Unveiling the Legacy Behind Mo’s Seafood and Chowder

NEWPORT, Ore. — Nestled along Newport’s historic bayfront, the iconic Mo’s Seafood and Chowder has been a coastal staple since 1946. However, to truly understand Mo’s history, one must journey back to 1942.

The culinary journey began with a spot called “Freddy and Mo’s.”

“They sold everything from T-bone steaks to spaghetti, with hardly any seafood on the menu,” shared Dylan McEntee, Mo’s co-owner and great-grandchild of Mo.

By 1946, Mo had bought out Freddy, and although the menu still featured T-bone steaks and hamburgers, the shift toward today’s seafood-centric offerings would take some time.

“Back then, nobody wanted to eat fish. Our customer base consisted of fishermen, longshoremen, and loggers who preferred meat and potatoes,” explained Gabrielle McEntee, another co-owner and great-grandchild of Mo’s.

It wasn’t until the late ’60s that seafood became the star attraction.

“Mo was known to have said that ‘the hippies discovered Mo’s and made Mo’s famous,'” Gabrielle shared.

The restaurant’s popularity soared, prompting expansion and the creation of an overflow restaurant called The Annex, now a stand-alone establishment.

Mo’s Seafood and Chowder became a favorite among Hollywood legends during the filming of “Sometimes a Great Notion,” directed by Paul Newman and starring Newman and Henry Fonda.

“Paul Newman and Henry Fonda were friends of (Mo’s) for years, exchanging Christmas cards,” Dylan recounted.

Even presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy made a campaign stop, expressing admiration for Mo’s clam chowder and requesting some for his next visit.

Today, Mo’s serves over 4,000 bowls of clam chowder daily across its nine restaurants, three of which are family-owned, and the remaining six operated by a business partner.

While Mo’s is celebrated as a family-friendly seafood destination, many patrons are unfamiliar with the woman behind the name.

“A lot of people think she’s a guy,” Gabrielle noted. “That’s a really common assumption because her name is Mo.”

Mo was a single mother of two sons, a tenacious force behind Mo’s Seafood and Chowder. Her great-grandchildren, Dylan and Gabrielle McEntee, not only run a restaurant but also strive to preserve their grandmother’s legacy.

“Every day, I wonder how Granny would deal with this,” Dylan reflected.

Mo passed away in 1992 at the age of 79. Her name, a shortened version of Mohava, reflects her strong yet straightforward personality.

And that’s the story behind the name.