la Madeleine — Restaurant in Reston

Update: emailed them at the below listed address and no response.

Completely ridiculous experience that I still can’t wrap my head around.

Today my husband and I noticed we had forgotten my credit card at La Madeleine in Reston. I called and spoke with the manager who confirmed they had the card and I explained I would drive straight there to pick it up. Once there, I spoke to an employee at the cash register for dine-in orders, explaining the situation. She rolled her eyes and rudely stated that the manager “wasn’t there” and that she couldn’t help me. I explained that I was confused because I had just spoken to the manager over the phone. She then said “she’s on her break outside.” I asked if she knew how long she’d be. She very rudely said “no” and motioned for me to step to the side.

At this point I asked if she or someone else not on break could help me get my credit card, because I was out running errands and my family was waiting in the car out front. She then raised her voice at me, yelling “you’re the irresponsible one for leaving it in the first place,” and shouted that I was accusing her of stealing the card?? 🙃Since she was acting illogical, I stood off to the side and explained I would just wait for the manager, at which point she continued berating me in front of a crowd of people, actually shouting at me over the counter and causing a scene. It went on and on, and I just kept telling her “enough, I’m not arguing with you,” and kept quiet. Finally, the manager came out of the kitchen and spoke with me and gave me my card. I relayed the story to her and she apologized, but I still can’t believe how the whole situation went down. I’m perfectly fine waiting for the manager, but when I’m rudely told that no one can help me, when I had just spoken to the manager on the phone and she knew I was on my way, it’s unacceptable to go off on a customer like that. I will add that I’ve worked many food service jobs before, including during the Great Recession. I know it is stressful, and I believe wait staff have a right to hold their ground against abusive customers. That was not the case here - I was just asking for my card back per prior conversation with the manager. At no point did I raise my voice nor accuse someone of...

I was harassed and discriminated against by the service help.worker at the Reston location. I was enjoying my breakfast when a fat Hispanics lady sat on her break at a table next to me and asked me to pick up a broom and clean up my mess referring to bed crumbs under my table. Mind you the table she was sitting at had the same crumbs from the white patrons that had just left. To make matters worst, I see her clean after white people with a smile, and sweeping after them but she choses deliberately not to come to my area of the restaurant. I was the only black man in the restaurant with a 80 per cent rate white customers. I have a video of her sweeping after smiling at white patrons who had dropped things on the floor. She made my being there as unfortunatunately and calling my order not enough. I approached the Manager , she overtalked one called djamilla saying she was right and the other manager could not show leadership. He literally tried to gazlit me which was even more demoraliing and insulting. La madeleine is a business who does not properly train their staff. They are promoting an "ALL WHITE" clients mantra. White customer receive cordial customer service and other client of color get tolerated at best. It is not the same level of service whoo also served as a server sat at the table next to me and started harassing me while I was enjoying breakfast. She started telling me that I was dropping bread crumbs on the floor and needed to clean it up. She was talking to me in broken English and Spanish in the most condescending and disrespectful way. I was dumbfounded. I kept asking her why was she talking to me and harassing a paying customer . I was the only black man in the room, I watched be nice to white patrons, clean after their table never asking anh of them to grab a broom to clean up on their own.. The manager djamila could not handle her she overtalked her and Corey the main manager thought it was even wise to gaslight the entire situation till I let him known I would sue La Madeleine for discrimination. He fell back and started realizing what big mistake she made. It is unacceptable that you would welcome white patrons and brush off black patrons. Management was disappointing. I plan to sue. I...

I like La Madeleine restaurants in general but have not been to one in several years. I live in Merrifield and have been frequenting Le Pain Quotidien on Glass Alley which has been closed now since March 19.

Generally I would go to the LM on King Street in Old Town Alexandria or the location off of Rt. 123 and behind Tysons Corner Mall. The free standing building LM had at Tysons Mall was, in my opinion, very difficult to reach coming off the street. That building was raised years ago in the Tysons high rise office and condo boom.

Today I visited LM in Reston and dined-in though not many customers, maybe 7 counting myself, at 11:30 AM when I entered and a skeleton staff. I ordered onion soup, a small fruit cup and a glass of their house red wine. The soup was cold and fruit was warm.

Fruit was fresh and flavorful. The fruit was served from a white ceramic service bowl behind glass that was set in a bed of ice and the ice bed was not sufficient to cool the fruit. Obviously the fruit was cut up warm and not chilled before putting it out for service. But the fruit was flavorful. I spoke with the server who dished the soup and got a replacement bowl which he nuked and it was very flavorful. The broth was thick and savory. The house red was surprisingly good. I did not expect a house wine to be so full bodied.

Then I ordered an Americana and chocolate croissant. The Americana was a little weak but the croissant was fresh, buttery, flakey and tasty. Appears to me LM is having difficulty adjusting to unusual working conditions staff wearing masks and spacing.

Masks are required for customers entering and spacing foot print graphics are on the floor. The restaurant was clean, the staff accommodating and working hard to make the best of working under difficult circumstances. As I was eating and on leaving more customers were trickling in. Four stars are for quality of ingredients and staff working hard to make...