Give or take 20 years ago, Larry Kowalski and a buddy took a memorable road trip. Already in the restaurant business, he aimed to discover the secrets of Southern barbecue firsthand by visiting over 80 barbecue restaurants in 10 states in the Southern barbecue belt. On one wall, a map of states with red string and blue pins shows their route. Larry and friend picked up recipes, tips, inspiration, and chairs (all antique and unique) for the new restaurant on Higuera. Enlarged photos of barbeque joints they visited hang on the walls, along with license plates with barbeque themes and extra antique chairs. Pigs reign supreme at Mo’s. Many pigs hang on the walls, in wood and metal, even a pig weather vane and Pig X-ing street sign (mama porker followed by piglets). A pig cookie jar sits on a shelf. Once you place your order, you’re given a numbered wooden pig to take to your table. Mo’s has a child-friendly atmosphere. Children (and young-at-heart) can grab a tin of Crayolas and color the happy pig in a chef’s hat, captioned I ate it at Mo’s. The real good ones get hung up on the wall. Which may be making you wonder, is there anything not hung up on the walls at Mo’s? Not much actually, other than tables, antique chairs, and customers.
You can buy a Mo’s T-shirt for $10.95. They hang from the rafters with catchy phrases like Just Say Mo, Eat Me (on a pink pig) and Ribbed for your Pleasure (showing a full side of pork ribs). Mo’s consistently wins top prizes in the yearly Rib Cook-Offs; this year, they won People’s Choice award for best pork. The winning plaques are, you guessed it, hung up on the wall.
You can eat indoors or at one of the tables out front; there’s good people-watching out there on Higuera. Once you taste your order, you come to realize how well-deserved Mo’s many prizes are. Our favorites are the Virginia barbeque pork sandwich, their house specialty. Shredded pork in a heavenly sauce topped with coleslaw right in the French roll. And the barbeque beef sandwich with Memphis seasoning, wickedly tender and tasty. Wonderful sides to these are baked beans, extra coleslaw, and homemade potato chips. Not to forget a pitcher of beer. Our total cost for the meal was $28.
Several secrets of Mo’s success include the authentic Hickory-smoked meats, smoked and cooked on the premises, and their own sauces, which you can buy by the bottle in four flavors: regular, spicy hot, sweet Carolina, and Philthy Phil’s, vinegar-based with mustard and brown sugar.
For heavier appetites, all kinds of hefty rib dinners are offered, as well as half a hickory-smoked barbeque chicken. Lunch specials Monday through Friday are sandwich, chips, and a (nonalcoholic) drink for $5.95. Mo’s also does catering and large quantity orders. You’ll find mo’ Mo’s in Pismo Beach, Huntington Beach, and Chico, California. Wanna start up yo’ own Mo’s? Just say MO!!!