A Little Mo'Joe Please

    If you follow my monthly column or my food blog called "It’s a Foodie Thang", you probably know by now that I love me a cute little coffee shop. They're good for so many things: business meetings, free office space, a meet-up with friends or family, a quick stop for breakfast or lunch, or just for a little pick-me-up cup of joe! Some coffee shops have even expanded and offer live music, games, and events. No matter what your flavor is, a coffee shop can usually give you what you need. When I walk into coffee shops I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I feel happy, regardless of what I faced before I walked in, and I forget about everything I am going to have to deal with after I leave.

    Mo’Joe Coffee and Cupcakes opened its brick and mortar in Downtown Wallace last April. Since then, the bells of its front door can constantly be heard up and down the W. Main Street block all day long. Located right next to Monte’s Place, a business center where small business owners or people just needing to use office equipment such as printers, Mo’Joes has been a great addition to the Wallace community.

Ramona Cavenaugh Casteen, owner

    Wallace native, Ramona Cavenaugh Casteen, is the owner and operator. Mo’Joes started out as just a homemade coffee stand designed and built by her husband and son-in-law from the bed of a pickup truck, so it has come a long way since its start in 2019. She was a 20-year nurse that wanted something to share and pass on to her kids. Ramona and her daughter, Heather Parker, used to love to go to coffee shops together. While Heather was pregnant, they would frequent shops in Wilmington while she was pregnant.  Eventually, as she started getting more grandkids, it became a family thing to do on Fridays. The whole family is in love with coffee! Even her parents sit in the coffee shop in their favorite spot almost every day and chat with the customers frequently. It took a lot of faith for Ramona to step out of her comfort zone, but she said that with the support of her family, friends, and church, all the doors she needed to open didn’t just open up for her, they flew open!

A painting of the original coffee stand that was made by her 

husband from the back of an old pickup truck.

    While I was there I tried the Golden Mocha, iced, and with almond milk. It was made with caramel, white chocolate, and hazelnut. Me and hazelnut have a love-hate relationship. I like it, but there is something about the aftertaste of some hazelnut flavors that I just can’t get with. For some reason, I really wanted to try this drink though. It is supposed to be one of her most popular drinks. It did not disappoint hunti! I was sort of caught off guard by the look of it. It almost looked like a bottle of turmeric spilled on it, but it was SO good, and it was the extra caramel drizzle down the cup for me! I also tried one of her daughter’s vanilla buttercream cupcakes. It was delish! I would go there just for the cupcake! It was so moist, not too sweet, and blended so well with the coffee. Buttercream can be too sweet for me sometimes, but this wasn’t, and I am not sure if it was the cupcake or the icing, but something had a cappuccino-flavored finish to it. Every bite made me feel a little happier inside. The coffee and cupcake both had similar tastes even though the flavors were so different. It was a match made in heaven, and I can’t speak for heaven because I ain’t no angel. 

Iced Golden Mocha with Almond Milk

    They have a large coffee menu, and even some customer and kid-made concoctions. Another customer favorite is the Winter-White Mocha. I plan to try that next time. One thing I love about this place is that they have alternatives. She explained that her family has their own dietary restrictions so it was important for them to be a place where others like them have options. They have paleo bars for example.

    The store was as cute as a button with its chalkboard wall and kid’s corner with the mini picnic table. There is even a dining room table near the front counter that looks like it came straight out of grandma’s kitchen. 

Inside Mo'Joes in Wallace, NC

    So whether you are looking for a nice meeting space or a corner to work in. I would highly suggest this place if you’re near Downtown Wallace. I always find it so fascinating how creative coffee shop owners can be. I give Mo’Joes an A+!

What are your favorite things about coffee 
shops or your favorite coffees?

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This was a repost from my Duplin Times Column, "Duplin Eats" that publishes the last Thursday of each month"