It's Saturday night, and you find yourself in Magnolia.
You are time traveling...
Back to the 1920s.
The cocktails flow. The atmosphere sizzles. The conversation enlightens.
Welcome to Lefty's on the Square.
Lefty's is a throwback elegant speakeasy where everything from the cocktail garnish to the chandeliers have been handpicked for your experience. Jazz music plays. Flapper dress needed.
Not one detail has gone unnoticed by Christy Ouei, partner Burt Adams and her staff including creating the lore of Lefty that captures your imagination immediately.
A QR code on a postcard and an old-fashion matchbook tells the guest about gambler Lefty's legendary story. You can also read it here.
To grasp the history of the Magnolia speakeasy, you must know the story about Lefty aka Frances Dalton Miller who would end up having a curious connection to Ouei, who was born in Lake Village.
Francis Dalton Miller, aka Lefty, came to America from Ireland in 1895. He ended up in and intermingled with Chicago crime bosses.
During the roaring 1920s, he and a gangster friend traveled to Memphis and Hot Springs on a mission for bootleg liquor makers. They ended up in Magnolia at the Johnson Hotel and in a game of 5 card stud with the hotel's owner.
Feeling confident about his hand aces and kings, the owner put up the deed to the hotel against the car Miller drove into town.
Miller laid down three threes. He won the hotel and refurbished it becoming an engaged Magnolia citizen helping to build the town's library. He also created a 333 Club that sold liquor.
In the 1930s agents seized the club. Miller escaped. He changed his name to F. Dalton McAffrey and moved to Lake Village.
Then, on Oct. 13, 1973, he finished dinner at Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville, Miss., walked out and was shot during a robbery. On his deathbed, Lefty told his son about his past. He died the next day at the hospital.
That same night, Lefty's godson, Jimmy McAffry, had a granddaughter in the same hospital where Lefty had just passed away. That baby? Christy Ouei.
The past and present literally blends at this Magnolia speakeasy that AY Magazine voted as having the state's best cocktail in 2025 and as Arkansas' best new restaurant in 2024.
The experience
Ouei, who stands by the door waiting to greet customers to her world, went all-in building a dining experience unlike any in Arkansas and possibly all of the South.
The exquisite cocktails hypnotize immediately.
The cocktails are concocted with Arkansas spirits from Delta Dirt Distillery, Okami Sake and Rock Town Distillery by mixology wizzes.
The menu on a Saturday night features six appetizers like Flame Kissed Dip and six entrees including Steak Oscar, Pork Shank Sous Vide and Honey Lume Salmon.
Ouei said she didn't want to overload guests with a large menu but rather focus on quality over quantity.
Lefty's is especially unique in its 333 membership. For a yearly $333 per couple, members receive "unparalleled dining experiences, special events, and personalized perks that elevate every visit," according to the restaurant's website.
This year, a Spring Social was included in the membership with a grazing table that allowed attendees to drop in and mingle like people once did at country clubs throughout the South. This allows new people in town to meet Magnolia natives and network in a relaxed way, Ouei, who also owns MuleKick near the Southern Arkansas University campus in Magnolia, said.
Members of the 333 Club also receive exclusive invitations to special events like wine tastings. Lefty's is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to the public but 333 members can enjoy special nights, say on a Monday.
They also get priority reservations by texting or calling a private number. Members also get to-go orders while the general public do not. On Saturdays 333 members receive complimentary charcuterie boards from 4 – 5 p.m. during cocktail hour.
Ouei took the Reckoning upstairs to the private dining room and a two-top table for special occasions that overlook the twinkling hand-crafted downstairs bar with magical LED lights that create a river.
The upstairs area also has hideaway nooks. Men have asked to sit in these hideaways to enjoy a cigar. Cocktails allowed. Cigars? No.
The old South meets the modern dining experience at Lefty's, which is housed in the historic building that Ouei and her team restored to resemble what she imagines the building originally was
Sit at the bar for an hour or so and you'll soon want to move to Magnolia just to enjoy this electric atmosphere of Lefty's frequently.
Suzi Parker is the co-owner and publisher of South Arkansas Reckoning. She has been a national investigative and political journalist for 30 years. She's the author of several books including "Sex in the South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt" and "1000 Best Bartender's Recipes."
