Michael Lieffring and his mother, Sue, opened MoJo Cafe about five weeks ago in downtown St. Joseph. Although the previous tenants changed so much it gave fast food a new meaning, Michael says they hope to have better luck by offering larger portions and lower prices.

You might recognize Michael. He also is the owner of the Shaft Night Club located across the street. Sue will be assisting him in the kitchen with some of her home-style cooking, such as the chocolate chip cookies and soup.

“Everyone likes mom’s soups,” Michael says.

The menu also includes large, but reasonably priced, sandwiches ($5.99), and crowd favorites so far are their reubens, homemade curried chicken salad and the club sandwich. There’s also homemade salads, pies and a variety of bottled drinks, including Jones Soda lemonade and Rockstar energy drinks.

One sandwich they make that you won’t find many places in town is their grilled peanut butter and jelly for $2.75.

“It’s what we grew up on as kids,” Michael says.

Apparently others did, too, because there are regulars who have been excited to eat them again.

Although they cater to the lunch crowd, with hours 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, they will stay open until 8 p.m. on Fridays during the Songs of Summer concert series down the street at Felix Street Square. Sit at one of the several tables indoors where you can watch TV or look out the window, or relax at patio tables outside under the green and white awning. Michael says he will be adding more tables as soon as they finish repair work on the sidewalk.

And if you were wondering if there is a story behind the name of the deli, there isn’t. Sue and Michael say the name just came to them.

“And it was better than S and M,” Michael laughs.