MoG Dines out… Sweet Magnolia Bakery

Grilled Pimiento Cheese Panini. Does it get any cheesier?

Ok, so with all this hubbub about Laurel, Mississippi, some folks have started noticing (especially when they get asked things by visitors like “where should we go out to eat”)  that there’s not really a great source for non-natives about where to eat and what to get…

I mean, there’s technically Yelp and Trip Advisor, but they spotlight a pretty large number of chains…plus, since Laurel JUST got added to the Visit Mississippi tourism maps in 2016, our economy is pretty robust, but not really tourism-focused. (meaning that these sites haven’t gotten a ton of traffic until recently.)

Anyway, for this very reason, I’m going to be reviewing locally owned spots around and about this little town that maybe you haven’t heard of, so if you live here and are curious or happen to be stopping through, you’ll have an idea about where to go. Search my Tag “MOG Dines out” or “Dining out” to read more and please leave me a comment if there’s a Laurel place that needs to be highlighted (ESPECIALLY if you want to write the review as an MoG contributor!)

Up today, a great little spot for sandwiches, and an even better one if you need to feed your sweet tooth: Sweet Magnolia Bakery on Highway 15 N.

A perfect Club Sandwich. Just right!

So, here’s the deal about Sweet Magnolia Bakery… it’s an AMAZING sweet shop with a long-time baking legacy in our town that also serves really good, classic southern and American sandwiches. You’ve got your club, your grilled cheese, your Elvis (PBJ & banana), your ham & cheese, your pimiento cheese that’s grilled..plus a pretty big menu with other combinations of turkey and cheese and ham, etc.. you know, really good, solid fare that will, as my mama says “hold a gal up”. In other words, Substantial, yummy, traditional sandwiches.

But, of course, there are plenty of places that serve homemade sandwiches… why should you pick Sweet Magnolia, especially since the ambiance is nice and casual and clean but not super unique?

Three words:

THE dessert, y’all.

Sweet Magnolia Bakery is the sister restaurant to Teresa’s (which up until like last year was known as “Teresa’s Bake Shop.” Now SM makes all the sweets, and Teresa’s Cafe (just down the highway) handles the heavier food…poppyseed chicken, corn bread, and green bean casserole, for example. For at least twenty five years–if not longer– Teresa’s has been Laurel’s go-to cake bakery… practically everyone I know had a birthday cake or wedding cake from her shop, and her petite fours and thumbprint cookies have graced the table of probably every baby shower or bridal party I’ve attended in Jones County. My own gorgeous wedding cake was from Teresa’s and I still remember walking into her shop and leafing through the pages of cake designs for my 8th birthday party and picking out a white puppy design.

Memories…..

Now, a relative makes the sweet goodies at Sweet Magnolia using Teresa’s recipes, and I’ll tell you, everything is still really, really fine.

If you’re looking for a good, classic sandwich made with real hands and by real people, AND you want a dessert that will knock your socks off, Sweet Magnolia is the place to go. And get a tea cake. And a petit fours. and some cheese straws. and a slice of cake to go.

Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwich. mmmmmm…

Thumbprints, Cupcakes, brownies, Oh my!

Shot of the baked goods on offer