Pink Magnolia

Awesome! Chef Blythe even came over to greet all the guests in her house. Love, love, love her! We loved the hospitality and warmth of the Pink Magnolia and the food was amazing. At the top of my brunch spots!

In short: Overpriced for an average brunch.
Stopped into Pink Magnolia around 11am on a Sunday to try their brunch. Had reservations so we didn’t have to wait for a table.
First things first, at Sunday brunch, I had to order a bloody mary. Not bad but it wasn’t until I got the bill that I noticed they were $ 10 each! Somehow I missed that on the menu. NOT bottomless… NOT huge… just a regular size bloody mary. A bit overpriced considering you can find some decent bottomless spots in Dallas for $ 10.
As for food, I tried the Chicken Fried Ribeye. The batter was decent, nice and peppery, but overall… nothing special. My husband tried the half beef, half bacon burger. He enjoyed it and gives the burger itself a «4 out of 5.»
With all of the brunch options in Dallas I can’t say Pink Magnolia will make it on my list for a return visit.

We didn’t have a reservation but were there at 6:00 pm on a Saturday and were seated immediately. Our server persuaded me to do the Chef’s Control option ($ 75), while my boyfriend opted for full dishes. We had fantastic drinks while we waited, having the Southern Belle and the Magnolia Manhattan. Both were unique tastes without overpowering our food (or making you too buzzed to enjoy it).
To start off he got the full serving of the Chef’s Deviled Eggs, while I had the tasting portions of a Chef’s Deviled Egg, a Texas Lamb Chop Lollipop, and Warm Crab & Lemon Dip. The eggs were great, I feel like a bit of a spicier kick could have added more to the overall flavor. The lamp chop was amazing, I would have eaten a full sized plate happily! And the crab dip with the thin wafer chip was good, much smoother than I would have expected for such a dense dip. I also had a tasting portion of the Iceberg Baby Salad which was pretty similar to most blue cheese and bacon wedge salads (but that in no way means I didn’t like it).
For the tasting option they give you a fish and a protein. The fish portion was Ceyenne Garlic Shrimp & Grits. I have never liked grits but I actually enjoyed the creamier texture of these. Then for the protein they served the Chicken Fried Ribeye, with Naughty Creamed Corn and Mustard Greens. It was all good and the greens were interestingly spiced but I could have eaten that corn for days. My boyfriend had the off-​the –menu Brined Chicken with mashed potatoes. He enjoyed it; the chicken was good but I felt like it could have done with more seasoning as well as more butter for the potatoes.
We ended with the tasting portion of Butter Cake which they cover with Bailey’s in front of you, advising you wait as long as possible for it to soak longer. I liked it, but being an intense sweets lover I felt like the Bailey’s cut through the sweet factor of the cake. My boyfriend, being a bartender, felt like the soak was necesary and a great additive. When the bill was brought back it came with Butter, Bacon, and Booze Cinnamon rolls (minis) as our «parting bites». These were amazing and I’m still mad I had to give one to my boyfriend. Overall this place was fun, with an interesting spin on southern cooking, and I’m dying to try their brunch!

This is one of the best «at home» restaurants I have ever been to! Chef Blythe creates an environment of fun, laughter, comfort and home.
We have been there several times and each time it has been magical. From the naughty mac-​n-​cheese to the lamp pops, it has been perfection. I cannot wait to go back again and again and again.

Dinner at Pink Magnolia in the Bishop Arts District was probably the best meal I’ve had in… I don’t even know. Can’t remember a more pleasurable and delicious meal. The atmosphere and décor were perfection. We stupidly arrived without a reservation but thankfully got a quick tip from a friend of mine, that bar and the chefs counter are always first come first serve so bam, we cozied up with Chef Blythe Beck and the awesome staff. It was ah-​maz-​Ing. Sit at the Chefs counter if you can!!! We started with their famous deviled eggs. I don’t really care for deviled eggs. I could eat these for days. Then roasted chicken with a homemade biscuit stuffing and the most amazing gravy/​sauce, whatever. Every bite was delish. As Rebecca said of her meal… it’s like meat candy. Ha! Totally! A side of Mac and cheese that made me want to lick the plate and for dessert? Makers Mark Banana Pudding with brown sugar caramelized bananas. Omg. Literally every bite of every thing was perfection. The wait staff was awesome and Chef Blythe was hilarious and awesome. If you live in the Dallas Fort Worth area this needs to be on your list. They also do brunch! Excited to try that soon!!! #foodie #yumyum #pinkmagnolia #birthdayblessing #birthdayouting #girlsnight #BishopArts thanks For the perfect day! Oh yea and the surprise last bite cinnamon rolls… just the perfect way to end the meal.

I absolutely love this place! My expectations were met, well honestly they exceeded my expectations… even with our rather sarcastic, somewhat slick-​talking waiter Chip. I’ll leave that there LoL
From the moment my reservations were made for Sunday brunch, I couldn’t stop looking at the pictures on Unilocal,couldn’t stop looking at the website, what I would possibly order and I was most excited about meeting the amazingly fun, Chef Blythe Beck!
Walking up to Pink Magnolia, well just looking at the building from the outside, it’s so home-​like, so cozy and comforting. Luckily, I found a parking spot right on the side of the building, like VIP always! Walking in, everything is literally right in front of you. The bar is to the right, the kitchen is in the corner, an open kitchen which I love and there’s an outside covered area for more seating. Our table was cleaned up and ready for us within seconds of us walking through the door, so things started off great. As soon as we sat down, I saw her and her bright red hair. Chef Blythe Beck. I was SO star struck, but I had to focus and figure out what I was going to devour.
What’s crazy is, the weekend I chose to visit Pink Magnolia, it was within the 21 days that I chose to give up bread. SO, I was not able to indulge in the Biscuits & Cinnamon Brown Sugar Butter. I must say, they looked and smelled amazing, so flaky, hot and fresh. Because I didn’t get my bread fix, I was ready to eat right away. I decided on the Corned Beef Hash. I see it on pretty much every brunch menu I’ve ever looked at, I’ve never had it, so that’s what I got. It was very good, filling portion, lots of thick, flavorful corned beef, chunky potatoes, a little too much grease at the bottom of the bowl, but I saw it as flavor. Sadly, I couldn’t taste the other dishes at my table: Steak & Egg Tacos and the Fried Chicken & Waffles, but judging from the others that ate it, it was tasty as well.
The hospitality from Chef Blythe and her staff, was so awesome we ended up paying our bill, talking more, an hour or so more, and ended up ordering dessert and coffee. Get the Butter Cake or the Gingerbread Cheesecake, trust me. The ending to a great Sunday, Chef Blythe came from out of the kitchen, smelling like «bacon and shame» as she said, with a huge smile on her face and took pictures with me. It was THE BEST!

Pink Magnolia has some great interior design going on! But it felt like any other brunch place in Dallas. We got the biscuits & butter to start off — really good if you love jalapeño cornbread and super buttery biscuits. They come with a side of cinnamon brown sugar butter that goes really well with the bread. I think that was my favorite thing on the menu. The shrimp & grits is above average in the DFW area, but the chicken & waffles was just okay.
So, I really loved the bread. One of the better places for shrimp & grits. Chicken & waffles wasn’t worth it. But overall, it’s just another average Dallas brunch restaurant.

Celebrated my birthday here with Brunch. Although I had a reservation we waited about 20mins for our table which was fine as not everyone had arrived. While we waited we had drinks at the bar.
They have a great drink menu. I had the Pink Magnolia Punch which was delicious. The service at the bar was very good. Once seated we ordered drinks which took FOREVER to come. We easily waited 30 minutes for our drinks. The drink I had ordered «An Isle Away» could not be made because they did not have one of the main components. This was not communicated until they brought all the drinks over (after waiting 30mins). They decided to make me an alternative drink (that I did not select). This drink had egg whites in it which I did not care for. I ended up having the Grapefruit Fizz which was delicious!
Onto the food… The devil eggs were delicious and had a great flavor. I ordered the chicken fried ribeye and had the eggs scrambled with cheese. The eggs were very fresh and tasted good. The chicken fried ribeye was underwhelming, it was just ok. Two people ordered the chicken and waffles and had issues with the chicken not being fully cooked. They were accommodated with a new order of chicken.
Another person had the Cristo sandwich which she thought was delicious especially the strawberry sauce that went with it. A couple people ordered the burger and said it was delicious. And one person got the shrimp and grits — she loved it! I did taste the grits and they were off the chain. They had a really smokey taste to them that was great.
Overall Pink Magnolia was a miss for me. Our server was very friendly, however between the wait for our drinks once seated and my meal choice (ribeye) it was just ok. I wouldn’t go back for brunch but I wouldn’t mind trying the Sunday supper. If I was to do brunch I would suggest the shrimp and grits.

It was better than I expected and I expected a lot.
We started with the Texas Lamb Chop Lollipops and the Cran and Lemon Dip appetizer that were both incredibly delicious. The fillet, the Naughty Cream Corn and the Bourbon Galzed Carrots were all very satisfying.
The chef came by the table later and I was impressed by her commitment to keeping the food simple and the atmosphere as if you were having dinner at her home. The atmosphere is warm and inviting not a pretentious moment could be found. The crowd was very mixed, smartly dressed and clearly enjoying themselves.
The barkeep paired a perfect Chardonnay for us and the server was attentive and tempered his pace to ours as we were having a very slow meal.
One question I have for the chef, are the menus covering the walls of the T’s her personal collection? Or old family recipes?

Arrived at 12:30pm for brunch on Sunday. Table of 8. About a 10 min wait with reservation. Short version: service was great, great… Joe was our waiter and he was just a sweet Georgia Peach; I would go back just to see Joe again. Food was good but lacking in portion allocation. Solid brunch option with a great vibe.
Environment: bustling, busy, loud but in a good way — lots of jovial spirits enjoying themselves; there is an outdoor patio with seating for both dining and awaiting your table. The bar area had these vibrant hunter green seat covers that stood out (in a good way) to me for some reason. Small parking lot. Youthful restaurant personality. Friendly patrons… I wreak of amicability; our table sang happy birthday to another table and everyone just cheerfully engaged each other. And then there was Joe… love.
Food: sampled a bite of shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and the meatloaf sandwich. The meatloaf sandwich was a winner… the ciabatta bread was so soft and toasted with butter or something… just good. I didn’t expect the bread to be soft… I thought it was going to be a «hearty» and crusty bread that I’d have to use my teeth to fight with a bit… so happy I was wrong, this sandwich was good! Shrimp and grits would take 2^nd place, and then the chicken and waffles, 3^rd. Also got to try a little banana pudding which had rum? You could taste the liqueur… tasty. Sipped on the «lady punch» which tasted like a mimosa. Price point wasn’t horrid, but the food portions were a little on the sparse side… beef that up and you’ve got yourself a dedicated fan here!

Came for brunch with a few friends (and hubby, of course). We started with drinks… I ordered the Bruléed Grapefruit Fizz and it was lovely. Actually sweeter than I thought it would be, but tasty. Hubby got the bloody mary and all he said, before he polished it off was «spicy!» There was a piece of bacon attached to the usual bit of food hanging on and it was a mighty fine bite of bacon. Could’ve been two bites but hubby would’ve killed me right there in front of all those people. But as loud as the place is no one would’ve heard a thing. I mean it was insanely loud. It was crowded, to be fair, but whoever designed the interior didn’t bother checking the acoustics and obviously wasn’t particularly bothered about ever coming there to enjoy a meal.
Someone at the table ordered deviled eggs and some biscuits and butter. The filling in the eggs tasted great but the egg white itself was a bit rubbery so I guess it was cooked the day before. Plus these eggs were possibly the smallest eggs I’ve ever seen.
I didn’t really care for the biscuits. First off they could’ve used a few more minutes in the oven as they seemed a tad too mushy. But what didn’t work at ALL for me was the mix of a pretty yummy garlic and jalapeño biscuit with the cinnamon and brown sugar butter. Each by themselves was good, but together I thought it was an odd and not pleasant combo.
Hubby ordered the Oak Cliff Cristo, which was massive. I didn’t taste it but it looked fantastic and he said it was good. The accompanying fries were pretty good. Thin and perfectly cooked. I could’ve just had a plate of those and had been happy. I ordered the Hoecake Stack, which again was enough food to feed 3 (not complaining at all because, helloooo leftovers!). The cakes were lovely and delicious and the syrup was real syrup and made me happy. The sausages weren’t really spicy as advertised but were ok. Definitely nothing special.
The service was efficient, friendly, and quick. She did bring us dessert menus (after all *that*…crazy!) but none of us ordered anything. I was almost tempted by the butter cake but it’s obscenely priced at $ 11. Seriously, not a typo. How do you get off charging $ 11 for a *piece* of cake when the rest of the brunch menu is fairly reasonably priced?
I don’t know if I’d make a special trip down there just to try something else, especially as noisy as it is in there. But there are a few more pluses than negatives so that’s something I guess.

I ‘think’ the food was delicious… But I couldn’t concentrate for the insane amount of noise!
I would definitely give this four stars had the noise level not been so absurdly distracting. Actually left with a small headache. At a table for two we couldn’t hear each other talk.
The interior is clean and simple without trying to hard and the service was great. I’d like to blame the noise level on the table of 20-​somethings that were enjoying drinks and brunch near us but my fear is that the noise is going to continue to be an issue until something is done to address the issue.
While a little bit of a limited brunch menu, several things sounded good. I settled on the Christo and John had the chicken and waffles; both were delicious. The flavor of the Christo totally made up for the stone-​cold side of french fries.
I would definitely try the pink magnolia again… Probably for dinner next time. If still around in the spring their patio looks nice, and a perfect solution for the deafening noise inside.

When I hear southern food, I’m always automatically turned off because I feel like there aren’t many vegetarian options. But, let me say, pink magnolia does southern food well. Chef Blythe even came around and talked to all of the tables which seemed pretty cool.
Menu: blue jam cocktail (rum, blueberry preserves, lime, mint)
Shrimp and grits
Spicy fries
Buttered corn soup
Delicious!
The shrimp and grits were super thick and super savory. It was unlike any grits I had seen or eaten — these were more like thick rice, almost like congee. It was flavorful and good, but at the end, I think I’m pretty sure I saw some bacon in there. Good thing this wasn’t my dish and I just had a couple of spoonfuls from the boy. The shrimp was very fresh and very juicy, not dried out. Cooked perfectly.
Corn soup was sooo delicious. The flavor was really popping with the sweet corn and the butter and there was a tiny bit of spice. It also was creamy but not thick and creamy which I tend to veer from.
Spicy fries: these weren’t very spicy at all, but they were still pretty good. Thin, very crispy, probably double fries.
The prices are a bit on the high side ($ 16 for shrimp and grits… five shrimp and grits) and $ 8 for a shallow bowl of soup. I mean, we probably walked out spending nearly $ 50 for brunch without being completely satisfied, but it’s good food, that’s for sure.
Plus! If anything, you get strawberry bonbons as your mint!

I’m going to cut to the chase. I enjoyed my drink and the ambience way more than my food. I would like to consider myself a chicken and waffle connoisseur. I was not impressed at all with taste of the waffles. Dare I say, it tasted like the frozen Ego waffles. There was nothing special about the taste. The chicken had a decent flavor but you needed the bourbon syrup to give it that kick. The gravy was meh. I wouldn’t get this entrée anymore.
So you might be asking «Well, what was good about your experience?» Glad you asked. That item would be the Blue Julep. So so so good and kept this brunch from being a complete wash. The drink has Don Q rum, homemade blueberry preserves, lime, mint and powered sugar. So much goodness in one drink. I absolutely loved that I could taste all the preserves. This drink brought such much happiness in my time of food despair.
Moving on… I love the black, white and green décor. Very contemporary and clean. The wait staff was very nice. Everyone was welcoming and had smiles on their faces. That also helped me get over my displeasure with my food. :-/​
So will I come back? Yes. Why? Hell, chicken and waffles is not the only thing on the menu. I’m just saying.

I wanted to try this place for one reason and one reason only… Bacon Cheddar Meatloaf. I have had no other experience with a Chef Blythe Beck restaurant, but heard good things. As a result I thought this dish (I got the sandwich version) would be great. It was good and not bad at all, however, it did sound more dynamic than it actually was. I have to think there is a way to crisp up the bacon as it was very soft and, well flaccid (who wants that). I did not like their «spicy» fries and they serve them with nothing to dip them into. After I asked, they ended up bringing ketchup which just didn’t seem to mix well with these particular fries. Additionally neither my friend nor I felt the cinnamon brown sugar butter paired well with the jalapeño garlic cornbread biscuits. This was a bit of a theme…
We came for brunch. Shortly after walking in, I got the sense they are a little confused and are not entirely sure they know what they are doing. The place has brunch written all over it, yet has TVs in their indoor patio area. Great if you want to watch a game, but didn’t seem to fit with the look and feel they’re going for. The décor while nice at first glance, also seems more forced and manufactured then organic and with any definitive artistic vision. It feels a little Pleasentville/​Stepford Wives like to me.
When we came, it was during their first 3 weeks of being open and it showed. They seemed eager to please which is always appreciated, yet it took 40 minutes to get our main dishes and with no apology. I would expect that in Europe, but not here and not when there were only 3 other tables. I can’t imagine how long it would take if they were actually busy. Once the food did arrive however, it seemed it might have been sitting back there a little while as it was served room temperature. This first experience didn’t leave me with any real incentive or desire to return. I’ll finish with a quote from Scott Reitz of The Dallas Observer:
«…with a restaurant as packed as this one on the weekends, there’s not enough Beck to go around, leaving a vacuum that’s not quite filled by her cooking. Without her personality, Pink Magnolia becomes just another expensive Southern restaurant with a trendy dining room. The food can’t stand up on its own.»
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Yummm! Delicious southern food! I had heard the buzz about this place and had to check it out, and boy did it deliver!
The décor and ambiance is so cute! You can tell they paid attention to detail and followed a fresh theme. The swing area outside is beautifully lit at night!
On to the food, I had the Texas redfish which was grilled and served with a dollop of butter mix that was to die for! I’m not sure what was mixed into the butter but it was the perfect mix! The size of the fish was pretty small and I would how been happy with a large cut of fish in exchange for smaller portioned sides. It came with 2 sides, I traded the spinach for green bean casserole (which was plenty for more than 2 people!) and the lobster dirty rice which was a smaller more normal sized portion which I cleaned up because it was so good! They don’t skimp on the lobster either. The green bean casserole wasn’t something I was crazy about personally. The creamed corn was also really good, its sweet corn so don’t be surprised! I saw a picture of the pimento mac and cheese another Unilocaler posted and had to try it but I was a little underwhelmed with it, I really wanted to love it but it just didn’t do it for me.
I’ll definitely be back for more soon!

I wanted to love this restaurant! I usually either love or hate a place but Pink Magnolia was very average.
Reservations — very easy to make on Unilocal.Text confirmation. Fantastic!
Parking — somewhat limited but used to that in Oak Cliff. Scored a spot by the door so no complaints.
Hostess — this was where things got strange. Walked into the restaurant with tons of staff but a missing hostess. After 90 seconds a random woman walked in from outside and asked us if we needed help. Caught off guard — was she a random diner offering assistance, someone from the neighborhood? She ended up passing us off to another woman who could not seem to understand I made a reservation. A very uncomfortable and unwelcoming start to the evening.
Server — absolutely lovely! She was actually the best part of the experience. Honest with her recommendations, upsold us when appropriate, quick to respond to requests, and literally 5 seconds away any time we needed something.
Wine — limited options by the glass. They clearly want you to buy the bottle.
Food — yikes! Still a long way to go. Started with the biscuits and butter. Good but not memorable. Moved on to the pork chop and red fish for dinner. The pork chop was bland — needed some more spice. I found several large bones in my red fish which were unpleasant to find when eating. The stuffing with the pork chop was fantastic (although luke warm). We added the Mac and cheese for a side. I love Mac and cheese but this one was no where near my top 20.
HUGE ISSUE: none of the food came out hot! Everything was warm (ish). It felt like we were delayed in traffic and arrived home for dinner 20 minutes later than expected and our plate of food was placed in the oven on the warm setting (well, maybe not even that warm).
Noise — one of the loudest dining experiences I’ve encountered in Dallas. Especially strange since the restaurant felt like a somewhat intimate space.
Overall — $ 120 for a three course meal and three glasses of wine. Too expensive for a mediocre dining experience. It’s great to see investment in my favorite Dallas neighborhood. I have high hopes this restaurant can improve and become another destination in Bishop Arts.

We ordered the Lobster Jalapeño HushPuppies. They were overcooked, dry, gritty and bitter. When the waiter was advised, he agreed they were not good and took them back to the kitchen. The kitchen sent them back to our table, saying that was the way they were supposed to be.
In my opinion, a great hushpuppy is golden brown, not dark brown, providing a crisp exterior, with a thoroughly cooked yet somewhat moist interior, not so overcooked the whole thing crumbles.
Although the accompanying aoili was spot on righteous, this appetizer did nothing but ruin out appetite. We paid our bill and left.
After having heard such great things about Pink Magnolia, we were severely bummed out over our experience.

Chef Blythe Beck has been known for making good comfort food, so I made a reservation to give her Bishop Arts restaurant a try. My party of 3 got there on time and were able to park right in the lot at no charge. We get inside and the hostess told us to wait at the bar because it’s at least a 20 minute wait. I wasn’t thrilled that we had to wait that long, but the space was not too large to accommodate a lot of people, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
Since we waited at the bar for so long, I was able to really take in my surroundings. I felt like I was in a house with vintage, yet modern décor if that makes sense. The best thing I noticed was the chef herself in the kitchen executing. Next time, I’ll make sure to request the chefs table so that I can really see her in action.
We went to the bar and had to stand for about 15 minutes and the bartender never asked if we wanted to order drinks. It wasn’t until we were able to score seats at the bar that he finally provided us with his service.
We finally got seated and after already ordering drinks, we started off with the Buttered Corn Bisque. It was so rich and creamy with just the right amount of corn flavor. I highly recommend it.
We also shared an order of the Butter and Biscuits and they were heavenly. The warm biscuits were moist and delicious all on its own. But, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I spread some of the cinnamon butter on it and it was outstanding!
I ordered the Red Fish with Spinach and Lobster Dirty Rice and let’s just say, I didn’t leave a crumb on my plate. The fish was cooked to perfection and had so much flavor. The lobster rice was a real hit, and the spinach was great.
I had a taste of my friends cheddar meatloaf and I already know that that’s what I’m ordering the next time I come here! The meat was very tender and had a barbecue sauce out of this world drenching the meat.
We shared a side of Maple Glazed Carrots and they were amazing! I like that they didn’t overlook the carrots making them mushy. They were just right.
At the end of the night, we received mini cinnamon rolls that were to die for. They were so sweet and delightful.
We were at the table raving about the night and that’s when Chef Blythe came out to ask how our dinner went. That was basically the icing on the cake.

Chef Blythe’s restaurant is good. The ambiance is pleasant, the wait-​staff is good, and the drinks are reasonably-​priced. We tried the lobster hushpuppies and were a little disappointed. Not much lobster and definitely over-​salted. I love salt… and I could only eat one or two before drinking 6 cups of water. Next up was the most popular dish — the chicken fried ribeye. I eat a lot of chicken fried steaks, chicken fried chickens, etc. Here at the Pink Magnolia… it was good but not great. I mean the plate is $ 26… I felt like I was getting a $ 12 chicken fried steak. The sweet collared greens that it came with was absolutely delicious.
Would I suggest this restaurant to my other foodie friends? Probably not. I am afraid Dallas chef’s are getting too comfortable with this $ 25-​average entrée for something relatively standard. Sorry Chef, much love either way.