This restaurant is a bit confusing. Depending on what you choose to order, you stand in different lines, so the flow of the place is kind of awkward. Also, hot food being served on a cold, damp plate is not appealing. I suggest they do a little re-thinking because it could be a neat place if some things were done differently. read more

I have eaten here several times and enjoyed the food, so I suggested meeting a friend for brunch. Disappointed. Our order took forever - someone finally SLID part of our order (potato galette) onto our table, without a word and left. The main part of our order simply did not show up, so I went to the counter to ask - by this point, more than 40 minutes had gone by. We were finally brought the rest of our meal. My eggs were unappetizing, having sat under a warmer for how long????, and the croissant was soggy. We asked to speak to the manager, who, because I took a bite of the eggs and ate the non soggy part of the croissant, said I was eating my food. Well duh~! At that point I was beyond starving. I am sure what happened with our order was a mistake. I am sure of it! But instead of apologizing (we did not get an apology), the manager chose to argue with my friend (who had paid for the meal). He eventually gave her a gift card and refunded the price of my meal. The mistake is easily forgiven, but the manager's attitude is not so easily forgiven. I left hungry, as 2 bites of the eggs and part of the croissant were not enough. read more

We had the breakfast croissant and Chicken Madeleine and both were really good. We did think it was going to be a sit down and order restaurant but it is an order at that counter and find a seat cafe. We sat outside on the patio which is really nice, clean and plenty of shade to stay cool on this 80 degree morning. No complaints and everything was good so gave 5 stars. read more

I love that one opened in Albuquerque. Delicious coffee and so many savory foods and treats. Love the decor and fireplace. A great family eatery or to chat with a friend or to sit and write amidst the friendly chatter. read more

All I can say is wow. Not what I expected when we first came but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious and the pastry's are amazing. I recommend the French dip. read more

Good French food but you stand in line to place your order then you have to wait to have it brought to you. Lots of seating but they never seem to bus the tables quickly. Still, for "fast food" I'd say it's your best bet read more

Breakfast was ok for the price range but loud inside and outside. It was kind of hectic. It's similar to a Panera in the way that you order and pick up your food. Had to stand outside for a while because of the line. If you're looking for somewhere to get breakfast in ABQ, I think there's better options. read more

I ordered a quiche florentine. It was not ready and was told it would be 'right out', in total I waited about 25 minutes. I was hangry at that point but I was compensated with a free fruit tart which was a nice gesture, it would've been nice to be told the real wait time. Service: 3.5/5 Quiche Florentine: 3/5 - was bland I wouldn't order it again, I did get a bite of a custom crepe and felt that had much more flavor and would order that if I went back for breakfast Chocolate Torte Parfait: 5/5 - fantastically rich, the plastic dish that it comes in is a bit flimsy and hard to reach the bottom with the large spoon Fresh fruit tart : 3/5 the custard and fruit were great, the crust tasted like shortbread and is very tough Lemon Madeleines: 5/5 Blackberry Croissant: 5/5 I would definitely come back for the bakery which has really affordable prices read more

We enjoyed the eggs Benedict, French country breakfast and the crepe strawberry romanoff. Everything tasted very good and was cooked perfectly. The croissant was delish. I loved the ambiance as well and service was good. We will be back to try lunch! read more

Excellent. Had breakfast. The food was fabulous. I would Highly recommend this place. read more

Excellent breakfast.... delicious, fast, with friendly service. Looks to be brand new... beautiful inside and easy to get to. Recommended.

The first time I went to La Madeleine was in the late 1980's in Houston. It had the feel of a quaint neighborhood cafe, and the food was fresh and delicious. The latest incarnation in Albuquerque has more of the feel of a corporate chain. Ordering was a little confusing, but the staff is very helpful. And there were plenty of staff around taking good care of customers. I ordered half a sandwich and a cup of the tomato basil soup. The soup was so salty, I could only eat a few bites. My sandwich arrived several minutes later and was good. The saving grace was the mini-chocolate tart for dessert. The flavor was wonderful, and it was the perfect ending to a so-so meal. read more

Apparently you have to stand in at least two lines for 40 minutes, then you wait for your food. Not going back. Their food was not worth staring at an empty restaurant while we waited in the sun for a half hour. read more

On our first visit, we were pleasantly surprised. Our group ordered three different items for breakfast and everyone was very impressed with their dish. I had the breakfast croissant and it's one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've had from a non fast food restaurant. Employees came across as friendly and helpful. We were a little confused by the ordering style, a cross between a school cafeteria line and walk up order. It will be easier to understand on our second visit, which will not be far away. It seems they do not use a "tipping" model, which I liked. As best I could tell, full salary for all employees came from the food price, and I could get used to that model. read more

We both had Crepes Riviera which were excellent! Lots of real garlic. We also had bowls of French onion soup, very satisfactory for fast food soup. read more

This was my first time here, so I thought I would give the combo a try: quiche, salad and soup. I chose Lorraine, Cesar and Onion. The salad was mixed without any Parmesan cheese or croutons, they fixed it by making me A whole new one. Thank you! The quiche was ok. The crust was so tough when I tried to cut it with a knife, it broke apart, no flakiness here. The onion soup was very good, with a lot of umami flavor. I noticed most of the Cesar salads served were missing their toppings. Service was efficient, but, not very pleasant. Overall, I would recommend La Quiche for authentic French cuisine. read more

I have been a fan of La Madeleine for years in Texas, and was excited to see one coming to a mall near me. The open was good, the food is good, but the last couple of visits the service and responsiveness is really not to their usual standard. I ordered the french onion soup and was told after delivery that the croutons are not available, and would not be any time soon. Hey seemed short staffed overall and did not even greet me upon arrival, even though the manager was standing at the food service bar talking with another employee. Please step up your game so you can stay open near me. The food is good, if you have the ingredients available. read more

Really great food! Kind, attentive employees. They've still got some kinks to work out since it is new but it is a wonderful place with delicious food. read more

The take out is good they are on delivery apps now which is good bc some of the food isnt bad but not super special either. Lemon and fruit tarte are good small creme brulee decent too but i dont like that when u go in theres no one to seat u and u have to order at the counter. Really a crap concept read more

I am not a huge fan of the portions at this restaurant, however the food is very good and consistent. I love the bakery and it's the only place in town where you can find pastry close to the Austrian baked goods of my mother. The service is fantastic, which is why I am writing this review. I rarely write reviews but I truly must now. I was recently there celebrating my birthday with lunch and I realized I lost my phone. The manager helped me look for it at the restaurant and we realized I probably left it at the last store I visited before lunch. The manager volunteered to keep calling my phone until I could find it and said he would tell who ever answers it to hold it until I get there. Long story shorter, I found the phone and did see that the manager had been calling it. I called him and thanked him profusely. I felt this was above and beyond and that alone will keep me coming back to the restaurant. (Besides the great Sachar torte;)) read more

This place has amazing food. The Potato Gallettes are to die for. They offer hot, filling meals, a cafe list of drinks, and a specialty bakery (creme brulee, etc.). My god, this place has great food. Consequently, they will be busy sometimes. But it's a great place to take an older woman, especially outside of their lunch rush. read more

The food here is fantastic but when I went, there simply wasn't enough of it. They kept running out of things and when they would have more, I'd have to wait in a line that was long enough that by the time I could ask for what I wanted (quiche) they had run out again. Maddening. BUT if you DO get your food, it's sublime. read more

I would give less than 1 star if I could. My husband and I were excited to visit La Madeleine but were very disappointed. My husband ordered a pasta dish, when he received it the pasta was missing. We ask an employee for help they seemed confused by our request and never returned to help us but continued busing tables. My salad was not fresh and the dressing had no flavor. We called back to complain and never received a call back from the manager or any sort of apology, explanation, or consolation. I will never return, it was expensive and we did not get what we ordered. Another crappy chain taking up space. read more

The line was out the door but it moves really fast in this cafeteria style line. Lots of seating so that wasn't an issue either. Great food! Had a sampler and tried a salad, quiche and soup. read more

The whole experience is disgusting. We walked in the door and had a clerk with a bad attitude yell at us from behind the take-out counter to place an order with her since the "dine-in" register clerk was on break. Couldn't peruse the menu as she needed your order tout de suite with people lining up behind us. I asked for the Country French Breakfast which except for the croissant isn't really French. I requested my eggs poached and got a "we don't make them" response. So, I took the scrambled which were a tasteless rubbery mass. The two half-dollar coin sized and thin sausages were overly spiced and had to have been sitting around on a warming plate for who knows how long. The potato galette would have been sent to a cuisine guillotine in Normandy or Brittany. This was a dollop of processed hash browns that consisted of burnt crisps on the edges and uncooked goo in the center. (There was a pile of these sitting on a grill in the cafeteria check out line.) All was "relished" with two ultra thin slices of an anemic tomato. Yuck. I took about two bites, ate the croissant and left the rest which was a good idea as my friend ordered the Croque Madame and spent the later part of the day and next morning hustling to the bathroom in post mortem misery to his meal. OK. Albuquerque isn't Paris, but there are some decent places to get a representation of French food in town. La Crêpe Michel. P'tit Louis Bistro and Le Troquet come to mind. The baguette we took home wasn't bad, but the snooty clerk gave us the wrong pastries. The staff is poorly trained and managed and apparently nobody in house gives a damn (personne s'en fout). You can get a free French lesson by going to the bathroom. I was entertained with expressions of time... yesterday, today, tomorrow. How relevant. I won't go back to La Madeleine jamais! read more

Pretty satisfied with this place. The food is delicious and well priced. Would give 5 stars, however, they forgot to give me one of my items both times I've eaten here read more

My wife was excited for us to try La Madeleine, but my experience was less than satisfying. I am not a big fan of cafeteria style eating establishments, but I thought the staff did a good job of keeping the line going. I love French onion soup, so wanted to give that a try. Unfortunately, my bowl of French onion soup was the worst I have ever tasted. My bowl was from the bottom of a vat with almost no onions and so watery that it was almost tasteless. I simply couldn't eat it, so had a quarter pounder with cheese at McDonalds on my way home. Not my favorite but It was certainly an improvement over the French onion soup at La Madeleine. read more

I have been waiting since 1995 for Albuquerque to get a La Madeleine because I moved here from Dallas and sorely missed it. The food is always great but I have a couple of suggestions for the business. In Dallas you just got in the cafeteria line and started getting food that was available from behind the line and ordered anything extra there. But here they are making people stand in a line to order before proceeding through to start selecting the food. This is a bad idea as it slows up the process resulting in long lines out the door. I would suggest they start people moving and order and select at the same time. In addition, the coffee station is too small and slow. If there were 2 stations within the restaurant it might go faster in the mornings when everyone is trying to get coffee. The noise level is way too loud and I keep trying to come here and have had 2 people state that they can't stand the noise. Perhaps the music can be reduced or some type of noise absorbing surface can be applied. Until these are fixed, I will have to arrive at 6:30 AM only or do take out because the place is congested. But the food is very tasty. read more

Ordering was confusing ... Do I wait in line to pick up my soup but not my salad? While standing in line an expediter returned a quiche to the line stating to a co worker "wrong order"... Pretty sure that was a health code violation. Got to the register and he confirmed my order (French dip) with no "hore".... While we got a giggle out of it (recognizing he was referring to my no horseradish) still not professional. French dip was bland, no flavor. Although the bread was amazing. Soup was good. Not sure we'll go back, perhaps give them a second chance after they have some time to figure things out. read more

I would not recommend coming here unless you like buffet style "french" food. The food is not presented well. Salad is slopped on the plate. You have to tell your order to the empolyees multiple times as you make your way to the cash register. Do not come here if you want to eat healthy, quality, good tasting, or authentic French food. This is an Americanized fast food, "French" buffet. Seriously, go eat somewhere local. Go spend your money on some decently tasting food. read more

Very disappointed. An upscale Subway Sandwich Shop experience. Food line very noisy and ordering staff on the serving line not attentive nor friendly. Our soups were mediocre at best and served spilling over onto our trays. Trays? Kinda like at Furr's Cafeteria. Spinach salad was not nicely tossed, just a bed of spinach with balsamic dressing with strawberries, nuts and "bacon bits" (Yes, bacon bits) spooned on top. OK if you want a cafeteria experience at waiter and waitress prices. read more

I still haven't even gotten to try the food at this place. I've been twice and haven't even quite made it to the counter to order due to horrible service. On the first occasion I was new so I picked up the menu and waited for others to start the line. Two groups walked right up to the register and I followed and formed a line behind them. In the mean time more people who I assumed were regulars strolled in and were served at the cafe/bar getting soups and whatnot. Eventually before I could order everyone collided and began bickering/arguing in the lines about who was next. A man who seemed like the manager came out and said nothing and started swapping the drawer at the other register and proceeded to head to the back. By the time the second group who went through the bar line payed I asked the lady at the register if I was in the wrong line or what was the best way for me to properly order and she responded I know you're next just wait there and I'll get to you. I immediately left and the other family behind me followed I think. I had only lined up there because I was ordering from the menu not anything from the bar area and saw others doing the same. On my second attempt I walked in and waited at the bar for about 10 minutes and no one ever came out or said anything. I saw one employee near the bathrooms and never was greeted. The layout of the restaurant is very confusing. I don't know if I will try a third time but I will update if I return. read more

Excellent baked goods, but the ordering process is very slow. Everyone crowds at the entrance. There's only one person taking orders and only one cashier. Servers wander around with your food trying to find where you are sitting. Disorganized to say the least. And the food wasn't anything special. I'd say definitely stop by if you just want a sweet treat (the mini tarts were delicious!), but don't bother waiting for a spot in the cafe. read more

I met some friends here for a late breakfast. I hadn't been to this restaurant before but one of my friends wanted to try it. When I walked in the door, my first thought was, "another place designed like Flying Star or Cinnamon Sugar & Spice Cafe." Honestly, it is more like a cafeteria. There were people behind the counter but none seemed interested in taking an order. After several minutes of standing there being ignored, I asked if that was where I was supposed to order. Nope. Someone should be back soon to take your order. A couple more minutes of waiting. The order process was quick. He then sent me down to the registers. Two registers and no one was there. Once again I'm left to wonder what is going on. Finally a cashier emerges and I pay for omelet. I fill the glass I'm given with water and head to the table to my friends. One is already eating a quiche, I'm waiting for my omelet and the other friend goes to order and comes back with a quiche. I'm perplexed at this point because the front of their menu boasts of freshness. There is no way this quiche was fresh. Perhaps fresh from the freezer, if that counts. They were pleased with it. My omelet was good. I found it odd that one friend was served her coffee and the other had to fetch hers. I think I expect too much. Thinking of places similar (i.e., Panera, Flying Star, etc.) at some point they come to take your plate. In our case it was almost an hour later. No offer of refills, get it yourself. I guess I expected more based on the price. The food is okay but the customer service is hugely lacking. read more

Perhaps it's just the new opening jitters but I don't think so. The manager was watching everything but doing nothing to improve the issues of both his staff and his patrons. Very long line, outside and around the corner to get in, very slow order taker because so much time was needed to explain how the line and ordering worked in tandem, and a very slow, obviously inexperienced cashier. Although the food was okay the soup was tepid, the eggs cold (they were in line for well over 8 minutes) and the counter top is so high that to reach whatever plate is being handed to you over the top, many needed assistance from those standing beside them. When the cold eggs were brought to the attention of the manager, he shrugged and turned away. 3 times during lunch very loud crashes of dishes falling and breaking didn't help the crowded ambience. They were out of their "new" highly touted Mediterranean salad and it was just noon and my 1/2 sandwich of turkey, brie, apples, and onions were missing completely the last 2 ingredients. On the bright side, the coffee was delicious as was the coconut cream cake. Finally, we couldn't get our dishes and trays cleared in the hour and 15 minutes we were there. My best advice. Close for a week, retrain everyone, insure that the system of service can handle the number of customers, put 2 fast folks on order taking duty and a seasoned cashier at the register. Above all do not hand customers an ID #, take it away once they get their meal, and then ask them what # they had so that they can look up how much they owe! read more

My friend and I ordered take out and asked for our orders to be bagged separately. My friend had 3 items and I had 2 items. The main dish items were in the wrong bags (I wanted Lorraine and got Florentine, she wanted Florentine and got Lorraine). We didn't realize the mix up until we got to our own homes (somewhat out fault for Not checking---- but also Poor service). I live fairly close to the restaurant. My friend lives on the west side. I took the Florentine to get it exchanged for the Lorraine at the restaurant. Although it was replaced, I was treated as though I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG and the employee at the take out register wearing all blue was EXTREMELY UNFRIENDLY. Never once did I hear, "We are so sorry for OUR mix up." And this was My first experience with the restaurant. Not too sure I will rush to return based on the treatment. I would think employees and restaurants would be trying really hard with ALL customers considering all of the loss, etc. etc. that covid has brought to us all. Improvement is needed in ORDER ACCURACY and KINDNESS. read more

Was pretty disappointed with La Madeline.. We checked it out after a friend raved about going to one in Texas, but it was just overall not good. The place was packed when we arrived and we were luckily able to find a table fairly easily. The ordering process was a little confusing and put pressure on us first timers to pick something quick. You basically order right inside the doors of the restaurant, and then walk down an aisle, cafeteria style, and pay at the register. My son ordered a kids pizza which he enjoyed, but it looked microwaved.. His sprite cup only came half full with no ice, which was kind of weird.... I ordered the chicken salad croissant - the croissant was stale (I thought this was a bakery??) and the chicken had dark meat in it, which being picky about chicken, I was not crazy about. My husband ordered a mushroom chicken and rice dish with a tomato bisque soup. The soup was good, but served luke warm. The rest of his meal tasted exactly like lean cuisine which was bothersome given how expensive everything was. We ended up sitting next to an acquaintance who shared that his group didn't really enjoy their meal either. Don't think we'll be back... read more

We went to have breakfast this morning. We had breakfast here last year and the food and service was wonderful. HOWEVER, this time the service was so bad that we didn't stay for our food. I don't know if it was due to the way we looked (I don't usually dress up to go have breakfast) or that we had children in our party or the fact that my husband is Mexican. Whatever the case, the waiter was slow in getting to us and went out of his way to serve everyone around us first. I asked for an ice water because the hot chocolate he brought my children burned their tongues. After 15-20 minutes of waiting for the water and, watching him serve people that had been seated after us, we left without eating. We were planning on ordering a dozen croissants to go as well, but decided it wasn't worth the HORRIBLE service. Unfortunately, the manager walking the floor didn't seem to care, either. If they are too busy, then I suggest hiring more waitstaff. I am sad that the employees ruined one of my favorite restaurants for me. I will not be returning and plan in telling EVERYONE about my unfortunate experience. read more

If you like Arby's, La Madeleine French Bakery is for you. Four differences are more seating, wooden chairs and tables, quiche that's been hardened under a heat lamp, and glass tumblers. read more

Food was good service was horrible people didn't know where they were going they walk in and they have to wait for people to serve them very disorganized wouldn't go back. We were expecting a restaurant style place but got a cafeteria style restaurant. Something's you can order from the person in front however other things you could order in line very confusing... read more