A brand new restaurant recently opened up in downtown Lakeland called Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits. It is actually located in an old post office building.
It was really cool how they incorporated the old look of the post office into an updated chic hangout.
What patrons may not realize when they walk into this restaurant is it’s actually a BBQ joint. They smoke all of their own meats in the back. When they run out of a meat, then that is it for the day.
While I decided what food to try I glanced over their drink menu. They offered a red and a white sangria. They make it from scratch using wine, Sailor Jerry spiced rum, fresh raspberries, strawberries, orange and lime. They decorated the glass with a purple and white orchid. It was a beautiful presentation. Through the course of the dinner I ended up trying one of each.
The red sangria was slightly sweet. They used a dryer wine. The rum added spice as you would expect. To help prevent the sangria from getting watered down they actually froze the raspberries and strawberries.
The white sangria was very sweet. The taste actually reminded me of a rum runner rather than a sangria. It was refreshing.
They offered several BBQ starters that were ordered for the table to share. The one I was most excited to try was the Burnt Ends. These are the crispy, outside edges of their beef brisket.
These were absolutely amazing. The bark on the outside was loaded with smoky essence. The brisket fell apart as I picked it up with my fork, which shows how tender it was. The marbling of the fat throughout the brisket created a juiciness that spilled out of the meat. It simply melted in my mouth. The flavor was so strong I did not even bother putting BBQ on the pieces.
The quesadilla was perfect for sharing. The crispy shell was loaded with pulled pork, the special Mojo BBQ sauce, and both cheddar and jack cheese.
The pork was tender and very juicy; the Mojo sauce added extra flavor. The cheeses added a salty element. It did come with a side of salsa but I did not use it because the Mojo sauce was so good on it.
The fried pickles were exactly what I expected. They were pickle chips with a crispy breading. It came with a “comeback sauce” that was like an aioli. I actually enjoyed them being dipped in their different BBQ sauces.
When it comes to sauces they have five to choose from:
- Sweet – totally sugary sweet
- Mustard – self explanatory
- Chipotle – had a slight pepper heat
- Vinegar – sour and classic Carolina style
- Mojo – a classic BBQ sauce with slight spice
Now a friend at the table ordered the Mojo Q Salad. I was able to try some of it. This salad was loaded with pulled pork, beef brisket, and chopped chicken. This salad was huge. The meats all had a great smoky taste. When covered with the Chipotle sauce it added another layer of flavor and eating it with the crunch of the romaine lettuce added a freshness.
For my dinner I ordered one of their two Meat BBQ Plates. It came with my choice of meats and sides. They offered seven different BBQ meats, which made it a hard choice. Everything sounded delicious. I went with the pulled pork shoulder and the beef brisket.
Of course I went with the pulled pork because that is my favorite BBQ meat. I also went for more brisket since those burnt ends were so delicious. The pork was super juicy and tender. There were not enough burnt edges but I still enjoyed it. The slices of brisket were amazing. They were thinly cut and the meat pulled apart with just a touch of my fork. There was just enough bark on the edges of each slice to add a salty accent.
Once I tasted the meat in its natural state I drizzled the sweet BBQ sauce on top. I really like how the sweetness worked with the smokiness. They complemented each other so well.
Now I got two sides with my dinner but there was a third that I wanted to try. The garlic cheese grits were amazing. I have had cheddar grits before but adding the garlic to them took the flavor to a different level. These were not your typical breakfast grits. They were thick and creamy and had a great savory element.
The mac and cheese reminded me of the one my mom would make. The noodles were tossed in a ton of cheese that melted into a creamy sauce. The top layer had crispy cheese and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs for added texture. It was classic comfort food.
The final side that I ordered extra was the sweet potato mash. It is not often that I see sweet potatoes on a menu, so I needed to see what these were all about. They mashed the potatoes leaving just a few chucks. Then they mixed in a little brown sugar for extra sweetness. They baked these in the oven in order to create a crispy, sugary layer on top. This way when they scoop the potatoes into the bowl, the crispy later got mixed throughout the entire serving. Normally sweet potatoes like this are served with turkey at Thanksgiving but they also go really well with BBQ.
I really enjoyed all the food and sangrias at Mojo Federal. I am planning on going back when I am in Lakeland because they have so many more things to try. Check out their entire offering at www.mojobbq.com
Enjoy!
T
