Magnolia Room Cafeteria

Magnolia Room Cafeteria Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: In bygone days, Southern-fare cafeterias drew families and travelers with their vegetables, Southern-style meats and desserts. But they began to decline and to substitute canned ingredients for fresh, securing their ultimate demise. As a nearby such establishment went this route, one of its enthusiastic patrons, Louis Ceruzzi, whom the locals know as "Mr. Louis," rescued the concept, with its gear and many of its employees and opened the Magnolia Room in memory of the eponymous establishment in the downtown Rich's Department Store. The pale blue interior seems properly old-fashioned.

Likes: Fresh takes on Southern classics.
Dislikes: No adult beverages.

Food & Drinks: Produce comes from Sherry's Produce, just a few miles away. We enjoyed reconnecting with the trout almandine we always liked in these places, and found the fish fresh and properly fried. Broccoli salad was crisp, and the collard greens cooked just right. Chef Carl Lee occasionally prepares his own take on Southern regional classics, such as a chicken étouffée, where crawfish would be the standard. Desserts are made in house, including the crust for the pies (a sugar-free apple pie made with Splenda is quite tasty). No alcohol.