Restaurant Road Trip: Best Cocktail Lounge, Lefty’s on the Square

Lefty’s on the Square in Magnolia is one of those places that personifies a local treasure: a romantic throwback to a wilder age with an authentic gangster backstory to match. It is not the kind of place most people might expect to find in the genteel-sounding Magnolia, Arkansas, but ever since it opened, locals and visitors alike have embraced it as their own.

“When we started this, we started looking at what we could bring to Magnolia that wasn’t already here. The answer was actually a lot,” said co-founder Christy Ouei. “We’ve been working on Lefty’s since 2021, completely gutted it, and went back to the 1920s and what we imagined was the original vibe.”

The establishment, which Ouei owns with Burt Adams, was an instant smash, winning Best New Restaurant honors in AY About You’s 2024 “AY’s Readers’ Restaurant Poll,” and one big reason why is the showstopping bar with elegant cocktails to match.

“At Lefty’s, balance is the cornerstone of every cocktail we craft,” Ouei said. “It’s about more than just the right ratio of ingredients — it’s a harmony of flavor, aroma, texture and visual appeal. Balance makes sure that every sip tells a story, delivering complexity without chaos.”

Developing the restaurant’s signature drink menu is a collaborative effort among Ouei, employees Lorenzo Stephens and McKenna Caudle, and lead bartender Josh Hawboldt.

The state’s best cocktail lounge never disappoints, thanks to creative cocktails including the Triple Berry Margarita. (Photos by Josh Hawboldt)

“Whether it’s a twist on a classic or one of our signature creations, we focus on making drinks that feel sophisticated yet approachable,” Ouei said. “We recognize that south Arkansas is at the end of the trend curve and firmly in the ‘late majority.’ However, we push the envelope and enjoy being considered trendsetters instead of followers.”

Specialties of the house include Lefty’s Luck, a concoction of Irish whiskey, citrus juice and peach liqueur, and the Triple Berry Margarita featuring house made syrup and rim of hibiscus sugar. Another solid sip is the Lavender Lemon Dandy composed of Arkansas-made Delta Dirt vodka, distilled from sweet potatoes, which comes garnished with gold sugar and a stem of dried lavender.

Those with a taste for adventure should opt for Midnight Mist, a new creation for which Hawboldt refused to divulge the ingredients, and the off-menu smoked Secret Handshake, described by Ouei as “a riff on a traditional old-fashioned.”

“We do not see ourselves as being in the food and beverage industry or the service industry,” Ouei said. “We are hosts to our friends, new and old, and welcome them into our house to celebrate all of life’s special moments.”