Magnolia Social brings unique taste to Downtown

After The Library and Beer Garden at Hotel Chester closed back in December, William and Ellen Rogers bought the space back in June with the plans of opening a new restaurant named Magnolia Social. Last Tuesday, those plans came to fruition.

Located in the heart of Downtown, Magnolia Social is Starkville’s newest restaurant that brings a unique taste.

William, who was born and raised in Starkville, has always had a love for food. With his background in culinary arts, he and his wife Ellen moved back home in 2020 after spending a couple of years in Birmingham.

In the new restaurant, there are several entrees to choose from that will satisfy your tastebuds, but every good meal starts with an appetizer.

“Every appetizer we have is a little bit different. We have fried green tomatoes with barbeque glazed pork belly and pimento cheese that’s made in-house on it. Our ahi tuna poke nachos are also pretty good. We also have classic fried oysters with a smoked sweet potato puree and cracked pepper horseradish cream,” said William. “We’re just trying to take good Southern classics and put a twist on them to make them a little bit unique.”

Going off what William said about the appetizers, Ellen said she and her husband aim to make Magnolia Social’s appetizers fun and playful for the whole table.

“We’re real big into shareable appetizers for the table, things that are really colorful on the plate,” Ellen said.

Everything William and Ellen do at Magnolia Social is nothing short of genuine fun and creativity, and you will realize that when you visit and try their daily specials.

“Last week, we did a special from just playing around in the kitchen. We did a pimento cheese and turnip green bite that we just did on a whim last weekend, and we had people come in this week trying to get that same thing,” said William. “Sometimes when you play around with some food, it ends up going on the menu permanently. We really try to listen to all the feedback that our guests give us, because at the end of the day, we’re cooking for them. We want everyone to come in and us have something for everyone, so they can have just a better experience.”

The creativity doesn’t end at the entrees. To satisfy your sweet tooth, Magnolia Social offers a selection of desserts that are unlike what you could get at other establishments. A prime example being the apple pie nachos.

“With the tortilla chips with apple pie filling, whipped cream, candied pecans, and caramel sauce, it’s just what your fancy apple pie would be, but we put it in a nacho form,” William said.

As the “new kid on the block,” Ellen describes Magnolia Social as a place that has something fresh and new that is not on any other menu around.

“One of the most unique things about us is that we like to put a fun twist on everything. So somebody might have a burger, or somebody might have a Reuben, but we do a fried fish Reuben. We try to do things a little differently,” said Ellen. “Just something new that people haven’t seen, something that isn’t being created in all of the other kitchens. We try to stand out as best as we can.”

Another aspect that makes the new restaurant stand out is that it gives guests a fine dining experience that is up there with Starkville’s best while also maintaining low price points so you aren’t struck by what you owe on a bill.

“We really like the look and feel of that kind of service, but we also don’t want to hit you with that ticket at the end of the meal. We’re really committed to having lower price points,” said Ellen. “We really want it to be a place where you can come multiple times during the week instead of just for a special occasion. We really want it to be a place where you can go with a group of friends or family, and not have to break the bank for your meal.”

If you have a desire to eat out and try something new, look no further than Magnolia Social located at the historic Hotel Chester on 111 North Jackson Street. The restaurant opens every day, except for Monday, at 11 a.m.

To make a reservation, you can call the restaurant at 662-465-3996.