Manna Cafe & Bakery

Best quiche in town, most versatile menu. I absolutely love Manna! It’s always crowded, try to grab a seat at the bar if you can.

Stopped in on a Thursday mid morning. There is a wide variety to choose from on the menu, and everything sounds delicious. I settled on the «Morning After Burrito». It was very good and the side of grilled pineapple was an added treat. I can’t wait to come back and try something else!

Café drinks are hot and tasty, brunch dishes are fresh and delicious, service is prompt and friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy and warm. This is a great place to grab brunch or coffee and have an intimate conversation. Highly recommended!

Composite review from three visits:
–Food is delicious. I’ve had the mushroom scramble and a turkey sandwich, and they’ll modify orders for simple preferences.
–Ordering is intimidating, especially if you’ve never been here and it is busy. You order at a counter when you come in, and if there is a line behind you, it can feel pressured. I think there is a menu near the door for those that would like more time.
–I always get coffee, and the coffee is self-​serve, which can be confusing/​intimidating as many of the supplies are all clustered by the ordering/​pick-​up counter and is a walkway to the back of the café. For flow, it isn’t the best.
–Although it is almost always busy, I’ve always been able to find seating.
–The last time I was there, the bin for dirty dishes was overflowing. I bussed my own table out of courtesy – it might even be expected. Again, busy place, but making a few minutes available for staff to change out dirty tubs and wipe tables clean would be an asset.
–Again, food is fabulous. Atmosphere is fabulous with funky mixed décor. I love east side Madison.

Excellent breakfast choices. Lovely dinner choices. Nice open atmosphere. Cool Northeast Side Location. Nice folks working there. Nice folks coming there. I have been here before… I will be there again.
On this occasion, I had the Granola Crunch Cakes. Two hearty oatcakes made with a tasty Granola. Topped with Bananas. Served with fruit cup. I added some syrup. These cakes are so filling and satisfying. Like a Hug for your tummy.
My compatriot got the Okeefe under the Benedict category. Black bean corn bread, bacon, chili hollandaise sauce, eggs, and topped with Avocado. He gave me a bite and I was intrigued. I would like to order that sometime for sure.
So so so good!

Delicious food! The style is order at the counter, and they’ll seat you when a table is ready. We’ve never waited long, and you can enjoy coffee as you wait.
The food has never been less than amazing! It comes out quickly, and they usually have a special quiche for the day.

We visited Manna mid-​morning on Sunday. Busy but no wait. We split a scramble — very good. Service polite. Atmosphere fine — nothing fancy.
A special note: It’s apparent the owners care about cleanliness. Plates, silverware, glasses were spotless — and this makes a huge difference. Keep up the good work, Manna!

Good, but I don’t love it as much as others
Nice north side Madison location, with an odd ordering system, with great looking if variable tasting food.
Everything looks just marvelous, but the food is variable in deliciousness. In fact some was down right mediocre. Some was great. Coffee fair.
Scone, dry and meh. Muffin, superb. Frittata Special, bland. Walk in the Woods — eggs creamy, soft and delicious. Onion baked good served on the side — wow.
Prices are fine, service nice, but I like the food at a lot of other places more
A 3.5 rating, but we will round up for Unilocal

We’ve eaten at Manna twice and the food has been great. Depending on the time of day you go, there may be a little wait to order and be seated. You are required to take a number, order and then wait for a table to become available. I had the O’keefe last time and it was delicious if you like a little spice to your eggs benny.

Get the brisket grilled cheese, and they use JBC coffee, who may be one of the best coffee roasters in Madison. Otherise, they’re known for their quiche, and it’s pretty great. Very cozy, cute place. Lots of weird creepy cat figurines though haha. I absolutely love this place.

Manna is a real gem of a neighborhood café on the north side of Madison. They’ve been open almost as long as we’ve lived here, so I’ve visited on many occasions and always had a good experience.
Originally a coffee/​breakfast/​brunch/​lunch spot, Manna has also been serving dinner for a while now. I’ve enjoyed all three meals, but most of my visits are in the mornings for coffee and a pastry. I’m a big fan of the savory ham & cheese croissant from the deli case for a quick breakfast to go. Manna serves Johnson Brothers coffee and always has their Black Earth Blend (my personal fave), a decaf, and another variety of caffeinated brew available.
On a recent late lunch, I really enjoyed the Cruban — a Cuban sandwich/​Reuben mashup that was delicious, with a cup of sweet potato jalapeño bisque that had a nice pepper flavor without being overly spicy. The place was bustling into the afternoon on that visit, and
weekday mornings, lunches, and weekend brunch can be busy at Manna. I haven’t made as may dinner trips but it’s been steady but less crowded the evenings I’ve been there.
Manna has a warm, friendly vibe with lots of families and groups dining in, and folks grabbing a coffee and pastry on their way to work. It’s a real neighborhood hub and a wonderful place to have on Madison’s north side.

Came on a Saturday morning, odd ordering system you wait in line and order at the counter then get a table, while you’re waiting or eating if need anything get in line again and wait! A little strange but the food was very good. Get the eggs Benedict.

Had breakfast this morning with my husband. They were pretty busy, although from what I’ve heard this is not atypical for this establishment. Upon entering I noticed that they take orders a bit differently than most places. Instead of being seated and then ordering, you instead order at the counter and your food/​drinks are then brought to you by a staff member. After looking through the menu, and feeling slightly pressured to choose quickly by the growing line behind me (I can be a bit indecisive at times), I decided to go with their ham and herb quiche with a side of fruit and added on the chicken sausage as well. My husband went with his favorite meal there, the sticky bun french toast. We also ordered two coffees. Our food came out in a very timely manner, considering the large breakfast crowd. Upon arrival, both meals looked very appetizing — you could tell everything was fresh! After getting into the meal a bit, I wasn’t quite sure that I cared for the texture of my quiche. The upper layer was much creamier than what I’ve had in the past. I noticed on the menu there was a small aside stating they make their eggs creamier intentionally as a style preference. The creaminess in no way affected the great flavor, however it just wasn’t for me. Additionally, I wasn’t thrilled with my chicken sausage. It was served in a large patty and was loaded with spices. For many, this may be a great thing but I felt that it was a lot and the flavor overall wasn’t my favorite. My husband’s french toast was a rich, sugary pile of syrupy goodness and he enjoyed every bite of it. Additionally, he ordered a side of eggs and there was a fresh fruit accompaniment included. If I’m ever in the Madison area again, I will certainly give another menu item a try. It’s clear that they have massive following with many loyal customers. They’ve got to be doing something right!!!

What a hidden gem! Though I think it’s just hidden from me since I’m not in this area often and the place was packed all morning. Our party of 3.5 was able to sit immediately at 10AM Sunday morning. By 10:30, there was a line going out the door.
For first timers, the ordering/​seating/​situating process is a little confusing. You see the host, get a table number, grab whatever table you’d like, look over the menu, order at the counter, take your drinks, and sit back down and wait for your food.
The food is delicious!!! The fritatta was loaded with mushrooms and so savory and oniony. The biali (my first) was light and chewy and wonderful. Fresh fruit all around.
Coffee and water are self serve at the opposite end of the ordering counter which means that you’re constantly back and forth through the busy host stand /​ordering line, hoping you don’t spill your hot coffee on someone. I suppose if you look at it from the perspective that this was designed purposely to create some serendipitous moment where you bump into your future soulmate, this is very well designed. If you’re just trying to get to your table without spillage, maybe not so much.

I have been to Manna more times than I can count. Whether its stopping in to grab a Hazelnut latte and quiche, or sitting down for breakfast, I have enjoyed every single visit. My favorite items on the menu are the Eggs Benedict, Oatmeal Pancakes, and various Quiches. For lunch, all of their sandwiches are unique and fresh and always satisfying! Their baked goods are great as well-​especially the scones and chocolate croissants.
Although many restaurants in Madison have impressed me with food, the combination of Manna’s great food, warm staff, and friendly atmosphere, make it one of a kind. I recommend it for everyone-​breakfast, lunch, and dinner… however, breakfast is my personal favorite! Manna is normally packed on Saturday and Sunday morning, so big groups can be difficult to squeeze in.
One last tip: their Challah bread makes great french toast for at home :)

Delicious brunch! Had the homemade granola with almond milk and fresh fruit (bananas and strawberries), 2 eggs over-​easy and a side of bacon. I also tasted the eggs benedict, breakfast burrito and a few pastries, which were all yummy! The fresh OJ was needed and the servers were all great! Highly recommend!

Manna is a decent place to grab a bite to eat on the near Northside of Madison. I think the baked goods are the highlight of this establishment. I’ve had the quiche as a carry out item and thought it was pretty good.
Today I stopped by for a late lunch. I had the Beef Brisket Sandwich with melted cheese curds. Said cheese curds were nascent but perhaps visually discernible. The brisket seemed more like pulled beef than a traditional sliced brisket. The flavor was really pretty good — but the beef was a bit dry.
I also had a chocolate hazelnut rugala in honor of the the death of the Nutella founder last weekend. The rugala was very tasty.
I’m likely to go back… For pastries!

Very busy Saturday morning, but that didn’t seem to phase the fine folks at Manna. Parking lot: full. Dining space: full. Area around the coffee bar: full. But it was still an excellent experience.
+ What a menu. So diverse, and so many awesome options.
+ Check the daily specials — they had three unique quiche and/​or frittata offerings when I was there
+ Super friendly, super efficient host. Very accurate with estimating wait time, and was very personable
+ Ordering process was easy; check-​in with host, get a number, and browse the menu while you stand in line to order
+ Very helpful person (the owner) running the point of sale system. She was fantastically nice and obliged my substitution requests
+ Reasonably priced
+ Cash or credit/​debit accepted
+ Serve-​yourself coffee, with four options. Also have a full-​service coffee bar with tea and the usual coffee-​like drinks
+ Even though the coffee bar is sort of in the middle of everything, there’s enough space in the area for people to navigate without feeling crowded, unlike Crema Café’s set-​up
+ Awesome tables and seating areas; very comfortable. Private feeling, even though everyone is sitting fairly close to one another
+ Food arrived rather promptly, even though the place was super busy. Very efficient kitchen.
+ The food. Wow. It takes a lot to goof-​up a breakfast. It takes even more to make it really outstanding. Manna was *outstanding*. I had the «Walking in the Woods» scramble — mushrooms, asparagus, cheddar, and eggs, with onion crinkles on top. It was *perfectly* cooked; the ingredients were extremely fresh and mixed to a perfect egg-​to-​ingredient ratio. Just unreal. Even though I’m watching my girlish figure, I had to sample the little onion tart/​roll thing on the side, and it was equally awesome. The texture of the bread, combined with the sweet carmelized onion was superb.
— My only ding: the coffee. I’m super picky about coffee profiles, and none of the three that I tried really suited my palette. That’s ok; it’s me, I fully realize this.
I have a handful of breakfast «go-​tos,» and Manna is now on that list. Truly excellent, even when slammed busy. Other businesses in the area could learn a thing or six from these guys (hint: I’m looking at you, Villa Tap)… I can’t wait to return so that I can try one of the biscuit-​based breakfast sandwiches — they all looked amazing.
Thank you, Manna!

Without further delay, I’m here to officially profess my deep love and appreciation for Manna Café & Bakery. Let me count the ways…
#1 — Their bakery items are insanely delicious and made with big love. In fact, I would even venture to say that they have the best chocolate chip cookies in the city.
#2 — All of their quiches kick SERIOUS ass and the Away in Provence omelet is my all-​time favorite of their egg dishes. The combination of warm chevre with sweet caramelized onions is luscious & comforting and then there are the bright flavors that come with the addition of the garlic-​roasted tomatoes & basil. It’s genius level! But wait, there’s more!!! With the omelet, you also get a bialy & greens. You can’t go wrong. The bialy is soft inside with this great, chewy crust and the greens are fresh & dressed perfectly.
#3 — Not too long ago, they changed how they approach seating/​ordering and it’s created a much smoother flow along with quicker service. Winning!
#4 — Speaking of service, everyone at Manna is excellent! I’ve never had anything but stellar customer service experiences each time I’ve been there.
Oh, how I do go on… I’ll stop there for now, but just know, Manna is an excellent choice in a city with so many great choices. They are quality in every way and well worth the wait (if there ever is one). Go, my friends, go early & often!

The eternal dilemma arises — to eat healthy or give into the need to stuff your face with pancakes. At Manna Café & Bakery it’s possible to do both.
Feast on the Collins House Oatmeal Pancakes, their signature dish that’s delicious and doesn’t completely undo hours at the gym. With a word like «oatmeal» in the title, these cakes are obviously the epitome of quality nutrition. The texture of these cakes is insane. They remain moist, yet have a fantastic bite to them, thanks to the oats. There’s also a slightly nutty quality to them despite the absence of nuts.
Very delicious and certainly unique. I crave them, often.