Iconic Charleston restaurant closed temporarily after early morning kitchen fire
A downtown restaurant that helped Charleston establish itself as a culinary destination will be closed temporarily after a kitchen fire broke out early Saturday morning.
Magnolias, which helped ignite a culinary renaissance in the Holy City in 1990 when it began serving upscale Southern cuisine, announced the news of the fire on social media.
A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page Saturday afternoon said there had been a contained hood fire early Saturday morning.
“We apologize for any inconvenience for upcoming reservations,” the restaurant wrote.
The post drew early comments of concern. One person wrote they were sending the restaurant “positive thoughts from Texas.” Another encouraged them, writing, “Stay strong Magnolias.”
Officials with the Charleston Fire Department said the agency received reports of smoke near the restaurant on East Bay Street shortly before 5:30 a.m.
Initially, firefighters from both the Charleston and North Charleston Fire Departments responded to the area, along with Charleston County EMS and Charleston Police.
Charleston Fire Department officials said it took less than 4 minutes for emergency personnel to arrive at Magnolias restaurant at 185 East Bay Street.
When they arrived, firefighters quickly entered the building and initiated a search and fire attack. Flames could be seen at the roof level of the building, and a second alarm was requested by the incident commander.
That resulted in sending in additional firefighters from Charleston, James Island and Saint Andrews fire departments. The crews then contained the fire to the kitchen and began to search the building to make sure the fire had not traveled to other areas.
The incident is currently under investigation. No injuries were reported.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, the Charleston Fire Department confirmed.
When Magnolias opened more than 30 years ago, it was one of the first Charleston restaurants to take the classic flavors of the South and elevate them to upscale cuisine.
Since opening, the restaurant has continued to land on “best of” and “must eat” lists.
It has also garnered a reputation for culinary excellence, attracting praise and accolades from notable food critics and experts like Bon Appetit, Southern Living, The James Beard Foundation and the Food Network. The restaurant was also featured in the New York Times in 1995, alongside other Southern staples in Charleston.
The restaurant has survived its share of hurricanes and, last year, also weathered the state’s emergency orders that forced restaurants to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story was originally published August 7, 2021 at 3:16 PM.
