Magnolias at the Mill

Reviews 4

LI

Lin Palmer

Recently Magnolias has fallen from our “go to” spot. It has been a slow fall and at first, stumbles were dismissed as “anyone can have a bad day”. When I consistently spend $80 to $180 (depending on how many diners) I expect a consistently high quality dining experience…that’s not happening. We have been dining at Magnolias since it opened in 2004. The new experience was exciting because we had a fine restaurant in a small town setting. From the very beginning, I thought the prices were higher than necessary but we really liked the quality and feel of the place. I eventually latched on to a favorite dish that I rarely veered from (hand cut pasta with smoked chicken and spinach). My wife is happy to try out different dishes and tried everything from the overpriced beef cuts, to the seafood dishes, to the salads. A few years back, we noticed the first “stumble”. As a starter, we latched on to the fried green tomatoes and loved them enough to look past the price ($10 at the time $11 now) for three slices. One day we ordered the fried green tomatoes and they looked different. The coating on the outside was different and they seemed smaller. Out of curiosity, we asked if they had a new chef and the answer was yes. This just tells you that we go there enough to notice when things change (and in this case, not for the better). I will mention though… they have never failed us on the Crème Brulée. Another stumble happened when, on the rare occasion, I veered from my favorite dish. I got the idea from eating at a very nice restaurant in Wilmington NC. For the first time I tried Shrimp and Grits and It Was Fantastic! The next time we went to Magnolias I saw it on the menu and went for it! I regretted it and thought about every dollar that I was paying for a few shrimp on top of grits that did not taste good to me at all. I stuck to my smoked chicken and pasta from that point on (no matter how enticing other menu items sounded). The stumble that sealed the fall happened just a few weeks back. My son was in town from college and he talked his mother into a Magnolias dinner. From my experience, I know this is going to be a $150 night (with tip) but when my wife picks a restaurant, we go to that restaurant. We started with a hot crab dip that we tried on a previous visit and raved to our son how we discovered a new gem. The subtle lack of consistency with Magnolias was not so subtle that night. The dip tasted very little like what we remembered from a week before. To make matters worse my favorite dish, hand cut pasta with smoked chicken was not good. The pasta was over cooked and starchy. I kick myself for not returning it to the kitchen. After a few bites I had it wrapped up and I let one of my son’s friends eat it as leftovers. The last straw was this past Sunday. We selected yet another starter hoping to find a “new gem”. Braised Angus meatball was the choice. It came as one meatball on a scoop of mashed potatoes with Jus. The meatball was crumbly and a bit dry. My wife mentioned that the Jus tasted like it came from a jar. Oh…by the way…$10. I also had a dilemma choosing my main course. Because of my previous disappointing meal, I was not confident in “my favorite dish” being good. I did not want an overpriced steak, and none of the other entrees (that have been on the menu for quite some time including the shrimp and grits) appealed to me. I reluctantly chose an individual brick oven pizza, which was not thrilling. Along with my wife’s burger, two glasses of wine and a dessert (shared a Crème Brulée), the $80+ meal was disappointing.

A

A Private User

Weve had some great meals there in the past, but last nights was not an experience Id like to repeat. We were seated at the small tables next to the bar - uncomfortable, felt like we were under spotlights. The exceptionally professional bartender did his best to serve our table, but the bar was busy and we had to wait too long for everything. We werent in a rush, but I was hungry - so a 20-min wait for bread and drinks was uncomfortable; particularly considering that I felt like I was sitting in a hallway with a full view of the expediter and waitstaff prepping and picking up plates. They should just let those table be part of the bar area - replace them with bar tables and let the bar crowd enjoy. I ordered the "local plate" from the specials menu - what a disappointment! Beef medallians with curry; red bliss potatoes and glazed carrots actually turned out to be 3 hunks of pot roast with no flavor or texture and - red bliss potatoes was just a mountain of tasteless whipped white stuff. We purchase a lot of local beef at the farmers markets. I asked which farm produced the beef and I think he said "Dave Mass, or Massy". Kind of vague - anyway the farm probably doesnt want to be too closely associated with that dish anyhow. My husbands ribs were pretty good, but the potato salad was horrendous. I cant think how they managed to create a tasteless chalk potato like that, must be some kind of restaurant prep secret. Live and learn - should never have accepted the table. Just stick with the pizza or salads. Dont know who was in charge of the kitchen last night, but Magnolias went down quite a few notches with me. Lunch and apps only from now on.

A

A Private User

We went here for Valentines Day last night. We were excited to try the restaurant because we are regulars at Tuscarora Mill and love it. The menu was set for the holiday. The starters were good and the salad was excellent. The meal went downhill from there. My husband had the veal scallopini. It was under seasoned and the marsala sauce was really over cooked. The potatoes, on the other hand, were under cooked. I ordered the duck. The duck was very salty and I had to send it back. In its place I ordered the seafood risotto. The risotto itself was good but the seafood was all overcooked. The scallops were so overcooked you could barely chew them. Overall, the meal did not come across as a high end dinner. It tasted more like your friend who just learned to cook asked you over for a meal. The dinner did end on a high note though. The desserts were well made and complimented each other. Unfortunately, the service was also slow and each time we needed another drink, we had to physically grab the waiter. We did not even get fresh silverware in between courses. I think we will stick with Tuskies from now on.

A

A Private User

I am a local (Round Hill) and live a couple miles from the restaurant. My wife, kids, and I used to go here pretty regularly (2-4 times per month), but the experience seems to have gotten progressively worse and we find ourselves only going in a pinch now. The food is average, and in my estimation a little overpriced for what is served, but its ok. The beer list is fantastic, and probably the one reason I wont ever stop going completely. The downfall is the service; and its not everyone, but a couple of the hostesses and waitresses just arent that friendly and it kind of throws things off. Maybe its because I dont get dressed up to go here, or maybe its because I bring my kids (who behave fine), but I never feel to welcome at this restaurant- and yes, I tip well I think- generally 25% so that shouldnt be an issue. The restaurant has the potential to be a great local establishment with a solid menu. I think the owners probably needs to spend some more time on site and work on the staff development. All in all, Id give it a try if youre out this way, but only because there are so few other options.