Magnolia Bistro

[Pete]

Magnolia Bistro opens today (Thursday).

Hours are M-F 10:30 to 3:30; operated by same chef/owner as Brielle's Bistro in Midwest City.

[catcherinthewry]

I'm a fan of Brielle's. I wish this place had dinner hours.

[Jeepnokc]

Great menu. Love boudin balls. Starting eating them from a little gas station south of shreveport so the bar is quite high for good boudin . I am guessing the gator is fried v blackened which still works. Now if we can just add a roast beef with debris po boy...I'll be in heaven.

[Roger S]

Ouch... Natchitoches Meat Pies..... I know where my next non-keto treat meal is going to be.

[snark0leptic]

I swear I'm not gunning for a food review position, but I've loved Brielle's Bistro in MWC and saw here that today was Magnolia's opening so we decided to check it out around 12:30pm. The place was around 75% full and had a steady flow of people stopping in. The kitchen wait time wasn't too long and since there's a streetcar stop right up the street, this could be a quick lunch bite place for someone downtown.

We tried the Blackened Catfish w/ Crawfish Etouffee with Dirty Rice & the Catfish Po Boy with the Maque Choux. All of the food was really solid on flavor, especially the etouffee. We finished off the meal with the normal Beignets which were denser than expected, but still delicious. We'll definitely be back on a regular basis, especially if they eventually expand into dinner hours someday.

[Thomas Vu]

I swear I'm not gunning for a food review position, but I've loved Brielle's Bistro in MWC and saw here that today was Magnolia's opening so we decided to check it out around 12:30pm. The place was around 75% full and had a steady flow of people stopping in. The kitchen wait time wasn't too long and since there's a streetcar stop right up the street, this could be a quick lunch bite place for someone downtown.

We tried the Blackened Catfish w/ Crawfish Etouffee with Dirty Rice & the Catfish Po Boy with the Maque Choux. All of the food was really solid on flavor, especially the etouffee. We finished off the meal with the normal Beignets which were denser than expected, but still delicious. We'll definitely be back on a regular basis, especially if they eventually expand into dinner hours someday.

The more people to do this, the better.

[TheTravellers]

I swear I'm not gunning for a food review position, but I've loved Brielle's Bistro in MWC and saw here that today was Magnolia's opening so we decided to check it out around 12:30pm. The place was around 75% full and had a steady flow of people stopping in. The kitchen wait time wasn't too long and since there's a streetcar stop right up the street, this could be a quick lunch bite place for someone downtown.

We tried the Blackened Catfish w/ Crawfish Etouffee with Dirty Rice & the Catfish Po Boy with the Maque Choux. All of the food was really solid on flavor, especially the etouffee. We finished off the meal with the normal Beignets which were denser than expected, but still delicious. We'll definitely be back on a regular basis, especially if they eventually expand into dinner hours someday.

Thanks for this review and the other one you did, wish so hard Yelpers would give details like you do (I do, in all my reviews there) instead of "Great service and great food!". Wish they were open dinner hours or at least on Sat, we probably won't make it there unless they do, even though we love Brielle's (love their maque choux, jealous looking at it now ).

[Pete]

I suspect if they do well they will extend their hours.

Smart to be conservative in the beginning. The restaurant business is getting very competitive all over OKC.

[BBatesokc]

My wife and I really like Dwayne (chef) and Kaylee (manager) (owners of Brielle's and Magnolia Bistros) and have been regulars at Brielle's ever since they opened. We have been anxiously anticipating the opening of Magnolia's.

I went there today (opening day) to pick up a call-in order for myself and the ladies at the office.

I had the Blackened Salmon Sunburst Salad with a side of Lobster Mac N Cheese. It was really nicely done and could have fed two people. Next time I'll eat half and take half home for dinner. The salmon was very flaky and blackened to perfection with a very moist center. They use a good blend of fresh nutritious lettuce (none of that bland zero taste stuff) and the almonds, cranberries and fresh crumbled bleu cheese were in abundance.

The Lobster Mac N Cheese is always a solid side dish with visible chunks of lobster and a crunchy topping to give it many levels of texture.

Others had the Southern Fried Catfish with dirt rice and the Magnolia Salad.

The catfish (which I often have at Brielle's) is exactly how I like it..... Large fillets that are lightly breaded on the outside. The dirty rice is really flavorful, but almost too spicy for me. I have to combine it with a bite of Mac N Cheese to calm it down. But, it's soooo flavorful.

The Magnolia Salad (with Chicken added) I'm told was very tasty too. No hard chicken bits as it was all hot and juicy.

I really wanted to see how the food would translate into a togo order - would the presentation hold up? Would the temperature survive transport back to the office? And were the portions as abundant as in person? ...... I can gladly say yes, yes, yers, to all three. While I picked the order up in person (wanted to see the new place and congratulate Dwayne and Kaylee) I hear you can use your favorite food delivery app to have food delivered to your office.

Oh, we also shared blueberry beignets and a HUGE slice of chocolate cake (Kaylee makes the desserts herself). TOTALLY sent us over the edge and we were not productive at all after lunch.

So good in fact, I believe I'm going back today with a different group of friends who want to check it out.

As for the hours.... Pete is right. They are being conservative and they still have another location they don't want to neglect that does a busy dinner service already.

I hope their success downtown soon allows for dinner hours. I'd love to eat there when working late or to be able to pop in at 5pm and pick up a togo for dinner.

[BBatesokc]

Went back for a second lunch visit with my regular lunch crew. We ate in this time. The place may be tiny, but it's so nice inside. There were a few other customers coming and going.

I went with the crawfish étouffée this time.... Man, it's just as good as it always is a Brielle's. I got the bowl size and it was plenty big to take some home for dinner.

We had to have slices of chocolate and carrot cake too.

I'd defiantly take the opportunity to patronize them now, before word gets out and the place is packed.

[HOT ROD]

Looks great, and I echo others in their successes leading to expanded/late hours.

Can't wait to try next time I'm in the city.

[Thomas Vu]

I stopped by yesterday for lunch. Ordered the boudin balls, catfish with crawfish etouffee with red beans & rice, and received a complimentary order of beignets.

I haven't been to Southern Louisiana, or even new orleans, but I've visited North Louisiana a handful of times. It was really good!

Boudin balls were moist on the inside, the flavors of the catfish + crawfish etouffe was not too salty, and the beignets were the best I've ever had. Almost like a funnel cake with moist muffin inside.

Friend ordered the Jambalaya, and it was also really tasty. With me preferring sausage over fish, I think he won.

If I had to nitpick I didn't like the rice. Grains were too small and it didn't absorb flavor of the etouffee. I wish they had jasmine rice. For future orders I may take it to go and make my own rice ahead of time. I look forward to trying their other items with this being close to my work.

[ctchandler]

I stopped by yesterday for lunch. Ordered the boudin balls, catfish with crawfish etouffee with red beans & rice, and received a complimentary order of beignets.\

Thomas, You must have a bottomless stomach. I wish I could eat that much. Actually, I think I could have when I was younger but I'm way beyond that now. Everything you had other than beignets sounds really good. I'm sure folks that like dessert would appreciate those but I just don't eat anything sweet. Enjoy it while you can.
C. T.

[TheTravellers]

...
I haven't been to Southern Louisiana, or even new orleans, but I've visited North Louisiana a handful of times. It was really good!
...

If I had to nitpick I didn't like the rice. Grains were too small and it didn't absorb flavor of the etouffee. I wish they had jasmine rice. For future orders I may take it to go and make my own rice ahead of time. I look forward to trying their other items with this being close to my work.

Not sure how it is in N LA, but we've been to NOLA many times and I'm about 99% sure I've never had jasmine rice in any dishes there, it's always white, so that's just the way it is down there...

[progressiveboy]

Not sure how it is in N LA, but we've been to NOLA many times and I'm about 99% sure I've never had jasmine rice in any dishes there, it's always white, so that's just the way it is down there...

When I visit NOLA and sample the many creole cajun cusine, I too have never had jasmine rice. Always served with simple white rice! A staple of the South!

[ctchandler]

Just personal taste, I don't like Jasmine rice at all. It doesn't even smell good to me. I used it once at home and haven't had it since. Now I know that it's very popular, just not my "cup of rice". Give me good old white rice (which by the way is not very healthy) for my red beans and rice and I'm fat, dumb, and happy.
C. T.
p. s. Emphasis on the "fat".

[Thomas Vu]

I don't think jasmine is any healthier either, and it tends to run sweet.

I'm glad that there is a market for the other kind. Especially since it makes since from a business perspective to not go with jasmine.

[BBatesokc]

Good overview of Magnolia Bistro recently in the Gazette....

Downton Cajun | 7/25/2019

[betts]

I had lunch here today with a friend.I had the catfish and she had the crawfish po boy, with dirty rice as our side. We both thought the food was fantastic. I really like catfish, but am picky, and this was perfection - perfect temperature, perfect breading, excellent flavor. I’ll be dreaming about that dirty rice. We were both unfortunately too full to try any of the desserts, but I will most definitely be back. The restaurant was reasonably full when we left, but I expect it will become more difficult to find a table as the word gets out.

[BBatesokc]

I had lunch here today with a friend.I had the catfish and she had the crawfish po boy, with dirty rice as our side. We both thought the food was fantastic. I really like catfish, but am picky, and this was perfection - perfect temperature, perfect breading, excellent flavor. I’ll be dreaming about that dirty rice. We were both unfortunately too full to try any of the desserts, but I will most definitely be back. The restaurant was reasonably full when we left, but I expect it will become more difficult to find a table as the word gets out.

I bet we saw each other. I was there with my wife around 12:40 at a 4-top in the center.

We had the fried grits with shrimp and a side of fried green tomatoes and the meat pies with a side of lobster Mac and cheese and a slice of chocolate cake for dessert! So good and we took half home for dinner.

Glad you liked it. I can't wait for them to have extended hours.

[BBatesokc]

Uncovering Oklahoma did a piece on Magnolia Bistro....

[BBatesokc]

Having their official Grand Opening tomorrow (10/15/2019) - give them a try and support the efforts of this young family owned business!

This is the sister restaurant to the very popular Brielle's Bistro on NE 23rd in the Spencer/MWC area.

[shawnw]

https://twitter.com/winerev/status/1337382560054308865

[Pete]

Reopening Jan 4th!

Very good news.

[Pete]

They did officially reopen today.