Southern Magnolia Cafe

This place is closed, looks like it burned down

Absolutely a MUST STOP! This place is awesome! Kaitlin (pronounced "Kay-Lynn", she said the "T" is silent, that her mom wanted to be different.) is one of the best waitresses I have ever encountered. She was very cheerful and eager to satisfy. She checked on me several times to make sure I had everything I needed, extremely pleasant every time she addressed me. The food was delicious, just like I remember my Granny cooking, good down-home cooking, Cajun Style! The place is nothing spectacular, it's simple and basic, but very comfortable. I highly recommend setting this as a "via" point on your GPS.

I was driving through on the I-10 when I realized that this would be the last opportunity I would have to have gumbo or jambalaya. Seeing signs for Cajun, I turned off on Iowa. The sign is misleading- taking you to a Quickie Mart. However, if you're keen enough to notice the signs for the Southern Magnolia Cafe on the left hand turn beforehand, you've just struck gold.

The staff was VERY accommodating- considering that I arrived about 15 minutes before they opened. I didn't have to wait long for my food to come out, and the waitresses waited until I was almost done with my entree before putting the order for my to-go order to ensure that it was fresh.

I had the gumbo and ordered fried okra and eggplant to go. The gumbo was spectacular- perfectly spicy and filling. I didn't have the okra or the eggplant until about 3 hours after. that being said, both were great. I'd love to know the spices they used while frying the vegetables. This is by far the best fried eggplant I've had.

In short, if you want quality Southern food, seriously consider stopping here.