Tracy A.
Yelp
Cute little place on a sidestreet in Madawaska. I was in town for a meeting, and looked for a place for breakfast the night before and found lots of glorious reviews for Chez Helen. As it turned out, I had leftovers from the wonderful dinner the night before (see my review for Chantal's in Edmunston!) so I decided to go to Chez Helen after my meeting, for lunch before starting the 5.5 hour drive home.
I loved the homey decor, decorated at this time of year for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday. It was sparkling clean, warm and inviting. I sat at a booth and a friendly server greeted me.
There were TONS of specials that each looked good, but I'm trying to eat healthier right now (trying to shed winter weight), so I looked at the salad offerings, and amazingly found one with almost all of my favorite salad foods in one bowl - Blueberry Spinach Salad with chicken breast, almonds, blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. I wasn't disappointed. The chicken was very nicely grilled and the fruit and veg was fresh and appealing. The vinaigrette was tangy and didn't go perfectly with the salad, but it was good. The cheese was a bit of a disappointment as it didn't have a strong blue cheese taste, but that may be good news for some folks! It needed a bigger plate, and I didn't think I'd finish it all, but I was able to - I couldn't stop eating it!
As I looked around I saw that what others were having looked just as appealing as my lunch. And someone came around to greet customers that I can only assume is "Helen" (or another-named owner) herself - so nice when an owner comes out to say hello and appreciate those who visit.
If I ever find myself in Madawaska again, I'll surely stop in for a meal. One caveat - the parking lot is tiny and cramped - probably a good idea to park on the street if you have a large vehicle.