Magnificat Café

Great quiche! Sandwiches were kid friendly and atmosphere was no frills.

Eat the quiche here. It’s amazing. They always have a special of the day that doesn’t disappoint! Today was bacon and brie and it was phenomenal. The potato salad is good too and the pasta salad is eh but the quiche is what you’re there for. Wraps and sandwiches look good and are probably a healthier option but if you are looking for a decadent slice of authentic French quiche, this is the place for you!
Run by a very friendly husband-​wife team which makes for a very enjoyable lunch. Order at the counter and they’ll call your number when the food is ready. They have both bottled and fountain drinks. Expect to spend about $ 10 on a generous slice of quiche, a side, and a drink.

Awesome little café. I’ve had numerous sandwichs here and haven’t been disappointed yet. Really good. Fresh ingredients prepared to order. The pasta salad is really good too. A lot of neat things to try here. The outside sitting area is really nice as well on a sunny day. You can people watch and enjoy the FL weather.

I have to give this place only two stars because, those of you that know me, know that if a restaurant advertises a (self-​proclaimed) «best in the city» dish, they had better blow me away with their claim…
So, being new to downtown Jax, I am still in search of a great burger, downtown. When I found this place online and read that they claim to have the «best burger in Jacksonville», obviously I was excited to try one. They also had some other interesting sandwiches on the menu too so my girlfriend would have something new to choose from as well.
I looked at the menu and read «half pound certified angus» so I called to order and after ordering the burger, I was not asked how I wanted it cooked. So, I asked were the burgers cooked to order or how are they prepared? The response was (and this was my first red flag) «well by law, we are only allowed to cook it no less than medium». Well suffice to say, being a certified food manager, I know the law and if you are advertising certified angus, you should be able to serve it rare if that is how the customer wants it.
So, those of you that like quality beef, that is the little secret to knowing if a restaurant buys quality beef. If the quality is not high enough, that «law» she recited is actually true. Not if you are claiming certified angus should this be the case.
But, I ordered it anyway and thought I’d give it a shot. Well as soon as I got it home and popped the top on the styro, I immediately thought «yeah, this definitely doesn’t look anything like some of the «best» burgers I’ve had. :(
The patty was flat (not half-​pound looking) and charred black, the bacon was low-​quality and greasy, the best part about it was the foccacia bun. After taking the first bite, I found the patty to be completely dry and well-​done.
I’m sorry but this is the largest city in the US and we’re talking about one of the most popular foods known to Americans… If you are going to claim «Best Burger in Jacksonville»… you better serve me a badass burger! Speaking of which, where is that food truck?!

I don’t eat at Magnificat often, but when I do, there’s usually only one thing that I order. You know when you go to a place and you just get stuck on a menu item, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t help but keep getting it? This is how I feel about Magnificat’s Curry Chicken Salad. I have tried other menu items, but this is my go-​to at this business.
They serve it with no bread, but with lettuce and tomato. The lettuce is cut so that you can essentially make a small lettuce wrap with the chicken salad. If you have gone to Cozy Tea and had their Curry Chicken Salad, it is very close to Magnificat’s. Each place makes it just a tad different.
Normally, I get my food to go, but Magnificat has a fantastic location on Laura Street with the greatest covered patio. It’s perfect on spring or fall days with a nice breeze. It is also a great place to people watch during Art Walk. This French café’s typical hours are during the Downtown lunch rush. Don’t go Downtown on a night other than Art Walk and expect it to be open.

My wife and I were passing by and I chose this café based on the eclectic menu choices. The detailed descriptions where mouthwatering. I was a bit disappointed overall. I had a roast beef with Boursin cheese sand which on rye, which came with a homemade garlic mayo spread, the beef was fatty, and overpowered any other flavor to be enjoyed. The ingredients seemed fresh but the sand which tasted only of the fatty beef. I had a homemade pasta salad as my side, which was oil based and with poppy seeds, and was rather delicious. My wife opted for the crab cake melt, as per the recommendation of the counter clerk. It was wretched, even though it was smothered in cheese tucked in a pita, it smelled violently like bad fish. My wife still committed, took a bite and it tasted even worse. I can no longer eat shellfish but never have I smelled «fishy» crab cakes. If we had not been on a schedule I would have insisted on another sandwich for her. She did enjoy her ceased salad and the dressing looked homemade and was tasty. There were some positives but overall the experience wasn’t worth our time, or money. The café itself is quaint and tidy, had soothing tunes playing that inspired a pleasant mood. We ate inside which we thought was going to be cooler, however it wasn’t. We may try again but in no rush.

I do go into downtown a lot for lunch. Living out near the airport if you want some good food you have to travel. So I noticed that Folio Magazines is having a dinner here so I tried to get the jump on things. Now I stopped in and to my surprise this place wasn’t very crowded beening the middle of lunch time. This place is old and the décor shows it but it is clean. Looking at the menu I decided on the quiche but they were out so I settled for a soup an sandwich. I ordered the top round beef on rye and the carrot and ginger soup. Never thinking of or imaging carrots and ginger together it was pretty good. It was very smooth and to me could have used alittle more spice. The sandwich was abundant meat and tasty to but the cumin mayo really didn’t do much for me. It was an odd taste to a typically normal sandwich. So I will give it another try soon.

Magnificat is my favorite place to eat Downtown. It is usually only open for lunch, but it is open for Art Walk. I have only been here during Art Walk and I love sitting at Magnificat’s patio and people watching. I was a little confused about ordering at Magnificat, but it really is very simple. Order at the counter, where you are given a number and then when your order is ready they call your number over the intercom. On my last visit to Magnificat I had the quiche Lorraine which tasted exactly like the quiches I had in France. I also had the French Onion Soup, which was a little rich with the quiche. I often yearn for a quiche and Magnificat is the best option in Jacksonville to get a truly authentic and amazing quiche, I just wish it was a little closer to my house and had a parking lot.

This is a great place to get a truly authentic, simple (but delicious) French meal. I have been here three times now and I am a fan. The quiches are exactly like what I have had in France, tonight I had a spinach and mushroom quiche that was great. I have tried several of their soups and they were wonderful. My dining companion tonight had a chicken sandwich with provolone cheese, chipolte mayonnaise and cheese flavored bread and she enjoyed every bite. This is a good place for quiches, sandwiches, salads, and soups. They are mainly open for lunch but they are open for dinner on Art Walk nights, and tonight they were open for a club meeting. Magnificat Café is right across the street from the downtown library, the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Hemming Plaza. If you are in this area at lunch time or for Art Walk, Magnificat Café is worth a try, maybe you too will think it is Magnificat!

I am beginning to favor Magnificat Café.
As noted by others, this is mainly a weekday lunch spot, specializing in sandwiches and quiche. I have been several times and usually get the quiche, which is good, but that’s not what I had today, so I’ll stick with what I did have; which was the beef and boursin sandwich, the lead item on the «sandwich» section of their menu.
The food was good. The sandwich, potato salad and drink all for exactly $ 10.38. The bread was fresh, toasted and crunchy French roll, the beef warm and pleasant. The potato salad was very mildly mayonnaised (can I make mayonnaise a verb here?), with very small bits of green onion. Not sloppy or greasy — calm and controlled. This potato salad is not «slap-​you-​upside-​the-​head», but rather «I’ll-stay-in-my-yard-you-stay-in-yours». I can respect that from a potato salad.
It was cold today (50 degrees), and the Tuesday after Martin Luther King Day, which probably contributed to the light crowd — I counted about 12 other patrons at 12:19pm, with room for more; and since it was cold, no one chose the outside seating. The crowd did not seem particularly urban-​hipster or tragically-​cool, but rather middle-​aged, gainfully-​employed, re-​provisioning for the remainder of their day. Smooth jazz on the box heightened the since of calm and Alltäglichkeit I feel in this place.
If the name of the place didn’t clue one in, there are certain details in the décor that provide confirmation (forgive the pun) as to the catholic nature of this lunch spot and its proprietors: the text of The Magnificat hangs on the wall next to the menus, a crucifix and holy cards have located themselves on the kitchen wall, and a purple poster invites all to an upcoming Eucharistic congress in Jacksonville. If you are not «high church,» do not let any of this prevent you from enjoying lunch here (as you most certainly will), rather, pursue the policy of quiche-​and-​soup ecumenism offered here.

This is my favorite lunch spot in downtown Jax. I almost always get the quiche lorraine or spinach & mushroom quiche with a cup of the carrot ginger soup. They also have a really good crab cake sandwich on a croissant, and an interesting variety of other sandwiches, wraps, and salads that always sound appealing, but I keep going back to my favorites. Everything is fresh, homemade, and reasonably priced. You order and pick up at the counter, and service is always friendly and efficient. This place is a gem!

I’ve past this place a million times and always wondered what it was since it was always closed. When I finally discovered it was a french café and only open for lunch my gf and I went to check it out. I really wish I had checked it out sooner cause its awesome!
The prices are good (all your typical lunch stuff is under 10 dollars) and the food is great. There is usually little to no line so you’ll get your food pretty quick too. So far I have tried the quiche Lorraine and the Ham and Goat Cheese Melt. Both of these were super good.
It sucks this place is only open for lunch during the Weekday as it makes it hard to visit, but if you can find the time, or work near downtown def try to make a visit sometime as this is a great little Jacksonville secret!

It is cute but the staff is not too helpful. The quiche was not properly cooked, The lentil soup was good. The hamburger my friend ordered was not great either. I would give it two and a half if i could.

J’adore le Magnificat Café!!! Translation: I love Magnificat Café!!! Their chicken salad croissant sandwich is amazing!!!

French food for lunch! It’s just a shame they aren’t open for dinner [as it is for most of Downtown Jacksonville dining].
Magnificat Café is a remarkably good choice of dining during the lunchtime hours, Mondays through Fridays. If you are lucky enough to work in the area, you need to be eating here at least once a month, if not more. It’s unique, its authentic, still feels home cooked and comfortable… tres magnifique!
Top choices:
The Baked Brie lunch. You get a small wheel of brie [not too small], a toasted baguette, toasted almonds, and a side. I often opt for a side of the French Onion soup, but there are other delicious options, as well [potato salad, pasta salad, chips]. This feels very European to me… eating a loaf of tasty fresh bread and delicious cheese? Yes. And to also feel like I am European, or in Europe on vacation at the very least? That’s the best of all.
The salads are great, fresh, and good portions. The Goat Cheese Caeser Salad is delicious, with goat cheese patties, romaine lettuce, toasted walnuts, tomatoes, croutons and Caeser dressing.
The sandwiches are pretty unique, while still remaining in the comfort zone, offering anything from Roast Beef and Boursin to a Pâté Sandwich served with grain mustard and tomato on a baguette to a Crudite Sandwich served with boiled egg and pesto mayonaise on a baguette.
You can’t go wrong with the Magnificat. The only problem this place gives you is trying to decide what to order.

What? No one else has come here yet?
I had their Ginger and Carrot soup. Either whoever was here last time wasn’t working or they finally got the hang of things, it was much more tasty this time.
To go with my soup, I ordered a special. Roast beef, mozzarella cheese, tomato, on a sundried tomato baguette with tomato mayo. Delish! The baguette was toasted, perhaps a bit too much. But other than that, no complaints!
Down-​to-​earth service with a smile as usual. I love the lady behind the counter. She’s very efficient and friendly.