Mo's in Cannon Beach, OR

Seafood in Oregon!

Last summer Don and I discovered Mo's, while traveling along the Oregon coast.

You have to love a cafe/diner with a name like Mo's. You also have to love a coastal cafe, with porthole windows!

Who is Mo?

​If you Google "Who is Mo?" you get a former wrestling star and a Dubai-based Iranian YouTuber. There's also a Master Mo, who was a Chinese thinker... and then there's Moe from the 3 Stooges... if you add an "e".  

But you have to search for a while to find Mo, as in Mohava Marie Niemi. Her name is better known to folks who live, or travel in Oregon. The image above shows  the "crusty, chain smoking, town mother" who got into the seafood business in 1940.

​The Original

Mo first got into the restaurant biz, in Newport's Bayfront area. The first restaurant with her name, is shown in the far left of this photo. This Mo's opened in 1946.

Don and I wandered down Bay Blvd, last July and absorbed some of the salty air along, with some of the salty characters.

​Tourists and Workers

We were early enough to see more workers than tourists, as we strolled up and down the street. On the bayside, we peeked inside a couple seafood processing plants. 

I wouldn't have minded pulling up a chair and just watching the work activity for a while.

Back to Mo's

It was too early for lunch, but we did take a look inside the old Mo's. I spotted lots of old photos on the wall. I also noticed that we weren't looking through a window, but a garage door. There's a story behind the garage door.

Year's ago, a woman parked in front of Mo's and put the car in drive, instead of reverse. When her car crashed into the cafe, the good natured Mo, put her arm around the worried driver and said, "Well, we'll just put in a garage door, so you can drive in anytime you want."

Another Mo's

I was a little confused, when I realized there were 2 Mo's on Bay Blvd. This red building, was just across the street.  It opened in 1968, overlooking Yaquina Bay.

Unfortunately, it was still too early to eat, but I took note. We'll plan  around a Newport Mo's Meal, in the future.

Another Day!

​Lucky for us, we stumbled across another Mo's in Cannon Beach. This one may not have had all the history of the other two, but it had an incredible beach view... even if you can't see it in this photo.

The interior reminded me of the seafood joints my family went to in Florida when I was a kid. I hated seafood when my family lived in Florida, but I still loved those places... and their hushpuppies.

Long Wait

This photo shows the amazing view. The restaurant is located on the beach in Tolovana Park, with views of Haystack Rock and wide open stretches of sandy beach.

You can also see the interior in this image. It was crowded on a July Monday.  

Carry Out Orders

The wait was over an hour. I'm guessing this place is always crowded, but it was summer of 2021. Pandemic summer travel... staff shortages and long waits everywhere we stopped.  

We were thrilled when we realized there was no line for ordering take out. Just looking at this menu now, makes me hungry! Should have ordered Slumgullion!

​Where to Eat?

Before heading back outside to await our order, I had to dash over to take a photo of the best table in the house. Maybe that was being held for a VIP!

The Original Mo's in Newport had some famous customers, back in the day. Paul Newman loved the chowder. Robert Kennedy enjoyed a stop when he was on the campaign trip. We weren't VIPS, so we went outside to grab a picnic table.

Hot and Quick

Our take out meal was served up quickly and we found a great table.

Our picnic table, was right outside the reserved outdoor dining area. No waiting for us!

Cod Fish & Chips Plate

The view was spectacular and the meal was delicious.

As the photo shows, Don and I once again shared a feast. We've learned over the years, that we can feast more frequently, if we eat less. 

Cole slaw with Shrimp! That was a treat! The crispy fish and the fries were perfect. We had just the right amount of food.

Back on the Road

After years of hearing about Cannon Beach, I'm glad we finally got to see the picturesque beach with the dramatic rocks.

Better yet, we had a mini seafood feast, while we absorbed the scenery. What a great stop, on our road trip!
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