Mo's Diner

Wonderful food, Wonderful staff\r \r It was like eating at your best friends house who just happens to be a one of the best Chefs you'll ever know. \r more

In October 2009 I dined at Mo's with a group of ladies from all over the U.S. in town for Clay Aiken's charity gala, and I'm from Orange County, CA. Just 2 weeks before, I had dined at Ruth's Chris Steak House here in O.C. and my steak at Mo's was sooo much better. First off, their Mojito cocktail was out of this world and after tasting mine, others at my table also ordered one and we savored every sip. For starters I had the sauteed spinach & cheese with phyllo instead of a salad - yum-eee . My entree was the Angus Filet Mignon dinner. Unbelievably melt-in-your-mouth fantastic. The seasoning of the steak was perfection. And all the rest of the items on the plate - like the garlic mashed potatoes, corn and string beans were equally wonderful. Not only me, but everyone in that room was swooning over their meal. It was a highlight of my trip to Raleigh and I just wish I lived close by enough to Mo's so that I could come back again and again. Also, by the way, the service was perfect considering how many of us were served piping hot meals almost all at the same time. I highly recommended this quaint and charming restaurant owned by people who obviously take pride in what they serve. This is a must for anyone visiting Raleigh for sure. Pros: Everything tasted delicious!!!! more

We went there last night for the 1st time and could not have been more disappointed in the experience. Overall, the food is actually pretty good. Not spectacular, but good. Unfortunately, this is so overwhelmingly overshadowed by the generally slow, unattentive and resoundingly lousy service. Lots of details to mention; 1. the server never introduced herself, 2. we were not asked if we wanted coffee with dessert, 3. waited well over 15 minutes between courses. The people working there just don't seem to understand what kind of establishment they're running. The kind of service we received there last night is more along the lines of what i would expect at Applebee's or Golden Corral. My recommendation is to take your fine dining $$ elsewhere. Pros: It's in a good location Cons: The service is terrible more

I have dined at Mo’s Diner many times, and the restaurant has always counted to one of my favorite places in Raleigh. My last visit was in March of 2008, and I paid with my credit card. A few weeks later, I reviewed my credit card statements and to my surprise the staff at Mo’s Diner had deducted a different amount. Upon this discovery I called the restaurant and spoke to the owner Mrs. Holly Mohajer. In a rather berating tone, I was told that I should call my credit card company to dispute the bill. I explained Holly that I do not intend to dispute the charges; after all I had dined at her restaurant but that I was charged the wrong amount. Judging from Holly’s reaction she clearly did not want to admit that her staff made a mistake. She was very short with me, not even trying to comprehend my concern. I asked her to fax me a copy of the bill, and upon receipt of the fax I was utterly disturbed because the bill was falsified and did not match my copy. The total did not add up, neither did the tip nor was it my handwriting. I contacted Holly again in order to get an explanation and settle the issue. However, the more she talked, the more she contradicted herself. Ultimately, she yelled at me and then she hung up. I still do not know what caused her unprofessional behavior to react so aggressive with me. Yet, I do know that I will not dine at Mo’s any more! Should you decide to dine there, do yourself the favor and pay in cash.\r \r more

We ate at Mo's Diner on Valentine's Day for the first time. I was very impressed. First of all the atmosphere is such a nice change from your typical restaurant. The environment is very cozy and intimate and is quaint, which was refreshing. Secondly, the food was exceeded expectations. I ordered the Grouper and it was extremely good and very well prepared. My huspand got the Pork Tendorloin and he said it was amazing. The Garlic Mashed Potatoes were unreal, so yummy! I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for simple, yet good food and an atosphere that is a change from the norm. Pros: atmosphere, great food more

We always go out of our way to eat here. All entries on the menu are prepared to perfection. Also you can not find better atmosphere or wait staff any where. Over the years we have been attended to perfectly by the same personnel. Best to make a reservation rather than miss out on a marvelous dinning experience. Pros: A place where all your dinning wishes come true. Cons: None I can think of. more

I've been going to Mo's Diner for 10+ years and it's still my favorite place to go for dinner, especially for our Anniversary, since we had our first date at Mo's. The note on the bottom of the menu says it all... ""simple food prepared with care"". I like the fact that the Chef at Mo's Diner doesn't use a ton of ingredients for each of his dishes (and I think I've had all of them). It's simple clean food in an old house that's really homey and romantic. My favorite dishes are the nightly fish specials and the pear salad and my husband always gets the Lamb. We look forward to getting our favorite dessert, the Banana Napoleon. We sit on the porch when the weather is nice and we always get very good service from the same waiter since our first date. Pros: Great Food, Service. Atmosphere & Free Street Parking more

I had the unfortunate experience of eating a meal at Mo's several weeks ago. And I will not be back. First off when my girlfriend and I arrived, we were not greeted upon entering this establishment. We found someone taking phone reservations and did not even recieve a ""Just a second' type of statement to let us know we would be taken care of shortly. We were finally helped by a server. We were seated and then waited an unreasonable amount of time to be even given the pleasure of viewing their 1 page menu! Now to the decor it looked like they just went to a yard sale and picked out stuff and threw it up onto the wall. The chairs were questionable as to their stability also. And the food, was a complete and utter dissapointment. The general taste of the meal was ok, at best, and the presentation was absolutely not accetpable. It did not help matters that the plates they used to present the food, looked like something you would find in a school cafeteria. I totally would not reccomend this establishment, unless they can do some major overhauls to the qualtiy of service and the presentation of the food, and the general decor. Pros: We were able to leave Cons: We had to go here. more

I had the good fortune to have dinner at Mo's Diner in 4/08 as a result of reviews on this site. I had never been to Raleigh before and this was an outstanding choice. Mo's is located in a small house which has been converted to a lovely place to dine. We arrived early for a 7:30 reservation and were seated outside for a few minutes as our table was readied. We ordered a bottle of pinoit noir recommended by one of the owners - who was also our waiter. As we were enjoying the wine he was kind enough to tell us he would put the remainder of the bottle on our table inside, and we could come inside whenever we wanted. That was a very nice start indeed. The atmosphere is subdued, and Mo's is a lovely place for a date or a family get together. Two of us split a scallop appetizer and a pear salad - both very good. Our entrees were a grouper special with crabmeat (truly outstanding) and a pork dish - nicely executed. We finished with a flourless chocolate cake - again, very well done. The meal was paced beautifully, and as we left the other owner hurried outside to thank us for coming and to make sure all had gone well. I can recommend Mo's Diner without reservation. There are several public parking lots in the area, and on street parking as well. Despite comments I found on this site I did not see the neighborhood as an issue. Pros: Great special event spot - wonderful service more

This is the second time I've eaten at Mo's and I've not been disappointed either time. My first meal there was the chicken/shrimp/sausage/tomato plate, which was a lot like a chunky jambalaya and was fantastic.\r Tonight, we had an appetizer of smoked salmon with latkies. The salmon was delicious topped with the dill cream sauce. The potato pancakes weren't traditional (they were more the consistency of hash browns) but were good nonetheless. For an entree, I ordered the grouper topped with crabmeat and lemon butter . I asked them to go easy on the butter per the below review, and I'm glad I did because it had plenty. Still, I found it quite flavorful and perfectly cooked. The mashed potatoes were excellent - very creamy with a hint of garlic. The corn and green beans were fresh and cooked nicely, but not as flavorful as I would have expected. My wife had the pan-seared sea scallops with pasta, which was extremely rich but topnotch.\r The decaf coffee tasted burnt to me, and the server kindly brought me a fresh cup and took the coffee off the bill. The fresh cup was still pretty strong and a little too bitter for me so I wouldn't recommend it. The banana napoleon, though, was spectacular and if I could have licked the plate and gotten away with it I would have. \r Our bill was about $100 for two people... that counts appetizer, two entrees, two glasses of wine, dessert and a nice gratuity. The food's quite obviously not healthy and I'm nursing a case of heartburn as I write, but it's the kind you don't mind having once in a while for a meal like this! Pros: Excellent food, fine service. Cons: Not so good for those with cholesterol problems. more

I was very excited to try Moe's based on recommendations from friends. I really wanted to like it. However, I was very disappointed with the experience. I was excited about the ""old house"" atmoshpere in theory, but in reality the walls are covered with a vast amount of artwork and the place seems to be suffering an identity crisis. For my entree, I ordered flounder topped with crab meat with a lemony butter sauce. Make that an extremely lemony sauce that completely overwhelmed the dish and made it very unpleasant. The corn was from a can and my mashed potatoes were OK, but the plate was just a blob of yellow and white. After unappealing food and a ridiculously high bill, I do not plan to return. more

This is a must go too!!! The seafood was incredible. Growing up at the beach with fresh seafood, I am very picky. By far none have come close. Very romantic and relaxing. The Baked Oyster Appetizer was fabulous. Spicy Scallops and Shrimp could not have been closer to perfect. My husband had the special which was grouper and it to was full of flavor and cooked to perfection. You have my vote chef Hamid. The vegetables were fresh and flavorful. Plenty of food for your money. Had to split dessert because after all the food I was stuffed. The bread was fresh, hot, and mouth watering. Salads are salads, but the dressing, oh my gosh it was good! Pros: Ambience, Food, Service, dining pleasure Cons: parking takes a little planning more

My boyfriend and I love going to Mo's for romantic occasions. We've been there about 5 times and each time has been fabulous. The entrees and desserts are delicious and the setting is very romantic. Picture an older cozy house with candles on the tables and Norah Jones playing in the background. It's nice to go to Mo's and get away from the chain restaurants and the hustle and bustle of most places in Raleigh. Note: I wouldn't take children here though. \r \r LOVE IT!!! Highly Recommended! more

Downtown doesn't get any better than this. This place has always had great, professional service. The food is nicely prepared and presented. We love this place. Pros: food, service, downtown thing to do, even the parking is easy (front of building) more

My husband and I had a very pleasant experience here. The server was very attentive and prompt, with a smile. The salad with goat cheese and pistachios was very good. we both enjoyed our entrees. And I especially loved the banana napolean for dessert. The menu is a bit limited, and only had one vegetarian option--which was literally vegetarian: corn, green beans, spinach, greens & potatoes. It was good, but not as imaginative as the other items on the menu. Pros: cute setting, great service Cons: limited menu, not veggie friendly more

Having eaten now at Mo's three times in the past ten days, I felt compelled to write a review. Mo's has one private room that you can take a group of up to around 20 that is apart from the other tables. I took clients there two nights in a row, and we had the best service, best cuisine and most fun time of any restaurant I have been to in Raleigh recently. On our third visit, my husband took me there for an intimate birthday celebration and the service was impeccable, as was the appetizer, entree and dessert. It is very hard to find a restuarant that can cater to a large or small crowd with a smile on their face and unbeatable savory fare. Highly recommended. The downside, though, is the tricky pay-parking that is adjacent to Mo's that makes un-initiated diners think it is for customer parking. Pros: impeccable service, outstanding cuisine, variety of dishes Cons: pay parking more

The service was super....super slow!! We had to ask 3 times for more bread...and the server kept saying we were next in the ""bread line"". I guess the bread took awhile to bake?? We found the food average at best...and a bit pricey for the quality. The pasta is better at Olive Garden...and that aint saying much!! The atmosphere is cool, as it is in an old house in downtown Raleigh...but is a bit cramped....We got there 2 hours before a show at the BTI center and were seated immediatly...and we almost missed the show and had no time for coffee or dessert! Hope you have a better experience, but with all the choices in downtown, I will try someplace else. Pros: Parking, Atmosphere Cons: service, food, cramped more

Mo's made for an anniversary dinner to remember. Simply one of the best meals we've ever had, and the service was astounding. Our meals were fantastic, and the banana mousse pie was to die for. It was top-notch. I would recommend Mo's to absolutely anyone. It was a delightful experience. Pros: Food, Service, Ambience more

Having been here on business for months, we have tried most everything Raleigh has to offer. Mo's is, far and away, the best in Raleigh. My dining companions and I have even considered calling it the best meal we've ever had, anywhere (mussels, grilled caesar, lamb, and many many desserts). and we consider ourselves professional diners. Cannot say enough good things. And the service is fantastic -- our server, Rob, has even been known to save us our favorite dessert, the banana mousse pie. We've been there 3 times in 2 weeks when we could go anywhere in the city -- enough said. more

Wonderful experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to escape the crowds. Service is some of the best I've ever had and the food is excellent. Don't leave without dessert. Good wine selection. Pros: Service, Romantic Cons: Little Pricey more