la Madeleine

This was our first visit to this location and it's likely that we will visit again as we plan to return to the area from our home in nearby Alexandria, VA. I'm using the la Madeleine that we usually visit (King Street, Alexandria, VA) as a benchmark. I was surprised that the environment at this DC location on Conn. Ave. did not convey as strong a French Bistro theme as the one in Alexandria. It bore too great a resemblance to many stores with grab-and-go foods where many customers eat elsewhere. The Alexandria store promotes the brand by its ambience and the broad selection of food items including main meals and an abundance of pastries. So while we were satisfied with this experience it did not distinguish itself from other casual dining spots as much as the Alexandria location.

I am not a big fan of French bread to begin with. I like it but find it to be rather hard and dry. The French bread I bought was especially so. Very difficult to slice. Not spongy enough inside.

It was fast, efficient, and reasonably priced. The staff was friendly and courteous. Finally, the food wasn't fancy, but it was delicious.

I wasn't expecting the limited menu at this location.

The cookies where slightly burned and extremely hard

A couple of times, had to wait a while for service, but the staff are friendly and professional. Nothing serious.

The order ahead takes a lot longer than when you just go in and order yourself. The order ahead is not always as prompt as it should be with the amount of customers in the shop.

Cashier wasn't very friendly. Seemed bored.

The website was a little of a bother to navigate. That is probably the only issue i had with this catering experience.

The service was friendly. The food was good. The café, which is new, was very clean. The food choices were plentiful and look to me extremely fresh. The staff was very attentive and asked if I wanted my meal cold or warmed up.