I love Magnolias! Always on my list whenever I am in Charleston. The food is delicious low-country fare served in a beautiful setting. This trip we started with the Down South Egg Rolls. Egg roll wrapper stuffed with ham, greens, chicken and served with a...spicy mustard and peach chutney. Absolutely delicious. Only complaint is the dish is just one egg roll cut into thirds for $9. For my meal I chose the blue crab bisque which was loaded with crab, creamy and delicious. Along with the bisque I had the Fried Green Tomato BLT. Corn and jalapeno bread filled with fried green tomatoes, bacon and pimento cheese served with a side of greens. The sandwich would have been a winner except the pimento and cheese was pimento, cheese and a lot of olives. As someone who is a purist the olives ruined the dish therefore my sandwich remained on my plate. Nowhere on the menu did it list olives as a part of the ingredients. In future visits I will now know to ask for an ingredients list before I order. One interesting part was our waiter never inquired why I did not eat my sandwich and why only on half had a bite out of it. But then again our waiter was efficient but definitely lacking on personality. The fried chicken is some of the best in Charleston along with the Shrimp and Grits.

Everything from appetizers, entre and dessert were delicious! Even the house wine did not disappoint. The fish was seasoned and moist, and the braised pork had just the right kick. The waitress was sociable and efficient. Even gave us some suggestions of places to see....

I love Magnolias! Always on my list whenever I am in Charleston. The food is delicious low-country fare served in a beautiful setting. This trip we started with the Down South Egg Rolls. Egg roll wrapper stuffed with ham, greens, chicken and served with a...spicy mustard and peach chutney. Absolutely delicious. Only complaint is the dish is just one egg roll cut into thirds for $9. For my meal I chose the blue crab bisque which was loaded with crab, creamy and delicious. Along with the bisque I had the Fried Green Tomato BLT. Corn and jalapeno bread filled with fried green tomatoes, bacon and pimento cheese served with a side of greens. The sandwich would have been a winner except the pimento and cheese was pimento, cheese and a lot of olives. As someone who is a purist the olives ruined the dish therefore my sandwich remained on my plate. Nowhere on the menu did it list olives as a part of the ingredients. In future visits I will now know to ask for an ingredients list before I order. One interesting part was our waiter never inquired why I did not eat my sandwich and why only on half had a bite out of it. But then again our waiter was efficient but definitely lacking on personality. The fried chicken is some of the best in Charleston along with the Shrimp and Grits.

Wooden shutters, white tablecloths, and really good Southern food are all things that come to mind when we think of “classic Charleston restaurants.” Really though, we’re just describing Magnolias in the French Quarter. This beloved spot serves upscale takes on fried green tomatoes, crab bisque, and shrimp and grits and is great for occasions when you want to eat somewhere just slightly fancier than you normally would, like for your parents’ anniversary or after a graduation. Much like Charleston itself, it’s the kind of place where dressing up isn’t required, but you won’t feel out of place if you do.

We ordered the short ribs and the fried chicken. Presentation was nice but dinners were served cold and the chicken was dry. They did take the short ribs off the bill, they were not even room temp!