Magnolia South

Incredibly overpriced and definitely underwhelming. Went for our anniversary to try and treat my wife to something special. Very disappointed. It felt like a bad startup. The starting salads were so plane Jane and slightly wilting. I had the shrimp and grits and there was absolutely nothing special about it and the portions were small. Service was ok. The historic home environment was ok but the a/​c couldn’t keep up with the heat. Really sad I spent that kind of money on my wife just for us to be disappointed.

AC could not keep up. Incredibly hot throughout dinner. Service was poor. Ordered a mint julep, which was basically a cup of ice. Would never go back. Also, I don’t write reviews really ever. The fact I am shows how bad this experience was.

We had an amazing meal here on 7÷15÷15. We can’t remember a better meal in Nashville in a while. It was so much fun. A real dining experience. We had the snapper and the chicken fried chicken. The dishes were superb and the waiter was such a character. We’ll definitely be back. I can’t wait to hang out in the cozy bar.

The restaurant iis in a historic early 1900’s home. Beautiful and quaint– however that makes for small quarters when dining. We were only one out of three couples — but we were all put in the same room together and it just seemed a little confined and not conducive to lively or personal conversations. You can hear everyone else– I know way more about strangers than I wanted.
Our waiter was the only one working, so the service was a bit slow– he was waiter, bus boy and bartender in 1. My husband ordered a coffee martini, and though the waiter made it twice (not my our request– he just wanted to make a better one in his mind), it still fell short. BUT– it was really thoughtful of him to even make this because it’s not even on the menu. He was sweet — but just didn’t seem to fit the southern vibe of the restaurant.
The food was good– we had the watermelon gazpacho and shrimp and grits. Although the S&G’s were a little on the salty side. Great presentation as well.
Would really give it a 3.5, but I hate to say it– it really isn’t a place we would come back to or recommend.

My favorite place for brunch in Nashville! Small menu, locally sourced, perfect presentation. Prices are not unreasonable, especially considering the quality of food and drink. Highly recommend for brunch or lunch!

Made opentable reservation. Always a positive for me! Bloody Mary was spicy. Love! Large group and we were well taken care of. The kitchen is small so food came out in waves. My shrimp & grits was beyond great. The Brie appetizer was mouthwatering!
Enchanting place… Cool ambience.
The only downside was dessert. Whip cream, mascarpone, blueberries and crispy shortbread. Just wasn’t good but not bad. The pastry chef (I think) came out and asked if we liked it & when we were nicely honest… Was a bit defensive with an explanation that was to long. Great place! Will go back.

Presentation of all the food was excellent… service was great.
We enjoyed the flank steak, shrimp and grits… and the watermelon gazpacho.
Finished off with home made cherry ice cream and great coffee.

There are times when you feel like food is overpriced, and then there are times when you feel ripped off. The brunch Hayes Street Benedict is an example of such a rip off. $ 15 for half of an English muffin, with one egg and a small portion of prosciutto. No side item, no garnish. This is equivalent to a $ 30 proper portion of Benedict, which no one would pay. If the dish were extraordinary, I could overlook the price. This dish was mediocre at best, and in 4 bites, it’s gone.

A group of 5 of us went for Saturday Brunch and it was delightful. Normally wouldn’t use that would but the service was so friendly, the atmosphere familial, and the chef came out to welcome and thank us for coming in. It’s in an historic house and feels like you’re eating in a Southern Grandma’s dining room. The food was very good, especially the Shrimp & Grits. We ordered one for the table to start and they served each of us a nice portion with a shrimp, that’s the kind of place it is.

Warning: LONG REVIEW
This place is absolutely adorable! From the ambiance to the food, it’s as good as it gets. It is just off the beaten path although very close to local bars. It’s a great place to go with parents or somewhere for a nice date or a nicer «girls» brunch on a weekend.
We came in starving and thirsty and we were so excited to have attentive waters and waitresses. And we were all pleasantly surprised by the «spa water.» All of the water is infused with cucumbers which is a nice touch.
Things to get: The Bloody Mary is one of the best I’ve had. The bartender was so excited to make the drink that I couldn’t turn it down and I’m so glad I didn’t.
We started with the charcuterie plate which was a generous portion of bread and meats/​cheeses. My only gripe is that they would not bring out a basket of bread for us to start, but our server was more than accommodating when we needed more bread for the bread plate we had ordered. The butter was fantastic– it is perhaps worth getting the bread just for this.
We ordered the bleu potatoes appetizer and were not disappointed. It curbed our hunger a bit before the entrees came out. Although I did think this could have been a bit larger for the price.
For the entrees, the bone-​in Rib Eye was apparently the winner (although I did not try it). It came with broccoli and shoestring sweet potatoes and looked amazing. Because it took a few more minutes to come out, the water brought over a few wine samplings for the girl at our table who ordered it while she waited. Yet another nice touch by the restaurant.
The rest of us ordered shrimp and grits or a salad with steak/​chicken on it. The grits were cooked to perfection and the only complaint was that the shrimp were not larger. BUT the portion sizes were perfect.
Yes, this place is pricey, maybe a few dishes are too pricey, but the food is great, the ambiance is better, and the service is the best I’ve ever had. And that is something I am willing to pay for.

Way over priced, small portions. Ambiance lacking … Tacky retro pieces overcrowd mantels, for example. Waitress very friendly but waiter was arrogant in demeanor. Don’t waste your time or money!

Don’t let the location/​nearby destruction deter you! I’ve been here twice for brunch. The first time was right after they opened and it was pretty empty, but I was glad to see there were a lot more people this time around since the food and service are both so good.
Tanya and Richard (I believe those are their names) are both great servers. They’re super attentive and friendly, and Richard was happy to talk to us about everything on the menu. Their biscuits are incredible (and served with cranberry butter or house made peach preserves). The grits are a little thick but are good, and their pimento cheese is amazing. There’s a lot of options for brunch, ranging from a monte cristo made with French toast, to banana pancakes, to your typical eggs and biscuit plate, to a bologna pimento sandwich — all of which are under $ 15 (which isn’t cheap, but the local and homemade food make the options worth those prices).
Lastly, their drinks are great. Tanya makes a *fabulous* Bloody Mary and the mimosas are super fruity. Both my brunch mates have been really pleased to come, and I’m planning on going back for dinner and desserts soon.

Wish I could give this place more than five stars. I don’t know why other people have it low reviews– I would take them with a grain of salt.
Everything here was impressive– from the food to the service, Magnolia South pays special attention to give patrons a good experience. My date and I had the four course tasting menu with wine and it was a wonderful meal. When I made the reservation, I noted that I’m a vegetarian, and the restaurant had no trouble accommodating. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything that meat-​eaters get– every course was delicious.
We started with a charcuterie board that was phenomenal. In addition to three flavorful cheeses, the board featured several meats, grilled homemade bread, some pickled condiment, pickled vegetables, peach jam, and the most WONDERFUL homemade honey-​cranberry butter. Wow– I could’ve eaten thai butter on anything! The waitress said it’s made daily and the chef is always trying new combinations.
After, we had the fried green tomatoes, fresh pasta and marinara (all made in-​house!), and finished off with a fresh fruit and vanilla tart and a rich, smooth chocolate buttermilk pudding. We each chose a glass of wine from the menu, and the waiter recommended a red that my date really enjoyed. The water served was a nice touch too– it was infused with lemon and cucumber and felt like we were at the spa.
More than anything, the environment was an enjoyable place to be. The restaurant is located on a quiet street in a beautiful, old building. There are two dining rooms with quaint settings. The restaurant pays attention to the details– everything is expertly and carefully decorated. The restrooms were spacious and clean.
The service was amazing too. Multiple waiters stopped by to explain every dish as it was presented and ensure we had all of our needs taken care of. The waiters were polite and professional– they didn’t hover awkwardly and never rushed us, but they did ensure everything progressed smoothly and in a time-​sensitive manner. The chef stopped by mid-​meal to explain the dishes further and ask if we needed anything else.
Overall, a great experience – Magnolia South deserves every one of these five stars and more.

Had a wonderful brunch there last Sunday. We ordered the quiche and pulled pork. Both of which were delicious. The pork was very tender and moist and had great taste without the need for sauce. All of the meals seemed reasonably, especially with the quality of ingredients used. We will definitely be back for more!

I would not recommend this place if your party is larger than 4. That is all.

Went to Sunday brunch with a small group of girls. This place was adorable! It reminded me of one of my favorite Charleston restaurants.
The brunch food was delicious and reasonably priced. I had a fried green tomato BLT that was amazing! One of the girls had quiche that was a smaller serving than expected. But overall the service was great, it was a friendly, and I liked the ambiance.
While we didn’t order any alcoholic drinks after our long weekend in Nashville, the bar area in this house-​turned-​restaurant was gorgeous! Would definitely recommend for brunch!

Went here for brunch last Sunday. Overall the food was excellent. Unfortunately the service and drinks were not. My husband sent his bloody mary. back 3 times, the mimosas were primarily juice and pricey. The staff seemed unorganized and overwhelmed even though the restaurant wasn’t busy. Took forever to get our food and drink refills. Seems like they have ALOT of kinks to work out to make this place a success. With so many great restaurants in Nashville, I don’t think we’ll be back.

I originally posted this on Open Table as that’s where I booked the dinner, but wanted to share with Unilocalers as well the wonderful experience I had at this new restaurant.
Magnolia South hasn’t been open but a month or so and Hayes Street has been blocked on one end for all that time. It’s now open and people are going to start finding this place as the food is exceptional. I’m glad we got there before the crowds to celebrate my birthday. Our favorite restaurant is probably MidTown Café but the food we had was even better in my opinion and better than anything we’ve had at Watermark or Sambucco or any of the Gulch places. I had Ed’s pork chop and my wife had Red Snapper with Crawfish sauce. I couldn’t decide which was better, probably the fish as the sauce was exceptional and the portions were substantial enough we had to go boxes. The chef formerly worked at Antoines in New Orleans and The Indigo Hotel in Nashville and he’s picked up some interesting combinations. Probably the only downside is the menu is not extensive, but there is something there for everyone. I guess the motto is like Johnny Cash says, «Do what you do, do well.» The ambiance is good as its in an old house from 1890 that has been a private residence, a rooming house, a doctor’s office and law office in the last 100+ years. The service was excellent, we were at the early seating on the coldest night of the year, which is always my birthday, so they were able to spend time and visit with us and that was fun. I can heartily recommend Magnolia South and will put this restaurant in rotation for our special occasions. Valentines and our anniversary are in February!

Beautiful old building is a wonderful intimate setting for great fine dining. We ordered the shrimp & grits and pork chop. The chop had a great flavor but the shrimp and grits were amazing. They were not what I expected however they surpassed my desire with the andouille sausage gravy. Absolutely excellent all around. David was our terrific waiter. Ask for him.

Magnolia South just opened for lunch last week. Site is formerly home of Mambo’s Restaurant, located right behind The Hutton Hotel. Wonderful lunch menu. We all enjoyed salads, which were excellent. Overall, a wonderful experience!!!