First off the food was amazing. We had the fried tomatoes and they were great. My wife and I had both specials the Tuna Ahi and the Cajun Mahi Mahi. Both were the best! To top everything off, the waitress Leah, I couldn't say enough of what a great employee she is. I have wrote maybe two reviews in my life but this place deserved a review. read more

We came here on a Friday night and were overall impressed with this place. We ordered the Mac and cheese bites, the vegetarian plate, and the low country bouillabaisse. Although some dishes are seasonal, these happen to be entrees that are served year-round according to our server Both were quite delicious. The vegetarian plate had a wide variety of veggies -- from mashed potatoes, to wilted spinach, asparagus, green beans, and fried tomato's. There were only two medium pieces of fried tomato so I do wish they put more in the plate but oh well. My partner loved his bouillabaisse and apparently it's the southern rendition of a French dish that is one of their most popular dishes. It has lots of seafood in it. The meal also came with complimentary warm bread, which was nice. The pecan pie was very good, but the crust was kind of hard and there were fewer pecans than I'm used to and more caramel. The ambiance is more formal but people were dressed mostly casual (and chic if I might add). Dim lighting and if you don't want as much noise to carry I would ask for seating in the back because it's noticeably louder in the front. Overall the food is very good and prices are not as expensive for the quality. Our server was great! read more

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FYI, dinner service starts at 4 pm. We had a reservation at 4:45 ( only one available). We went specifically for the fish of the day because they do such a fabulous job with fresh fish. We were told there was no fish of the day and expressed our disappointment. Crickets. So we ordered off the menu which we are very familiar with. Lo and behold I start hearing other servers describing wahoo and catfish dishes at great length. Our server returned and I asked why I'm hearing everyone talking about the fish of the day. He said I'm not allowed to tell them until 5 pm. WHAT???? You start charging dinner prices at 4 pm. At least you could have told me that and I would have sat and enjoyed my wine for 15 minutes. But nope, you did not disclose that until after I asked and our orders were placed. I'm just giving folks a heads up that may be making reservations. Wait until 5pm if you want to hear the specials. I'm giving four stars for food quality only. We have been coming here for 30 years. Made me very sad. read more

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Not my first time at Magnolia's, but my first time leaving a review. First tip: MAKE A RESERVATION. Magnolia's is extremely popular and right on East Bay so convenient to many hotels and pedestrian traffic. If you know you want to eat here, make a reservation! We love to get the blue cheese chips as a starter. The chips are made in house and are just so crisp and warm. The blue cheese crumbles add the salt and the scallions add a little acidity. For entrees we got the fried chicken (bone in with corn, potatoes, biscuit, and green beans), and the Carolina BBQ grilled cheese with waffle cut sweet potato fries. I will say that while these plates were delicious and filling, I've had better seasoned fried chicken and cheesier grilled cheeses in a number of places. Service is warm and friendly. The dining areas are either in the front of the restaurant, with high ceilings and lots of exposed brick, or you walk past the kitchen (careful on the slippery floors) and eat in a carpeted room with plush banquets. Tables are a little close, at times eye contact with the table next to me was unavoidable. And the dining rooms are lively with raised voices so you'll hear everything your neighbors have to say. read more

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Service was great. Table for four was really small. Should have been a table for two. Ordered fried green tomatoes and boiled peanut hummus for appetizers. They were just ok. Group ordered the halibut special, that was great. Had mahi mahi, that was very good. Also had scallops, which were cooked just right just didn't love the sauce. Overall good restaurant, just had better in the area. Could be just food preferences. read more

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4.5 stars to be exact. This is perhaps the most popular Southern restaurant in dt Charleston. Located in French Quarter, it is close to many sightseeing spots. The dining rooms expand at least two floors and there is a walk-in bar. I went there for a late lunch at ~2:15pm. At that time the restaurant was only ~60% full but I was told that "they are all booked" (note lunch ends at 3pm). A little weird, but I secured a seat at the bar. For food, I got the half-size Lowcountry Bouillabaise and side of collard greens. I never had Lowcountry Bouillabaise before. It was basically different kinds of seafood, including clams (3), mussels (4), shrimp (5), seasonal fish (lots of) and some andouille sausage, stewed with potatoes, corn, okra, pepper and onions. The seafood tasted fresh. Sausage was spicy and sweet. The broth was spicy and savory.The potatoes were diced into small pieces so they were "well-coated by the sauce". While I ordered half, this dish was still huge. I only ate 2/3 of it. The collard greens was sweet and not as smoky as the one in Atlanta. I also asked for some bread. Their baguette was warm, dense, slightly sour - just as good as the Bouillabaise. Service was worse than expected. First, even if the restaurant was not full, I waited for over 30min to get my entree and side; plus, I told the bartender several tmes I was ready to order before she heard it. Second, someone took away my water when I used the restroom. It was also strange that I was told the restaruant was "fully booked", though someone just walked-in for tables later. In general, it is worth visiting if you want to get some southern dishes. But view it as a tourist attraction instead of a place to experience excellent food and service. read more

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Short walk from our hotel (Mills House) on a busy street. White linens on the tables. High level service. When we made our Tuesday dinner reservation the day before, there was nothing available before 8:30pm. But when I checked on Tuesday afternoon several slots had opened up and we were able to move ours up to an earlier time. The food was very good. It is a bit on the pricier side but earns it: fresh, quality ingredients and all expertly cooked and nicely plated. Delicate and balanced seasoning, and very tasty but subtle sauces. Especially enjoyed the combination of Brussels Sprouts on a bed of pureed parsnips. We had the flounder and the Gumbo for our entrees. And while they didn't look very substantial, we were quickly full. The ciabatta and parmesan butter that we couldn't resist may have had a little to do with that. read more

Magnolias - Brussels Sprouts - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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New Yorkers went to Charleston and looking for some southern cooking! Second time to Charleston and second time to Magnolias. Friendly and polite service, made ordering easy. Food consistently delicious and presentable. Art on the walls is bright and modern while the wood floors are traditional and together create a comfortable feel. A really wonderful restaurant. We had fried green tomatoes and kale hush puppies to start, then grouper, catfish, gumbo and flounder for entrees. We were all so happy with our choices! read more

Magnolias - Parmesan Crusted Founder - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I've been wanting to check this place out for a while now as it's a Charleston institution. I had dinner solo at the bar. The bartender was quick to greet me and take my order. He ensured that I had what I needed the entire time I was there. The food was good. I had crab chowder and crabcakes. They were good, not great, but I acknowledge that as a native Marylander, I'm a crab snob. If you're not from MD, I suspect you'd think they were great. I look forward to coming back and trying some of their other items. read more

Had an amazing time at Magnolias in Charleston with my daughter. From start to finish, everything was exceptional. The food was absolutely delicious--full of flavor and beautifully prepared--and the service was top-tier, attentive without being overbearing. We loved the warm, inviting atmosphere, and our window seat made the experience even more special. It was the perfect spot to relax, connect, and enjoy a wonderful meal together. Highly recommend--definitely make a reservation. We'll be back! read more

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This place is amazing. The food was so good and we discovered this place by walking upon it downtown. The sandwiches are so good! The scallops definitely took out the table, they were amazing! read more

Magnolias - Pan Seared Sea Scallops Appetizer - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Iconic restaurant!! Delicious SC food staples!! You must eat here at least once. There's a reason they have been around for so long. Pricy, but worth every penny. Thank you for a wonderful meal. read more

Magnolias - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Our Sunday brunch was elegant and fabulous! Erin was our server, she was friendly and efficient. Everything flowing smoothly. We each had a Bloody Mary and started with the deviled eggs. They were very good. I had the half order of the Parmesan crusted flounder which was incredible! It was caked perfect a lightly fried crust with Parmesan. It was over a bed of rice with fine chopped veggies, asparagus and corn and small cherry tomatoes which were cut in half. It was also served with baked shrimp. The 1/2 portion was almost more than I could eat. My daughter had the crab Benedict which she said was amazing, it also had a fried green tomato on it.. so good! My husband said his fried chicken was very good and the collard greens and creamed corn complimented his dish. He said the fried chicken was very good but may have been slightly overcooked. Very nice ambiance, white tablecloths, flower vases on each table. The restaurant looked impeccable. read more

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Magnolias is a must any time someone is visiting me. I love to bring them here for a classic fried chicken dinner. I also usually get the fried green tomatoes which are a fabulous starter. The chicken is so tender is falls apart in your mouth with a crisp breading on the outside. You're definitely have leftovers. It gets busy so I recommend a reservation or getting your name down early. If your party is small enough you can usually grab a seat or two at the bar where they have full meal service. If you're visiting this one is a must. read more

Magnolias - Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Great service at the bar. The cucumber cooler mocktail was very refreshing and delightful. The short ribs were tender, but under seasoned. read more

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I was just looking for some classic southern food and boy did I get it at magnolias. My husband and I ordered what felt like everything on the menu. My personal favorites were the fried Mac n cheese and the pecan pie. However, everything was amazing. I would definitely go back. I recommend this to everyone looking for classic Charleston. read more

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The place is made of legends and continues to deliver. My wife and I came here for dinner and every single thing we ordered exceeded our expectations. The absolute showstopper was the scallops. I have had scallops in many restaurants and this was the best I've ever had. The friend green tomatoes were also amazing! The catfish, which I rarely eat, was so light and crispy and hit with all my tastebuds! Our server, Willie, was wonderful. Hopefully when you come to magnolias, he can be your server too. This place had Charleston charm all over it. It was a gem and everyone should come here! read more

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We've been going to Magnolia's for years- we love the Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad, Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Catfish on the lunch menu in particular. Beautiful ambiance. If restaurant is full, there's usually seating at the bar. Please look up the menu for pricing, selections, etc. https://magnoliascharleston.com read more

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We went here two days ago and the service is what I most remember. Tiffany. She was an amazing server. Very friendly, made nice recommendations, very efficient. The food was very good and well presented, but I still say it's more of a $$ food for $$$ price. This is a white cloth table establishment, but they won't treat you poorly for walking and looking like a tourist because, after all, you're right in the middle of the touristy area... read more

Incredible food. Gluten free options and waiters and waitresses well versed in alternatives and really good food options. Great experience! So. Glad we chose here. read more

Visited Magnolia's a few months ago on my first trip to Charleston. The vibe is very cute, laid back--you can dress it up or dress it down. A good array of options. The hosts were very sweet and accommodating of any dietary needs (my mom and I are vegetarian). Would certainly go back! read more

Magnolias - Buddha Bowl - Vegetarian - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We had a one day pit stop at Charleston so we wanted to try one of the more popular restaurants. Checked the reviews and to be honest they were extremely mixed ... so we had to see for ourselves. The service was amazing. Great recommendations and prompt service as well. The fried Green tomatoes are a must have, it is a signature dish and for all the right reasons. The fried chicken is crispy and tender. It is paired with a sweet collard greens side and jalapeño butter biscuits. Must have this dish. I had the shrimp n grits with andouille sausage. This was a good dish but not in the same category as that chicken. All the desserts were good and shareable. If you haven't been I recommend you try it yourself. You can't go wrong. read more

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Baby!!! If I could rate this a 10/10 that would be it. Food should make you happy, gleeful, and content. This hit every NOTE! From the first bite of the fried green tomatoes I wanted to take my shoes off curl up in bed and rub my feed together in sweet delight. I then followed that up with the catfish... Jesus. I'm in love. Gabe, our server was not just patient with me asking a series of questions but followed up if he wasn't sure to make sure my vegetarian requests were made. Southern charm is all you will find in this beautifully crafted atmosphere. $$ read more

Magnolias - Catfish, black eyed peas, cheddar grits! - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We started our meal at Magnolias with the deviled eggs and the country egg rolls, and both were absolutely fantastic. Great flavors, well-prepared, and a great way to kick things off. For our entrees, my wife had the buttermilk fried chicken, which was excellent. I ordered the BBQ glazed pork chop, and while the sides were hot and well-seasoned, the pork chop itself was barely warm when it arrived. It was honestly lukewarm at best. Because it was already that cool, it quickly turned rubbery and unappetizing, and I ended up not eating it. What made it more disappointing was the response--or lack of one--from the staff. It was clear I had only taken one bite, and the rest of the plate was untouched, yet nothing was said when the table was cleared. Anyone with experience in the restaurant industry would recognize something was wrong, but our server said nothing. That made the experience feel like it was either common or something they simply chose to ignore. It is unfortunate because I really wanted to enjoy this place. The setting is beautiful, and the menu has a lot of potential. But the lack of attention to such an obvious issue left a bad impression and has me second-guessing a return visit. read more

Magnolias - Country Down South Egg Roll & Spicy Mustard Deviled Eggs - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Food service and ambiance were top shelf. The crab soup excellent. The fried green tomatoes over grits was sick. The chicken livers were killer !! read more

Magnolias - Fried Green Tomatoes Appetizer - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Only complaint was that the creme brûlée was 100% cold. No touch of heat in the crystallized top. Aside from that, it was a lovely dinner. Jason, our server, was very helpful and attentive. The fried chicken and the braised beef were phenomenal. The bread was also very delicious. read more

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This is my third time at Magnolias restaurant and was not disappointed. We made a reservation for 7 and was quickly brought to our table upon arriving. Food: We ordered three appetizers - fried green tomatoes, down south egg roll, and pan fried chicken livers. The server also brought us complementary bread with butter, which was gone in a few minutes and quite tasty. I wished they would have brought some more, but, we had enough food to be honest. For the main lunch, I split two entrees with my wife so we could try different things. We picked the Original Simmons and the Chicken Caprese. Both were excellent! - $18 - The Original Simmons is their fried chicken sandwich with pimiento cheese, jalapeno-peach coleslaw, pickles, and Sriracha mayo. You have a choice of sweet potato fries or house-made chips - we chose the house-made chips (Yummy!). - $20 - The Chicken Caprese is their sandwich with house focaccia, citrus pesto aioli, fresh mozzarella, arugula, tomato, and balsamic reduction. We chose the sweet potato fries for this entrée. Both sides were great! Service: We had an excellent waitress, and she was very attentive, courteous, nice, and professional. She always made sure our drinks were topped off and replaced our silverware with new ones prior to our main course. Most of us ordered a cocktail and I ordered a local IPA, which hit the spot and was quite Hoppy to my liking. Ambiance: Very pretty setting. The tables were set up very nicely with white linens and restaurant nicely decorated as usual. It is a small restaurant, but they have ample amount of seating. We had reservations and sat towards the end of the restaurant at a long table enough for the 7 of us. Honestly, one of their best tables in my opinion. Overall: I would give them a try again and have never been disappointed. High recommend getting a reservation prior to ensure you get a table. read more

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From the moment my wife and I walked in, I knew the experience would be terrible. Then we sat down, ordered apps, salad and main course. We weren't served the items we ordered. The experience was absolutely atrocious. read more

This was the final dinner of our Savannah/Charleston vacation and one that was truly amazing. We had an 8:15pm reservation on a Monday evening. Fortunately, we arrived early and asked if it was possible to get seated nearly an hour early. The staff were nice enough to get us seated early. That was a huge help. The restaurant itself has a lot of semblances to its original Customs House self. It looks deceivingly small from the inside, but there's actually plenty of seating inside and the bar seating looks interesting on an elevated level of sorts. After getting our drinks, we ordered our appetizer to split and main items. While the pimento cheese was tempting, we had far too much of it during our trip. We instead settled for something we hadn't ever seen: boiled peanut hummus. That was supremely good. Never thought you could get good hummus from boiled peanuts. Then you add some flatbread pieces, hot pepper, and okras and you have a complete appetizer. Before I forget, the basket of warm bread + butter was PERFECT! As for my main meal (my girl got the catfish), I opted for the infamous classic vegetarian. This was on my radar from before arriving as we had the fried green tomatoes on my mind. And damn, this was SO good... I feel like I got the entire Southern vegetarian cuisine experience in this.... pimiento cheese, mashed potatoes, fried green potatoes, asparagus.... even tomato butter. It felt complete. It sucks I couldn't finish it all, but damn this was SO good. I would come back here 12 times out of 10! read more

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When I go out of town I pick one restaurant that's a must. This was it for me, I chose Magnolias. If I were headed back to Charleston Magnolias wouldn't make the todo list. We were seated promptly under a ceiling tile dripping water and an air conditioner that blew directly at our table. We were freezing. Our server seemed annoyed that we were his table from the beginning. Which is weird bc we're so freaking nice. Anyway, we ordered two appetizers, the deviled eggs and the fried green tomatoes. The deviled eggs were divine. The fried green tomatoes wanted to be good and as southern as they were, they didn't make the cut. Maybe it was the cold air blowing on the grits that congealed them, the sauce being flavorless or the tomato itself being cold, but they weren't good. For entrees we ordered a child's chicken tender, which was top tier. The filet, which was cut perfectly, seasoned well and served with a potato cake that could've have been delicious had it been prepared properly, the one we got just fell apart. I got the salmon over the same congealed grits that were under the FGT, green beans and spinach. The salmon was quality and cooked to the temp I requested. The grits were again congealed and unappealing, the spinach was flavorless and lacked seasoning and could've been left off the plate completely. The green beans were cooked properly and had a bit of seasoning, they were yummy! The jezebel sauce on top of the salmon was scrapped to the side as it was overpowering and didn't pair well with the fish IMO. We also enjoyed a Caesar with cornbread croutons which we enjoyed. We skipped dessert as we had to hunt our server down so that we could pay. Next time we'll waste $200 elsewhere! read more

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The food was excellent. Magnolias was recommended to my mom by a friend. My parents and I came for a nice dinner before they headed back home the next day. My dad had the fries chicken, my mom had some fish entree, and I had the pork chop. All three were excellent. Will say the food portions are big so come hungry . The service was excellent. From the time we walked in to the time we left, the staff were friendly. Will for sure be coming back. read more

In researching the best restaurants in Charleston prior to our visit, Magnolias was on almost every single list that I found. I honestly did not think that the pictures were appetizing so I was hesitant but I felt like there's something about the fact that it's on almost every single list. I made reservations for lunch on one of the days we're in Charleston since it was the only day and time they have available so I just grabbed it. When we got there, I was glad I dressed up a bit since it seemed fancy! There were some guests who weren't all dolled up but no one was wearing sweats! Our server recommended the fried tomatoes so we ordered that. We also got the fried chicken and the fish of the day. For dessert, our server recommended the pecan pie. The fried tomatoes were divine! Perfectly crispy on the outside and so flavorful with that sauce!!!! The fish was not bad but it wasn't anything special. The fried chicken, however, was packed with flavor and I would go back to Charleston just for that! Every single element of the fish was amazing. The chicken, the creamed corn, the mashed potatoes, the collard greens, the gravy, everything! The pecan pie wasn't my favorite. It wasn't sweet enough for me or it was just not the right type of dessert for me. My husband loved it so he ate most of it. Our server was phenomenal! He was so friendly, warm, and funny! Overall, I loved this place and would love to come back to Charleston for their food! read more

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Tell anyone you're going to Charleston and almost inevitably you'll be told to go to Magnolias for lunch. So we did... There was a line waiting as soon as they unlocked and opened the door, so we filed in and got seated. The place itself is beautiful, dark wood, iron, crisp white linen, and lots of young and eager servers happy to help with whatever you need. Our server was named Archer and he was a perfect Southern gentleman, friendly helpful and on top of everything. We started with their complimentary bread and buthad a couple of cocktails, a couple of great appetizers, shared an amazing chicken breast and pimiento cheese sandwich, and everything was phenomenal. Big day ahead and we were already stuffed, so we skipped dessert but we will be back! read more

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Everything was amazing. Service was southern slow. Iykyk!!!! We had the burrata appetizer but the bread outshone that. The meals were all excellent and we had the creme brûlée for dessert. It was busy and loud but definitely worth it. read more

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A never miss in Charleston!! The food is always absolutely amazing!! The fried green tomatoes are the absolute best in Charleston!! The filet is always cooked perfectly and worth every penny!! You can't go wrong with brunch, lunch or dinner. The service is always so very friendly too. The restaurant like many in Charleston has multiple rooms which is always so nice and keeps the noise down. read more

Magnolias - Grilled Fillet of Beef - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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A great experience all around from the warm welcome, the tasty food, to the overall ambiance! We were here for the weekend to celebrate a friend's wedding and this stop was perfect for our group to enjoy a nice meal and catch up. Recommend making a reservation directed off their website even though there were a few available tables. The appetizers were delicious with my favorites being the Fried Green Tomatoes and the Down South Egg Roll Appetizer, which both portions were perfect for a group of 4. For our main dish, we opted to share the Catfish Po Boy, Chicken Caprese , and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast. The portions were hefty and great for sharing. Overall was a great experience! Enjoy! read more

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Beautiful venue inside out. All staff are well trained and professional. Our waiter, Chuck, was fantastic. Very confident in his recommendations which made us very comfortable with our choices. It 100% helped that the food was fantastic. We started with the fried tomatoes which for some odd reason was out of this world good. Then we got the recommended fried chicken which lived up to the hype. Juicy and not dry along with great flavored accompanied sides. Our fish dish was also very good. Lastly, that pecan pie was super yummy! read more

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This was a miss. Started with the fried green tomatoes. The ingredients made me think they'd be so delicious. But they were just ok. On to the crabcakes. They were good. Then had the flounder. It was ok. Kind of felt like a fish stick taste at times. Good but didn't blow me away. Boyfriend had the fried chicken. It was fine. Again nothing special. The price point here does not warrant the food. I'd go elsewhere. read more

Not sure why there are so many stars. Stuffy atmosphere and old school bar with only a few seats. Bryan the bar tenders was lovely but the wine choices were awful. Again this is an easy way to make a win. There are lots of good wines priced less that are not awful. Why do restaurants go super cheap bad wine? Caesar salad was way below average. Just plain weak. I could do better on five minute niotice at home. Now the Brussels were amazing. They had a balsamic vinaigrette and some type of succotash on bottom. The fried green tomatoes were weak as was the fried chicken. Would never go back. read more

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Please Note. The low rating is predominantly due to the experience for seating. If you have a party of 8 or less. Go for it ! The food is good. If you have a party of 9 or more, just go elsewhere. Let me explain. While we appreciate they could not seat parties of more than 8, when our two parties of four and five were seated as 6 and 3,  and a six seater opened up twice,  next to the three seated, we thought great, we can be together as only water was poured, no orders taken.    This was not the case,  three of us were moved over as we thought we were merging but no.  The six stayed at a cramped round table across the aisle.   The six seats remained empty next to us.     It was completely avoidable that our special occasion lunch at 1:30 pm in the afternoon was ruined by the teams inability to assess the situation of two six seaters opening up and seating our party adjacent to be together. read more

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