On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Playa Del ReyMon. 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Loading...
The more I visit Mo's Place, the more I like it!
This is a place I feel I could take any of my friends or family. My parents really enjoyed playing pool here, and the Sunday morning breakfast + football is a great way to close the week. The waitresses are exceptionally nice, as is Mo. He obviously takes a lot of pride in the bar, and can be seen there most days waiting tables or shooting the shite with customers. However, I've heard the Monday Night Football is zany as all getup.
The food is really good for a bar, also. I recommend the French Toast if that's your style. :)
Mo's is a really great place--not sure why some people think it's sketchy, but I certainly didn't… Read more »
Convenience and location is key with Mo's.
Their bar-food is a little better than many others'. Typical 'beer-joint' atmosphere. Almost everyone there are locals, so the waitresses (and of course Mo himself) know(s) everyone. Service is usually good, but once in a while there will be someone who is either new or has decided that chatting with her friends is more important than taking orders and serving.
One evening we had to get our food from the kitchen and bus our own table as the waitress wasn't about to do it anytime soon (she was talking to friends - and there were seven customers in the whole place), but that's the exception usually...
Awesome Buffalo Wings. There's a 'Chicken Caesar Pita Sandwich' that's also quite good. Decent burgers.
Although it's not saying much, I do prefer Mo's to Outlaws (not impressed), Prince of Whales (somewhat of a dump with mediocre food) and The Shack (biggest dump of all). The Harbor Room and other local places there can be fun, although that's in a different category.
When I think of Mo's Place, I think awesomeness. Any other local would tell you the same. There are places to sit around the entire joint. You can come here to play pool, watch a Laker game, drink at the bar, or simply to relax and unwind after a hard day's work. There are many things I like about Mo's. One of them would be that the waitresses are real and friendly people. And by real I mean they make you feel at home whereas many other places sound like they're reciting lines accompanied by fake smiles.
Food prices are moderate but served in pretty big portions. I'd recommend the onion rings, calamari, and/or the french dip sandwich. Mmmmm. Service is great and the atmosphere is nothing but friendly. Every time I've taken a friend to this spot they've very much enjoyed themselves.
Mo, himself, is the man! He greets his guests from time to time. I don't know any owner who actually does that. He often holds raffles during football season on Monday nights, giving away interesting prizes (one time he gave away a TRIP!). Again, who does that? Everyone and their mama's come out on these nights because they're filled w/ so much fun and entertainment. Mo even dresses up in costumes! He once came out in a Richard Simmons outfit and attempted to act as him too! Who does that? MO DOES!
Pure comedy and fun for everyone!
I love the popcorn shrimp and playing pool in Mo's laid back atmosphere. It's nothing special but there's always something to do...
To the people that are saying that Mo is the real person that the Simpson's character was based on, this is definitely NOT TRUE. The bar on the Simpson's is actually based off of the OTHER PdR bar called Thompkin's Square which used to be called the Fireside.
My girlfriend works here (so I don't appreciate the comments from people talking about the "trashy women who work for him"), so I stop in often for food and maybe a couple drinks. To say Mo is a gangster is a pretty hilarious understatement. He's actually a really nice guy who is great with his customers. Yes, the scene is a little rough, but it is actually the regular patrons that make it that way, not Mo or his employees. There has known to be a scuffle or two here, but nobody is getting muscled that doesn't deserve it. It's a beach bar in a small town, so I mean, c'mon. You have expect a little weirdness. That's part of what makes it great.
A group of 9 of us walked in on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. We were already pretty drunk, bar-hopping over from The Shack. And we realized we didn't meet the age requirement. No, we are all 21. Apparently you need to be at least 65 years old to be considered a normal patron of Mo's!
Aside from that fact, we were greeted by a frazzled, 50-something, husky-voiced, life-has-been-hard-on-her-haggard-face waitress. She was frazzled because we were by far the largest group in there, and couldn't seat us. So, I suggested out loud that we could go to Outlaws. Her response was surprising, as she turned to look at me and yelled, "Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck you!" It was absolutely in a joking manner, but the virility with which she spoke still shocked me. For this alone, the bar receives 5 stars.
So, we settled in by the pool table and proceeded to play the three worst combined games of pool ever on the planet, while downing something like 17 gallons of beer, played videogames, and secretly people-watched all the interesting characters walking around the very well-lit bar. It was so weird because a lot of people were drinking and being loud, but a lot of people were also with their families eating. There was one lady... who was about 70 I promise you I am not exaggerating, who was falling over her table drunk trying to eat some French fries. She was a classy one though, white wine.
They also get 5 stars because they didn't charge us anything for the pool, when it's supposed to be $8/hour. But that seems steep, maybe someone misheard and it's actually $0/hour.
So, if you aren't a haggard local there for the senior special on white wine or already really drunk, this place may have a bit of an awkward atmosphere for you.
I remember coming here all the time as a kid with all my extended family when we didn't feel like going to Outlaws. And sure, a bar doesn't seem like the most family friendly place, but my family is the kind that believes kids soccer games are best accompanied by a hot coffee with Jameson's or Bailey's. I love the pool tables and their burgers are absolutely delicious! They are huge and can really fill you up. A surprising find in Playa Del Ray.
This place is a perfect sports bar in my opinion. Plasmas everywhere, pool tables and a staff of "Mo's Beauties." The waitresses are older, beach worn and will crack you up. This place oozes personality and Mo is a sweetheart. You will be blown away by their fish specials. I know, eating salmon piccatta at a bar? Don't worry, he has great chefs and they can really serve it up. I love this blue collar bar with all my heart.
(Rumor has it the Simpson's writers lived in Playa years ago and were inspired by Mo's Place to create Moe's Tavern. One look at Mo and you'll believe it. I kid you not!)
For a pool joint the food is excellent!
New York steak Eggs Benedict is awesome for 13 bucks!
Nice Big Screen TV's.
Rhonda the Bartender is a kick. Try to sit at the bar if you can.
Mo is there most of the time playing Humphrey Bogarts "Rick" character from Casablanca. (As opposed to a Tux he is in a Tommy Bahama Shirt with most of the buttons undone.) He is great of fun.
Whenever I go into this place it reminds me of a the Simpson's because the place is called Mo's Place similar to that character on the Simpson's even though the owner looks nothing like him. I have a blast none the less. I purchase several drinks and I end up always paying no more than 30 dollars at the end of the night. Plus they have a great beer selection to choose from. Check it out if you are ever in the area.
how is it possible that i haven't reviewed mo's yet??
once upon a time when my boyfriend and i were just "kinda sorta dating", i took him to mo's, to meet my roommates for the very first time. he's not exactly into bars, and he's paranoid about germs so he's REALLY not into beachy dive bars. i figured if he could survive a night at mo's, he was a keeper. fast forward to the present. different roommates, better apartment, but i've still got the same guy and i still love mo's.
seriously, what's not to love? they've got great food. yeah it's bar food, but it's really awesome bar food. it's a casual burger, fries and a beer kinda place. blue moon on tap so i'm a happy girl. and the TVs! there must be about 10 big TVs in there, not to mention the pool tables to keep you occupied. best of all, the bathroom is always clean (at least every time i've been there).
the crowd is definitely diverse in age, but one thing everyone has in common is that they're FUN. the bartenders and waitresses are super sweet, and the patrons of the bar are always friendly. i was there just last night and the girl sitting next to us shared her pitcher of beer with us since her friend decided not to drink.
mo's is a drunken stumble from my doorstep, but if you drive there's a parking lot (that fills up quickly) and plenty of street parking.
Good burgers. Weird service. Unaware of the blow dealing. But here's where I steer left. No "Flaming Mo?" For shame sir.
And this is the guy Mo on the Simpsons was based on. Take my word on it.
Mo betta.
This place is a standard dumpy sports bar with waitstaff that could you probably drink you under the table and have been servers longer than you've been alive.
This is a fun place to watch a sports game. The burgers are amazing. Yeah, there are rumors abound about Mo, but I've not met the guy or seen him.
The regulars are a fun, rowdy bunch. They have a parking lot where you can park and not valet. Awesome. It's worth checking-out after the beach or something. Monday night is also the hook-up for football. Their raffle on that night is something you must experience.
Don't half step. You have to go on a raffle night.
I never wirte reviews but today was needed. Yesterday we had a terrible experience there. The female bartender didn't feel like serving my friends so she kicked us out. My friends and I were so confused to this situation. We were not causing any type of trouble other than drinking, talking and laughing just like any bar. Never experienced this before even some customers notice this situation and were disappointed with the bartender too.
Terrble. terrible.
I was here last night and it was ok. I only had a beer and a shot, but the shot was watered down. Not a bad spot, but not super impressive either.
MO is a bad person.
This is a bad bar.
He and his staff are involved in bad things... he's a dirty coke dealer scum bag.
The whole neighborhood knows about it... They're all scum bag gangsters. I've seen them beat up women and gang up on people out back. He has huge bodyguard men who want to fight people working for him - like mafia shit. Mo treats all his trashy waitresses like meat, and calls them all "baby." It's gross.
I used to live right down the street. My friends and I used to hang out here. I'm telling you, DON'T GO HERE. I personally know some people who got involved with him in the wrong way, not knowing what they are into down there.. They have protection from the local pacific division cops and shit to run their "business" their way. Not cool.
Don't go here.
Don't support this place.
Don't get involved with this trash.
Tell all of your friends to avoid it like the plague.
I was here last night, and couldn't wrap my mind around whatever the hell was going on, but was totally into it.
- the usc band was performing and playing lame college football fight songs.
- fries were good.
- the bartenders were freak dancing each other behind the bar (really? to fight songs?)
- an old man at the bar next to me asked me to punch someone for him.
- a man dressed as a female cheerleader (with far too much blush on, if you ask me) was yelling at everyone and giving out shitty raffle prizes.
- everyone was cheering "P-O-R-N!!!"
- i couldn't get my card back for quite some time, as the bartenders were in the parking lot kissing some creepy dudes.
I didn't see the man behind the name or any coke dealing, but that sounds kinda radical so I'll look for it next time.
I have been told that Mo (yes, the owner is really named Mo) was indeed the inspiration for the character Mo on the Simpsons. Sure it's a caricature, but there is a resemblance.
Best night to go to Mo's is Monday Night Football. As you order food and drink throughout the night, you will be given raffle tickets. At the end of the night, Mo comes out, dressed in some kind of crazy costume, and proceeds to announce winners. The prizes given to the "winners" usually involve something you would find at the flea market (velvet painting, balsa wood guitars, etc.). The key point here is that by this time of the night, Mo (and the vast majority of patrons) are completely sloshed. This can make Mo's monologues, which accompany the presentation of the "prizes," a little long.
Oh wait, one more thing... all prizes are accompanied by DVD porn. Monday Night Football is not a G-rated event at Mo's.
Favorite Mo story: This young lady (cute, cool) was sitting at the bar, with some friends, when she started talking to an older gentlemen standing next to her at the bar. Being friendly, she offered to buy him his next drink, which he accepted. They continued to talk and she continued to put his drinks on her tab (just being friendly). As she settled up and was walking out, another patron approached her and asked "You know who that was you were talking to, right?"
You guessed it. Mo.
It's an experience. Mo is a character. Hit it up in the fall for Monday Night Football and you won't be disappointed.
There is something I love about this place. Maybe its the great jukebox. Maybe its the crazy waitress, who one minute is your best friend, and the next minute is ready to stab you.
It's nothing special, except in the sense that it's a great place to hang out and meet new people; everyone is pretty friendly and casual. It is a good place to go if you enjoy each other's company, want to relax and have some drinks.
Ah, good ole reliable Mo's. Open late, good drinks, surprisingly good food. The fish & chips is maybe the best in town-- no kidding. Mo himself is always gregarious with his oiled locks (dude, do you use activator?) and good-time demeanor. The Halloween contest and Christmas party is worth going out of your way for. It gets a little crowded and crazy at times, but is worth the hassle. The multiple mega-sports TVs (it's like NORAD around the grill) are a bit much at times and I could do without the Internet jukebox that never seems to ever play anything I cue up (ugh, give me old 45s or just CDs; at least then I might get to hear that Tom T. Hall song I've been eyeing), but them's the breaks. Places like Mo's are few and far between in LA.
EDIT: I just gave Mo another star due to the fantastic onion rings and the fact that they now have Fat Tire on draft. Huzzah!
The first time I went here, I was a tag-along. I know zilch about football, and it was Monday Night Football, so I had no idea what i was in for. It was hilarious to see everyone in there all riled up about the game while eating and drinking.
I guess Mo has a raffle drawing during Football season, so all these people had stacks and stacks of raffle tickets lined up in front of them. They got tickets for ordering drinks, and when they couldn't drink anymore, they'd buy a round of drinks for everyone at the table just to get more raffle tickets.
Anyway, Mo comes out dressed up in a costume and face paint, and everyone was on their feet cheering and yelling. It was nuts! He gave away a lot of stuff (from expensive DVD players to white elephant gifts). I heard from a long-time patron that he used to give away vacations. I talked to him a couple of times, and he's super nice.
Well, aside from Mo, the food here is pretty good. I tried the grilled chicken cajun style (so good) and fish & chips. Onion rings are good, too. The only lacking thing is that sometimes the waitress gets really backed up with service. It took about half an hour for her to give us our check when we were done eating.
2 words.... TURKEY DIP! Rivals some of the better, and pricier dips around town. Great atmosphere, lots of tvs/sports, and Mo dresses up..... what more could you ask for? Fat Tire on tap to boot.
It doesn't hurt that it's within crawling distance of home either.
Thanks Mo!
Local favorite. You have to go just to meet Mo himself and the awesome waitress' and bartenders.
You might notice that a lot of my reviews are about how good a place is for football. This is one of those.
A decent place for Sunday morning football. Not too crowded, so if you get there before kickoff you can get a seat, no problem. Looks like they got all new TV's this season, good thing.
Food is decent for standard bar fare, and the bloody mary was strong. And like someone said before me, the waitress either loves you or hates you, but the beers come (slowly but surely) so what more can you ask for.
Mo's is a Playa del Rey mainstay, just like the wetlands east of Linc... oh wait a minute. You can't miss it because it has a giant 8 ball on top of it. So if you get lost in your helicopter, you'll know where to go.
Anyway, the only night I've ever been to Mo's is Monday for Monday night football. Always a good time. Always packed to bursting. Get there early if you want a seat. Why so popular? Because Mo gives you stuff just for showing up. Every time you get a drink, you get some raffle tickets and after the game, Mo comes out dressed as something. One week he was a whoopee cushion, the last time I was there he was half penis, half clown, an outfit which can only be described as "penis clown." (I uploaded a photo of this) Anyway, after he comes out, he raffles off a bunch of stuff with the help of his lovely assistants (hopefully also pictured.) And the prizes are usually pretty good. I've seen stereo systems raffled off, portable TVs, knife sets. Basically, Mo loots Costco before the game and gives away everything he found. It's a whole table full of stuff and usually takes about an hour to get through. And if you don't get one of the good prizes, you always walk out of there with something. I got a whoopee cushion (when he was the whoopee cushion) and a stuffed animal that doubled as a slingshot. And you could also be as lucky as the guy in the other photo who won what he liked to drunkenly call a "boobie hat."
The clientele is pretty cool but I've had my fair share of David Lynch moments there as well. The last time I went some guy showed up in the 3rd quarter who looked like a smooth faced Freddy Krueger. He proceeded to yell at his girlfriend for about ten minutes (you could only hear him if you were nearby. Then the "bouncer" who was about five times skinnier than him asked him to leave. So he yelled into the window for a while, they closed that, he went to the next window, and on and on. It as quite the game of whack a drunk at the window. Good times.
I also went once to ask if he could air an obscure Australian sporting event. I got whisked back into Mo's office by the bartender and suddenly found myself standing in an area no bigger than a walk in closet, unintentionally blocking Mo's only way out.. Mo must have felt a bit cornered because he opened his top desk drawer to reveal a revolver. He didn't take anything out of the drawer and left it open the whole time I asked if he could get the Australian Rules Football grand final the next day. Very strange.
But for all these reasons, Mo's is a great time because you never know what you're going to get. So go immediately... or wait until next Monday.
My husband and I were driving around Playa Del Rey on a Tuesday night around 10pm and every restaurant we went to was closed...except for Mo's. This place was perfect for our late night meal. The atmosphere was casual, and the food great! Our waitress was very friendly, and the service was fast. I got a salad and chicken strips-bar food at its best! They have pool tables and big screen t.v.'s for all you sports fans. If you are looking for a casual neighborhood bar with reasonably priced food, Mo's is it.
MO's is great because there is an actual Mo who you will find any night of the week. He is reminscent of Mo from The Simpsons and a real character.
It's not upscale in the least, but its a fun local crowd that attracts the underage drinkers from LMU on random nights of the week. The food is good and cheap with some nice pool tables to play on while listening the Oldies Jukebox.
You won't find any LA hipsters here.
Great bar. If you want to hide at the bar and watch the game, this is an excellent place to do it.
It is the local watering hole for almost 3 decades. I am not a big drinker but i love the food. believe it or not they have one of the best steak dinners for about $20. Mo is a real character. very friendly and outgoing. Quite a cross section of people.
Marina Del Rey, CA
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Playa Del Rey
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Playa Del Rey
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Griffith Park/Los Feliz
Category: Local Flavor
Neighborhood: Westchester / LAX
Category: Burgers
most of these places are walkable from my PDR…
