Sugar Magnolia Restaurant

I had the filet mignon and it was very good, it came with fried portobello mushrooms which were crispy and great! My wife had the crab cakes which were very tasty but were a little "soggy". Overall very good, I will go back and I would definitely recommend to a friend. Pros: Pretty elegant. Intimate feeling. Cons: Noisy. A little pricey. more

My daughter ordered a hamburger and it was burned. She complaint to me but I just put her off(like a lot mothers). After she complained several times I took a closer look at the meat patty and it was really burned. I tasted a little to make sure and it was bitter. I called the server and she took it back to the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, she came back asked me if my daughter wanted another hamburger. Of course my daughter said no after the long waiting so she took off to do her job. When we were ready to pay the bill, I saw the burger was still on the check I asked her why she charged me. She went to her manager and took off after 15 minutes. We felt very uncomfortable with the attitude of the manager and the server. After all that, they refused to accept the certificate we purchased with some stupid explanation. Either the server or the manager even looked at us when we left; although, they were both at the front. I live nearby The Blakeley shopping center but I will never visit this restaurant again. I will just take my business elsewhere. more

Something amiss with the manager here. While the food was for the most part fine, the wait staff was poorly trained and made us feel uncomfortable. Orders were not filled correctly and made us feel bad when we complained. To top it off, we had purchased a certificate and they refused to accept it with some made-up explanation that we should have received an e-mail telling us. Go somewhere where they appreciate the customer. more

I've enjoyed going to Sugar Magnolia several times now. Some visits were better than others, so consistency would be nice. But over all I would still return. They make a mean martini and the seafood is very good. I've had the cajun oysters and Ahi tuna as appetizers and both were excellent. For soup I had the she-crab several times...sometimes it's amazing and loaded with meat and other times there is barely any meat. The poach pear salad is also very good. Entrees: I've had the shrimp and grits twice. One time the portion and taste was excellent. The other time I left hungry. The portions have gotten smaller recently for some reason. I also have had the filet mignon which was tender and very good. Dessert: Must have the banana cream pie. It's been good every time. Pros: Fresh seafood Cons: inconsistency and service seems lax more

A year ago my review would have been all raves. I LOVED their she-crab soup. The first time we went we told all our friends how great it was. The second and third time we went I was taking it all back. My only guess is that the restaurant is struggling. The once amazing soup is now watery and has little crab in it. The once amazing food is still fine. Smaller portions and some cheap changes made. Kind of sad. I really loved this place when it first opened. The once great service is indifferent. Maybe it's the economy, who knows. But at this rate I don't see them in business for much longer. OH and I bought my friends a gift certificate for their anniversary here, back when I had my first great experience. They said they were snickered at when they presented it! What's that about??? more

Started off V day at the bar. Enjoyed a Martini and a pleasant bartender. Proceeded to our table, to a friendly young waitress. Ordered some starters (coastal trio and she crab soup) to which we enjoyed. Ordered the Shrimp and Grits for dinner and the Blackened Flounder (only to find out that they had no Flounder and would substitute it with Mahi). Well, we asked for the Chilean Sea Bass instead. The waitress had to go to the owner to ask if that was ok as a substitute and came back to tell us it was ok, except for a $4 upcharge. Well, we accepted and waited for our dinner to come out while we ate some cornbread (average)...oh, waitress forgot to bring out the Hushpuppies. Dinner finally comes out and all I could do is stare at my Shrimp and Grits. I couldn't even see the shrimp, nor the grits, as it was doused with so much sauce and peppers. I couldnt taste anything but the sauce as it engulfed my entire meal...On to the Chilean Sea Bass (that we had to pay extra for)..I owned a seafood restaurant for 9 years and know what seafood should look like when it's cooked right. This plate came out like sushi...The bass was so undercooked, I laughed. It had the substance of an uncooked sea scallop (bass should be white and flakey) There wasn't any flaking. I understand this can happen, but when your waitress doesn't come back to your table until your disgusted, what is a person supposed to do..we finally saw our waitress for the check and just mentioned to her that the fish was raw..she said sorry, and asked if we wanted a box (go figure). we did see the waitress walk over to the owner and chef to tell them about our meal, and guess what the owner did..NOTHING. Not a sorry, not a dessert, not a cocktail, not a "can I get you another plate", not a reduction of the bill.....We weren't even looking for anything, but to let them know for future plates...Never going back and will tell others to stay away. So much for a small restaurant getting repeat and referral business. Pros: Good drinks. Nice bartender Cons: Everything else more

I have been here 4 times for lunch since December and each time I was always very pleased. The service is excellent. The first time we went, we didn't realized they served lunch. We popped in after they had ended their lunch service but they encouraged us to come on in and have a bite. The crabcake fritters are really good but I love their calabash shrimp. Their fried chicken is AWESOME (this says a lot since we regularly ate Ezell's fried chicken in Seattle-- which Oprah has been known to fly into Chicago) and is a huge serving. For dessert, definitely try the bread pudding. The texture is firm with just the right amount of caramel and pecans and complements the vanilla ice cream. Pros: great service, yummy fried chicken and calabash shrimp more

We tried this restaurant for the first time on Saturday night and were pleasantly surprised. The food was very good as was the service. The rub they put on their steaks is excellent. If you go make sure to try the banana creme pie. Pros: food, location, service Cons: lighting and view out to playground more