Mooney's Bar-B-Que

Morris Tyree Mooney (1920-1995) and his wife Loretta Mae Bragg (1932-2023) opened Mooney’s Bar-B-Cue in 1956. Before Mooney’s it was Easter Drive-In. The Mooney’s are remembered as wonderful people, always laughing.

The Mooney’s ran the restaurant for 26 years until Morris’ retirement in 1982. Mooney’s was one of the favorite destinations for the youth of Athens and Princeton who obtained their driver’s licenses and the use of a car. 

Mooney’s is remembered for their great barbecues served with slaw. Other favorites were hamburgers and cheeseburgers covered with shredded lettuce, large slices of tomatoes and slathered with mayo served with a heaping helping of onion rings cooked to perfection. Their West Virginia slaw dogs served with crispy fries were another awesome addition to their menu. Pepperoni pizza served with a cold pop was a tasty treat also. Carhops on skates brought the food out to the cars on trays that attached to the car windows. With the skating rink in the same vicinity it wasn’t hard to find employees who could skate to deliver the food.

As with so many of the teens during the Mooney’s  era, the author’s husband’s first paying job was at Mooney’s. It didn’t last long. Washing dishes just wasn’t his forte.

Mooney’s was a great place to hang out, eat some good food and socialize with friends.  Mooney’s was the turn around spot for the nightly cruisers. The route started at Bill’s Drive-In in East Princeton, traveled Mercer Street and went all the way to Mooney’s. Cruisers would grab a drink and snack then off again to Bill’s, grab a drink or milkshake, and start all over again.

Mooney’s was a beloved landmark in Princeton for years. When Mooney’s closed, Cheers, which some called a seedy bar, opened in its place. Most of the younger folks remember it as Cheers but the older folks who loved Mooney’s were devastated when the building was demolished in 2020.