Yellow Moon Cafe

First time customer and thought I’d try this for my birthday supper. I was not disappointed as the atmosphere was very cozy and meal was excellent. Had tomato florentine soup before having wild Alaskan sole and my husband had the duck breast. We both loved it! I really love that they use local ingredients and that the menu is always changing so I can’t wait to come back. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because the waiter never came back during our whole meal so I never got another drink.

We had a truly fabulous dinner here. In fact, I would say the yellow Moon Café produced the finest meal we had on the Wine Trail.
The menu changes daily, but the evening we dined, they were offering a dill pickle soup to start. I absolutely love dill pickles, and in fact, have been known to drink the juice before! I knew I had to try this soup, and it did not disappoint. The dill flavor, infused into what was otherwise a potato soup, was rich and chock full of that delicious dill flavor. We actually asked the owner’s mother for the recipe, and the owner herself came out to relay it to us!
After the starter, I ordered a Mediterranean style chicken with asparagus and potatoes. All were wonderfully prepared, and the flavor was exactly what I would expect from a big city restaurant. The only problem was that the portion size was too large, and after such a hearty soup, I did not make much headway into the chicken!
We did order dessert from the dessert case, and that too was wonderful. But the real stars of the meal were certainly the starters and entrees, and for that reason I would highly recommend that you check out the yellow Moon Café the next time you are in the area. From what I saw of the restaurants along the Wine Trail, the yellow Moon Café was by far superior to anything else.

Great place with excellent wait staff and an owner that cares. Perfect for any time, but it really goes well with the wine trail. The food is original.

This place is a cute spot located in Cobden, Illinois. My partner and I stopped in on a Sunday night – it’s a small restaurant, so reservations are definitely recommended.
The menu changes every night, and features local meats and seasonal fruits and vegetables. We split the watermelon salad, which also had greens, almonds, feta, and a mint dressing. It was really tasty, though it only had a few pieces of rather pale watermelon and was rather sparse on feta.
For entrees, my partner had coconut curry cod and I had a pork-​stuffed chile relleno made with local pork. We both found our entrees fresh and good quality, but lacking in flavor and seasoning. We could barely taste the curry in his fish, it was more like fish swimming in coconut milk. My chile relleno was beautifully presented and very fresh, but I couldn’t really taste seasonings like chili, garlic, or other spices traditionally associated with Mexican cuisine. And on both of our dishes, there were large amounts of plain, white, overcooked rice that tasted like Minute Rice – it felt like a cheap filler for our otherwise pricey entrees. Our entrees were also served lukewarm except for chile relleno – I would guess both plates were sitting for several minutes while the chile relleno was in the fryer.
We split a piece of housemade German chocolate cake and maple ice cream, both of which were fantastic. Definitely the highlight of the meal.
We agreed we would come by again, if only for live music and dessert, or perhaps lunch. I appreciate Yellow Moon’s contribution to the Southern Illinois dining scene, but they need to bump up their flavors to make an $ 85 meal for two worthwhile.

The Yellow Moon is a wonderful place to stop for lunch during the week or for supper on the weekends. The food is fresh, and much of it is local. The food is expertly prepared, gourmet food that you can’t find anywhere else in the area. The dinner specials on weekends are always unique, with a wide variety, but do vary from day-​to-​day. I highly recommend the meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes when they have it. I’ve also had the chicken parmesan, fried catfish, and a tortilla crusted tilapia that were all so amazing. Their soups, sandwiches, and salads at lunch are all delicious. The staff and owners are very friendly and very knowledgeable about the area, if you’re in town visiting. The small-​town atmosphere with excellent quality food is hard to beat!

We love this place. I don’t live in the area anymore but try and get back each time i come home. I have seen this business go through several owners (some successful and some not so). But Sandy et al. are wonderful! They do creative things related to activities and entertainment and they do creative things on the menu. The vegetarian options are always yummy. The servers are always attentive and personable. I could tell you a little about all of the servers I have had, but not in an annoying way, in a genuine, they connect with you on a human level. They also leave you alone if you want. Sandy, who is usually at the door, is a dear! If you leave a message, she will also call you back, so don’t let that put you off. It is a mom and pop kinda place, sometimes they can’t answer the phone. Don’t let that turn you off. If you want to get a little taste of the love that So Ill has, stop in Yellow Moon.

We’re so glad we found this gem of a café! The food was excellent! And we feel so good about eating locally sourced food. The ambiance is delightful and our wait staff couldn’t have been lovelier! He was attentive, helpful, friendly. Steered us right with our order. We had the chicken sandwich on croissant and it was perfectly balanced in it’s flavor and texture. If we find ourselves in this area again, we will most certainly eat here!

What a great find! Had a late lunch here, I had the ham and cheese and it was amazing — not the typical ham and cheese but real sliced ham and brie cheese and although we were there months ago, my mouth waters just thinking about it! My husband had the home-​grown beef sandwich, which was just as wonderful! Wish Cobden wasn’t so far from Chicago but will stop there any time we’re in the area — absolutely wonderful!

Friendly staff, excellent home-​cooked meal, and great music on the Friday night we were there (not too loud, but just right for sitting and chatting or listening). Oh yeah, the food was EXCELLENT!

This place is a gem of a find. Any big city foodie traveling in the area WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! We visited with our two kids (2 and 5) and we had a great time. I loved the spinach salad, my daughter devoured the ham and cheese without coming up for air and my husband really enjoyed the Mediterranean flatbread.

Great sandwiches and really wonderful, friendly people. This is the type of place I would go to every day if I lived in the area.

The Yellowmoon Café is a great find in tiny Cobden, IL. We came in on a Saturday night after doing the Shawnee Wine trail, and it was nice to be able to buy a glass of wine that wasn’t made in the area (we weren’t impressed, especially by the dry wines, which we prefer).
The server was very friendly and attentive. The choices are written on a blackboard, which was too far away for me to read. I had no idea how much anything cost when we ordered. I guess I could have asked, but I correctly assumed the prices were very reasonable. For entrees, We had the meatloaf and grilled tuna salad. Both were pretty good, not great. For dessert, we shared a piece of German Chocolate cake, which we were told was made by local Amish bakers. It was also good, not great.
The laid back atmosphere is what made it fun, really. Kind of an old hippie vibe. The rare restaurant that can get by serving breakfast or dinner. It’s definitely a good bet for dinner if you’re on the wine trail or staying nearby. Probably also good for lunch if you’re passing through.

Dining here felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night. Both the people and space were so welcoming. At one point, someone picked up a guitar for short serenade :) The food was plain delicious, like a good home-​cooked meal, but with better ingredients and seasoning. One day, I will retire and open a little café just like this, somewhere.

How great to have such a unique place in Cobden! I love the Brie and Blackforest ham sandwich with caramelized onions. I also stop in for coffee and their yummy cinnamon rolls from time to time and the atmosphere is really welcoming. To me, it is a hub for the area. Sandy, the owner’s mother, is great as far as imparting information about the area and how to find places. Cobden is a great starting point for the wine trail and the Yellow Moon has a lot to offer whether it’s morning coffee or evening wine and appetizers.

Fantastic! Food, drink, staff, atmosphere. In Cobden? Yes! In Cobden!

On a recent visit to the beautiful Southern Illinois we came across this small hometown café/​restaurant. WOW– what a gem this place is. The sandwiches were surprisingly great. I had the turkey sandwich with apricot sauce and dried cranberries blended in. YUM! The others had equally wonderfully tasty sandwiches, soups and salads. The service was good, with a bit of a quirk about the owner, I’m not sure how she perceived us. Mostly she was nice and inviting, yet sometimes she seemed a bit annoyed at times, but overall what a great place.