La Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe

Mistake #1: Tried to pick-​up food to go on Mother’s Day during the lunch hour.
Despite the insanity, we were able to place our order within 10 minutes of arriving to the restaurant. The lines were nearly out the door, but we were able to snag a place to sit. The order ended up taking close to 30 minutes to fulfill, but everything was warm and fresh when we got home.
Ordered a whole roast chicken, sourdough bread loaf, pasta salad, large Caesar salad, two eclairs, and a quiche florentine. All for $ 40ish which wasn’t that bad, in my opinion. The staff seemed to be moving quickly, but it was a little warm. They were also running out of things quickly and seemed to be replenishing what you wanted the moment you finished ordering. It was all rather frustrating.

First timer, was hooked with the food… delicious. The hot chocolate wasn’t that great, but I can try something else. Other than that I will return soon.

This place has really changed from when I used to go there as a teen. The manager, she was incredibly rude to me despite the fact that we spent over $ 50 on food there. Empty tables are not bussed and dirty dishes sit there right next to you when you eat. A few times on sandwiches, I’ve bit into lettuce that still had sand on it. Didn’t want to even complain to the manager because THAT’s how much I didn’t want to deal with her. The last two times I’ve walked in, it takes forever to get food — even when I’m the only person in line and there are four or five people behind the line. I now get their tomato basil soup in the jar from HEB. Won’t visit this location again, especially because they were most recently cited for mouse droppings on the floor. Gross.

I used to enjoy breakfast here often, but the quality lately has declined to the point that I probably won’t return. The store is usually a little dustier than I’m comfortable with, but today it was filthy. They were not serving lattes (the machine was broken), they were nearly out of coffee, and they were completely out of coffee stirrers. I had to stir it with a soup spoon, and heaven help the next customer because I took the last one. They were nearly out of forks, and completely out of knives. It’s time to look for a new café. :(

I’ve lived in Kingwood for 15 years. I eat at this location a few times each month. In the past year, I have seen the customer service really slip. Tonight I decided it will be awhile before I ever go back again. I placed an order in «to go» and no kidding about 10 people got food and left and paid while my order wasn’t made. I had to ask the status of my order and then it was wrong. When I asked for an additional soup because of the wait, there was no apology and your employees are not empowered to do the right thing. There is black and white and then gray… where you need to do the right thing for the customer. You better step up your service or your location will close when there are more options when the new HEB and other restaurant options come in.

I eat here often, on because there are not many options in KINGWOOD. The food is mediocre (which is not the case for most La Madeleine Bakeries) The management is not good, therefore; the service is always lacking. Entire staff has no sense of urgency and never seems to care about getting orders out quickly or accurately. New to area and 5^th visit — same bad service/​quality each time over last 4 months.

I used to work at this exact location a few years back and haven’t had a chance to visit for some time. Today I am sitting with my mouth watering over the Beff Bourguignon. The flavors are there and the presentation is fantastic. The beef was cooked a little darker then I prefer, but I talked to the on site manager named Missy, whom gave me the clear to ask for the meet to be cooked closer to Med Rare the next time I visit. Much appreciated.

So I think the negative reviews here are because of expectations. If you take it for what it is it’s not a bad little spot. Prices are reasonable and the food is actually decent. My only real (minor) complaint is the staff. They were not bad, but I don’t think one of them was over 18, and that just sort of breeds complacency. They don’t really care to help the customer, but fair enough cause they probably don’t make much and you don’t have to tip them. I would 100% visit again, especially for a spot of breakfast!

Great food as usual but the service is slow and a bunch of high schoolers that don’t understand customer service.

Food is very good but they terribly mismanage their «to go» pickup/​order placement. When you phone in ahead of time you should not have to wait 10 minutes in line with those placing orders and waiting for all of their stuff.

I would give it only 2 ½ stars, if I could.
It’s really disappointing to see the quality of this restaurant diminish. Food quality is not that good. The restaurant struggles with cleanliness. And, to top it off, I sat at a table with an obscenity carved into it.
The staff poured soup into a dirty cup and wanted to transfer the soup into another cup because she was worried about getting into trouble for wasting it! Your concern should be for the customer.
Is this the image that the corporate office would be proud of?

This is the worst location I’ve ever been to. I have been here 4 times now. It’s generally filthy, the staff are disorganized, and there had always been something wrong with our order. I’m not sure what the issue is but I will not be coming back.

This place has its ups and down. Those of us who have frequented throughout the years can tell the difference. However, it is not at all bad. I think it has alot to do with change in staff because the food is consistenly good. Their salads are fresh, and tasty. Their entrees are very consistent. The desserts are very appealing. I have noticed the restaurant sometimes has less staff and more issues with refilling supplies, cleaningness, etc. But other times I have been there it has been the opposite and everything went great! Like I said, I think it has to do more with staff changes than with the restaurant/​chain. I am a continued returned customer. I could eat their salads everyday.

Our family frequents La Madeleine in Kingwood. I enjoy the food, especially the Mediterranean Paella and the pastries. However, they seem to have problems getting the service right. Too often our orders are not right and the food comes out a significantly different times for no good reason. Although it appears they have enough people working it does not appear to going efficiently. My most recent experience the young man taking our order left to get more salad out of the back. A young woman who admitted to us that she just recently started took over taking orders but clearly was not trained to do so as she frequently had to ask for assistance from coworkers for assistance. Why was she not sent to get the salad?
Summary: decent food but service could use improvement.

I don’t understand the bad reviews here. Every visit is always a pleasant one. I usually order breakfast no matter the time of day. Crepes with coffee. Nothing better ;) although my one complaint is the lattes I order. They sometimes forget to bring it out with my food. Other than that, good experiences at this location.

I came here on the recommendation of a coworker who had brought their mini fruit tarts to work one day.
It was nondescript on the outside but once you enter the café, it is like you’ve been transported to a little bakery somewhere in France. The food was wonderful and the portions were generous (we ordered breakfast sandwiches on croissants).
The staff was polite but I would have appreciated a little more guidance and assistance as it was my first time there. I did not call the fruit tart a fruit tart, I called it a fruit pastry and they weren’t very helpful on trying to figure out what I meant. Other than that, we had a lovely experience here!

La Madeleine isn’t usually my first choice to eat. The food is decent. I feel the portion sizes could be bigger. I had the French Dip sandwich with a side salad. Nothing too fancy. It’s a great place to grab a pastry for desert it you’re in the mood.

La Madeleine is one of my favorite restaurants to grab lunch in Kingwood. They always have fast service, fresh food, and very polite service. The time of day really depends on how great your visit ends up being. I find it better to come during brunch/​early lunch and late dinner time on weekdays to avoid noisy families. Like most, the tomato basil soup is hands down my favorite item on the menu.

What the heck is going on with this place? I grew up in Kingwood, and still have family who lives there. I’ve been to this location SO MANY TIMES. The last few visits were mostly in the evening. The ladies who work there in the morning are AWESOME, but… who is hiring the ‘kids’ who work here in the afternoon/​evening?
I walked in to order and stood in front of the two teenage workers who were less than 3 feet in front of me to be greeted and they did not even look up at me. It was like neither wanted to be bothered and take my order… as if they were playing ‘chicken’ with each other to see who would cave first. They guy who took my order cut me short and was a total jerk. I go down the line to only SEE the guy who is supposed to be at the cash wrap pretending to fight and squirt water from the dish washing nozzle.
Other young guys were chatting and cursing in front of my child as we got our drinks. They are pulling out their phones and texting on the floor. They are going out to their cars in pairs and returning still on the clock. Hmmm wonder what’s going on here… I went up to get a to-​go box from the to-​go girl, but could not get her to look up at me until AFTER she sent her text. Come on…
Managers, please turn this place around. The ladies in the morning work hard, and I’m sure they are complaining too…

To go, is not the way to go, on Saturday mornings! The people up front were very nice but i didn’t get my egg white omelette as ordered. Granted i should have checked but it took awhile to get it anyways. I do love their food, but breakfast wasn’t good for me today: (