Joe Mo's Ba-Ba-Que — Restaurant in Madison

After two failed attempts, I finally got the chance to try Joe Mo's! On the whole, it was definitely above average and I'm glad I got to mark another Huntsville-area bbq restaurant off my list!

This small shop is located on the corner of a somewhat dilapidated shopping mall. Look for the Ollie's Discount Store; then you'll know you're in the right place! The signage is nondescript but you can see a big smoker behind the building. Always a good sign. :)

We arrived right at opening time at 11 AM on Thursday. The inside is simple: a chalkboard menu on the wall, two or three tables with chairs, an upright cooler with canned drinks, and a single bathroom in the back. Their menu has lots of bbq favorites: smoked chicken, pulled pork, ribs, sausages, wings, etc. Sides are simple and standard bbq fixings, like baked beans, slaw, and potato salad. On Friday and Saturday, they have broccoli salad and macaroni and cheese.

Looked like a one man show when we were there; we saw him working out back and waited a few minutes for him to come inside to place our order. But what a nice man he was! He was apologetic about the wait and super service-oriented; he insisted we sit so he could deliver our food to us, and would not let us pay until we'd eaten our lunch and ensured it was to our satisfaction. He had a jovial and energetic demeanor and it was a pleasure to interact with him.

For lunch, my mom and I both ordered smaller sized pulled pork sandwiches. I had a bag of chips and a Pepsi with mine and she ordered a small side of potato salad. Think we got out for less than $15 for both of us; not too bad for these days. Our food was brought out in to-go bags; I think everything comes out that way whether it's really to go or not.

Overall, this was solid bbq. It didn't vault to my new favorite spot, but it's definitely a top 5 in Huntsville, for me. You can come here and you definitely won't be disappointed. The pork was smoky and pulled into good sized pieces. The sauce that came in a cup on the side was medium thickness and a nice balance of sweet and tangy. Very good sauce, as far as I'm concerned. It covered up the pork's one weakness, which was that it was a tiny bit dry. 4/5 though. Mom liked the potato salad.

Also brought husband home a half rack of ribs. They were reasonably priced at about $15. He really, really enjoyed them. He said almost 4.5/5. Like me, his one criticism is they were a tiny bit dry/tough, but not distressingly so.

My only major complaint: it was hard finding a time when they were actually open. Like I mentioned earlier, visited twice when Google and Yelp BOTH said they were open, only to find that not to be true. It seems Facebook has the most correct times on there, and I believe I was successful in updating Yelp's hours, at least. For now, it looks like Thursday - Saturday from 11-7 is go time. Just something to keep in mind when planning your visit.

Aside from hiccups with opening hours, I'd definitely recommend you give this place a try for some...

So so. We drive by Joe Mo's pretty often and finally decided to try it on Saturday night. I was looking forward to the beef ribs which were are often rated well. I ordered a half rack of ribs and a pound of pork to go. After placing my order and paying, someone from the kitchen came out and informed me that the ribs weren't ready. Could I wait 20 minutes? I thought well I was hoping to dash in and out, but if the ribs are as good as other people rave about, then sure. I went out to my car and hung out for 20 min. I then went inside and proceeded to hang out for about 15 more min before the ribs were finally ready. We got home and dove in, but frankly were disappointed with the texture of the ribs. They were tough, so much so that my son who loves my smoked ribs wouldn't eat them. The pork did have an excellent flavor. The baked beans were too sweet - too much brown sugar or molasses. My wife and I surmised that the ribs were pulled off too early. I would much rather we had been told that the ribs weren't ready and given the option to order something else rather than giving us almost...

While out shopping on Memorial Day, I stumbled upon Joe Mo's and decided to try their combo plate featuring Ribs, Smoked Sausage, BBQ Beans, and Mac-N-Cheese. Unfortunately, the ribs were extremely dry, especially since I got the end piece, making it practically inedible. It was a very disappointing start to the meal. The smoked sausage was decent, while the BBQ beans were quite tasty and enjoyable.

Now, let's discuss the Macaroni and Cheese. It was a complete letdown - the cheese had separated from the butter and macaroni, resulting in a flavorless mess. It was truly disappointing. In a last-ditch effort, I also ordered a turkey leg just in case, but to my dismay, it was incredibly dry and tough, rendering it inedible as well.

The service at Joe Mo's was quick, but the staff seemed more focused on chatting amongst themselves rather than attending to customers. The cleanliness of the place could also use some improvement. Overall, my experience at Joe Mo's was underwhelming and lacked the quality I...