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Cafe Madrid
Categories: Restaurants Spanish Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Restaurants Cafes Spanish, Venues & Event Spaces, Cafes [Edit]
116 Chelmsford StChelmsford, MA 01824
(978) 256-2777
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 6 am - 11 pm
Thu-Sat 6 am - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Thomas A. said: "The LANAM Club occupies what was once Orlando Cottage, the home of textile baron William M. Wood built for his son in 1916. Sitting on absolutely beautiful grounds, it is both elegant and reserved. Walking through the LANAM Club truly…" read more »
35 reviews for Cafe Madrid
Review Highlights
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"The best paella I ever had around here." In 13 reviews -
"...very well made, excellent live music and very nice decor." In 3 reviews
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"I had heard wonderful things about their tapas options." In 6 reviews
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Amie L.
Boston, MA
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Friday karaoke. :)
I must go back. Food is good, but I think it was the fact that it was such a dynamic atmosphere that made me such a big fan of the place.
Definitely a local type of place, but I am willing to drive an hour to visit this place again. -
Review from Lin M.
Pelham, NH
3/14/2012
For dining...not so much. Went on a Thursday evening around 6:30 p.m. They already had live music going on which was incredibely loud. If the purpose is to become an after work joint, people need to hear themselves talking...trying to draw in the young crowd doesn't cut it as they aren't going to be eating at 6:30 p.m.
Service was not good...as a first time customer we were very disconcerted as to what we should be doing...is it a bar? so I seat myself or do I wait here with the menus for a host/hostess? After a few minutes someone did come seat us but it was very uncomfortable.
Waitstaff was inattentive to be polite. Halfway thru the meal he came over and asked if we needed ketchup which could be oversight but he did the same thing to the table next to us. The a.c. was blowing despite the 40 degrees outside. We asked to turn it down which they did for about 10 minutes then it was on full blast again. I think seeing everyone put on their coats finally made them realize it may be hot in the kitchen but the dining room was cold.
The food was OK. I had the Arroz con Picadillo which was good but a little bland. Someone else at the table had the Cuban Style Empanadas but said they were NOT crispy or flaky.
Not a repeat customer unfortunately. -
Review from George L.
Amesbury, MA
7/13/2011 4 Check-ins Here
While the Music at Yazmin's Cafe Madrid can sometimes be suspect the food is not.
I have had a number of great meals here now including 1 delicious breakfast visit, 1 lunch sandwich stop and a few evenings with tapas.
They have a good selection of wines (esp. Spanish) and hispanic beers (not just Dos XX and Corona like most places). They Sangria is good too but crazy expensive ($42 for a pitcher?!)
I've had nothing but great service and well prepared meals on each visit and look forward to going again.
The first few visits were on Friday nights and we were subjected to a guitarist/singer/keyboardist/percussionist performing to a backing track of the lamest top 40 oldies junk. It was nearly enough to make me not want to come back after the first time. God help you if you have to endure it. (I almost docked them a star for it but I haven't seen him for the last couple times so maybe the coast is clear from here on out...)
Pass -
Review from Megan L.
3/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Alpine Road location is closed.
Met a dear friend at Cafe Madrid last night, It has a big function-room type feel, but the bar is dark and cozy.
The food is carrying this review. Here's why:
Ambience: Was lovely until the live singer revved up. Background music would have been nice but the entertainment was so loud that we had to yell over a tiny table. 6:30 is dinner hour, not live music time.
Service: Kind of terrible. Our waitress hounded us to order and then disappeared. We didn't get refills and she dropped the check off without asking if we wanted dessert (we did). It wasn't so busy that the inattention made sense--it just felt like she wanted us to get out of there.
However, the owner did stop by to greet us and he might be the nicest man alive. I'll go back because of him--it's clear that there's sheer kindness at the top.
Food: Fantastic. I had the Mediterranean steak. I didn't realize it would come on a lake of beans, but it tasted great. We got a nice salad with our meal as well. For dessert I had the pistachio parfait which was pretty and delicious.
Overall, this place is convenient and the food is good, so I'll probably be back. -
Review from Suzanne G.
Dunstable, MA
5/9/2011
Not bad, not great. I may try breakfast here in the future, since that seems to be everyone's favorite.
Husband and I had 7pm reservations. I ordered two tapas, he had dinner and side salad. Server was very good; greeter at the door did the "Hi you guys" thing which just got me started on my pet peeve of being called 'you guys.' Turn the page.
Back to the food. The tapas are actually huge appetizers. I could not finish mine. Husband's dinner was a pork something with fried plantains.
The food seems like it has been sitting around for a while, just waiting for a reheated sauce before serving.
Underwhelmed. -
Review from Charlie T.
Arlington, MA
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh.
This place has a lot going for it. The menu is designed to appeal to a lot of people, and that's not a bad thing. The interior is well designed and very spacious. Our waiter was a great younger guy (probably in his early 20's) and he was very good. The food was "OK", but not really great. My Mojito was pretty good, but not great. Because it was Saturday night, we had to endure the entertainment of the night, which was basically a 50 year old guy singing to a backing track. He had a strange voice, and he was too loud, so I ordered another drink to numb myself from the "Sweeney Sisters Onslaught".
I was lucky enough to go here with some great friends of mine, and the staff of Cafe Madrid didn't seem to mind that we were loudly and publicly accusing each other of being crystal meth addicts. That should tell you how loud this place is on a Saturday night. -
Review from Andrea M.
Nashua, NH
7/28/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I have have been here several times for lunch and for takeout. The service is sometimes spotty but generally ok. The restaurant is clean with a nice bar and scattered tables. It is usually busy during the lunch hour. They also have a lovely outdoor seating area.
I can only comment on the one menu item I order every time which is the Health Nut Salad. It is a delicious combination of crisp romaine lettuce, sliced green apples, blue cheese, roasted walnuts and cranberries (which I choose to omit) and housemade balsamic dressing. I crave this salad! It also comes with a nice piece of homeade bread.
My lunch partners have ordered many different sandwiches, burgers, etc. and all rave about the taste.
I would recommend Cafe Madrid to anyone who likes a good salad. -
Review from Ellen C.
Lowell, MA
3/13/2011
The dining area and bars (two of them) are beautiful. Everything is new and clean. The decor is very modern and lovely.
The food was very good and the prices were low for what you get. We got good service. -
Review from Ash T.
Boston, MA
9/27/2010
Very good food, almost tastes home-made.
PROS: Spanish, priced well and tastes great. Can't go wrong for breakfast or for dinner. The banana walnut crepe is amazing. Try the burger with imported cheese, it will melt in your mouth.
Friday night Karaoke, live music on other nights, great ambience, good food, overall a great experience.
CONS: occasionally the wait staff does not provide good service. Limited draft beer selection. -
Review from Amanda P.
Tewksbury, MA
10/21/2011
I'm not entirely sure why there are such low reviews on here for Cafe Madrid. We've gone multiple time and have always had a great meal. The food is how I imagined Spanish food to be. We've have various entrees including the pork (AMAZING!) and the paella (Best paella I've ever had). The sangria is so-so, not the best I've had (or made) but by far not thw worst, kind of an avergae run of the mill sangria. Like the other reviews, the service is hit or miss. Either you have an amazing server, which is very rare or its atrocious. Word of advice, don't go thinking your going to have great service and you won't be disappointed. The food is well worth it!
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Review from Susan J.
Boston, MA
12/22/2007
Dear Cafe Madrid,
Where have you been all my life? Seriously, your Cuban white hot chocolate is vastly better than anything from Starbucks and I wish I had a location closer to Cambridge to help me survive this long, cold New England winter. Its sweet bits of cinnamon and warm, creamy liquid was divine.
When my parents drove up to your unassuming location in a strip mall near the Chelmsford Radisson, I was unsure of what to expect. But your warm fireplace and reasonably priced salads and paninis quickly won me over. In fact, the hot chocolate was so filling that I brought home half my sandwish and my brother quickly devoured it. Well done! -
Review from Cesar A.
Nashua, NH
9/13/2009
The best paella I ever had around here. Margarita very well made, excellent live music and very nice decor.
The only con is that our waiter wasnt the most friendly person and didn't look as good as the place. But overall I'll definally go back. -
Review from Sara M.
Fitchburg, MA
9/7/2011
I was very excited to get a chance to try Café Madrid. I had heard wonderful things about their tapas options. My friend and I went one quiet Sunday night to try just a few options. We struggled because I eat meat, but not dairy or fish. She, on the other hand, doesn't eat pork or beef. We had to pick things both of us would enjoy.
The restaurant was quiet with just a few other parties. Our waiter quickly came over to bring bread and take drinks orders. He came back quickly with them. It was clear we were still looking over the menu so he went away to let us continue. We decided to get chicken croquetas (something I am very familiar with having grown up in Miami) and the Madrid Wood Board that had a selection of meat, cheese and other items on it. We picked this over the less expensive cheese plate because we thought the olives, nuts and fruits on it would make it more enjoyable. The bread and oil wasn't bad, but the oil had no flavor. The spices sunk to the bottom of a small finger bowl and clearly hadn't infused the oil with their flavor.
This is where the meal took a turn for the worse. It took us forever to get our waiters attention. He ignored my request for sweetener for my ice tea and had to be asked a second time when he finally did come over to take our order. The food did not take long to come out. The croquetas were amazing: crisp on the outside and the tomato sauce mixed with the chicken made the inside nice and moist. There was salsa on the plate, but we didn't eat it. The wood board was very disappointing. While I appreciate that it had goat's cheese and sheep's cheese to go with the brie, there was nothing special about it. The nuts clearly came from a jar of candied walnuts, the fruit was crasins and the olives were caned, slices black olives. The bread was nice, but there were four pieces for this huge plate of food. Then, under all of that food, was a pile of iceberg lettuce. We had to ask the waiter to bring us more bread. In the end it was too much food that didn't work as part of the meal. I left feeling like I could have done the wood board better with things from the super market. Where were the Spanish olives? When I go out and pay $20 for a plate of food I expect it to be special. If the croquetas hadn't been so yummy I may have decided to never come back. As it is, I am willing to give them another chance because the wood board is easy to make special with local produce. -
Review from BlissQuest W.
North Chelmsford, MA
10/4/2011
The sleepy town of Chelmsford has a few hot spots...Cafe Madrid is one of them. Cafe Madrid has excellent Cuban food, on the healthier side. My grilled tilapia had no breading, beautiful veggies and nice starter salad included. Husband enjoyed a rockin' paella, enough for 2-3 people, great leftovers. Atmosphere soothing, corporate elegance, can jump from sedate to frisky when the live music rolls in. Love this place.
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Review from Crystal D.
Dracut, MA
7/30/2010
I have been to Cafe Madrid twice now and although I like the food very much, service is rather slow. I went for the second time today and it took about 5 minutes for someone to notice we were waiting for a table, and then 5 more before we were seated. The staff is nice, but perhaps the owner might want to hire a hostess, or act as one, as I typically see her milling around the back area once we are seated.
The first time I went I had a shrimp caesar salad. It was cooked perfectly and the portion was huge. The second time I had the spinach melt and it was to die for - ALOT of spinach but it had a bit of garlic in it and the swiss cheese and roll (whole wheat but with "everything" type topping, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, etc. on top). I also ordered fries and they were huge potato wedges cooked just right. My co-workers order the "Cuban" sandwich and every single person (5 others) thought it was fantastic!
I would like to go back for drinks as I've heard they are great. It's definitely a breath of fresh air considering I'm close to the 99, Chili's, Sal's, and Dunkin Donuts. Cafe Madrid is something new and different. The atmosphere is also nice - the restaurant is very clean with a spacious set up so you do not feel as though you are sitting on top of people. I will definitely go back. -
Review from Cheryl C.
North Chelmsford, MA
9/15/2011
Not bad for breakfast but not awesome for the price. The pancake servings were huge but the sausages weren't quite enormous to say the least. Loved the breakfast potatoes. Overall nice breakfast food, slightly pricey though. Ambience is nice and clean and servers were great.
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Review from Rui W.
3/12/2011
Had lunch here with my wife and dad on Sat. The service is bit slow. We had chicken casadia and beer battered shrimp for appetizers. The casadia taste good and could be a meal for one, but the shrimp is on the dry side. The we had 2 kinds of paellas, the seafood one and the chicken/pork one. Overall they look very diff from traditional paellas. Too much sliced pepper and onion covering the rice. The seafood paella's flavor is fine, but my chicken/pork is very sour due to too much tomato sauce. Also, too much meat is not always a good thing as my paella has more meat than rice, hmmmmm
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Review from LowellLochs L.
Westford, MA
1/23/2011
I know Cafe Madrid gets mixed reviews. We have been there 4 or 5 times, and it isn't always consistent. The food is ALWAYS good, sometimes the service staff can be overwhelmed.
No matter what day you go - ALWAYS MAKE RESERVATIONS !
For our dinner last night, we arrived at around 6pm and it was already busy. We sat at the back bar and had pretty good service. The bartender was also handling other tables in the Habana Room.
We ordered the Spinach Emapanadas & the Plantains with Pico de Gallo for starters. The food came out pretty quick and hot. Both were very tasty.
For dinner we both ordered the Seafood Paella. Awesome. It came out when we were ready for it and it was steaming hot.
For drinks, the Strawberry Sangria was very good. I think a little expensive at $8.
The beer selection was okay - they only have 4 drafts (one is PBR?). They have about 14 different bottled beer. The bartender referred to several beers as Spanish when in fact they were Mexican or Caribbean. Seriously? Corona - Spanish?
Overall the food was very good and the service was pretty good. The bartender was a little overwhelmed and when sitting at the bar, you can see some little disorganization in the operation.
Overall a great meal, but be prepared - for 2 of us - 2 starters, 2 dinners and 1 drink, 3 beers + tip = $110.
BTW - the address is 116 Chelmsford St. -
Review from Alice M.
Essex, NJ
11/4/2009
My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary and were in the Chelmsford/Lowell area so we looked for a nice place that wasn't a chain and that was open on Sunday night. Cafe Madrid ended up being right outside our hotel so we gave it a shot. We're glad we did!
I had a raspberry lime rickey which was fantastic. Sweet but not too sweet and a hint of vodka's bite but not too much so.
We ordered from the tapas menu and started with Chuletitas, baby pork chops grilled in olive oil and garlic, and Cuban style Empanadas which were the best empanadas I've had this side of a friend's mothers homemade ones. Our second round was side dishes of black beans and yellow rice with Marinated Steak Tips (three of which were cooked perfectly, one was too well-done, and came with a very salty but delicious sauce) and Crab Cakes which were nice but not crispy enough for my liking.
The service was really great and the total bill was about $60 for two which was pretty good for the quality of the food we got. -
Review from Brian H.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2008
We really wanted to like this place but it fell flat on so many levels. I split an order of the meat paella with my wife. It was bland and uninspired. Basically it was rice in tomato sauce (with a faint hint of onion and garlic) loaded with big chunks of pepper and squash, chewy, tasteless chicken strips, and 4 thin slices of sausage. At $12 for lunch it was a big disappointment. The empanadas were equally bad. They were inadequately stuffed (a few measly crumbles of meat fell out of the shell when you bit into it) and as bland as the paella. Someone else in our party ordered the spinach and cheese empanadas which were equally bland (and didn't seem to contain any cheese). I also tried the seafood soup special, which was actually somewhat tasty, but not nearly good enough to overcome the failings of the other dishes. The coffee was also terrible (tasted like weak Hills Brothers). To top it off the service was slow and inattentive. They didn't once refill our water or coffees, and our meal took about 40 minutes to come out of the kitchen despite the fact that we were the only people in the restaurant.
The presumptive owner came around and graciously asked us how our meal was. We didn't have the heart to tell her how we really felt. She then proceeded to tell us how the paella was much better at dinner-time. For some reason the price is the same for lunch, however. Also, one member of our party became quite sick after eating the vegetarian paella and spinach empanadas. I simply can't justify more than one star for Cafe Madrid based on our lunch experience. -
Review from Julia P.
Chelmsford, MA
1/26/2008
Wasn't too eager to try this place, but my family wanted to see what it was all about. Luckily I didn't have high hopes so I wasn't as disappointed as everyone else.We went around lunchtime and I ordered vegetable paella($12), which I have never tried before, but I would have rather spent $2.99 on an Uncle Ben's rice bowl. I was excited to see that they had cheese and spinach empanadas... but that excitement quickly changed into a sad/numb feeling with the first bite. It didn't contain any cheese and was very bland. Lame. Also, they have a fake fireplace area with pictures of teenage girls placed on the mantle (Maybe the owners daughters?) .. I just thought that was weird. Overall I wouldn't suggest going here for lunch.
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Review from Diane H.
Harvard, MA
11/15/2010
I had a very early breakfast here the other day with the boys in the family. We had the Macho Style eggs (eggs, chorizo, home fries, ham, bacon, pancakes and french toast in a large slice of portuguese bread), a Chelmsford Omelet in a lovely croissant, and chocolate chip pancakes with blueberry coulee. Everything was delicious. The coffee was good enough to go with breakfast and my cup was refilled as needed. There were only 2 servers covering the diningroon, so the pace was on the relaxed side, and we left powered up for the day. It was notable that if we needed to get through breakfast in a hurry, we would have needed to let the servers know in advance. About half of the patrons were there to hang out for a while with their breakfast and newspapers.
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Review from Meg D.
Chelmsford, MA
9/11/2008
I've been to this place twice now and it's quickly becoming one of my faves in the area. I've been trying out a bunch of neighborhood restaurants and I can't be happier the selection and quality in this area! Anyway, a friend of mine and I went here for lunch one day, and the food was really great. I had the paella to test how good the place was. Half expecting rubbery seafood and soggy rice, I was pleasantly surprised that the dish was perfectly cooked and seasoned (after bringing me the wrong dish at first but quickly correcting the mistake!) My friends' salmon sandwich was pretty good she said - I didn't try it.
The second time I was here was for brunch with some friends. The harpist was playing and the place wasn't crowded. I had some crepes and they were amazing but very dessert like. Everything else was really good.
The only thing that's wrong here is the wait staff. Our waiter I swear was blatantly hitting on my friend! And I think he was again at brunch! (same friend). We had a different waiter for brunch even (who was also horrible but in a different way - kept forgetting things, we had to track him down for ketchup, you know the kind) and the guy still came over to us to say hello and flirted with her in front of her boyfriend - ha!. I thought it was funny but that's the only reason I'm giving 4 stars, otherwise it'd be a 5 all the way. -
Review from Scott B.
Bolton, MA
10/5/2009 3 photos
Cafe Madrid is one of those places you want to root for. In a sea of suburban chains and take out joints, here is a place that is finally offering something different, the amazing world of Spanish cuisine. As good as it is though, there is still room for improvement.
A small group of us visited on an early Saturday night. We were asked if we had a reservation. We said no. So the hostess consulted with other people to see if we could get a table. At that moment, there were only six people in the restaurant. The employees actually outnumbered the customers. We felt like we were on a hidden camera show. After much debating and soul searching, the hostess finally let us have a table in the empty restaurant.....smack dab next to the only other people there.
Now Cafe Madrid is not a big spot. Their previous location next door was not that big either. This new location feels like it has the same dining room size but now with a good sized bar in the middle. To be seated next to another full table in a place this size, well, made it feel a little too cozy. The back of my chair was touching the back of another chair that had a guy sitting in it who rocked back and forth when he laughed, banging into me in an almost rhythmic pattern. Let me tell you, he laughed a lot. Our table itself was small and seemed as if it really wasn't meant for four people. I guess this is how you get treated if you don't have a reservation.
So it was time to order drinks. I am a beer drinker myself and as such I was impressed with the variety of beers on the menu from South America. Such choices like Cristal and Brahma beer. It got me excited with the possibilities on how I was going to get lit. Unfortunately, they were out of everything imported. So I was shot down for every beer I asked for. I got a Sam Adams, which I could get anywhere else as well.
Then our waitress disappeared. It was an honest to goodness vanishing act. Confusing since the place was dead. This was going to be the theme of the night. We finally ordered our food and then she vanished again. All I wanted was another beer. I thought places thrive on running up the liquor tab? Not here I guess.
So we waited for the food. And waited. And waited. Then drove ourselves crazy with conversations of food, since we were all starving and that is all we could think of. We saw our waitress come out with a tray but it was empty, as if to mock us. Then we realized it wasn't our waitress. Then we further realized we forgot what our waitress looked like, having seen her so infrequently.
We kind of forgot about the food for a bit when a man came up in the small performance area to the side to play guitar and sing. It was a great detail for the charming atmosphere. And for a few minutes, we forgot about being famished. And then our bellies reminded us that things were looking dire and we were back to thinking about food.
Just before we contemplated crossing the street to Dunkin Donuts desperate with starvation, our food finally arrived. Now here is where things got good. If the service was lacking and the seating was cramped, the food more than made up for it. Dear god it was good. I ordered the Premium Mambo (roasted pork, white rice, black beans and a generous side of plantains). It was perfectly cooked. The pork was so tender, a knife wasn't even needed. One of my friends opted for the Babalu Burger which was topped with such ingredients as prosciutto, manchego cheese and a fried egg. It was massive and given his level of hunger, perfectly sized. Of course he wanted ketchup for his fries and waited for the waitress to come around. When he realized that the odds of it happening anytime soon were rather slim, he just had it without. Everyone around the table agreed the food was really good. Though we couldn't help but notice that our small table seemed even smaller with our large plates now on it. Suddenly, we were all bumping into each other and something horrific almost happened. My beer, it almost got spilled!
After we were done we waited for the check. And waited. And waited. You see the pattern here? All in all, it was a good time filled with great food, music and atmosphere but regrettably marred by poor service and tight seating quarters. -
Review from R B.
Framingham, MA
10/24/2010
Nice space, food was good -- incredible plantains..I would go back just for those. Service was confused, probably because there was a huge party that swamped them, but solicitous and very apologetic. Nice that both owners came over to check on us. They are clearly trying hard and the place was busy. Nice vibe.
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Review from Lucy P.
Lowell, MA
2/6/2009
I went to Cafe Madrid for dinner because I had a $50 dollar gift certificate. The place is really cute inside and they had salsa dancers performing and offering people lessons, which I thought was kind of nice. I ordered the Mediterranean Steak and the person I was with had the seafood paella. The steak was ok. I liked the mushrooms, but I felt like it could have had a better sauce or something with it. It was a little on the plain side. It came with red beans and I order a baked potato instead of rice. Those were both fine. I tried a little bit if the paella and I agree with the previous posters that it was bland. It wasn't bad, but it could've definitely used a little flavor. For dessert I ordered the White Chocolate Berry Cheesecake, which I was excited about because I heard this place has desserts from the Cheesecake Factory. Honestly, it was pretty bad. I've never had bad cheesecake, but I could only have a few bites of this. It came smothered in a ton of strawberries and sauce.. but the cheesecake itself just tasted bad, like plastic or something. It didn't even taste like cheesecake. This is what brought this review down to 2 stars.
Overall, the place was cute and fun. They provide entertainment, the waitstaff did a great job, and the owner even came around and said hello to all the tables. The food definitely needs some improvement . If I had actually paid the 18.99 for the steak and 5.99 for that cheesecake instead of using the gift cert. I would have been much more sorely disappointed. -
Review from Laura M.
Boston, MA
1/9/2011
When I first tried Cafe Madrid my expectations were low - I'll be honest. I've been to so many amazing restaurants in Boston that I wasn't expecting much. Both times I've been I was pleasantly surprised.
First time the hostess wasn't very good (plopped down on a chair in front of us to ask how many were in our party and gave a long winded explanation of the wait time without actually giving a number). But, the bartender was very friendly and personable so that made up.
We had potato skins for an app which were good. I had steak tips for dinner which were cooked exactly to my liking (medium rare). Everyone else enjoyed their meals too!
2nd time we had crab cakes and mussels. Both excellent. Everyone got different entrees - from steak tips to bouillabaisse. And again - everyone was satisfied.
I will definitely go back as a change from the normal chain restaurants and to support a local small business that hopefully is here to stay. -
Review from Robert M.
Arlington, MA
8/14/2008
Some of the best spanish food I've had in a long time.. Friends told me about the little restaurant that live in the area. It was worth the drive from Boston. There were 6 of us and we all tried something different. All of it was wonderful including the very knowledgeable and adorable staff. You'll have to check it out.. I can't wait to go back.
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Review from Tom D.
Beverly, MA
12/31/2009
A friend and I stopped in here for dinner before attending a wine tasting event at the hotel next door. The place itself is very nice, with a decent sized bar, cozy fireplace, and a small dancefloor/stage where the entertainment sets up. The menu looked pretty good, too. As one might expect from an establishment with the word Madrid in the name, there were a variety of Spanish dishes and some American stuff with Spanish influence. I opted for the Babalu burger, which had two types of cheese, prosciutto, and a fried egg on top. As if burgers didn't have enough fat and cholesterol, right? This burger had some serious potential to be downright orgasmic. Too bad it was waaaaaay overcooked. Medium rare should not be brown in the center. Why didn't I send the burger back you ask? Because the service was sloooooooooooooooooow and we had somewhere to be. It's possible they were having an off night, but reading some other reviews, I see similar complaints.
So, combine overcooked burger with super slow service and you get two stars. There's potential here, but they have some kinks to work out. I'll be back to give it another try sometime. I have a feeling that if I go for a leisurely dinner without a time crunch and order something a little more adventurous than a burger I'll enjoy it much more. -
Review from Brian P.
Westford, MA
10/30/2008
And I thought we were getting spoiled in Chelmsford after the arrival of Fishbones. Now my wife and I have another solid choice for dinner out on date nights.
We actually got a coupon in the mail for this place, and on a whim decided to try it last night. We had no idea what to expect since it was a new restaurant, and Spanish food in Chelmsford, huh? But we were so delighted.
We actually had the kids with us, and I have to say we were a little scared at first when we walked in, because the place was completely empty when we arrived and it looked like the place didn't cater much to kids. As someone in an earlier review stated, our kids (4 and 6) were served milk out of nice adult glasses (and I was a bit worried about that since we usually do dinners at Applebees where the kids get the standard plastic cups.) Thankfully the kids were well behaved for the night and I will tell you why.
Shortly after we ordered, the waitress brought over some bread and dipping oil. The bread was fresh and deliscious, and my kids who are usually picky thought so too. Then the waitress brought out a salad for us all which we were not really expecting, and again the vegetables were all fresh and the portion was just right.
Next to our table was a wooden dance floor. I guess they do salsa dancing some nights or something like that. Well, as we were eating bread and salad, a trio of musicians arrived and started setting up their instruments right next to our table on that dance floor. The kids were blown away. When they started playing music, I felt like my wife and I were on a romatic date in a little town in Spain. The walls have all sorts of Spanish posters and the place is really very well decorated. And the musicians were so friendly talking with us and the kids.
When the food came (and it came out pretty quickly) all four of us loved our food. They do not have a kids menu, but the waitress told us they could make chicken tenders and fries for the kids, and the kids devoured all of them. My wife got the seafood paella which was cooked in a hotpot type thing and reminded us of Muqueca in Cambridge. It was deliscious. I had the salmon dish which was listed at the top of their menu. The flavors and portion was just perfect.
It was so good just enjoying our food and listening to the music. The kids were pretty well amused without even needing toys/coloring books to play with, just watching/listening to the musicians and enjoying their food. We had to try dessert. My wife got the flan which she finished quite well, the kids split a piece of chocolate mousse pie and I had the bread pudding (although I seriously felt like since I was in Spain and all, I should have tried Flan and some Spanish roast - maybe next time.)
The price of dinner was pretty high, but I have to say $80 to have dinner in Spain is probably a bargain. It was a true experience and we will definitely be back with friends. -
Review from Allison M.
Lowell, MA
3/8/2009
My friend took me here the other night and it was ok, but I don't think I will rush back necessarily. It was pretty busy and had a couple dancing salsa the whole night. We sat right next to the dance floor, and it did seem like we had Spanish Go Go dancers next to us! Although I can't complain I did receive a nice, free lesson from one of the dancers. Lucky for me that was fun and took up some time for our food to come.
The food was a little slow. Salad was okay, sweet plantains were so yummy, and the paella was just okay. I can't say I have a lot to compare it too, however I feel like the rice was similar to the Spanish rice I have made from a box and the chicken was a bit dry. Sausage and veggies in it were good. I would definitely go back for the plantains again, but need to try a new dish next time. I wish they had a bigger tapas menu.
Service was slow, but they were very very nice. The owner came around and spoke with us for a bit too. -
Review from Marcy K.
12/11/2008
The nostalgia bug hits once in a while, so Café Madrid seemed to be the remedy for my thinking about my carefree days of hopping around Spain when I graduated from college. Nestled in a strip mall next to a dental office and Chinese food joint, the décor, especially the inside window, was appealing. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the food. Mr. K and I both ordered the paella, and we were disappointed. The seafood was bland and overcooked, and the rice would have tasted better if it were Uncle Ben's. The sangria tasted like Manishevitz wine that's served on the Jewish holiday of Passover, and it would have helped if there were slices of oranges, lemons or other citrus included in the glass. The only saving grace was the flan, which actually did remind me of the yummy desserts I had in Spain. In the summer, I believe that Café Madrid will be taking over the location formerly occupied by Skip's, a Chelmsford landmark. Can't imagine this restaurant will do nearly as well; it was only asi asi (so-so).
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Review from Cool G.
Acton, MA
6/25/2008
My father in law and I stopped by this Cafe just a few days ago for a quick lunch while my mother in law visited the Dentists next door. This place is a hidden gem. We werent very hungry so we asked them to split the health nut salad in two and also got a potato salad. The server not only split the salad into two plates, but we think that he gave us a lot more than half a portion each. The salad was delicious! The staff was very courteous. I will definitely go there again and highly recommend it.
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Review from sarah l.
Lowell, MA
Updated - 1/9/2010
I'm not changing my rating, because I do keep going back here as it is great meeting location for breakfast, lunch, and dinner....but really, if you are particularly sensitive to bad service, you will be annoyed throughout your meal. I've visited at all hours of the day and the service is consistently bad. What type of breakfast place never offers to refill your coffee? The waitstaff is slow, forgetful, and not attentive. They just lack a professionalism that doesn't meet the quality of the food.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/26/2009
I've been here 3 times now, twice for lunch, once for drinks. The food is pretty good. It doesn't… Read more »
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Review from A T.
Burlington, MA
Updated - 9/14/2008
Really hitting the stride now. Was quite crowded and the service was excellent.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/18/2008
Update - Repeat visit and the place has gotten a lot better and the dishes are more predictable and… Read more »
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