Magnolias at the Mill

We went out for date night and had a wonderful time. This was our first time here and they didn’t disappoint, (except for a few minor issues.) The food was outstanding. Hats off to the chef! The calamari was cooked nicely, and the chicken and risotto with veg was so good I almost finished all of it. My husband enjoyed his trout as well. The gluten free menu should be inside the regular menu as an option. I had to ask for it after being seated, and had to wait even longer. The waitress was annoyed with me for asking. I needed a straw for my water, so I asked one of the waitresses for a straw, but she forgot about me. So then I asked our waitress for a straw, and she brought it in a folded napkin. I’m not sure why it wasn’t in a plastic wrapper? The outside seating was lovely, however the tent had a ton of holes in it with the light shining through. The placemats had some sauce stains on them. A classy expensive restaurant should have higher standards. Other than these minor issues, we had a really nice, relaxing dinner.

If you have a severe gluten allergy or have Celiac disease, please read!!! While they offer an extensive gluten-free menu, it’s important to note that there is a disclaimer about food preparation, and no separate fryer is used. Please review it carefully to ensure it will work with your dietary restrictions. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t initially notice the disclaimer, and while the disclaimer did make it known about the shared fryer, it didn’t address the level of care we expected, including proper staff knowledge. The gluten-free options we selected were not adequately described (on the menu or by the server). Adding to the issue, our server appeared dismissive of concerns raised about the high risk for gluten cross-contamination and seemed uninformed about the preparation when we discussed discrepancies from the menu description to what was brought out. Additionally, he answered some questions incorrectly. This raised serious red flags for our party, and we were prepared to pay for what we had already ordered and leave due to the risk. However, Quincy, one of the managers, took the time to discuss our concerns, accurately answer questions, and personally supervise the food preparation to ensure it was safe. Additionally, he did alter what we had been given since there were differences in the food that was brought out and would have made one person in our party sick. In the end, once the manager addressed the discrepancies, and fixed what needed to be fixed, the food was excellent. However, given the high end atmosphere this restaurant tries to promote, and the extensive gluten free options they list, the server could have done more to understand and accommodate gluten-free questions, and ensure accuracy with the answers. His disinterest was noticeable. It took the manager to make things right!

I was really looking forward to trying this place after passing by it several times in the last few years. The vibe of the restaurant is fantastic and cozy. However, we ended up waiting over an hour for our entrees and once arrived, the food lacked seasoning. We ordered the salmon and crab entree which was good but was lacking some acidity. The wagyu buger on the a gluten free bun was good but the pork belly could have had more flavor. The waitress was very apologetic about the "mix up in the kitchen" but after an hour of waiting, we just wanted to leave as soon as we finished eating after watching everyone around us get their food, eat, and leave while we continued to wait.