stay away from their Chicken Friand , and the linzer cookie (heart shaped cookie) both have awful taste, they used to be better quality before, I gave them another chance but I think I will stop going again. read more

This was my first time eating here. I ordered a Turkey sandwich and french onion soup. All i can say is we need one in Crofton!!! The food was very good! The turkey sandwich was warm and very flavorful. The soup was great as well. You place your order and go down the line for soup and salad. They bring the entrees to your table. Not sure why this place is not more popular. This is the only location i know of. They have a case of desserts to choose from as well. read more

You had me at bread bar! The best croissant I've ever had- never been to France :( The potato gallete was delicious, although I wish it was bigger. Bread bar with yummy jam. I could just have that and not order an entree. I will be back to try their pastries. read more

***This one star is for service only** Being new to the area, we found this cute little French bakery and cafe and thought we should try it out. Well, when we arrived there were 3 employees standing around when we walked in. Not one of them greeted us when we walked in. We looked in the pastry case and were excited to see all the delightful treats. I glanced around and said, "oh do we have to wait to be seated? Do we order here? How does this work?" We walked up to where the girls were standing and one said, "Oh are you ready to order?" My husband and I glanced at each other slightly confused and said, "Sure? Can we please have a chocolate croissant and... Is there a menu or something to order from? This is our first time here." So the young girl pointed to some menus behind us. We quickly looked over the menu and order our breakfast. We didn't order anything fancy, eggs and croissant and a croissant breakfast sandwich and a couple of coffees. This order was done at 9:43am. We sat and chatted for a bit as we people watched. As time went by I said to my husband, "Man, they must be waiting for the chickens to lay the eggs." He replied, "Maybe they are baking fresh bread." We continued to chat and I glanced down at my watch and it was 10:14 and we still were waiting for out food. WTF! My husband quickly got up to ask about our order. About 10 minutes later it shows up. The food was GOOD but the service was TERRIBLE! read more

See all

Came in today for a late lunch. I got the combo with soup, salad, and half a quiche. It was very good, except the Ceasar salad dressing was pretty bland. The tomato soup was excellent. Place was clean and not too crowded. There is some patio seating also. read more

Good spot to grab coffee and relax! They have a ton of different pastries and a whole menu of food to choose from. I don't find their food menu that unique but I think the desserts are definitely worth trying. I ordered the hot chocolate and thought it was grest! read more

la Madeleine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

If your in the mood for French cuisine for lunch. This is the spot for a quick sandwich. Been to a few of their chain store before so we know what to expect. It's definitely better than eating at fast food restaurant. read more

See all

Went here for lunch around 1 pm and it was pretty packed but luckily we didnt have to wait for long. The quality of the food was good for the price. The service was also good. They have good selections of French pastries. I love their La Madeleine Pasta and quiche. They serve free bread & jam. read more

See all

Hey - it's fast-casual pseudo-Gallic cafe food. Relatively cheap, too. What do you want - Michelin stars? Decent coffee. The option of an airline-bottle of wine with your lunch. Salads and sandwiches made to order, along with a handful of hot entrees and soups. Service is swift, you don't have to bus your own tables, and there's complementary brown bread, butter, jam, and wifi. Life could suck more. The sad thing is that the baked goods aren't that great, but they're probably trucked in from somewhere. So enjoy your croque monsieur next to the faux-rustic gas fireplace, and then head back out into the savage wilderness of Columbia. read more

Had the Scrambled Egg Crepe with an Americano coffee and the chocolate almond croissant. The Crepe was delicious, cooked to perfection and just the right serving portion. The croissant is the best I have ever had!!! I was craving another but at 650ish calories it will have to wait for another time. The coffee was pretty good however it would be great if they could offer stevia extract as an optional sweetener. read more

The coffee was delicious! Complimentary breads and jams were tasty. The quiche Florentine was well cooked but lacked taste and the quiche Lorraine pastry was not fully baked. The order line was very rushed. Not sure I'd go here again. read more

They need to do something about customer service. I do not feel welcomed going there. They also treat customers different by the color of their skin. Also, the cups have a lip mark, the silverware is always dirty, the greens do not look fresh either. They need to do something! read more

Went in to grab breakfast for take out. There was a small line of people dining in. That's okay because I'm a patient person. I figured when they got through the line they would help me. No one ever greeted me or told me they would be with me shortly. After 7 minutes I became a little annoyed, I know the staff saw me there an still no one had acknowledge me. A woman who I assume was the manager finally asked me if I had been helped. After telling her no I continued to wait. During this time 4 customers who came in after me to dine in had been served. I finally decided to leave. I've never been a big fan of the food here but I've been recently getting into it. Won't return after this, They clearly do not value the take-out dollar. read more

I found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try! I usually go to Starbucks to get some work done, but since I was in the area and they have free wifi, I thought why not? Immediately upon entering, I got the whole bougie southern prep lake house vibe. The inside of the café is wood ceilings and walls with red tile floors. But as I started to notice the place more, it was kind of dirty. The floors looked like they haven't been clean in a while, dirt and crumbs everywhere. I came at 2pm and it was relatively hard to find a clean table. You leave your trays and food for an employee to pick up, and the employee did not come around to clean the tables. So, it was hard for me to find a table to work at. Even when I found a table, it was dirty - the employee had picked up the trays but neglected to wipe the table and seats. Anyways, the wifi connection wasn't bad (might have been because no one was really doing work here). But the tables are so small, I couldn't even fit my tray, my macbook air and notebook on a table. In addition, there aren't many outlets to charge your laptop. The café is relatively loud from 2-4pm so don't expect to be able to concentrate during that. For my meal, I ordered the chicken, bacon and blue cheese salad. My thoughts? NOT even a salad. I ordered a salad because I wanted something light but 75% of the salad was blue cheese and bacon. I had to eat around the blue cheese and bacon but it was practically impossible. The texture of the chicken is extremely odd - it crumbles inside your mouth. I'm not sure how you mess up a salad but they managed to. There is also a selection of complimentary bread consisting of wheat, whole grain and white bread. I tried the wheat one and bleh. Tasted stale and flavorless. However, I had a chocolate almond croissant and it was amazing! It was crispy and just the right amount of flakiness. Also, the madeleines were SO YUMMY. So freaking fluffy! I also enjoyed the cheesecake lemon muffin - It had a delicious filling. Overall, I wouldn't recommend eating the salads but I would definitely try their desserts. I might come back and try a different sandwich in the future. And don't come here if you're trying to get work done! read more

la Madeleine - Almond croissant and chicken bacon blue cheese salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

My husband & I had breakfast here on a whim because it was close to the theater & we had never been. We did not regret it. Upon entering, there were a few customers crowded near the door/take out area and we weren't approached by a host, so we were confused about the process. I explained to a young woman behind the counter (she greeted us w/a huge beautiful smile) that it was our 1st time there & she immediately explained everything clearly. She was very helpful. Apparently the host was busy doing the same thing w/the crowd at the door. He seemed to be having so much fun talking to them I thought he was part of their party & didn't realize he was the host. My husband & I opted to order breakfast from the menu rather than select our food from the "cafeteria line." When my hubby went back to place our order the young lady who helped us was there again eager to make sure everything went smoothly. My caramel macchiato was yummy & my husband said his coffee was good. I had the Country French Breakfast & he had the Parisien Eggs Benedict. As others have stated, the food is delicious w/nice portions, but a bit more expensive than it should be. During our meal, the manager, Theo, made his way to our table, had small talk, & joked about my husband's Yankees cap (go Yankees!). I informed Theo it was our 1st time dining there & I wasn't sure what to do with our dirty dishes. His reply, just leave them there, we want you to enjoy your food and time here in complete comfort. Of course it was delivered with a big smile! Wow, such fantastic customer service, something that seems so rare these days. My husband & I had already made up our minds, we'd definitely return! Then, Theo returned to our table with a welcome gift for our first time there, a fresh warm loaf of French bread!! Yum! I know this review is long, but this location deserves their praises. Yes, I've been there just once, but the superior customer service from the two employees we had contact with made our experience wonderful & guaranteed our return. Yes, it's like a "French Panera," yes the food is a bit more pricey than it should be, but it was yummy, & the atmosphere was cozy & friendly. There's noooo question we will return & I look forward to trying their other locations. read more

See all

A beautiful place, great service! Loved the cafeteria style salad bar lots of fresh selections. Pasta was great, cake is a bit pricey but the the service and environment, it was worth it. We enjoyed everything moment! read more

la Madeleine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

Really cute place. We came for Sunday brunch. It has a buffet with pre-prepared foods, whuch is the line we got in. Once we had oicked up our food, we realized that there was also a cook to order line. I had the quiche florentine and tomato basil soup, husband had the chicken ceasar and French onion. The soups were divine, we'll seasoned, and seemed fresh. Th salad and quiche were so so. We will most likely come back and try the other line, as we really liked the atmosphere and service. read more

Simply charming experience. We loved the coffee and the desserts we were served by a professional and friendly staff. The patio was awesome and so is the interior of the building. Can't wait to go back. read more

I have gone here twice and will never be back. The first time out quiche was cold and bland (pretty sure it used to be frozen) The cashier had some fake French accent and it was all a bit contrived. The second time I found a fly in my salad and instead of apologizing the manager just keyed in his code to the register and gave me a refund. I left hungry and grossed out. read more

I'm going to start off saying that the food wasn't bad. But there's a reason for that--it was doused, and I mean DOUSED, in butter. In looking through the menu, it didn't seem like there were many healthy options, but there were many tasty sounding ones. Read the calories, and you'll wince...cringe... We ordered the tomato bisque soup, which was very good with their complimentary wheat bread (you can grab as much as you need), in addition to the chicken pesto pasta. The pasta was overdone, oversauced, overbuttered...it pretty much dripped in grease. Tasted good, but for all the wrong reasons. There was also no taste of pesto, and the basil looked like it was sprinkled from a jar (very dark green as opposed to your usual popping green). Bread that comes with it was standard, a little too hard. Someone came and swooped our items without saying anything. You won't really get much service or peppiness out of anyone here except for when you order your food. A decent stop when there's no other options and you are in the area, and are willing to down tons of calories for a small bite. read more

Food was adequate but unfortunately the slovenly kept kitchen and the chaos of the wait staff poorly waiting on everyone took away from the overall experience The kitchens overflowing trash can being in direct eye line made for the whole dining experience one that I don't want to repeat - I guess the manager was off today. read more

I give seriously up! In a hurry, we ran into the pastry side just a minute ago (8:30am) hoping for a pastry and drinks to go. The display case hadn't been stocked yet and nothing on the speed rack against the wall indicating anything was cooling. Employees looked over at us while stocking the main dining line, wandering, chatting, but never acknowledged or came by to see if we wanted anything. One customer had to almost yell at someone just to get a menu. We gave up for Jae's Grill! read more

Ordered eggs Benedict. Eggs were over cooked and breakfast way over priced. We ordered teo breakfasts the other was scrambled eggs. 2 coffees and 2 OJs. Breakfast was $25. Definitely over priced read more

la Madeleine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Love the food here! But I can definitely feel myself getting fatter and fatter as I take each bite. The chicken Parisian is really good and I love their pasta salad side dish. Their tomato soup is also delish with the free bread. My coworkers and I love getting this for lunch takeout! read more

Decided to stop here on a whim as I'd always seen this place and wondered what it was like. This is definitely a pleasant, although not exactly cheap, dining experience and one I'd do again. The staff there were friendly and helpful, understanding that I'd never been in there before. It's partially a "cafeteria" style, where you look at the menu and take a tray. However, they do have a server there to take your order for hot foods to bring to your table (the tray is mostly for cold food, pastries, and drinks). You then find a place to sit and wait for them to find your table. The decor is very nice, mimicking a French villa cafe with cozy fireplaces and low ceilings, and works well for reading, using a laptop, or social interaction. Some may feel a bit crowded as tables and chairs are close to each other (to squeeze more customers in), but I enjoyed finding my own little spot to myself. I found the food nicely done and tasty, with my quiche just the right consistency and flavor with a good flaky crust. My soup was obviously flavored with onion and vegetables rather than salt, which was a nice break from the usual sodium-laden fare you get at other restaurants. The pastry I ordered was also nice, although a bit overpriced for the size you get. Overall, I'd say my experience here was a hit and I'll be back. Don't expect to find a cheap lunch here, but it's not going to break your wallet. Plus, the atmosphere and food are merveilleux! read more

I will first preface this review with: I am a big fan of this place. I have been to locations in rockville, bethesda, reston, etc. That being said. What a hot mess this location is! I came in, (1:30 pm - not quite a lunch rush) food line was easily 10 people deep. No biggie except it wasn't moving. Salad guy had up and disappeared. This is a fairly large issue when your restaurant functions as an assembly line. No biggie, let's find seating. Good luck, lots of open tables, all filthy. I had to beg for one to be cleaned, which they did, graciously. It took over 15 minutes to get my little salad sampler. Usually that is a 5 minute experience at every other location. I go to pay. No one at the register. I wait. Someone comes by to ring me up then just walks away, no problem I will just take my own receipt and walk behind your counter for a water cup. Thanks. I sit down to eat. What is that in my chicken salad ypu ask? Oh, that's a large piece of tomato pasta salad in there. ... for me, a bit of a put off but what if I was a customer with allergies? The food in general was good, tastes just as it does everywhere else but they are woefully understaffed. 2 stars because I still ate happily and there is free wifi. read more

Filthy. Flies. Broken down tables and chairs. Don't waste your money. Tables left dirty. Patio had missing fan blades and chair backs were missing parts. Inside tables are wobbly and napkins are placed under the pegs to keep them from rocking. Floors need mopping. read more

la Madeleine - Inside window sill, Looks like something gnawed a hole. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

I have been to La Madeleine several times now and every time my food is delish! And I'm finally getting the hang of how to order...the only slight issue I have is that it's not clear exactly how to order here...you just have to learn by trial and error... I've had breakfast and I've had lunch here...the quiche was delish for breakfast. The French Onion Soup, salad and fruit I had for lunch really hit the spot...and the Mini Tiramisu I had for dessert was absolutely scrumptuous! We sat in by the window looking out to the outdoor eating area, which is also very pleasant. I'm thinking this is a lot like a real French cafe. The lady at the cashier said Bon Jour and Merci as well... And they have great iced tea too...a selling point for me! I highly recommend a visit here, even if only for the desserts! : ) read more

While in Columbus, Ohio, we enjoyed breakfast at a French breakfast chain which I thought was Madeline's...perhaps it wasn't. Yes, just looked, it was Mimi's...would drive a bit longer to Mimi's next trip. A quick stop on a business driving trip st this location was a bit disappointing. No waiter service, terrible eggs Benedict (one egg was way overcooked and one way undercooked), and generally.not satisfying. Maybe I recall Mimi's in Columbus? read more

Great ambiance. Good food. Borderline mediocre. However, you are paying for a feel. Honestly, Costco croissants and dessert options are just as good. read more

At this time when cleanliness is most important, this place was filthy. The floors were dirty, the high chairs were piled Helter skelter on a crumby floor in the hallway. The window sills were warped and pealing. The ladies room had so much dirt and dust caked on the paneling I don't think it's even been cleaned. read more

If it weren't for the service, I would come here everyday because I love their pastries. And I have no problem stocking up on their sweets! Their croissants are crisp on the outside and soft in the center. Perfect! The ambiance and decor is beautiful, and it's self seating. But man oh man the service is so BAD! 2 out of the 3 times I've been here, the cashier had a horrible attitude and gives the most dirty looks (girl with the hot pink lipstick). The cashier on my 2nd visit was nice to me, but was unfriendly to the picky yet polite customer ahead of me. I figured maybe the cashiers are having a bad day, so I'd try to ignore their attitudes and be polite. But to run into this poor experience 3 times consecutively, makes me think no changes are going to be made at this particular franchise to remedy this problem. I like the self seating idea, but every time I come here the majority of the tables are dirty. My boyfriend and I ordered breakfast on a weekday around 10am...the restaurant only had a handful of customers. We waited for what it seemed like forever for some eggs and a croissant. Food is delicious, but is a little pricey and definitely not worth the poor service. read more

Ambiance is great, has a European look and feel of a cafe, pastries are delicious and they have large selection. If you are on diet, forget abiut it for a moment and endulge yourself. Coffee needed attention, was not strong enough! Need to consider using Lavaza, much better test for all Europeans visiting this place. Highly recommend this place for a breakfast. But you must come hungry read more

la Madeleine - Great ambiance, grwat quality of food and reasonable prices. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

I wish I could actually vote three and a half stars, but that is pretty much what I think this place deserves. The style of the eatery is a bit like a cafeteria (less than ideal) and it is a little absurd to me that when you enter, all the staff tries to speak french to you. However, the staff has always been friendly to me. I love that it has a fireplace and all wood atmosphere which just makes it more charming to me. There is patio dining too when the weather allows. The food is tasty (which in my mind is slightly less than delicious but I still clean my plate). Their produce is fresh and ripe, which is the key to making produce good. I don't like that if you order a glass of red wine (they only have merlot) it comes in one of those little bottles of wine, which is always blech. But thier homemade leomonade is about as good as you can hope for, well, as good as I can hope for, as it is just tart and sweet enough. However, as popular as it is, and it is pretty popular, the table arrangements make you feel like you are mostly alone. read more

Went to the Columbia, MD location around 6 in the evening. I was greeted by a young women who asked "you want something"? So much for "may I help you". I ordered my food and found there was no clean knives in order to eat my meal. After a slightly disgusted look, the worker got some knives from the back. As I was walking to ask for clean silverwear, I noticed trash all over the floor behind the counter, food on the serving areas and uncovered croissants near the grill. I got my food, which was pretty good, in a reasonable amount of time. Overall a very mediocre experience. Not a great chance I will return. Maybe I just need to lower my expectations....at least to eat at La Madeleine. read more

Wanted a good place to have a quant breakfast. Looked at the reviews and menu and gave it a try. Didn't know it was cafeteria style - ugh. The staff was nice and courteous, however it was a bit confusing for the first time goer to 'get with the program' and know what to order immediately upon on entering the restaurant. The lentil and kale soup was good, but could have been warmer. Our baguette turkey sandwich was very good, but our strawberry Neapolitan was challenging. It didn't cut with a fork, knife or buzz saw. Very awkward. It just fell apart! With the goo in the middle squishing out. Not sure why this would remain on the menu without making it easier to eat. Lemon tart was good, but could've been more tangy-more lemon. It's kinda like a French version of Panera bread. Will go back and try a different entree and dessert at a different location. But, still don't care for carrying a tray around looking for an empty table. read more

la Madeleine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

La Madeleine is basically a French-themed Panera--and that's not such a bad thing, really. And besides, it's Columbia, where not much of anything is authentic. There are good menu items here, but the preparation hasn't been perfect in my experience. The price is also reasonable (again much like Panera). Some of the other reviewers speak of this place as if it's an authentic French restaurant, which might be misleading: you're going to walk down a line with a tray and pay at a register like a cafeteria, just so you know. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but don't be fooled. The breakfast options are in my opinion the best part of the menu, so come here before you head out to whichever mall brought you to Columbia in the first place. It's a step up from the usual strip mall / food court fare, and the physical space is comfortable. read more

Chicken La Madeline, with broccoli, and a side bowl of reduced fat Tomato Basil coup made for one of the better meals I've eaten in a while. KUDOS, to La Madeline Corporate for putting a calorie value in plain view on each and every item!!! (so don't go loading up on the free bread if you're dieting! HEY! Put that slice back!!!) read more

This is nothing to do with French bakery. Not even the chocolate croissants. Greasy, not tasty food. Sorry, but having breakfast there was a bad experience. read more

I love La Madeleine! I grew up across the street from the Bethesda location and I was happy to find that they have a restaurant in Columbia. I went with my usual chicken Caesar salad and strawberries romanoff. The service was quick and the food satisfying! read more

la Madeleine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland