Magnolia Kitchen

This place is a hidden gem in this tiny town. It is housed in an old strip mall or grocery store, so it is easy to underestimate it at first, but you’ll be glad you didn’t! Once you step inside it feels like you could be in any big town across the U.S. Three are three main seating areas, and a billiards room. You walk into the first seating area that looks at the open kitchen. The lighting is a little darker and the ambience is perfect for a romantic date. The second seating area is brightly lit and brightly painted and has lots of windows looking out at downtown Norton. We chose to sit in there. The final seating area is in the bar in the back. It is a little darker and has no outside light, but is a great setting for a night out with friends, and has a TV in case you want to come watch the game.
The menu has a lot of variety. It is mostly Cajun but has some Filipino as well. My wife ordered the Basket of Fried Catfish with a remoulade sauce and a baked sweet potato on the side. She was oooing and ahhing over the catfish all night and cleaned it out.

This is, BY FAR, the best restaurant in 100 miles. I visit Norton 2 to 3 times per year, and was happy to find this place last year. I have eaten here 5 or 6 times, and never had something that wasn’t awesome. BBQ Shrimp, Fried green tomatoes, lumpia, Ribeye, catfish, jambalaya, Cajun Mac, etc. it’s all fantastic. This week there was a sea bass over rice smothered in etoufee… the best fish dish I’ve EVER had. You have to give this place a try.

I never write reviews but holy guacamole this place is the jam. EVERYTHING is delightful, the staff are the friendliest, and I don’t know how the hell they make a profit because everything is so cheap for the quality of food. This is the best meal I’ve eaten in ages.

Our meal here was fantastic from the table bread to the entrees to dessert. The entrees (Cajun Mac and meat loaf) were both tasty and plentiful, and the desserts (beignets and banana bread pudding) were delicious. The only less wonderful part of the experience was the somewhat slow service, but I’m pretty sure there was only one waiter in the entire restaurant, who did a great job of attending to us. One of our new favorite places!

I grew up in Norton and was very happy to find this place on a recent vacation there. The staff is friendly and efficient and they serve wonderful food. Fred, the bartender, is a particularly awesome guy and provided outstanding service.
They have a side room where you can play pool and darts. The bar area is comfortable and friendly and is a great place to watch sports. They were the only place in Southwestern Virginia to show the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.
The food was so good we ended up eating there three times during our brief visit. Among the highlights:
–Blackened catfish and shrimp. I don’t know what they did to the catfish but it might be the best I’ve ever tasted.
–Catfish po-​boy. I’ve eaten plenty of po-​boys in New Orleans and the one I had at Magnolias can hold its own with any of them.
–Shrimp po-​boy. (see above)
–Ribeye steak. It was cooked to perfection and was delicious. It’s not often that I ask for a steak to be cooked very rare and actually have it served that way.
–Mashed potatoes. If you can make mashed potatoes worthy of a big compliment, then you’re doing something right. Same is true of the potato salad.
–Shrimp scampi with pasta. I didn’t have this, but both my kids did and they raved about it.
–Fried green tomatoes. Not the style I grew up with, but absolutely delicious.
All in all, Magnolias is a friendly, reasonably priced restaurant with great service and wonderful food, whether you want a nice sit-​down dinner or want to grab a beer and watch sports in the bar, you’ll be very satisfied.

Certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. Got an order of the meatloaf and the catfish basket to go. They neglected to put gravy on the meatloaf and the catfish breading was salty enough to have pulled it straight from the ocean.
Only one set of utensils was included despite it being two meals. Sadly, I hadn’t bothered checking any of this prior to leaving as some things you simply expect to be there.
The other reviews rave about this place, and that may be the case for dine-​in, but for carry out I’d say save your money and hit Hardees.

First trip here but it won’t be the last. Great service and the shrimp scampi was as any place I have ever eaten.

Great food and nice atmosphere! We had a great server. It’s been a while since I was there so I don’t remember his name.

Stopped here on a stop during a cross country trip from Florida to Chicago, by way of west Virginia.
Our server, Gray, was exceptional. The food was delicious, I especially liked the fried green tomato, and their French fries. I loved the décor. Everything was superb!

Absolute Awesomeness! Best Fried Green Tomatoes I’ve ever had in my life (and I travel coast-​to-​coast for a living)!
Today I tried the Cajun Mac ‘n Cheese. It was pleasant; however, it feels as it’s missing a ‘lil something. At first I thought more cheese, but I’ve changed my mind. Not sure exactly but it’s close to perfect. The fresh bread and butter was a great compliment to the meal.
Then there’s the outstanding service. They do their best to make you feel welcome and comfortable. Thanks Luke!
I decided on the Beignets for dessert. Little powder covered puffs of sweet deliciousness.
I’ve got a month left here in this quaint town and I can’t wait to return for more tomatoes and some other tasty selections from the menu!

Definitely a gem in the rough! A nice variety of cuisine straight off the bayou, all perfectly prepared and the prices are great! I had the gumbo for lunch and I liked it so much I went back for dinner.

During my stay in Big Stone Gap, VA, my daughter and I went to the movies in Norton and we found this delightful restaurant. The waitress and other workers were do pleasant and friendly as in most places in Virginia. The food here was delicious. My daughter and I both ordered the meatloaf dinner entrée and added a side of their Mac&Cheese. She got a children size and yet it was more than enough. We just ate half and had no room for dessert. The portions were just right and we boxed what we didn’t finish. I love meatloaf period and I’m usually dissatisfied with meatloaf at most restaurants so I just don’t order. I give their meatloaf the full five stars. I wish I would have had more time to go back another day and try their rainbow trout dish. The only thing is they ran out of lemonade.

I was in the area on business for a 2 night stay. I tried Magnolia Kitchen on the first night and loved it. So much that I ate there again on the 2^nd night too, and loved it more! Found it totally off the favorable Unilocal reviews.
First Night — started with the fried green tomatoes. They were fantastic with a good corn meal batter, but not too thick on the batter. Then had the ribeye steak which was cooked perfectly. The bourbon glaze was good, but slightly heavy. And the streak really did not need quite so much.
Second Night — went back for the fried green tomatoes. I was thinking about them all day! I was leaning on a fried shrimp poboy, but the other waitress suggested that I try the blackened catfish with shrimp. Wow. Really a good suggestion. Served over a grit cake and it was the real deal. I then felt so sentimental to New Orleans, I had to have some bengeits with coffee for desert and I’m glad I did.
Overall I really loved this place for the food and the «vibe». The chef/​owner clearly learned his craft in some NOLA kitchens. I’ll be back if I’m in the area and I recommend you do too!

Typically, we have a great experience at this restaurant. However, that was not the case during this visit.
The good: the food was good. Not great, but good. I ordered the ribeye. It was cooked correctly. The vegetables were slightly cool, but tasted good. The bread is great!
The bad: the service was very slow. We waited over 15 minutes for our drinks. We got our appetizer, but still had no silverware. Our waiter was nice, but he was SLOW.
Better luck next time.

Fantastic food, beautiful restaurant, and the nicest people!!! We went there at 4:15 on a Sunday and they close at 5:00 but they were all so nice and accommodating! I had the Shrimp Scampi and Spaghetti Bordelaise and it was fantastic!!! It was our first time there and I can’t wait to go back!!!

Just had lunch here and what a great find for small town Norton. I had the shrimp po boy & chicken gumbo, simply delicious. Great service and atmosphere. The jambalaya is great too, I’ll definitely be back again and if you’re in Norton, give it a try.

This was an awesome find/​hidden gem! I made my way to Norton for a family reunion in Big Stone Gap, and was a little bit worried there wasn’t much around. Dinner choices were limited, but I saw this place had good reviews and decided to give it try.
I came here with my boyfriend and my parents, and everyone left the meal extremely pleased. While our waiter service was a tad slow (just one waitress was working for all of the tables), she made us feel welcome when she came around, and apologized for the wait. We ordered beer and wine to drink before dinner.
Each of us ordered something different. I ordered pork medallions, which were juicy and filling. My dad ordered the rainbow trout (I think?). I don’t eat fish, I don’t like it. But I tried some anyway, since it was fresh and not frozen. It was so good! My mom and boyfriend each got a chicken dish, and both were great. I probably couldn’t find one thing on the menu I wouldn’t like.
We of course had to get dessert as well. We split an order of beignets with raspberry sauce and a chocolate dessert that was a mix between mousse and cake batter. Since the dishes were ordered were more Creole than Virgina, we asked where the inspiration came from, and found out their head chef was trained in Louisiana.
Then a group of 8 of us came back for live music and drinks a few hours later. It was a relaxed atmosphere and our bartender was sweet and friendly. I recommend this place more for the food rather than the late night, but a great time nonetheless.

It’s a very good restaurant. I ordered a 9oz ribeye steak, my gf ordered Jambalaya. I highly recommended the steak. I should order the 12 oz one.

Usually I would have given a place like this four stars, but this level in Norton deserves five. The style and décor would have done well anywhere. We were seated with a party of seven very quickly even though it was packed. It was the first day back to CVC (I can’t call it UVA — Wise after living here most of my youth).
Waitress was great. Very attentive and kept fluids very high even though it took a while for our food to arrive. The beginning bread was just ok. My mom and wife had the spinach salad and loved it. I tried a bite with a pecan and wished I had ordered it.
Had the house Chardonnay. I’m not a wine snob, but it definitely worked for me.
The kids had the shrimp basket. I expected the typical shrimp flavored breading. It was actually very good. Kind of calabash flavored. Light breading on plump, well fried shrimp. Fries were ok. Very pleasant taste.
My wife had the Cuban sand which. Same fries but she raved about the sandwich. That with the salad was too much for her and she only finished half.
I had the bourbon glazed rib eye. Cooked very well. Larger than I expected since I ordered the smaller version. Tasted very good, but a bit heavier with the glazed onions than I wanted. I scrapped it off and used it as a salsa for my potatoes.
Definitely four stars, but due to location and effort — they deserve a Wise county five.

I took my boyfriend and a friend out to dinner here during opening week for my boyfriend’s birthday. The restaurant’s alcohol permit won’t be available for 30 days (per VA laws), so we cannot review drinks. However, the food was excellent. Our server was very attentive and did a super job.
The restaurant has a Cajun theme to all its food. We started with the fried green tomatoes with Tasso ham and pickled onions, and Cajun Buerre Blanc. They were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was tasty. The ham was a bit spicy and gave it a nice flavor.
I had the Chicken Bayou Lafitte, which came with crispy potatoes and a Creole mustard/​artichoke sauce. The portions were good-​sized, and I was impressed with the artichoke portions! Most restaurants skimp on the artichokes, but this one did not. The entrée was delicious, especially the sauce. My boyfriend had the Beaux Bridge Catfish. I sampled it, and it was very good as well. Our friend opted for the red beans and rice, which he stated was also delicious. No one had food left on the plates!
For dessert, my boyfriend had the Lemon Crème Brulee, while our friend and I both opted for the Warm Flourless Chocolate Torte. Wow! The torte was like eating a warm, delicious, gooey brownie. They complimented it with both a crème lemon and strawberry sauce on the side. If you are a chocolate lover, get the torte! I tasted the Crème Brulee, which was also good. It’s very sweet, so if you are not a fan of super sweet desserts, it may not be for you. However, my boyfriend loved it.
We were very excited to find a new, unique restaurant option in Wise County. We will definitely be back and look forward to the bar opening!