Café Maddalena

Yasmin Albi

3 months ago · ★ 4

We had dinner here on our first night in Mount Shasta and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere is lovely, and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Our server was a bit unsure at times, but everything worked out fine in the end and the experience was still pleasant overall. The food was very good. The only small downside was my crème brûlée, which had a slightly over-burnt top layer. Even so, it was still enjoyable. Overall, it’s a great restaurant with a wonderful vibe, and we really liked both the food and the ambiance. We would happily come back.

Cole Bronn

3 months ago · ★ 5

In case you are in the mood for Sunday brunch, I have THE place for you. Cafe Maddalena in Dunsmuir is amazing. The service, the menu, the atmosphere…5 star experience. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday 8:30 am until 1:00p. The Challah French toast was decadent with almond cream and housemade peach jam! I ordered crispy bacon and it was perfection. Even the ketchup is housemade as well. Thank you to Sabrina for your wonderful service and kindness.

merlyn renee

4 months ago · ★ 1

We first visited Café Maddalena about five years ago, and it was one of the most memorable meals we’ve ever had. The food was so exceptional that we were still talking about it after returning home, and revisiting the restaurant was one of the reasons we wanted to come back to the Mount Shasta area. Unfortunately, our recent experience was completely different. We dined here during our trip this week and were deeply disappointed by the quality of the food. Several dishes were underwhelming, and some were difficult to finish. We spent over $100 on the meal and felt it was not worth the price. What surprised us most was the flourless chocolate cake. It’s usually hard to go wrong with a dessert like that, but it was one of the least enjoyable parts of the meal. We’re saddened to leave this review because we had such wonderful memories of this restaurant. Based on our recent visit, the quality seems to have declined significantly from what we experienced years ago.

G Ball

4 months ago · ★ 5

Food is made w love and skill! Wild caught Salmon was perfect. Highly recommend this hidden Gem!

Kirsten Stevens

11 months ago · ★ 2

I really pains me to leave this review, but I'm hopeful that some constructive criticism will keep Cafe Maddalena alive this time around. After months of anticipation and excitement, my family and I were eager to revisit Cafe Maddalena, once a benchmark for fine dining in the area. While the cozy atmosphere and familiar warmth of the space remain, the dining experience under new ownership sadly misses the mark on several fronts. The restaurant still exudes a certain charm with soft lighting, intimate tables, and a sense of nostalgia that instantly welcomes you back. Yet the effect is undermined by new decorative choices that feel out of place: quotes printed on mirrored panels that look more at home in a retail décor shop than in a refined dining room. These touches distract from the understated elegance the restaurant once embodied. I can't help but long for the days when the chalkboard specials (complete with prices) stood proudly above the wine bar and gorgeous plates lined the walls. We started with the escargot, which was the first disappointment of the evening. The crostini accompanying it was burnt black on one side and underdone on the other, while the escargot itself lacked the depth, salt, and garlic that should define the dish. It felt as if the kitchen was aiming for sophistication but overshooting the essence of good, flavorful cooking. The gougeres, on the other hand, were executed much better. The structure of the menu also seems at odds with its fine-dining aspirations. Offering a soup or salad alongside an entrée feels incongruous in a restaurant positioning itself at this level, and the portion sizes were unexpectedly large. Quality should matter more than quantity at this level and price point. The wine list, too, was underwhelming: limited in variety, overly marked-up, and offering few selections that truly complement the cuisine. For a restaurant aspiring to fine-dining standards, the selection felt disappointingly uninspired. To top it off, they quietly added gratuity into the bill but didn’t note it anywhere on the receipt (see photo). We were a party of 6 and an added gratuity is totally understandable, but it should definitely be noted on the receipt somewhere. This felt misleading, deceiving, and unprofessional. I question if this is even legal? What was once the crown jewel of the local dining scene has, regrettably, lost its luster. The intention to elevate the experience is evident, but the refinement, balance, and technical precision that once defined this restaurant are nowhere to be found. One can only hope that, in time, the new owners will honor the legacy they’ve inherited and restore Cafe Maddalena to its former excellence. I do plan to return in a few months, hopeful that the team will have worked through these early missteps and rediscovered the sense of care and balance that once made this place so special.