Since its doors opened in 2001, Yankton staple Mojo’s 3rd Street Pizza has been trying to get everyone to do as its motto demands: “Enjoy a slice of the good life.”
In 2020, owner Jeff Dayhuff finally decided it was time for change.
While he had plans for a remodel for years, it never felt like the right time.
“Last year, we started gutting the place when we were closed down from COVID,” said Dayhuff. “It was a last minute thing. If we’re ever going to do it, we’re going to do it now.”
Over a five week period, when the pandemic’s first shock hit the nation, Mojo’s doors were closed. Inside was a construction zone.
“Every wall, everything is different,” explained Dayhuff.
“We ripped out the ceilings, and there were like six ceilings above this place.” -Jeff Dayhuff
A new aesthetic feature of the pizza bar is some exposed brick that Dayhuff’s daughter insisted they maintain and uncover.
“We accidentally knocked part of the plaster off on this, and all of a sudden there was bricks,” he said. “It took a whole extra day for four of us to knock all the plaster off this.”
Along with the brick walls, the location of the bar and the bartop itself have changed.
“That bar was in the waterfront restaurant that I used to own from 2000-2008, and it’s been sitting in storage until we redid it and put it in here,” said Dayhuff.
But the restaurant itself wasn’t the only thing due for a remodel. They also reimagined their pizzas.
“We wanted a really fluffy crust on the bottom and doughy in the middle,” said Dayhuff. “We worked to get the best, fresh ingredients. We made it to what we like.”
On the menu, Mojo’s has quite a few appetizers and four core pizzas. And if those don’t fit the palate, guests can always build their own.
“Our most popular pizza is our Meat Lovers,” said manager Rayden Terca. “It’s an all-meat pizza.”
Layered with cheese, the Meat Lovers is one of the 16-inch mega pizzas and comes topped with Canadian bacon, beef, italian sausage, and pepperoni.
This fan favorite is a classic, much like the other three features: Single Topping, Lotz-O-Cheese, and Supreme.
Every pie is made with a newly-perfected raised butter, garlic crust.
Appetizers vary from Cheese Balls and Mozzarella Stix to Battered Green Beans and Egg Rolls.
“We’re really known for our Steak Tips, similar to chislic. That’s one of our most popular,” said Terca.
The tips are seasoned with garlic and topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
The More You Know
Wednesday nights are trivia night at Mojo’s. Trivia categories change from week to week. Grab a slice, and test your knowledge.
One of the best sellers are the Wings that can come as either boneless or bone in.
“We have the best wings in town with eight different sauces you can toss them in,” said Terca.
The wings can be made with sauces like Garlic Parmesan, Mango, and Habanero.
