Magnolias Restaurant

I love magnolias. I always order the hot turkey sandwich, and usually have to get some of the chicken wild rice soup. They have a pretty good deal on takeout fried chicken meals too. Next thing I try is going to be chicken ala King.

I’ve been coming to Magnolia’s since I was like ⁷⁄₈ years old. It is a tiny little hole in the wall place, but you will never be disappointed when it comes to a great home cooked meal. I now have little ones of my own, and try to make it over to the East side every once in a while when I’m craving a great breakfast.

This place never fails. The food is amazing! I highly recommend the lumberjack breakfast but you honestly can’t go wrong! The gravy is amazing!

Magnolias is one of my favorite spots for a really nice and reliable family restaurant style breakfast. The locale is simple, yet well-​established. The employees seem to really care about the success of the business. They are friendly and responsive. A nice touch is that they offer coffee for folks waiting for a table.
And there are a couple of gems on the menu. I love the pork chops and eggs. My wife is a big fan of the roast beef hash!

A definite old school style restaurant. I always get the tex mex omelet and hash browns for brunch. And they probably have the best fried chicken in Saint Paul.

Since moving out of state this is one of the places I miss most… the creamy chicken and wild rice soup is to die for-​comfort food at it’s best. A very small but decades old business with great staff, terrific food, and a cozy feeling. Street parking out front and on the side, as well as a small lot at the back. My favorite place to stop when back in state, especially with family.

Magnolia’s is a nice mom and pop restaurant that gives of a sanitized feel as if it were a hospital cafeteria. I ordered the chicken noodle soup and a turkey sandwich. I was surely disappointed… It tasted like a can of Progresso soup accompanied with a mundane government meat sandwich. On a good note the staff was very friendly and attentive.

Stop in right before their rush. Our server, forgot her name but was one of the best servers I ever had. She was an old, sweet lady with great humor that kept us entertained and laughing while taking care of us. We ordered a lot of food (party of 4) their chicken was juicy and that skin was crispy. Their creamy wild rice soup was spectacular. Loved their polish sausage breakfast plate. 3 T-​bone steak was cooked perfectly to medium. Food was great for a fair price. It got pretty busy with their rush, it’s a small cramp place. I didn’t appreciate some of the tables around complaining about the server. She was running around the place with an up beat attitude and never wavering to the rush. Then the owner kept bossing her to «get to those tables now!» I saw only 2 servers, Great Servers, taking on the rush. Maybe he should’ve gotten more servers or help out. I can’t help but just appreciate my server that I got. I forgot to get her name.
It’s a good diner set place. Food was good, service was great. Just a little too cramped, avoid going around the rush time, there will be a line to get in.

This place is like a small town restaurant that was accented by light pastels and fake plants. If you lived in a small town at one point in your life, you know what I’m talking about.
Their food is made from scratch and tastes like small family cooking. I had their fried chicken dinner. It was all very good, but their highlight for me was the coleslaw. I would buy this stuff all by itself for BBQs and such at home. It was so tasty.
The ambiance is quaint and the people are nice. Prices are pretty comparable to other places like this. A nice touch of small town living in Eastside St. Paul.

Enclosed is a photo of the daily special list. If you can’t find something on here then maybe the six page menu will be more helpful. We found it infuriating since it just made the choices harder.
The Fried Chicken is slap-​to-​momma good as is the Walleye. Hell, even the Chef Salad is huge and loaded with goodies.
Steak was ehh but I never would have ordered that over comfort food anyway.
Homemade pie to finish it off. (Included in the dinner special of grilled pork chops that I had)
Even the waitress had just the right amount of sass.
Be prepared to wait in line for the Friday Fish Fry– my only surprise is that there isn’t a line every night.
Come hungry.

The girlfriend and I went here for a late lunch on a Friday and had a delightful experience. Good service from an experienced wait staff, good food and reasonable prices. I had the Magnolia burger with fries and chicken wild rice soup — all of it delicious! Burger was done exactly how I ordered it. Girlfriend who has gluten allergy had a plate full of amazingly moist delicious turkey with cranberry sauce on the side. We both were very pleased with the meal and experience.
This restaurant goes on our go back again list!

I had brought my fam to this establishment and the food was great. We had ordered the breakfast with the special put together what you want omelettes with the all so yummy French toast you can eat til you can’t handle anymore. The service there was courteous and prompt. Our food was served nice and hot just the way we all enjoyed. It might be a small café but it sure beats Perkin’s with a mom and pop style to treat those looking for a nice down to earth meal.

Stopped here this morning around 10am. Seated ourselves and was greeted shortly with a great attitude and smile. Both the wife and I had coffee, it was just perfect. I had the American breakfast? With the biscuit and gravy.
The American breakfast came with hashbrowns, choice of sausage or bacon and two eggs plus a side of your fiber. The amount of food here is a little over the average size breakfast which is good. All of the items on my plate was cooked to perfection.
This was my first time here ever since being an eastsider for many years and I was missing out! No more Perkins for me! This place is definitely worth a visit.

Great, local spot in the East Side to sit down for early lunch. You may have to aim specials if you want to find quality with every meal. Their breakfast is going to be comparable to most any other American Diner. It’s very straight forward, folks. I don’t think I’ve had squeals of joy from pancakes since I was eight years old, some saturday morning. That being said, the meals always seem heartier and made with higher quality ingredients than most similar spots.
Recommendations: The chicken is an obvious one. Even boneless tenders are made with quality meat. Don’t be afraid to ask the waitresses for their opinions! They are usually pretty amiable and outgoing.

This was a great find! We came from Eden Prairie to go see the lake phalen lights and I Unilocaled a restaurant. Gloria was our server and she was wonderful. She let us try three of the soups, she would come by with a new entrée so we could see the entrees.
The owners daughter in law came out to visit with us. Very friendly place to dine! We tried 3different pies between the 4of us. Yummy!
The dressings were homemade for the salad, delicious!
We will be back!
Thanks Gloria for making us feel so welcome our first time at Magnolia’s.

One of our favorite diners! Staff is old school and friendly. The prices are very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food. Their fish fry is a great option and cheap. Coffee is perfect! Could use a revamp of the atmosphere, but clean. Only draw back is it’s fairly small.

I was craving for some American comfort food and Magnolia was the 1^st place in mind. I picked the meatloaf dinner and OMG, it totally hit the spot. Homemade meatloaf served with mash potatoes & green been, also came with a side of wild rice soup & dinner roll, last and not least, a free slice of homemade pie. All that for around $ 10. Simple but craving full-​filled & –satisfied but CHEAP, what more can i say?

Good is so good but staff there is a little strange but the neighborhood is not a good place at all. Chicken wild rice soup is so thick and creamy and the chicken cordon bleu sandwich is fantastic! Burgers, Reuben’s, coleslaw are also Always good choices! And don’t forget to get some pie to go! Restaurant is tiny and cramped but the food makes it worth it!

Alyssa & I were trying to figure out what to do this past Friday night. We talked about our plan from last week and how much fun it was to go to Flat Earth before a Fish Fry. Well, right around the corner from Flat Earth Brewery is another All-​You-​Can-​Eat Friday Night Fish Fry. That would be here, at Magnolias. I have been here twice before. Once for lunch. Once for breakfast. Both times I took note at the table tent stating the daily specials. Every Friday they serve the AYCE Fish Fry. I called ahead to find out the time it goes until. I was told 9:30, when they close.
After a visit for samples and growler fills at Flat Earth Brewery, we made the drive down Payne Avenue to Magnolias. We found street parking in front of the place. Walking in, you enter at the counter where you pay. A sign states to seat yourself. The place isn’t big. A few seats in the back. Two booths and a couple of two-​tops. The rest of the seating is off to the left of the entrance. 10 tables total? We chose a booth in the back area, right by the entrance to the kitchen. Our server came by to greet us and offered a highchair for Pheona. We accepted that. When she returned, we were asked about drinks. They don’t serve beer or liquor here. Alyssa got a water. I ordered up a lemonade. The lemonade is good. Tastes like it’s made in house. Free refills, too.
When it came time to order, we both got the All-​You-​Can-​Eat Friday Night Fish Fry. To start off, you get a choice of Soup, Salad, or Coleslaw. I ordered Clam Chowder. Alyssa ordered Coleslaw. Next, you get a choice of Potato. I might be missing a choice here: Baked, French Fries, Au Gratin, Hash Brown, Mashed, and Garlic Mashed. Alyssa ordered French Fries. I ordered Au Gratin. It comes standard with Center Cut North Atlantic Cod.
I got my soup & Alyssa her coleslaw quickly. The Chowder was thick & creamy. Nice chunks of potato was included. Good flavor of clams. It was a solid Clam Chowder. The Coleslaw was cool, crunchy, & creamy. A standard you would come to expect from Coleslaw.
The wait for our suppers was average. I got a plate with 5 fillets of Cod, a soup cup of Au Gratin Potatoes, a small plastic ramekin of Tartar, and a wedge of Lemon. The Cod is dusted and rolled in Chicken Fry. I’m not sure I’ve had a Fish Fry cooked this way before. It was alright. The breading is light and makes you use your fork to eat it. The fillets just flake away at first cut. The Chicken Fry is a bit salty but doesn’t overpower the flavor. The Au Gratins weren’t too Au Gratin-​y. They were cubed potatoes mixed with cheddar cheese in a soup cup. They were good. Just a little plain. The Tartar complimented the Fish well. Dilly & chunky.
Our server checked up on us often, and we were able to order 4 more pieces. They are cooked to order. There is a little wait, but they come delivered fresh out the fryer. I had to ask for more Tartar and Lemon when the reorder came. The fillet they serve aren’t large, but I wouldn’t call them small either. 3″ to 4″ in length. About an inch high. Pheona loved the Cod so much that we ordered two more pieces. Mostly for her.
The All-​You-​Can-​Eat Friday Night Fish Fry is $ 12.99. They sell a three piece supper at $ 9.99. I believe that $ 12.99 is too much money. Hence the reason for the three stars. Most items on the menu, if not all, are under 10 bucks. That what this supper warrants. I believe the AYCE Friday Night Fish Fry should cost $ 9.99. If it did, this review would be 4 stars. The only thing that would make this price point worth it would be if they served a bottled beer with it.
Overall this place is a great neighborhood joint. You’ll find a quiet corner or a friendly conversation. You’ll find a cheap menu with hearty portions. In the end, you’ll find America in a place like this.

I love this place! It’s really close to home, East St. Paul. and the food is priced very well. The food is good. Not super special, but good. Something about their ranch dressing. So simple, but I LOVE the salads there with RANCH DRessing! LOL.
Dinner entrees you get soup or salad, and then your choice of dinner side. Same may go for other combos, can’t remember. I just know you get a lot of food for the price!
Soups– are sooo creamy! Chicken Wild Rice soup is really good. Clam Chowder to die for, but I have no idea what days they even have the Clam Chowder. My friend went once and I tasted hers, it was so good. Every time I’ve gone back, it wasn’t on the list. Chicken Wild Rice, broc and cheese, and chili are great! Tortilla one, did not like at all.
Fried chicken is gooood. Love their sausage gravy. Country fried steak is good. Jumbo shrimp is good too. Idk why I love the shrimp so much. Not like it’s special, but it’s just good. Steaks are ok. Good for the price.
My boyfriend loves the pancakes there. They are quite delicious. DESSERTS yum! I love all the pies I’ve tried there. The strawberry short cake or whatever dessert! OMG they are always out by the time i get there! One time the last piece was ordered right after I put an order in. UUhh. it’s soooo good!
Food = good, especially for the price! There hasn’t been anything I didn’t like besides the toritlla soup and beer battered shrimp. I like the other type of batter better. more like panko crumb covered.