Oh MOJO where have you been all my life… how was I a student in Leeds and never dawn your doorstep! WHY!!!!
Just last month I headed to MOJO which prides itself on Music for the people. Food for the Soul. Good times forever.
According the Collins Dictionary, ‘mojo is your personal power or influence over other people.’ So I went to find out what mojo MOJO had over me! Set over three floors, MOJO Harrogate is known for it passion for all things Rum and Rock. The combination of the two, along with quality service, is what has made the original MOJO in Leeds so successful. However, there could be something else that is making people go back time and time again.
MOJO Harrogate has a blooming good food offering
The food menu is designed by Scouse lass Julie.
She is the Development Chef for all six MOJO bars, and boy does she know how to make finger licking, lip smackingly good chicken wings. The depth of flavour is truly like no other wing I’ve eaten. The warm secret spices are marinade into the MOJO Louisiana No. 1 chicken wings (£5.95) before being smoked and then fried.
If it wasn’t for the enormous spread of food to eat, and the fact I had to share it with other people, I would have taken the basket of chicken wings, found myself a quite corner and enjoyed them with their signature cocktail; the Zombie (£10.00) – something I got sozzled on when they opened!
MOJO Cocktails will make any night great!
Although it’s a food review, I suppose we’d better mention the drinks; after all it is a bar which specialises in Rum. Owner Mal Evans is a fantastic guy, he was telling me his stories of how he used to sneak rare rums through customs! Nowadays the drinks trade is well established, so sourcing rum is a lot easier but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for the sugarcane drink.
MOJO’s cocktail list is extensive, from popular tipples such as a Mojito (£8.00) to their own creations such as a Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarbi (£8.00) using bsolut Vodka, Beefeater London Dry Gin and Giffard Rhubarb Liqeur, served tall with lemon juice and a home made rhubarb puree. I loved the the Hurricane (£7.50) which combines a lot of El Dorado 5yr Old Rum, Diplomatico Mantuano, and is then shaken with passion fruit, orange juice, grenadine & lime – delicious!
Back to the food! I reviewed MOJO’s with friend and blogger Sunshine Sarah.
Sarah is a veggie and I was surprised at the options and quality for vegetarians. The Bean Burger (£6.40) was surprisingly good, made with spicy beans and served with House BBQ sauce, pico de gallo, gaucamole & jalapenos – it nearly turned me into a veggie!
Who am I kidding, I just need to dream of those chicken wings and I’m back in the room.
We had a veritable feast, from Quesadillas (£4.90) to The Baked Cheese with maple syrup and pecans (£5.50). All perfect line your stomach night out food, or heavenly hangover food!
Why is MOJO so good?
MOJO’s playlist is off the scale and mixed with good food, cocktails and friends is a recipe for a great night out. Everything is so reasonably priced too! The bar, which is open every night until 4am (if you’re hardcore!) offers punters beer pong and shows sports on large screens throughout the venue. Not only is MOJO a wickedly good bar it also has a big heart; on opening night the sell-out evening raised a fantastic £20,142 for Yorkshire charity PhysCap. I also see them invest in their staff and Harrogate Manager was incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the business. In fact it takes weeks of training before you are allowed to be behind the bar by yourself.
Keep up the good work MOJO and you’ll have a long and happy life in Harrogate.
P.S. A big thank you to Mal and the MOJO team for inviting Sarah and I – you always look after me and we thoroughly enjoyed the food, drink, service and music!
