Bleaux Magnolia

We relied on Unilocal to look up places to go to for our first time in Napa. This one came up, and the menu was intriguing enough for us to check it out. We’re tried it out for Sunday brunch and it was great!
I ordered the Seafood Gumbo — OMG, you have to try this. But if you don’t like spicy, this isn’t for you. There are so many chunks of delicious in your bowl and you can taste every ingredient in each spoonful. But as you continue to eat… well, more like inhale it, the heat gets more intense. Well, that’s when you bite into your crumbly, buttery, heavenly Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread. Wow.
The hubby ordered the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. The crab cakes would have been fabulous on their own, but when you top it with a perfectly poached egg (not to runny and not overcooked) and some out of this world hollandaise sauce, it just makes it divine.
For dessert, we had the Bananas Foster. You’d think that after we cleaned up our plates to the last morsel, we wouldn’t be able to finish this. It didn’t stand a chance. We scarfed it down so fast, we forgot to take a picture.
The place was situated next to a parking garage, which is weird at first, but at least there’s plenty of parking. I would have given it 4 stars if our server was a little bit more attentive and less pretentious. Lucky for her the food was that good for me not be bothered by her.
I’d definitely recommend this place! Hopefully snobby-​waiter-​chick won’t be serving you.

We had lunch at Bleaux Magnolia during our wedding trip to Napa last summer. I am sorry to read from the last reviewer that things may have changed.
They also catered a small party for us serving various hot and cold hors d’ouveres that were simply awesome. Crab cakes were delicious and the «chicken and waffles» were to die for.
Definintely stop by Bleaux Magnolia the next time you are in the Napa Valley!

DO NOT be fooled by the highly-​rated past reviews!!!
This place has undergone some kind of ownership change or something within the last two months. The menu seems to have changed– there no crabcakes. In fact, the waiter was down-​right rude when I asked if they had them. He told me that «We don’t do those anymore, too much trouble» What the hell? Don’t they have pictures of blue crabs on their homepage???
I wanted Cajun/​Creole food and it wasn’t represented well on their lunch menu.
I decided after looking at the menu that I preferred not to dine there (I wanted crabcakes) so we explained (very aplogetically) to the waiter that we changed our minds due to menu choices. As we walked out of the restaurant he shouted a very ghetto-​styled «PEACE!!!» — – Again, what the hell???
We decided to go to The Pearl Restaurant instead and it was AMAZING! See my review for The Pearl Restaurant in Napa.

Best part of the meal was the hot sauce they gave us. It was a mixture of mango chutney, shallots and habaneros. My bf loved it so much he bought a bottle of it to take home with him. Also there is no corkage fee so we brought along the rose we got from Ceja. Yum!
My bf had the seafood gumbo which was good. I had the duck jambalaya. It was just okay but when the hot sauce was added it was very good. It just worked so well with the dish. For dessert we had the chocolate meltdown which was delicious.
Not the very best we have eaten but the food was good and service excellent. The owner was there and very welcoming.
We will come back for the hot sauce!

Great place but I’m giving this one an OK.
The oysters were spicy and awesome, my catfish was the best soft textured catfish i’ve had in a long while but it was not cajun/​creole. If you”ve never had catfish before this isn’t the place to try it for the first time.
My date had the Chicken and Waffles, They were down right awesome and probably the best Southern Creole dinner menu item at the joint.
I still dream about the bannana’s foster for dessert it was the only flavor that took me back to Southern LA.
If you are looking for a great patio to enjoy some California cuisine this is a good place. If you are looking for real creole let me know when you find it.

Food: For the app, I got the crab cakes. They were some of the best I’ve had (and I’m a big crab cake fan so I order them whenever I see them on the menu). My main course was the skirt steak marinated in teriyaki and other stuff. It was super tender, flavorful and delish… paired with homemade fries. Yums. And finally, the Banana Foster for dessert. I had to order it b/​c you really don’t see it on many menus. It was aiiiight nothing to brag about. But I did have a taste of my friend’s bread pudding and wow that was pretty damn good.
(note: if you love bread pudding the best that I’ve had are: the butterscotch bread pudding from Sonoma Chicken and the chocolate croissant bread pudding from Chaya)
Service: There was one server for the entire place. He was workin his butt off in the 90 degree weather. By the way, this place has no a/​c but a wonderful patio for the warm evenings. He was highly attentive and helpful.
Other: The bathroom is kinda strange. There’s like a tree stump in there. It’s weird.

Came here on a Saturday night around 7 and seating wasn’t too bad. We got patio seating outside, right under the heater. They even offered blankets as the night got cooler.
We started with their side of mac and cheese. The crust was prefect and had the perfect amount of cheese, hot and gooey. There was also big bits of bacon that ran through it which gave the perfect applewood smoke taste.
For entrée, we got the duck breast jambalaya– smoked duck sausage, confit duck leg, sliced whole duck breast with creole classic, I enjoyed this dish very much. Every bit was full of flavor, what are great jambalaya twist with duck. The duck was tender and jambalaya was filled with bits of goodies.
The other dish we got was the fried chicken and waffles. The fried chicken was placed on top with gravy on top. This dish came together very well and the best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had. There was a sweet taste to it and onion ran through the waffle batter. The chicken had great texture and was very juicy.
Overall experience here was excellent. The food and service made this place just awesome! You can bring your own wine with no cork fee, any day of the week.

This place is simply amazing solely for the fact that you can bring your own wine… AT NO CORKAGE FEE
We were seated on the patio, which was great because of the outdoor heaters. Started off with the two salads on the menu and the mac n cheese. The mac n cheese was quite tasty, with bits of applewood smoked bacon.
We had the catfish, chicken and waffles, gumbo, jambalaya, and a mélange of both the gumbo and jambalaya (what I ordered). I was not that impressed with it, but after tasting the combo, soooo good. I definitely should’ve ordered that. The gumbo spices it up and adds tons of flavor as my main issue was that it was pretty bland. It’s pretty reasonably priced for a solid, good, restaurant in Napa.
I hope to come back and get the fried chicken (which of course will never be as good as T. Keller’s buttermilk friend chicken at Ad Hoc).

A couple friends and I decided to eat lunch here after taking a tour at the Wallaby Yogurt Factory. It’s only about fifteen minutes away. There’s a lovely patio area and if it’s cold outside, they can turn on the heat lamps and they even offered blankets for our legs!
Seafood Gumbo (half bowl $ 9, full bowl $ 11) — spicy taso ham, fresh scallops, crab meat and prawns with bleaux marbled jalapeño cheddar cornbread. For lunch time, the half bowl was a good size for me especially since we ended up ordering a side and dessert. They definitely give you your money’s worth here because it is loaded with so much seafood! Every bite had a big chunk of seafood in it and they only put a tiny amount of rice in the center. One thing I’m confused about is that it was noticeably sour — my culinary friend said it could be a number of things (wine not reduced enough, acidity of tomatoes, or even just the type of gumbo) but I just thought I’d note that. The cornbread was remarkably soft and the jalapeño was light so even for those who don’t like jalapeño or spicy ingredients, you will still love this.
Sweet Potato Steak Fries with Chipotle Aioli ($ 5) — YUM. I’ve never had sweet potato STEAK fries before, only skinny. But each piece is cut carefully and cooked to a medium crispiness. The aioli is light and you only need a little bit with each fry otherwise it’ll make it too salty.
Now what really pushed this place to 5 stars was the BREAD PUDDING. Now it’s different from what’s on the website because this one actually had apples in it. It was like an apple pie mixed with a bread pudding topped with crème chantilly and sitting on the most amazing caramel sauce ever. It came out piping hot and you can even taste the sugar crystals in each bite — the bf said it was like sweet dirt (he meant it in a good way). Hands down, the best bread pudding I’ve ever had. Good job, pastry chef Richard Perot!
I also tried the Po’ Boy Sandwich (with fried oysters) and Pulled Pork Sandwich and they were both amazing. I would order any of those items again. What a fantastic meal with fantastic service.

MMM MMM GOOD!!!
I haven’t had Creole in ages, and this place was just the ticket to get me going again. Our server Daniel was awesome. He said he has dreams of the lamb and the Drunken Skirt steak, so we decided to go on his recommendations. Man, that night I had the same dream about that Skirt steak. The lamb was nice, but the Skirt… oh my GOD! Get it, get it, get it! You will NOT be disappointed. It’s got this incredible flavor and tenderness that was just awesome. It was served on a bed of fries, soaked in the steak juices. Gads… you gotta try this. Seriously…
The other item I’d recommend is the Manchego mac and cheese. The Manchego lent a nice mild, sophisticated flavor to an adult’s version of this true comfort food.
I liked the relaxed atmosphere, service and the cool, enclosed patio. At night during the spring and summer, they put up a tent over the patio where diners can enjoy the nice weather. And on Sundays, they do a nice brunch, which I am looking forward to trying. The dinner menu, while not a big one, had some nice offerings and I’m thinking I’ll be back to try that jambalaya, gumbo and duck. So far, so good.

A big «hells yeah» for this place. It was the highlight of our trip yesterday. The pulled pork BBQ, seafood gumbo and corn chowder were awesome. The jalapeño cornbread, the fresh walu in the guumbo and the slaw and sauce for the BBQ were all reasons we will be back for sure.
I am not sure why some might think this is expensive, but then again we were there for lunch. Either way, with the best wine we had all day and the meal, it was like 40 bones.
Oh, and I NEVER eat chips (unless I am drunk), and these homemade jobs were the shiznit.
I guess my only suggestion would be to have a more welcoming front. We (and we watched others do it too) had to check to see if it was even open. That said, it was a bit cloudy/​rainy, so the outside seating was not happening…

This place came highly recommended and we were very anxious to dine at Bleauz Magnolia during our visit last weekend.
I must say the oyster appetizer special was memorable. yummy. Crab cakes were ok. I ordered the catfish and it was also very good. BF ordered the Seafood Gumbo and I really wasn’t impressed. I would give the food and service a 4. The place is very small and was incredibly loud. Portions are on the small side.

Yum, yum and YUM. The intention of our trip to Napa Valley was to pick up some Cuvee Sauvage Chardonnay at Franciscan, but the highlight of the day was actually our lunch at Bleaux Magnolia. This little hidden treasure in downtown Napa certainly deserves the 4 stars that it currently has on Unilocal.We called to make lunch reservations (Saturday) while we were at the Domaine Chandon grounds, but it was really unnecessary. We arrived early at 11:45 and they were able to seat us immediately. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating available. The seating is limited, so if you are going to partake of a late lunch or perhaps, go for dinner, I would strongly recommend reservations.
The service was pleasant and the food was fresh, tasty and not greasy or heavy feeling. The menu consisted of a really interesting interpretation of creole cuisine. There were the staples, mixed in with other influences: po-​boys, gumbo, jambalaya (vegetarian)…there were salads, soups and sandwiches… something for every taste bud.
I had the drunken steak sandwich, which was TA DIE FOR… really. I can’t imagine a better sandwich after a morning spent tasting some stellar wines. The bread that they used for the sandwich was crispy and the pesto was a nice touch with the carmelized onions. Plus, I have no idea what they marinate the steak in (kahlua and something…), but that is the best drunk piece of meat that I’ve ever met… Literally and figuratively.
My veggie jambalaya was spicy and filling and the chicory coffee, hit the spot. I also tried my boyfriend’s shrimp po-​boy and I really have NO COMPLAINTS. The shrimp were fried to perfection and it was not overly greasy.
The damage for a party of 2:
½ bowl of jambalaya
1 chicory coffee
1 drunken steak sandwich
1 shrimp po-​boy
1 pear/​jicama cole-​slaw
39.33 (w/​tax, but not including tip)
The portion size was just enough, not too small and not to big. This is another goldilocks type of resto for me and I’m glad that I found it on Unilocal

Tucked away in its own little corner of Napa, Bleaux Magnolia won me over with their charm and varied menu of Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Crab Cakes Benedict, Chilaquiles, and Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread.
The Gator Tater Tots was interesting and the Pulled Pork a nice lunch time treat. The portion sizes are small enough to allow you to sample several different dishes from the tasty Monte Cristo Beignet to the Cabernet Basted Eggs & Grilled Meatloaf. Make sure to ask for the Mango & Habanero hot sauce and dip everything from the cornbread to your date into the sauce to spice up your palate. Movie night Wednesdays are a fun way to try this place as well as the Sunday Brunches; be mindful that the prices can sneak up on you especially if you’re starving.
The service is friendly although slow at times; but then again you’re in Napa, so where the hell are you headed to in a hurry.

We stopped by on our way to our napa boat tour. The tour ended up being so-​so, and we were bummed that we didn’t stay longer at bleaux to just enjoy the chill on the porch and the delicious food.
Our server (aka one of the co-​owners) was really helpful with the meal recommendation. We ended up ordering «gator tots». Our server gets extra props from my boyfriend for being a transformer fan (see picture of Optimus Prime rocking it out with the tots).
The gator tots were really good and tasted like a pulled pork ball mixed with a bit of potato. It wasn’t your run-​of-​the-​mill tater tots that remind you of childhood cafeteria lunches, but this was a grown up tot with braised crocodile meat.
I had the drunken steak sandwich, which was well tenderized and flavored. The crispy onions definitely complimented the sandwich well. My favorite was the pulled pork sandwich. I want to drive back up to Napa just for more of that pomegranate molasses sauce!
This place has great food, chill environment, and really hospitable staff.

Grilled Shrimp Po’Boy is to die for.
If Old Tyme Grocery couldn’t be my final meal on earth, then Bleaux Magnolia would be a fine substitute.
Cajun/​Creole lovers in the Bay should flock here.

This was yet another fantastic Unilocal success! Great spot for a mellow Sunday brunch with a healthy dose of Cajun flair. We sat out on the tent-​like patio and listened to some excellent live jazz while sipping fresh peach mimosas and feasting on delicious Creole treats like crab cake benedict, potato hash and a jambalaya breakfast burrito. The benedicts were out of this world– mine, the crab cake benedict, was served on a tasty English muffin that was a huge step above the standard Thomas’ muffin usually found beneath a benedict. My wife went with their new, house made sausage benedict which was served over scrumptious cornbread. The crabcakes were moist and flavorful, the sausage was bold and spicy and both dishes were topped with a delicious crawfish hollandaise sauce that we just couldn’t get enough of. My son also loved his breakfast burrito filled with eggs and duck jambalaya.
Can’t wait to come back and try some of the dinner dishes here– thanks again to Unilocal for pointing us towards Bleaux Magnolia!

A surprising location for a cool spot, but I think it works because it’s not really crowded and there’s plenty of parking. We had a great Sunday brunch with live music. We were seated on the edge of the patio so my arm got a little sunburnt (although we kept shifting inward) but it was a good experience overall.
Started with:
— gator tots – interesting – much like kahlua pork in texture and kinda spicy.
*- baked oysters – juicy and delicious, you eat with toasted focaccia
— melon juice drinks – very refreshing!
Main courses:
— duck jambalaya breakfast wrap – my bf really liked how the egg was done.
* — mushroom and asparagus frittata – nice, generous slice with a nice sized salad on the side. I should have asked for this to be heated a little.
Dessert:
* — chocolate flourless torte with chocolate malt ice cream – really yummy.
Definitely will be going back when we’re in the area.
* = favorites

This was not over rated in the least! It deserves all 5 stars!
We went for lunch… on a slow Wednesday. The staff made sure we had the table of our dreams… outside. partial sun. The service was great throughout our meal.
My dh had the catfish po’ boy… he loved the fish and the remoulade was spicy enough for him.
I had the butter leaf salad with the spicy shrimp… delisious…beets, macadamia and gorgonzola are my new favorite, and the voodoo grilled shrimp was large, and chewy, and hot… YUM!
We shared an order of cornbread… which was not a 10 for me… but I do not like my cornbread as sweet as they do in the south… so don’t listen to me on this one.
I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc that was the perfect compliment.
We did indulge is dessert… Huckleberry Lemon Bread pudding with cream chantilly was soft and tasty!
With dessert I had a wonderful glass of tawny port… again, the perfect thing.
Too bad they are over an hour away (and that is at mid-​day) I would go back in a heartbeat!

Believe what you’re reading here, folks… this is the real deal. I’m *always* wary of anything «cajun» or «creole» outside of the south simply because 99% of people presenting this stuff don’t know what’s what. But the folks at Bleaux Magnolia do. They’re doing the cajun thing with a slight mix of California cuisine, without being obnoxious about the California influence. The pulled-​pork po boy is outrageously great, as is *anything* on the dinner menu. Even brunch is a stand-​out, from the ubiquitous «breakfast burrito» offering (except this one is crammed with jambalaya) to the crab cake benedict. Yow!
Pros: Great staff, nice space, wonderful menu, not shy with the hot heat spice
Cons: Sweet potato fries are not too crispy