out in like 5 minutes. Excellent service and friendly staff. There is plenty of parking and outdoor seating. I will defiantly be back next time I am in Albany! read more

Best food around. They have great coffee too. If you're new to town you've gotta go here!! Basic Breakfast Breakfast BurritoCorned Beef Hash BreakfastFrench ToastTofu ScramblesFrench Toast StackerCinnamon Swirl read more

Outstanding brunch today! We enjoyed a staple of the restaurant, their raspberry oatmeal pancakes and a special called "doughnuts in the parking lot omelet". Both cooked perfectly. My omelet had fresh roasted red peppers, kale, caramelized onions, fresh ground sausage and homemade marinara. So tasty! The BEST EVER oven roasted potatoes - perfectly seasoned, crispy without being dry. I miss those potatoes... Delicious coffee, the service superb. Even my wheat toast was prepared with care, not your typical store bought bread, ours was thick, lightly toasted and not overly buttered. Only downside was the wait to get in on a Saturday morning, about 25 minutes. However, it was well worth it. I think it may have been my best brunch in my 49 years. There. I said it. First time visitors, and if we had this place near us, I'd be a regular! Oh, and also appreciate the creative writing skills of the chef - pithy & clever specials names matched by similarly inspired cooking. read more

Cafe Madison - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Yummy food! Fun vibes and the food is so delish! A cute quaint cafe for a nice breakfast on the weekend!

My wife and I ate breakfast here on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Callie took great care of us. And our food was delicious. We were staying at an Airbnb nearby so this was our first visit. It was a lovely dining experience. read more

Thank you for having legitimate vegan options! They are tasty and unique (not just a green salad and a processed fake burger. Service and atmosphere were great. I'd return anytime. read more

Cafe Madison is consistently good. I usually can't resist the oatmeal pancakes, like to get them with blueberries but you could get raspberries or chocolate chips. Omelets are generally excellent. They have a wide variety of preset fillings or you can design your own. We prefer these omelets which are generally flat and soft, to the type of omelets served at places such as Peaches, which are fluffy but dry. Madison also has homemade bread -- the dill-onion is our favorite. Good sides such as their sausage and bacon. Occasionally eat lunch there, have had excellent burgers. They have a good bar with nice brunch drinks. The coffee isn't special but has improved from their former weak cup. Note weekends you'll encounter long waits but you can call ahead or sign up for a waitlist online. Weekday mornings are usually pretty easy to get a table. read more

One of my favorite places in Albany. The pancakes are amazing! Been there many times, and everything I have ordered so far has been scrumptious. read more