Madeline

A mystery. Madeline was such a unique and necessary part of the new business landscape… I’m still scratching my head why it’s no longer here. A café/​laundromat/​dessert bar… in Cleveland Park? I dig it. More than a unique concept, the business also had a very cool vibe. Not ‘cool’ as in ‘too cool for school.’ ‘Cool’ as in ‘wow, I want to tell my friends about this place.’ Add to this, an inviting, two-​level wooden layout, good selection of hefes, tasty sandwiches, banana nutella cake (why did you leave me?), and some of the coldest, crispest water I’ve had in Nashville (addicting on an unseasonably warm spring night) and you have the recipe for a business that flamed out way too soon. You’re missed, Madeline.

This became my favorite place in East NAshville in just one visit. Delicious creative food, simple enough to enjoy lunch, loved the European style vibe of being able to sit with your laptop and use wifi while drinking coffee, ordering some lunch… Just what im hoping Nashville gets more of. I was totally sad and confused when it suddenly closed…

Sad that these guys have closed abruptly :(

Confused on what this place is supposed to be …

This place just keeps getting better. I’ve been here several times and plan to become a regular. The service has always been friendly and helpful. Love what they did with this space. Downstairs is great of course but even upstairs feels spacious and comfortable. Love the games and books up there. We enjoyed a rousing Battleship match before dinner.
Tonight’s dinner was the best meal here so far. Tried the Chickasaw Ave sandwich and the black bean burger. Both had great flavor and mix of textures. The toasted pita on the Chickasaw Ave was the surprise — delightfully crispy on the outside while the plethora of ingredients inside the sandwich melded together perfectly.
Of course, it does not hurt that it is a Thursday and they have great drink specials. Perfect start for a holiday weekend.

Bad news: our washer is broken. Good news: we discovered Madeline.
What a sweet little place. While we waited for our laundry my husband I feasted on veggie burgers, chicken pot pie soup, and house made peanut butter and chocolate macaroons. Seriously, doing laundry has never been this fun.
In addition, our server, Elyse, was a sweetheart and made sure my coffee was full the entire time.
The staff is really friendly and down to earth. Is it silly that I can’t wait to do laundry again?

This place is great for the upcoming Cleveland park neighborhood. A decent beer selection and good food. I got a chicken pot pie in a bread bowl for around $ 6.50 and an averaged-​priced beer. My friends both ordered sandwiches, which were good but a couple bucks overpriced at $ 11 and $ 12.
A bonus, you can also do your laundry. If you live in the area, set food here. If not, pay it a visit when you’re on the east side.
Downside: not much patio seating.

We have been here three different times now and had a varied experience as far as service and food. First off, we live in the neighborhood and are truly thrilled there’s a place like this right smack in Cleveland Park and is walkable. We really want it to succeed.
The first time we went was just a for a late night dessert and drink. This was when you could order at the counter. We had a delicious slice of cake, a bit pricey at $ 7, but overall were pleased. We loved that it was casual, and easy to order at the counter just like Fido. A great and easy way to meet up with groups of friends.
We went in last night, and apparently they have decided to switch to waitstaff table service. Honestly, that vibe does not really seem to fit the ambiance at all. It takes the place from being a easy-​going place you could go any time to grab anything from a meal, to maybe just a cup of coffee and snack to do work or hang out.
On top of that, the prices have seemed to creep up closer to $ 11 – 12 an item, plus now with tipping, it’s not much cheaper than going to a less casual, much nicer place. Some of their entrée specials were even $ 16 which is kind of nuts for a little neighborhood café.
I ordered a burger and it was delicious and fairly priced. A+. My wife ordered a salad that was pricey with the chicken added. The chicken was really terrible, extremely tough and flavorless. C+. Really nice presentation of the food though and the waiter was nice.
Overall, I think they are on the right track and trying to figure out their value proposition. The kitchen needs to dial it in a little more on some of the dishes, and I think they were better off with the order at the counter, neighborhood vibe (like a Fido) then trying to pass the place off as a more expensive, table service based café.

I got breakfast at Madeline’s this morning. I ordered the special that was written on the board as «lox bagels». It was an un-​toasted plain bagel with green onion cream cheese topped with chopped onions and a tiny bit of chopped salmon (possibly from a can). The crappy lox bagel was $ 8 and didn’t come with a side. I ate half and let the other be taken away. It was not good, but I was hungry. Then my boyfriend ordered oatmeal. 20 minutes later with no oatmeal, we asked for the check and said we didn’t want the oatmeal because we needed to leave. 5 minutes later the check came with the oatmeal on it. 5 minutes later we got the revised check and left. $ 18 for 2 coffees, 1 orange juice, and one (terribly overpriced) bagel. Noooo thank you.
They seriously need to figure out their service and price point.

Pretty decent food for the price. I have had the Mediterranean salad (I think that’s what it was called) which was quite tasty. I have also had the Cordon Bleu, which was a little on the dry side, could use a little extra mayo or something.
The interior could use a little something. They need to spruce to the place up, they have a few small art pieces hanging up, but it feels a bit sterile and bland in there.
The bad thing though, is that the entire time we were eating this evening they had a Matchbox 20 album on shuffle. I had to hear some songs up to three times, and I don’t want to even hear them once. Blech.

Went in for a late dinner. I got a burger. I really loved the taste. The pickle had a unique taste and it seemed like it was home made there in the restaurant. I had coffee with my burger and it was decent. The rosemary potatoes as a side was good too. Not the best burger in Nashville but certainly decent.
The décor is nice and there was a nice upstairs area with seating. The laundry area seemed a nice touch — kind of like an afterthought but nevertheless, new washing machines that looked great. The space is in a great location with ample parking and spotless interior.
I will return to try more dishes. :)

Just had lunch at Madeline and was pretty impressed with the vibe and the flavors. For example, a clever side for my sandwich included rice pilaf.
Marks off for the somewhat inattentive staff. And the burger was ordered medium but came out well done. Bummer. But this place definitely has potential and I shall return.
Didn’t see anybody doing laundry but the concept is intriguing.

I’m new to nashville therefore, new to east nashville… even more so –new to the neighborhood! I heard about Madeline’s from the owner of the vintage clothing store «hang on the moon» over on gallatin ave. Its exciting to know that something unique & inviting is right down the road from my new home! The menu is radical, the desserts are of the devil MEANING, sinfully delicious. The vibe is chill, the staff is kind. Thanks Madi, for giving me a nice experience. I’ll be coming in here lots, either for laundry duty (how awesome you can do laundry whilst drinking brewski’s) or a less congested café/​chill spot.

Great little spot to relax with a drink and enjoy some good creatively crafted food.
I’ve visited a few times, the service was great and they have a good local beer selection. Here is my only concern, I want to keep this a secret. Currently it seems to be frequented by a diverse crowd of interesting people but it’s relatively ironic facial hair, port pie hat, tribal earrings free. I love this place and I want to keep it open and tell the world of its many charms. But I want to avoid a East Nasty hipster infestation. So go, enjoy, but never rave about it to your retro sneaker wearing, 8 track tape collecting, friend with the Ralph Steadman tattoo.

I LOVE this place! My husband and I live on Cleveland Street, and we were really excited when we found out about Madeline’s — it’s in walking distance, and you don’t have the INSANE lines that you would find at the Pharmacy. We’ve visited a few times since it’s opened, and we haven’t been disappointed. I’ve had the black bean burger and roasted quinoa, and I had no idea quinoa could taste so good (seriously, I was expecting something that tasted like birdseed, but it was smokey and delicious). I’d also recommend the Little Harpeth Chicken Scratch on draft. My husband usually gets the Madeline burger and roasted red potatoes, and loves them, too.
And the desserts. Oh my lord, their macaroons are amazing. And the cheesecake. And the torte. And the coffee is really nice, too.

After reading the reviews on Unilocal and the online menus, I was excited to try out a new casual spot. My husband and I tried out Madeline for Saturday brunch. We pulled up to a cute little building that had really nice signage. They did a great job with the build out and created a cute little space.
You walk in, order at the counter, and are given a number for your food. My husband ordered the Meridien breakfast, and I ordered one of the specials for the day, Fried Green Tomato and Crab Benedict.
After waiting about 15 minutes, our food arrived. Off the bat, my Benedict was missing the eggs, an integral part of the meal. Since the special was not described on the menu, my husband suggested that maybe it wasn’t meant to have eggs. After about ten minutes of picking at my food (aka eating the potatoes) and trying to enjoy the eggless Benedict (the Hollandaise was pure butter, the fried green tomato under seasoned, and the crab fishy), I was able to track down a waitress/​food deliverer to tell her about my lack of eggs. She said that there were supposed to be eggs on it and scurried off to take care of it. After another 10 minutes, she brought me a plate with two watery, under-​poached eggs and no apology. As I slid them onto my plate (literally did not touch them, just let gravity do the work), each one disintegrated into a yolk-​y mess. The albumen of the egg was hanging off the side of my plate. It was insanely unappetizing. I took one more bite and had the leave the rest there. Basically I paid $ 12.00 for 3 bites of horrible food.
My main complaint about Madeline is that there needed to be more follow up from the waitstaff. Going around and checking on customers and how they are enjoying their food would go a long ways.

My wife and I enjoyed our lunch and dessert at Madeline. Great local beer on tap (Little Harpeth). Black Bean burger was delicious.
I feel like it would be a great spot to have some live music (in part of the parking lot). Looks like it is already getting a good response from neighborhood.

This place is awesome! It’s more of a café that happens to have washers and dryers in it rather than a plain laundry mat. Such a cool concept to pass the time while doing laundry. The Mediterranean salad with chicken was probably the best salad I’ve ever had! I will def be back!

This place is within a short walking distance of many neighborhoods. And totally accommodating to many different types of people. The food is unique and at a great price point. Do recommend!

Best food for the price I’ve had in a while. East Nashville is full of great hip places, but they can be exhausting with their pretentiousness (bacon that is locally sourced, organic, and aged in a hipster’s red beanie). Or you could just come to a place like this that is casual and get a true community vibe and food just as good (or maybe better) for a fraction of the price. Unlike some of the places where they don’t care about you or are downright rude, everyone here has been so sweet.
Almost all food is under $ 10. And they even have a red wine for $ 5! They are still working on beer on tap.
Honestly, do yourself a favor and get here often before it gets discovered and you can’t get a table. I may be ruining that with such reviews, but so be it.