Mo's SmokeHouse BBQ

The sauce’s flavors didn’t quite hit. Had to remove most of it (chose the Memphis sauce) off the ribs. The meat itself (on the ribs) was perfectly cooked, soft and meaty. The other meat was ok. Used their regular sauce (not impressive) for that. The sausage was spicy and yummy. So was the coleslaw and beans. The cornbread was drier than the desert and really didn’t want to go down without water. I think the most disappointing thing for us was the garlic fries though. I do wonder what they used because it tasted like vinegar and canned garlic. The fries were saturated in oil too. Restroom was clean, place was too. Lots of potential and room for improvement (in food and service).

Yeah, this place wasn't good at all. Smelled good, however that didn't translate to the taste. I ordered a Tri-Tip sandwich thinking maybe it would be tender with slathering of sauce. Definitely not the spirit, the meat was as dry as the Mojave desert!!! I will say, I enjoyed the coleslaw. My advice is ask for extra sauce on the side, not sure if would recommend, our food was not pleasant...

The ribs, the beans, the garlic fries- everything is amazing!! The ribs were meaty and I enjoyed each flavor. Grandpa’s beans were great and really did taste just like my grandpa would make. The tritip could use a better bread but the meat was great.

Great pulled pork sandwich!! Delicious beans! And don’t forget the homemade cornbread muffins!!! The employees smiled and gave us suggestions. We’ll be back! If you love BBQ, you have to go to Mo’s!!!

Mo’s Smokehouse BBQ is hands down one of the best BBQ spots I’ve ever been to! Located right in the heart of Pismo Beach, this place knows how to deliver unforgettable flavors. The pork baby back ribs are absolutely phenomenal—perfectly tender, smoky, and fall-off-the-bone delicious. You can tell they’ve mastered the art of BBQ. The Tri-tip sandwich is equally amazing, packed with juicy, flavorful meat and served on a soft, fresh bun. It’s the kind of sandwich that leaves you craving more with every bite. Don’t skip the garlic fries—they’re the perfect crispy, garlicky sidekick to round out your meal. Everything on the menu feels like it’s made with care and a true passion for BBQ. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. If you’re in Pismo Beach and love BBQ, Mo’s is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be coming back!

Came here on labor day weekend. Service was fast and cooked hot. Third time here and for my taste buds. This is the best BBQ I've had in California. I always order the ribs. Each flavor has its own unique taste. The flavor is balanced with meat and sauce. Other places I've tried are too much meat taste and not BBQ flavor or too much sauce and zero meat taste. I only go for the ribs any flavor you try is a great choice. The sides are ok for me. Yet I'm only here for the ribs. Out of the park home run for me. Also the story behind it is cool. The owner traveled all over the BBQ belt of American trying to bring the best flavors to the West. I think it was a job well done.

I have been here 3 times and the food is good. It’s not the best BBQ I’ve ever had but I like it enough to go back. However this time I decided to try out more things. I got the ribs and chicken tacos. The ribs were cooked to perfection and came right off the bone. The tacos on the other hand did not set well with my stomach and made me sick. I would stay away from them. Other than that everything else was good and I also don’t recommend dining in on weekends it is extremely pack.

Came here in 2021 with my family and remember the food being very excellent. We recently came back two months ago due to nostalgia and Craving the food again, When we had walked in and were looking through the menu we were asking how big the portions were for the sides(small btw) There was two women at the front who were obviously having a bad day because as we were asking they kept looking at each other and giving us attitude. as for the food the meat was super bland and dry the coslaw/ bbq sauce tasted like it was mixed with water and the seating was very tight as in we had to kindly ask a couple next to us if they could get up so we could squeeze through to leave. overall experience alright at first but all those inconveniences added up to a bad experience.

The BBQ here is delicious! We had the full rack combo and a basket of garlic fries. The combo had 3 flavors of ribs, corn bread muffin, potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw. The ribs were juicy and delicious, it was nice to try the different flavors, all were very good. The baked beans and cornbread muffin with honey butter were a perfect complement to the ribs, as well as the garlic fries which were crispy and tasty. The fries basket was also huge - we had to take half of home it was so much. Highly recommend this place!

On this trip, we ordered the Tri-Tip sandwich with a side of Grandpa Tom's BBQ beans and jalapeño fries! The Tri-Tip meat was well seasoned and tender, the jalapeño fries were absolutely delicious, perfect for every jalapeño lover and the Ranch dressing was made fresh! We loved the four choices of hot, sweet, original and "with a kick" BBQ sauces! On a previous trip, we added the large fluffy Corn Muffins and the perfectly cooked Garlic Bread to our Tri-Tip Sandwiches to create a feast! Our servers were friendly and attentive and we enjoyed the cozy down-home ambience! Thanks MO's, we will be back soon!

Parking is a challenge, but we got lucky as a car pulled out on our second lap past MO's. The line was fairly long, but moved quick. There is a variety of interesting decor to entertain and spark conversation. We ordered a slab of MO's Memphis pork ribs, which included corn muffin, baked beans, potato salad. I had a draft 805 and Katie had a fountain soda. The ribs were very tender and flavorful; a bit sweet and not much spice heat. A decent smoke flavor. We would probably try something a bit spicier next visit. Beans were good, as was the potato salad. The corn muffin was so fresh it fell apart after I split in two. The honey butter was a nice addition. We fell three ribs shy of finishing. And look forward to adding those to today's lunch.

The beef wasn't just shredded. It was puréed. It was also dry and flavorless with an overall burnt flavoring. I love in cuts, but this was just awful. I'm sorry I tried three bites and I could not make myself go for a fourth. The corn muffins were pretty darn good potato salad not to my style, but others might like it. Mustard, very vinegar. They are on the one-way street that takes you to the Pismo Beach pier so I've looked at them many times but I don't think I'll even notice them again as I go by.

Easy to order and I love their ribs & homemade chips. Meat is tender and just the right amount of cartilages on the ribs. I like how it comes with four different sides if you order the set. I got the combo rib set which comes with three kinda of sauces. Good price too! Highly recommend to order extra chips on the side. Chips are crispy and seasoned well.

Got lucky with no line to order and really quick service today. Very cute interior with a southern bbq feel. Order at the counter and they give you a number to put on your table. Had a pulled chicken sandwich with no slaw or sauce and a side of beans. The roll is super soft and the pulled chicken is so flavorful. Personally I don't like slaw and I put my sauce on the side so it doesn't get soggy; all of the bbq sauces here are fantastic as well! Beans and cornbread with honey butter were also full of flavor and delicious. Love stopping here when I'm in town!

I had the Tri tip sandwich and it was tender and very tasty. Proves that Tri tip was borne in this area. I'll definitely be going there again on my next trip.

Had the pulled pork sandwich it was amazing. Smoke was on point. Bread was fresh potato salad was delicious. Barbecue sauce with sweet and tangy. Highly recommend MO's

We've been coming to this place for over a decade, I find their food quite tasty and consistent. We do normally get the pulled pork sandwiches, but sometimes I'll adventure out into ribs, etc.. Service good ambience is low key and very open. We appreciate the variety of barbecue sauces at their self serve bar. Will certainly continue to patronize this BBQ icon of Pismo. Only negative is that they stopped caring the sweet potato pie.

The Tri tip sandwich was perfect, the roll was very soft, it soaked up the juices and the bbq sauce. The fries were hot and crispy. One of the best bbq places I've been to in California

Don't let that good smellin' BBQ house fool you! We stumbled in here because the line to the seafood spot had a long line, and we were liked that this one didn't have any. Overall, this BBQ house was alright, perhaps my expectations were a little too high? I've been having a craving for BBQ lately, and unfortunately my pulled pork sandwich just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's an overall preference thing? I liked that they offered little cups to try the difference sauces; I think I only liked one of them. The tri-tip sandwich was also ok. It was cooked really nicely with a slightly medium rare pinkness to it, but we got a bit of a fatty piece. The cornbread were no joke - these were huge for $4! I wouldn't go out of my way for this spot, but it was good in a pinch.

Decent BBQ. Wish it was in a more convenient location, dont really feel like it is worth paying for parking and walking across town.

My cousin sandwich was so much better than my shredded pork. This place is a definite must if you like BBQ. The sauce is good and the meat is good. Good size portions! It's a walk up counter and you order and pay and the staff brings your food to the table. Lots of seating! Great artwork! One of my favorites for sure.

Yes, yes, yes. We have found the best barbecue place ever. Their prices are great the servings are bountiful at the seating it's tight but it can be accommodating but not for large parties of say five people or more at a table. We stumbled upon this place at Pismo Beach while visiting the car show this past weekend. It is very busy inside you walk up to the cashier and place your order and they bring it to your table we didn't have to wait but maybe 15 to 20 minutes for our order. I'm so happy that we ordered one rack of ribs and the two sides and an side salad separately it was plenty of food for us to the ribs are very meaty and they were smoked just right not overly smoked in flavor and the barbecue sauce varies by your choice of four different flavors that they offer. I found the more traditional sauce they had to be more flavorful. The potato salad is homemade all the way and it was delicious the best I've ever had. The beans were so tasty and not mushy and had a nice sweetness to them. The cornbread was so delicious and moist and crispy on the outside we just had to share the muffin it was very big. We ordered the side salad which was humongous and very well prepared with not just lettuce but also tomatoes red onion cucumbers and cheese. They really go out of their way to prep these presentations as you can see in the pictures we were very satisfied and knew that we had money well spent. The restrooms are what seem to be a problem though, as there is only one restroom and it's gender-neutral so I'm not comfortable with gender neutral restrooms, the line was getting long and it was quite a wait so do not wait to have to go at the last minute if you see people lining up you've probably already waited too long. I sure do look forward to coming back again but we do live a distance about 150 mi away and next car show we are already planning for 2026 and stopping by and visiting MO's again.

You know this place is legit when the flow of patrons is always coming and leaving. I don't eat pork, but their half rack BBQ was amazing! It was cooked well, slid off the bones and their BBQ sauce was finger lickin' good! It also came with fries and a corn bread muffin. I would recommend this to all as there as some ry of tables to sit and they have the line formed against the wall. Bathroom is also nice and well kept. Stop by when you are in the area!

If we are in Pismo MO's is always a stop for us. Food is always great here! Beer always good. I've been when the place is hoping and there is a line is out the door and they got through the line quickly. I've been here on days like today when it was just a few of us in the place. Regardless the food is always fresh and made right. There are many places in Pismo with great food that said, if you stop at MO's you won't be disappointed.

This place WAS a must when you visit this cute beach city! I got tri-tip sandwiches and cant tell you how disappointed I was. The bread was not fresh and not good to eat! The meat was tasteless! I feel like the quality is not the goal in this place anymore! Very sad!

Very tasty and well smoked tender pork ribs! Great bbq sauce flavors. Not overtly hot or spicy. More sweetness and tang. Cool interior vibe. Great table space. Staff service seemed professional yet casual. Food was served quick and hot. Sides are somewhat small for the combo meals. Potato salad generic taste and coleslaw was not overtly sweet which was good. A slab of 12 ribs is good for two people. Price worth it. I look forward to returning!

Kinda cramp inside, the food was ok. The potatoes salad str8 flavor. Nice. Corn bread muffin, cold, dry not moist. Fast friendly service tho. not enough space for high chairs or strollers .

Mo's does not disappoint. I lived in Texas for a few years, so I know what BBQ should taste like. In a town full of seafood and mexican offerings (no hate on either of those) it's surprising to find such great BBQ. We came here years ago and coming back found it's still as good as ever. Pulled pork, tri-tip and ribs are the stars in my opinion. Very good house made sauces highlight southern and east coast traditional flavors. The beans and fries are great too. Everything is priced fairly for the quality they offer. Atmosphere is standard smoke shack vibes.

We ordered the bbq platter which came with pulled pork, chicken, ribs, and a side of beans, corn bread, and Cole slaw. All of the meats were cooked perfectly and seasoned well! The sides were also delicious. My favorite was the bbq beans. The service was not the friendliest but it was decent. The inside was clean and open. There's indoor seating and the workers were good about cleaning a table once someone left.

Reviewing for the sake of reviewing. Received food quickly and there was plenty of seating for a Sunday at noon. The food was mediocre honestly. Not anything out of this world just bbq. The ribs weren't as tender as expected and the potato salad had more relish than potatoes. The cinnamon butter for the bread was DELICIOUS. Giving 5 stars because we didn't have a bad experience, just didn't love the food. I know some people really like this place so I would say check it out to form your own opinion!

Best food on a 4th of July day! Skip the food trucks. Go here! BBQ is the best and the service is quick and friendly!

Great food! I love all the bbq. I ordered the sampler bbq, I had pork ribs, pulled pork and chicken bbq. all taste good! quality and service I can recomend!

Service was fine, maybe i ordered the wrong item on the menu, but the Tri tip was really chewy. Going with the pulled pork next time i think. Not a lot of space so not a lot of ambiance. Got my food to go

The pulled chicken sandwich is SO YUMMY! Absolutely delicious! The service was so fast. The ambiance is nothing to rave about, but the food is so good it doesn't matter!

Hubby and I weren't sure what we wanted to eat, so I looked around and thought why not BBQ? I was searching around for BBQ places nearby and found Mo's Smokehouse BBQ. Hubby and I went in to order to go, so that we were able to enjoy our food in our room while we listen to the waves and just enjoy our last night there. Staff was super friendly and it was quite busy when we were there. We ordered the BBQ Rib Combo, which came with a corn muffin, BBQ beans and we chose potato salad. We also order additional corn muffin and another potato salad as I've seen pictures and it was a small portion. The food could've been way better in our opinions. We have had better BBQ and was quite disappointed. The ribs were not fall off the bone like we thought and it was not as flavorful. The potato salad was not good either. The BBQ beans was good and the corn muffin was just dry. We didn't finish so we saved it and took it home with us. When we got home and we air fried the ribs and added some more BBQ sauce and it tasted a bit better. Overall it was OK.

This has the best BBQ, been eating here for decades. Always buy their BBQ to take home. They have hot sandwiches, ribs, salad and homemade sides!! Lots of beer selections and Pepsi products Walk up and order, plenty of seats to dine in. Love the southern feel, the decor is really cool Totally recommend trying this restaurant

Pretty damn tasty. Only lost a star for that rock hard cornbread muffin. Been coming to Pismo for 6 years first time going into Mos but will definitely come again in the future!

The start of the show where the ribs, got the original rack and tore those suckers up. The ribs by themselves are definitely four star. Decides the half a chicken and tri-tip sandwich we got were very middle of the road you can skip those. 3 1/2 stars overall extra half a star for the nice people.

The best pork fix in central coast! I thought a half slab of pork ribs is enough but we could've seriously inhaled a full slab! Its huge portion don't get me wrong, but it's sooo good I wish we have gotten more! There was no tri tip by it self so I went ahead and ordered the Tri-tip sandwich minus the bread so ended up with tri tip Slices with a side of coleslaw and corn bread muffin which was perfect! It's yummmmm-MO!

That was the driest BBQ I've ever had. Meat quality was good, but zero sauce. I have a hard time believing that was how they intend it to be served.

The Ribs are absolutely, fall off the bone, Delicious!! we got the combination, full slab of Ribs!! And it did not disappoint!! The ribs were very needy, tender, and fell off the bone!! I would definitely recommend this place to try the ribs!! Two sides were good too corn bread muffin with butter was delicious.. the baked beans were fire.. potato salad was all right!! I would highly recommend anybody coming to Pismo Beach to try out barbecue!

Bbq is delicious! I got the BBQ Pork Ribs with bbq beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and large cornbread muffin. Each rib had a different delicious sauce. I took extra coleslaw home to go with leftovers. They serve beer but not wine.

Always my fave. We go back over and over again. We love the pulled pork sandwich and the ribs. The homemade chips and garlic fries are delicious

I heard nothing but amazing things about this barbecue spot so of course we had to try it. Hickory smoke was delicious. Unfortunately the cornbread was dry as the baron desert potato salad was a 5out of 10. Baked beans were definitely delicious. Ribs were a bit dry.The pulled pork sandwich however was scrumptious. The chicken salad was amazing overall a 6 out of 10 because the price point was generous.:)

The price is right that's for sure so are the portions although, let's be honest barbecue places always never give you enough beans that's just the way it is. Quite bluntly is it the best barbecue I've ever had? No, not even top three. It was, however, delicious and flavorful, I just wasn't wowed. I'd go back don't get me wrong, but not when there's a barbecue place right next-door during the weekends. I would like to think that if your neighbor did barbecue on the weekends, that's tough competition

We were on the hunt for a Santa Maria style tri tip sandwich and decided to stop here because it fit the casual vibe we wanted. Fast casual dining. Service was great and helpful. They even had 4 different bbq sauce styles to taste. Why not 5 stars? The sand which and fries we're sub par. The meat was very well done, dry. The bread was a bit hard. Not much flavor overall. I love the tri tip pop ups in Santa Maria so I'm a bit biased. Apparently this spot is known for their pork ribs, but I don't eat pork so I can't comment on that.

Great tasting ribs! I tried the semi sweet tangy sauce and will come back every time I make a trip to Pismo Beach California.

Really good bbq . I feel like the first few times I went here I wasn't overly impressed but the last two times I have been here have been very good . The last two times I have been here I have had the baby back ribs . Both these last times they were excellent . Fair portions and really good quality . My wife who usually won't compliment any bbq place other than her favorite ( Phil's in San Diego ), had a bite and gave a solid compliment . All the bbq sauces are really good and the sides that we have had have been pretty good . I think we have only tried the bbq beans and corn bread . All the people that work here have been super nice . Located in down town pismo in a perfect place. I'll be going back and if there are a few more good experiences I think I can give them a five star .

Very good food reasonably priced. Doesn't take apple pay but very quick service. Big portions.

The food was just a bad imitation. The Memphis barbecue was pretty rough. The Sweet Carolina was a little better. The cornbread was very dry. The beans had diced tomatoes in them, which was interesting. They really are the only barbecue place near the beach. So they probably stay in business because people try barbecue once and never come back again. But because this is a tourist destination, the food doesn't have to be very good for the business to stay open. We did have a good Dr Pepper, though.

Amazing food everything was so good! Will definitely be returning here. We got the tri tip sandwich and ribs.

We had a full and busy day, and needed a hearty meal. This restaurant is centrally located near all the tourist traps, so it's not hard to miss. As we were strolling through downtown Pismo, we decided to make a stop. There were several diners already in the restaurant and so we made our way to the front of the house. Menu was pretty straightforward with BBQ ribs, chicken, tri tip, etc. I ordered the Mo's Memphis Pork Ribs which was hickory smoked then basted with their original BBQ sauce, sprinkled with vinegar and finished with Memphis dry rub. It included corn muffin, BBQ beans, and choice of coleslaw or potato salad -- I chose the potato salad which was pretty good. The boyfriend ordered the Tri-Tip sandwich which was their version of tender oak roasted tri-tip served with salsa and BBQ sauce on a French roll. He chose French fries as his side -- although, it comes standard with a choice of baked beans, potato salad or coleslaw. He didn't care for the way the tri-tip was cooked but he's a harsh critic in this arena because he's a BBQ guy. Oh, he had a beer with his meal -- these guys offer a few choices on tap. Anyway, the overall experience was fine. Food wasn't horrible, prices were fair, service was standard for a busy touristy type of restaurant, and environment was relaxed.

I love MO's for their bbq tri tip sandwich and location. You can walk right back to the beach when you are done. The place just smells amazing when you enter and the delicious assortment of bbq sauces is the perfect touch.

Good portions. The food was mediocre. It was served warm and not hot. If you have a good barbecue place at home, don't expect this to be any better.

Massive portions. Friendly service. We split a rib/ pulled pork and chicken combo. Our favorite two items were filthy Phil's ribs and the bbq beans. Almost ordered a pint of beans to take home. The corn muffins and fries were great as well. We were disappointed in the fried green tomatoes. They were hard and tasteless. The sauce didn't help. Overall a good experience

Food was bland and cold.Then we seen him scratch his crotch and proceeded to handle others food.

I walked along the shore for roughly about a mile to get here. There was an outdoor table available that ultimately made me decide to dine here as I had my dog with me. Ordered their BBQ sampler with 4 rounds of beer. I'm no BBQ connoisseur, but the overall experience I was pleased with. Their cashier was very nice and welcoming. While dining outside, I noticed folks come here with their prized automobile. I've seen some interesting rides cruising through here. Also, several folks were pulled over by a motorcycle cop who loves handing traffic tickets. I enjoyed drinking beer here. Having the opportunity to just sit back and take a breath was satisfying. Their format can be odd at first, but I'll say one thing. Tip them! They will bring your food to your table and pour your beer.