I was coming here for about 2 years for the wonderful dining experience that I enjoyed. I must say, their beef tendeloin & pulled pork was out of this world. The way the combination of flavors came together in every dish was out of this world! Thought I had found the diamond in the rye of Uptown.
However... a month ago I came in expecting for the same consistent dining experience, but boy was i majorly disappointed. The food was awful. The mussels were not fresh and the tomato-y sauce they used tasted like it came directly out of the can. The crab cakes were still not completely thawed when it was put on the fryer, so it was burnt on the outside and had a freezer burnt taste on the inside. The sauce used in the pulled pork was extremely salty. All in all the flavors just didn't blend well together at all.
Magnolia, I don't know where you went wrong. Did you change your chef, perhaps? I wanted to voice my thoughts but at no point did the server ever came over to check on us after the entrees were brought out by another staff. Were they cutting cost with the ingredients due to all the promos they were running to stay in business?... I wanted to be proud of having such a wonderful restaurant in my neighborhood. A place to showcase what's good in the 'hood. An upscale dining experience to bring friends and family to... but I regret that it will no longer be the case, for what it's worth.
Magnolia Cafe is wonderful. I cannot say enough great things about this restaurant. The wait staff is always incredibly friendly and helpful. The food is absolutely phenominal. The full bar is also great and they have a nice selection of cocktails/wine. It's a cozy/romantice atmosphere but also is great for a lunch date with a friend. Try it! You won't be disappointed.
Review Source:The service here was so rude, we nearly left even though the food was fantastic. Our waiter rolled his eyes, took years to take our drink order, then years to bring them. In between, he flirted with some girls at the bar. There were two other waiters and we watched them treat other patrons the same.
The food was phenomenal so I hesitated to blacklist this place. I told a  friend ab my experience, and he decided to try it, based on the food rec alone. As he walked in, he noticed the place was empty and asked if they were open. The response: "Does it look like we're open?"
This is Chicago, there are hundreds of places with great food and decent service. This is not one of them.
(My experience was a Sunday brunch. My friend went in early on a weekday).
I've had several dinners here, dating back to when I lived in the neighborhood in the mid-aughts. Â Sidenote: I used to think it sounded funny to say "aughts" but now I'm used to it. Â Plus, what's the alternative, "two-thousands"? Â Who has time for three syllables?
So, the dinners I've had at Magnolia were all in special occasion territory, and each was consistently good in both food and service.  My most recent visit  was on New Year's Eve, in part because they were one of the only restaurants offering their regular menu and not some restrictive prix fixe.  I am a somewhat fussy eater and a prix fixe menu can be hit or miss, and we wanted a guaranteed hit.  Â
That said, the entrees gave me pause this time because most of the ones that were not themselves red meat, or pork, or lamb (all on my do-not-fly list) had some kind of bacon or other meaty side component. Â And the seafood linguine and ravioli options weren't calling my name, unfortunately. Â I struck out on asking for the chicken without the prosciutto, so I had salmon with a corn and vegetable hash that could be prepared meatless. Â Luckily, it was excellent and I ate the bejesus out of it. Â Tantrum averted, then calmed into purring submission. Â Â
The other total hits were the onion rings (which is saying something because I don't really like them in general), the dessert which was a chocolate/banana concoction, and the salad. Â Yes kids, you can win friends with salad when it's hydro bibb lettuce with portabella mushrooms, goat cheese, fennel and a subtle mustard vinaigrette. Â Plus, I didn't know what hydro bibb lettuce was, so I looked it up and learned something. Â Bonus! Â Oh, and it's lettuce grown in a nutrient solution without soil. Â Neat. Â Â
We also were feeling frisky so my husband and I each ordered the red wine flight, which is a great deal at $15. Â I believe it was a pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and malbec. Â Had I the tolerance for another glass, it would have been the lively malbec.
I can't say enough good things about Magnolia. Â The neighborhood (psychic reader next door, Wilson el stop two block east) is never going to reflect the kind of atmosphere and high quality found within the restaurant, but I hope its devotees keep it around for a long time, and bring their friends. Â We'll certainly be back.
I am disappointed to see the spate of the two- and three-star reviews here recently. Â I have enjoyed every single meal across many visits to Magnolia, dating back to 2008. Â The most recent was the best yet--we chose Magnolia for our New Year's Eve dinner and could not have been happier. Â Someone at the restaurant took the time to answer my wife's questions via email and encourage us to make a reservation.
The mood was perfect for the evening: Â soft, warm light, cool indie rock at a reasonable volume, and the corner booth in the very back of the second room. Â Service was warm and attentive in just the right degree, and the food was even better than usual--outstanding, in fact.
We started with the hydro bib lettuce and portobello salad topped with goat cheese, shaved fennel, and grained mustard vinaigrette. Â The kitchen was kind enough to split this onto separate plates for us, unsolicited. Â This was a delicious salad, the best that I have had in recent memory. Â The mushrooms had a wonderful smoky flavor. Â I will definitely order this again sometime.
For my entree I chose the seafood linguini - mussels, shrimp, scallops, baby octopus, and salmon tossed in a tomato basil sauce, topped with spinach and shaved parmesan. Â Not only did the dish taste excellent, the profusion of seafood was startling. Â There was one single scallop serving as Lord of the Admiralty, but the other roles were occupied by several shrimp, mussels, and octopus pieces, and numerous chunks of salmon. Â Absolutely delicious and deeply satisfying.
I also couldn't resist a side order of onion rings, which were nearly superlative, perhaps slightly salty but decadently gratifying. Â These are a great guilty pleasure food that you should eat with anything.
And of course we finished the meal with a wonderful dessert, the chocolate cake with caramelized banana and house-made chocolate ice cream. Â What a pleasurable end to a perfect meal.
This was the some of the best food preparation in Chicago. It is Top Chef quality; presentation is amazing, flavors and quality of food are exceptional.
If you plan on having a quick meal, book somewhere else. It is an 'experience' in dining. So, please be sure to order an appetizer and cocktail or wine while you enjoy the atmosphere.
The staff can be a little edgy, but other than that, I could not give less than 5 stars. And being I have eaten here a few times and the quality and experience are the same each time, I thought I should write a review.
Owner refused to honor Living Social deal. We wanted to do carry-out, but he rufused saying the deal was for dine in only even though fine print doesnt say that. Total jerk. Said he wouldnt make any money off us and didnt care if we didnt like it. Clearly doesn't understand that the point of Groupon/Living Social is to build customer loyalty and word of mouth, not to make money off the particular deal. Owner is a total jerk and could care less if his customers are satisfied.
Review Source:The food was great. The atmosphere was great. The service was great. What more can I say? Everything was great from start to finish. I had the bleu cheese wedge which was made with very high quality bleu cheese. The short ribs were so tender they did not need a knife and the cheddar and bacon mac and cheese was awesome. I will be back soon!
Review Source:Just moved into the neighborhood and stopped in for brunch. After one visit I already know we'll be regulars. The menu is great, with plenty of meat centric offerings for both brunch and dinner. Crab Benedict had plenty of crab, and the mushroom omelette was stuffed. Great bloodies, too. We were early, so it was pretty empty and we got to chat with the staff, and they were really friendly. Can't wait to go back for dinner!
Review Source:Headline: Sophisticated, well-made food with a warm, grown-up atmosphere. (check out the photos others have posted)
Arrived early on a Sunday night and was impressed by the decor - dark wood, butcher paper over white tablecloths (just the white would have been too harsh) and mix of moody music. Â The room was moderately busy all evening; just right for some buzz, but not too loud.
We skipped appetizers but saw some nice-looking ones go by to other tables, including some nicely constructed salads and a very tempting mini-pumpkin filled with chicken pot pie. Â My main course was the pork trio, with rich & succulent braised pork in a chorizo sauce with chunks of roasted potatoes. Â Really nice and flavorful for a chilly evening. Â My partner had the beef tenderloin - a beautiful pice of meat, perfectly cooked, on a bed of sauteed spinach with mushrooms, white beans, and a red-wine reduction. Â Yum. Â I was lucky get a few tastes, too.
The wine list is focused on affordable options ($35 to $40 predominates), with a range of regions and choices by the glass. Â We were happy with both of our reds.
We shared the chocolate bread pudding and scarfed it down quick-smart (gratuitous pommie reference for those in the know).
I don't understand the haters, below. Silverware was too light? Give me a break. Prices were completely fair for this standard of cooking and service was spot-on.
Last night was my second time at Magnolia, and it was an excellent experience! Â My boyfriend and I had a Groupon that was expiring, so we went in for some drinks and apps. Â We ordered pulled pork risoto and bbq ribs with watermelon pico de gallo. Â We also ordered a light vodka cocktail and a manhattan. Â Everything was excellent - and even for two apps, the portions were big! Â The staff was friendly, playful and helpful, the atmosphere was classy but lax. Â For dessert, we ordered an outstanding green tea creme brule. Our whole mini date night was wonderful. Â I've stopped by Magnolia for breakfast and thought it was just alright. Â Last night's dinner really made me smile, and we will visit this neighborhood restaurant again!
Review Source:I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at Magnolia Cafe last night in light of all the meh reviews on Yelp. I moved down the street from Magnolia a few months ago and I've had my eye on it ever since, and when a Groupon deal popped up awhile back I couldn't pass it up.
We made a reservation on Opentable for 7pm on a Saturday, and when we arrived the restaurant was bustling, which I always take for a good sign. We were quickly seated and had menus presented to us. We passed on the drinks since we had a few before we came here, and they seemed a little overpriced for what they were, so we felt like there was no loss there. Also, we decided to pass on the appetizers as we read that the entrees were generously portioned and nothing seemed to appealing for $12+ for the appetizer selection.
After we placed our orders for our entrees a small bucket (yes, bucket) of bread came out for us to munch on while we waited. It was some sort of herbed foccaccia that looked more appealing than it tasted--it was just room temperature bread. It helped tide us over until our entrees came out. As for the entrees, here's the damage we did:
1) Braised beef short ribs served with bacon and cheddar mac 'n cheese, sautéed spinach, onion rings, and a red wine reduction: I was a pretty big fan of this dish, but I may be slightly biased after having a few botched experiences in the recent past (ie IPO). The beef fell apart and was incredibly tender, exactly as a short rib dish should be. The red win reduction was a bit salty for my liking, but that is as far as my complaint goes with this reduction, it had a nice balance of beef broth/red wine which greatly accentuated the beef. The sauteed spinach was also slightly over salted and a bit bitter, but then again most cooked spinach is when its not doused in butter or garlic, so it got an easy pass in my book. I absolutely adored the bacon and cheddar mac and cheese, which says a lot for me as I'm normally neutral to mac and cheese. The cheese was gooey, but not super liquidy, and the dish wasn't dried out as many places seem to do. There were large chunks of bacon in the dish, which is never a bad thing--all in all, a great side that came as a huge surprise to me. Lastly, the onion rings I feel deserve a special mention here. They weren't your typical American battered and fried onion ring, they were strikingly similar to a tempura style frying process. I was happy to get three of these delicious rings, and my boyfriend luckily stopped me before my last few selfish bites so he could try it (and he loved it!).
2) Grilled double cut pork chop over parmesan polenta, sautéed spinach, pickled red onion, salsa verde and red wine reduction: My boyfriend got this one and seemed pretty happy with his choice. The pork chop was succulent and tender, and had a great flavor to it. I tasted hints of lemon and thyme, which was fantastic. The parmesan polenta was a bit bland (but then again, what polenta isn't bland, especially if its flavored with just parmesan?). My boyfriend commented that the dish would've been better if the pork chop was served over the polenta as opposed to on the side so that it could meld the flavors together better. Other than that, the dish was consumed quickly and the bone was picked clean of meat, so I feel that that speaks for itself!
I know a lot of Yelpers commented on how the service was lacking at Magnolia. Sure, it wasn't the greatest, but I don't feel that it deserves docking several stars for. Our server wasn't the friendliest, but he took our order and our food came out within a reasonable time. Our water glasses weren't empty and he explained the specials... I can't find anything outrageously wrong with the service.
I feel that Magnolia deserves 3.5-4 stars, but I feel like it's not worthy of 5 stars due to the fact that the food seems pricey for what it is. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my entree, but knowing that I can spend the same amount at the Publican/Longman & Eagle/Au Cheval for similar food and portions, I'd much rather go there. Also, considering this is in Uptown vs West Loop for the price range seems a little... off to me. Regardless, it was a great find for a restaurant down the block, and I'd recommend it if you're looking for a great American meal while in the area.
I can pretty much say that our experience closely mirrored most of the other reviews. This place is what it is - food is decent, but way overpriced, atmosphere is nice but kind of odd, service was pretty good, owner is off-putting.
We were early for our reservation but the restaurant was not crowded and we were able to choose our table. We picked the one by the kitchen away from the occupied tables, and I didn't find the traffic bothersome or the space too small (maybe it's all the time I spent in San Francisco, where sitting in your neighbor's lap is par for the course in most restaurants). As others have noted, the butcher paper and cheap flatware were at odds with the high prices and froufy presentation, but that's far from the most important thing to me.
We noticed that the menu said half priced bottles of wine on Tuesdays, which happened to be the day we were there. Not thinking much about it, we ordered one. We also happened to be using a Groupon, which I had mentioned when making the reservation. More on this later.
I ordered the beef tenderloin, my wife ordered the pork chop. The presentation was nice - very stingy with the asparagus and potatoes, but the spinach was generous and I felt satisfied afterward. I was not impressed with the quality of the filet - it was pretty much the gnarly end piece, and fairly small. It was, however, cooked accurately to my preference and had good flavor, so points for that. The shredded short ribs on top were great. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the pork chop was pink in the middle. It is a thick double chop, and the "trend" for pork is not to cook the heck out of it anymore, which was fine with me, but some people might have been squicked. For dessert, we ordered the cookie and truffle plate, which was very hit and miss - the madeleines, truffles, and lemon curd were pretty good. The chocolate chip and double chocolate cookies were dry and tasteless.
When the bill came, the waitress had charged us full price for the wine. I inquired about the mistake, and she said that we could not get the wine special when using a Groupon. Fine, but she never told us that. She said she would talk to the owner. He came out to talk to us, and put the blame squarely on us for not knowing that we could not get the wine special. I pointed out that it would have been nice if that had been mentioned to me earlier, and he countered that our waitress "didn't know" we were using a Groupon. Why not, when the redemption instructions required making a reservation and stating that we would be using it? Then he started in on a sad-song about how he "couldn't make any money" if we got both deals (which is BS, because the markup on that bottle of wine at half price is still plenty high, and certainly better than us not ordering it at all) and how he regrets doing the Groupon (irrelevant, and also BS, since there are reviews here mentioning Groupon from as far back as 2009).
Anyway. We were a little drunk, and not interested in fighting, and he wasn't totally wrong about his points, just kind of aggressive and not very customer-focused. And we've had our share of bad jobs with Groupons - it comes with the territory. I was ready to just pay and move on. But he convinced us to take the half price wine deal that day, and he would give us a gift certificate to come back in the amount of the (already redeemed) Groupon. So two entrees, a dessert, and a half-price bottle of wine (plus tax and tip) came out to over $100. Honestly, with prices like that for the quality we received, we probably wouldn't have been back, and I'm not convinced that it was a good move to accept his offer, but the overall experience was good enough that I'm willing to give it another shot, maybe for lunch, and will update this review after.
The food is excellent with well-balanced flavors and pretty generous portions. I'm a fan of the drinks too.
The service is why i'm giving 4 stars instead of 5. One of the 2 times i was there, we had to wait for eeeeverything. and it wasn't even busy. Aside form that, though, Mgnolia Cafe is awesome. I would go there for dinner any day.
Love this place... Can't understand why anyone would give this place anything less than 4 stars.
To those that had a few complaints:
A manhattan is = 2+ shots of whiskey/bourbon... So yes, $10 is an appropriate price (and that's for well - if you're being cheap).
Dust on the fixtures? Â Really? I run one of the busiest clubs downtown and if this is your biggest complaint, get a life.
Sorry that the veggie person didn't get a decent choice, better luck next time (I really mean that - we always order "off the menu" - and you should too - and they create beautiful dishes for us).
The bread may not be the best, but hey, you're not really paying it...
Enjoy the food and experience and stop finding reasons to complain!
This place was very highly recommended by friends, but my experience was very poor. We visited for a Sunday Brunch. One of the first things I noticed was dust on all the light fixtures. Our waiter paid very little attention to us. When he did visit our table he never made eye contact & seemed bored. Our brunch took over 45 min to arrive. When my omelet was finally served it was dry, browned, and the mushrooms were tough to chew! My husband ordered a steak breakfast burrito which we watched our server give to another patron & then rush out of the kitchen saying "no, no, no..." return with it to the kitchen & then serve it to my husband 20 seconds later. Completely unacceptable! This cafe is overrated & not worth the trip. I won't go back.
Review Source:Maybe it started awhile ago when the fish and chips left the building. I don't know but eating here this weekend was not an enjoyable experience and I wanted to update my old review. We walked in to hearing a guy loudly explaining why they don't have pine nuts anymore even though they are on the menu- too expensive. Um...have you checked your menu prices lately? Cause you can afford the going rate for pine nuts at these prices. I wouldn't put Magnolia in the same realm of quality as a place like Publican, Frontera or Ruxbin but the owners here must, because the price of an entree here is equal to and in some cases, greater than those.
My date's crab stuffed flounder wasn't great at all and for $28 a plate no one should be commenting that it tasted like something you would buy at a grocery store pre-made. It was cold on the bottom. My chicken tasted good but there were large fat hunks in hidden places like under melted cheese where you didn't expect them when taking a bite. I had to put my fork back into my mouth and spit a chunk out at one point. I shared what I thought was a safe bite and what I shared had a bone in it covered in spinach. Unlucky for him, lucky for me, I guess. There were a lot of good things going for this dish so I wish I had been able to enjoy it more. The vegetables on the plate were perfect.
One other thing that was strange was that we saw bread at another table when we sat down and wondered when we'd get ours. Then 15 minutes later bread was brought out to a table that came in after us. Finally, and just when I was certain we'd never get any, the bread was brought to our table. The bread was the kind of bread sticks you'd get at Pizza Hut but not even as good as those and a little on the cold side. Not sure what they were going for there or why it takes so long to get it to the table when the restaurant isn't even half full.
Also, the music. Ugh. This was dad rock to the extreme...if my dad had been on a date there maybe he would have had a lot more fun than I did.
I'm not sure what everyone finds so attractive about this establishment. Â Here are the first things that come to mind when I think about my experience here:
1) Don't you dare charge me almost 10 dollars for a jack daniels manhattan. Â That's ridiculous. Â
2) Butcher paper + cloth napkins = confusing
3) The service was just awful. Â Plates from apps still on table when mains showed up. It didn't seem like anyone knew what was going on. Waitstaff was clueless, confused and didn't seem to know how to wait on a table.
4) Multiple entrees were missing, or were explained to be substantially different than on the menu. Â
5) The food was just fine, but it certainly wasn't anything special. Â Nothing sticks out as exceptional.
I realize that Uptown is starving for quality dining options, but it seems that many of the reviews here are based on aspirational thinking than realism. Â Yes, it would be great to have a wonderful little nook to dine in and experience a nice evening out, but sadly this isn't it.
I have been here twice now and both times I have been very put off by how close they cram their tables together. Â This last time was ridiculous as my guy was shoulder to shoulder to the guy at the next table and we had to shove our table to they weren't touching. Â This last time we sat unacknowledged at our table for a little under 10 minutes. Â I understand when you are busy but when a waiter doesn't have to bring out their own food, they have time to stop by a new table and say hi.
I have tried the beef short ribs with mac n cheese previously. This dish is very good but so rich that I couldn't finish it.  I had the pork chops last time.  The chop was large but lacked seasoning to make this a stand out.  The best part of that entrée was the parmesan polenta, which isn't hard to make.  The hanger steak with blue cheese was very good and priced better than anything else on the menu.  The mussels were small and passable.  Overall the food is heavy but pretty decent, with nothing standing out.  If I don't have a Groupon for this place, I probably won't come again.
This place was odd to say the least.
* When we walk in, we are greeted by a guy wearing a worn sweatshirt, jeans, and a baseball cap - he looked like a delivery guy but apparently was working as the host? Â This is a pretty classy bistro, so this was offputting.
* Their website says "The atmosphere is cozy and conversation friendly with lively jazz music playing softly in the background" Â but we were serenaded with country, followed by classic rock (I specifically remember "Life in the Fast Lane"!, not very romantic!
* The crowd was all very... old. Â I think we were the only couple there under 50. Â Â This isn't a complaint, but it was really weird. Â More like an old school Italian "ristorante" crowd, not what I expected from an "American Bistro".
* The linen napkins, classy decor and set of expanded silverware including salad forks and knives was very much at odds with the brown butcher paper over the linen tablecloths!
Now, that said... the food was very good. Â Really, really good. Â No complaints! Â But, the rest of the atmosphere was so very weird and offputting that we probably won't be back.
Today was our groupon and livingsocial day & both the places had AWESOME food. Diving straight into the review, the crab cakes served on a bed of steamed sweet corn melted in my mouth and catered to my taste buds.
For the entree, the good thing they offer is by paying a bit more, they split up the entree for you and serve it seperately. So, we ordered the chicken entree, the mashed potatoes were good, spinach stuffed chicken was awesome. In the dessert section, bread pudding was good, not great though.
Since people have mentioned a lot about bad service, I have to mention the service was good, dishes were explained well. No issues with that.
The only downside was the attitude of the buzz boy. Not even a second after we would keep the fork, the buzz boy would run to our table and clear it which was a bit annoying. But the food made more than for this.
I would definitely recommend this place and for people wanting to save some bucks, use livingsocial or groupon.
When I finally went, I was immediately won over by the staff, the wine-selection, the savory-food and the large windows that look onto the street.
The first time I had Cioppino-scallops, mussels, clams, shrimp and octopus simmered in a tomato basil sauce, served with ciabatta bread, sautéed spinach and roasted fingerling potatoes. It was so yummy!
I've also had the Roasted Half Chicken, stuffed with fontina cheese and spinach over basil whipped potatoes, French green beans and slow roasted tomatoes topped with prosciutto and natural jus; and the Braised Beef Short Ribs served with bacon and cheddar mac 'n cheese, sautéed spinach, onion rings, and a red wine reduction.
I am really shocked that Magnolia cafe received any bad reviews. Â Last night was the third time I ate at the restaurant and each time, consistently, the food and service was excellent. Â I love this place! Â I ordered the halibut last night and on previous dinners, the risotto with scallops and the beef tenderloin with short ribs. Â All of it was fantastic. Â That's why I keep going back to Magnolia Cafe!
This place is really a hidden gem in the Uptown neighborhood.
Please do not go here if you're a vegetarian!
Got a groupon here, else I'd have felt worse for choosing Magnolia cafe. The only thing I liked here are the cocktails (pomegranate n the mango). We got the best table next to the window, where there were flies swarming. Completely disappointed with the risotto.. no interesting flavors. The linguini was ok, but $24 for it?? Come on!!
Went here a few nights ago, and this was an amazing dining experience. The ambiance was cozy, rustic with upscale touches without being stuffy. We started off with the fish ceviche - the appetizer special, I had to force myself to have manners. Shrimp and scallop ceviche was well balanced and really fresh and the tuna sashimi was so tender!
I started with a mango martini, the champagne gave it a nice sparkly kick, and my boyfriend's Margarita martini was prepared with fresh lime juice. Â For dinner, I got scallops over risotto with peas. The scallops were so perfectly seared my knife cut through them like they were warm butter. The plate was garnished with jalapeno bacon, which I have to scour the internet to find out how to make. It was spicy and bacony, which doesn't get much better - let's be honest.
My boyfriend got the hanger steak topped with bleu cheese, and served with fries. I was slightly worried he was going to choke if he didn't slow down. It was my first time trying a hanger steak, I had always thought they were tough for some reason. The steak was tender, perfect at med-rare, and very flavorful. We had a great time here, and will definitely make this our go-to spot for special date nights.
Service- Ok, nothing special.
Food- I was told I could not order the main entree I wanted because they were out of it. Â Strike One! Â I was told I couldn't order the dessert I wanted because that was the one they were out of as well. Â Strike Two! Â
411: Â I basically wasted my Groupon on food I didn't want. Â Strike Three! I guess you have to call ahead to see if the menu items they list will actually be served on the menu the night you go in. Â There certainly is NO guarantee they will have menu items. Â #FAIL. Â
This was my second time here. Â The first time, the food was great, and I rated them much higher. Â This second experience was not nearly as good. Â Both times were with a Groupon.
Pricing: Â The food is good, (when they have it in stock), but I wouldn't pay full price. Â Go with a Groupon or find somewhere else with better food, better service, and places that carry what is on their menu.
After hearing so many great reviews, I decided to pick up a groupon a few months back. Finally got there last night and the end result is not what I had in mind.
The tables were fairly close together and there was no sound barrier. I heard what everyone else was saying, Â which I really didn't want to. My food came out lukewarm, which I would have told our waiter, yet he was no where to be found during our meal. So I ate anyway and though the food was pretty good and the drinks creative, I later realized I had left there still hungry.
No way would I have paid full price for that experience. I cringed at the price without the coupon and realized I tipped way too much for the service we got. Big disappointment!
I made a reservation on a Thursday night, and arrived with Groupon in hand. Â We were seated promptly, and watched the dining room fill up quickly over the course of the evening. Â Magnolia Cafe is small, homey, and rustic. Â Clearly they benefit from great word of mouth, because the place filled up! Â Reservations recommended for sure.
Our waiter was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. Â I began with a mango martini and my boyfriend had a sidecar, which he liked and pronounced one of the sweeter versions of the drink. Â My martini was tasty, and very strong - I only wish there'd been a bit more fruit flavor to counteract the boozy goodness.
I began with a spinach, beet, and prosciutto salad topped with an egg and goat cheese. Â Although not particularly novel anymore, this dish tasted new again in the hands of the chef. Â The beets were so sweet, the prosciutto so crispy, the egg so perfectly cooked, combined with just a bit of tang from the cheese - perfect starter. Â My boyfriend got the pulled pork ravioli with wild mushrooms and peas. Â He enjoyed them very much - I am not a mushroom person but I tasted them anyway. Â The mushroom flavor was strong and earthy (good I'm sure, if you like mushrooms) but I found the pork inside to be a bit dry, though flavorful.
My entree was the Salmon Trio - seared salmon over potatoes whipped with smoked salmon, and a salmon tartare alongside  I loved this dish and would recommend it to anyone - seared salmon was perfectly cooked.  The potatoes were succulent and delicious.  The tartare was delicate and fresh.  I was pretty happy to have ordered it, since they knocked it out of the park!  My boyfriend got the beef tenderloin/short rib which he enjoyed - it was very tender and cooked perfectly to order.  My one bite seemed a little more bland than I expected, but my boyfriend had no complaints.
Bill was $99 for all that. Â I got no trouble at all using the Groupon.
We were both thrilled to discover this place and plan to return!
Oh, and it's not even on a sketchy block. Â Don't freak out just because it's "Uptown." Â Easy free side street parking. Â It's a total neighborhood gem. Â Could easily be 5 stars next time.
I've wanted to come here ever since moving to Chicago five years ago! Â I even lived in Uptown for a year, and walked by Magnolia many times, but never made it inside. Â Finally, it happened! Â After years of looking in from the outside, and hearing good reviews from my friends, I was very excited to try it and fully expected to love it. Â
How sad I was! Â The ambiance was cute and cozy inside, but the food was just ok. Â The veggie risotto was pretty boring, and they don't even have any vegetarian entrees on the menu... you just have to ask for something that they can make in a vegetarian manner. Â To this end, it seemed in spirit and in taste like an afterthought. Â I had the crabcakes, which, in their defense, rocked my world. Â The wine selection was also good and I enjoyed our choices.
So why the three stars? Â Service, service, service people. Â The waitress was snotty, inattentive, and acted like we were putting her out. Â When she brought out the wrong dish for our appetizer, she acted irritated and like she didn't believe we had actually ordered the other dish. Â She begrudgingly agreed to bring out the new dish, with a huff. Â
It's amazing what a difference service can make. Â I left with the taste of amazing crabcakes in my mouth being suffocated by the bitter taste of mean waitress. Â Probably won't be a repeat customer.
Wasn't too blown away with it. And I was surprised. It has everything (nice decor, out of the way to make it feel like you stumbled upon a gem, low key area) that could give it a great rating and experience. However, the service was a bit on the snobbish side and the (vegetarian) risotto didn't have anything going for it to justify the price.
Also, the server messed up the salad. Â We were brought something completely different; it didn't even sound like what we ordered. Â When we asked her about the wrong salad, instead of apologizing , she just gave an excuse she heard wrong. Â In the end, they brought the right one, but a simple apology would've made the experience much better.
Now I'm judging both the salad and the risotto solely on the vegetarian side. Â Obviously, they have lots of things on the menu that are meat focused, and the dishes probably justify better rating.
When I saw the living social deal, I could not pass it up. Â
We made a reservation and after arriving were seated immediately. Â For an appetizer, we ordered crab cakes. For the main, we ordered roasted chicken with a coconut/curry sauce and cioppino. Â All were delicious!!
The service was great, good location, and good food.
I really enjoying the diverse restaurants Uptown has to offer. Â i would recommend going here.
It's been a while since I've been to Magnolia Cafe. Before 2006 anyway, since I never reviewed it on Yelp! My memories of it weren't that positive. It was fine, but nothing special, and seemed overpriced.
Well either my memory was erratic or I was there on a bad night or they've gotten their act together, because a recent visit was pretty fabulous. Duck was one of the specials, and I'm a big fan of duck, but my eye was caught by the grilled beef tenderloin topped with braised beef short rib. Beef served with beef? Yes, please! It was excellent, as was the duck, which my companion ordered. The duck came with foie gras, by the by. Duck served with goose liver? Yes, please!! We shared the pulled pork ravioli, because one should never pass on the pulled pork. It was a lovely size for two. The only disappointment was the mac n' cheese. How can you go wrong with bacon cheddar mac n' cheese? I don't know, but they did. Not very flavorful, and not enough bacon. I suspect they would have done better with a lesser cheddar. Sometimes a humble cheese is what you need.
You can tell it's the off-season (Jan through March in the restaurant world), because the place was pretty deserted. I think one of the servers was bartending, She did her best, but as the song says, her best wasn't good enough. A minor glitch in a basically positive experience.
Excellent meal. I've decided to deduct one star for our server. More on that in a minute.
Magnolia Cafe is a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood. It's cute, quaint, and dimly lit -- really nice for a date. Â The only issue is that the tables are really close together so it's awkward having people listening in on your conversation....a little claustrophobic.
I came with a Groupon, and our server immediately saw this and appeared annoyed (I know, I know -- I should save this for when the bill comes -- I'll start implementing this from now on). When she came to greet us, she simply took our order and was very curt. We didn't think anything was too odd (maybe she was having a bad day or something) until she went to the Groupon-less table next to us, and since the tables are so damn close together, we could hear their discussion. She greeted them in an enthusiastic manner and then proceeded to discuss all the specials of the day.....WTF?! Â The specials (included seafood linguine) actually sounded very good!! That was not cool.
The food we ordered was still decent though:
Pulled Pork Ravioli -- Super delicious! Definitely the highlight of the meal. The hubby thought the ravioli casing was a little too chewy, but I think he's crazy.
Hangar Steak -- Slightly overcooked so it wasn't the best. The fries were a little soggy, too.
Braised Short Rib -- Super tender! You could cut it with a spoon! I wish they used a different sauce though....maybe a Dr.Pepper-ish sauce? It needed a tad bit of sweetness. The accompanying bacon mac-n-cheese is as delicious as everyone claims it to be.
Overall, the food was 4-star worthy. I wish the server wasn't so snooty though.
My friends and I were there a week ago and I must say the experience was not pleasant. The servers' attitude is ridiculous, almost rude- and I say servers since it was two of them that were unfriendly for no reason.
The food was good, but with the many great places for brunch in this city I will not go back there, neither will I recommend it to anyone I know.
This place sucks.
I'd been here for Sunday brunch awhile ago, which was just OK.. Â I thought I might try it out again at some point.
My partner had a Groupon about a year ago, so of course we were going to use it.
It was a very warm day in late April-early May. Â Doesn't matter; it was hotter in the restaurant than outside. Â When I mentioned that it was hot in the restaurant, the hostess replied, "yeah-it's hot outside" and didn't even bother to ask me if I'd like the air turned on or up. Â I thought...if it were raining outside, would that make it O.K. for it to be raining inside the cafe? Â
There were three of us and as I mentioned a Groupon was involved.  When this was mentioned to the bartender she treated it  like we were handing her an old, used Depend we found in a nearby Wilson alley.  She was NOT friendly at all.  In fact when a group of her regulars or "peeps" wanted to sit at the bar, we were asked to move.  No biggies, there were only THREE of us in our group.  Not an inconvenience to us at all.
Miraculously, thUe air went on and the climate was much more bearable and all of HER friends and mine were happier.
I ordered (a steak cut of some sort), but needless to say it took a very long time to hit the table...and was extremely salty. Â
The staff seemed lesbionic cliquish. Â If I remember correctly, the first time I visited Magnolia, my friends and I felt the same way except it was pretentious gay guys that were over the hill and wearing shirts that should have been upped a size.
I stopped in for a quick martini while waiting for a friend about two weeks ago. Â I felt the same vibe, but knew I was only staying as long as the martini.
Again, we waited for a "bartender" who reluctantly greeted us after about ten minutes. Â I told him I wanted an extra dry vodka martini with a lemon twist. Â What I eventually got was a half glass of vermouth that could remove wallpaper. Â
I am NOT one for sending anything, back, but because of the unpleasantness of my prior visits, I felt justified. Â
What did I get back from the attitude-laden "bartender"? An ice shaken glass of of vodka with a 1/4 of vermouth this time.
He never gave my friend silverware for her salad nor did he bother to check on us.
This is the best; when I asked him in a nonsarcastic or condescending tone of voice if a dry martini had LESS vermouth, he told me the reason my last martini had so much vermouth in it was because I asked for it DRY. Â DRY MARTINI'S "have MORE vermouth." Â I have been a bartender AND am a martini aficionado. Â If that's too arrogantly put I KNOW what I drink. Â
Hey, thirty something, cropped hair "bartender," Â CHECK THIS OUT on wikipedia:
"The dryness of a martini refers to the amount of vermouth used in the drink, with a very dry martini having little or no Vermouth.[3]. Conversely, a wet martini has a significant amount of vermouth added.
I sent an email directly to Magnolia.  I'm not looking for ANYTHING. Just want to see what the management  has to say. Â
I'LL LET YOU KNOW...
Update:
I sent an email directly to the management regarding the unpleasant exeriences I've had; the reply was that maybe the suggestions would be thought about...maybe not.  How ridiculously unprofessional. Working in a customer service position, if I ever receive a complaint, I try to accommodate my customer as best as I can even if they are  complete assholes! This place should close and a cell phone store or currency exchange should take over the space. If I could give Magnolia ZERO STARS, I would.  YOU SUCK, Magnolia!
I spent all day looking forward to a fantastic dinner based on the reviews on this site. Â Youz guyz tsk tsk you fooled me. Â No this is a C restaurant at best. While the space is sexy and romantic I couldn't get past the little cob web hanging from the lighting over our dinner table. I couldn't take my mind off the fact a little spider could crawl down on the table and join us. Â I guess they figure people would not realize the dust because the place is so dark and nicely decorated.
 Anyways, enough of the dust bunnies and on to the most enjoyable part....The St. Germain cocktail was AWESOME! I had two which totally took my mind of that tarantula.
I didn't enjoy the food. Â The wording on the menu is fantastic but it does not translate onto the plate. Crab cakes are not handmade (frozen) and they set atop unseasoned corn with diced peppers. Â I didn't enjoy and I knew from that point on that this was going downhill.
The short-ribs came out cold the onion rings hanging on top tasted like extra salty dough with tasteless onions stuck in the middle. They clearly need a lesson on making onion rings from the chefs at Flo & Santos (shout out).  Macaroni and cheese was Kraft.  I don't do Kraft mac and cheese when I am out to dinner. Wait!  I don't do Kraft Mac n Cheese.  Thats what you give your kids at home.  Don't be fooled by the way they present it  either in their cute little individual iron skillets.
We had enough after the entree that we didn't want to even try dessert. I felt like this food was not made with love. It was food on a plate.
Notice I didn't even mention the service......
Missing the love!
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