Magnolia Room Cafeteria

Imagine The Magnolia Cafe, a local gem nestled in the heart of Atlanta, a place where the aroma of slow-cooked collard greens and freshly baked cornbread perpetually fills the air. It's more than just a restaurant; it's a culinary institution where generations have gathered to share meals and memories. Their fried chicken, much like the one pictured, would be legendary – perfectly seasoned, with a shatteringly crisp skin and juicy meat, a testament to time-honored family recipes. The green beans, simmered to tender perfection with a hint of smoky ham hock, and the fried okra, lightly breaded and fried to a delightful crisp, would be the embodiment of Southern hospitality on a plate. But it's in the sweet, comforting embrace of their side dishes and desserts where The Magnolia Cafe truly shines. Their sweet potato casserole, rich and creamy with just the right amount of spice, topped with melted butter, is likely the kind of dish that evokes nostalgic feelings of grandmother's kitchen. And the pie – whether it's a luscious pecan pie, bursting with nutty sweetness, or a velvety sweet potato pie, creamy and fragrant – would be the perfect conclusion to a meal that nourishes both body and spirit. The Magnolia Cafe isn't just about the food; it's about the feeling. It's the warmth of a welcoming smile, the friendly chatter of neighbors catching up, and the shared appreciation for food that's been cooked with love and tradition. It's a place where every dish tells a story, every bite is a memory, and every meal leaves you feeling not just full, but truly comforted and connected to the rich culinary heritage of the South. That's how a place like The Magnolia Cafe becomes an indispensable part of the community, a beloved sanctuary for soul food and Southern charm.

Food was delicious. I came in during lunch rush hour and despite the long line, servers move customers through the line quickly and efficiently. Loved the variety of food items available. The food was fresh and I cook taste that every items from entree to dessert was freshly made from scratch. Would recommend visiting for family dinner night or a business meeting. Highly recommend. My meal consisted of 1 entree, 3 sides, and two deserts for under $35.

I always check the restroom.. believing if they're clean then they more than likely have a clean kitchen too. And it was very clean 🪥 While selecting the smothered pork chop dish. that came with rice - the server was very heavy handed with the gravy as I and three (3) others were saying 🛑 stop , but she kept dipping. SMH I thought let's see how this taste, but it was too soupy with no favor. Our waitress was nice enough to take it away and replaced with liver and onion. Unfortunately, the food overall wasn't seasoned and or just bland in taste. The mac n cheese was more mac and still searching for the cheese?? And the sweet potato pie was missing the "sweet". While I wish success to this restaurant: The location seemed to have a reasonable amount of customers eating there, but it's not one I would go out of my way to go to. Would recommend they have tasters and or impartial people to sample their menu and do better with their seasonings. Here's to better tomorrows..

We were visiting Stone Mountain GA and looking for somewhere to eat after Sunday service. We decided on Soul Food. Magnolia Room came up. The food was delicious. They had a great selection. Price was reasonable. They offered an entree, 2 veggies & bread for a single price. If you get more you pay the al-a-cart for those items. The atmosphere was relaxing and clean. Our waitress was outstanding. Highly recommended.

This place is the cafeteria that made your grandma love a cafeteria. Food is delicious, portions are generous, staff is friendly, and the dining room is nostalgic. Will always recommend!

I sadly had to remove my top tier review from 2 years ago to post my experience from yesterday. They have gone downhill over the last year or so. And I can tell because they don't even reply to the bad responses anymore. They must be under new management and have new cooks. Honestly I never eat everything there anyway but I can barely ever catch what I love, and that's the turkey wings. It's been over a year since I've been able to get then. So yesterday I was in the neighborhood and decided to invite a friend and stop by. I got what ANY soul food restaurant should be able to make and that's fried chicken, Mac n cheese, sweet potato soufflé, and the bran muffin with cake. I wasn't seated 3 mins and had to send my chicken back. It tasted like they fried it in plain flour with no seasoning. I really couldn't think of anything else I wanted but I had them to substitute the chicken for smothered pork chop. It was a 3. It wasn't that good with the dark beef, jelly-like gravy. They should have used like a light pork or turkey gravy. It wasn't that hot. None of it was. They tried to charge me more because I was forced to get something different due to the chicken being nasty. However, the manager did fix that. I've never had to add so much salt to the Mac n cheese in my life. It wasn't hot. The soufflé wasn't sweet enough. The cake was dry. I've never been so disappointed in Magnolias. Well besides the time I had them cater for me for Thanksgiving. It was a disaster. I ended up having to cook and had just gotten out of the hospital. I took down that post at the request of the manager because they fully refunded me. He said they use a different company for catering. Wrll they must've hired them on as cooks because now their line items are just as bad. It will be a long time, if ever, that I'll come back to Magnolias. Especially with amazing restaurants around whose food is always delicious like Lickety Splits, Paschal's, Restaurant Ten, and others in the city. Magnolias is honestly just one of those places that's been around a long time and works for older people who are set on one place to go and it doesn't take much to please them. It's no comparison to modern day restaurants in ATL! Do better. My review went from 5 stars to 1.

Definitely a gem more like a diamond! This place is my little secret when it comes to soul food you just can't beat it. Reminds me of back in the day when my grandmother had Sunday dinner prepared after church. A to go must visit!

Went for the first time today after seeing a TikTok about it. If you've been to Matthews Cafeteria, it's similiar to that but with more options. The food is great, the portions were just right, but what really stands out is how friendly and pleasant the entire staff is.

Drove down from Knoxville to try Magnolia Room because I fondly remember true old school cafeterias from my childhood and they are largely now extinct. Tried the country steak, mashed potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese. All were delicious, high quality and generous portions. The hot yeast roll seemed freshly made but was too bitter for my taste but improved with a hefty dose of the real butter they provided. Prices are high, but, they are everywhere. Wish they offered a smaller portion BluePlate option at a reduced price for seniors. Highly recommend for a wonderful real meal with a side of nostalgia. I will be back!

Baby it's giving Ponderosa & Piccadilly vibes! And I love that, reminds me of having lunches with my grandpop. This is def where the elders go after church, so pack ya granny and treat her. So happy Yelp suggested this place, it's comfort food at an affordable price. The staff is super friendly and happy to answer questions. It's cafeteria style here, they have options of various proteins which happened to be seafood, beef & chicken when I came. Homestyle sides like collards & Mac n chz. I got the chicken tenders with Mac n chz & a wedge salad (you can sub your veggie for a salad). Once you go through the service line you can seat or head to the front cashier if you're taking it to go. I was pleased and I will be back!

Southern hospitality at its best! Cafeteria style service - rows of enticing, hot and delicious food! So many choices! Got the pork chop, black eyed peas, mac and cheese and corn bread. A must visit if you want an authentic humble and delicious southern food!

If you want a great home cooked meal this place is it! Every thing they offer is made from scratch on the premises. Price includes meat and two sides or salad and side, drink and choice of bread.

This was a good place for a hot meal. Sunday was busy but the line moved fast. The food was hot and good. I had. Veggie plate and enjoyed the good. Servers come to the table for anything additional that's needed. There's a good amount of seating.

Most people would be surprised to learn that although Atlanta is in the south, there aren't a lot of great southern restaurants here (in my opinion). Yes, there are a lot of southern/soul food restaurants around. I just haven't had great experiences at many. Magnolia Room is located in Tucker which is in the metro Atlanta area. I was very impressed by my first visit. We were greeted with smiles by all of the staff that we encountered. The restaurant is set up cafeteria style and they have quite a few options. We arrived after the lunch rush and they weren't too busy. I ordered the Salisbury steak, candied yams and macaroni and cheese. I also added a piece of fried catfish. Y'all, there are definitely some grandmas in the back cooking because that food was delicious. I sampled my mom's collard greens and they were some of the best I've had in a long time. The catfish was fried perfectly and the yams were just right. Everything was seasoned very well except the Mac and cheese. It was good, but could've benefited from some extra seasoning. My mom, who is a great cook enjoyed her food as well. We had a great first experience and I'm looking forward to returning.

Popular eatery, clean, nice selection of dishes and the staff was very nice and accommodating. Prices were decent. This is a cafeteria style restaurant with different prices for veggies plates, poultry, fish and red meats. The party of five I dined with enjoyed the food immensely. We'll be back again soon! Recommended.

Came in for dinner with my family. My 86 year old aunt loves southern food as do I. The service here is great! Very nice folks from the line to the waitresses. Ambiance is casual with nice decor. The fried chicken is very good and juicy and the green beans fresh! A plethora of veggie options if you are watching your diet. I prefer this to Mathews down the street but it however it cost a bit more but reasonable. I highly recommend as it's getting harder and harder to find good southern places anymore.

I was very excited to try this place. My husband was introduced to this cafeteria by a friend, and in his words this was the second best southern food place he had ever eaten at (second only to someone's actual home cooking.) We waited for my in-laws to visit as my MIL is a big fan of soul food. From the get go, I wasn't thrilled with how the system is set up. There is a line to a cafeteria style counter, where you tell the servers what you want. As busy as it gets, this line is not well policed. When I walked in with my family during the lunch rush, the line was practically out the door. Outside of the handrails, the line was not well managed and a lot of line jumping occurred, which is super annoying to the people who have been waiting patiently. I was really disappointed In the food that I picked, as was my father in law. I felt like nothing tasted good. The only reason I am giving this 2 stars instead of 1 star is because my husband and mother in law loved the food they picked out (the fish and the fried chicken). My MIL was very disgusted by her peach cobbler however as it had a very doughy crust. The service was good and the staff was very nice and helpful, since most of us were first timers who didn't know what was going on. However, I was unimpressed overall, and I would not come back again.

I had the Southern fried steak with gravy, wedge salad, baked yams, corn pudding, and pie (I can't remember the name but it was a custard base with coconut, raisins, and pecans, good but VERY sweet!). Portions were large, in fact I took half of mine home. My husband had fried shrimp and hush puppies, sweet potato soufflé, Mac and cheese, and egg custard pie. Service was friendly, and sweet tea cold and southern sweet. It's not the cafeteria prices of our childhood that's for sure, it was a bit pricey, but it was good and we'll be back! *Note, the service was somewhat impersonal BUT, they were hustling to keep the line moving and I found that if you just took a minute and engaged them with a smile and a question, they immediately smiled back and were more than willing to answer questions. And remember to be kind to the ladies who also serve your table and, leave a tip!

My mom and I truly enjoy coming to this place. The food is amazing (if you eat pork), not many vegetables don't have pork or dairy. However, the entrees are amazing and very nice size portions. The atmosphere is very nice, the wait staff are prompt. This is my mom's go-to spot. Today, we ordered the orange chicken over white rice, mashed potatoes with gravy and macaroni and cheese. Yes, all starches, forgive me lol. Yet, All super Devine.

Absolutely delicious! If you're looking for southern food home cooking country cooking, this is the best spot. Its 50 ft of food to choose from, cafeteria style (grab a tray, pick your food, pay at the end) and such a homey feel and vibe. Service is southern hospitality at its finest and I loved everything I had here.

This is the Sunday Go-To Lunch cafeteria of your childhood...with better food. Really solid work here...good quality, good flavors and all the favorites with a few house specials. The smothered pork chop and mushroom chicken are especially yummy...I'd go back to try the trout almondine or the baked orange chicken. The sides are great and authentic...turnip greens, rutabaga, okra and my husband loved the baked eggplant. The food is not salty in the way of some meat and threes. The are two kinds of coconut pie...enough said. Go now.

We went here on a Sunday afternoon to celebrate a birthday. The staff were very accommodating and the food was great! It was so many choices to choose from, but I got the country fries steak with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and macaroni and cheese, which was very filling that I had to take home leftovers. The ambience was nice with a southern comfort style that was spacious. It's similar to a cafeteria line where you pick which entrée you want., along with the two sides and they serve it to you. I wish you could can go back for more, similar to a buffet because the food was so yummy! I definitely plan to go back soon.

There was a last minute change to my Thanksgiving day plans. I needed a place to grab some food to go to take to family at the hospital. Upon doing a quick search I found this restaurant. When I pulled up I noticed that there was a long line! I did not have many options so I just mentally prepared myself to wait. It took about an hour to finally make it to the kitchen to place my order. This restaurant is cafeteria style. It is nostalgic and made me feel like I was back in high schools. I purchased a total of 5 plates and I am almost certain it was under $100! You get a meat, 2 sides, bread and a drink. They do offer additional items such as salads and desserts for an additional cost. The one thing I can say about this place is that the employees are outstanding! Everyone was friendly and it was evident that they enjoyed coming to work. For it to be a day when most of us are off, they were happy to be doing their jobs! It really was refreshing to witness happy employees. In regard to the food, it was decent. I will say it's not the best tasting food I have had, but also not the worst. I would not go out of my way to return. If in the area and someone wants to check it out I would go with them. Overall- great place for a well priced meal guaranteed to have stellar service!

The food was good a well seasoned. The line servers are very personable The have our Red Hatters birthday luncheon there 2 or 3 times a year.

That good was so good I almost had to take off my wig and slap myself with a cornbread. Very clean and budget friendly but still upscale.

I have to say that this is a restaurant that I wasn't happy with after my first two visits. I don't know if it was what I selected or not. Since then, however, I have been coming here on a semi-regular basis and the food is good. The staff is attentive and I have found a couple of entrees that I like. The desserts are a bit sweet for me but I don't usuallylly eat them very often.

It was just like after church with my parents when I was a kid. The food was prepared well. The desserts were delicious and the environment was pleasant. My wife is a vegetarian so she did not have very many options considering they cook them in meat. Overall, this is a nice family restaurant.

Food reminds me of homemade Sunday dinner. Very quiet atmosphere in the dining room. Not to loud.

I would consider Magnolia an elevated southern blue plate special-type cafeteria. They offer freshly prepared entrees with all the sides. This my second time here. Whenever I am in the Atlanta area I seek out this place as their food never disappoints and the price is right. So far I have had the catfish, fried chicken, black-eyed peas, greens, mashed potatoes and cobbler. I will definitely try the breaded steak or liver and onions on my next trip. I really enjoy the atmosphere and service.

Excellent food! All the veggies are fresh never frozen or canned. Marie maybe Maria provided excellent service-so kind! Everyone here is friendly! I'm a vegetarian so I cannot attest to the meat-but the veggie ROCK and the desserts are amazing too!

The staff is so nice and sweet! Everyone has high energy and the place is gorgeously decorated, plenty of parking and pretty easy to get a table on a weekday evening! Lots of options including a veggie plate, big portions and you're allowed to take to go

This place has the best Mac and cheese I have ever tasted..and the service was good the waitress was very attentive I loved the old country feel of the place

Never a bad experience here! The owners take great effort to keep the place clean and appealing and in excellent repair. They even have fresh flowers on most of the tables-a nice above and beyond addition. Food is always very good with a good varied selection and is always fresh and served at the correct temperatures. The staff ALWAYS pleasant. I try to support them for all of the above whenever and as often as I can.

This place is FABULOUS! From the moment you get in line (think Piccadilly cafeteria line), you are greeted with "welcome to Magnolias, we are so happy you are here"! Plus, everyone is SMILING to the point that you believe that they actually mean it! This place is super clean, including the restrooms....tables are being bussed constantly, and even the plates on our table were being removed once they were empty. Our drinks were kept filled, including the waters. Now on to the important part the FOOD! Unbelievably DELICIOUS every single item down to the very last morsel....our table of 5 had the following: 3 had catfish (huge pieces cooked perfectly served with tarter or cocktail sauces and they tasted so fresh and clean not like the bottom feeders they are), the other 2 had fried chicken white meat which were huge breasts with wings attached. We had the following sides Carrot salad (amazing could've been a dessert), cabbage cooked perfectly, fried okra, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, squash casserole (my favorite), green beans and none of these were from a can! 3 ppl had the sugar-free chocolate pie, and 1 had the regular chocolate pie. All were wonderful! I had the egg custard pie, and it was perfection on a saucer ! I know that my catfish with 2 sides was $19.95, my egg custard pie was $2.95, and my tea was $2.95. My meal was worth every penny, plus it equaled 2 meals bc I took home enough for tomorrow! If you enjoy home cooked soul food, this is THE PLACE to get it! I wished I had taken pictures, but once that food was placed on my tray, all I thought about was getting it in my tummy !

I had a great time!!!! I'd come back again. Matthew's is down the street but we wanted to try something new. Need To come back for the peach cobbler. Country fried steak was huge and well done!!! Friendly service. Everyone was nice. A bit pricey, but portions were big.

This place is very nice. Coming here reminds me of going to Piccadilly, but a more southern style to it. The employees are very welcoming when you come in. It's a buffet style, so grab your tray and pick your food. They have a good variety of food and still have cook to order options too. The servers are really nice and attentive as well!

Food is ok I just wish there were more menu choices. Service is always friendly and in point restaurant/bathrooms are clean

Ventured here on a Sunday, the line was out the door. This restaurant models the southern cafeteria S&S (if you know you know). You pretty much grab a tray and go down the line. There is a variety of southern cuisine (fried chicken, smothered pork chops, fried, catfish, baked half chicken, meatloaf, rice, butter, beans, collard and turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, jalapeño, cornbread, regular, cornbread, roll, and many other things I can't remember. I opted for the smothered pork chop (which came with rice, not considered 1 of the two sides), turnip greens and butter beans. I also got broccoli salad and a slice of sweet potato pie. Pricing for sides weren't very obvious. I mean the food was banging! Tasted like Sunday dinner after church. Not one complaint. The restaurant itself is very causal, you seat your self and server is there if needed. You pay at the end. They also do catering!

We come here about once a month! ( Food is so good we can't come more often! ) my husband can't get past the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fresh cooked green beans! I'm always on the lookout for their chicken fried chicken with sawmill gravy! If not that-the catfish either baked or stuffed! Love their food and their staff!!

This was my first time at the Magnolia Room, and I definitely will return whenever I'm in Atlanta. The food was delicious and the portions were a nice size. Everything looks so good, we wanted to taste it all. This was one of those moments when I could hear my big mama say, "your eyes are bigger than your stomach." The staff was friendly, the cafe was nicely decorated with a touch of southern charm. I definitely recommend!

I happened upon this place when I was getting work done on my car. It was walking distance and I needed a place to kill time. My tire busted on the interstate so I wasn't having a great day BUT THIS PLACE--it was so pleasant. Everyone was so inviting and friendly. It's set up like a cafeteria and once your done selecting your food you can sit wherever you like but there is still a wait staff and they are so attentive. The food is your typical southern comfort fixings and very tasty. I enjoyed my visit and will be back again. Overall, It's a very cute restaurant you have to try.

The service here is always amazing. We always have Velma and she is on point and the best server. Food is good and southern comfort food at its finest. Ingredients are higher quality and the food is homemade. We enjoy coming here greatly. I love the chopped steak, chicken and cabbage.

Coming to Magnolia Room feels like coming home to your grandkolks house for dinner and they've pulled out all the stops. The food served here makes any day a special meal day. From the baked chicken to the meatloaf to squash casserole to the broccoli salad and cooked carrots, everything here is fresh and delicious. Go in and say hello to Mr Gary ! He's glad to see you!

Very unsuspecting from outside , extremely clean inside , amazing fresh southern cooking ! Very nice staff . Cannot recommend more , I will be back for sure ! Go try it yourself

Always off the chain good , service is on point , customer service on point. Its your mothers and grandmothers cooking in Tucker my home town it's a true winner.

It's been years since I've been here. Service decor and food were not the greatest I remember one of the servers being less than kind. She may have had a long and difficult day. The food was salty. The decor reminded me of churches I attended as a kid in the mid 70s. Again it's been a while, only went that one time. Hope it's changed for the better since then. Sorry for the not so great review

This was our first visit. My grandson and I enjoyed the selection of food. It tasted great. The staff was very friendly and efficient.

As an 8th gen native Atlantan I know great southern cuisine when I taste it and have eaten at all the landmarks, past and present, in the city and throughout the South. As many have noted while they're fewer and far between, restaurants that serve "down home/ soul food" still exist. I'd heard about this place for years. When renovating a home in Tucker we decided to try it out. Having read reviews on Google and this site I knew what foods to avoid and which ones seemed to be the fan favs. On the 1st visit I got two veggie plates to go. The place was clean, I received a pleasant greeting and everyone seemed congenial. The portions were generous and for the most part everything was palatable with a shout out to the squash casserole, candied sweet potatoes and corn muffins. The cabbage and greens were both over seasoned. We had enough leftovers for a second meal. The following week I went back for fried chicken and Turkey. The white meat breast/wing combo looked over cooked and the crust on the skin had an odd texture so opted for the chicken tenders. My husband got the cornbread stuffing with his Turkey and said it was good however the Turkey was processed and despite being smothered in salty gravy wasn't too tasty. The chicken tenders had no seasoning, the crust/skin was soggy while the tender itself was dry. Perhaps if they sliced the tenders a bit thinner they'd fry up crispier without getting dried out and tough. We tried the banana pudding and sadly the texture was awful. I think it was the worst I've ever had. If you can't nail a southern staple it's best to leave it off the menu. Furthermore the portions of the veggies were half of what they'd been on my first visit a week earlier which was unfortunate since the entrees proved to be a miss. Finally, I got to the restaurant during a down time and had to stand around a few minutes before anyone looked my way and came to wait on me. No biggie but the entire experience was a 360 from the one a week earlier. Not to mention the bill was $40+ for cafeteria food. We could have ordered a great meal from Roasters via DD or Uber Eats for the same price. Had we dined in it would have been less. Not to mention Mathew's and Hickory House both near Magnolia serve the same veggies for 20-25% less and you get the same size portion of properly seasoned food every visit!

I booked this venue with the event specialist Morgan, for a corporate meeting held today. When I arrived I proceeded to approach an attendant who was at the register, and advised her that I was looking for Morgan and if she could help me. She looked me directly in the eye and said nothing. With no disrespect, I then asked her if she spoke English because of the eye contact with no response, She again looked directly at me and said, :Oh I heard you:" but still did not offer to help me to find Morgan. She then walked to the kitchen and said, "Morgan some lady looking for you". By this time I was floored because she could have asked my name or even acknowledged my existence. When she came out seconds later, she smirked and mumbled the words, "the f***", now I am offended because I felt she meant that for me as our eyes connected without and verbal exchange of words. When Morgan came from the back I advised her of my experience and she said, "I'm sorry that happened". After we were there for almost three hours, I never received an apology from the host nor a manager's on duty. As we were preparing to leave, I noticed the host on the line laughing with her team as she noticed me standing waiting for Morgan again. This was my very first time at this establishment and because of my experience I was unable to enjoy the meal therefore I do not intend of returning. I can not verify or deny if anyone said anything to her but nevertheless her behavior was not only unprofessional but down right rude. I will not include her name her but she and Morgan very well know who I am referring to. Morgan was good and our server also. Signed, -upset and disappointed

I love the vegetables plates and the chopped beef. The restaurant has a wonderful staff. The area is great.

I love this place - it is truly unique with amazing food and the friendliest employees around! It truly is a treasure! (I don't think the menu on the website is updated daily as it once was. I wish it would because I like to check for my favorites before I go!)

We are from Atl and drive to Tucker and enjoyed this fabulous restaurant . So clean , friendly staff, and fresh veggies and delicious desserts . The catfish and chicken were divine . It's worth the drive .

Service was outstanding! Quaint restaurant with a warm southern feel. I loved the Cabbage, best I have had in a long time. I have heard great things about the Turkey Wings too, will try those next time.

Decent. Nice to have a home cooking place nearby. Not an all the time place but definitely an option.

Reminds me of a Piccadilly, but the food is so much better! This is a local treasure!

The food is great here. They have something on their menu for everyone. Lots of delicious desserts. There's a line but it moves quickly. Eaten here several times and would recommend it. I'm

The food was good and the portions were large. There is usually a wait for take-out but employees are efficient and polite.