http://tradevaluates.blogspot.com/2010/04/sweet-magnolia-dining-experience.html
http://tradevaluates.blogspot.com/2010/04/sweet-magnolia-dining-experience.html
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It is a little snug but it reminds me of New York so that works!
http://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/
I'll bump this one for the new poster since there's a great review by Trader linked.
Haven't had a bad meal either at dinner or Sunday brunch. All were good to very good. With the placement, its a bit of NYC and a small Paris cafe, especially the sidewalk dining. Just needs a zinc covered bar to please an old Boulevardier like me.
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Sweet Magnolia is by far the best restaurant in Florence, IMO. It is such a welcome change from all the chain restaurants and chicken finger joints in the area.
Sweet Magnolias may be really good, and they choose to keep a small menu to uphold the quality.
Too bad small seating brings in little revenue, and the prices of their dishes are more than I want to spend.
I just don't choose to spend $18 for a chicken breast with pasta on the side.
I suspect the small seating capacity is weighed against staff needs and rental costs. Probably balance out.
One expects to pay more for food well prepared. Still well below what one would pay for similar in Atlanta, or even Huntsville.
I was just told that this place is closing. Anyone else heard this?
I read on another blog that it is closing.
sad but true. closing monday.
dish gourmet cafe in downtown florence is as close as we're going to get to sweet magnolia. the only draw back is they are only open on friday and saturday nights for dinner service.
i'm really going to miss sweet mag.
folks around here need to support local, esp restaurants. we have lost some good ones. franks last week and sweet mag this week. sucks.
chain restaurants suck for the most part.
Their closing is sad. I considered them one of the best in town.
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I thought they were supported, very well. They're closing because the owners are ending their relationship.
Their facebook page cites debt and inability to renew liquor license because of the debt.
No! NO! NO!
Now I'm bummed. That was the best restaurant in Florence.
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I thought they were supported, very well. They're closing because the owners are ending their relationship.
i was just going by their facebook page. don't know the owners, but have talked to them while having dinner there.
https://www.facebook.com/thesweetmagnoliacafe
Their facebook page cites debt and inability to renew liquor license because of the debt.
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That may well be the case but the sibling of one of them told me they have broken up & decided to go their separate ways. Who knows, could be both reasons.
Sunday brunch was filled. They will be open Monday night -- their last day.
Their lack of chicken tenders and not allowing customers to throw discarded food on the floor like other restaurants probably cost them in the end.
Florence just doesn't have a sophisticated consumer base large enough to support restaurants like Sweet Magnolia, IMO.
Restaurants like George's will do fine as they essentially serve meat and potatoes but restaurants like Sweet Magnolia that do creative dishes will always struggle in Flo.
At brunch, I overheard Ken Shepski say he was moving to Texas.
Creative?
They usually had dishes one would expect at a bistro or trattoria. French and Italian, plus American cuisine.
So wish something could be worked out so that it would remain open. I kept hearing such wonderful things about Sweet Magnolia and sincerely meant to go but never got around to it, and now they're closing?!? That'll teach me to procrastinate.
I kept hearing such wonderful things about Sweet Magnolia and sincerely meant to go but never got around to it,
you can go tonight. one last time.
Last I heard, they had 70 reservations.
Their lack of chicken tenders and not allowing customers to throw discarded food on the floor like other restaurants probably cost them in the end.
Florence just doesn't have a sophisticated consumer base large enough to support restaurants like Sweet Magnolia, IMO.
Restaurants like George's will do fine as they essentially serve meat and potatoes but restaurants like Sweet Magnolia that do creative dishes will always struggle in Flo.
I'm afraid you are right. Whatever the reason for their closing I will miss the The Sweet Magnolia.
Drove past Sweet Magnolia, today, there are Century 21 signs posted -- sad! To all who ran and worked at Sweet Magnolia. Thanks for the memories. Bitter sweet.
It was #1 on Trip Advisor for restaurants in Florence. I guess that means YUMM moves up to the top spot.
Local restaurants are on my list of those I visit the most.
for food like sweet magnolia check out dish gourmet cafe or sweet basil. i think both restaurants are only open for dinner service on friday and saturday nights.
yumm and dish are hands down my favorite two restaurants in the shoals. also love rosie's and for bar food you can't beat on the rocks. (esp working women's wednesday with free apps and $4.99 OTR burgers)
legend's has some of the best burgers in town and so does steak n stuff. (and staggs)
for fast food, i do like montagu's.
pizza chef for pizza, now that frank's is closed, ricatoni's will be my italian restaurant.
umi is one of my favorites that's not local.