Food Feuds: Mo Jeaux’s vs. Avogadro’s Number

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Collegian | Katrina Clasen

(Graphic Illustration by Katrina Clasen | The Collegian)

Renee Ziel

Happy almost-winter break, my local eatery enthusiasts! In what is my final food feuds at The Collegian, I’m shoving some local favorites into the ring: Mo Jeaux’s Bar and Grill and Avogadro’s Number.

These chill and diverse bars have earned a lot of love in FoCo, a place so centered around community and the arts. And after this grub matchup, I really understand why — at least where sustenance is concerned.

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These places offer a lot of different food. Mo Jeaux’s boasts BBQ, burgers and Cajun food, which is vast alone. Avogadro’s has a bulky menu for mainly vegetarian consumers. That being said, I was limited in my ability to get something similar, so I’ll be heavy-handed in judging quality alone.

Mo Jeaux’s Bar and Grill

From Mo Jeaux’s I got the Ram burger, which contains bacon, guacamole and cheddar, with a side of fries. This column does love a bacon burger, after all.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Cohesiveness matters. Mo Jeaux’s understands that.

The burger’s elements played together wonderfully. It’s hard to mess up cheese and bacon on a burger, but even the guacamole felt right, and I’m someone who finds avocado a bit overwhelming on things. One downside is the bun was weak. I’m not sure if it can even be controlled, but the bun fell apart with every bite, and some people, like myself, feel a messy burger takes away from the experience. However, with good flavor, that’s the least of my worries.

The fries were excellent too, as it’s important to have two things with such potato greatness: flavor and texture. The flavor must be distinct but not outshine the main course, and the texture must be crispy, not crunchy. And in those tests, Mo Jeaux’s passed with flying colors.

Avogadro’s Number

From this artsy joint, I got fries and the Joe’s sandwich, which features turkey, bacon, avocado, cream cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and house dressing on a baguette. I love a good club, and I love cream cheese, so I couldn’t resist.

Avogadro’s also admittedly gets some bonus points for an exceptional shake – the Dream Bar, orange and vanilla, is every creamsicle lover’s … well, dream.

Sometimes sandwiches fall victim to having too much bread or too much stuff, but every part of this sandwich was just the right amount (cohesive!). This meal was hefty and filling in all the right ways, and no one element was overbearing. On top of that, it was just delicious.

The fries, on the other hand, weren’t very crispy at all. They were good — all fries are fantastic — but they were missing the right texture to go with a sandwich that had many softer ingredients already. It’s possible I got a less crispy bunch, but every batch of this favorite side dish must be exemplary.

Avogadro’s also admittedly gets some bonus points for an exceptional shake – the Dream Bar, orange and vanilla, is every creamsicle lover’s … well, dream.

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So what’s the verdict? I completely enjoyed both meals, even with their minor shortcomings. What’s really happened this week is I had to nitpick the details of what was an overall great dining experience.

This doesn’t happen often in this column, and I tend to think of this decision as the coward’s way out, but I declare this matchup a definitive tie. Even with different menu items, I have an intuitive confidence that each dish from these places will be grand.

In fact, I cannot recommend enough that you make your way down to both restaurants for your next meal — I sure will.

Reach Renee Ziel at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @reneeziel.