Magnolia 23

I am so jealous of Asheboro. We came from Raleigh to visit the zoo and after walking we were very hungry. At first the directions said the place was on left side and we couldn’t find it. We called and they answer quickly and guided us in. We had a great parking spot and walked in from the back. The customers helped us to our seat and sat us down. Lol! It was great. We had a wonderful high table near the kitchen, the waitress cane and took our meal and it was all great because our food came out so fast and hot. Didn’t have to go far since we were right at the kitchen. The sweet tea was delicious. The food was wonderful! My mother said they gave too much food and that is when I looked at her cross eyed. Lol! The service outstanding. We meet the owner Don who came around and spoke to us which top the meal off. Place is nice and clean and if you love real southern food /​home cooking in a nice setting go to Magnolia 23. We will be back in the fall!

I was told about this place by a guy at work, so i decided to check it out. I was not disappointed! It the food was great and the owner was nice.

We were staying in Asheboro for the night and used the Unilocal app to look up places to eat. I noticed that the Magnolia 23 had SO many positive reviews and was not pricey so we went: let me tell you, it was hands-​down some of the best food I have eaten in a long time. We got the fried chicken and my mom got the fried flounder. The chicken was unbelievable, haven’t had chicken like that since my Mawmaw used to make it when I was little. Cornbread to die for. Lemonade with frozen fruits in it. You will not be disappointed with Magnolia– just be aware that you will probably have to stand in line to wait for a table for a few minutes. Don’t let that put you off: great food like this is worth the wait!

We loved everything we got! Ruben was made with excellent corned beef and the mustard was an excellent addition. I heard rave reviews from my dining companions on the meatloaf and the turkey club. Even the grilled cheese, in all its simplicity, got a wonderful comment. Excellent service and I love that the owner stopped by just to check on us and chat for a minute. Would definitely go back.

The BEST food in town!!! My family and I eat here often because it’s that good. The owner is super friendly and wants to make sure you have the best experience. This is food like your Grandma cooks in the good cast iron skillet. Their fried chicken is beyond finger licking good!!! Everything is delicious you can’t go wrong here. They have the best chicken & dumplings! Desserts? Yes they have them and all homemade. You must eat here… you will NOT be disappointed!

Wow what great food! Hadn’t had fried chicken like that since my momma died 44 years ago. Almost cried when I tasted the greens, cornbread and crowder peas. Wish I had room for the cobbler for dessert. My girl friend had the smoked pork chop that was as big as a roast. Moist and tender. Wish I lived closer. This Kansas City girl can’t wait to go back to see my friends in Charlotte. The drive to Asheboro was worth it.
My girl friend from Raleigh and I will definitely choose Magnolia 23 as our meeting spot when I am next in North Carolina!

On the interstate passing through town and decided to go with who had the best recommendations. This place lived up to the reviews and more! My wife had the vegetables and I had the the grilled pork chop. The sides were amazing, especially the collards. Great service and the owner checked on us as well. If we lived local, we would be regulars.

Was visiting the city after spending the day at the NC Zoo today and found this spot. Saw the reviews on Unilocal and had to check this place out. So glad we did. That was one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time. So tasty and filling. Come hungry you’ll get plenty to eat.
Got the fried catfish special. It was so good. Lightly breaded and so juicy inside. The cornbread. Oh my. Moist and cake like — no butter needed very good. Collards were fantastic too. Didn’t need the vinegar or the tartar sauce but they were also good and complemented the dishes very well. The chicken and dumplings were very good too.
This was a fantastic choice for dinner today. Definitely arrive early tables, fill up fast. Our waitress was fantastic! The owners are very hospitable and really put love into their food and make sure every patron leaves satisfied.
I wish I lived closer so I can eat at this place at least 2 times a week. I definitely need to come back again to try their fried chicken… Oh and their meatloaf and their mac n cheese.

By far the best food we have had in a very long time. The service was outstanding, the owner even came by to check on us and sat down with us when he heard it was our first time dining at Magnolia 23.
We had two different meat plates. One was the dark fried chicken plate with cabbage and creamed potatoes and gravy and cornbread. The fried chicken definitely lived up to all of the stellar reviews that brought us here. The other plate we had was chicken pie with macaroni and cheese and crowder peas with a roll. We also orders a side of baked apples. There’s no way to distinguish which of our order choices were the best as they were all outstanding! Homemade lemonade is a must too. They add two flavored ice cubes to add even more flavor to an incredibly refreshing drink.
The only caution, come hungry and not on a diet. You’ll want to try everything and there’s no holding back!
The homemade recipes and stellar service make this place a total 5 star experience. We came later on a Sunday so we had very little wait time, but the crowd was steady even as closing time approached. If you get here and there’s a wait, it’s definitely worth it. We will be back!

The best food I’ve had in a while! Fried chicken & collards were excellent. Their clam chowder was sensational. Great service & the owner truly cares about his guest! I can’t wait to return!!!

We had heard about Magnolia 23 for several years and had not been here yet so we finally drove down on January 10^th for lunch. I knew there would be a line if we were not there early enough so we left to get there shortly after it opened at 11:00 am. We arrived about 11:15 am and knew right away there was a problem because of the parking, or rather the lack of it. When we found a spot and got to the door about 5 minutes later, the restaurant was full and a waiting line out to the back door had already formed. Everybody was very calm and talking and it gave us a chance to study the menu even though I already knew what I was going to order. Because most people had been just seated the wait was long, but people were very considerate and when their meal was finished, for the most part, they got up and allowed the table to be cleaned and made ready to seat the next in line. When we finally got seated, about 40 minutes, the waitress was right there to get our drink order. Again, I had been told of the great lemonade they make so I ordered it and it was better than I heard. Had to have two refills.
Mary ordered the Meatloaf and I ordered the Fried Chicken, probably two of the most popular entrees on the menu and I ordered an extra side. The sides all looked inviting and we will make more trips just to try some we didn’t this visit. Needless to say when the meals were delivered we dug in and there was nothing left on our plates. The chicken was the best I have eaten anywhere in years! And Mary, who doesn’t order Meatloaf out, said she would return just for that. When it came time for dessert we had to get them in a to-​go box as we had no room for them at that time, but I wasn’t going to miss out on them. We really enjoyed the Chocolate Pie later in the day with a cup of tea.
Our server was great, very prompt and attentive even though she was quite busy, and the other staff kept helping each other out as needed to meet the customers needs and clean the tables for the next group. When we left the line was twice as long as when we got there, out the door into the parking lot. A sign that many people know about the quality, the service and the pricing is good. We will be back.

We stop on the way back to Greensboro. Was the best southern home cooked food I ate since my mother passed away. Catfish cook just right not greasy and overcooked, and same with the Fried chicken. Usually the sides at restaurants are afterthought but at this place They were just as good as a main dish, if not better. I think I found me a regular place to go when I am in Asheboro area.

Best food I’ve had on Asheboro, actually best food in all of North Carolina. Meatloaf was better than Mom’s, collards were perfection plus homemade mac and cheese all with a glass of sweet tea. The cherry on top, pecan pie just warm enough. Owner comes around and greets everyone with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. His wife is at the register smiling and making you feel at home. Portions are the right size, not oversized to cover the lack of quality. Can’t wait till our next visit.

I don’t write reviews often. But this restaurant is amazing. Down home cooking that feels like your eating at home. Tried most of the entrees and they were all fantastic. The pork was especially delicious and fell off the bone. So was the persimmon pudding. If you are in Ashboro, this is a must stop. The owner Don, was so friendly and cared about the quality of the food.

Southern food on point. Delicious sides to accompany the main entrees. Never had anything here that I did not like. Plenty of places close that offer this type of food but this place tops them.

I’m not sure how many Mom & Pop Southern diners and cafes we’ve eaten in over the years, but few have provided better food and service than this small place in downtown Asheboro. They have 4 or 5 salad options, 15 or so sandwich choices, a soup of the day, several cold plates on the standard menu. But, the real deal is in the 3 or 4 daily meat specials, and the 8 or so sides, all Southern cooking at its small town best.
On this day the meat options were: Fried Chicken, Chicken & Dumplings, Stew Beef, and a Catfish Sandwich. Sides were cabbage, lima beans, potato salad, crowder peas, collards, green beans, stewed okra, slaw, & rice. The dinner plates are generally $ 7.50, and comes with 2 sides & bread.
We chose Fried Chicken with Collards & Cabbage for one meal, and Chicken & Dumplings with Potato Salad and Lima Bean for the other, both with rolls. The meals were on the table in just over 5 minutes, and several minutes later the personable owner, Don Simmons, was at the table to check on our satisfaction.
And satisfied we indeed were — the Fried Chicken (which had been chosen this year by The Daily Meal as among the 75 best in the US, along with 4 other NC restaurants) was simply outstanding, the quintessential Southern fried chicken — great flavor-​loaded crust, fresh chicken taste, perfect seasoning, and just that tiny hint of grease that makes this kind of chicken.
The Chicken & Dumplings are as good as this dish gets, every bit as good as Bum’s in Ayden, and that is indeed a compliment of the highest order. The chicken is tender & loaded with flavor, the dumplings are home made sheets that melt in your mouth, both swimming in an excellent broth — so good, in fact, you could eat it like soup.
Of the sides, the Collards were superb, with the other 3 only slightly behind. The rolls were also very, very nice. I ordered a Hot Dog to go (I had to, it was on the menu), and that was quite good, as well. The service was exceptional — everyone is friendly, efficient, and attentive — you can tell this is a family affair all the way. Oh yeah, we’ll be back.

Found out about this place by searching for «southern food» in Greensboro (which doesn’t exist), and since this place was only about 40 minutes away and had good reviews, we figured we’d try it out.
Magnolia 23 is a cute place in downtown Asheboro. I didn’t see a parking lot, but street parking was easy and free. Walked in the front door and wasn’t greeted by anyone for a few minutes, until someone came up and told us that if we wanted to eat, the line started at the back door. Odd, but okay. We waited in line for 40 minutes (with a wiggly 2 year old who wanted to get down and touch everything), but were told that if we wanted to sit outside there was «no wait», we could just sit at a table out there when one opened up. This didn’t seem like a very good system, but again, okay.
Once we sat down and ordered, I assumed the food would be out in a reasonable time. Not the case. After 45 minutes of waiting, our waitress let us know that they were out of white meat chicken (which my boyfriend had ordered), but that they had dark if he wanted that. He agreed and we thought the food would be out soon. About 15 minutes after that, she came back and told us that they were out of 2 of the sides that we ordered, and did we want something else. I didn’t want something else, I wanted what I ordered, but I agreed to different sides because at this point I was so hungry I would have eaten anything. I thought it was messed up that she waited until an hour after we placed our order to tell us that 3 of the things we ordered were no longer available, but what can you do? The people who were in front of us in line sat down about 10 minutes before we did, and they had their food and were out the door within 45 minutes. Why we had to wait an hour & some change for our food is beyond me. The only explanation offered was that «It’s Sunday, and Sundays are crazy.»
Finally, the food did arrive and it wasn’t bad, but it for sure wasn’t worth the 40 minutes we waited in line and the hour+ we waited for it to get to our table. I had the baked chicken and it was a small piece, and dry in some places. It wasn’t cold, but it also wasn’t fresh & hot. The sides were good, and the lemonade was REALLY good — sweet and with a big piece of watermelon in it. Cornbread was dry and crumbly and didn’t have much flavor, which was sad because I love cornbread and thought this place would have had good cornbread.
Though our service wasn’t the best and the wait was way too long, we might try it again. The food was good for the most part, but I think the problem is that the restaurant is too small to accommodate the demand, and so things get behind. Hopefully next time we will have a better experience.

Excellent food! So glad we found this place. I had the fried chicken and my husband had the catfish… they were both great! Had wonderful service as well!!!

Best home cooked meal and hospitality! Menu is wonderfully limited with favorites. Greens, chicken-​n-​dumplings, slaw, country steak, etc. Dinner menu changes daily because all of it is freshly cooked like a family meal at your grandparents’ house. Limited hours make it a rare gem to enjoy! Owner and staff are super friendly. Prices are reasonable.

So glad I read reviews that sent me here. Great homemade food. Marvelous fried chicken and collards. The mac and cheese tastes like you dreamed about when your momma made it from scratch. Nothing processed here. Great hospitality too.