Magnolia Cafe

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ohyeahlach

Joined 7 years ago

Nice staff, but very crowded & cramped. Went here for breakfast on a friday during the holidays. You could barely move your chair without bumping into someone. Food was average and the staff was great, friendly funny, accomodating.

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pinoyvlf

Joined 7 years ago

Another Great Late Night Place in Austin. Magnolia Cafe (much like Kerbey Lane) has a real eclectic Austin feel to it. The place has a relaxed setting and is decorated/designed in a way that makes you think "heh... nice." The staff here is friendly and helpful when deciding what to eat. The food itself is good, and even better compared to the restaurants that are open 24hours. I have always liked the omlettes here, but their other breakfast items are good too. The menu items aren't anything fancy, but it tastes good enough to have you coming back. So if you find yourself wanting to try something else besides IHOP or Dennys... try considering Magnolia Cafe as an option.

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latina_sara

Joined 7 years ago

One Unfortunate Situation with Rude Staff, but the Oatmeal is Good!. Let me start off by saying that I absolutely adore the eclectic, and Austin feel of Magnolia Cafe. I am one of their regular customers, who is coined "Oatmeal Girl", for ordering a large bow of oatmeal, a side of an English Muffin, and two sides of fruit. Magnolia Cafe has been such an extraordinary place for me to frequent, that I have decided to make it my four-five times a week ritual. Let me also mention that I am a very big tipper, and have always left 30% - 60% tips on tabs that were maybe no more than $10.00. Not only that, I am always friendly and genuine to the wait staff because I know that they work tirelessly throughout the day.

Unfortunately, I had placed a call to Magnolia Cafe a few weeks ago to request a very simple order (side order) of fruit to-go, and the girl who answered the phone was extremely rude. She said, "We don't do to-go orders on the weekends." If she had said that politely, and/or professionally, then I would have said, "Okay, cool...I'll call somewhere else." But this girl chose to approach the situation in a very unprofessional manner, and her tone was so ugly...that I don't think I have ever been spoken to like that at any restaurant! Who does she think she is? Of course, then again I am pursuing two Master's degrees, have held several respectable professions in politics, and law enforcement, so I guess she will probably be working there for the rest of her life.

I then explained to her that it was a small order, and that I am a regular, but she became even more ugly in her tone. So I spoke with the manager, and he was great. He told me he was sorry, and that he knew which girl treated me bad. I will never forget how I was treated.

I love several of the wait-staff members at Magnolia, but this was a very unfortunate experience that I encountered.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A 24-hour Austin dining institution serving home-style favorites in a casual, bohemian setting.. In Short
It's bohemian, but clean and comfortable, brightly painted and calm, even though it's loud and packed. Musicians, actors, artists, couples, students and families put their names on the list and wait--they've done this before and know it's worth it. The menu offers home-style food in large portions to satisfy vegetarians and omnivores: Fish tacos in voodoo spices in creamy Southwestern tartar sauce, barbecue chicken enchiladas and huge salads loaded with veggies.

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boofany

Joined 9 years ago

dunno what happened with the others.... ... but i've never had a problem at magnolia. i live down the road, and haven't found a better place to eat a cheap meal at any time of day or night. parking can be tight, and there can be a wait, especially when there's a festival in town. on a normal day i've never waited more than 5 minutes for a table, and that's with people ahead of me.

there's plenty of options for vegetarians, and the gingerbread pancakes couldn't be better.

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wemjones

Joined 8 years ago

Honest Review. I call Mag South my 2nd home. I ate there religiously every day (yes, every day) for 3 years. The employees at Mag are more like a family than some chain restaurant where automatons with plastic smiles serve you your food. Have a server you don't like? Just talk to the managers and they typically will pay for your meal. Because at Mag they really do care about your food and dining experience. Real people. Great food. Great value. Can't be beat.

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hale11

Joined 8 years ago

Magnolia South is awesome. I'm not sure about the sanity of these other reviewers cause I eat at Magnolia at least four times a month and have had nothing but excellent service and incredible food.

I recommend it highly. The managers must really have it together. The servers are friendly and accomadating. I don't know of any busy restaurant that spilts checks, seats incomplete parties, or has no wait. This place is cheap and always a good time.

Doesn't Recommend

lafulita1

Joined 8 years ago

What did we learn?. friends and I decided to change our eating location ofLake Austin and headed to Soco location. Big mistake! They arrived and asked to seat us but 2 were missing. The manager agreed to sit us- assured him that the others were coming. The others went to lake austin and arrived but couldn't find parking. The server was rude asking where were the other 2 people. We told her we would pay for 8 instead of 7. When she returned, she was pissy tissy and asked "Now, what have we learned?" We left and ate elsewhere. And, what she learned is that she didn't get a paying table and that none of us will ever return! i called and spoke to the manager and informed him of the poor service. I then gave him a heads up and told him to look at City Search and become enlightened.

Doesn't Recommend

jhearth

Joined 8 years ago

I wish I could review the food and service. My wife and I stopped by Magnolia South this morning around 8:00 AM, and, having had a good experience at the Lake Austin Blvd. location, were ready for some fantastic grub. We stood for literally five minutes waiting to be seated, and our presence was not even acknowledged by the staff. In a busy environment, this would be forgivable, but the half the seats were unoccupied, and none of the servers appeared to be in any sort of hurry to do what they where doing. My wife and I both come from a foodservice background, and this is unacceptable. We will not be returning here.

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modernchic

Joined 10 years ago

Varies. I have been going to Mag for 6 years now. What I can say is that the service varies depending on the time one goes (it is best to go in early evening). The price has gone up a bit, which is what to be expected, but it is not as cheap as it once was. The specialty pancakes are definitely the best deal, however their salsa is also divine (although more expensive than it used to be). And the Magnolia Brownie is still the best. Great for vegetarians and mixed tastes. Although the weekend brunch is usually packed, it is rarely a long wait before 10 AM. Overall, I find this to be one of my "usual" restaurants that has rarely let me down.