I know I said that The Missus and I were thinking about eating in Omaha on Saturday night. I goofed. Eating dinner in the Big O would have required me to drive up there twice in one day, and I just wasn't in the mood for that. Instead, The Missus and I stayed in Lincoln and decided to give Magnolia a try. We have talked about it since it opened, and we have heard a lot of good buzz. I didn't go into the meal with an "I'm going to review this place" mindset, so think of what follows as a mishmash of shallow reactions, not something I've put a lot of thought into. My focus on Saturday was on my dining companion, not the restaurant.
I liked the atmosphere at Magnolia. It's cozy, and it's right at home in the Haymarket. The double doors at the entryway do a good job of keeping cold air out of the smallish restaurant. A trio of musicians played in the back. The music was a little loud despite it feeling like the musicians were trying to hold back, but the live tunes were welcome nevertheless. The TVs over the bar showing Wheel of Fortune felt out of place. Much of the seating up front, where we sat, is very cozy. As in, obese people better watch out.
I ordered the shrimp and scallops panang. It included three scallops and five shrimp served over asparagus and accompanied by baby reds. It was preceded by a tasty bowl of ham and bean soup. The Missus went with the chicken cordon bleu. Both meals were delicious, if not in a knock-your-socks-off kind of way.
The real story of the night was the service. On a standard grading scale, the restaurant's service gets a D at best. Our server was confused about the special -- we never did find out if the special was duck or chicken, though we're pretty sure it was some sort of bird -- and neither our server nor the one at the table next to us was familiar enough with the menu to know which items came with sides. Both of the tables next to us received their salads and meals at the same time. And so on. The mistakes and miscues were very unlike what I would expect from a restaurant of Magnolia's caliber.
How many of you have been to Magnolia? Did we just catch them on an off night, or are service problems a regular occurrence?
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I went last winter and found the apps and wine list great, the entree mediocre. Had no problems with the service.
Tried it for the first time 3 weeks ago. I got some shrimp scampi dish and it was good. Many at the table got the bleu and it looked awesome. Wife got some sort of roast beef and enjoyed it. Apps were nummy. owner stopped by the table.
My side of baby reds magically turned into rice pilaf and I was very happy about it since it was so good.
Price was fair and I will try it again, but I have other places in that price range I would rather frequent.
I ate there once last winter. I was annoyed by how dim the lighting was, although it was probably just one of those spots in the restaurant that gets no light. I literally had to use my cell phone to see the menu and to order.
I am a vegetarian and they had plenty of choices. The wine selection was good, and I also thought the TVs were really out of place, especially in a place so small that there is almost no place to sit where you could avoid seeing the tvs.
I don’t remember what I had, but I remember that it was pretty good. It definitely didn’t blow me away, or I would have been back, but I do plan on going back again. I just never felt like I needed to put it at the top of my list.
i’ve been there once for lunch and another time just for a drink. service the first time was iffy at best, especially considering it was lunch on saturday and there were only about 3 other tables with people. i think i had the fish and chips and was quite underwhelmed. i will say i liked it enough to give it another shot.
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