Cafe Madrid

Thank god they closed!

I’m pretty disappointed with this place. I go out of my way to support local businesses, and my experience the other day was nothing short of a disaster.
I’m pretty sure the guy that took my order was hired (and woke up) 5 minutes before I walked through the door, because he knew absolutely NOTHING about the menu, prices, nor did he make any effort to hide this fact. He made me feel like he was doing me a favor for taking my order.
So 10 minutes go by, and I walk back up to the counter to check on my sandwich. The girl (whose saving grace was that she was very nice), apologized and told me they were out of turkey. Ten minutes later, still no sandwich so I check on it and it’s still being made. Finally, 25 minutes later, I get my sandwich, which was good, but NOTHING like what I ordered. I look up at the menu, and not only do I realize that they made me an entirely DIFFERENT sandwich, but the new employee who rang me up overcharged me by $ 2.50.
So through all this waiting, I finish my iced tea before my food arrives, so I ask the girl for a refill. She looks over at the owner and says, «do we give give refills on iced tea»? And the owner tells her to charge me $ 1.00.
Long story short, this is a textbook example of how NOT to run a business, and piss off your customers along the way.
I’ll never eat here again, and when this place goes out of business it will be no one’s fault but their own.

(See pics) Review #1225. Almost 3 stars for its convenience but only 2 on the food. The paella was quite greasy but it was cute to see a giant pan they made with. It’s 1 big pan and they just scoop up for each order.
Had a 5 dollar red wine that was really a basic drink (they ran out of sangria and house red.)
There was a strong greasy smell inside the café and the closed doors didn’t help.
Service was slightly chaotic with the family business but they definitely tried.
This is a place if you are going to the Paramount and have 45 mins to spend to get a coffee or quick bite.

The food at Café Madrid was so repulsive and so foul that it inspired me to break out of my comfort zone and write my first review on Unilocal.
First of all, do not be deceived by their aesthetically pleasing set up. It’s contemporary industrial look with a Madrid inspired feel is what fooled my group into thinking the food would at least be halfway decent.
For starters, their Mixta Salad is nothing but processed, low quality romaine lettuce straight out of a bag, with one asparagus, a few sad olives and an overabundance of this oily, peppery crap that they called salad dressing. By far the worst salad I’ve ever had to pay for.
At this point I was thinking, «no big deal, the 6 dollar chicken kabobs will compensate for the unfortunate salad». Man, was I wrong. Not only did it take over 20 minutes to get our food, but you could see the kabobs being cooked outside, in a dirty little grill, in front of the café on the filthy street. When we finally got our kabobs, they were tiny cuts of chicken that were shriveled, blackened and tasted like lighter fluid (I saw them use easy-​light charcoal WITH lighter fluid). I tossed it after I tasted it.
Don’t let the nice setting of this place trick you. Stay far away.

When I first started coming here a few years ago, I would have given Café Madrid 4 stars for their food, concept and atmosphere. Unfortunately, one of the most appealing things about this place, it’s ambience, has suffered in the last couple of years. The Old I Magnin building is gorgeous, and the layout of this café is really inspired — airy and open, with marble and mahogany fixtures and accents. The owner really has an excellent aesthetic sensibility. Unfortunately, he has allowed the place to decay. Many of the chairs are broken or wobbly. The floor is often sticky, the tables not properly bussed. This is a big problem, because it used to be a warm and inviting space. I am still giving this place 3 stars because:
–I’ve never had a bad food experience here. Always tasty and fresh
–They consistently stock delicious, Spanish tapas fare — I love that I can get Spanish chorizo, or jamon serrano, good quality manchego and delicious spanish inspired coffee drinks here
–They’re super nice. The wait staff, while perhaps inexperienced, are super nice and real. And that counts for a lot.
All you gotta do is clean it up a little and I could give it 4 stars!

Café Madrid has a range of soup, salads, sammies (7), and appetitzers.
there’s also a pool table here. not a lot of sitdown space available.
convienient if exiting bart or coming and going to paramount.
drink: (L. 2) mclaughlin coffee:
–organic guatamalan coffee
–smooth, mellow brew.
–drip pour
drips
–cheerful, fast service.

Olé Madrid! I feel like I’m in Spain when I come here. I like the disinterested staff and the cute boys playing pool and that I can order coffee or wine, or both, depending on my mood.
BEST DRIP IN TOWN. Seriously I cut my sugar/​cream combo in half when I tasted this brew.
Just a local corner café, nothing fancy, decent prices… You can basically go there to hang out like at a coffee shop, and drink like your at a bar, and play like your at a dive.
Relax people, enjoy the simple pleasures in life… Who cares if they don’t kiss your ass, they probably make minimum wage and live of your meager 50 cent tips!
Wouldn’t you be a little disinterested in the brown starfish?

The vision and concept of Café Madrid is an excellent idea. The execution really needs some work. List is easier.
Pros:
–Spanish foods and wine selection
–Good strong coffee
–Interesting space! Guernica looks great. Art rotation is great. Pillows near the interesting seating areas by windows. I like the couch idea, but think there could be better couches there.
–Pool table! Sure, why not? I’ll go with it.
–Long hours! … great, take advantage of the changing uptown scene! Stay open, it’s a great spot for some wine and tapas, or a quick snack after drinking or clubbing or whatever.
–Wifi is MUCH faster and more reliable than it used to be, good job! It used to work like 20% of the time.
–the apparent 420 friendliness of the place fits well into the neighborhood.
Cons:
–Inconsistency! It’s great that they’re open late and all, but they’re basically open whenever they feel like being open! Those Unilocal hours are wrong! How about some posted hours or a calendar or something?! I would show up more if I knew when they were open!
–Inconsistency again! Have a way to make your foods and make them that way each time! If you run out of something I really appreciate you offering a substitution, that’s fine. It’s just that I’m afraid of ordering some items on the menu because I don’t want to deal with ordering on a bad day where I get a ridiculously thick cut of chorizo or cheese instead of what’s appropriate, or different bread, or more or less toasted than I would expect. Be consistent.
–The staff needs help. Now, the last thing I want is gimmicky corporate-​flavored customer service, so I’m not asking for that. I will drop a business off my list if I get that vibe. The casual feel is great, but the staff really need to be better skilled in general. There are some employees that KNOW how to deal with the public, and I hope they’re still around. There are others that aren’t engaging enough but make the transaction happen effectively enough, and there are others that are just bad at talking with the public, whether they’re trying or not. Giving young workers a chance is great; everyone needs the chance to build experience. But who are they going to learn from? Hire some customer service professionals to be shift leaders, or step up to the plate yourself, Mr. Manager, and work hard to be a better example.
–Not a huge fan of the TV hookup thing going on in the corner, it’s just messy and a poor use of space.
–420 friendliness is great, but if it doesn’t help a staff member function, then they should stay the hell off of it while on shift.
So in summary, Café Madrid has a problem with consistency and service. I hope they fix it soon, because I’m on their side here, and I want to see this place grow to become better liked. No need to throw in a second pool table or do something crazy, just focus on doing the simple stuff right, please. It’s not rocket science, it just takes giving some attention to, please. PLEASE. FIX IT, it will make me VERY HAPPY.

Staff seem uninterested. Looks good inside but room echo is terrible. Soup served was warm — not hot.
$ 12 for a coffee & cup of lentil soup. No thanks.

I give very few one star reviews… I think it’s likely I should give them one star, but for me, the service was actually quite good, and that’s why they get the second star.
Here’s why I have to be so harsh: Uptown is pulling it together guys… and you are not keeping up. There are too many other really good options. And it’s like a big tease — some really interesting things on the menu that don’t play out well in execution. Patatas Bravas (I’m sure I’ve spelled it wrong) is something I order 100% of the time I see it on a menu. These were like nothing I’ve ever seen. That includes the Bay Area and Spain (specifically Barcelona). The were round, thick cuts of potato, fried, and with a sauce on top. My 11-​year-​old daughter noted that they were just like big thick potato chips. Yes they were. Smoothies are from a mix… which personally I can’t stand… but maybe some people like that. Why are smoothies on this menu anyway? Don’t quite that.
The guy who took my order and the guy who made the food were very nice and very helpful. Absolutely no issues with the service.
So much potential here… please, please pull it together.

I was in town for a work thing and this was the closest place for lunch. The only reason the place gets two stars is because the décor is nice. Everything else about this place is just wrong.
First, the food. I got the paella and a salad. I saw them put the paella on a plate and then stick it in the microwave. That kind of annoyed me, but I was still looking forward to my paella. When I got it, it was just a luke warm mush with just one piece of shrimp. The shrimp wasn’t peeled and didn’t want to mess around with it, so I just left it on my plate. The paella itself was totally bland and I had to drown it in hot sauce.
The service was also lacking. The guy at the counter was rude and acted liked he didn’t want to be there. We asked him several questions about the menu, each of which he answered with one word answers. It took forever to get our food, which was kind of confusing since all they had to do is microwave it.

I can’t believe this place has a 3 star rating.
I’ve been here at least 25 times, never for food, always for coffee. This place can’t seem to do anything right– they take forever, never charge the same prices, constantly run out of cups, lids or both and nearly always make a horrible cup of coffee. Last weekend I finally had it– I ordered two coffees, was the only customer in the damn place (which happens often, come to think of it.) and somehow got a white mocha with only espresso & milk and a vanilla latte that seemed to get the chocolate for the mocha in it. Both were undrinkable. Extra bonus points for making me hand my boss something so fucked up. Fortunately he’s a hell of a lot nicer than the staff of this place.
Some guy who seems to own/​run the place had offered to make things right the next time I came in (and a joint on more than one occasion), but really, if you can’t make a coffee right this time, why the hell would I come back? There’s always 4+ employees screwing around, smoking pot or playing pool and yet it takes ten minutes to get a couple coffees to go. The only reason I kept going to this place for so long is because it’s close to my job and open at weird hours when nothing else in this part of town is. From now on I’ll continually smack myself in the face to stay awake all night– it’ll be a more pleasant experience.

Disgusting. I was forced to come here because the group wanted to eat there. What horrible luck. First, some little hipster girl criticized the Occupy Oakland movement once she saw us come in with signs. I wanted to turn around at that point, but we stayed.
Next, the area where they prepared the food was rather gross. Just unsanitary. My sandwich, an El Greco, was pretty mediocre for $ 8. It took forever to come.
What a shame. Such a beautiful building with such a poor restaurant.

So sad that ALL the 1 and 2 star reviews are true.
For the 3, 4 and 5 stars, I think the reviews were for a different restaurant.
Service — atrocious!
— Whole place was run by high school kids who had to ask «Dad» to help for everything.
Food — mediocre.
— When I asked for potato salad as a side, they said «Oh you don’t want that. It’s a couple days old and probably moldy now.» WTF!!!
Food portions — for what you get, the customer should be charged ½ price.
Location — centrally located on Broadway and near the Paramount theatre.
— It’s the only reason for the 1 star.
All in all, just stay away.

I made the mistake of not making reservations far enough in advance for one of the great restaurants near the Paramount. But when I saw paella being made at Madrid, I thought, «what luck!» Boy, was I wrong! Café Madrid sucked on so many levels, and it was totally ironic that I had one of the worst meals I’ve ever had right before seeing Bourdain at the Paramount!
The paella was tasteless and disgusting. The prawn (yes, singular) was practically slimy and not only not shelled, but not cleaned at all. The portion was also teensy. My boyfriend also got a limonella, which tasted more like slightly lemony water. For $ 3. It was so bad we couldn’t eat it and had to run down to the taco shop next to Flora for some tacos (which were fabulous!). I was so annoyed about doubling my cost for dinner that I stopped back at Madrid and asked for a refund, which they gave with no hassle (my guess is that it happens quite often since it’s so bad).
The staff was also bad. There doesn’t seem to be any system or organization (we asked about the paella we ordered about 10 minutes later and they had no record of it, and then wondered what I was waiting for when I only received one of the orders). It’s just a poorly run, poorly managed, poorly serviced, poor excuse for a café. Stay away.

What I ate: Spanish omelette, chicken & artichoke salad, lemonade
Visit date: September 30, 2011
First time? Yes. The TownHog made me do it.
Grab a partner. Let’s act this one out.
‘I’d like the Spanish deviled eggs.’ /​The cashier said ‘what?’.
‘Spanish deviled eggs.’ /​‘The what?
The deviled eggs.’ /​‘You’re going to have to show me where that is [on the menu consisting of less than 20 items!!].
It’s the first one under ‘Specials’.’ /​‘O, ok’.
I ordered the rest of the items. /​After some time writing down the order and punching it in the cash register: ‘That’ll be $ 21.40.
I have a deal [for $ 20] and here’s $ 1.50.’ /​:Waits for more money.:
‘I have a deal for $ 20.’ /​‘O, I forgot.’ [How?!]
He hands the order to the food prep people.
The food prep people let the cashier know that there are no deviled eggs. And I’m thinking to myself, ‘O dear. This cashier is going to have to issue me a refund and something will go terribly slow.’ It did. Then the food prep people began yelling at the servers who yelled at the cashier (who looks like he’s high on something) because the deviled eggs didn’t get made. The cashier gives me a refund for the deviled eggs (sans tax, but I didn’t want to bother). My friend and I walk away slowly.
Grab your partner again. Let’s do another scene.
‘Could I get another fork? /​The server, soda can in hand (isn’t that a violation of some health codes?), says «Ooo, heellll no.»
Awkward look. /​«Ok, sure, because you’re nice and cute.»
Awkward laugh.
And now onto the food review:
The Spanish omelette was delicious. Thank goodness one thing was ok about this place. It came with pieces of bread (decent) and mayo (ew).
The chicken and artichoke salad was a bit salty and had questionable chicken pieces. They weren’t pink, but they were chewy/​spongy as if they were undercooked. Also, their manchego cheese was weird – mushy, not what I’m used to.
The lemonade was not too sweet or sour, but it was slightly watered down.
Don’t go here. You deserve better.

I should have checked out the reviews on Unilocal before buying a Groupon for this place. But I got excited when I saw «Spanish» food. I forgot until my husband reminded me that he told me he ate here before and didn’t like it.
You know how when you are hungry, you get irritable, well, I actually felt angry AFTER eating at this place. That’s how bad the food was.
I was watching the guy prepare my food and got worried. Everything was microwaved. Then I realized there is no actual kitchen. Then I saw the guy touching my tortilla espanola with his finger to see if it was warm enough. Really!!! yuck. Then I tried to get a cup of water and there was something in it and it looked greasy. I went outside and dumped it out. The paella was burnt and the seafood in it looked like the frozen kind you can buy from trader joes.
Overall, not a good experience. I won’t go back. I’m not sick though at least… not yet.

Excellent coffee. The atmosphere is a mix of refined classical art and a modern space with an industrial feel at times. There are comfortable couches to relax in.
However, have to echo what J.N. said: «Extremely inconsistent and SLOW service. The staff is disorganized.» Often, when I want to grab a quick coffee before getting onto BART it takes them so long to serve a couple customers in line that I have to just leave to catch my train.
Summary: excellent coffee, space to relax in, but not good if you’re in a hurry.

Horrible. No customer service and no GLOVES… OMG…L& I needs to make a visit… pronto
Money was exchanged, hands were shaked… noses were rubbed and still no gloves and no one washed their hands in-between.uggggg…so nasty.
After asking for a refund, the «cashier» didn’t want to give me the tax back.
I will never ever go to this place again… unless it’s to stop somebody from getting food poison from cross contamination and filth.

I knew i shouldve looked at the Unilocal reviews before i went there but i was already out n about and hungry.
Spanish food, Spanish sized portions= still hungry when i left…
I’m glad I didn’t pay full price ($ 3) for the tiniest caramel mach. that i’ve ever seen, but it was good– not sweet enough though.
I ordered the Tortilla Espanola and it had NO flavor. It was the appropriate consistancy and made with the right ingredients but was small and didn’t leave me satisfied so I got a small order of the paella ($ 6– not enough to fill you), which had a weird smoky flavor, once again the consistency and ingredients were right but the flavor was off… I left unsatisfied, hungry and with $ 14 less.
I agree with some other reviewers the service is indifferent, borderline rude.
Won’t be going back here, its a shame too because its so close to work and the bart.