Courtesy of La Madeleine
Audio By Carbonatix
You were likely disappointed if you’ve been to La Madeleine in the past few years and looked for the bread-and-jam station. You possibly wondered, ‘Then, why am I even here?’ Bread is essential to the French exeperience. Spreading the sweet, superior blackberry jam was a simple perk to the occasion, especially if you weren’t able to snag a table near the fireplace.
The French-inspired cafe removed the pre-meal snack during the pandemic, which, at the time, made sense.
La Madeleine’s new CEO, John Dillon, recently decided to bring it back. Diners can now partake in three different options for free bread:
- Sourdough
- Seven-grain
- A seasonal option, which is currently apple raisin
They also brought back the free strawberry and blackberry jam.
Le Madeleine is a Dallas original that got its start in 1983 and now has about 100 stores. It’s owned by Groupe Le Duff, based in France. In 2025, the company hired Denny’s veteran, Dillon, to revive the brand, according to a D Magazine profile, with plans to grow to 150 locations over five years and add deals to the menu, including the pick three $8.99 menu.
Other new items include avocado toast for $9.29. (Why not, right? Everyone else has it.) There’s a new build-your-own breakfast sandwich that comes with eggs, meat and cheese, on a choice of bread, and either fruit or a potato galette for $9.89. There’s also Bon Bon Bacon, four slices of thick-cut candied and peppered bacon for $5.99.
There are also some new sandwiches (a prime rib and provolone) and the old standards like the Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur.
Like many others, the restaurant chain is likely tweaking its menu to appeal to a price-conscious consumer, which can be both good and bad (Yelp ratings indicate there’s still some work to do). But with free bread, perhaps we’re more willing to give it another shot.
The free bread hit stores on Jan. 21.
