by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Jacksonville loves its barbeque and there are certainly plenty of barbeque joints to choose from. Mojo Barbeque is local choice outside the chains. The warmly-colored walls are ornamented with funky portraits of blues and country singers. As the blue neon in the window boldly declares, Mojo Barbeque is “A Southern Blues Kitchen.” A center for barbeque and down-home Southern cooking, Mojo’s has been in business for over two years. As owner Todd Lineberry says, “The food speaks for itself.”
A scrumptious assortment of appetizers are available, like the Mojo’s famous fried onion rings, chili cheese fries, pulled pork quesadillas, Mississippi catfish fingers and fried chicken strips to name a few. The onion rings are a favorite, thickly sliced, twice breaded and served with a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing. The smoked chicken nachos appetizer is a towering plate of nachos topped with jack and cheddar cheeses, large slices of smoked tomatoes, hand-chopped jalapeños and hickory-smoked chicken, all doused in Mojo’s barbeque sauce.
The kitchen at Mojo’s sprinkles all of their fresh salads with their delicious and unique homemade jalapeño cornbread croutons. Salads can be topped with fried or barbequed chicken, Texas chili, pulled pork, beef brisket or smoked turkey breast.
When selecting sides, be sure to order the smoked yellow corn, which is richly smoked and full of flavor. Mojo’s also knows how to mash potatoes in a creamy, yet lumpy, delightful mess, with or without gravy. Two classically southern sides for the choosing are the collard greens and black-eyed peas. You can have a meal made up completely of the veggie sides if you order the Mojo Veggie Platter— four veggies, your choice.
The platters are plenty, even if you have a substantial appetite. Both the barbeque platters and Southern platters come with two homemade side items and bread. The Southern platters come with the wonderfully sweet, yet spicy jalapeño cornbread. Texas toast comes with all the barbeque platters.
If you have trouble choosing which barbeque platter, either go for the two-meat combo or the Big Mojo. The Big Mojo includes five of the barbeque meats: the slow cooked St.Louis style pork ribs, the hickory chicken, the pulled pork, Texas-style beef brisket and all-beef smoked sausage. The remaining barbeque choices are the smoked turkey and the North Carolina style pulled pork, mixed in a Carolina vinegar sauce.
Center cut pork chops, buttermilk fried chicken and a hand-cut ribeye are a few of the down-home choices for the Southern platters. Try the chicken-fried steak topped with creamy gravy for a true Southern experience. Or you can enjoy the chipotle barbeque chicken, as I did. The chicken, topped with a sweetly distinctive chipotle, cheddar jack cheese and smoked bacon, wins top marks from my taste buds. If you’re looking for something a little different, go for the Delta catfish platter, fried or blackened. Barbeque platters come in two sizes, small and large, but even the “small” portion is a pretty substantial amount.
If your appetite isn’t big enough for a platter, go with a Mojo sandwich. The Mojo smokehouse burger, smothered in Mojo barbeque sauce, melted cheese and bacon, is an excellent choice. Other options for your sandwich are pulled pork, brisket, smoked turkey or pulled chicken.
Like any good barbeque restaurant, Mojo’s also provides catering and take-out. You can order larger amounts of the appetizers, sides or barbequed meats to feed hungry football fans or party-goers. The delicious sauces such as the chipotle barbeque sauce, Mojo barbeque sauce, Jax mustard sauce and a few others are also available in pint or quart sizes, should you want to take some home.
For desserts, you’ll have to ask your server what’s available because they aren’t on the menu and change from time to time. I tried two desserts - the Key Lime pie, which was more creamy than tart, and the pecan pie. I enjoyed the Key Lime pie, complete with a slice of real lime, but my kudos go to the excellent pecan pie. If you haven’t tried pecan pie before, try it here. It’s a Southern tradition that shouldn’t be missed.
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