By Tim Hauserman ·
For several months as I walked along the lake in Tahoe City, I’ve been noticing a coming soon banner for Moe’s Original Bar B Que. It’s always exciting to see a new restaurant come to our little town, but especially when it sits in the same location as the once popular Lakehouse Pizza and equally popular Mandarin Villa Chinese Restaurant, which were put of business years ago when the building burned.
Moe’s sits just above the lake, just above the Lakeside Bike Trail, just above the new Lakehouse Pier and next to the Tahoe City Marina at the bottom of Grove Street. In other words, it’s an awesome location in the midst of Tahoe City. Fortunately, my recent dining experience matched the location. The food was delicious, unique and reasonably priced. The ambience was relaxed and designed to take full advantage of the lakeside location.
The main restaurant has an open ambience with a cozy wood floor, fireplace and wood ceilings. On the outside, there is a large deck in the front, and a large patio on the side, designed to put the diners as close to the lake as possible.
Moe’s focus is on authentic, hot pit, Alabama-style barbecue. Much of the meat is cooked slowly and in small batches, so they have to operate on a first-come, first-served, when-it’s-gone-it’s-gone philosophy. The focus is on pork, fowl and seafood.
You can purchase a sandwich with two sides for $10, or go for the platter with cornbread for between $12 and $16. I recently sat down and sampled as much as my belly would hold. The Southern Fried Catfish had a delicious mild flavor that was enhanced with a yummy white sauce.
I also enjoyed the Bama Style pulled pork platter. Rib fans will not be disappointed with the St. Louis-style pork ribs that fall off the bone. The chicken wings were smothered in a mildly spicy, but quite tasty sauce, and if you like blackened fish, the Mahi Mahi was flavorful. My favorites were the corn bread, which is infused with a bit of jalapeno, and then fried in butter just before it was served, and the peanut butter chocolate Oreo dessert that was truly heavenly.
In addition to the main courses, Moe’s creates variety by producing a different set of sides each day from a repertoire of more than 60 choices. With it’s location on the bike trail and next to the Tahoe City Marina, Moe’s also is focusing on take out with Double Wide and Triple Wide To Go packs include enough meat and sides to feed your group.
Moe’s Original Bar B Que is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. located at 120 Grove St., Tahoe City. For more information, call (530) 583-4227 or visit moesoriginalbbq.com.
