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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: Union SquareMon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
"Birley's a new favorite of mine in the FiDi. I've tried a couple of really fantastic sandwiches and will plan on working through the rest of…" read more »
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First off, to the Asian pastry chef w/faux-hawk working the register yesterday...sigh you are HOT!
This place is incredibly cute, and luckily in my book cuteness goes a longgggg way. I visited Cafe Madeleine after doing a quick Yelp search for good/moderately cheap places to eat in the Union Square area. 4 stars, cute pictures, good reviews... I was sold.
So my friend and I (after getting lost for a bit because I forgot the address) finally stumbled into the cafe starving. I ordered the turkey, bacon, aged provolone, and watercress mayo grilled sandwich, and she went for the grilled chicken. I also ordered a small hot chocolate with chocolate whip cream (YUM).
We both continued to secretly talk/giggle like 14-year-olds about how cute the Asian guy working there was as we waited for our orders. Once we got them, we were lucky enough to grab one of the four tables outside. FYI: seating is limited. Man I love sitting outside and eating on patios.
The hot chocolate was delightful as the weather outside was just slightly chilly. My friend made a great comment about how having a hot drink in hand randomly made her feel "important" :p.
We broke into our grilled sandwiches, and MY GOD: HIT THE SPOT! The kaiser roll was nice and toasty from the press, and the rich gooey cheese, bacon and turkey was exactly what I'd been craving. My friend's grilled chicken, avocado, marinated onions, and harvarti cheese sandwich was still steaming as it entered her mouth.
We were so full from the sandwiches that we didn't get a chance to try the desserts, but I'll definitely be going back.
My grilled cheese sandwich was toasted too long and the tomato soup that came with it was overly salty. The only thing good about it was that it was somewhat hearty with tomato chunks.
Cafe mocha was good though.
4.5 STARS as I haven't tried their sweets yet...
So, it's Saturday morning, I'm hungover, l slept through my alarm and I'm late to my hair appt. I needed to stop by and grab something quick to eat and I remember hearing how great Cafe Madeleine's sweets were. So, I thought I give it a try since they also served sandwiches and it was directly behind the hair salon I was going to.
I ordered the Turkey, Bacon, Aged Provolone Cheese and Tomatoes with Watercress. I have to say it was one of the BEST sandwiches I've ever tasted. The turkey was slow roasted and very tender. The bacon added a nice smokyness to the sandwich. The bread was nicely grilled and melted the cheese which added a rich creamy texture. The sandwich was HUGE. Although I was starving, I could only finish half and left the other half for a homeless person. And, for $8, I thought it was pretty reasonable considering it was in Union Sqaure.
As far as service goes; the staff is super friendly and polite which is always an added bonus. Because as good as the food may be; there's nothing worse then going to an establishment with grumpy and rude employees.
Sadly, I'm back on my health kick, so I doubt I can return very soon. But, when I'm feeling a little naughty; I'll be sure to make another trip to Cafe Madeleine and this time with a dessert in tote. Hmm, probably in 6 weeks when I'm due for my next hair appt! :)
Turns out the owner is a incredibly sweet woman who cares immensely about quality service (which I am a complete sucker for). I have since returned 3 or 4 times, and although I can't say I am completely sold on the vegetarian lunch options, I am definitely sold on that brown sugar shortbread!! The sweeties are an absolute pleaser everytime. Also, based on my recent visits, the people working have been just delightful. One of the men working was really informative and he invited me back to try a new vegetarian sandwich that will be unleashed in the future.
***Here's my issue with the sandwiches: First off, to clarify, I really enjoyed my pear and cheese sandwich, but it's not something that's totally filling. It's more like a really yummy snack. And the time before, I had a mushroom 'wich that was good, but I want it warm!! So Madeleine chefs - please create an ooey gooey cheesy mushroom melt or something along those lines.
Why was there a chunk of bacon in my tofu salad? I found the flesh about mid-way through, so I was… Read more »
I love this place. I used to work by the one on California street and would go for my afternoon coffee and snack. My favorite is this walnut and cranberry bread (more like fruit cake) they sell by the slice. It's probably not as healthy as it sounds, but its as delicious!!!
Their coffee is good at both cafes. It seems like they're not known for it but they should be. I've had their lattes and their coffee multiple times and they tasted amazing every time!!!
Service is great! Cleanliness is an A++! I love the decor, and I love just sitting there enjoying my coffee and snack either by myself or with a girlfriend.
Great $3.00 lunch sandwiches and amazing desserts! My all time fav is the triple decker chocolate mousse. But all of their desserts are fabulous!
I am writing this review as i'm devouring their wild mushroom quiche and a side of green salad at my desk at work. yummmm!! so if you see any misspellings, it's not due to my lack of education but rather because i'm just distracted by my delectable lunch...
preface:
i once saw a coworker of mine eat something at her desk; that something looked super healthy and super delicious. so i asked her - "L, whacha got there?". "asparagus-chicken salad from Madeleine" she said. "well, i am definitely going there for lunch today!" so i went there, asparagus-chicken salad was gone unfortunately. I learned that it's so popular that they run out of it fast. So if you're there after 1pm, most likely you won't get any of it. This almost makes me want to not talk about it since it's gonna make it even more likely that when i go there it'd be gone. anyhow. i did get to take my lunch early one day and got to try the asparagus-chicken salad - OMG! loved it! sooo good. and cheap! big salad is only $6.50.
Today i went there again and got their last slice of wild mushroom quiche (i do get lucky occasionally!). i also got a small greek salad. $10.50 both! wow! came back to work and realized that quiche already comes with a side of salad, so greek salad went to the fridge to await its turn to be devoured tomorrow.
If you work in the area, definitely try this place. Their salads, sandwiches, and quiches are amazing! And amazingly inexpensive for the area and food quality. Yay! I'm a fan!
P.S. They also have a wide variety of desserts that look really delicious. However, i try to stay away from them as much as i can (or else i'll have to run an extra mile on a treadmill) so i haven't tried them yet... they look darn goooood though... cheers!
A friend and I were strolling back to work from Nordstrom's when I immediately remembered that I forgot to bring my lunch so I saw Madeleine's and I thought "huh, I could go for a salad today". As I scan through all the salads they make, I realized that all the salads sound so good and I wondered how I was going to come to a decision. I finally came to a decision by simply closing my eyes and pointing one out. To my delight I choose Grilled Chicken and Portabello Mushroom salad. Super yummy and a pretty large salad. Def would go here again. The crew was nice but the place is small. So if you go here just tell the cashier "To go please!"
::HOT COCOA::
Them - What size would you like?
Me - Large (of coarse)
Them - Whip cream?
Me - Do you make it here?
Them - Yes, we make the chocolate here.
Me - Ok (huh?)
-----------------
Apparently what she meant was they make CHOCOLATE WHIP CREAM here!!! Oh no they DI'NT!!!! Holy $HIT!
This was some good $hit Maynard!
Not the BEST Hot Cocoa I ever had, but very good... and that Chocolate Whip... oh moma...
Thank you Baby Jesus for Cafe Madeleine Hot Cocoa. :)
The bf and I took a quick jaunt to San Francisco for four days. On our first day, we ventured through Union Square and stumbled upon Cafe Madeleine.
The cafe is artistically small, with two tables outside and a small counter area for patrons to sit for lunch. The cafe was more of a stop-and-go place but we decided to perch on the counter and watched the SF population go whizzing by.
The paninis we ordered for lunch were excellent. I chose the Roast beef with provolone cheese, tomatoes and a citrus-chipotle mayonnaise on an Italian roll, while bf decided to go with the grilled chicken breast panini, which came with brie cheese and sliced apples. We both got the cafe mocha, but I opted to get the huge dollop of chocolate freshly whipped cream on top of mine.
The flavor pairings of both sandwiches were unique and hit the spot for a day of sightseeing in the bustling city. I like all my cafes the way I do Cafe Madeleine: quaint with good service, great food and a killer mocha.
Came by here after being fed up with Crepe Chocolat's poor service. Thankfully Cafe Madeleine was much friendlier.
I was surprised to find chicken pot pies. For some reason I've been coming across a lot of pot pies, so I decided to give this one a shot. It's pretty good. It reminds me of my mom's casserole because of the creaminess. This pot pie has chicken, celery, mushrooms, and carrots. The pie pastry is not that flaky but is soft and moist. The pie also comes with a spring salad topped with a kind of sweet dijon cream dressing.
Inside is only window counter seating yet they have a few tables outside. You'll want to eat outside especially on a hot day because it can get warm in the shop.
____
A satisfying selection for quick bites.
I was SO impressed with the food here, that I had lunch here everyday while in SF. It was convenient and fast and tasted excellent- a hard thing to beat! I had the quiche, the pastrami sandwich and the chicken pot pie and they were all so tasty :) I had the macaroons twice :) and even drug Matthew there to try them. I wasn't so impressed with the chocolate chip cookie (but I should know better since NO ONE can compete with Levain Bakery in NYC!)
~Artfully, beautifully presented cakes~
Out of the three desserts we tried,
*Pyramid (caramel/choco mousse + banana, complete with King Tut-esque choco candy topper)
*Cassis (black currant + mango mousse, white sponge cake)
*Raspberry Almondine (think a raspberry almond cupcake!)
***all three surprised us with their unique, interesting, and yummy combo flavors.
~Wonderfully delicious~
(Random tip for brides: rather than shell out approx $8.50 a slice for a custom wedding cake, why not just order a variety of their beautiful cakes instead and have a wedding dessert smorgasbord?)
Me likes!
They have the most delicious sandwiches in union square! Located super close to Macys I loved this place back in my retail days. Its right next to Gliterrati Optix Store and Rite Aid.
The sandwiches are fresh and delish! I have yet to try their cute desserts, looks almost too good to eat! the cafe is really small and cozy but busy during lunch times.
i really like madeleine's...so much so that if i ever have a daughter, her middle name shall be dubbed "madeline". anyway, i remember hearing about their hot chocolate with chocolate whipped cream...um, super duper delish, but probably 300-400 calories, ahem.
but, of course, that's not all i've had. i am in more love with their tuna melt...it's absolutely perfect. also, they offer great treats and definitely a go-to for quick cakes for work bday celebrations.
Cute lunch spot! Came here with a girlfriend who's a local otherwise I likely would have ended up in one of the tourist traps closer to Union Square!
I was trying to make up for all the high fat food that I've been eating on holidays so I went with the green salad with blue cheese and had chicken on top. Bit pricey at almost $11 for the salad but the portion was huge... nicely full after lunch and quite tasty, although they could trim the meat better since there was a number of pieces with fatty bits.
The salad alone would make this place a 3*, but their grilled sandwiches and adorable desserts really push it up to a 4*. Mmmm, that window just makes you drool!
Great for a fast lunch but be prepared to have to eat elsewhere since there's very limited seating.
If I worked downtown, I would come here for lunch everyday. I love their bread, yum! I had their grilled eggplant and pepper sandwich with an aranciata pellegrino. YUM! I haven't tried their coffee or other goodies, but they sure do look good.
This is my go-to spot when I'm downtown and hungry. There are a few stools inside and a couple of tables outside.
What I like is that sandwich ingredients can be mixed and matched, and they'll do that for you - happily.
The people at the counter, have so far anyway, been very easy to talk to and will accomodate your requests - I hope it stays that way.
I've not had any desserts but they sure look good.
I like that it's around the corner from Barney's.
Cafe Madeleine was absolutely my favorite place for cake. They have made my birthday cakes for 5 years by now, and also many of my friends'. Their cake menu is unique and the cakes are beautifully crafted. We have had Marjolaine, Pyramid, Maui, Dagobert, Exotique, Cassis, Frou Frou, etc etc. I love particularly Exotique and Cassis. Though their chocolate cakes are amazing, and I enjoy their tropical fruit cakes more, as they are more unique and rare.
I liked their lunch a lot too. Portabella Mushrooms and Roasted Peppers, and Proscuitto and Cheese were my two favorite sandwiches, And I honestly love all the quiches. Of course, I had to order their hot chocolate or mocha.
I think it was a great find in the area. I enjoyed eating outside and watching people. Probably due to its proximity to various business buildings, department stores, and boutiques, the crowd was usually pretty well-dressed.
I'd give this a 3 and 1/2 actually. My office mates love this place for lunch. I think on the whole it's pretty good but not great. The sandwiches can be good but virtually all have cheese on them. I know Americans just can't do without their cheese but I think it's a bit on the one dimensional side. Secondly, the cookies are always undercooked. I think this place aspires to be better than that and I hope they will be.
My last experience was a good one and hope for more improvement in the future. They have great potential to be very very good.
Eating downtown can be such a pain, especially for someone like myself who rarely goes down that way. I don't know very many restaurants in the area. The food court in the mall is good, but usually so crowded I can never find a seat or end up sitting next to someone random and it just all becomes so uncomfortable. Cafe Madeleine is a union square life saver!
A few years back before an out-of-town trip, I met a friend at her office for lunch and she took me to this tucked away cafe. I got a sandwich and she got a salad and we then embarked on a journey to another world (Davis, CA).
I never forgot how good my sandwich was or how cute the cafe was, and these memories, along with the food and prices are what keeps me coming back to Cafe Madeleine all these years later.
If you want to avoid the hustle, bustle and tourists of downtown this place is the spot.
The express sandwiches are sometimes very good here so I peak into this cafe now and then to see what the sandwich for the day is. I used to order the tuna sandwich but stopped when I saw that they microwave the tuna first before placing the sandwich on the panini grill. ewwww! Why do people have to use the microwave? ugh!
I love this place. They have delicious sandwiches, salads, coffee and pastries. My favorite guilty pleasure is a double mocha with whip. They make their own chocolate whipped cream! The chopped salad and au laits are also great. And if you haven't tried one the brown sugar shortbread are delicious!
Small downfalls: not a lot of seating and it's a bit pricey.
I joined my incredibly fashionable older sister, Ellen for a little lunch Saturday. We like to catch up on our week and do a little commentary on the unique fashion sense of San Francisco denizens. Basically it is like we are John Madden and Al Michaels only with more vicious tackling.
I was going to try the tuna pannini but I make a good tuna sandwich on my own. So I succumbed to the prosciutto & Camembert sandwich. Let me tell you that I got a nice amount of prosciutto. Definitely $6.95 worth of smokey salty porky goodness! The foccacia roll could have been softer. I don't know if that was the texture or if the roll was going stale.
How I managed to not order a delicious little cake is not so much a testament to my commitment to my diet, but a telltale sign that the economy is so bad that I can't justify forking over four dollars for a fling with cassis mousse. A moment on your lips = a lifetime on your hips...
Wait, doesn't that mean I'm getting lifetime guaranteed insulation? I can't pass up a deal like that?
I come here JUST FOR DESSERTS!
the pastries are to die for!!
If you are a chocolate lover, PLEASE GET THE RASBERRY TRUFFLE CAKE! IT'S HEAVENLY!!
Rasberry tiramiseu is one of my favorites too!
Yum. The best three layer chocolate cake I have ever had. Perfectly sweet - not too much, and definitely not too little. I'm so glad I went. My waist might not be, which is why I won't be back too often. I know my heart is crying silent tears right now. Why, oh why do I resist cake? Especially when it's that good? I don't think I'll ever know.
The good news is: More for you! So go and eat what I am not eating; the world will be a better place for it.
I just get the coffee since it's middle of the road ($1.50) in price compared with the coffee chains nearby. Besides the lower price their Viennese is addictive. The patisseries look like traditional French pastries except the one time I tried their croissant it wasn't any match to the ones in France although it was very pretty.
I love checking out coffee shops - and even though I may not like Union Square in SF, this place stands out. I ended up here because my parents wanted to get some coffee after a hard day's shopping at Macys.
I like the space, devoid of tables on the inside giving it a very roomy feeling. I got a latte and a zesty lemon pastry (I'm not sure what its really called, but it really just reminded me of a lemon meringue pie). Anyway, the pastry was prime - and the other pastries on display looked good too.
The latte was flavourful and I tried some of the coffee which was nice and strong. Overall, I really liked the place. Maybe a spot to take a break and street watch all the shoppers coming through... However, it doesen't fall into that category that I normally look for which is a place to hang out with a laptop due to the limited seating and lack of internet.
This review is only for lunch.
I'm a creature of habit, I order the BLT "add chicken" every time.
They put on a large amount of fresh avocado and bacon everytime. I'm impressed with the size, I need a big sandwich, yo muy gordo you know :) j/k.
The girl behind the counter seemed to get nicer recently last 3-6 months. I wonder what happened? New boyfriend? Anyways, she smiles now and says hello, before it was the Mehfil treatment, don't even acknowledge that I'm alive.
The pastries here are pretty and I would gladly order all of them if I wasn't a lactard.
For lunch we went Indian and for dessert we're going to Paris! Well, not literally. When I used to work downtown this is was my go-to-spot for my morning mocha. It's a little French patisserie in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of downtown SF.
For lunch, there's always a line outside the door. Safe to assume patrons like their food. Rightly so because the fresh made sandwiches (tuna with caramelized onions and mozzarella, roast beef) and various salads (mozzarella with tomatoes, mango salad) are good! You can come here everyday for lunch (yes i've done his before) and eat something absolutely different each day.
They have two cases of beautiful desserts and I cant name them all but I have a few favorites! The Caramelia is creamy caramel mousse with peaches, Exotique is airy layers of kiwi and passion fruit mousse, Opera is heavenly butter cream and choco ganache with almond biscuit and fresh fruit tarts.
The service is so and so. I guess it depends on who's helping you and if they're having a good day. There's a few tables inside and outside. My suggestion, walk to Union Square or Yerba Buena.
dry
i refer to the cake and the chicken
if i were hungry and in the area, i'd much rather go to crepe o chocolate next door! cafe madeline attracted me b/c it was full of people and had a vividly colorful display of pretty cakes.. my achilles heel. but in the end...i was disappointed...
i had the GRILLED SANDWICH W/ CHICKEN AND SLICED APPLES AND BRIE... and some other things i don't remember. i love brie and the idea of apples in sandwiches worked out well. it was unique and the flavor was pretty good. i must admit, this sandwich CHANGED MY LIFE: from now on, im putting apples in my sandwiches.
however, the chicken was really dry, and there's no coming back from that one.
my friend and i split two cakes. the MOJITO cake had a cream/frosting that was pleasantly citrussy, tart, and minty... the CASSIS cake had a black currant mousse on top w/ a mango cream filling which were tart and had strong distinct flavors... i reallllllyyyy liked the cream
however, the cake was repulsively dry. we scraped off the cream and left the cake part.
sourly disappointed
They have the really buttery pastry breakfast-- sugar top muffin, sugar (powder AND rock) apple turnovers, cinnamon twists, etc etc. Especially good strong iced coffee on a hot day, even much better and smoother than the Star-BUCKS ones! Definitely give you the extreme sugar, fat and caffeine kick on a TGIF! Do wish they had some descriptions on the pastry baskets, which I think will give more time to decide what to order while waiting in line.
The cakes are always fatty, beautiful, delicious and good for parties-- welcome, farewell, birthday or any time you don't know what to bring to a pot luck.
The salad was good but on the smaller side. Always feel hungry and need extra cakes to fulfill the afternoon insatiable treat-- which I think it must be some conspiracy.
The list of food I love here can go on forever...
Cobb salad- this is a definition of a REAL salad. Thick bacon, fresh chicken breast, eggs I can actually see, half of a avocado, big crumbles of blue cheese. Need I say more, I can live off this.
Triple chocolate mousse- fluffy, shades of chocolately-ness, smooth baby, just smooth.
Cafe latte with their homemade chocolate whip. If Tiramisu means "pick me up" their latte is "pick me up" and a bag of chips well maybe more like a chilled glass of chardonnay at the end of the day. Sipping, relaxing and savoring!
I could go on and go on the menu but that's another episode...
P.S. I miss the barista/manager/funny/beautiful girl Jill (she moved to one on California Street)
If only I was eating sugar!
Craving pot pies, my co-workers and I went to Madeleine based on yelper reviews. They were delicious! $6.25+tax now. You get a pot pie and some greens. Totally enough for me, but maybe not some.
The sauce was good, needed a bit of salt and pepper. I loved the mushrooms and grilled onions in the pie! Chicken chunks were ample and well cooked too. I'll definitely go back.
My friend had a HUGE turkey/cheddar sandwich (cold) which was also very tasty. With a bag of chips it was $10.
Cheese danish is delicious! The pastry part has a subtle orange taste which goes dynamite with the cheese filling. Give it a try.
Their cakes are outrageously good! The chocolate in particular. So decadent, rich and delicious.
The grilled chicken sandwich is good - they load it with chicken. It was a bit dry - next time I'd get extra sauce. The bread is good and it's grilled with melted brie and thin apple slices. All for 8 bucks. Pricey for a take-out joint.
The quiche is good and comes with a side salad. As expected - the quiche is quite rich.
For a treat once in awhile - this is a great place to check out.
Perfect shop for a quick top quality sandwich...
There is not a lot of sitting space and I noticed it would get random spurrs of clientele making a long line one minute ( around 12:30) and none the next, so if you are in a hurry or want a sit down place try somewhere else..
My roast beef sandwich was d e l i c i o u s and im deff coming back for more and to try their pastries that looked really good, but can't comment on the taste since I had none...
So it gets 4 stars for having top quality tasty grilled sandwiches at a good price and ready in good time...
I had a really nice friend with me and she loved her sanwhich too but then again good company also colors the experience...so bring someone fun with you when you go...
Whenever Cafe Madeline's name is mentioned. I start to drool. I can't move past the tomato, pesto, mozzarella sandwich. The soft mozzarella melted into each tomato :)
My friend usually orders one of their quiches. You are given a side salad which all together is too much to eat even when you are starving.
Fast service which makes up for the line going out the door.
Wow! Hidden gem!
During a shopping trip last week, I fired up my Yelp on iPhone, and I lunched at Cafe Madeline after reading excellent reviews.
I can't tell you how impressed I am with Cafe Madeline. My girlfriend and I both got the grilled chicken sandwich; it was amazingly tender with warm Brie oozing slowly with every bite.
We also ordered several desserts. The triple chocolate mousse cake was phenomenal. I typically find chocolate desserts too dense and overwhelming, but this was done just right. I didn't try the rest -- my girlfriend took them to a tea party.
All in all, I love Cafe Madeline. Definitely worth a visit!
Great salads, great lunch spot. The tomato & mozzarella salad is yummmmm.
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