Magnolia Bistro is one of my favorite restaurants in the Claremont area! The ambiance is perfect- feels small enough to be cozy with an upscale vibe. Great for a casual dinner, girls night, or even special evening. The staff is so friendly and they typically have live enjoyable music. The food is my favorite part- they really nailed the flavor profiles with everything made in house or sourced locally! Our favorites include savory Brie, shrimp, and the steak (ribeye and filet). Would highly recommend! We will definitely be back. read more

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I have been wanting to try this place and I'm glad I finally did. Pros Food is good Server was friendly Restaurant looks clean Cons Got really smoky in the restaurant. Really bad, our eyes were burning. Service was slow, not very attentive Hopefully they can work on getting the smokiness from the kitchen figured out. read more

Entertainment- 5 Stars Atmosphere- 5 Stars Food -Delicious- 5 Stars Service - 1 STAR They need to hire more people or implement better systems. Bad service is the only reason this place isn't packed every night. Unfortunately, the service didn't match the quality of the food or entertainment. We waited an unexpectedly long time just to get our drinks, and even longer before anyone came by to take our order. When the meals finally arrived, our salads and appetizers showed up after the main dishes, which really threw off the flow of the meal. read more

Background: had never heard of this place, saw it on Yelp and decided to go for mother's day. Also, didn't know it was buffet style. Pros Ambiance was great, service was wonderful and the food was delicious. It was a nice spread! Also, live music! Cons Price, I guess I didn't expect it and of course, didn't check, I only saw category $$. It was close to $200, full price for wife and I, son $24 (little one was free). I would have given it 4.5 stars, but then dumb cons got in the way. read more

Oh no, no, no. The food was just awful this time. Very few options, everything was overcooked, and only one other table of guests the entire time we were there for Sunday brunch. What started as a quaint wine bar with excellent food and wines has doubled in size for no apparent reason. The service was still lacking--we never had a chance to order a second round of mimosas. I was embarrassed to be celebrating a friend's birthday here. I cannot in good faith recommend Magnolia for brunch. read more

Was in the area for dinner and noticed this restaurant. We stopped by for dessert. Ambiance: The decor was very nice and cozy inside. Great place to hang out and enjoy their live band music. Service: The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Food: We ordered some Ice Cream Dish. I had the Magnolia Swirl and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It was so sweet and yummy. If you like to listen to live band music and enjoying some alcoholic drinks, this is a great place to chill out. read more

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A quaint place The brunch was very good especially for the price. The quiche was delicious! The fruit and everything else was great. Even a chocolate fountain. The dinner menu looks great and I think we are going to have to go back for dinner. The service was great. read more

Excellent dinner. Had the steak, hubby had salmon. Friend had lots of appetizers. Everything was wonderful. The live music was outstanding! Will highly recommend it to all I know. read more

Keep this in mind as you read this review; Mother's Day Brunch!! Why would you take a 3pm brunch Reservation at $65 ea and make your customers feel rushed?! Why do your customers need to know the they are the last seating and as long they are sitting by 3pm, everything should be fine. At $65 a person 3:01 should be fine too. At 4pm, your staff let my family know it was last call and they were turning off the warmers but were offered more potatoes?! 1 piece of bacon in the warmer! Why would you charge guests for ice tea at $65 a per?! Did you guys offer the Mother's a little something special like a flower or anything for $65 when your normal brunch is much less? If you claim to have been still open as per my follow up phone call with the manager, why were they shutting down at 4; sweeping the floors, wiping down the tables around them and having my family wait behind a waiter to get food. You can say whatever you like about being open but your website states Brunch is from 10-3pm. The way you made 4 Mothers feel told a different story based on facts and perceptions. Write that down as you just lost 4 families, friends and potentially any customers that reads this review. Keep in mind, they made the reservation based on friends of friends in this small community. While you had some good food and kind staff, all of that is lost on an expensive and horrible experience that will be their 2026 Mother's Day Brunch that they were really looking forward to enjoying together. read more

Magnolia Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

Solid 3.5 Stars First visit to this wine bar serving American and Italian flavored dishes. Clean, modern décor, but the walls seemed a little bare giving it a cold vibe. Plenty of parking in a private lot. Their website says they have live music, but none during our visit. Sydney waited on us, and the service was excellent (5 stars). DRINK: They're labeled on Yelp as a "Wine Bar", but they also have craft beers, and wine/beer based mixed drinks. There's a decent selection of wines, nothing too out of the ordinary (La Crema, Daou, Michael David, Opolo, BV, Austin Hope, Caymus, etc.) and a couple French, Italian, and Napa sparkling wines. I will admit, we are wine snobs. Our complaint is that they only have red and white wine glasses, instead of using the proper style glass for the specific wine being poured (Burgundy, Bordeaux, flute, etc.). Not the end of the world, but noteworthy. FOOD: Received a complimentary basket of warm bread with a slightly spicy dipping oil. We had been to another event, so we just ordered a couple appetizers. Tried the Roasted Garlic Shrimp ($22.50) with toasted bread (5 medium shrimp with a super flavorful sauce), and a Savory Baked Brea ($21) with toasted bread (a lot of garlic, but I liked it. They also have a "sweet" option). We finished off the evening with the Butter Cake ($14 + $3 for a la mode), which is one of the better ones we've had. Overall, our experience was okay, but I would give them another try, especially for something more substantial off the menu. Worth checking out. read more

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Having a reliable brunch spot so close to home in Upland is a definite win. Magnolia Bistro sets up a really lovely weekend vibe with a menu that handles the culinary basics perfectly. The ingredients are fresh, the plates are vibrant, and the staff manages to be attentive without hovering over your table. While it might not completely reinvent the weekend brunch game, it consistently delivers a very enjoyable and well executed meal. It hits the exact right spot for a relaxed morning when you just want a solid plate of food in a great atmosphere. read more

My husband and I had such a wonderful experience here at Magnolia Bistro! The dining options we made were excellent and I would HUGHLY recommend the Shrimp appetizer, it was 10/10! We also shared a wedge salad and it was perfect amounts of everything. Definitely coming back to enjoy again! The sangria was fresh and fruity! read more

Magnolia Bistro - Wedge Salad, ordered one to share - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

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I had Easter brunch here and dinner last night. Wow, great place, good food, good service. The music was great. I intend to go back, especially on a Wednesday night to hear the same group. I will be back @ read more

Magnolia Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

I wanted to try something new. I found this restaurant on an alert from Facebook. They offered live jazz which was great. The employees were very nice and helpful. Great environment. I went on a Sunday and they were offering buffet which was also nice. The only set back was that I felt everything I tasted was very very salty. I like salt but this was too much. I could not enjoy the food. The selection was great. They offered breakfast buffet and lunch buffet. Again food was too salty. The price was also high. My husband and I both had buffet. He had coffee and I had water. The bill came out to over $100. I don't think it was worth it. read more

Went for the first time for a Sunday brunch. Percussionist provided enjoyable background music. All the locally sourced food was great! All food also was made in-house. Eggs + bacon, steak with salad, fruits, sweets... so good! I've got to try the chicken next time in the buffet. Best part: family run restaurant, father/daughter love music, and as such - music all the time! read more

The service is great and Wednesday nights with Michael Ryan and friends band is great.

Great ambience and spot for live music. The food is exceptional. Good vibes all around. Their charcuterie board is the best in town. They have a very nice selection of wines. They can also accommodate large parties/celebrations with reservations. read more

So I went in Solo on Sunday... one server who was also the Bartender. Although I did see the Owner sitting at the Bar and he actually got behind the bar at one time but I think he was chatting with some guests that he knew that had came in. When I first came in the server told me to sit at a round table right under/beside the bar (WTS?) there were plenty of other tables... closer to the TV's and she also suggested I sit at the Bar too but I was sorta like WTH do I need to sit at the table directly cozied up under the bar??? LOL I'll start off by saying the bread bowl (especially the Squaw) is delicious and my Omelet was tasty as well. They only have 2 items on the menu that is considered traditional "Breakfast ala Brunch" items. Service was slow but as I spoke with the Server she explained that is never busy on Sundays and it was unusual for it to be as it was that day. Apparently we all came in at the same time... it didn't look that way to me but we probably (5) tables came in staggered 10 -15 minutes a part which can seem all at once when there is only one server. Parking is directly in front of the restaurant. This is the 3rd owner I believe in this spot and they have torn down a wall and enlarged the seating, not much of the homey chic design décor that was there before nor the items to purchase but I believe they will be doing so soon. Also they have quite an extensive live entertainment calendar which will be great for those that are into listening to bands during their meals... I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a place to catch up with friends and conversations heard - the acoustics here aren't made for that. Respectfully Reviewed read more

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CHEF IS AMAZING! The burger is a masterpiece with the sauce and fries. Family favorite and very welcoming. Love the music and atmosphere. read more

Magnolia Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

Took the wife out on a rare date night to a home town spot. Both of us couldn't believe how great it was here. We have really missed out on this place ! Our dinner was amazing , and we will be going back soon to try more. We tried three appetizers , bruschetta , Brie (sweet) , and the the shrimp dish. All of them were excellent and flavor full. The pasta dish with steak medallions literally blew us out of the water , unbelievable flavor and cooked perfectly Al Dente. Nice work Magnolia on your presentation and thanks for a great service and dinner! read more

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We visited this café about three and a half years ago, and it was wonderful then, but it has since changed ownership and the quality has only improved. Our waitress, Sydney, was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, making our experience even more enjoyable. She provided us with insightful details about the menu and even offered us three wine samples to help us choose the perfect pairing for our meal. Both entrées were absolutely delicious, and I found myself wishing I could order more than one. The wine complemented the mushroom marsala with chicken beautifully. The café's atmosphere was inviting and clean, with music that was just the right volume to enhance our dining experience. Before leaving, I took a moment to compliment the owner on Sydney's exceptional service, as she truly enriched our visit. She also shared information about their live music nights and the genres of each performer, which we're excited to experience on our next visit. Sydney highly recommended the Seabass for fish lovers, so that will likely be our next choice when we return. read more

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I am reviewing again since this establishment has changed a bit and is now a bistro (rather than a wine bar) and is now under new ownership. I came here for my birthday in November. Lets do the good the first! They take reservations, yay! No need to wait with the dinner rush if you're organized enough. They also have live entertainment which adds for great ambiance. Although no longer exclusively a wine bar, they still have a decent wine list. And most importantly the food was impressive (except for dessert, I'll come back to that). I ordered the halibut which was one of the best seafood meals I've had in a long time. Now for the bad. They tore down one of the walls which used to section off a private room with another bar in that room. Now it's one big open space, and they have TVs anchored above the bar in what used to be the separate room, airing football games. The football games airing during dinner kind of kill the ambience and fine dining vibe. The games also compete with the live entertainment. I would prefer the TVs off. And then the track lighting is a bit extreme. It's very reminiscent of an interrogation room or hospital operating room. Is there a dimmer? No one looks good in lighting and it's not relaxing. And back to dessert. We ordered "warm" pumpkin cake, but there was nothing warm about it. In fact, it was just as cold as the ice cream it was served with. And that ice cream was fantastic! Will I come back--I hope so. Maybe I will test it out for brunch and the TVs will be off. read more

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So happy to get a chance to have brunch here. Because we reserved online we received a bottle of champagne . It is buffet style, but they offered great dishes! Loved the quiche! Everything was delicious! Customer service was warm and welcoming. Can't wait to come back:) read more

Magnolia Bistro - Breakfast was served! - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

Good food, service, and entertainment the owner takes pride in his restaurant seeing that everything is to your liking.

Service is outstanding! Love the music on a Sunday brunch. Complimentary mimosa os a nice touch when rsvp read more

Magnolia Bistro - Service was outstanding! Music is great for Sunday brunch - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

It's our first time here, and as locals, we chose this spot to celebrate my boyfriend's new car. The atmosphere is fantastic--everyone is polite and friendly, creating a warm and welcoming vibe. A special shoutout to our server, Diane, who was incredibly attentive and ensured we were well taken care of throughout our entire dinner. The live music adds to the relaxed, mellow ambiance, perfect for people like us in our mid-30s read more

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I came here specifically for the short ribs, so I was a little disappointed when our server, Diane, informed us they weren't available. That said, the experience overall was pretty good. The atmosphere is lovely--classy yet cozy--and the menu offers a great variety of options. They also have an impressive wine selection. Since the short ribs weren't available, I went with Diane's recommendation and tried the capellini. It was delicious, although I'm pretty sure it has black olives, not kalamata olives. I also ordered the house bread, which was nice, but I do think it should be complimentary, like at many nice restaurants. My sister ordered the wedge salad and bruschetta, and she really enjoyed both. Diane, our server, was incredibly sweet and attentive, which made the experience even better. I'll definitely be back--hopefully next time I'll get to try those short ribs! read more

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My two star review of Magnolia Bistro has been lowered to one star, unfortunately, even under the newest ownership. We came in at 5:15 and called ahead to be sure that we'd get a table. When we entered, we were endeared to discover that a reservation was patently unnecessary, though it did fill up as the night went on. I think the menu under the old ownership was a bit more inspired, more youthful - the new menu was a little more 1990's, boasting classic hits like brie en croute and French onion soup. Is the menu meant to be French? No, just dated American-French gastropub genericness. I ordered the French onion soup and the house salad with a piece of salmon. My husband ordered the steak frites. We had also ordered a pan-seared salmon to-go. Our server is a middle aged blonde woman who was nice but looked right through us like we didn't even exist - we didn't order any alcohol this time, maybe it's why we had negligent service? My French onion soup came out lightning-fast and was REALLY formidable! However, we then sat and sat and sat and sat, until we watched our food get dropped at another table that had been waiting even longer than we had. They sat and stared at it for like five entire minutes, breathing all over it and looking confused. The waitress finally came back to check on them, they identified that this wasn't their meal, and the blonde waitress took the food to the kitchen. Not 15 seconds later, *SHE CARRIES THE EXACT PLATES OF FOOD FOOD TO OUR TABLE. NOOOOOO!* My husband and I were totally grossed out, but we had been waiting for 90 minutes (it was 6:45 at this point) and were FAMISHED. We then remind her of the salmon, which put us back into the queue of a thoroughly backed-up kitchen. Hooray. (This little location suffers from its microscopic kitchen, and they really shouldn't have expanded this restaurant to be so many tables - they simply can't catch up. Be it the Meat Cellar, OG Magnolia, or the new version, no one can churn out enough of the food to keep the clientele coming back. And there's no room for error whatsoever.) The food was whatever. You know when a pan-seared salmon has this crunch on the outside but it's still tender on the inside? This was not this salmon. This was seared for one nanosecond and finished in an oven, so it was metallic and dry the whole way through. The salad part was like $14 and fit into a cereal bowl. I couldn't believe the salad-to-salmon proportion, and that the total cost to add the fish was nearly $30! Plus $15 for my French onion soup, and suddenly I was at the price point of a luxury meal without *any* of the luxury. At 7:30, the music started. This restaurant has a polished concrete floor, so the music, albeit demonstrably talented, was BOOMING. And though we came in the restaurant was deadsville, they seat us embarrassingly, like, in front of where the band would play. So everyone is just staring at us as we pick at our secondhand food, feeling foolish for waiting an extra hour for our super-mid to-go order of salmon that we ordered at 5:30pm. At SEVEN FORTY FIVE, 2.5 hours after we arrived, we are finally released from this hell. Our server was not apologetic. We watched the owner and his wife dust wine bottles and chatter away instead of lending a hand or checking on their guests. We were stared at as obstacles impinging on the band's viewership. AND THE TOTAL BILL FOR THREE ENTREES AND NO BOOZE WAS $170. That's right folks: one bottle of Pellegrino, a French onion soup, a salad with salmon on top, steak frites, and a to-go salmon entree. At a strip mall restaurant. Next to a dog shelter. One hundred and seventy dollars. There's like, honestly, no friggin way that we ever come back. I hated everything about it. read more

I love this restaurant! The food was excellent and the service impeccable. The overall ambiance/vibe was excellent. It's best to make reservations because seats fill up quickly! You will not regret ! read more

I went there yesterday for the first time. It was easy to make a reservation online and the seating was fast when I got there around 5pm. The staff was very friendly and checked up on me multiple times. When you make a reservation, they put a little sign with your name on it that I thought was a lovely touch. On Wed, the have live music which was really nice. The atmosphere of the place is very mellow and looks amazing. The music from the band added the perfect vibe to the place. Highly recommend whether you go solo or with a group. Food and wine selections are very good and portion sizes are huge! read more

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The food was amazing The service was amazing Cute decor and nice music I would definetly reccomend and I will definetly be going back! I had the magnolia burger with fries, soooo tasty! read more

The food was so amazing. Everything was prepared fresh in house and there wasn't a single thing we didn't love the taste of from the buffet. The atmosphere inside was nice with some music and someone playing actual live music for some amazing ambiance. The service staff were all super friendly and attentive to our needs. Can't wait to come back here again with my lovely wife. read more

Can I just say that I loved EVERYTHING about coming here! The food, our server and the entertainment were on point. It was a a beautiful way to spend the evening with my husband and our son who was going back to college. We will be back again soon! read more

Kitchen needs help! Food for a table of 8 comes out at different times! Steak and Frites, steak was burnt to a crisp on outside with some pink/red in the center. when ordered rare. Frites weren't ready so chef put other potatoes on plate with frites coming later. Salad ordered wasn't even delivered when we started entrees, so we cancelled it! Music was good, but that's about it! read more

Magnolia Bistro is so nice and comfortable Always welcoming !! We have enjoyed their Sunday Brunch and dinner many times. The food offerings are always fresh and delicious !! Service is always friendly and attentive !! Exceptional independent restaurant in Claremont. Treat yourself as soon as possible. read more

Wow, I'm so happy that I finally visited this place. What a great hidden gem in inland empire area. We were amazed by our food. They have small menu but everything we ordered were delicious. Loved the sauce they pairs with hanger steak and the purée they used for salmon. Service is 5 ! Prompt and sweet. Ambiance is casual and hip. I think it's a great place to take some business partners, you can enjoy wine and their charcuterie board while talking. I will definite return again. read more

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I was a little disappointed in my food especially for the price. I ordered a wedge salad and short ribs and because of the size of the part, we had to pre-order. The food had been sitting and it warm and the meat dried. My Mom had to send her shrimp scampi back because it was not hot and salty, she said no... We had been looking forward to coming her for awhile and I was disappointed in my meal. I should have sent back for what I spent.... For the quality of food, it was overpriced. read more

My dad and I tried this place and I loved it. The charcuterie plate for two was great and a perfect size. The garlic shrimp was good!! I would try the bruschetta next time. I got the Santorini pasta with chicken. My dad got the magnolia burger. I liked his better in all honesty. My pasta was good but wasn't for me. Our waitress was kind but they were a bit understaffed. read more

I WOULD GIVE ZERO STARS IF I COULD. The food was awful had ZERO flavor. The server "Conner" AKA bug eyes was so RUDE he cuts you off while your talking had so much ATTITUDE . His breath was also awful don't work somewhere and not BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!! Do not come here not worth the money whatsoever!!!!! read more

Excellent food excellent service. Bands are good better on some nights than other. Staff is amazing and great with recommendations on wine. Conner went out of his way to make our night special and Diane treated us like we were old friends. Highly recommend for special occasions and date nights. read more