We’re In Love With You, You, You!!!

Feliz Abril, Rocky Point! Best wishes for a most Happy Easter and I sincerely hope your Semana Santa went well. The finest weather is upon us and it’s awesome to see all the spring breakers and vacationers coming to Rocky Point. It has been especially great seeing all the new faces and places popping up around town. And if you haven’t seen our new restaurant located in the Malecon (the fish market area), you will HAVE to try out MOO! Moo has pop, Moo has pizzazz, Moo has amazing food and my fave…MOO has some of the coolest cocktail concoctions of anywhere in town. It was super nice to sit down recently with Sara and Lance Lambert, two of the three owners along with their business partner and friend, Julio Valenzuela, Jr., and learn more about the past, present, and future of what is in store of all of us who visit Moo.

Marco: So, tell me about the planning of Moo and when it went under construction and opened its doors.

Sara: Well, we started planning the restaurant back in June of 2020. It took about 3 months of construction work and we opened our doors just a few months ago at the beginning of this year.

Marco: Wow, 6 mos. and bam, you did all this? That’s way cool! How did you come up with the name, Moo?

Sara: Well, almost everywhere you go on the Malecon, they specialize in seafood of some sort. So, we wanted to do the exact opposite. We wanted a steakhouse concept and after playing around with a lot of names, Moo really stuck. We thought we would try anything on our menu that others did not have such as our homemade sweet potato chips and our bacon wrapped onion rings, which took a lot of attempts to get down, but we finally made it work. We have travelled all over the world for ideas on custom crafted cocktails and visited many gastro pubs. We think of things that you wouldn’t necessarily put together. Our goal was to provide a trendy vibe with and an awesome food presentation and to be different. A classy place that is nice, fun and up-beat!

Marco: Well, I would agree, Moo is way trendy, and the presentation of the food and drinks is really something to see! How has business been since you opened and who is your main clientele?

Lance: We have had near sell-out crowds every day of the week since we have opened. We cater to both locals and tourists and our goal was to provide something different. So many people told us our adventure was a huge risk with Covid, parking in the Malecon and just in general that locals may not like what we have to offer. In reality, our locals have been a great source of our clientele as we would estimate our locals to tourist ratio at 50/50. We have had clients coming into the restaurant 3 or 4 days in a week.

Sara: We really took a lot of time in planning – from the plating to the garnishes, to the sauces, to the décor. Everything went through focus groups that helped us with suggestions and recommendations. We have plans for a parking lot nearby – not directly on the Malecon’s main road and will have a shuttle bus to take people to Moo. Future plans include an extra special surprise with another story being added on with unobstructed views of the sea!

Marco: I can see why! What are your top selling items for food and drink?

Lance: Our Gordo Burger and our ribeye steak are our #1 sellers for food. Some other very popular dishes are blackened grouper and our kabob towers. Our doughnut buns and bread bowls are custom made by a local bakery with their and our special ingredients. Our ground beef is specially ground just for Moo with special parts of the cow being used for each burger.

Marco: Ok so tell me about my favorite part of a restaurant, THE BEVVIES!!!!

Sara: We use the freshest ingredients with premium liquors that truly make a difference. The Stinger is our signature cocktail which is a scorpion infused cocktail with a real scorpion…it comes with a button to wear…I ATE THE STINGER…PUERTO PEÑASCO, MEXICO! Some of our other cocktail favorites are the fish bowl, which is for two people. It comes with glow in the dark Swedish fish, nerd candy as the gravel and is vodka infused. We also have the Tweet Tweet, which comes in a bird glass. Additionally, we have skull shot glasses rimmed with pop rocks and a Red Velvet Martini with real cream cheese icing on the rim with sprinkles. Lastly, we also have the Cowabunga which is a purple martini and comes with a real smoke bomb inside of it!

Marco: Wow, what super ideas for cocktails…well, I will have to put down my F a duck and try some new bevvies!

Sara: We have even hired Brian Van Flandern who is America’s top mixologist and has been featured on the Food Network. He has helped with recipes and is coming to help train our staff for consistency and superior cocktails.

Marco: Please tell me about your wines.

Lance: Wine is our #1 seller, but we also have the biggest whisky selection in all of Peñasco. We have a new wine room coming that will also feature excellent wines to go.

Marco: I really like the décor here. The vibe is really cool! Tell me about it.

Sara: All of our tables and barstools were made from local vendors including the grass and mirrors and exclusive red quartz that is used throughout the restaurant and as you can see, we are red, black and gold themed. Our bathrooms are designed to be another special feature at Moo. The ladies room has a water fountain, Kate Spade décor, crystal handles and a yellow velvet sitting chair.

Marco: Well, I can’t say I have never accidentally walked into the ladies room before but you will have to give me a peek when we know the coast is clear :).

What is the normal dress like here?

Sara: Our clientele tends to dress up nicely, but we also have those that come beach casual as well. It is nice to have a place that you can dress up a bit and feel your best.

Marco: Anything else you all would like to add about yourselves or Moo?

Sara: Well, we have 5 kids aged 18-25 and they are a big focus of our lives. We wanted to point out that this is Julio, Jr’s first business ownership and that we feel like we are a part of each other’s families. Lance and I totally feel blessed to have met Julio, Jr. and thank God that he put us in each other’s paths. Julio is only 27 but he felt in order to do something different in Peñasco, he wanted some Americans involved as well for some fresh ideas. Our biggest goal was to make things affordable for everyone because we care about giving back to the community who made this all possible! Oh, and please watch for the Las Vegas style LED video signage in front of Moo…it has videos of the chef in action, the bartenders creating their specialties which helps to have an overall feel for what is special about Moo! We also sell full leather aprons for gifts as well as single and double wine bags. We have MOO caps and shirts. We feature fire pits and fire heaters for a trendy feel to cut the chill on those slightly brisk nights. We also have USB multiple port outlets everywhere in the restaurant, so no one ever has to leave.

Marco: What about dessert?

Sara: Our specialty dessert is our number one seller…tableside flambe Mont Blanc. It’s white chocolate, Bailey’s and various ingredients flamed and poured over homemade buttercake and ice cream. We also have caramel apple bread pudding, German Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and mango habanero cheesecake.

Marco: I for one, am a BIG FAN! I have been several times already and truly enjoyed the food, spirits and vibe. I am so glad we did this interview as I had no idea about all the specialty items on both the food and drink menus. I cannot wait to try more!

Moo seems to be the new word in town and I highly recommend taking a cruise into Moo to see one of the coolest spots in town. The place is unique and way popular and reservations are recommended. You can achieve this in various ways by booking on line at eatsteakatmoo.com, or their Facebook page @moosteakhouseandgrille, Instagram @moo.steakhouse or by calling 638-114-3595. 🙂

Can’t wait to see you all at MOO and join in on the good times! Have an awesome April Rocky Point! Always remember…

HAPPINESS IS THE NEW RICH…

INNER PEACE IS THE NEW SUCCESS…

HEALTH IS THE NEW WEALTH…

AND KINDNESS IS THE NEW COOL!

GOD BLESS, ADIOS AMIGOS
Marco