Magnolia’s Cafe — Restaurant in Fernandina Beach

I have visited this establishment a number of times. No one ever seems to know what they are doing. The little short lady that is supposed to greet everyone (apparently she is the actual store manager) and seat them is quite frequently away from her post. She is never able to offer a suggestion of wait time. She is oblivious of how customer service should work. I have witnessed her argue with servers while they were speaking with their tables and she does not seem to understand the flow of anything. She will walk around and chitchat with tables and ignore those waiting. Additionally I have witnessed her seating multiple tables and then the tables are never greeted. I overheard one server apologize to a table upon greeting them, saying they had not been told they had a new table. She frequently seats customers without menus or utensils also, and often the food will come out and there will still be no utensils. There are days I have seen this same little short woman working on the coffee side, and I have seen as well as personally experienced customers receiving their food orders before ever receiving their coffee drinks. And DO NOT try to complain to the woman that is supposed to be the main Manager, I believe she said her name was Melissa. She will look at you like a deer in the headlights and just smile and nod. She has no clue what is even happening in this establishment and often makes bogus excuses. It also seems that they are intentionally choosing to be short-staffed and stretching everyone beyond what they can handle. I read a review on here that blamed service issues on the kitchen staff, not the waitstaff, but I have been sitting at the table closest to where the servers put in their orders and have overheard them saying how they forgot to enter their orders, but then heard them at the table blaming the kitchen for the issue in order to protect their tip, at least that would be my assumption. I started going to this establishment shortly after they'd opened and there was always this lovely woman working that was always pleasant and helpful. She recognized the repeat customers and was always on the ball. She would handle multiple job within the restaurant including greeting and seating, serving the customers, cleaning the tables once customers leave and running other servers food to the tables. When she would greet the customers at the door, she would offer realistic wait times and offer menus to each customer so they could figure out their order while waiting. I saw her assist other servers in refilling drinks for tables and just being a teamplayer. She always had a smile on her face. Recently I finally asked the little short lady (that I might suggest should be drug tested), why I hadn't seen that kind woman, and she told me without hesitation "Oh we fired her a long time ago". Needless to say I was floored. Not only because it didn't make sense to me, but also because I felt it was extremely unprofessional for that lady to tell me that! I truly have to wonder why, because I saw how hard this woman worked and she was the most frequent person I saw working when I would come in. So for now I have decided that I would no longer be visiting this establishment because it seems like the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing and the management is destroying it by being ineffective and what I perceive as uncaring. It's a shame, because we really needed a good breakfast option here, and the food is quite good (if you can get it timely and correct). I would venture to say that if they don't make some changes and do it quickly, they are not...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Magnolia Cafe in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and it was an experience worth sharing! I ordered the “Risk It Biscuit,” which came loaded with scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, a homemade biscuit, cheddar cheese, and topped with sausage gravy. Every bite was a delightful symphony of flavors, perfectly cooked and seasoned to perfection.

What made my visit even more memorable was the exceptional service. Brad, who runs the kitchen operations, personally came out to check on the quality of the food, ensuring everything was top-tier and amazing. It's clear that he takes great pride in his work, and it definitely shows in the dishes served.

Jamie, our server, was attentive and catered to our every need with a smile, making us feel right at home. And I can't forget to mention the coffee. It was out of this world! Mariah, the talented barista who was the first to greet us with an infectiously positive energy, noticed that my heels were dragging so early in the morning, and crafted a cup of coffee that was rich, aromatic which was a perfect complement to my meal.

Magnolia Cafe is a special gem in Fernandina Beach. With incredible food, outstanding service, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, it's a place I highly recommend and will definitely be returning to! It will probably become our family’s regular tradition as we depart...

Busy for good reason! Since we didn't have anywhere to store leftovers, my husband and I split the fried green tomatoes Benedict and hashbrowns and added sausage. Our server Amber, said she could serve it on 2 plates (very nice). My husband asked how the hashbrowns were and she told us that the are fresh potatoes/no frozen. It was abundantly clear how's fresh everything is! Everything was beautiful, perfectly cooked, and incredibly delicious. The hollandaise sauce was smooth and creamy; possibly the best I've ever had. The fried green tomatoes were also very good even though I don't usually like a cornmeal breading. Give me a second with the hashbrowns because you may think, how hard could that be to mess up, but these are shredded finer that I usually have, so they are crispy on all the right places without being overdone, but they also are tasty and not at all greasy. Another nice touch, that is possibly just how Amber is, she calls people by their name, so it makes it feel homey in a comfortable atmosphere. Seems like a lot of locals come here often, and I understand...