I very much enjoyed myself here. Top notch service. Had the stuffed blue crab flounder... pretty exquisite. With a $5 fee, the chef could split a dish into two portions. I say this is definitely the better deal. A great value, as the portions were still huge and satisfying (I was full after eating my half). For the quality of food, service and wonderful ambience you are gettting at Magnolias.. the price is definitely reasonable compared to the other fancier restaurants in Charleston.
Review Source:Pretty good southern low country cuisine. Sat near the window and the restaurant had a dank, musty smell when empty. Food was good. Greens had some serious spicy finish and some of the dishes were overloaded and in part took away from the flavors and quality. The fried chicken was good but mixed with the cracked pepper biscuits that were stuffed in the mashed potatoes and smothered with sausage gravy and then mixed with creamed corn and vinegar from the greens and made the chicken soggy. Waaay to many ingredients on one plate. All good separate, but together overkill. Fried green tomatoes were cut super thin, but grits were amazing. Crab soup was ok, spring rolls were strange. Waitress was friendly, but more overkill on describing every menu item to us. We can read. She also prefaced ALL her selections with "that is our most popular entree" after 3 we gave up listening. Too much.
Review Source:My first trip to Charleston. Â My husband & I
had dinner at Magnolias. Â Very enjoyable. Our waiter was very helpful. We started with the crab cake which was all crab. Delicious! Had to try the green fried tomatoes. Yum! I had the parmesan crusted flounder which was amazing. My husband had the shellfish medley in a cream sauce . Â So delicious. We would definitely return. A really great night!
We had a wonderful dinner at Magnolias. We started with fried green tomatoes, I had the blue crab bisque, Â we shared the crispy pork belly, and for the main I had the pan roasted duck. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection! The atmosphere was very intimate, and the staff were friendly and efficient. This is a great place to enjoy a relaxing and tasty southern dinner.
Review Source:AMAZING! Would eat here over Husk ANYDAY!
I was in town with friends and were recommended to try Magnolias - we are so glad that we did! The setting was intimate and the people friendly. More importantly the food was outstanding.
We ordered three entrées recommended by our server - the fried chicken, shellfish and grits, and the Parmesan encrusted flounder. The staff accommodated us to serve family style so that we could all try the most popular dishes. The portions were great and the flavor was fabulous! We ended the night splitting the pecan pie, always a favorite.
Our only complaint would be that our waiter was entirely too casual for a restaurant of this stature but this may just be typical of the area. Â Can't wait to be back in Charleston to try Magnolias again.
Dinner at Magnolia's was a fine way to close out my Charleston visit. Â We made reservations which seems to be the protocol there. Â When we sat down, the hostess swapped out my white napkin for a black one. Â This level of fanciness was lost on me (actually had to Google it). Â We started with the Fried Mac & Cheese and Chicken Egg Roll. Â Delectable. Â I enjoyed the Wadmalaw Greens salad but probably wouldn't fork out $6 for it again. Â I ordered the Shellfish over Grits, though, and it was every penny of the $30. Â Lots of seafood, incredible depth of flavor for something so simple. Â Finished with the Magnolia's Cream Cheese Brownie and I definitely could've done without that. Â Nothing to write home about. Â Beers are also very overpriced and the crowd was a little stuffy for my tastes. Â The decor is definitely rather dated (my friend really didn't like the mirrored wall). Â Overall, I think I'm just not really in the audience for this joint but I'm glad I can say I went. Â I wavered between 3 & 4 stars but had to back down to 3 for the value alone. Â Poogan's Porch was similarly priced but I enjoyed the experience more.
Review Source:We started our night at Magnolias with drinks at the bar. Although the drinks were well prepared and very good, they did need another bartender at the bar. Â I am thinking there were supposed to be two as another showed up a little bit later.
The food and service were both very good throughout dinner. Â The scallop appetizer was delicious and light whereas the pimiento cheese was quite tasty, but definitely heavier. Â I ordered the parmesan crusted flounder which was very tasty but it became a bit dry as I ate it. Â However, I do wish there was more sauce and a bit of acidity to balance all of the flavors. Â I tried my mom's seafood over grits and the grits were delicious. Â As someone who doesn't eat pork (I know, I know), I appreciated the lack of bacon in the dish.
In all truthfulness, I think I expected more from this restaurant based upon reviews and friends' reports.
We celebrated our 34th anniversary here at Magnolia's. Â The service was outstanding! Â The food very good! Â I had the Parmesan Crusted Flounder while my husband had the filet special. Â My fish was tender and flaky and the rice with shrimp and fresh corn outstanding. Â The filet was cooked to perfection! Â
I will say I am glad we dined in the back room. Â The atmosphere was much more suited to fine dining. Â The upfront dining was loud -- we noticed both on our way in and out. Â If you are going to enjoy quiet conversation and to have a special celebration I would recommend asking for a table in the back dining area.
Our last night in Charleston, and Magnolias was our pick. We chose well. Easy parking on a Friday night started our evening off right. All our selections were wonderful. Started with the egg rolls which were amazing. We also had scallops, easily melting in our mouths. The sauces on both dishes enhanced an already divine taste. We also had fish stew, catfish and both the shrimp and spicy sausage and grits and the seafood over grits. Everything was amazing.
Review Source:I had the parmesan-crusted flounder. It was a delicious piece of fish. I felt the risotto made the dish a bit heavy, but then this is Southern cuisine. I ended up eating the fish and the fresh sweet corn all around the plate, leaving the risotto, and was quite satisfied. The atmosphere was nice.
Review Source:Went to Charleston week of June 10th and we were excited to try two new restaurants as we normally do on our annual pilgrimage to this beautiful city renowned for great food.  After reading many reviews and word of mouth we settled on Magnolias for one of two dinners.  I am allergic to shellfish so I am normally limited but I have a seafood eating husband. Our server Pierre was one of the BEST servers I have ever had in any dining experience anywhere. He recommended a magnificent wine from South Africa and the pork chop entree for me which was amazing with great southern flavors. The okra it was served with was to die for. My hubby had seafood and grits and he was impressed by the flavor of grits and the overall taste. From soup to nuts we had a great experience at Magnolias and  would definitely recommend to our friends. We will be back!!
Review Source:I was very disappointed in our dinner at Magnolias. I was here 2 years ago for a business dinner and had an alright dinner. My wife really wanted to eat here based on what she had heard and reviews. We were both very underwhelmed. Average service. Food very average.
I don't understand the good reviews given 2 different experiences 2 years apart.
There are many better places to eat in Charleston. I wouldn't go back.
Went here for lunch while at spoleto. Been here several times before but this is my first review. Love the ambience and menu always looks good.
Ordered boiled pnut hummus and melon salad to share as apps. Salad wasn't bad. hummus could have been good but it was really bland. Nice idea but not a good execution. I cant believe i would say this about something made using traditional southern boiled pnuts, which are usually unbelievably salty, but it really coulda used a little salt.
Wife got a Bellini and I got the Bloody Mary which took forever to bring out but were pretty good. We ordered a second round but they never came (guess the server never put the order in since it wasnt on the bill).
Main courses were all mediocre. Wife got crab Benedict and kids got chocolate French toast and they were mediocre. I felt like the chocolate in the French toast just didn't go well with the blueberry mixture layered on top. I got the seafood shrimp n grits and it was good but woulda been nice to have vegetable with it...pretty plain. All in all we left thinking that we need to try some of the other, newer restaurants in charleston. It's not marked off our list...just a little lower down the page.
Yum. Â This is a large restaurant in the heart of old town Charleston. Â Great service, and great food.
I had pecan crusted salmon, which was a combination of two different dishes. Â The chef was willing to work with me because of my bizarre dietary needs when it comes to fish and seafood. It was great. Â I also ordered fried green tomatoes wrapped in ham for an appetizer. Â It was as good as it sounds.
Had a late night dinner and enjoyed Magnolias very much. The boiled peanut hummus and fried green tomatoes to start, followed by the peppercorn crusted tuna and bibb salad. service was wonderful and attentive. Definitely a nice evening out. Â Magnolias makes a wonderful spot for a date or for foodies.
Review Source:Wonderful ambiance, great food, great service.  There is a real Southern flair to the elegant dining room.  You can have a civilized and relaxed conversation without distraction.  I ordered the Shellfish and Grits and found it to be delicious.  The Crème Brûlée was not the best I have ever tasted, but still very good.  Very charming restaurant with great food.
Review Source:For lunch, very good crab soup (though she crab soup at The Olde Pink House in Savannah is three steps above). Â The crab sandwich and the Green Tomatoe BLT, however, were perfect in every way. Â What a wondeful combination to have the fried green tomatoes on a conventional BLT. Â Moderately expensive for lunch.
Review Source:Celebration time. Just closed on the sale of our condo so we stopped for
Lunch.
I had an absolutely outstanding BLT / Grilled Salmon salad and my wife had a delicious combo of Asparagus soup and a Pork Chop. No a smidgen left of anything when we were done, including a pecan pie with vanilla ice cream for desert and the bottle of Pino Grigio.
Simply great service and excellent recommendations. Even without reservations, we only waited about 10 minutes on a Tuesday around 1500.
We will return.
Go there... now!! The food is amazing. Sitting with a bunch of foodies from San Francisco is no easy task but Magnolia's outperformed everyone's expectation: everything we sampled was delicious!
My must haves for next time: fried green tomatoes and fried chicken. Seriously the best fried chicken I've ever had!
First off - service was great and the atmosphere was very comfortable. Â
But.......the food is just mediocre. Â I had the down south eggroll, a bone-in pork chop with homemade jalapeno pimento cheese and the creme brule for dessert. Â The eggroll didn't taste like it was made by an attentative chef and the pork chop was greasy, messy and over the top. Â I mean, it tasted oooook, but it reminded me of something at a state fair that was just too much of a good thing. Â A doughnut-bun-burger maybe?
Anyway, I don't have an overly strong opinion either way. Â You could find a lot better and a lot worse within just a few blocks of this place.
We flew into Charleston on our way to Savannah and stopped into Magnolias while touring around the city. The BBQ pork with Jack Daniels maple syrup and johnny cakes is one of the most interesting meals I've had. Initially sold by the BBQ pork on its own, the Johnny cakes with Jack Daniel's maple syrup proved insanely good. And especially so with a bite of the pork.
We sat at the bar because we didn't have a reservation and the rest of the restaurant was packed. We ate during lunch and the next available reservation was 8 pm - I'm not surprised at all considering the amazing food. The service at the bar was just as good as if we had a table. My girlfriend enjoyed the Firefly Palmer (boozy Arnold Palmer), and I had locally brewed beer. They don't have any beers on tap but a wide selection of bottles.
We ordered two dishes. The flounder was absolutely excellent, but the beef was a little tough and not cooked enough for my liking. Â Â We both agreed we should have had the flounder.
Service was outstanding. Â A clean cool place. Â Many patrons were dressed nicely--partly because of large groups of young women (wedding related) that were there. Â Comfortable place to go dressed up.
Magnolia's was just all right. Three of us went for dinner while on vacation in Charleston. We made a reservation and arrived about 10 minutes early. We were told to wait at the bar, which was fine, but were still waiting 15 minutes after our actual reservation time. Service at the bar was friendly and quick.
After we were seated for dinner, service was incredibly slow. Our waiter was slow to come to the table initially, take our order, and deliver our drinks, food, and check. Yes, the restaurant was busy, but other tables were served much more quickly. The food was okay. I ordered the vegetable plate, which came with Swiss chard, okra, summer squash, corn salad, and mashed potatoes. While everything was good, nothing was exceptional. My friends felt similarly about their entrees.
The restaurant was crowded and very noisy, making for not the most pleasant dining experience. We went across the street to Slightly North of Broad for drinks and dessert and found the ambiance and service there to be far superior.
I have always liked Magnolia's. Â The food is consistent and very good...it was not our best meal in Charleston, but it was a good one. Â Â I ordered the Steak and Crab Cake and it was good, but not excellent. Â My BF ordered the small plate Chicken breast and it was also very good.
The ambiance and the service is excellent. Â Â Nice place for a nice Southern Meal in the Historic district.
We had a great dinner here. Â Unfortunately I was still quite full from our lunch at Cru Cafe (see review, an excellent lunch spot), so couldn't enjoy dinner as much as I would have liked. Â The entrees were delicious and on point; I had the shellfish with grits, and my husband had the crab stuffed trout. Â Our appetizers were fine but not great. Â The pimiento cheese was tasty, but it came with fried wontons that were a little heavy. Â The chips with blue cheese had the potential to be a great app, but it was not well balanced, absolutely way too much blue cheese which overpowered the dish.
Our waiter was also not that friendly and was a low talker. Â He also didn't check on us, just came by when we had to bring our clear dishes.
Another obvious on the list of obvious selections in Charleston for anyone who has studied up beforehand. Â Magnolias was all that it was billed to be and our lunch here was truly excellent. Â
We had the fried green tomatoes (the tomato cream sauce it was atop was good enough on its own without the perfectly fried tomatoes), the duck egg rolls with peach chutney (small portions made up for with phenomenal flavor) and the shellfish and grits. Â Shrimp and grits may be among my favorite things in the world when done right, so I naturally had to try it with lobster and scallops. Â Although it was far removed from my brown sauce ideal shrimp and grits, this was a creamy, white dish that was very nice and I would certainly order again. Â The grilled spinach that topped the dish was a really smart addition for a little crispiness and charred taste.
The service here was excellent, very helpful with recommendations as well.
It's right on East Bay Street, not far over from Cumberland, so you're bound to pass it if walking around and visiting the city. Â There are a lot of good recommendations in the area, but as for lunch the prices here were too good not to try it out and we were very happy with the choice.
Ah, perhaps the most famous restaurant in Charlestown! Â I enjoyed Magnolias- be sure to get a reservation because everyone seems to come here- groups (great for groups because they have the space), families, bachelorette parties, dates...I came here with my bf our first night in Charleston at 8:45pm on Friday- it was pretty packed.
We didn't order any drinks but there was an elaborate bar. We split the radish salad with buttermilk dressing (a special)- which had radish, and arugula mostly. The salad was crispy and fresh and they kindly split it for us before it hit the table. The buttermilk dressing made things a bit sour but that's buttermilk for you. This was $9 ish.
For our mains, I had the blackened catfish, which was two very generous  whole fish- large portions are the norm here. It was seasoned perfectly and served over yummy "Carolina" red rice, which I consider a more refined dirty rice. It has lots of spices in it and served with whole okra and corn. The sweetness of the corn was an A+.  It also came with a side of fried green tomatoes- which were a bit bland because it was just fried. I did appreciate them but thought they were better in NOLA. $24
My bf had the pork chop, which was also a hefty portion. The key here was not so much the cut of meat (it wasn't the best) but rather -a horseradish sauce, which was really unique. He got sides of sweet potato hash (yum), Brussels sprouts and mushrooms. Â $26 I think?
We were so full for the big portions so we passed on desert but I wish I had gotten their pecan pie- very traditional. Â The food came out quite fast and our server was ultra polite and sweet. Â I'd magnolias is the kind of tourist attractions foodies shouldn't mind. :)
This was good at every level. Food, service, ambiance and dining experience.
My wife and I recently spent 4 days in Charleston SC. This is one of 9 posts that include; The Charleston Place Hotel, Johnson Limo-Taxi and restaurants Eli's Table, Fulton 5, High Cotton, Macintosh, Magnolia's, The Mezz (aka Sermets Corner) and Sticky Fingers. Read them all to get a flavor of the city and the experience. Please take the time to see the battery, see the many art galleries and shops (our favorite was the honey store!) Â and enjoy the many many good restaurants.
Ok, we think this was our favorite place in Charleston and we had such a great experience. Great location, super ambiance and a great staff. Sam, our waiter, was on top of his game. Rarely do we hear why they have a favorite and the ability to describe how meals are prepared and what make them special. Great job.
From the Planation rice with the beef tenderloin to the sausage gravy on my fried chicken to the outstanding  breaded flounder - wow!! Even the bread was highlighted as backed locally and was firm, chewy in a good way and tasty! Was there something in the butter to enhance the flavor? And a bread pudding, which is served many ways at every restaurant visited was simply the best with a home-made ice cream to die for.
The best best best. Loved the art work on the walls.
We may go back to Charleston just to come back here to eat again.
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