Moes Southwest Grill - Deptford, NJ

Posted by Chewru Guru

February 29, 2008

Sometimes a stooge, but usually a gentleman.

Moe’s Southwest Grill
Deptford, NJ
Get Directions
Meal: Dinner / Weeknight / 730p
Price: $25 (For 3)
Compare To: Taco Bell, California Tortilla

It’s nice to see some diversity coming to South Jersey, and Moe’s, a casual Tex-Mex chain, has frequently been the choice when we’re not in the mood for burgers, chinese, or pizza. Located in the more upscale ‘Village Shoppes’ stripmall across the street from the Deptford Mall, Moe’s has a relatively new building smack between a place that’s far healthier (SaladWorks) and a place that’s probably not (Pie á La Mode). Hey, it’s all about compromise.

Moe’s is kind of like a Taco Bell on one of those makeover shows. It has a pleasant, spacious interior with a comical menu of items including ‘The Close Talker’ and ‘Art Vandalay’ (Seinfeld references), Alfredo Garcia, the ‘Ugly Naked Guy’, and of course, the ‘Homewrecker’. Each is typically a subtle variation of the same thing, whether it be a burrito, taco, or salad. After ordering you can watch your item being prepared in front of you, or take a seat and wait for them to bring it to you when it’s done.

Unfortunately, here’s where Moe’s gets a little iffy. We’ve been there plenty of times, so we obviously like the place enough to keep coming back. That said, my feeling is that the best days may be behind them in several areas. First, some of the ingredients you’ll see through the glass sneeze-guard don’t always look that appetizing. Typically, the black beans or rice look like they’ve been sitting out for awhile, burned, or crusted-over the side of their containers. When you have this kind of layout, it’s important to ‘fluff’ the items up so they always look fresh, even if they’re not. Wiping down the preparation area periodically is also key - Moe’s seems to be lax on how the food looks prior to being prepared.

The service is very friendly, but as young as they come. During our last visit, I was convinced the entire staff consisted of teenagers. If there was an elder somewhere watching over the young flock, he or she was nowhere to be found. I was 18 once too, but at that age you get really inconsistent service, mindless chatter about text messages or youtube videos, and sometimes even a burrito that falls apart (we know, horrible!). Our biggest pet peeve, however, is the free tortilla chips you get with your meal. Don’t get us wrong, they are delicious, but it’s always a point of contention that we have to ask for more. On one takeout visit, we received 9 chips (NINE!) splattered over our two entrees. Seriously, need I say more? Each time we visit now, we ask for additional chips. They usually overcompensate and give us way too much, but it’s certainly better than not getting enough.

The food quality, however, is actually pretty good. With the availability of not just chicken and beef, but also tofu, and for a limited time, whitefish, everyone’s got something they can stuff into a burrito or taco. The size of the burritos is ‘extra large’, and might be a bit much for someone with a smaller appetite. We’ve tried the salads, and recommend you get them in the tortilla bowl for a little extra fun. The quesadillas are a bit on the small side, but perfect as an appetizer for a small group. When they’re adding your choice of meat, make sure you watch the portion size. The times I’ve ordered tofu I’ve had to ask them for slightly more because you can just see how little you get in relation to everything else. Moe’s recently added Chicken Club Burritos (what, no funny name?) and Tacos to their menu, and I enjoyed the burrito the first time around so I’ve ordered it again since. We haven’t tried their soups.

Their combos are silly. For $1.99 more you get a soda and a ‘trial-size’ of Queso or Guacamole. Not worth it. The salsa is free, and if you really want Queso we suggest you order a cup of it separately. It’s good that way. Regarding the overall cost, it’s not going to break the bank. Each item is going to cost you roughly $7, give or take a little, which is a big premium to a Taco Bell but is going to get you a lot more food without oven alarms firing off every two minutes. With a little polish and professionalism, Moes would be a real winner. Until then, it’s a good, not great, vacation from fast food.

Pros:

- Most items have good overall portion size
- Prepared freshly
- Reasonable cost
- Table service

Cons:

- Employees not the most passionate about their job
- Stop trying to skimp the chips!
- Can be frugal on meat portions

Guru’s Score: 3.3 Chews

Subjective rating: Gooooood, but not quite ready for a higher score.

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